Poor Rei Ayanami..has there ever been a more pitiful character in anime? One of the main characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion is released as the first Fraulein Revoltech.

Poor Rei. She's been cloned so many times, continually dumped on by Gendo, forced into test-piloting the many variations of the Prototype Evangelion units... The girl spends more time in the hospital bed than she does in school. Not to mention the legions of drooling otaku who have fetishized any and all variations of this character. Rei in schoolgirl outfit. Rei in Bathing Suit. Rei as a mermaid. Rei with bandages. Why is it that so many associate with this rag-doll of a character? I suppose there are some things about this fandom that I am not meant to understand.

Regardless, her popularity cannot be denied, so it was a logical choice that she become the first character released as part of Kaiyodo's Fraulein Revoltech line. If you want to ensure that a new line sells - start off with Evangelion characters. This figure comes courtesy of Angolz.com.

The Revoltech Rei Ayanami comes in her trademark plug suit used when piloting her Evangelion unit. Included with the figure are various hands, a stand, and a 2 part Lance of Longinus.In the Evangelion series, the Lance is large enough to be held by an Eva unit. This one is obviously scaled down to be an accessory for the figure.

The first figures in every Revoltech line should always be seen as experiments. It takes the Revoltech designers a while to hit their stride and really get the feel of what they are trying to do. The figure is nice enough, but it has some durability issues. My Rei figure split in half in the chest area during play. The figure just snaps back together, and it actually gave me a little insight into the construction of the figure. Still, I would have rather it didn't split in half.

If you are fan of Evangelion and the whole female figure scene, then this isn't a bad purchase. I got mine from Angolz.com. - and I am sure if you had any problems with yours they would take care of it.

Asuka Langley was the Second Child and piloted Evangelion Unit 02

Asuka Langley was the Second Child and piloted Evangelion Unit 02. At only 14 years old, she was a moody child, prone to temper tantrums and fits of rage. But there is no denying that she was a great pilot. Asuka's story is long and complicated, much like the whole of the Evangelion saga. To find out more, feel free to read this Wikipedia entry.

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This is my first Fraulein Revoltech. The Fraulein Revoltech series is designed to bring the poseability of the Revoltech joint to the female form. The figures are larger than previous releases. Revoltech Fraulein Asuka is available at Angolz.com

Asuka's likeness is remarkable. Enoki Tomohide did a fantastic job on the sculpt. She looks just like she stepped out of the anime. It is unfortunate that she only comes with one head, because Asuka is a girl of many emotions. The head she has here has kind of a vacant look on her face.

Revoltech joints are used sparingly in the figure, and they are hidden well. There are Revoltech joints in the neck, chest, shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles. The rest of the joints are standard cut joints. Articulation is very good, with one minor oversight. The legs cannot bend upwards, so having a pose where the character is sitting and pulls her legs up to her chest is not happening.

The shoulder Revoltech joint is a little loose. The joint itself is fine, but where the peg goes into the shoulder could be tighter.

Included with the Asuka figure is a stand featuring a dual Revoltech joint and a clear connector. The connector clips around the waist and does not plug in to the figure. The base has the figures name printed on it in white.

The figure comes with a few accessories.

Palette gun

Mama doll. Look this one up on her Wikipedia entry. It's a dark story. The doll has a revoltech joint in the neck.

Variant hands

I'm thoroughly impressed with the Revoltech Fraulein line. If you like a quality action figure, i say grab one. Just because it's a female figure doesn't mean you robot nerds can get one. Get in touch with your feminine side.

Revoltech Fraulein Asuka is available at Angolz.com

Have you had enough EVA yet? Like it or not, it’s another review from Rebuild of Evangelion!

Have you had enough EVA yet? Like it or not, it’s another review from Rebuild of Evangelion!

The Revoltech Oper. Yashima Set is the first Revoltech “Extra” set. It features two weapons that go with the previously released EVA-00 and EVA-01. THOSE FIGURES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SET.

The set consists of two large weapons featured in the Rebuild of Evangelion movie.

ESV Shield

The ESV shield is a large plastic shield with no Revoltech joints, The only feature, if you can call it that, is that one side of the handle slides out to enable you to put it through one of the hands of the EVA-00. It ends in a sharp point and is kind of heavy for the figure. It is a nice piece though, and looks great with the Unit 00.

Positron Rifle

The Positron Rifle is the gem of the set here. It’s a large rifle mounted on treads that features 4 Revoltech joints. It’s not poseable per-se, but it does allow you to stabilize the cannon a bit. It’s got fantastic detail and is in-scale to the EVA-01. The shoulder brace is contoured to fit the shoulder of Unit-01. The bottom of the handle is on a hinge so you can open it to slide the hand over the grip.

If you have the new movie Revoltech EVA-00 and EVA-01, you owe it to yourself to get this set. It’s available from HobbyLink Japan. It really adds another layer of uniqueness to the already new and different EVA Revoltech.

http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD01143

"I shall call him, Mini-EVA"

The Revoltech Miniature line so far consists of scaled down versions of regular Revoltech figures. The Eva-00 Revoltech Miniature is about ¾ of the size of the regular version, and has almost none of the accessories.

For a little guy, he is very poseable. He is jointed in mostly the same places as the larger version, save for a few exceptions. First off, the neck and knees are single joints instead of double and secondly, there are no wrist joints.

In order for Eva-01 to hold the included Progressive Knife, you need to swap out the entire forearm for one with a sword holding hand.

A stand is included, but this time it is just a square with a peg on it. No fancy Revoltech arms here.

To a foreigner, this concept must be pretty strange, but from a Japanese standpoint, this makes perfect sense. The Japanese have always had a fascination in making things smaller. When it comes to collectibles, smaller is better due to the cramped living conditions. It also makes sense from a retail standpoint. These come in a case meant to be sat on the counter next to the cash register, making them perfect impulse buys. They are basically glorified gashapon, but they are really well done.

I like the Revoltech mini for one main reason – Simplicity. No half dozen variant hands I have to keep track of. No pile of weapons that were used only once in the anime. Just a good, playable action figure that I can keep on my desk and fiddle around with – pure hand candy.

Best of all – they are cheap. – about 760 yen (about & bucks USD). I only hope they branch out and do other characters in this scale, and not limit it to characters previously done in the larger scale.

Revoltech Miniature EVA-01 is available at HobbyLink Japan

Revoltech Miniature EVA-01 is available at HobbyLink Japan

The EVA-01 Rebuild of Evangelion Ver. Revoltech is a completely new toy, sharing nothing with the original aside from it being the same character.

The EVA-01 Rebuild of Evangelion Ver. Revoltech is a completely new toy, sharing nothing with the original aside from it being the same character.

The new Evangelion movie “Rebuild of Evangelion” re-introduces the Eva franchise to a new legion of fans. The movie is basically a prettied up version of the TV show, with added CG effects and updated designs for the Eva’s and Angels.

At first glance this EVA doesn’t look a whole lot different from its predecessor, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that this is a very different toy.

For one, this version is taller and sleeker. The paint application is different and even key design areas like the chest have been redesigned.  The green pads on the chest are actually separate pieces and attached to the shoulder joint. The waist joint connects differently from the original, relying on a third panel to cover the Revoltech joint.

The hips still use swivel joints, but the knees are now double jointed, giving the Unit -01 an astounding range of motion.

The toy comes with so many accessories that they actually had to add a second tray in front of the figure.

Included are:

• G-type shoulder armor & scope
• shoulder armor with progressive knife
• optional head
• progressive knife with effect part
• umbilical cable
• four pairs of optional hands
• display base

The optional shoulder parts are placed differently based on which parts you are replacing. If you want to add the G-type shoulder armor & scope you need to remove the entire shoulder assembly and replace it with the new one. The scope is articulated with 3 Revoltech joints and can be  positioned around the face.

The shoulder armor with progressive knife goes on the left shoulder and the knife is not removable. There is also a third shoulder that has a small panel that pops out – I’m not sure what the purpose of this panel is.

The progressive knife is kind of cool because it comes with a small piece of plastic that resembles an explosion at the tip.

As with all EVA’s, it comes with an umbilical power cord. The plug attaches to the back and the cord is actually stiff wire, which makes for another support when posing.

The stand is your basic Revoltech stand.

I know most of us don’t really need another EVA-01 toy, but I think it is different enough that it may be worth purchasing. If you don’t already have a small EVA army – pick it up! It’s great!

EVA-01 Rebuild of Evangelion Ver. is available at HobbyLink Japan

EVA-01 Rebuild of Evangelion Ver.

¾ of the fun of the regular Revoltech, at ¾ the size.

The Revoltech Miniature line so far consists of scaled down versions of regular Revoltech figures. The Eva-00 Revoltech Miniature is about ¾ of the size of the regular version, and has almost none of the accessories.

For a little guy, he is very poseable. He is jointed in mostly the same places as the larger version, save for a few exceptions. First off, the neck and knees are single joints instead of double and secondly, there are no wrist joints.

In order for Eva-00 to hold the included Pallet Rifle, you need to swap out the entire forearm for one with a gun holding hand.

A stand is included, but this time it is just a square with a peg on it. No fancy Revoltech arms here.

To a foreigner, this concept must be pretty strange, but from a Japanese standpoint, this makes perfect sense. The Japanese have always had a fascination in making things smaller. When it comes to collectables, smaller is better due to the cramped living conditions. It also makes sense from a retail standpoint. These come in a case meant to be sat on the counter next to the cash register, making them perfect impulse buys. The are basically glorified gashapon, but they are really well done.

I like the Revoltech mini for one main reason – Simplicity. No half dozen variant hands I have to keep track of. No pile of weapons that were used only once in the anime. Just a good, playable action figure that I can keep on my desk and fiddle around with – pure hand candy.

Best of all – they are cheap. – about 760 yen (about 7 bucks USD). I only hope they branch out and do other characters in this scale, and not limit it to characters previously done in the larger scale.

Revoltech Miniature EVA-00 is available at HobbyLink Japan

Revoltech Miniature EVA-00 is available at HobbyLink Japan

From the New Evangelion movie, Rebuild of Evangelion, comes Rei Ayanami’s Unit 00.

From the New Evangelion movie, Rebuild of Evangelion, comes Rei Ayanami’s Unit 00.

Kaiyodo could have been lazy here and just repainted the previous Revoltech Eva 00 but instead they went ahead and created an all new version of the yellow Eva robot.

The Revoltech EVA-00 Rebuild of Evangelion Version is the 33rd entry into the Revoltech Series.

This is a whole new figure from the ground up. Most noticeably different is the coloring. While the previous Unit 00 figure was almost all yellow, this new version works in more grey and white. The toy also uses a larger, more imposing sculpt and better use of Revoltech Joints.

The head is on a dual Revoltech joint and the shoulders now have appropriately colored joints.

An interesting thing to note is that the white chest pieces are actually attached to the peg of the Revoltech joint, so there is a small bit of movement there. The waist joint is a Revoltech joint and it’s hidden behind a plate this time. The hips and upper thighs are swivel joints, and the knees now get DOUBLE JOINTED Revoltech joints.

This new Eva is no slouch in the accessories department either, including:

• Magorok E sword
• Counter sword
• Pallet rifle
• Four pairs of optional hands
• Umbilical cable
• Gatling gun
• Display base

To be honest, a lot of these accessories look like they belong with the Unit 01. Both swords are the same purple as the 01, and the large gatling gun is shown on the box being held by Unit 01. Perhaps they thought the Unit 01 already had too many accessories? It wouldn’t be the first time Kaiyodo packaged accessories from one figure in another figure’s box. There could be a logical reason for this, but alas, I haven’t seen the movie.

Now I know some of you are suffering “Eva overload”, and the LAST thing you want to buy is another Eva toy. But a lot of people LOVE Evangelion, and these versions are the best representation of the movie style evas yet. Regardless of the character, they are really nicely done toys.

The Revoltech EVA-00 Rebuild of Evangelion Version is available from HobbyLink Japan.

http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD01134

The mysteriously quiet 14 year-old pilot of the blue & white Evangelion Unit-00’ has undergone a radical change from her original human form...

In 2015, Earth is under attack from mysterious, powerful beings called Angels. Their origins and goals are unknown, but the focus of their attacks are on the post-apocalyptic, high-tech metropolis of Tokyo-3- a city designed to be a hidden fortress for the secret headquarters of the United Nations special organization NERV. What makes the Angels such an imposing threat is their ability to project and manipulate AT Fields- natural, invisible, omni-directional defensive shields which cannot be penetrated by any physical attack or weapon, including the most powerful N2 bomb. Learning of the Angels’ existence years earlier, NERV constructed a small group of advanced biomechanical robots called Evangelions to fight the Angels. However, only 14 year old children are capable of merging their minds on a near-spiritual level with the 700’-tall armored humanoids. Shinji Ikari is only one of a select handful who has been able to accomplish this. ...But he does not care. He has been push aside and ignored ever since his father abandoned him when he was four years old. And he does not care if he dies or lives, or if humanity dies or lives. Together with two female pilots in their own EVA Units- the confident, confusing redhead Asuka Langley Souryu; and the curiously silent, red-eyed, blue-haired Rei Ayanami- the abandoned son of NERV’s Supreme-Commander must face his inner demons and find the courage to go on protecting humanity while fighting to preserve what little is left of his own!

Ten years after the controversial and popular anime series aired in Japan, questions still linger about the mysteries, philosophies, and meanings of the show. The two films (“Evangelion: Death and Rebirth” and “The End of Evangelion”) which followed the confusing end of the 26-episode series served only to add fuel to the fires in online debates. Where do the Angels really come from? Why are such monsters named after messengers from the Heavens? What do the Dead Sea Scrolls have to do with predicting the future? Why are there crucifix-shaped explosions? What is the actual height of an Evangelion Unit!?

To join in the celebration of the 10-year anniversary, Sega has contributed a new line of figures to the “Eva” saga.

No- not the Children in school clothes again. No- not the Children in their plug suits again. No- not a new sculpting of the Evangelion Units again. No- not a diorama again. No- not the characters dressed-up in incredibly-fantastic outfits again. And, no- none of the characters dressed-up in winter clothing. Again. (They don’t have winters anymore, after Second Impact, in 2015 C.E., remember?)

Nope, Sega took a different approach to two of anime’s most recognized characters. They turned two 14-year old girls...

...into mermaids.

“Hah--???”

The mysteriously quiet 14 year-old pilot of the blue & white Evangelion Unit-00’ has undergone a radical change from her original human form... Rei Ayanami (back) has been transformed into a mermaid. Constructed completely of PVC, Rei sits casually & comfortably atop a pedestal of light gray rock, accompanied by a sea turtle and a starfish. Her overall body shape matches that of herself and other female characters seen in the series: small pointed nose, large eyes, thin-yet-busty upper torso, wide hips, and long legs. Well- except for the fact that she has no legs here...

Her mermaid tail is painted a dark blue with softer light blue highlights. The tailfins are like those of a dolphin or whale. Continuing upwards, rather than having the tail be a completely original body part, a hint of distant parallel evolution is implied with a somewhat human knee halfway up her tail. There is an indent where her ‘thighs’ would be running from hip to knee, further suggesting that her legs had fused together rather than her simply loosing them and then growing a brand new tail. For modesty’s sake, Rei is wearing a light gray bikini-style metal girdle. The girdle run around to her backside as well, with a pair of flowing white, um- ‘scarves’ threaded through painted hoops. (One could think of them as dorsal fins if they wished, though looking closely you can see that they are indeed tied on.) Unlike your average mermaid, this one has no fish scales. So the ‘skin-to-scales’ transition is only a change from the blue tail paint to the plastic’s natural pale coloring just below her hips, and allows for a risqué view of her still quite-human backside which is protected somewhat by the girdle.

Wrapped around her thin upper body is some kind of white bikini top- held together around her busty chest in front by a painted metal ring, and tied in back with the two long flowing halves of the painted PVC cloth into a bow. Around her neck is a painted metal choker from which hangs a small emerald diamond. On both upper arms are metal ringlets, and she had a light gray bracelet tied over her right wrist. In “Evangelion”, the teenage pilots wear nerve headsets to connect them mentally to the Eva Units. These hide under the hair for the most part, but two little colored barrette-like bumps appear on either side of the head. What Sega did here was swap-out Rei’s normal white headset with a pair of similar-looking white seashells placed in the same locations. If you didn’t see the series, they look like an accessory that a mermaid might wear; but for fans it brings a knowing smile. Rei’s eyes, which have natural red irises, look more like pre-applied decals than having been painted on; it’s hard to say. Her eyebrows and hair share the same off-blue paint to match the pale, almost white, coloring in the series. Rarely seen, there is a very small hint of a smile on her face, though I would say that it is up to interpretation.

For accessories, Rei holds an irremovable white shell phone in her left hand. Why? Beats me; she didn’t have one in the series. The pedestal-like coral stand she is affixed to is molded in simple light tan PVC, and then highlighted in a pale gray paint. A small green PVC sea turtle and pink starfish permanently ornament the base of the pedestal.

Construction is fairly well done. All parts have been glued on tightly, and do not move. They are also seamlessly put together, and it is hard to spot the separation points. The PVC is solid except for the base of the pedestal (which is open from below). Mold lines are difficult to spot at first, and are perhaps most easily spotted on, again, the pedestal.

Rei is shipped in a mildly aqua blue-decorated cardboard window box with a retracting handle, sandwiched between solid and transparent plastic inside. Since there are only two mermaids in the series, each character appears on either side of the box.

For a first outing, the limited Extra Mermaid Figure series by Sega started out well. Both Rei Ayanami- and fellow EVA pilot-turned-mermaid, Asuka Langley Souryu- have different expressions, poses, accessories, and overall looks. There is little if any criticism I can offer, let alone suggestions for alterations. (Well... maybe one- the holes in the shell phone are a little out of place.) If you are a fan of immobile figures, this is a change. If you are a fan of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Souryu, this is a change. If you like “Evangelion” in general, and are looking for a change, this is it. I got mermaid Rei-chan and mermaid Asuka-chan because they were different. Any model company can dress up a favored character in interesting-looking clothes from different era or environments... But change their species!? That’s different! I recommend getting Rei Ayanami from the Extra Mermaid Figure line, if you can find her anymore. She’s cheap, she looks good, and she seasons your figure collection up a bit.

Well... maybe not that way-!

(I do have mermaid Asuka-chan, but she and my camera are still arguing about what her good side is. So, I will get her up here sometime, just not for a while... or at least until I can figure out the focus settings.)

Finally, an Eva toy I can really appreciate. The Eva-01 Type F AFC Experiment is phenomenal toy that lets Katsuhisa Yamaguchi really strut his stuff.

Finally, an Eva toy I can really appreciate. The Eva-01 Type F AFC Experiment is phenomenal toy that lets Katsuhisa Yamaguchi really strut his stuff.

The Eva-01 Type F AFC Experiment (エヴァ初号機Ｆ型) comes from the 2003 Japanese Playstation 2 Game Neon Genesis Evangelion 2. The game was only released in Japan and is not available for US Playstation 2 systems.

Eva-01 F-Type comes courtesy of Hobbylink Japan. This design is a powered-up version of the Eva-01 mech, designed by Hideaki Anno. The F-Type armor also appears in the Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game as well as Super Robot Wars Alpha 3. The extra armor gives any Eva unit a noticeable power boost and extra weaponry. This F-Type armor also removes the need for the Eva unit to be attached to an external power supply.

As with all Revoltech releases, this figure is of exceptional quality and articulation. The finish is a mixture of dull and glossy paint applications, with small logos stamped on various body parts. The armor is not removable. The Eva-01 F-Type has 19 Revoltech joints (counting the dual joints as two) as well as a few points of standard articulation. This bulky beast is surprisingly poseable. The wrists are back to being the small type Revoltech joint, as opposed to the plug type of some of the other Evas.

Eva-01 F-Type comes with 2 heads, 7 optional hands, 2 progressive knives, and 2 shoulder mounted balls of energy called "Volt Launcher". Also included is a 2 piece stand with an extra Revoltech joint at the end. The joint can be attached to the back of the figure to achieve more dynamic poses.

To put the Volt Launchers on the shoulders, you must first pry UP the front of the shoulder assemblies. These are hard to get up, and I needed to wedge a knife under them to get it. You then add the new weapon parts to the peg.

I really like this design, and it is a nice fresh take on the classic Eva style. This is the first time this design has seen toy form. Previously it was only available as a model kit. Fans of Evangelion will be all over this figure, and those of you who are a bit tired of all the similar Eva toys may want to check this one out. He is different enough that he warrants adding to your collection.

Eva-01 F-Type is available at Hobbylink Japan

Eva Mass Production model looks great, poses great, and is just fun to handle. If you only get one Revoltech Eva, get this one.

I know I was just bitching about the same Evangelion designs all the time, but this is one Eva toy that I am actually excited about.

Evangelion Mass Production Type comes courtesy of HobbyLink Japan.

Out of all the Eva robots (or whatever they are) that have come out; this is the one I wanted the most. They never made a SOC of it, and the previous Kaiyodo line was just too fragile for my tastes. Now, with the Revoltech release, my wait is over. This toy is great!

The Eva Mass Production type (Eva-05) comes from the End of Evangelion movie. This winged monster is the final step in the evolution of the Eva units. These mass produced models require no power supply and no plug.

The 26th Revoltech toy does this character justice. Molded almost entirely in white with black highlights, the Eva looks like devil dressed like an angel.

Most striking here is the giant wings on the back of the figure. This unit can be removed and replaced with a small nub. The wings are three parts connected via Revoltech joints. These wings are hard plastic – no floppy rubber here.

The stand here is a necessity. If you want to get those cool flying poses you are going to need it. The stand is a two part stand with a Revoltech joint at the end. The joint can attach between the legs or beneath the wing assembly.

Also included are a bunch of variant hands. Two of the hands have fists with holes in them, probably to hold the lance that is not included with this set. The lance was offered with another limited version of this toy. There are 2 claw-pose hands and then 2 hands that are a mystery to me. They look like they are hands for holding guns, but no guns are included.

Eva Mass Production model looks great, poses great, and is just fun to handle. If you only get one Revoltech Eva, get this one.

Available now from HobbyLink Japan.