In this review I am covering both the actual Aries Mu release and the newest Appendix released for this character. By itself the Aries Mu release is OK, but combine it with the Appendix and this figure really shines. He may look feminine but he is anything but. HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES ARE WITHIN. You have been warned.

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES ARE SPREAD THROUGH OUT THIS ARTICLE. If you are watching the series and haven't gotten to the end of the Hades Inferno arc STOP READING. You will spoil some of the more dramatic and important events of the series. Seriously... I can't emphasize this enough. For the rest, read on.

From wikipedia :
“Mu is very soft spoken, with a scholarly-like personality; his demeanor is very tranquil and logical, almost as if he is a professor of the Sanctuary. Various official translations of the manga and anime, as well as Mandarin language Saint Seiya fans, tend to refer to the character as 'Lord Mu' or 'Mister Mu'. He is good friends with Taurus Aldebaran, and is very respectful to the 243 yr old master Libra Dohko."

"Before the start of the series, Mu removed himself from Sanctuary after suspecting that his mentor (and then-Pope), Aries Shion, had been quietly assassinated. He relocated to Jamir, a mystical land that only those with a high level of either psychic or Cosmo power can enter. From here, Mu severed all ties to Sanctuary and lived a life of solitude with his apprentice, the young psychic Kiki. It wasn't until years later, when he met Dragon Shiryu and Pegasus Seiya, that he began to become involved in the affairs of Sanctuary again."

"Throughout the manga and anime series, Mu is the man to go to when a Saint needs his or her cloth repaired. Although every individual Cloth has the ability to regenerate itself after a battle, a hands-on restoration from Mu is needed if a cloth has been severely damaged to the point of death. In normal cases, 1/3 of a person's total blood supply is required for Mu to begin work right away. “

From wikipedia :

“Mu arrives in the Virgo temple, and prevents Seiya and others from helping Virgo Shaka, saying that this was Shaka's final wish, but is shocked to see that Saga, Camus and Shura have just killed the Gold Saint Virgo Shaka with the Athena Exclamation, the forbidden technique. Saga, Camus and Shura charge up another Athena Exclamation - threatening that they will do it again if anyone stands in their path. Mu reminds Saga, that there are also 3 Gold Saints standing in their path. Mu combines his powers with Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo to use Athena Exclamation against them. The clashing powers of two Athena Exclamations destroy the Virgo temple apart."

"Eventually, the combined power of these two attacks was deflected by Dragon Shiryu (in the anime, it was by the combined power of all 4 Bronze Saints). Athena beckons the two parties to stop fighting and come to her at her palace. Athena tells the fallen Gold Saints that they no longer have to suffer and commits suicide (secretly invoking the 8th sense as told by Virgo Shaka in his petals he sent her) and it was then that Shion's true intention was revealed: they came to Sanctuary as Spectres to tell Athena of the God Cloth, and that the only way to defeat Hades was to enter Hell alive using the Eighth Sense - the ability to go the realm of the dead while having the will to live.”

In this review I am covering both the actual Aries Mu release and the newest Appendix released for this character. Released in 2005, Aries Mu was one of the first Gold Saints released in the Saint Cloth Myth line and suffered from some design and quality control issues that the series in general has improved over time. The Appendix release gives you extra parts and pieces to correct these problems while giving you a very important accessory, Virgo’s prayer beads.

The original release of Mu featured a chest piece that looks just a bit too bulky and a head sculpt that is pretty blah looking. Mine has his Lemurian marks (the two dots on his head) off center- an issue that plagued most of the manufacturing run. The armor included in this set can be swapped out with the main figure to give him a slimmer look. As you can see in the pictures above the difference is subtle but noticeable.

The new pieces also give you the range of motion to display him in a signature move from the end of the series as well; the forbidden technique- Athena's Exclamation.

Included in the Aries Mu box:

• Mu (Generation One Body)
• Armor Pieces- Helmet, Chest Plate, Shoulders, Biceps, Forearms, Waist Pieces, Thigh Armor, Leg Armor
• Cloth Repair Tools
• Statue Base

Included in the Appendix box:

• An Aries Mu mini bust. Includes Two Heads, Chest, Arms and Pedestal
• Chest Armor
• Arm Gauntlets
• Wrist Extensions
• Shoulder Armor
• Virgo’s Prayer Beads

When you combine the two releases you have a far more attractive figure to display with a better range of motion. The original release is decent with the exception of the head sculpt but the Appendix really makes it shine. However the Appendix parts are all plastic while the same pieces are diecast in the original release, something to keep in mind when you make the switch if diecast content is of the utmost importance to you as a collector.

I really like the combined results of this figure and the Appendix. If you’re a fan of the series take the plunge and get your Aries Mu AND Appendix, you won’t be disappointed. I am not sure I can recommend this to non fans but your mileage may vary if you like the armor design. In general, Saint Cloth Myth figures are always a high quality release. If Aries isn't your cup of tea find a design you do like and give one a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I get all of my Saint Cloth Myth at Angolz.com and you can too. Act fast though as figures have been selling out as I review them.

Video review is below:

Bagged with a header card, this figure set doesn’t have an official name, but it’s essentially the ‘Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive.’ A perfectly jumbled name for figures of the, hands-down, most repugnant Godzilla suits ever made.

Y-MSF came onto the Godzilla vinyl scene in 2004, becoming notable for releasing relatively unpopular characters such as Varan, Minya and Gabara. Most notable of their initial releases was a 6-inch scale Hedorah, released right at the beginning of the still strong Hedorah vinyl craze. While Y-MSF themselves only released unpainted figures, the Japanese toy store Guranma, through an exclusive deal, released painted versions that were also sold exclusively by the U.S. web-site Temptingtoys.net. Before closing in 2007, Guranma released a lot of variants: Glow-in-the-dark and clear vinyl, metallic paintjobs (Which proved unpopular) and standard figures with clear components, the latter of which I’m reviewing today.

Bagged with a header card, this figure set doesn’t have an official name, but it’s essentially the ‘Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive.’ A perfectly jumbled name for figures of the, hands-down, most repugnant Godzilla suits ever made.

Godzilla and Minya both hail from the 1967 feature film, ‘Son of Godzilla’ If you hadn’t already guessed, Minya is Godzilla’s bratty, pug-ugly son, who’s regularly showered with malice by fans. It’s a fairly solid entry in the series and, despite the child-friendly tone, has some rather eerie moments, especially the ending, which is uncharacteristically melancholy. Minya has 2 forms in the film as an infant; a bulbous wire-controlled puppet, and as a toddler; portrayed by a suitmation actor.

Visually, these figures look pretty great. The infant Minya, 3” tall and 2.5” long, looks just as roly-poly and bizarre as he did in the film and is perfectly in scale with his dad. The texture of the skin, the vacant expression and the, obviously supported by wire, arms are dead-on. The open mouth is a nice touch as well and makes it look like Minya’s in the midst of making one of his bizarre, “Wah-waaahn” sounds. It features no articulation, but doesn’t need any as it can stand solidly on its legs, arms reaching out in front, or crawling on all fours. Also, Minya can steadily rest ‘gripping’ onto Godzilla’s tail, as well as on Godzilla’s shoulders, like a piggyback ride. The interaction between the figures was definitely thought out and works well.

The main drawbacks are the paintjob and the trademarks. Infant Minya’s cast in dark, forest-green, hard vinyl with gray eyes. The green seems to consume the sculpting detail as well as the paint of the eyes, and makes it look muddy. I have to mention that the standard releases features Minya in a more movie-accurate lighter gray and tan, which probably benefits the sculpt. The trademarks are typical and sculpted into the figure, but there’s a lot of text and it covers the entire belly.

Though Minya’s an enjoyable figure to have, Godzilla’s the obvious star of the show. The costume design is very rare in toy form and looks completely movie-accurate here, down to the last hilariously ugly detail. What’s distinctive about the design is the huge head, high angled brow line, heavy eyelids and almost pig-like nostrils. The strange thing is that the face really does look parental to me…

…Don’t know what kind of Freudian land mine I just stepped on, but moving on!

Standing just under 7” tall and 6” long, its cast in soft green vinyl with gray highlights, with painted details for the mouth and eyes. The inside of the mouth is a little too rose colored for my tastes, but works fine. The eyes catch light well, which adds a sense of life. The exclusive aspect of the figure is the translucent blue spines. This is actually a separately cast piece which fits flush into Godzilla’s back and creates a look as if Godzilla’s charging up for a blast of atomic fire. The section won’t come loose but it can be easily removed. The curves at the edges of the spines lack the rocky detail of their centers, which makes them look soft and jelly-like, which is strange and due to the translucent blue vinyl. All in all though, it’s a very nice effect and immediately adds a distinctive quality to the figure. Godzilla’s articulated at the tail, arms and le-

Uh…

Hmm…

Fail.

Welp. You can’t move the legs. You WOULD’VE been able to move the legs had there been the appropriate amount of vinyl to set it within the joint, but tragically and hilariously there isn’t. The legs will pop out when you move them more than 45 degrees. It really doesn’t ruin the toy for me, but maybe you’re part of the subculture that poses all of their figures delivering flying kicks and this is a deal breaker (I really hope that subculture exists.)

This is the first Y-MSF figure I’ve owned and I’m not disappointed. The infant Minya looks perfect, though I wish it was lighter colored, and the Godzilla 67’ is a wonderful representation, even better than the Bandai 50th Anniversary Memorial Box version in my opinion. Sure you can’t move Godzilla’s legs, but the main play value lies in the interaction between Godzilla and Minya, which is a definite success. I’m not sure how much this originally sold for but I was able to get it for $18 before shipping from Kaiju-Taro.com, which I think is a great if not perfect price. Temptingtoys.net still sells the standard version of the sculpts for $50 after shipping from both their site and eBay. Although Y-MSF’s figures are made in limited runs ranging from 30-500 pieces, unless you’re dying for Godzilla 67’ and Minya, I wouldn’t say they’re worth the retail price. The quality is about on par with 6-inch Bandai kaiju and I think the price should reflect that. That being said, this is a good set, especially sculpt-wise, and I’ve heard Y-MSF improves their figures with each subsequent release. Even though there are rumors of them quitting Godzilla toy production, they’ve announced on their site many new figures, including Gorosaurus and Biollante!

If you’re interested in getting the Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive, they may show up again at Kaiju-Taro.com, otherwise I would check eBay or Yahoo Japan. To check out the standard release, along with other Y-MSF Godzilla kaiju, go to Temptingtoys.net.

Next up for review in my Saint Cloth Myth series is another Gold Saint, Libra Dohko.

From Wikipedia:

Libra Dohko is a fictional character in the manga Saint Seiya, authored by mangaka Masami Kurumada, that was later adapted to anime. He is one of the oldest characters in the manga next to Aries Shion, as they both appear in the previous Holy War, and is most known by his role as Dragon Shiryu's mentor. He is also referred to as Old Master (Rohshi) by all of the Saints of Athena as a sign of respect, even though his only true student is Shiryu.

Why “Old Master”? You see for the first 120 episodes of the series (he looks like a little blue Yoda. His legacy as the Gold Saint Libra is shrouded in mystery for the first half of the TV series. So for all of the TV series the Libra Cloth (armor for those just joining us) like the Gemini Cloth has no known wearer. That doesn’t mean we don’t see the Cloth in action, because we do.

The Libra Cloth is the only Cloth that incorporates weapons into the suit. Athena has banned the use of weapons feeling it is dishonorable for Saint’s to use them. Despite this she has charged Dohko with keeping the Libra Cloth and its weapons for the very rare instance they are needed.

In the series the weapons are given to our band of heroes (the Bronze Saints - Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga and Shun) at several points when they need the extra help, so needless to say when the Libra Cloth’s weapons show up it tends to be during very dramatic moments of the series.

Much like most of the Libra Cloth, all of the weapons included are diecast metal with the chain for the shield and the very ends of the Tridents being plastic. Twelve weapons come with the Libra Cloth, 2 Swords, 2 Tong-Fas, 2 Lances, 2 Nunchakus, 2 Three-section staves and 2 Shields attached with chains.

So it’s not until the later OVA series Hades – Inferno that Dohko is restored to his former glory and dons the suit. Dohko was granted the gift of long life by Athena to watch for the return of Hades Specters who had been defeated in the last great Holy War, 243 years earlier) the trade off for this long life was he had to remain in one spot near the 5 peaks in China. Leaving this spot to confront the resurrected Aries Sion in Sanctuary removes the spell and Dohko dons the Cloth.

The figure looks very nice in the suit, with the head sculpt looking very much like Dohko in the series. The suit is almost completely diecast metal with only the helmet, belt and shields being plastic. This release comes with a Generation 1 type body so the figure has limited articulation in the waist, which is fine as the design of the cloth while worn limits the characters flexibility.

While the completed figure looks very sharp, getting all the parts and pieces where they belong was much more fidgety than previous Saint Cloth Myth figures. All of the Libra Cloth’s weapons come in their full size mode and in their shrunk down mode.The shrunk down weapons go into slots on the suit and these kept popping out while trying to slide the armor pieces on, swapping hands and generally posing the figure.

Also included is a Dragon Shiryu (Dohko’s student and Bronze Saint) head so you can display him in the Libra Cloth (the Bronze Saint’s don some of the various Gold Cloth in the TV series finale.)

With that said the final figure looks very nice and the statue mode of the Cloth looks wicked. Because of the place the cloth itself has in the mythology of the show I will be most likely just displaying it in statue mode.

I really like the Libra Cloth and the Dohko figure and recommend it for any Saint Seiya fan. Non fans probably won’t be swayed to try it just based on its design, but your mileage may vary.

Saint Cloth Myth figures are always top notch, with lots of shiny diecast and great character designs I whole-heartedly encourage our readers to find a design you like and give one a try, you won’t be disappointed. You can get all of your Saint Cloth Myth figures at Angolz.com just like I do.

Just look at another one of these wacky Japanese TV shows I used to watch as a kid. Is it any wonder why I’m such an odd one these days? It’s my review of Akumaizer 3 as re-imagined for the Super Imaginative Chogokin line by Bandai.

From Wikipedia :

“Akumaizer 3 ( Akumaiz Sur) is a Japanese science fiction tokusatsu television series, created by Shotaro Ishinomori and produced by Toei Company. The program follows the adventures of three mutant superhero-refugees from the "Akuma Clan" ("Devil Clan", in English), a vast empire that exists below the surface of the Earth, and their efforts to stop the Akumas from attacking the surface world. The three warriors are Zabitan, a half demon swordsman, Iberu ("evil"), a somewhat vain and foppish sharpshooter, and Gabura ("gobbler"), a slow-and-dim-witted strongman wielding a mighty mace. Together, they make up the superheroic team of the show's title.”

The TV series was 38 episodes long and aired between 1975 and 1976 in Japan. I very vividly remember the characters of Akumaizer 3 as they where in that mix of shows that I was first exposed to on Channel 13 (KIKU-TV) in Hawaii when I was 5 years old.

Everything you could possibly need to know about this fantastic show can be gleaned from the clip below.

So enough about the show it self, let’s talk about these toys. Super Imaginative Chogokin is a line from Bandai that takes tokusatsu characters and re-imagines them with newer, edgier designs.

The three figures come in a cardboard box with window and are all packed in a vacuum formed tray with all the various accessories arranged neatly in the tray below the figures. The figures are each in the 8 inch tall range so when the box arrived it was much larger than I had expected.

For a series that is called Super Imaginitive Chogokin there sure isn’t much in the way of Chogokin here. While the figures feature excellent design and decent articulation there is very little metal on these. Diecast is designated to some of the tiny bits like the belt buckle and hip decorations as well as the hilts of the weapons. That’s it. The rest of the figures are all plastic.

Despite that shortcoming the figures really are very solid with a very high level of detail on each and every one in the set.

Zabitan was the central character of the show and in my opinion the coolest looking of the three. The redesign emphases his demon heritage more than the original character making him look edgier and darker.

In the original show Zabitan’s helmet/face would crack when he was presented with a talisman of his demon heritage.

Bandai includes several alternate heads which strike me as a direct nod to this little piece of show history.

You get a normal standard head, a head that has cracking happening in it and finally a full on demon face.

Ibiru was the sharpshooter in the group. His sword would transform into a gun and his aim was never off. Again the redesign here brings out the edgier, darker look of the character.

Like Zabitan, Ibiru has several different heads...

...a normal head

...a slightly more menacing head

...and a full on demon head as well.

Gabura is the big, hulking blue guy. In the show he was a bit more of the comic relief as well as the “strong man” of the group. He, like the other characters comes with a sword but favors his ball spike and hammer; instead of a hammer we get a HUGE axe. Unlike the other figures in the set he doesn’t have alternate heads. But if you open his mouth he looks equally menacing as the other two with their demon heads. Of all the characters in this set he looks most like his original design.

So in addition to the alternate heads and weapons I’ve shown so far you also get a copious amount of alternate hands and weapons. Everything included in the box is:

• 2 additional Zabitan heads
• 2 additional Ibiru heads
• 4 additional hands for Zabitan
• 4 additional hands for Ibiru
• 3 swords
• 1 gun
• 1 ball and chain
• 1 axe

It’s a nice set that any fan of the original series will like. While it doesn’t contain much in the way of diecast (despite the toy lines name) the sculpt detail is above average and the figures pose beautifully. I suggest you go get yourself a set if you liked the original show and for everyone else it’s a worth while investment if you dig the character design. Just don’t expect much diecast.

Included is a video review as well.

To be honest, Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser actually looks a little meaner to me than WolKaiser; this white devil with a golden spear, flaming soul and racing heart.

In the direct-to-video “MagiRanger- The Movie: The Bride of Infershia”, Kai Oz’s soccer team manager and [not-so-secret] crush, Yamazaki Yuki, is kidnapped by King Glum. This Infershia general plans to marry her in order to release and awaken Emperor N. Ma. Though Yamazaki resists, the Sky Saint traitor Memmei casts a spell over her using a diamond ring. To get her back, the five Oz siblings climb a huge Mandoru-boy to reach the sky-bound lands of Magitopia, and its leader the great Sky Saint Magiel [played by the late legendary Super Sentai actress Machiko Soga in her last on-screen role]. When Magiel is convinced of their intentions, she gives to Kai a Majuu Unigolon to help him travel into the Hades underground. As a point of interest to the Oz siblings, their father, the fallen champion Sky Saint Blagel, had used this Unigolon as his steed in battle. The two arrive just in time to prevent the Infershia wedding between King Glum and the Bride of Infershia, and MagiRed rescues Yamazaki. After returning her safely to the surface, King Glum engages the five MagiRanger and is defeated. But the madoushi Memmei uses his dark magic to grow Glum and rebuild him into the giant Sword of Glum- a monster with metal blades and spikes, shaped like a scorpion. To combat the Sword of Glum, MagiRed changes into Saint MagiPhoenix and then merges with the Unigolon to form Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser. Together with MaRyuu Gattai MagiDragon and Mahou Tetsujin Travelion, the Sword of Glum is destroyed with a series of magical attacks.

...

In Stage 34- “Bond of Courage” in the series, Wolzard is unexpectedly & shockingly revealed to be the lost Magitopia champion Blagel. Not only that, but this also makes him father of the five Oz siblings, whom they thought had died in the war fifteen years earlier! He changes into his human form, Izamu, and teleports them all to the surface of Infershia. There, he explains that he had been trying to seal the Infershia from the inside, but because of damage done in the final battle by the traitorous Sky Saint Raigel, it left open the opportunity for Emperor N.Ma to transform him into the loyal Madou Knight Wolzard, and blocked out his real memories. But before the five siblings have a chance to absorb all of this, Memmei and Vancuria take Blagel back into Infershia, and unleash the meshed Chimera creature once more on the MagiRanger. Just in the nick of time, MagiShine and Lunagel arrive riding a Majuu Unigolon- a legendary horned horse that can freely travel between Marudeonna universes, Magitopia, and the real world. The Unigolon takes the MagiRanger back to the real world; the two Sky Saints, however, chose to remain behind to settle the score against the traitor Memmei. Chimera follows the MagiRanger and grows to gigantic proportions. While the others are still weakened with grief and shock, MagiRed impatiently and aggressively transforms himself and Unigolon into their giant forms and then into Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser. MagiDragon soon follows and is overpowered by Chimera, but Saint Kaiser, in a rage, is able to defeat the monster. Sadly, no sooner does he do that when Mahou Gattai WolKaiser appears, and the two engage in a heated battle... avenging youngest son against cursed trapped father.

Since Saint Kaiser appeared in the OVA movie as well, which had no real continuity with the series, there is no way to tell which version is the ‘correct’ version. However, for the sake of less confusion, I will use the series as basis for this review, since it was more important to the plot that way than it was in the movie.

Maagi Magi Magika!
[change- soldier- element]

To the uninitiated or untrained eye, Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser is virtually identical to its dark counterpart, Majin Gattai WolKaiser. There are several differences, other than just its coloring:

• Saint MagiPhoenix (back) is nothing but a repaint of the MagiPhoenix figure from the DX Majin Gattai MagiKing (sold separately). The silver on its legs, metallic blue for its belt, and the artistic ‘M’s on both its chest and head have been repainted gold. There is also a small diamond on his forehead that was originally painted gold that has been left the original red color of the hard PVC plastic. Aside from these few paint alterations, MagiPhoenix and Saint MagiPhoenix are exactly the same. Saint MagiPhoenix forms half of the chest of Saint Kaiser.

• The Majuu Unigolon (back) is fairly close to the dark Majuu Barikion, but there are differences other than coloring. The most obvious one is that Unigolon’s head has been redesigned to incorporate a long unicorn’s horn with an ‘M’ molded on either side, and a screw-like pattern running across it’s length. Its mane has also been changed, with the screw pattern running its length as well. The tail has been re-sculpted to make it curve in a different angle. While the color of the plastic has been changed from black to white, some very minor paint apps were changed as well, such as removing silver paint from all four lower legs and leaving them the natural white of the plastic. Unigolon forms the head, torso, part of the chest, arms, legs, and weapon of Saint Kaiser.

As MagiPhoenix did with Barikion, Saint MagiPhoenix can ride atop Unigolon in an unnamed configuration; there are no reins for the toy to grasp like there are in the both the movie and series. Because MagiPhoenix wielded the Phoenix Sword, Unigolon’s horn was designed to detach so that Saint MagiPhoenix would be provided with a sword as well. However, the unnamed sword was not used or mentioned in the show or movie.

Maagi Magi Giruma Jinga!
[change- soldier- power- combination]

“When light and flame become one, the holy Majin will [now] appear!”

Saint Kaiser, in channeling Kai Oz’s rage and raw determination, proves to be a powerful opponent against the multi-faceted and multi-faced Chimera. While he may not have had absolute control over the Unigolon’s power, it was enough to destroy the monster. Then when WolKaiser appeared, Saint Kaiser dueled against him to an unprecedented but much-anticipated stalemate. Like WolKaiser, he wields a double-blade staff composed of Unigolon’s mane, neck and head & horn. With it, Saint Kaiser can perform the Saint Horn Finish- where he jumps high into the air, and impales the unicorn horn into his enemy.

Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser (back) now more closely resembles Yuujou Gattai FireKaiser because of the similarity between Unigolon & Barikion, and Saint MagiPhoenix & MagiPhoenix. There are still differences... Saint Kaiser has a golden ponytail with a smaller unicorn horn on his forehead, and a red-&-gold phoenix-like emblem over his face around his green eyes. There are also two bronze stallions emblazed on his shoulders. The unnamed double-sided staff is also nearly identical to FireKaiser’s, except for Unigolon’s head and golden PVC horn. However, Saint Kaiser’s long ponytail-like queue is shaped differently, adding the smaller unicorn horn which unfolds from his forehead, and a new face design. The mane, also, was changed and has the screw-like pattern woven around it instead of the layered armor blade FireKaiser has on his.

Sets suggested for these combinations:

DX Majin Gattai MagiKing

DX Majin Gattai WolKaiser

DX Mahou Tetsujin Travelion

DX Densetsu Gasshin MagiLegend

DX Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser

Because Saint Kaiser and FireKaiser are nearly identical, what one can do, the other can do as well; and that is the chest swapping and riding features common to almost all of the DX “MagiRanger” line. Though never seen on the show, this means that:

Saint MagiPhoenix can:

• ride on top of MagiDragon
• ride on top of Barikion
• ride on top of MagiLion
• be combined with MagiFairy to form an alternate chest for the MagiKing (though it would look no different when combined)
• be combined with MagiFairy to form an alternate chest for the Travelion
• be combined with Barikion to form an alternate chest for the FireKaiser (though it would look no different when combined)
• be combined with Barikion to form an alternate version of the WolKentauros
• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate version of the WolKentauros

MagiPhoenix can:

• ride on top of Unigolon
• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate version of the WolKentauros
• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate chest for the Saint Kaiser(though it would look no different when combined)

the Head Train from Travelion can:

• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate chest and head for the Saint Kaiser

Wolzard can:

• ride on top of Unigolon
• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate version of the WolKentauros
• be combined with Unigolon to form an alternate chest, head, and weapon for the Saint Kaiser

It is this last point that needs clarification- Wolzard merging with Unigolon. Because Wolzard also shares a similar shape with Saint MagiPhoenix, and Unigolon is nearly identical to Barikion, an alternate white & gold version of WolKaiser can be formed. Bandai did not intend for there to be a rotating face under Unigolon’s jaw like there is on Barikion. So instead, they designed a single, non-moving piece to represent a ‘face’. This is because MagiPhoenix and Wolzard have different neck structures for FireKaiser and WolKaiser, respectively. And so here, since Wolzard requires the horse head for his combination, Bandai placed an alternate ‘face’ under Unigolon’s jaw so that he wouldn’t need Barikion’s. Also, since Unigolon’s head is needed for the alternate WolKaiser, his tail becomes useless, so it is incorporated into the staff, giving it a wicked golden sheppard’s hook on one end, and Unigolon’s mane on the other. This makes it look near-identical to the Bari-Javelin used by WolKaiser.

For those of you wondering what the differences are between the DX Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser from “Mahou Sentai MagiRanger”/"MagiRanger- The Movie: The Bride of Infershia", and its English-speaking counterpart, the Deluxe Steedergon Fury Megazord from “Power Rangers Mystic Force”, I have stunning news...

There are no differences-! They are perfectly identical in every way except in packaging and instructions! Actually, the Steedergon Fury Megazord is about $30.00 less since it’s not imported directly from Japan. All paint apps, materials, and moldings are exactly the same, and there are no decals for either toy. For 2006, you need not have to worry about importing the rare DX Saint Kaiser unless you are concerned about its connection to the “MagiRanger” line and the packaging. (And, if you already paid for an expensive import like I did, I completely sympathize...) Additionally, Bandai America never released the DX WolKaiser in American toy stores due to marketing strategies. They said that the black robot would not sell very well, though they thought that they may have released it later in 2006 as a store-exclusive; alas that never came to pass.

To be honest, Tenkuu Gattai Saint Kaiser actually looks a little meaner to me than WolKaiser; this white devil with a golden spear, flaming soul and racing heart. I didn’t get it just because it was just a movie-exclusive release or repaint. It has a different aura to it, and has its own look aside from WolKaiser. I completely recommend getting it... (Although, between just you and me, I’d go with the Deluxe Steedergon Fury Megazord because it’s exactly the same toy, but cheaper, and you don’t have to pay for those expensive S&H costs.)

On a more personal note, as this is my last “MagiRanger” review for CDX, I want to give my special thanks to Siu-Wai, owner of Kicks Hobby-Japan (ships across US only), for holding onto this set for me even though he was out of stock. I got all of my DX “MagiRanger” sets from his only physical store (located outside Northgate Mall in northern Seattle, Washington), and I will continue to shop with him.

Pegasus Seiya (Final version) is Saint Seiya's title chracter from the series. This figure is brought to us from Angolz.com and I'll say right off the bat I like it! Wings are always cool in my book.

I am a firm believer that you can put too much information into one of these toy reviews. Long rambling paragraphs explaining every inane detail about a fictional series’ mythology just serves to make your eyes glaze over and get you to hit the back button. So I will give you a simple explanation of the Saint Seiya series and if you really must know all about everything you can go to Wikipedia and read till your eyes bleed.

From Wikipedia:
“Saint Seiya, also known as Knights of the Zodiac, is a manga and anime series created by Masami Kurumada. The story is about a group of five mystical warriors called the "Saints" (or "Knights"; the kanji is properly read as "holy warrior" but the furigana has it pronounced "saint") who have adopted various constellations as their guardian symbols. The anime series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1987. The series was cancelled in 1989 because of the low ratings of the anime. However, during 2002 Toei continued the arc of the manga that was not animated in OVA format. This was called Saint Seiya: Hades and dividing them in different parts called Sanctuary-Hen, Meikai-Hen 1st and 2nd part and Elysion-Hen.”

This is the title character of the series, Seiya. In the first episode we see him competing with many others for the right to wear the Pegasus Cloth and obviously he wins, thus kicking off the series. This is Pegasus Seiya as the Cloth appears in the OVA follow-up Hades-Sanctuary. All of our main characters Cloth’s (armor’s for the layman) get damaged and then repaired several times during the series. It takes a Saint’s blood to repair the cloths and as the series progresses the higher level, “Gold” saints aid our heroes by donating their blood to repairing and enhancing the “Bronze” Saints armor. By the end of Sanctuary Seiya’s Cloth can form wings.

I’ll be honest, I have finished the whole TV series but at the time of this article I have not started the OVA yet so I can’t give you more detail than that right now. By next review I should be done watching the whole of the series.

As you can see from the pictures, the Cloth does form a statue of a Pegasus when Seiya is not wearing it. In the series the Cloth’s appear to shrink so the Statue tends to be smaller but for this toy it trades anime accuracy for a sharp looking toy. It’s very shiny and looks sharp on the shelf. They also include a small statue of Athena which figures into the end of Sanctuary.

The figure is plastic with lots of articulation, all the joints are nice and tight and once you have him posed he holds it very well. I have seen some report issues with loose joints on figures but so far all of mine have held their tightness very well so this has not been an issue for me.

The armor is beautiful and is mostly die cast metal. With the shoulder pieces, wings, backpack, and headpiece being plastic. The feet themselves are diecast metal. Putting the armor on really gives the figure some heft. The diecast parts really have a nice weight to them.

As you can see from the pictures it’s very shiny. The wings have been picking up fingerprints and don’t seem to come off very easily. I suspect the plastic parts may tarnish over time, we will see.

Over all I really like this character design, he kind of reminds me Hikaru/Rick Hunter wearing armor of the Gods. I realize that Saint Seiya is not everyone’s cup of tea but I think this is one most can enjoy whether they have seen the series or not.

On a side note I must say the series gets fairly compelling and I love the use of Mythology and Cosmology; though some of the early episodes feel a bit too Dragonball Z for my taste. If you haven’t tried it do not let some of the feminine character designs turn you off. The show isn’t about that and the characters are anything but girly despite their haircuts. Well…ok Andromeda Shun makes me want to slap him because he is a bit girly but other than that, the good really over rides the bad.

Included for your edification is a video review:

You can get your Saint Cloth Myth figures at Angolz.com .

When I hear the name McFarlane Toys, two words that do not come to mind are “toy” and “quality.” Yet when I saw this Aliens vs. Predator “play set” on clearance at Toys R Us I couldn’t stop myself from picking it up. Waste of money or worth it? Read on to find out.

When I hear the name McFarlane Toys, two words that do not come to mind are “toy” and “quality.” Yet when I saw this Aliens vs. Predator “play set” on clearance at Toys R Us I couldn’t stop myself from picking it up. Waste of money or worth it? Read on to find out.

So every single McFarlane Toy I have ever bought has pretty much disintegrated or fallen apart over time. Sometimes almost immediately, sometimes it takes a while. Now understand I am neither rough with my collectibles, nor do I abuse them in any way. Yet somehow - like clockwork, McFarland products never seem to last long in my house.

To its credit this set hasn’t broken and no pieces have fallen off in the year plus it has sat in the back of a shelf. Sculpt detail is excellent but the paint application is pretty mediocre. At first glance it looks OK but upon closer inspection it is actually either under painted or over sprayed at points.

As an “action figure” or "play set” it fails miserably. The package actually describes it as a “play set” but it doesn’t actually do anything and the figures are not poseable. What you get is pretty much a static statue reenacting a specific scene from the first Aliens vs. Predator film.

Granted it looks good on the shelf but it has zero play value so I can not recommend this for anyone except a die hard Aliens/Predator fan. Everyone else should pass even if its on clearance.

In 2005, Coca-Cola challenged 5 magnificent design groups from 5 continents to create and share interpretations and visions of optimism through music video short stories.

We’ve had American Toys, Japanese Toys, and even Korean Toys on CollectionDX but this one is a new one – a South African Toy.

In 2005, Coca-Cola challenged 5 magnificent design groups from 5 continents to create and share interpretations and visions of optimism through music video short stories. One such design group was Rex&Tennant from South Africa.

Each group was able to create several different items for the M5 (Magnificent 5) Promotion, including a bottle design, shirts, and yes, even a toy.

I like to think that you are either a Coke person or a Pepsi person. Pepsi people aren’t allowed on my property, BTW ;-) In order to lessen our sugar impact we switched to Diet Coke, but that tasted like ass. Finally we found Coke Zero, and we were hooked. We drink a TON of that stuff, and we will likely get cancer from it at some point. But with each can we drank we acquired something called Coke Points. You can redeem these points on the Coke website for all kinds of junk. My wife is largely in charge of the points, and gets bags and such, but one day she had some left over points and asked me to look through the store. Lo and behold! They had TOYS in the Coke Points store!

Huzzah! Now I can combine two of my passions together – Caffeine and Toys!

We ordered the Rex/Tennant figure from the store and it arrived a few days later. The toy comes in a nicely designed window box. The box had been banged up a little in shipping due to them just placing it in a padded envelope.

The toy is surprisingly nice. It feels like a designer toy, but without all the pretentiousness. The toy is cast in white and is covered in a wonderful color scheme. It is articulated at the neck, arms and legs, and is about 5 inches tall.

The figure at this time has no name. There are several different toys available at the Coke Points store, so next time you have a Coke, save that cap and maybe you can turn in your points and get a toy. If that doesn’t symbolize optimism, I don’t know what does.

Super Robot Wars and Gundam SEED, one might imagine that revisiting classic, less flamboyant designs was a thing of the past. However, it is good to return to the past and revisit a classic design with a new flair of the modern.

Between Super Robot Wars and Gundam SEED, one might imagine that revisiting classic, less flamboyant designs was a thing of the past. However, it is good to return to the past and revisit a classic design with a new flair of the modern.

Its Name Is Gundam

The RX-78-2 is the first Mobile Suit to wear the Gundam name. By design, the RX-78-2 was an open ended, multipurpose machine that could use an assortment of weaponry and functional tasks. It would also work towards becoming the test bed for future machines such as its descendent the RGM-79 “GM” Mobile Suit. Moreover it would set the benchmark for series to follow, creating one of the most successful anime mecha franchises in history, Mobile Suit Gundam.

Mobile Suit Gundam is set in the first Gundam universe called the “Universal Century.” In the year UC 0079 at the time called the “One Year War,” a war was fought between the Principality of Zeon (leading a rebellion of Earth’s orbiting space colonies, called Sides) and the Earth Federation. Zeon, having declared its independence was the first to introduce Mobile Suit technology with the introduction of the MS-05 Zaku, their front line infantry for the war against the Federation’s limited arsenal of tanks and warplanes. The RX-78-2 was the first machine for the Earth Federation’s “Operation V” produced in secret at the Earth Federation controlled space colony Side 7. It consisted of three machines: the RX-75 Guntank, the RX-77-2 Guncannon, and of course, the RX-78-2 Gundam along with the Space Carrier White Base.

Before Kira Yamato and Heliopolis, there was Amuro Ray and Side 7.

Having learning of the Federation’s Mobile Suit program, Zeon launched an assault on Side 7 to seek out and destroy the “Operation V” prototypes. In the chaos of the assault, the citizens of Side 7 are unwittingly forced on board the new Federation carrier ship White Base. Among them is Amuro Ray, son of the creator of RX-78-2, whose curiosity and love of machines would unwillingly throw him into piloting the same machine his father built, the Gundam. With the Federation forces occupying Side 7 weakened, the Civilian refugees aboard the White Base are forced into becoming the ship’s permanent, active crew. Amuro stayed among them to pilot the RX-78-2, claiming the Mobile Suit as his own personal property. In the beginning, their mission was to deliver the Operation V prototypes to Federation headquarters in Jaburo (located in the South America), but as soon as the order was given did it become clear that this ship and its Mobile Suit were destined to fight until the end of the war.

Version OYW

From the very beginning, Bandai has always had model kits for Gundam. Considering that toys were not as pronounced as they are today (say Masterpiece Optimus Prime compared to G1 Prime), model kits were a readily available solution for the marketable occasion. The RX-78-2 has had models from the very conception of the franchise, quite literally one version for each year and in every one of Bandai’s model classes. There are versions of the Gundam in First Grade, High Grade (first generation), High Grade Universal Century, Master Grade, and Perfect Grade. Version OYW joins the ranks of the many Master Grade forms the RX-78-2 has seen:

Version OYW, or Version One-Year-War was released initially as a tie-in for the Mobile Suit Gundam -The One Year War- video game. Although typical promotions would include just another remold of a previous RX-78-2 kit, Bandai went to greater lengths to make a new model for the occasion. The end result is one of the best versions of the RX-78-2 they have ever created. Focusing on creating a ‘game accurate’ edition and showing off advancements in Master Grade designs, proving that no matter how old the design may be it still has plenty more to offer.

Tone it Down a Hue

The first edition of Version OYW comes out of the box in a different color scheme than the Gundam is k