The Mecharobo Gaiking is better known in the US as the Shogun Warriors ZARGON.

The Mecharobo Gaiking is better known in the US as the Shogun Warriors ZARGON.

First things first – this toy comes from the collection of one Mr Joshua Fraser (aka Josh C-10 Fraser). For those of you not familiar with Josh, he is not only a legend in the collecting world, but also a dear friend of mine. He doesn’t have the biggest collection – not in the least. What makes him a legend is his particular fascination with 2 things – Gaiking, and mint C-10 boxes. He will upgrade toys from a C-9 box to get a C-10 box. He has custom containers made to make sure they stay C-10. It’s an obsession that goes beyond the bounds of normal collecting. For him, nothing less than deadstock will do. It makes for and impressive, and respected collection.

That being said, Josh came up one night to photograph some items for auction, and he asked if I wanted him to bring anything. I asked for “that Gaiking that comes apart and is battery operated”.

“The Mecharobo” he tells me.

Of course I want to get this classic toy photographed for CDX. SO he brings it up, components wrapped separately from the box so not to get damaged.

What makes the Mecharobo Gaiking unique is its construction. The main torso has a motor in it that turns various connection points to the body. All of the parts are modular; so you can swap limbs, heads, etc, and then switch it on, and watch the appendages start flailing. There were only two Mecharobo toys released in the line – Combattler being the first.

First off – the box. Beautiful. You will notice that the printing is a bit off on this specimen, looking like you need 3-D glasses to view it.

The toy itself is absolutely stunning. It is one of the best representations of Gaiking, in my opinion (in toy form).

All the parts are hard ABS plastic. Each part is removable from the core body, including the skull face.

I asked Josh about the red missiles in the chest. They do not shoot. He thinks they move back and forth, but I was surprised to find out he’s never turned one on. Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. But that’s our best guess.

The fists fire by pressing a yellow button on the upper arms. Unfortunately, the hands cannot hold the leg crosses.

In theory, there are hundreds of different combinations you can make with this toy. Unfortunately, we can’t show them to you. First of all there are two large yellow wheels that attach to the side that were left in his display case at home. Secondly, the rubber tank treads had never been removed from their plastic bag, and Mr. C-10 was not about to tear them out now. Such is life.

But hey, I got pictures – and what a glorious thing this is. Its huge, maybe a foot tall, and even un-motorized it has a great shelf presence.

I mentioned that this came to the US as Zargon, from the Shogun Warriors line in 1978. The only change made to this toy was that the upper arms on Zargon are white instead of blue.

Machine Blaster was your standard "ancient civilization attacks the surface world, with a crazy professor making giant robots out of their advanced technology that are somehow superior to the civilization they came from" anime.

Boss Palder comes from the anime series Blocker Gundan Corps Machine Blaster ( ブロッカー軍団ＩＶマシーンブラスター) which ran on Fuji TV from 1976-1977.

The show was your standard "ancient civilization attacks the surface world, with a crazy professor making giant robots out of their advanced technology that are somehow superior to the civilization they came from" anime. Professor Yuri created the four Machine Blocker robots to battle the Mogul invasion.

Like any super robot show of the 70s, Machine Blaster was largely created to sell toys, and many different companies got the license. Along with Takemi, Marushin and Bullmark also produced Machine Blaster Toys.

Takemi created all four Blocker robots as part of their Bigger Gokin (ビッガー合金) line. These toys were large funky chunks of metal, and were competitors to Popy’s GA line of chogokin.

Bigger Gokin Machine Blaster Boss Palder Blocker IV (ビッガー合金 マシーンブラスター ボスパルダー ブロッカーフォー) is one of the easiest to find out of the four, but should not be overlooked due to its availability. Consider it the gateway drug to Takemi diecasts.

Boss Palder comes secured in a Styrofoam tray that is wrapped snugly in a beautiful box. Also included is a nice product catalog. Included with the toy is 4 fists, missiles, 2 clubs attached with a chain, and hat.

The hat is actually a ship called Freedom IV that can magnetically attach to the head. I love how it is reminiscent of a cowboy hat. I wonder what was with the Japanese fascination with US cowboy culture during the 70s. All those tassels on the jackets… but I digress.

Each arm has a trigger that enables you to fire the fists, clubs or missiles. The launcher has a hair trigger, and I had to go through three of these until I found one that would not shoot off spontaneously. The fists are nothing more than red dull claws, and they can also hold the clubs.

The black clubs are what sold me on this toy. Each club is connected by a metal chain. Takemi loved to use chains and springs, and I love them for it. Chains instantly make a toy so much better.

The missiles can be shot out of the arms, but they also fit into the chest missile launchers. Flip the black door on the chest down and insert the missiles, push the button on the back to fire.

This toy doesn’t have the sharp lines that a Popy or Takara toy would, but instead has more charm. It feels like it was made by old ladies in a cabin in Japan, and probably was. The large amount of metal and the bitchin’ design is why I originally purchased this piece, but I really love the innocence or naiveté of the design. It comes from a different time, a time I wish some companies would get back to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ST Combattler holds a place in my collection as the Shogun Warrior that never was.

I remember this day well.

It was a cold and rainy day in Tokyo. Dave and I were on day 2 of our toy hunting expedition. We were armed with a printout of the web page of a small toy store in a town called Machiya. I distinctly remember the taste of pink grapefruit flavored halls in my mouth as we exited the station.  Under the grey sky we made our way past the koban, our umbrellas barely keeping us dry. Around the corner and across from a kendo supply shop we saw it.

It was one of the better stores we had seen on our trip, and it was previously unknown to us. The shop was small, but it was packed full of all kinds of goodies. Large glass cases lined the walls while vinyl hung in bags over the counters.

Dave went right up to the shopkeeper to ask about some Jumbo Machines while I quickly spotted some Gao Animals that a friend needed. As I looked deeper into the cases I noticed that a lot of the boxes weren’t in that great condition. This was actually a bonus for me – tattered boxes brings pieces that I wouldn’t be able to afford within my budget. I spied this Combattler V toy in one of those cases, and it was a little steep – 9800 yen. Still, I hadn’t seen another Combattler toy on my trip so far, so I decided to get it.

Bringing the toy up to the counter, I handed the shop owner my business card, and he handed me his. We exchanged some nods and some of the only words we both knew.. “Chogokin”….

I then took out photos of my collection to show him. He was amazed that this big American had such a collection. After all was said and done he ended up giving me  15% off of my purchase.. He was a really nice guy. This encounter was worth the price. My ST Combattler may not be in the best of shape, but my memory of acquiring it makes it one of the most valuable pieces in my collection.

Combattler V ( コン・バトラーＶ) comes from the 1976 Japanese Television series Chōdenji Robo Combattler V (超電磁ロボ コン・バトラーV Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V). The show was the first of Tadao Nagahama's Robot Romance Trilogy, which would later include Voltes V and Daimos.

This is the ST or Standard size Combattler V chogokin. Popy also released a deluxe combining chogokin made up of individual popynica vehicles.

If you are looking for a large chunk of metal, look no further. It is suprisingly heavy despite its small size.

The ST Combattler V does not have a sword or any kind of missiles. In fact, the only accessories included with the toy are four fists. But that is not to say that Combattler is lacking in play value. Combattler can actually transform from robot mode to Grandasher mode by lying the figure down, moving the leg treads around from the back and pointing the fists forward. Each fist can fire by pushing a button on the forearm.

While this is the ST version of Combattler, it has some of the transformation features of its bigger brother. First, the head can launch off by pressing a button on the back. Secondly the toy separates at the waist where it is secured by a magnet. This results in three separate ships (as opposed to the DX's 5).

Supposedly there are two versions of this toy, but I do not know what the differences are.

I've always been a fan of the Combattler V design since the Shogun Warriors comic book was released. I was always curious as to why the character was in the comic book, but the ST toy was not in the Shogun Warriors line. (The DX was released as U-Combine Combattra, and a 3" version was released). Further confusion was brought on when some of the Shogun Warriors appeared in Force 5, but others, like Combattler, did not.The ST Combattler holds a place in my collection as the Shogun Warrior that never was.

Where Skyzel is based on the concept of flying, Granzel is based off the idea of driving a ground machine. The small details really show this, from the wheels on the hips and feet, to the hot-rod like pipes on the chest.

The Chogokin Ground Zero (グランゼル - guranzeru or Granzel) was released by Popy in 1976. it's the companion piece to Skyzel, and you really can't have one without the other. I looked all over Tokyo for this toy, and only found one, in poor shape... I thought if I was going to find it anywhere, it would be there.. But it would end up being during a chance meeting in Boston that I would acquire this from a good friend...

Where Skyzel is based on the concept of flying, Granzel is based off the idea of driving a ground machine. The small details really show this, from the wheels on the hips and feet, to the hot-rod like pipes on the chest.

Both fists fire, but don't fit the arms snugly. You can open a door in the chest of Granzel to reveal two missile launchers. The missiles have small evil smiley faces molded into them. The door cannot be closed with the missiles in, unfortunately.

Probably the coolest feature of this toy is the famous open face gimmick. Press a small button on the back of the head and the face plate pops off to reveal the face of Ryuji, the man who's spirit is inside of Granzel.

I've always thought that these toys really embodied the essence of Mattel's Shogun Warriors Line, and thought they fit right in with the style of Great Mazinga, Dragun and Poseidon. In fact, two vehicles form Kyodain ended up being included in the Shogun Action Vehicle line - Grand Car and Sky Jet.

The Chogokin Skyzel was released by Popy in 1976. The thing is almost entirely metal, and weighs a ton. The paint is a nice crisp red and blue, which contrasts nicely against the bare metal. The detail is excellent, even the small darts are painted on the waist.

Space Ironmen Kyodain (宇宙鉄人キョーダイン - Uchuu Tetsujin Kyodain) was a live action (Tokusatsu) Television program that ran from April 1976 to march 1977. The character design of the show was done by the legendary Shotaro Ishinomori.

The show chronicled the adventures of Kenji, a young boy whose Father (Dr. Hayami) and two Brothers (Jouji and Ryuji) are kidnapped by the Robot Army Corps. When the Robot Army Corps invade Japan, a UFO carrying two robots arrive to save the day. The two robots are Sky Zero (スカイゼル - sukaizeru or Skyzel) who has Joji's spirit and Ground Zero (グランゼル - guranzeru or Granzel) which has Ryuji's spirit. Each of these robots was created by the kidnapped Dr. Hayami, who programmed them to have the spirit of Kenji's older brothers in them. The robots purpose is to watch over young Kenji and protect the earth from the Robot Army Corps.

The Chogokin Skyzel was released by Popy in 1976. The thing is almost entirely metal, and weighs a ton. The paint is a nice crisp red and blue, which contrasts nicely against the bare metal. The detail is excellent, even the small darts are painted on the waist.

Skyzel has a few cool gimmicks, like any chogokin should. First both fists fire, but can only be placed in one position (sone other chogokin can be placed in two) The fists only latch in at the top, and the fit is a little loose, so they don't like to fit snugly against the upper arm.

The head can be launched off by pressing a small button on the back. Skyzel also comes with a variant head to replicate the flying mode of Skyzel - Sky Missile.

Probably the coolest feature of this toy is the famous open face gimmick. Press a small button on the back of the head and the face plate pops off to reveal the face of Joji, the man who's spirit is inside of Skyzel.

I've always thought that this toy really embodied the essence of Matte's Shogun Warriors Line, and thought they fit right in with the style of Great Mazinga, Dragun and Poseidon. In fact, two vehicles form Kyodain ended up being included in the Shogun Action Vehicle line - Grand Car and Sky Jet.

Diapolon doesn't transform. His arm joints are loose, and the leg joints are rather pointless, as they do not contribute to the ability to pose the figure.

EDITORS NOTE

The following review is an excerpt from a work in progress. The larger project details the rather odd circumstances that led to the authors fascination with Japanese toys. The article is written from the perspective, and with the limited knowledge he had in 1978 when he was building the collection. Therefore, much of the information on the toys will be inaccurate, the toy stores listed non existent, and the prices ridiculously low.

I found this little guy at Toy City. He is another soldier in what I predict will become a major invasion of Japanese robot toys. The character hails from a Japanese animated serial that melds the unlikely combination of UFO's, giant robots, and (American) Football. Meet UFO Diapolon from the Japanese toy manufacturer, Bullmark.

Diapolon, and other Bullmark toys are packaged with the same care as similar-sized figures from the Popy and Ark companies, but the Bullmark issues lack the sophisticated engineering and quality control. Diapolon doesn't transform. His arm joints are loose, and the leg joints are rather pointless, as they do not contribute to the ability to pose the figure. The spring-loaded fists are a common feature on Japanese robots, and the wind-up spinner in the chest is hardly an original gimmick. It doesn't even work very well to boot. The set includes three spinners, a spare set of fists and two ring-shaped weapons of chrome-plated plastic. There is no way to place the weapons in the hands, or mount them in a shooter. Compared to his more sophisticated cousins from the Popy line, Diapolon is downright primitive.

Nonetheless, this is a neat little toy. While UFO Diapolon lacks sophistication he fairly radiates soul. The reason can be summed up in one word- metal. Like the old toy cars in my grandmother's attic Diapolon is solid, heavy die-cast metal. Indeed, in both engineering and appearance the toy seems a throwback to the 1930's or 1940's. UFO Diapolon isn't good at doing much except sitting on a shelf looking cool. But he does it exceedingly well. UFO Diapolon is imported by the Marukai Trading Company in Los Angeles, CA.

You can find the toy at Toy City, Toys International, or Kunimatsuya toy stores*.

*The stores (as well as Bullmark) are no longer in business.

Gaiking is a cool and clever little novelty, and guaranteed to get attention.

EDITORS NOTE

The following review is an excerpt from a work in progress. The larger project details the rather odd circumstances that led to the authors fascination with Japanese toys. The article is written from the perspective, and with the limited knowledge he had in 1978 when he was building the collection. Therefore, much of the information on the toys will be inaccurate, the toy stores listed non existent, and the prices ridiculously low.

OK, so what do you do with an extra fifteen bucks burning a hole in your pocket? You could take your girlfriend out for dinner. You could fill up the tank and take a couple of buddies to go see Star Wars again. You could buy a toy robot. For fifteen bucks? Well, twelve dollars and ninety-nine cents plus tax, actually.

As far as I know, the Gaiking is a hundred foot tall robot warrior from a Japanese cartoon series. The toy is made by the Popy Company of Japan. It is precisely crafted, beautifully finished, well packaged, and almost all metal. This is one of those toys that you pick up, handle, and then say, "That's not really a toy". The Gaiking would look equally at home on a twelve year old kid's toy shelf, or a corporate executive's desk. It's the kind of thing that has "Collector's Item" written all over it.

What is unique about these Japanese figures is that they have no motors, lights, or other battery powered gimmicks. Instead, they disassemble like some exotic puzzle, and then transform into something else, usually a space ship or vehicle of some sort. The Gaiking, after launching his spring-loaded fists, drops his legs, and opens up like a clamshell. His shoulders detach, and his head folds back into the torso leaving a horned demon skull in place of the humanoid robot. My guess is that the transformed figure serves as the head for another, larger machine, but the box gives no indication of what that machine might be.

Gaiking is a cool and clever little novelty, and guaranteed to get attention. You can find him, and dozens of other equally ingenious figures at Toys International, or Kunimatsuya.*

*The stores are no longer in business. Popy returned to its parent company, Bandai

Astekaizer hails from the show Star of Pro-Wrestling: Astekaizer (Pro-Wres No Hoshi Astekaizer), created by Go Nagai. The show premiered in 1976 and was a mix of live action and and animation. It followed the exploits of Hoshi, a professional wrestler who could transform into Astekaizer, a champion of justice. The show lasted 26 episodes, and wrapped up in October of 1977.

This is a small version of the main character - Astekaizer. This one is about 3 inches tall, and mostly metal. You can pull the blades out of his forearms but they are not spring loaded like his bigger brother.

This Astekaiser is sturdier than the others, and stands up well, but suffers from the poor head sculpt.

Still, it is a cool little toy, and a worthy addition to your diecast collection.

Goriking hails from the show Star of Pro-Wrestling: Astekaizer (Pro-Wres No Hoshi Astekaizer), created by Go Nagai. The show premiered in 1976 and was a mix of live action and and animation. It followed the exploits of Hoshi, a professional wrestler who could transform into Astekaizer, a champion of justice. The show lasted 26 episodes, and wrapped up in October of 1977.

Goriking is a another character from the show, and I think he is a villain. He features removable forearms that can be replaced with either a gatling drill arm or a claw arm. The Claw opens and closes, and the gatling mechanism works with a little effort. All arms appear held in place with magnets.

Goriking does not have as much metal as Astekaiser, but makes up for it with the crystal clear dome. He is simply one of the coolest looking robots I own. He is not perfect though. He has very floppy leg joints and has a tendency to lean forward or backward and his chest stickers can peel over time.

It is interesting to see just how much the toy has changed from the version shown on the box, which is probably a prototype. Note the fully sculpted face and embossed chest detail. Did Yonezawa run out of money?

Yonezawa also manufactured a smaller version of Goriking, but it is quite rare. I've never even actually seen one for sale.