THUNDERBIRDS...are go! Thunderbird 2 is made of die cast and high quality plastic manufactured by Aoshima. It is has nice paint works, metal stilt legs, and removable container car.

THUNDERBIRDS...are go! Thunderbird 2 is made of die cast and high quality plastic manufactured by Aoshima. It is has nice paint works, metal stilt legs, and removable container car.The weathering version comes with the mole vehicle.

TB2 is around 15 inches long top to bottom and has nice solid feel.

The outside edge of the craft is all die cast, the tail section, container and front cone are all plastic. The front cone has plastic windows and you can see little seats inside.

The vehicle has metal stilts that do not collapse or retract, they are solid metal that you put in peg holes allowing you to push out container and have that classic "Thunderbirds are go" scene.

TB2 was a long crazy arduous journey for me to find and after finally buying one (which is why I am writing this)...it was like Dickens Tale of Two Cites...it is the best of chogokin and the worst of chogokin...TB2 looks incredible...the paint, the detail are great

However, it is not a toy, it is definitely just a showpiece (similar to the Anderson Space 1999 die cast collectibles), because it really does not "do" anything. The Aoshima TB1 had moving wings, trap doors, little accessories...but TB2 has none of these attributes. The other major flaw in my estimation was when ever you push out the container (I closely followed the directions), it creates a rub mark.

I carefully own and take care of everything...I even wear gloves...so you can feel my pain when at first I thought it was green paint from the container on the silver not the silver being rubbed down to the green plastic below. Therefore, the only one thing you can really do with the vehicle is the same thing that damages the paint. You may have notice the little die cast vehicles spotted around TB2, you can actually buy the three sets, sold through Hot wheels (they are actually listed on side of TB2 box). Not all the figures are correct to scale (most are but the Tracy figures would be like 15 feet tall!!!), however, they are cool and add nice display touches.

One word of caution so you don't get annoyed, the vehicles Aoshima include with either version of TB2 have better detail (like rubber treads) than the hot wheels ones(plastic treads with wheels)...but they look the same, are die cast, and do have nice feel and articulation.

There are two versions, the weathering DX (this one) and normal version, weathering comes with the mole, regular comes with the sub, I have never seen but saw pics of regular version with a different vehicle. I got so annoyed one how little it does ( I like switching gadgets, posing, etc..) that I almost sold it... but it just looks so darn cool, I had to keep it. Mine was extremely hard to find, a toy dealer told me they were everywhere two years ago marked down to like 90 USD. Me, I paid a WHOLE lot more. I recommend you buy an extra container or two and get the Hot Wheels set, a guy on eBay is selling the 3 hot wheels sets (each set contains a different Tracy) for like 26 USD plus shipping, so those are easy to get.

Bottom line is if you want a great looking piece, large, imposing, and well crafted - track one down. If you want something that you can fiddle with, pose, use many accessories, then Thunderbird Two is NOT a go for you. Maybe get one of the all plastic versions that rise up, make sounds or something like that.

Shin Getter 2 (Anime-Export Weathered Version) improves on an already fantastic piece.

We've already covered the regular version of the Shin Seiki Gokin Shin Getter 2, but this is the Weathered Version, and in my opinion, far superior.

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The Weathered Version Shin Getter 2 is an Anime-Export exclusive. Anime-Export has an arrangement with Aoshima where they can do exclusive versions of their die-cast toys. And what is cool is that they are not just simple repaints - This toy has amazing detail.

All the parts have been weathered in some way. The gloss white finish has been replaced with a matte finish, with faded grey weathering all over the figure. Although the toy is 90% diecast, the plastic has been weathered as well.

I won't go over all the finer points of the figure itself, that was covered well in Sanjeev's review. But I will say that this is a fantastic figure. I am just blown away with how cool it is. I thought the thing would have trouble standing up but its really solid. Aoshima has included a couple stands that support the drill and the figure, but you don't actually need them.

The arms and legs have that Aoshima extending joint thing, which works really well with this release. The drill arm has a rotating spiked band, and the other arm features an articulated claw.

The toy comes with a variant drill arm that can actually fire an all plastic version of the drill. The drill arm that does not fire is a solid piece of sharp metal.

Also included is a mini figure of Hayato, the pilot of Shin Getter 2.

Shin Getter 2 (Anime-Export Weathered Version) is a really really nice piece. there's just nothing wrong with it and would be a great addition to any gokin collection. You can get yours at Anime-Export.com. It's limited to 1500 peices, so get one before they are gone.

You can get yours at Anime-Export.com.

Terminator 2 Judgment Day - 1/6 Scale T-800 made by Aoshima; and like its ventures into Thunderbirds and Getter Robo, the Chogokin is well crafted and full of die cast.

Terminator 2 Judgment Day - 1/6 Scale T-800 Is made by Aoshima, and like its ventures into Thunderbirds and Getter Robo, the Chogokin is well-crafted and full of diecast.

The Terminator figure is big, similar in size to Masterpiece Convoy/Optimus Prime by Takara. It has impressive metal content and is very heavy upon holding the figure. It has tons of pistons and joints that work and some that are just plastic for show. The figure comes with a stand that clamps onto the back of the figure to provide stability when posing (he is top heavy).

The Terminator poses pretty well but nothing too extreme; the head just tilts and arms and legs pump but no real side to side. The figure is nice and great for cool menacing looks (the red eyes of skull-like face are right on). There are only two flaws and, while annoying, okay if you pose with care. The pistons can bend if you move legs or arms too quickly (one of mine did) and at the top of the arms are the two spring-type wires...

I love this figure, the imposing stares, the large size, and the cool positions and gear type look. All the pictures are of the normal version; there is a also a weathered version that comes with different gun.

I bought from Statue Toys for 130USD not including shipping; not a cheap chogokin, but not extreme like the Fewture line. Overall a nice piece for chogokin fans or Terminator fans alike.

The Neo Getter 1 Black Version is an Anime-Export Exclusive item - they brought a toy to life that Aoshima never produced. It's a great piece of gokin, and it GLOWS IN THE DARK. Read on, with video.

It's been a few years since the original Shin Seki Gokin Neo Getter (7 years, in fact) and Aoshima is still getting mileage out of the mold. The original Black Neo getter was announced at the 2003 Tokyo Toy Show, but was never produced, much to fan's dismay.

Now Anime-Export has put out an exclusive black version in conjunction with Aoshima/Miracle House. Who are Anime-Export.com you ask? They are a retailer and wholesaler of Japanese goods based out of Japan, with a strong presence in Europe. They have a history of making exclusive versions of Aoshima toys, often times much improved over the original.

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The Black Neo Getter 1 is a fantastic toy with a few small shortcomings.

First - the positive. The paint is stunning - glossy black and gold, there is not a flaw to be had on the finish of this toy. The green insets actually glow in the dark, and they glow pretty bright.

And the metal.. oh the sweet sweet metal. This toy is almost 90% metal.

The box is an all-new exclusive black box, the cardboard is embossed and has the texture of the old Orguss boxes by Takatoku.

The toy features MOST of the accessories included with the original, such as the missile-firing back units, interchangeable hands, and the energy beam. What is NOT included is the chain fist arms, even though the spots are there in the Styrofoam.

Neo Getter also features redesigned elbows that are exclusive to this release. This version now features the elbows that are like those used in their Mazinkaiser release. You first pull the arms down and THEN bend them. They look great, but this is where the big negative comes in.

See, the arms don't like to stay on. The friction between the arm peg and the socket is not enough to support the heavy weight of the arm. I bet you could fix this easily by applying a drop of nail polish on the peg and letting it dry, but still, it is an inconvenience. Perhaps I just got a bum one?

It's also a slight bummer that there are no chain fists, but they have adjusted the price accordingly - its about $30 cheaper than the regular version.

The black Neo Getter is a limited edition item, with only 1500 being made, and is available exclusively at Anime-Export.com

Buy Neo Getter 1 Black at Anime-Export.com

Part 2 of my Aoshima double-header...straight from HobbyLink Japan, comes the sharp Maser Cannon from the 1966 film, War of the Gargantuas. Note that this is NOT the pricier remote-controlled version Aoshima released later (after I preordered this one! *grumble-grumble*).

Ah, gods bless Japanese toy makers!

They sure know how to give us nostalgic collectors exactly what we want! And here's one of those things that, on one hand, I've ALWAYS wanted...and yet, on the other hand, never knew I wanted. I've seen pretty much every Godzilla movie--numerous times--as well as many other tokusatsu flicks from Toho and other studios. The stars of these shows were absolutely the kaiju. No doubt about it. The thing is, the humans did end up putting up a half-decent fight in many of these movies!

It would sometimes occur to me just how cool the futuristic weapons the humans quickly brought to bear were. Of course, these weapons would generally fare miserably against the monster of the week, but hey, they were cool nonetheless. Seeing these tiny, intricate models of tanks, jet fighters, mobile artillery, whatever, was really cool...even if only for a few seconds before they tossed, stepped on, or incinerated by the monster!

Well, those of you feeling me on this are in luck! Straight from HobbyLink Japan, we have the latest from toy-maker, Aoshima: the Type 66 Maser Cannon from 1966's War of the Gargantuas. Oh yeah, bring it!!

Finally, a high-end collectible of one of the most powerful land-based weapons featured in many Toho films. I know, this particular maser weapon is technically the one from War of the Gargantuas, but c'mon! How many times have you seen Godzilla and pals getting tormented by these lil suckers whenever they wandered too close to the National Diet Building or Tokyo Tower???

This toy is apparently part of the Shin Seiki Gokin line, but honestly, I'm not sure how anything qualifies for the title. We have diecast super robots, plastic transforming robot toys, high-end completed models of sci-fi spaceships...and stuff like this. I guess that since Aoshima puts out a lot of toys and models--of mostly real-world things--they just shove every high-end sci-fi product under the "Shin Seiki Gokin" heading.

But really...who cares?

This toy is pretty damn cool...and that's all that matters.

It's pretty much complete right out of the box. And, oh, what a box it is. The glossy graphics on the box are lovely--especially the vehicle's schematics on the back. And also as usual for Aoshima, the toy comes housed in a great styrofoam tray. Unlike Shin Getter 2, the individual parts don't come bagged in clear plastic; instead, each part was wrapped in thin tissue/wrapping paper for protection prior to being placed in the tray.

Once you free the components, it takes just a couple moments to install the required 2 AA batteries into the tractor (the forward vehicle that totes this beast around) and connect the wiring from the tractor to the maser trailer. The on/off switch is actually on the bottom of the maser portion of the vehicle, towards the rear end.

Now, when you flick the switch, the magic happens: a tiny white bulb in the emitter dish lights up AND multiple bulbs begin to strobe in the neck connecting the dish to the rotating housing. The pulsating effect is pretty killer!

Honestly, I would have liked to have seen Aoshima build some kind of sound effect into this electronic rig. Sure, the light-up gimmick makes this toy...by far...but an authentic sound effect from the movie would have made this a perfect 10. Still, I'm just happy to have something like this to battle my glowies in the dark! ;)

There are no other gimmicks besides the light-up feature. The gorgeous details and pristine paint job--which are obvious from the pictures--speak for themselves. The only "articulation" to speak of is the blue dome-shaped housing that rotates 180 degrees (90 to the left/90 to the right), the neck that elevates while the dish angles downward to remain pointed horizontal, and of course, the maser, itself, that is attached to the tractor on a pivot joint--perfect for dragging this thing valiantly across your rug...only to face certain doom against one of your fire-breathing kaiju toys!

Well, that's about it. Not much else to say about this toy. Again, to make this toy a perfect 10, I'd add some sort of sound effect from the movies to go with the light-up feature. Also, while I love the real rubber treads on the tractor, I would have opted for transparent plastic for the windows--a nice touch like that would have complemented the other details used throughout on this toy. The remote-controlled version Aoshima recently released features pretty much the exact same design. Essentially, for about $50US more, you get a controller (remote, not radio...i.e., there's a wire that can be removed for display). This allows the tractor to move left, right, forward, and reverse, and you get to control the maser cannon's turning and elevation angle. Might be worth flipping this to check that out!

Lastly, I'll leave you with this...a silly video of me fooling around with my toys and my Best of Godzilla cd! Enjoy and, again, grab yours from HLJ!

Gads...Sanjeev's reviewing an actual Japanese robot toy! ;)

Courtesy of HobbyLink Japan, we bring you Aoshima/Miracle House's Shin Getter 2!

Well, it took about seven years and almost 20 SG's to get around to it...but Getter Robo Armageddon fans finally have the next edition of the ultimate machine, Shin Getter 2. Brought to us by HobbyLink Japan, Shin Getter 2's primary feature is no different from the other super robots of the Shin Seiki Gokin line: gobs and gobs of lickable diecast metal! Yup, this thing's a heavyweight, despite it's shrimpy anatomy.

First, let's start with the packaging.

Y'know, it's very easy to overlook packaging when it comes to toys--especially new ones. With vintage toys, one is almost obliged to take it all in--to enjoy every square inch of printed graphics. By the very nature of "vintage", it is rare and limited, so every part of the toy experience becomes special. Not so with new toys. So many new toys' packaging is taken for granted and not shown the same sort of respect given to vintage toys. Afterall, new toys aren't often particularly hard to get or limited in any way. That lack of respect is a shame, too, because some of these boxes are great!

One thing that's always impressed me about Aoshima's super robot offerings was the care shown in developing the packaging. The front of the box features a photo of the toy in the foreground, with a drawing of the robot in the background. Nothing too ground-breaking here--especially since such a layout is fairly common in modern toys--but the simplicity of the formula really works with this toy.

The back of the box features images of the toy, showing off its considerable diecast content and gimmicks. The layout of the back isn't as impressive as the front, but it's good 'nuff.

Upon opening the box, the collector is treated to the only packaging material worthy of heroic chogokin: styrofoam. Okay, there are probably plenty of cogent arguments against the use of styrofoam for environmental reasons, but lemme tell ya, this pretty much beats the dogsnot outta any SoC packaging. The plastic trays we’ve grown accustomed to with most modern toys are just throw-away items, lacking any thoughtfulness or creativity. They just add to the clutter. Aoshima takes us back to the old-school with squeaky styrofoam coffins to house your lustrous, glossy gokin.

Once you’ve freed Shin Getter 2 from its tray, you have a decent, solid figure. The heft is impressive for the robot’s slender physique (remember, check out the back of the box to see what parts are diecast). The head is PVC and the firing drill, claw, and red jets on the back are all plastic.

The sharp bits on the design are hard plastic and are very sharp! No, I’m not afraid of breaking them...I’m afraid of drawing blood! Also one detail of note: the translucent red plastic over the sculpted internal machine bits on the chest is WAY too dark to get a decent view of the stuff underneath...just a minor gripe.

Okay...so, how do the joints hold up?

The answer is meh. Not horrible, mind you...just not particularly great. The ankles are ball-n-socket joints and the hips have a similar range of movement. The knees rotate and bend as expected. All of these joints are okay in terms of tightness. They seem to hold up to a decent amount of posing...but it’s tough to tell if they’ll always remain this way. If they ever wear down and their strength is ever compromised, the whole toy’s boned. There’s just too much weight up top.

Notice that I had to stand Shin Getter 2 on a CD case in some of my pics. My light tent sits on top of a padded card table--way too mushy for this toy to balance solidly in the pose above. This annoyed me at first...but then again, that is a precarious position! As long as the toy’s on a hard, flat surface, it’s all good.

Moving on up, we have the love-em or hate-em classic Aoshima extending elbows! If you’re at all familiar with Mazinkaiser, Getter 1, or some of their other super robots, the actual elbow joints need to be exposed by pulling down on the forearms.

Hey, works for me--and these joints are extremely tight. The left-hand claw is nicely articulated; again, nice and tight. And next, we have the shoulders. These really impressed me: finally, we have actual detents. The detents are big, so we don’t get a super-wide range of motion, but they certainly get the job done. The toy comes with a small silver stand to help support the weight of the right-hand drill arm. I don’t have it pictured anywhere because you’ll never need it! The detents in the shoulders are super-strong--they won't droop even though the drill is diecast!

Lastly, the PVC head sits atop a ball joint. A few more points about articulation...first, the shoulder, while having detents when swinging front to back, actually don’t have any detents when swinging out to the side. Just a friction joint here that has mediocre strength. Next, Shin Getter 2’s red jets on his back are jointed...kind of a nice touch. And lastly, there’s no waist joint. Kind of an odd omission. Oh well.

Next up, we have gimmicks. Well...not much to say here...unless you count the awesome diecast content as a "gimmick"! ;)

Okay...there IS one thing: the drill missile. Again, if you’re familiar with Aoshima’s previous Mazinkaiser offering, you know about the pathetic turbo smasher punch. Basically, you can remove the arms (at the shoulders) and replace them with shooty arms, featuring a gimmick where you basically screw the forearms on to store up rotational energy. When you hit the firing button, the forearms spin really fast as they shoot off...about 4 inches. Yeah. Sucks.

Well, guess what! Shin Getter 2’s drill missile is NO different! You still replace the whole arm, screw in the drill missile, then let 'er rip...about 4 inches. *Sigh*

That accessory’s staying boxed away.

...Which brings us to our last category: accessories! Besides the aforementioned drill missile arm, the toy comes with two stands. The one I noted earlier for supporting the drill arm just isn’t necessary at all. The other one, however, is kinda neat. It fits right up in the robot’s crotch to help it keep balance on your shelf. Yeah, I know it looks uncomfortable, but it’s actually kinda cool. First, it’s a two-part, spring-loaded stand. The top half of the stand can be pushed into the wider bottom half, allowing for more dynamic posing of the toy, while still exerting a decent amount of pressure on his...cyber-prostate...to keep him upright! Also, the stand is actually magnetic so that it actually sticks...all up in there. Poor robot.

Lastly, we have a little, miserably-painted PVC figurine of Hayato, the main Shin Getter 2 pilot from the anime. The sculpt is mushy and lacks definition and the paint application is pretty awful...but really, who cares? Of everyone I know who has any of these toys, none of them even bothers displaying these figurines. ...I’m sure maybe someone, somewhere, gives a crap...

So, in the final analysis, we have a gorgeous toy, well in keeping with the look of the first Shin Getter 1 figure. The joints are subpar, and even a perhaps bit worrisome. Strong, fine detents--like in the Fewture Mazinger toy--would have been welcome in all the major joints of this figure because of its awkward distribution of weight. Still, it’s a good toy...at least alongside it’s more famous brother. And more importantly: this could be a sign that Aoshima is going to make a Shin Getter 3 to complete the set! And let's hope for some heavy diecast Get Machines, too!

Here's a quick vid showing just how stable this guy is...plus dramatic footage of the awe-inspiring drill missile gimmick! ;)

So...not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a Getter fan, you pretty much need this, as there aren’t many quality toys of the secondary Getter robots. Get yours today from HLJ!

It’s taken nearly 30 years for an accurate, high quality, readily available representation of this vessel to be released, and boy, it was worth the wait.

The Battleship Arcadia. Designed and Built by Oyama Tochiro on the planet Heavy Melder, Captained by the Space Pirate Captain Harlock. This is the ship that in 2977 single-handedly defeated the space fleet of the Mazone empire (which numbered in the thousands) and defended the earth from destruction countless times.....

It’s taken nearly 30 years for an accurate, high quality, readily available representation of this vessel to be released, and boy, it was worth the wait. There have been very few toys or models of this version of the famed ship of Captain Harlock released. Takara made a few plastic and diecast toys for the 1978 Harlock TV series, but they lacked detail or refinement. The only exception was a 1/1500 scale plastic kit made by Takara, which with some work and scratch building can make a very nice display piece. In recent years, there has been some resin kits of this ship produced by loyal fans, but for anyone who lacks skill in model building that still isn’t quiet enough. The only “toy” that comes close in terms of accurate detail is a polystone statue released by the Jesnet Company a few years back, but it’s small, fixed pose, and has inaccurate proportions.

The Aoshima Company has made up for all of these letdowns with this release. Upon my first inspection of this piece I was nearly floored. The box art is very well done, with a stern looking Captain Harlock on either end, and the front is adorned with an image of the Arcadia in flight above Earth. When I opened the box I was met with the Arcadia, nearly fully assembled resting securely in Styrofoam. One thing I should note is that the blocks of Styrofoam holding the ship in place were wrapped in plastic, eliminating the risk of stray bits of Styrofoam sticking to the ship, a neat little addition in my opinion. I pulled the ship out of its Styrofoam tomb and marveled at it.

What jumped out at me at first was the sheer weight of this thing. Nearly the entire ship is solid diecast! I went over it using the trusty “cheek test” and the only plastic I could find was in the bridge, the rear captains quarters, engine nozzles (the light grey tips), all the Matsumoto-ish spinitys and fins, part of the upper deck, and gun turrets. To tell you the truth, I actually had some trouble holding this thing for too long, it’s that heavy. Getting past that, the next thing I’ll touch on are the paint and details.

Unlike the early press photos and box art, the skulls on the sides and bow of the ship have “weathering” airbrushed on them so they really jump out. Every single port hole or running light location has been painted in. The gold application on the bow and stern sections is impeccable, no over spray what so ever. Looking closely near the stern, there’s a tiny ships' wheel for Harlock to stand at and steer his ship from outside. Unfortunately the macro zoom on my camera isn’t working so I was unable to get a clear shot of this detail.

Gimmick wise, you’d think Aoshima couldn’t do a whole lot here, but they really stepped it up. Not only do both gun turrets turn, but, as they turn each individual barrel moves up and down in a kind of wave motion, like they’re zeroing in on the target. Behind those, the space harpoon launcher also elevates up and down. On the belly of the ship, the main launch bay door opens, and you can position one of 2 tiny replicas of the fighters used onboard the Arcadia, the Space Wolf and Comso Wing. Included are also a pair of anchors that can be attached to the bow via hooks hidden behind removable panels when not in use. Both have metal chains. Also present is the mighty Bow Slicer. This was the weapon that was used either as a last ditch effort, or when you wanted to dispatch an enemy in the coolest way possible. It is made of plastic, and features a good amount of detail.

As with the other ships in this series this Arcadia includes a light up feature powered by 2 AAA batteries. Pressing a button on the belly causes the main and secondary bridge, engines, Captain’s quarters windows, and computer room dome to illuminate. When not using this feature, there is an alternate dome that is painted the same as the rest of the ship that can be swapped out for the transparent orange dome for the glow effect.

Early on when the first painted pictures of the prototype came out I was kind of worried. It looked like the blue used on the ship might be a bit lighter than in the anime. Luckily they stuck with a very nice deep midnight blue combination that just jumps out. As I said before this is probably the best looking toy/model/display piece of the first Arcadia that has come out up till now.

That having been said though, it is somewhat different than how it appears in the anime series. Proportion wise from the stern up to the skull and crossbones on the bow the proportions are nearly perfect when compared to the anime. Beyond that the ship has been stretched out a bit, the bow nose coming to a finer point. This was a bit of a downer, as I was hoping Aoshima would keep the ship as accurate as possible. I later found out that this design was produced and approved by Leiji Matsumoto himself, and when the M man says this is what he wants the Arcadia to look like, well it’s kind of hard to argue with that.

In summary, Aoshima pulled off a real winner with this piece. Unlike a resin kit or other delicate model, I have no problem picking this guy up and flying around the room with it (yes I have issues let’s not go into that). I’d recommend it to anybody who collects Captain Harlock or Leiji Matsumoto ships.

 I should note that at the time I wrote this it appears that the TV colored version of this piece seems to have dried up pretty quick. Aoshima did however also release this ship in the original manga green color scheme. As far as I know it’s the same as this piece except for the coloring.

Besides it's massive size, I'm immediately drawn to the fact that it is a diecast version of a villain character.

Ankoku Daishogun was the 11th entry into Aoshima's Shin Seiki Gokin line of diecast action figures and represents the updated version of the classic Great Mazinger villain. This line is noted for having toys that have a tremendous amount of diecast content and this piece is no exception. What it lacks in gimmicks, it more than makes up for in sheer size and weight. At approximately 10" tall and 2.25lbs, this is one big hunk o'metal!

This toy appeals to me alot for a few reasons. Besides it's massive size, I'm immediately drawn to the fact that it is a diecast version of a villain character. And though many people like all sorts of fancy gimmicks, combinations and transformations with their diecast toys, none of that interests me very much. This toy is simple and I like it all the more for it. You can pretty much play with or display this right out of the box. The only thing you need to do is add fists (3 separate pairs are included to chose from), attach the cape if desired and snap on the shoulder pads.

All the parts go on and off with ease. The cape is a great addition, giving the character an air of malevolent royalty. To connect it, you must line it up with the holes on the back and slide a plastic piece into them. A big round piece connects to the figure while the smaller, flat piece goes through the cape, holding it in place. Very simple. Next, just pop the small, metal rods inside the shoulder pads inbetween the two tabs on the shoulders and you're good to go. The tabs on the shoulders appear to be fragile, but I haven't had any problems with them, nor have I read of anyone else's breaking. Of course, I use caution when adding/removing the shoulder pads just to be on the safe side.

Each section of the skirt is a separately molded and separately attached piece of plastic. It makes for a nicer look as well as a better range of mobility in the hip joints. On my specimen though, the paint in this area chipped very easily. I honestly don't even remember doing anything that might have caused it and it's possible it might have even been that way right out of the box. Fortunately, I reallly don't care too much.

Ankoku Daishogun comes with just one weapon, a large sword that he can hold in either hand, provided you've attached the correct fists. There is a sheath for this sword and it it is the only point of contention I have with the toy. There is no place to connect it to the toy, such as on the waist. He must simply carry it around. A large chain hangs from the left side of his waist, but it seems to be nothing more than window dressing. It doesn't connect to or hold anything in particular.

Ankoku Daishogun was released in at least 3 different versions. The regular version (reviewed here) comes with a a miniature figure of the character of Baron Ashura, while the obligatory black version has a metallic finish and comes with a miniature figure of Dr. Hell. A third release was a limited Anime Export exclusive TV version with anime accurate colors and a miniature figure of Duke Gorgon included.

I really like this toy alot, but if you like lots of gimmicks and high-tech engineering in your gokin, then you can probably look elsewhere. But if you want something with some sheer "presence" on your diecast shelf, this is a great piece to get.

One of the most intriguing robots from the Shin Getter Robo OVA series has finally made it to toy form. Aoshima brings us the Shin Seki Gokin Black Getter

One of the most intriguing robots from the Shin Getter Robo OVA series has finally made it to toy form. Aoshima brings us the Shin Seki Gokin Black Getter (新世紀合金 ブラックゲッター).

Three versions of the Black Getter have been released as of this writing:

• Normal Version
• Kawai Co. Metallic Version
• Anime Export Bloodspray Version

The figure reviewed here is the normal version.

Black Getter is 18 cm high and is about 80% metal. Even the spikes on his left arm are metal (the instructions warn to be careful). He comes with a full array of weapons and accessories, including:

• Detachable rubber cape
• 2 Getter Tomahawks
• Fist spikes
• Open Hand
• 2 hands for gripping the Tomahawk
• Ryoma figure.

The figure comes in the typically nice Aoshima box. Inside is a Styrofoam tray, with covers on both sides. One side has the figure and accessories, the other has the cape. Also included is a short instruction booklet. For some reason, this Styrofoam is very crumbly, and when you take Black Getter out, he will likely be covered in Styrofoam particles.

Black getter stands tall and strong. It is not as articulated as some of the other modern chogokins, but that is par for the course with Aoshima. The shoulder joints allow you to spread the arms out as well as up and down. The elbows have the same kind of joint that Mazinkaiser has – where you pull out the lower arms to reveal the joints.

The hands are easy to replace, and the peg they attach to is actually diecast metal. There are several different sets of hands you can choose from. My favorites are the long spiked hands. The spikes need to be attached to the fists, and they are VERY sharp. You also get one open hand, 2 closed fists, and 2 fists that hold the Getter Tomahawks.

There is no waist joint, but the upper legs feature the same kind of pull-out action that the arms do. They don’t come out far, but they do extend a little. The knees have detented joints, and the feet are also articulated, although not as much as I would have liked.

The chest area has three gimmicks, but sadly – no waist joint. The panels are translucent plastic so you can see the details underneath. First off, there is a cockpit in the upper chest that opens to reveal a pilots seat. Second, the Getter Beam opening in the chest can open by pressing the button on the back of the figure. Last, the belt separates for some reason… I don’t remember why.

The cape and scarf really make this toy, but are also the greatest issues of contention. To attach the scarf, simply pull the head off and place the scarf area around the opening. The scarf can be placed on either side. The cape is a bit trickier. First you have to remove the back part of the shoulder panel. The holes on the top of the cape need to be applied to the pegs on the back of the panel. You then push the panel back in. This is all well and good, but unfortunately the cape is too heavy, and pulls the panel off almost instantly. To make this connection tighter, I put a small bit of scotch tape around the central peg of the back panel. Now it is nice and tight.

Also included with the robot is a small figure of the pilot Ryoma. Some people have complained that it looks like he is wearing lipstick – I don’t see it. It’s a decent little figure, but it has no articulation. Different versions of Black Getter have different figures included with them.

In all, I was really impressed with this figure. I have heard reports about loose joints, paint chips, and poor detailing, but my toy had none of these problems. The only issues I have are:

1. The cape is too heavy for the figure, and pulls the panel off.
2. The rubber on the cape may not stand the test of time.
3. No waist joint
4. Could have used better foot joints.

Aoshima's Miracle House Shin Seiki Gokin Shin Getter 1 is such a beautiful toy, I don't know why I waited so long to get it. Maybe I thought I already had enough Shin Getters (I already had the Kaiyodo and Romando versions).

What a fool I was.

This Shin Getter 1 is the best representation of the character, and one of the best toys of 2000. It is both toy and art.

Shin Getter 1 is mostly diecast, and VERY heavy. He's coated with a beautiful gloss paint job and see-through panels that show the mechanics beneath. All joints click when moved, and he has ample articulation. Once you start to play with the toy you can tell how well this was made. The quality is equal to or better than Bandai's SOC line.

All the points that look sharp are very sharp - this is not a toy for kids. You could kill someone with this toy. He's 21cm (8 in) tall, with and even wider wingspan. The wings are sharp, and spring out when you press a lever on his back.

The toy comes with variant hands and an amazing Getter Tomahawk. The tomahawk has a metal shaft that adds a nice weight to the weapon. Due to the weight though, it can become challenging to find a good pose to hold the weapon.

Aoshima released several versions of Shin Getter 1 in their Shin Seiki Gokin line. Here is a handy guide to the versions: