If I had the choice to get only one Raideen set, I would get the DX set. I just love the classic look of the white limbs, and the God Face Mountain is like getting a whole additional toy.

We’ve already discussed the previous SOC Raideen set in great detail in another review, so here we are just going to discuss the differences between the two sets. The Raideen figure itself is essentially the same as in the other set, with the exception of the arms and legs being white instead of chrome. This is how Raideen appears in the show, and also how the first edition chogokin was decorated.

The box here in this set is a monster, maybe the biggest SOC box to date. Inside is a Styrofoam container for Raideen, multiple plastic trays, and a large box. The included manual has more pages than the standard manual, and features additional concept artwork for Raideen.

All the previous accessories are there, and the DX set includes a bunch of additional accessories from the show.

Gogun Sword looks like a bow but is instead a large, double bladed chrome sword that fits on the left arm

Jet Boomerang is similar to the God Boomerang, but has extra details, and does not close. It too adheres to the right wrist by a magnet.

God Block Big Spin is a big shield that looks like a surfboard. This shield is permanently attached to the wrist ring and can spin 360 degrees. Unlike the other wrist accessories, this one is firmly attached.

Energy Cutter is a beam of energy that comes out of the base of the God Breaker shield.

The God Bird mode of Raideen gets a few extra parts as well

Head Cutter is a solid, non transforming head for the God Bird that has extra detailing in the back – this head is meant to “launch” at an enemy vehicle, although for the toy it just plugs in. It has better proportions (in my opinion) than the original head.

Body Cutter is a large blade that takes the place of the head of the God Bird.

Probably the biggest reason one might get this set is for the included God Face Mountain. This mammoth monument holds a large golden statue of Raideen, which is revealed when you pull out a tab on the base. The head is solid plastic and requires some assembly. The stone statue is about 9 inches tall.

The Gold Raideen statue is a fixed-pose plastic statue. The only movable part is a small door in the waist that opens to accept the Sparker superbike. It is these accessories that allow one to re-enact Akira Hibiki’s “Fade In!” move when he wants to activate Raideen.

The Sparker (or Supercar) is a microscopic vinyl motorcycle that includes an even smaller Akira figure in riding position. This thing could ride an ant, it is so small. The cycle attaches to a black plate that can be stored in either the statue or on the display base.

This leads me to my one gripe about this set – the base. While all the original accessories have a place on the base, the new accessories do not.

If I had the choice to get only one Raideen set, I would get the DX set. I just love the classic look of the white limbs, and the God Face Mountain is like getting a whole additional toy.

You can get your DX Raideen Fade in Set at BetaToys.com

You can get your DX Raideen Fade in Set at BetaToys.com

Raideen is a good toy, but somehow I think I was hoping for something different. I guess that can’t be helped when you wait for something for so long.

If you need an introduction to Raideen, you probably shouldn’t be reading this site. He’s pretty much one of the first transforming robots, and one of the original batch of super robots from the 70s. He’s one of my favorite characters – you could say I have a slight Raideen obsession.

Since the dawn of the Soul of Chogokin line, I have wanted a SOC Raideen. I have always wondered how they would pull it off, and looked for clues in the other super robots released in the line to date.

Well, it is finally here. It’s a good toy, but somehow I think i was hoping for something different. I guess that can’t be helped when you wait for something for so long.

Jump to Video

The GX-41 Soul of Chogokin Raideen the Brave was released in two versions. In this review we are talking about the standard set, but there is also a GX-41S DX Raideen Fade-in Set that I will be reviewing separately. Both sets are available at BetaToys.com.

The packaging was kind of sub-par in my opinion. I don’t much care for the gold-theme packaging, and I was hoping for a return to retro look after the awesome Godmars box. Inside the box you will find the body of Raideen in a Styrofoam tray, while the rest of the accessories are in clear molded plastic trays. Also included is a nice color manual that has some history about the evolution of the character, should you be able to read Japanese.

One good thing is that there isn’t much assembly required to get Raideen ready to play. You just need to attach the head, fists, and what we will call the leg guards. There are two different sets of leg guards to choose from, but we will get into that later.

The Raideen figure itself, sans accessories, is really nice. The head features moveable panels that close in bird mode, as well as moveable yellow horns. The face can be replaced with an angrier face that has a moveable mouth. Getting the faces swapped can be tough if you have fat fingers – just move the side panels out as far as you can to get in there. They go out farther than you think. Head articulation is not great, but that’s more of a limitation of the character than anything. You can pull the neck up a little to get a wider range of motion.

The shoulders are metal, and have nice solid joints. The shoulder pads are plastic and just clip into the shoulders, so they can pop off during transformation. The arms are metal down to the elbow, and then at the end the fists can pop onto a peg at the end. The lower arm can slide up over the elbow for transformation, but can also dislocate and come off if twisted in an odd angle.

Raideen has a waist joint in the middle of the red area of the torso. It’s an interesting joint because you actually have to pull it up before rotating it. You do end up getting a small amount of tilting motion here as well. The top of the torso features a missile firing gimmick at the peak of the red area. Press the panel on the left side of the torso to launch the center portion, and then replace it with a bird missile or other accessory, such as the “God Voice” assembly.

The legs attach at the hips with nice solid chrome joints, and feature a pull down connector to enable transformation into bird mode. The legs have inset red diamonds made out of plastic – not painted. The knees are nice and clicky and the lower legs offer collapsible panels in the back to allow for transformation. The front leg guards can be swapped between solid guards and ones with extendable toe sections.

Finally, the feet jets are diecast metal, and are hinged on a ball joint.

Accessories

Raideen comes with a ton of accessories, some good, some not so good. The main problem areas are any accessory that needs to be attached to the arms.

To swap out an arm accessory, it is necessary to remove the fist, then the red ring around the wrist. Each arm accessory comes with its own ring to secure it to the arm. The thing is, each ring is only held on by a tiny peg (or in one case, a magnet). The things just do not stay on. Medicom made the same mistake years ago on their Miracle Action Figure version. Why aren’t these solid pieces, or more sturdy? This is just plain lazy on Bandai’s part. This really only applies to the shield items – the bow arm attachments for the other arm are much sturdier.

On the right arm, you have your choice of three accessories:

God Block is the round shield, and you can replace the tip with either a long or short spike

God Breaker is the slim red part with the long spike on the end.

God Boomerang is actually attached by a magnet, and is meant to be grabbed by one of the extra hands. The sides of the weapon can be opened to give it a boomerang look.

On the left arm, you have the option of the small closed bow, or the large articulated bow. This bow is hinged at the handle, and the sections can slide forward and backward. Using the variant pointing hands, Raideen can hold the God Gogun arrows as if preparing to fire. There are two different arrows, each with a metal shaft.

Transformation

Transformation from Raideen to God Bird is not perfect, but I don’t think it ever will be. Included with the set is a separate wing assembly that plugs into the figures back once a panel is removed. The wings are folded up in an intricate origami pattern. You can display the figure with wings on, but it looks odd.

To begin the transformation, close the head panels, and push up the lower arms. Bend both legs up so that the bar in the waist comes out, and bend down and collapse the legs.

Fold out the wing assemblies around the arms so that they are covered, and then turn down the shoulder pads. This area can be a bit fidgety, and once you get one section in place it seems another pops off. This action would have benefited from some clips or something, but I fear Bandai is more concerned with accuracy than playability.

On the back of the figure, swing out the beak assembly and place over the tip of the head of the figure, then pull the head out so it fits snugly in the beak. Finally, push the upper horns in, and then unfold the bird claws below the figure.

Bird mode looks great. Once you get it together, it looks pretty solid. It can’t stand on its own in this mode so there is a panel that attaches to the underside that can slide into an extra part of the stand. Be careful though, there is a small blue tab where the front of the panel connects to Raideen – I broke mine off. It doesn’t effect anything, but still…..

The Stand

For such a complex SOC, the base is very simple. The underside of the base has storage for the leg guards that are secured in place by a bracket. The top side has spaces for the 5 arm attachments, 3 extra hands, 2 arrows, missile, extra face, and Brugar (or Blugar, Broogar whatever)

The Brugar is a small plastic ship that has wing sections that tilt down and has a removable spit fighter.

Raideen can stand on the base in robot mode, or in God Bird Mode. There is no place to store the wing assembly on the base so you have to display it on the figure or in the box.

When I first handled Raideen, I will admit that I was a little disappointed. However, The toy has grown on me a lot since then, and I especially love the DX set, which I will review next. Both sets are available at Betatoys.com, so if you like what you see, order one before they are gone.

GX-41 Soul of Chogokin Raideen the Brave at Betatoys.com

The latest big Soul of Chogokin has arrived ! Godmars is here, and he is fantastic.

The latest big Soul of Chogokin has arrived ! Godmars is here, and he is fantastic.

The program "Rokushin Gattai God Marz" (aka Six Gods Combination God Mars or 六神合体ゴッドマーズ) debuted on the NTV network on October 2nd, 1981 and ran for 64 episodes until December 24, 1982. The Titular Robot was named Godmars – a giant robot made up of six smaller robots. Other than that, I got ‘nuthin.

Godmars was never broadcast in the west, so American audiences wouldn’t know of this character’s existence if it weren’t for it being part of the Godaikin line of toys in the 80s. Godaikin toys were repackaged Bandai toys that were assembled from a wide variety of sources. The GB-68 Popy DX Chogokin Godmars was sold under the line in mainstream outlets such as Child World and Toys R Us without any frame of reference.

The series wasn’t hugely popular and it is remembered more for the fantastic toys spawned from the show than the actual show itself. As Bandai’s Soul of Chogokin line progresses, it has to dig into the second tier characters. But this allows the designers to do a little more I think, because people are less concerned about the character and the accuracy than they are about if it is a cool, well-engineered toy.

I’m happy to say that Godmars is a great toy on many levels. Where the original Chogokin had a great transformation there was a lot to be said about what happened to the extra bits, or “kibble” that hung off the back. Bandai took this opportunity to right the wrongs made so long ago. This toy is a great homage to the classic Chogokin and is available at BetaToys.com

The box is very different from your average SOC. The big, bold title of the robot is spelled out in giant chrome letters, with all the characters flying in from space. Open the box and you get a styrofoam tray with an old-school insert, identifying each of the robots. Even more, lift off that tray to find that the Styrofoam has been embossed with the name and logo of the toy. That is awesome.

Each part of Godmars comes wrapped in plastic, and each unit is self-contained. No assembly is needed, and Godmars is ready to go right out of the box.

Godmars is made up of six robots.

Gaia is the core of the robot, and it hides inside the chest of Sphinx. It is microman sized, and is fantastically poseable. He comes with no accessories other than a set of variant hands. The lower legs and feet are metal.

Sphinx makes up the torso of Godmars. As a stand-alone robot, he is blocky and inarticulate. The head can turn, the arms have a decent range of motion, and the legs can swivel at the calf. The front and rear panels are metal. Sphinx also has a set of variant hands.

Uranus is the white arm of Godmars. This robot is really nicely done, with good articulation and metal content. Bandai did some great things with this toy in regards to hiding the arms so that it looked smooth from all sides.

Titan is the green arm of Godmars, and although he looks different, he transforms exactly the same as Uranus.

Shin is the black robot and makes up the right foot of Godmars. This is one heavy bot, with feet of solid metal. In robot mode his articulation is limited, but he is light years ahead of what was done with the old Chogokin version.

Ra is the blue robot and becomes the left foot of Godmars. This toy has the same transformation as Shin.

Assembling Godmars is as easy as it gets. Each robot folds up neatly with little fuss and no parts swapping. The arms of the smaller robots are hidden in a mechanism similar to Gold Lightan – each arm is collapsed and folded in to the torso, hidden inside. Once assembled, you’ve got a solid, fun toy that feels like it could have been made in 1982. The only thing that spoils the sense of nostalgia is the lack of firing fists.

Godmars has one weapon – the gigantic “Mars Flash” sword. The sword can be held in the existing articulated hands, or in the variant “sword holding” hand. Also included are two larger closed fists. Honestly, the hands that come stored inside the arms are good enough – the other fists are just clutter to be lost.

But wait, there is more. What SOC toy would be complete without all kinds of other accessories that are easily lost?

First off there are three small jets that can combine into one larger jet.

Cosmo Crusher 1 is a long slim gray jet.

Cosmo Crusher 2 is a stubby jet

Cosmo Crusher 3 is a microscopic ship that hides in the underside of Cosmo Crusher 1.

The two larger ships can combine to form the Cosmo Crusher. The toy is all plastic and has a cool transformation mechanism, but it doesn’t feel like it goes with the toy, and will probably remain in the box.

Godmars also comes with what looks like a large stone sarcophagus. You can place part of the display stand inside to pose the Gaia robot. Each of the Godmars robots rests in a hidden place, such as inside a statue or under the sea. It would have been cool if a container for each robot was provided as was shown at Tamashii Nation.

Lastly, A small stand is included, with pegs on the base for holding the hands. The stand has two parts that can be used for various displays. You can attach both parts to create a cradle for the sword, or you can attach the stand to the back of Gaia to replicate a flying mode.

As far as quality control goes, Godmars is mostly perfect. The door on top of Uranus (the white robot) does not like to stay flush with the body, and there are a few small paint issues in the inside of the arms of Shin (the black robot). Design-wise, the toy is great, although I find the legs a little long.

I would recommend Godmars, and you can get him at Betatoys.com. I think he is worth the money, and I feel that you get what you paid for with this one, bucking the trend with similarly priced “gokin” toys.

When you think of the Gobots, what do you think of? Like many of you, back in the 80s when I asked relatives for Transformers for birthdays or holidays, I often got Gobots. Gobots at the time seemed like a cheap imitation.

Little did I know at the time that Gobots came from a Japanese toy line called Machine Robo. The very first Machine Robo toys were put out by Popy, then in 83 Popy was absorbed into parent company Bandai. While the Transformers were a mishmash of Japanese toy lines branded under a single name, Gobots were Machine Robo toys, full of metal, and relatively unaltered.

The Gobots line ended in the United States in 1986, but in Japan, the Machine Robo line continues until this very day. This ended up being a terrible tragedy, because in my opinion, the best Machine Robo toys were relased in Japan starting in 86.

You may be asking yourself, what does the GX-39 Baikanfu have to do with the Gobots?

In 1986, the first Machine Robo anime "Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos (マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲)"ran on TV Tokyo in Japan. The main character of this series was one Rom Stoll - who's powered up robot suits combine to form the mighty Baikanfu.

It's true, Baikanfu is second cousin to a Gobot. The original Baikanfu toy was a remold of the Popy / Godaikin Gardian.

So now you know a little history, now lets talk about they toy. If you don't want to read, you can skip directly to the video.

The Soul of Chogokin Baikanfu (超合金魂 バイカンフー) (also pronounced Vaikanfu) is a pretty remarkable toy. One would think that it would suffer due to the intricate transformation but that is not the case here at all. Baikanfu arrives courtesy of Betatoys.com.

The packaging is your standard SOC box, this time with 2 trays inside. The Styrofoam tray holds Baikanfu and Kenryu, and the clear plastic tray holds Rom and Leina Stoll as well as the accessories. Like all Soul of Chogokin releases, a colorful guide is included.

Rom Stoll is the main character of the series, and he makes up the core of Baikanfu. The figure is super poseable, with more joints than is probably necessary for a figure of this size. Rom is just a bit smaller than Microman size, and comes with interchangeable heads and several different hands. He comes with a sword called the Wolf Sword. Rom Stoll is mostly plastic with the lower legs being metal.

Leina Stoll is the younger sister of Rom. She too is very poseable and comes with a variant head and several variant hands. Like her brother, Leina has diecast lower legs and a plastic body.

Kenryu is the larger robot body of Rom Stoll. Much like a Russian nesting doll, Rom stall actually fits inside the body of Kenryu. Panels open to reveal the inside of the figure. There are a few connection points inside of the figure that Rom Stoll can securely attach to.Once inside, Rom Stoll does not in any way hinder the articulation of Kenru. The two combined look very cool and the whole form just feels solid. All of the little doors and hinges are very tight and feel very strong. Kenryu comes with a bunch of extra hands, a larger Wolf Sword and a Shield.

Baikanfu is the largest robot body of Rom Stoll. Panels all over the body of Baikanfu open up to accept the Kenryu figure.There are small clips in the upper legs that secure Kenryu in place. Once again, all the panels and hinges seem very tight and secure. I was so surprised by the durability of the peice. The level of detail is astounding, with the inside of the opening panels having detail in them.

Baikanfu combined is a marvelous toy. It's heavy, tall, and cool looking. Here again you are given several different sets of hands and a large Wolf Sword.

The feet on Baikanfu are really great. They can be angled side to side and also have a joint in the middle of them.

Despite having two separate toys encased inside, Baikanfu remains fairly poseable. The only place where the poseablilty suffers is in the waist area. The separate waist sections of Baikanfu are made out of a metal spine joint system that allows for a small amount of movement but nothing remarkable.

In addition to the figure, Baikanfu comes with a stand. This stand is designed to resemble a mountain on which Rom Stoll and Leina Stoll can stand. The weaponry for all of the figures can be displayed as if they were driven into the rock. The stand also separates into two parts to reveal hidden compartments to store all of the accessory fists.

Also included are two "dummy" bodies to fill the empty spaces if you choose to display the components separately.

I was really taken by surprise with the coolness of Baikanfu. He really exceeded my expectations in every way. He's just fun, and you don't at any point feel afraid to handle him at all.

The GX-39 Soul of Chogokin Baikanfu is available at Betatoys.com

Video

Irongear is a lot of fun, and I really love the fact that it is “Ready to go” right out of the box – I can’t stress that enough.

First of all I have to apologize about this review. I’m about to move, and I didn’t have time to do a video review, or to take any of the accessories out of the package. Once I am settled, I will shoot a video review. Head right over to BetaToys and get an Irongear though, you won’t be sorry.

One of the best things about Irongear is the fact that it’s pretty much ready to go right out of the box. There are no extra fists or fiddly bits. The box is huge and inside is a full styro tray that houses Irongear and then two smaller trays for the accessories and the Walker Machine kits.

Irongear is a hulking beast of a machine. It comes from the anime show Combat Mecha Xabungle (戦闘メカ ザブングル) which ran from 1982-1983. This giant Landship would carry around the smaller walker machines and when the need arose would transform into the giant Walker Machine Irongear.

The toy comes packaged in Walker Machine mode so we will start there. For a big toy, its got a fair amount of articulation. The head turns, and the white fins on the sides are poseable. Each arm is articulated at the shoulder, bicep, elbow and hand. The hands feature a poseable thumb and finger group. There are no extra hands here – one hand does it all. The upper body is mostly metal. Irongear has a waist joint, and parts of the waist are also metal. The legs attach to the body with an innovative connection system that accommodates both a full range of motion and the splitting ability required for transformation.

In robot mode, the only real accessory you can use is a head covering – I didn’t take it out of the package but it basically gives the appearance of having a ski mask on.

Transformation from Robot mode to Landship mode is essentially the same as the vintage clover DX toy. You have to remember that most of these characters were designed as toys first and then the show was designed around them. In order to make the character on the screen look just like the toy, they had to make sure the transformation was accurate. Bandai did manage to do a few things differently than Clover did though, and this toy is more awesome because of it.

The first thing you need to do is push the fists up into the arms, and a neat feature here is that a side panel slides up to cover the white part of the arm. From here you have to do a few things at once, but it all comes back together nicely. First you separate the waist and you notice the large metal supporting bar. When this is separated, pull the side parts of the waist out and then separate the legs down the middle.

It is in this mode that the Irongear really shines. Let’s start at the front and work our way back.

The two “feet” in the front open and provide access to the interior of the ship.

Also included with the Irongear is a model of the landship “Buffalo” and 15 different walker machines that you have to assemble.

There’s not much I didn’t like about this toy. The main flaw is the weight of the toy in landship mode seems to be too much for the joint system in the center. The legs and hind section are too heavy, causing the ship to sag if lifted up. Fortunately, the Irongear was not meant to fly! I also was not at all in the mood to assemble microscopic model kits of 15 Walker Machines. Those are going to stay in the box I think. But Irongear is a lot of fun, and I really love the fact that it is “Ready to go” right out of the box – I can’t stress that enough.

Soul of Chogokin GX-38 Irongear is available at BetaToys.com

The Soul of Chogokin King Joe (超合金魂 キングジョー) is the 37th release in the SOC line and it comes today courtesy of betaToys.com

The Soul of Chogokin King Joe (超合金魂 キングジョー) is the 37th release in the SOC line and it comes today courtesy of betaToys.com

Jump to Video Review

King Joe was released May 26 2007, and retailed for ￥8,190. He was one of the classic villains from the tv show Ultraseven (ウルトラセブン), which aired from 1967 - 1968. King Joe first appears in the episode "The Ultra-Garrison Goes West part 1" which aired originally on 1/7/68.

King Joe also appeared in the 1999 OVT Ultra Seven Series, using the same character designs with modern special effects.

If you are an Ultraseven or Tokuatsu fan, this chogokin King Joe is a must buy. Fans who are not familiar with the series may regard King Joe as an oddity or a curiosity, but I urge you to check it out. King Joe is a fun toy.

The toy consists of 4 separate parts that combine to form the mighty robot. Each part has a flying mode in addition to being a component of the combined King Joe. Prior to this review, I didn't know that King Joe could come apart!

You can display King Joe in either Robot mode or as the individual parts. Each individual part is supported by a clear stand, which can be stored in the base when not in use.

The leg section of King Joe has the most complicated transformation of the set, and features the most metal. It is almost all diecast. Transformation is simple; just open the leg panels at the rear, rotate the legs, and close. The antenna get turned around and placed in the body. Each antenna is actually held in place by a spring, to prevent breaking. Included is an alternate set of antenna, but I don't know what their purpose is. They seem essentially the same.

The next part is the lower torso of King Joe. In flight mode, you just pull out two antenna from the top. Thats it. No metal in this one.

The upper chest of King Joe also has a lot of metal. small wings at the top and bottom fold out in flight mode.

The head unit is surprisingly light. It features an interesting method to switch from regular antenna to king Joe's antenna. Check out the video to see this in motion, but it just shows that Bandai still has surprises in store for us. The top section also features the only "cheat" on the whole toy. While most of the toy is a "perfect" transformation (meaning no parts left over), Bandai relies on a combined hand unit to tie the flight mode together. When combining, this unit is swapped out for normal, articulated hands.

In Robot mode, King Joe stands about 7 inches tall. Combination is achieved by magnetic connection points and one snap joint. It looks great, but the magnets are not very strong. If you try to pick King Joe up by the head, the head will come off. The body is just too heavy to support the weight.

The toy technically has 13 points of articulation, but movement is limited by the design. The arms and waist move fine, but the leg motion is limited especially at the hips. I don't have a huge problem with this though, as King Joe is not a dynamic character. In the show he moves rather slowly, and any quick motions are achieved by separating and flying around.

The display base features stands to support King Joe in robot or flight mode. There is also a spring loaded trap door in the base that houses a miniature Pedan Seijin spaceship.

While not a traditional super robot, King Joe is a worthy release. Even if you are not a huge Ultraman / Tokuatsu fan, this a toy that is fun to fiddle with and transform.You can get King Joe at betaToys.com.

Ideon is a really fantastic entry in the SOC line, but that greatness comes with a price. At about $200 US it isn’t cheap but you do definitely get what you pay for.

Just in from betaToys, it is the Soul of Chogokin Ideon!

Jump to video

Ideon hails from the anime Space Runaway Ideon (伝説巨神イデオン Densetsu Kyojin Ideon) also known as Legendary Giant God Ideon. This influential anime ran from 1980 to 1981 and was created and directed by Tomino Yoshiyuki of Mobile Suit Gundam Fame.

The story centers around a group of archeologists who discover the giant robot Ideon. Wikipedia says:

“Space Runaway Ideon begins in 2300, far enough in the future that mankind has begun colonizing other planets. On the planet Solo in the Andromeda Galaxy, a group of archeologists had come across the mysterious remains of the Ideon—three large armored trucks with the ability to transform into a godlike mecha. They also come across a large spaceship. For six months they had diligently restored the machines but failed to get the giant tanks to move. Suddenly, a humanoid alien civilization known as the Buff Clan comes across Solo.

Karala, the daughter of the Buff Clan's military commander flies down to the planet against orders to investigate (her commanding officer, Gije, is reluctant with her, due to her standing and the fact that he once was a soldier under her father). She is pursued closely by commrades sent by Gije, but they lose sight of her. Assuming the "aliens" (Earthling colonists) have attacked Karala, the Buff Clan begins to attack. Cosmo Yuki, the afro-wearing protagonist of the series, climbs aboard one of the three tanks and, when it initially forms the Ideon, fends off the first assault, repelling Gije's men.

This is a short respite, though, as another force is sent down soon after. Bes Jordan, leader of the sparse military force stationed with the colonists orders that the Ideon tanks be armed with missles, but while that's happening the cities on Solo are obliterated by the Buff Clan soldiers. An air raid siren is sounded and the survivors, using the Ideon for protection, board the spaceship found with the Ideon (known as the "Solo Ship") and flee. The survivors travel from planet to planet, constantly pursued by the Buff Clan who desire the Ideon for themselves along with the mysterious energy source behind them, known only as "Id" or "Ide".

As the crew of the Solo Ship fight and survive further, the true power of the Ideon begins to slowly be revealed with terrifying results. Although the crew often latches onto various hopes and optimism, as the death toll of the crew rises and the devastation surrounding them increases, the crew of the Solo Ship slowly begin to despair. Eventually turned away by their own world out of fear, what fate awaits this lost ship and its inhabitants?”

I’ve always heard that Ideon was probably the most powerful super robot in anime history, and after reading up on it and watching some clips on youtube, I tend to agree. The combined Ideon mecha wields god-like power, with the ability to cut entire planets in half. The series is also known for its exceptionally grim ending.

Prior to the release of Yamato’s Ideon toy, I had no love for the design at all. The previous TOMY toys had odd proportions and just looked ugly to me. The Yamato toy sold me on the idea that the Ideon could be a dramatic character, but since it was a non-transforming toy, I had no idea that Ideon was made up of three vehicles! Not only that, but each vehicle has two separate modes!

A Mecha

Ideo-Delta (イデオ・デルタ) / Sol Conver (ソル・コンバー)

A Mecha Transforms into the arms and head of Ideon. The mid point of the arms are made out of diecast, the rest is plastic. The treads are rubber and really roll.

Ideo-Delta

Sol Conver

B Mecha

Ideo-Nova (イデオ・ノバ) / Sol Vainer (ソル・バニアー)

B Mecha forms the torso of Ideon. The large front of the vehicle is metal, and all of the wheels are rubber.

Ideo-Nova

Sol Vainer

C Mecha

Ideo-Buster (イデオバスタ) / Sol-Amber (ソル・アンバー)

C Mecha forms the legs of ideon and makes up the bulk of the weight. This unit feels like a solid brick of metal – with the only large are of plastic being the upper thighs.

Ideo-Buster

Sol-Amber

Combined, Ideon stands 12 inches tall and weighs about 3 pounds. This is one heavy chunk of gokin. It is very reminiscent of the classic DX toys. Ideon comes packed in a nice Styrofoam tray with the accessories packed in a clear plastic tray below.

Combining Ideon is not hard provided you follow the instructions the first few times. The only difficult part I found was collapsing and expanding the legs of the C Mecha. You have to push or pull them exceptionally hard to get them to move.

Once assembled, Ideon is an imposing figure. Articulation is decent but there is no waist joint. This is not a toy that can pull off dynamic poses, but what it can do, it does well. The head is on your standard ball joint and features soft pliable antenna.

The antenna actually push into the head during transformation. The shoulders have a full range of motion and attach to the arms via detented metal joints. The upper sections of the shoulder have a small bit of articulation, just enough for them to move a little bit when posing. The bicep areas are metal and then they are connected to the lower arms by a metal bar. Here the arm can twist and bend. The fists are rubber and attach via a ball joint. There are 4 separate sets of hands included.

The legs connect to the hip at a unique dual joint. Instead of attaching to the body, the legs connect to a bar that attaches to the back of the waist. This enables you to swing the legs lower and achieve a sitting pose. However, on my Ideon, this joint is a bit loose and causes the Ideon to bend over backwards if not posed properly. The upper thighs twist, and the knees click back and forth. The feet are on ball joints and provide a stable foundation for the toy.

Like most SOC toys, Ideon comes with a ton of accessories. One of the most striking is the ideon sword – to long plastic transparent tubes that attach to the hands. These are meant to replicate the dual beams of energy that comes from Ideon’s hands. Two stands are included to prop up the ends of the beams.

Also included is the Ideon gun. Looking something like a spaceship, this gun is one of Ideon’s ultimate weapons. The gun itself is a great toy; the leg pods extend and retract, the target scope raises and lowers, and best of all, the gun lights up. A blue LED is activated when you slide a switch on the top. When you first remove the gun from the packaging, you must remove a blue safety tab to be able to move the switch.

A special set of hands is included so that Ideon can grasp the gun. Ideon also includes a special chest plate that allows you to attach power cables to the gun. The Ideon Sword blades can be attached to the gun as well. When not in use, the gun can be mounted on the stand.

The stand is designed to replicate the look of the Solo ship. The Ideon gun is mounted at the top of the stand while three support ships can rest on smaller stands. The stand separates in such a way that you can store the extra fists in the base.

Also included are 10 insect like vehicles called Jyongs, 2 walking machines called Gadakka’s, and a robotic tank.