After a bit of a hiatus, CDX's resident Jumbo apologist returns with another JM review and makes a case for the much maligned Five Robo. With video!

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman (地球戦隊ファイブマン) was the 14th show in the Super Sentai series and aired for 48 episodes from March 2, 1990 to February 8, 1991. It's main mecha, Five Robo (ファイブロボ), was released as in 1991 under the Jumbo Machinder banner. It was the first toy to feature the brand name since 1982's Dol Dragon and would be the last such toy, although later there would be model kits of Dangioh and Nu Gundam from B-Club that bore the name. However, those are generally not considered real Jumbo Machinders. In fact, depending on who you ask, the same could be said of Five Robo, too.

The reason for this is due mostly to the fact that the toy is made entirely out of hard plastic, unlike the polyethylene or vinyl of traditional Jumbos. This really sets the toy apart from it's brethren. It just really sticks out like a sore thumb in a lineup of vintage Jumbo Machinders. Besides that main detriment, there are a few other things that make this a pretty unpopular toy. At 21" tall, it's a bit smaller than a full sized JM. The proportions looks a bit goofy, too, especially the legs and feet, which seem quite large.

Some people also don't like the box, which is also different from classic Popy JM boxes. It's made out of thick, sturdy cardboard with full color graphics all around it and a lid on the top. Come to think of it, it's actually a lot like the first series Jumbo villain boxes, only with a lot more effort put into it.

One thing I never knew until getting the toy myself is that the image from the front of the box actually continues on to the right side, which I think it pretty neat. Also, the instructions for the toy are printed directly on the back side.

Ok, so what are this toy's good points? Well, if you look at it on it's own merits, there are actually quite a few. And when I say to look at it on it's own merits, I mean, think of it from the perspective of a child instead of a collector. First, it's still pretty large and though it looks a bit goofy compared to older JMs, it actually does look very much like the robot in the show.

Five Robo also has some neat gimmicks, including light and sound features. If you press a button on the shoulder, his chest and eyes flash and you hear a beeping sound. The next feature is similar, but a bit cooler. You can place a clear sword in his right hand and when you press the button there, the sword lights up and you get the previous sound again. On top of that, you can remove the sword and replace it with one of two different guns and then they will light up if you press the button. When not in his hand, both guns can be stored halfway up the arms. So Five Robo is fully armed and ready for battle at all times.

Unfortunately, because of the electronics involved, you do lose some other features. For instance, the head cannot be turned at all and the right fist does not launch. You have to store the batteries inside the right fist and right behind the head on the back. However, you do still get rocket punch action from the left fist so it's not a total loss.

Ok, now the next gimmick is really something that it gets a lot of flack over and rightfully so. It's quite silly. Five Robo "transforms" into a vehicle, but the transformation consists entirely of laying the robot down on it's back. That's it. Seriously. I didn't even bother taking a picture of it. There are 20 plastic rolling wheels on the back (6 on each leg, and 4 on both sides of the back) and the arms also have stickers on them the mimic wheels there. Those stickers, as well as all the others on the side, need to be applied but many collectors do not bother since the toy looks exactly the same from the front without them. All the sticker ornamentation on the front of the robot is already there when you open the box.

The Jumbo Five Robo is probably the easiest Jumbo to acquire. Not only is it very common, but most people don't even want it, which of course helps keep it very affordable. It's a very common sight on both Yahoo!Japan auctions, as well as in shops in Japan, but it's seen less frequently on Ebay so prices there are usually higher. Expect to pay about $100- 200 dollars for it depending who is selling it. I got mine just a month or so ago for about $75 on Yahoo, but one just sold on Ebay for more than twice that. If you're interested in one, make sure you shop around before buying.

Far less common than this toy is it's Korean counterpart. I remember seeing one on Yahoo!Japan auctions many years ago, but I was just beginning to collect at the time and I didn't know for sure that it was an actual Jumbo. It was listed under "Jumbo Machinder", but there was no mention of size nor anything in the pictures for scale. The legs on that version opened up and you could place action figures inside. For many years, I questioned my own memory of whether or not I really saw it until recently JoshB unearthed this picture. Now I just gotta find one!

Raideen (also sometimes spelled "Reideen" or "Raydeen") must have been produced in great numbers.

Brave Raideen (勇者ライディーン) aired from April 1975 until March of 1976. The Jumbo Machinder was released in 1975. Other Jumbos released that year were the Getter G team, Getter Dragun, Getter Liger and Getter Poseidon and all three toys were packaged in boxes featuring strikingly similar artwork. Although Raideen has no other connection to those robots, it seems almost like they are a set unto themselves due to this similarity.

Raideen (also sometimes spelled "Reideen" or "Raydeen") must have been produced in great numbers because it remains one of the most easy to find Jumbo Machinders from the whole line, along with the first two releases, Mazinger Z and Kamen Rider V3. There are always loose specimens on Yahoo!Japan auctions and I think practically every shop I went into on my last trip to Tokyo had at least one, many with the boxes. It's been said that this toy even had a limited release in the US, which seems likely since it does show up on ebay from US sellers occasionally.

The original Japanese version of the toy (Raideen was released by two other companies, Mattel in the US and Europe and Jugarama in Mexico) is by far the best one to get. It's proportions are much nicer than any of the subsequent releases and the bow fist is a favorite among fans who grew up with the much less attractive Mattel Shogun Warriors version.

Popy Raideen

Mattel Raydeen

This guy sure seems enthusiastic about the toy!

Reideen comes with wheels on it's feet, removable hands and winged missiles that it shoots from it's stomach. This missile is unique to this Jumbo. This missile is usually yellow, but JoshB (who owns the specimen pictured in this review) has seen at least one missile that was cast in blue.

In the anime, Raideen could transform into a flying "God Bird" mode and you can represent this by turning the robot on it's side. Ok, ok, you gotta use your imagination a bit for that one..

Besides being released by Mattel and Jugarama, this main body sculpt of the Raideen Jumbo Machinder was also used on other toys. The Mazingger Z jumbo from Argentina uses the torso while the Argus toy from Brazil uses both the torso and the head. There is also a very cheaply made Mazinger Z from Mexico that uses the entire body of the Raideen Jumbo but replaces the head with a crudely sculpted Mazinger Z head. Truly, toy makers got their money's worth out of this mold!

As I said before, this is a pretty easy find as far as Popy Jumbo Machinders go. You can probably get a loose one in decent condition for as little as $100 while a deadstock example might be around $400-600.

This toy was released in large numbers and is among the easiest to find Popy Jumbo Machinders today.

Kamen Rider V3 aired for 52 episodes in 1973-1974 and the Jumbo Machinder was released in 1973. It was the second figure in the line, following on the heels of Mazinger Z and this designation is actually noted on the front of the box. The box is also interesting for the fact that is shows the prototype of the toy and depicts it with a missiles launching hand, which of course it does not have.

Although it does not have a missile launcher, this Jumbo does have a few interesting features. First off, it has retractable antennae protruding from the soft vinyl head. Secondly, a white scarf is tied around a hoop on either shoulder. The only other Jumbo to feature a similar gimmick is the follow-up character, Kamen Rider X. His scarf is different, but these two are the only Popy Jumbos to have a cloth accessory. He also has a belt with a tin plated buckle on the front and a holder for what appears to be a flashlight on his hip. Now, it seems you can remove the belt, but it sure looks like a pain in the neck to do it. The only reason I could even think that you would want to do it is so that you can free the flashlight (which is otherwise trapped in place), but even if you did that, it's not like he can hold it anyway. All these parts should probably be considered purely decorative.

Both Kamen Rider Jumbos share the same mold on the hands and feet (although Kamen Rider X has holes in his hands to hold his whips.) Kamen Rider V3's chest details are molded pieces of plastic with the exception of the red stripes within the blue, which are just stickers. Pay careful attention to that if you are looking to buy one of these. It's easy to overlook a missing sticker here.

There is at least one known variation for this guy. Most specimens have a plain, unpainted back of the head, while others have silver paint extending back from the front.

Otherwise, this toy is typical of most Jumbos with removable hands (if you want to buy the missile accessory shown on the box), wheeled feet and minimal articulation. One thing to keep in mind though is that with the antennae fully extended, V3 measures 25" tall, a full inch and a half more than typical Jumbos. This could come into play if you are building a display case for your collection. Keep in mind you'll need a little more room for this guy, especially since he looks much better with the antennae out as opposed to in.

Kamen Rider V3 is a pretty nice Jumbo, but if you have big plans for your collection, it's probably one you can hold off on while you track rarer toys. Although it's not very common in the US, this guy is actually a pretty easy acquisition in Japan. Loose specimens abound and boxed ones do show up fairly regularly too. I'd say the average price for a mint in box Kamen Rider V3 Jumbo is probably something in the $800-1200, but I've seen loose ones sell closer to $300-400, maybe even lower. Unless you just desperately need to have this toy for some reason, I'd suggest you wait until you see it for the value and condition you're most comfortable with.

The least popular Mazinger Z Jumbo villain and probably the easiest to find, Spartan K5 is still a personal favorite of mine.

Spartan K5 (スパルタンK5) appeared in episode 14 of Mazinger Z and appeared in Jumbo Machinder form in 1973 as part of Popy's second wave of Machinder villains. Other second series Machinder villains included Rokuron Q9, Green Ghost C3, and Garada K7 from Mazinger Z and Taihou Buffalo and Lenzari from Kamen Rider V3. All 6 characters were on the front of the box, which they all shared.

Collectors stand divided in their opinions of Spartan K5. It stands out from other jumbos, even other villains, due to the fact that the right arm is permanently bent at the elbow to be ready to throw his spear. Also, he has no left hand behind that shield. And since it is really the only jumbo you'll find with a beard, it's understandable to hear that some think it's a silly toy.

Personally, I've always longed for this piece. Something about the eyes, the way they look so cartoonish, has always struck a chord with me. Furthermore, when I started collecting, getting Jumbo villains seemed like a unreachable goal. At the time, they were just too rare. But Spartan was considered one of the easiest to get. So not only did I like the character, but I felt he'd be my best chance to get a villain. I missed out on a couple of specimens early and in hindsight, I'm really glad I did. It would not be long before I realized that I just had to have one complete with the spear. To me it makes a huge difference in the appearance of the toy. I think it looks a bit odd with his hand raised in position, but with nothing to throw. The problem is that getting Spartan with his spear is infinitely more difficult than finding one without it. It would take nearly 6 years before I would finally acquire the piece complete (albeit without a box).

And in case you're wondering, yes, Spartan CAN actually launch that spear through the air. It features a simple metal rod and spring mechanism very much like the one in the chest of Green Ghost C3. Pull the rod back, twist it to hold in place and load the spear before twisting the rod again to release the spring.

Spartan K5 is approximately 19" tall and the body is made out of green soft vinyl with painted details. Some areas are noticeably hand painted, like the eyes and waist. The spear and shield are made of polyethylene. You can position both arms and legs and in fact, many collectors do not realize that the right arm can be lowered. It is almost always seen in a raised position and that shoulder joint his hidden by the armor.

Like the other Jumbo villains, Spartan K5 has his name as well as copyright information etched into the bottom of his feet. The left foot says "Popy" and "Spartan K5" while the right says "Dynamic Pro" and "Toei Animation".

Right Foot

Left Foot

There's not much else to say about this toy. Like most jumbos, vinyls or vinyl jumbos, it's a simple toy that doesn't do much and whether or not you like it depends mostly on your own personal aesthetic tastes. I will say this though, if you want one and see one with a spear, I suggest you act because it might be a long wait before you see another. Spartan K5 typically sells for about $1000 loose with no spear and about $1500-2000 loose with a spear. I've never seen it for sale complete and in the box so I can't speak from experience, but something around $3000 seems likely for that.

Spartan K5, along with the legendary and impossibly rare Garada K7, appears in this Mazinger Z Jumbo Machinder commercial!

Combattler V was one of three characters designated as "Deluxe Jumbo Machinders" by Popy.

Tadao Nagahama's Robot Romance Trilogy began with Super Electromagnetic Robo Combattler V (超電磁ロボ コンバトラーＶ) in 1976. It ran for 54 episodes from April 17 until May 28 of the following year and was followed by Voltes V and Daimos. All three robots were released by Popy as Jumbo Machinders with Combattler being the easiest of the three to acquire. I got mine at Magic Box in Kokubunji, along with New Tetsujin 28. These would be the only two Jumbos I'd actually buy in Japan as two subsequent trips would be fruitless, at least in terms of Machinder-hunting.

I think Combattler V is a Jumbo that I should like more than I do. I'm not really sure why, but for some reason it's never really excited me too much. I'm perfectly happy to have it and wouldn't ever consider selling it, but whenever I am looking at my jumbos, this is one that I tend not to focus on. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that when I got back from Japan with it, I had no more money left to try for the Spartan K5 and Taihou Buffalo Jumbos that were on auction at the time. Maybe when I look at Combattler, I just see the two villains I could have gotten instead (and still don't have).

This must be the reason because the Combattler toy itself is great. It's very colorful and has the best sculpt of any vintage toy of the character (in my humble opinion, of course). It features a launching fist, gimmicks, accessories, rolling feet... really everything that a Jumbo fan is usually into. For this reason, Combattler was among the first in the line to be designated as a "Deluxe Jumbo Machinder" (along with Gaiking and Daiku Maryu.). While only the right fist shoots, you can replace the left with an included "claw" hand, which is articulated at the "thumb".

The back features an opening compartment in which you can store a set of wheels. This can be insterted into a hole in the stomach of the robot when he is transformed into vehicle mode. Transformation consists of simply folding the robot down at the ankles and lying him on the ground.

Ok, yeah, the transformation is lame. But I suspect kids in 1976 weren't complaining too much. They had a Combattler toy you could ride on, as the catalog suggests. Note also that they show the prototype toy, as well as a drawing depicting several fists that unfortunately were not included.

While I may not be as enthusiastic about this toy as I should be, I will say that the box it comes in is probably my favorite from my collection. The artwork on the front is fantastic and really stands out. I think perhaps the Voltes V and Daiku Maryu boxes might be the only ones I like more.

Popy's Combattler V Jumbo Machinder generally sells for about $1000-1500 and is probably about middle of the pack in terms of rarity. It shows up about once a year on average. Sometimes it even shows up where you would least expect it. :)

A far less pricey alternative was once in the works as Unifive had planned to re-issue this in their line of "Jumbo Machine" toys. A prototype was created but sadly, the line was discontinued before it was ever produced.

Popy's final Getter Robo G Jumbo, Poseidon gets more love here than in it's homeland.

Following up on the success of the Getter Robo anime, Getter Robo G (ゲッターロボG) aired for 39 episodes on Fuji TV from May 15, 1975 to March 25, 1976 and spawned a great many toys in Japan. Furthermore, the show was adapted for American audiences and retitled as "Starvengers" when it was included in Jim Terry's famously popular "Force Five" cartoons. Just like it's predecessor, Getter Robo G featured three vehicles that could combine to form three different robots. This time around, the robots had slightly more interesting names, being called Getter Dragon, Getter Liger, and Getter Poseidon(ゲッターポセイドン).

The third robot form, Getter Poseidon, is probably the least popular. The Jumbo Machinder is considered one of the easiest releases from Popy to get and as such is often one of the first that is acquired by US collectors. (It was my first Popy Jumbo.) The toy is not particularly popular in Japan, however. It has a very simplistic form that some may find uninteresting, but there are a couple of features that are unique.

Most obviously, the lower legs are molded in the shape of two tank treads and can be folded down to mimick the Caterpillar Tread from the show. Unfortunately, these treads do not actually roll. Instead there are two sets of wheels embedded in the plastic for this purpose. This means that while standing, Poseidon has wheels on the outside of his calves. Though a neat feature for play value, the whole setup gives the toy a very ungainly look below the knees that may turn some collectors off. From the knees up, it's a beautiful toy, though.

The second unique feature is the missile launchers which are screwed into the back of the toy. Hollow yellow missiles (6 included) are placed on top of the launchers, while accordion-style compressors are attached below. Using these to pump air through the tubes sends the missiles flying. And man, do they fly! Of all the jumbos I've had, Poseidon definitely wins the award for having missiles that fly the furthest when launched. It's an interesting system that isn't used on other jumbos. Perhaps Popy decided consistency was more important than distance when it comes to launching missiles. Sometimes this system loses some functionality if they air is not properly held in or if the missiles are pushed down too tightly.

In addition to the folding tank tread legs, you can raise and lower Poseidon's arms, turn his hands or remove them entirely to swap them out for a separately sold accessory fists. Also, the blue collar on the neck can be turned to simulate the Getter Cyclone weapon, but it honestly doesn't move very smoothly. It would have been nicer if it actually spun.

Though the toy's design is pretty simple, upon closer inspection it's evident that it contains more parts than would be obvious at first glance. The torso, head, arms and missile launchers were cast in dark orange polyethylene, with black poly for the hands and treads. Light blue poly comprises the legs while the collar is a darker blue poly. The yellow missiles are also poly, but the blue parts connecting the treads and legs is dark blue plastic. I'm not exactly sure what the compressors on the missile launchers are. They feel like a very soft, flexible poly, the same sort that some of the cheaper carnival machinders are made from.

This is one of the few jumbos whose head is not made of painted soft vinyl. Instead, like Getter 3 it has stickers for details. Some blemishes you may find on the Jumbo Poseidon is some oxidation on the silver stickers on the waist and I've also seen several specimens on which the stickers were actually applied crookedly. In fact, my own had the black "V" sticker on the pelvis all out of whack. I had to carefully remove it and straighten it out. Typically, I wouldn't mess with my vintage toys like that, (especially a jumbo), but man, it really drove me nuts!

Poseidon stands the typical 23.5" tall when upright, but only 19.5" with the Caterpillar Treads folded down. It seems to pretty consistently sell for about $700 in mint in box condition. While this Popy toy is generally considered a fairly easy acquisition, the version produced by Mexican toy makers "Jugarama" is very hard to track down.

GETTER ROBO G:

STARVENGERS:

Of all the Getter Robo Jumbos, I like this one the best.

Following up on the success of the Getter Robo anime, Getter Robo G (ゲッターロボG) aired for 39 episodes on Fuji TV from May 15, 1975 to March 25, 1976 and spawned a great many toys in Japan. Furthermore, the show was adapted for American audiences and retitled as "Starvengers" when it was included in Jim Terry's famously popular "Force Five" cartoons. Just like it's predecessor, Getter Robo G featured three vehicles that could combine to form three different robots. This time around, the robots had slightly more interesting names, being called "Getter Dragon", Getter Liger (ゲッター ライガー), and Getter Poseidon.

While Getter Dragun may be the most popular of the three toys, Getter Liger is easily the hardest to get and quite desirable in his own right. It has a real sleek design that stands out from the pack and the color scheme, while simple, is quite alluring. The small bits of yellow on the shoulders and wingtips really add a lot. Like Dragon, Liger has "Getter Robo G" in Japanese on his stomach, with his name just beneath that.

Upon seeing the yellow tips of the wings, new collectors sometimes think they these parts might launch. While that would have been a great gimmick, unfortunately it is not the case. However the left hand does have a firing mechanism to launch his "Liger Missiles". Liger comes with 3 big red missiles for this purpopse. It should be noted as well that these missiles appear to be the same as those that come with the ZZ-06 accessory set, but are smaller and not compatible.

Probably the best part about this toy may also be the worst part. The left "pod arm" looks really beautiful, but the plastic here is thin where it connects to the arm. It's very common to see this toy with these parts broken off. So far mine is still intact, but it's something I worry about every time I touch the toy.

Getter Liger is the standard 23.5" tall and has wheels on his feet. The arms raise and lower and the head can be turned side to side. The wings on the back are held securely in place by four screws. The feet each have 3 white protrusions made out of rubber. These provide a bit of added detail, but the toy would probably be just as cool without them. Lastly, the box art is similar in style to the other two Getter G Machinders and also features the original prototype.

Even though Liger is the rarest of the Getter Robo G set, relative to the Jumbo Machinder line as a whole, it's still a fairly easy acquisition. Just getting it complete, in the box and with that pod arm unbroken is the trick. If you find such a specimen, expect to pay somewhere between $800-1200 for it. But this one comes with my highest recommendation. It's a really beautiful jumbo and makes a great set with his two brothers.

GETTER ROBO G:

STARVENGERS:

The original Japanese version of the popular Shogun Warriors toy.

Following up on the success of the Getter Robo anime, Getter Robo G (ゲッターロボG) aired for 39 episodes on Fuji TV from May 15, 1975 to March 25, 1976 and spawned a great many toys in Japan. Furthermore, the show was adapted for American audiences and retitled as "Starvengers" when it was included in Jim Terry's famously popular "Force Five" cartoons. Just like it's predecessor, Getter Robo G featured three vehicles that could combine to form three different robots. This time around, the robots had slightly more interesting names, being called "Getter Dragon"(ゲッタードラゴン), Getter Liger, and Getter Poseidon.

Popy released all three robots in Jumbo Machinder form in 1975, but two years later Mattel would create their line of imported "Shogun Warrior" toys and one of the most popular of the jumbos they released would be Getter Dragon (renamed simply as "Dragun"). It was also one of the most highly produced of the bunch and it is arguably the easiest to get today. In fact, though the original Popy version is not that hard to get in Japan, here in the US, the Shogun Warrior version is EVERYWHERE! It's probably the most common jumbo out there and one of the first most collectors get when they are just starting out. Though Mattel released four different versions of the toy (for more on that, please see John Eaton's Shogun Warriors Dragun Page), the first version released was identical to the original Popy toy, repackaged in a new box.

There isn't too much to say about this toy that isn't either commonly known, or detailed in the link above. It's 23" tall with wheels on the feet. The saws on the arms spin and he can hurl axes from his left hand. Although the Shogun Warriors version comes with a "star shooter" accessory, the Popy version did not include it. In typical Jumbo Machinder fashion, the toy's colors are inaccurate in comparison to the animation.

One interesting thing about it that you might not know is that even though Getter Dragon would likely be considered the "leader" of the Getter Robo G team, in Jumbo Machinder form, he is actually slightly shorter than his two partners. Also, in additon to the Popy and Mattel releases, at least two other companies released Jumbos of Getter Dragon. The first was released in Spain by a company called "Nacoral" and was called Robot Nacoral Lanza Discos. The second was released in Venezuela by a company called "Famosa" and was called "Robot Lanza Discos". Both toys are rare, but it's much harder to get the Famosa version.

As I said before, getting the Getter Dragon Jumbo is pretty easy, but the Popy version is more of a challenge than the Mattel. Most collectors aren't too picky about which they get, but for me, I really wanted to have a Popy version since it would display better with the Getter Liger and Getter Poseiden Jumbos. All three toys feature similar artwork on their boxes, which looks good together. (You might notice that the box features an image of the prototype, which appears to include a vinyl cape, much like the one on the Getter 1 Machinder!) The Popy Getter Dragun usually costs around $500 mib, though you may see prices higher or lower than that. Typically, it will be less in the US than in Japan since there are so many Shogun Warrior versions available as an alternative for American collectors.

GETTER ROBO G OPENING:

STARVENGERS OPENING:

So here comes the review for the Getter 3, the last one from this series and probably one of the most "funky" Machinders!

Fuji TV broadcast the original Getter Robo(ゲッターロボ) anime from April 4, 1974 to May 8, 1975. The show featured three vehicles which could combine to form three different robots, called Getter 1, Getter 2 and Getter 3. The show was very popular and all three robots were released as Jumbo Machinders in 1974.

What makes this Machinder so different from the others? Well, it's certainly because he doesn't have legs! Instead, he's built on a white tank which is supposed to mimic the head of Getter 2. The treads on the sides are molded in one piece, so nothing moves there, but there's two pairs of wheels underneath to make him ride on the ground. The front part of the tank is a separate piece. On my specimen you can pull it a bit, but I'm not sure this was made on purpose. On the back of the tank there's two little red reactor made of plastic.

Compared to the two other Getter Jumbos, this one is the rarest and really hard to find. Maybe one of the hardest of all Machinder heroes to find. Like the two others he's quite simple in design. Well, simple but clearly nothing to do with any other exisitng Machinder. But this is more due to the design of the robot itself. So first let's talk about the color. Getta 1 and Getter 2 had a different color scheme than in the original anime serie, but strangely Getter 3 is exactly like the anime.

As for articulation, you can only rotate his shoulders. You can also rotate the missile launcher to adjust to your target. Those missiles launchers are really unique. No other Jumbo shares the same mechanism and missiles. You put the missile in the launcher and it's held by two little hooks which you have to press to release the missile. Most loose specimens are missing those missiles and it's really hard to find them separately.

One of the interesting things about this little guy is his red body. It's made of a thin layer of plastic wrapped around the main yellow part. There's dark green stickers on the chest made of paper, quite similar of those on Getter 1. There's something specific with the stickers of both Getter 1 and 3. They were made out of different paper as the other Machinders, which results in a lot of cracks generated by the passing of time and storage conditions. Most specimen have those cracks in the stickers and finding one without will probably result in a higher price. The belt sticker is different from his two big brothers. There's an inversion of colors, so the background of the stickers is chrome and the letters black with the same layout and fonts as Getter 1 and 2. There's also two stickers on the head, one black line on the upper part of the head and one with eyes printed on it. This is interesting because from all Machinders, only him and Getter Poseidon have stickers on their heads instead of paint.

Like the rest of the Getter family, you can separate him in two parts by pressing a tab on the front and back waist. You can see in the pictures how he looks on the other lower part of his brothers. One funny thing about doing that is that his upper body part is quite tall, so when you put him on a regular pair of legs, this little guy becomes quite tall. Playing with them like that was not easy, Getta 3 body was a bit difficult to fit in Getta 2 legs. Well, with my specimen at least so this is probably not a defined rule.

Getter 3 body on Getter 1 legs

Getter 3 body on Getter 2 legs

So what make this Getter 3 so rare? Well, there's some theory saying that this robot didn't meet the same success as the other Getters, so fewer specimens where sold at the time, and then it's harder to find him today. And like in most collecting, when something is rare, it's quite expensive. Talking about price for this Machinder is difficult. I would say that a loose specimen in good shape should sell for around $2000, but it seems that prices for this one are raising recently. I've see a nice loose one sell for $3500, so it should be something in-between. As for boxed specimens, those are even more hard to find and I would estimate the price more around $4500-5000. So as you can see from these prices, this little guy is quite a challenge to acquire. The smallest Machinder and probably one of the most expensive, a strange paradox. But sometimes both the top and bottom parts of this toy can be seen for sale separately. Buying one half and then waiting for the other to show up can be a nice way to try to get this toy more cheaply. This can be a gamble though because you just never know when that other half will appear!

When I started collecting Machinders, I was a lightyear away from thinking that one day I'll have one. Luck was with me one day and I had an opportunity to get him at a decent price. It made me realize that with patience and some luck you can go far in this hobby.

So in conlusion, he's the most "goofy" machinder with his small size and straight look, but clearly one of the most interesting characters from the line. He's also a major piece in any collection.

If you like simple design, a bit more organic shapes, this JM is for you.

Fuji TV broadcast the original Getter Robo (ゲッターロボ) anime from April 4, 1974 to May 8, 1975. The show featured three vehicles which could combine to form three different robots, called Getter 1, Getter 2 and Getter 3. The show was very popular and all three robots were released as Jumbo Machinders in 1974.

Compared to Getter 1, Getter 2 is also easy to find. Some would even say it's easier to find than Getter 1, it's really depending of the market in fact but they're defenitively quite close.

Like his big brother, he's really simple in terms of design, sharing almost the same colors, with a darker blue for the upper part on the chest. It has two pairs of wheels on each feet and is articulated like most of the Machinder from the early production. The neck and shoulders rotate and that's mainly it.

Two interesting things about this Machinder: first, he has a more feminine shape than most of the other jumbos. His legs are thinner and not straight like the others and the lower part of the legs have some kind of "wings" on each side. His pelvis is really small compare to most of the JM. The second thing, it's the only Machinder who doesn't have any hands. One arm ends with a big orange driller and the other one with a giant claw. None are articulated but it gives a singular look to this Jumbo.

Also, one interesting thing is that it's probably the only Machinder to have no stickers except the one on the belt. The belt sticker is the same as Getter 1, black background and chrome lettering with a big number 2. The specimen displayed here has a repro belt, so the size of the writing on the belt is probably not accurate.

Like the two other Getters, he can be separated in two parts by pressing a tab on the front and back waist. You can see in the pictures how he looks on the other lower part of his brothers.

When it comes to prices, I would say he share a bit the same price range as Getta 1, so loose specimens generally sell for between $300 and $500. Most of the loose specimens I've seen didn't have the belt sticker. A perfect boxed example might be about $1200 to $1500. Unfortunately we've never seen a bootleg of this one (compare to Getter 1) so you'll have to dig in your wallet a bit if you want to get this one. But compared to other Popy Jumbo Machinders, it's one of the cheaper and probably one of the first you'll hit if you decide to start collecting the Japanese Jumbo line.

So in conclusion, if you like simple design, a bit more organic shapes, this JM is for you.

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