Yamato brings us this newly redesigned Proto Garland from Megazone 23 part 2. And guess what - it's AWESOME. Includes Video

Yamato brings us this newly redesigned Proto Garland from Megazone 23 part 2.

By now we all know about the QC issues with the first Yamato Garland. The bad shoulder joints would disintegrate the first time you touched them. Yamato has of course made amends by both replacing damaged shoulders and fixing the shoulders for future releases. Still, the memory of those first Garlands stings a bit whenever you think of that toy.

Yamato has erased that memory with this toy. This toy is amazing, and may be my favorite Yamato toy yet.

The Proto Garland comes from Megazone 23 part 2, the bastard offspring of the classic Megazone 23. The animation style shifts gears radically in this OVA, and so does the design of the Garland.

The Proto Garland is more industrial than the regular one. It has sharper lines, darker colors, and exposed bronze mechanics. The general size is the same but very few similar parts remain between the two. Essentially, it’s a whole new toy.

In bike mode the Proto Garland features rubber free-wheeling tires and is very sturdy thanks to the added clip on the bottom. This clip secures the front forks to the body making a very solid unit.

The cockpit features a pop-up screen and folding mirrors. Unfortunately, you have to get up underneath the cockpit and pop them out to get access to them.

Included is a newely redesigned Shogo figure, but still it is stuck in its riding pose. It has tons of articulation, but you still can't stand it up.

The top coverings on either side of the rear open up to reveal the golden bronze inner mechanics of the Proto Garland. The large vent is moveable, and all the hoses are rubber. At the rear, the exhaust vents have moveable flaps.

Transformation is nearly identical to the previous garlands, with only a small difference in the way the seat folds into the body. The included figure can ride on it in bike mode or can be stored inside the unit for transformation.

Once in robot mode there is no sign of the bad shoulders anywhere. This thing is great on so many levels. They used an interesting plastic in the joint work that I can’t describe. It does not at all seem fragile.  The arms have the usual points of articulation, and the hands are also fully articulated. Each hand has a peg in the palm to hold a gun.

The hips still peg into the wheel like it used to, probably the only weak point remaining in the design. The pegs can pop out when handling – Yamato should have made the fit just a bit tighter.

The legs are articulated like crazy. Make sure you pull the knee and ankle all the way out to get the full range of motion. The ankles are really phenomenal, and are connected to the inner mechanism via solid rubber tubes.

You even get more accessories with this Garland than with the previous ones. This one gives you a shield that clips onto the arm, and not one but two rifles. Each rifle features a removable clip, and the larger rifle features an interchangeable barrel.

I really love this toy.  Yamato did a bang-up job on this one, and lets hope this sets the standard for future releases for them.  It’s just awesome.

You can get your very own Proto Garland at Yamato USA’s online shop at http://www.yamatotoysusa.com/page.cfm/437

http://www.yamatotoysusa.com/page.cfm/437

Well, I am happy to say that those production issues have been worked out and the latest release from Yamato, the Garland - Factory Color Version is perfect right out of the box.

The Garland is a high powered motorcycle (Maneuver-Craft Mode) that transforms into a combat robot (Slave Mode) that is given to Shogo Yahagi in the OVA series Megazone 23. This leads to our Protagonist discovering a dark secret about the world he lives in and the piece of technology he now possess. But I’m not here to spoil the series for you if you haven’t seen it. If you must know all the details without watching the series you can read the Wikipedia entry here.

I am however, here to tell you about Yamato’s latest release to their 1/15th scale Megazone 23 line of collectibles, the Garland - Factory Color Version. By the way that’s Two-Three not Twenty-Three lest the fanboy’s lynch you.

This is the fourth entry in the series of Garlands produced by Yamato. The first release was the Red version that is seen through out most of the series (you can read the full review of that release written by Josh here .) followed by a Complete Box Set: Megazone 23 which featured a Metallic Red Garland, Military Issue Garland and then the Factory Color Version.

The Factory Color Version is an original color scheme that doesn’t actually appear in the film. Despite that, I must say this is a beautiful looking color scheme that really seems to suit the design. It looks very much like it could have been in the series.

The Garland is molded in the silver with the red trim painted on in fine detail. Paint detail is nice and tight with no over spray or missed spots. Included with the standard accessories from the first release is a racing helmet for Shogo and a sticker sheet to decorate your Garland any way you see fit (notice the Skull Squadron and Valkyrie intake markings.)

Standard Accessories are:

• Shogo Yahagi figure
• Regular head
• Bandana/Headset
• Visor/Headset
• Shoulder Pads
• Gun

In robot mode (Slave Mode) this guy looks real good and is highly poseable. The toy holds poses very well and despite repeated handling and posing everything remains nice and tight. This is a seriously good looking mecha in either mode.

Now I must say I have been a fan of this mecha since I first got a look at the line-art for it back in the late 80’s. I don’t know why but I am a sucker for a transforming motorcycle, be it the Garland or a Mospeada (both designed by the very talented Shinji Aramaki .) I think that Yamato did an excellent job in translating this from cartoon into a transforming reality. It makes me smile actually.

The first release of the Garland did have some production issues. Early releases had problems with the die-cast swing bars for the arms being too tight and breaking for some. The other issue (which got me with my Garland) was the plastic used in the shoulder area would crack after a few transformations. To their credit Yamato USA was diligent in exchanging this product and not only exchanged my Garland immediately also sent me improved shoulders when they where available.

Well, I am happy to say that those production issues have been worked out and the latest release is perfect right out of the box. I have transformed this well over two dozen times and no sign of trouble. I will say Yamato does go out of its way to correct issues when they come up, a sign of a truly customer service oriented company.

The Garland and its accessories come packed in the near legendary Yamato Window Box with it’s contents neatly arranged and easily viewable by lifting the lid.

Yamato brings an excellent level of detail and engineering to this toy and it despite some problems with earlier releases this latest offering is indeed a solid toy and a fine collectible at the same time. If you like the mecha design I can unabashedly tell you to drop the cash for it as it will look spectacular in your collection and you will love picking it up and transforming it.

Here's the full video review:

And here is the full transformation:

You can get yours at Yamato USA

I've got news for you. The Yamato 1/15 scale Garland is a TOY! Read inside for the full scoop PLUS a VIDEO REVIEW!

I’ve got news for you. The Yamato 1/15 scale Garland is a TOY!

The Garland comes from the anime Megazone 23 (メガゾーン23), the source material for the never-released Robotech: The Movie. In the anime, our protagonist Shogo comes into possession of the prototype Garland motorcycle. From there on in his life is forever changed, but I won’t spoil the anime for you.

Video Review

History

Rumors have been floating around the net for a while about a Garland toy, but only images of prototypes had surfaced. For a while, there seemed to be three different prototypes floating around. The first, was by a company called Atelier Sai, the second by Max Factory and the third by Yamato. It was later revealed that the Atelier Sai version WAS the Yamato version, and the Max Factory version has yet to see production.

Packaging

The Garland comes in a beautiful thin cardboard box with an opening flap that reveals a nice window showcasing the product. The Garland, Shogo and accessories are fully visible. Also included in the box is an essential instruction manual. The toy is not secured with any sort of twist-ties.

Maneuver-Craft Mode

The Garland’s cycle mode is technically called the “Maneuver-Craft Mode” but we’ll just call it the cycle mode from here on in. The Motorcycle is about 10 inches long and features rolling wheels and magnetic connection joints. The rear halves of the cycle connect via magnetic points as does the bottom part connecting the front and back halves. This connection tends to come apart if you put pressure on it (for example, if you are inserting the Shogo figure). The halves of the front wheels are also connected by magnetic points. The Shogo figure can be seated in the drivers’ seat, and his hands can grab the handlebar.

Shogo

The Shogo figure is not really the greatest figure, but it does what it is supposed to do. He features three different hair pieces (bandana, bandana with glasses and normal) as well as a set of shoulder armor. The arms and shoulders are really articulated, as is the chest, knees and feet. The real problem with this figure is the hips. Shogo is permanently in a seated position. You can move his legs out to the side, but you cannot put him into a standing position.

Maneuver-Slave Mode

Garland in robot mode is called Maneuver-Slave Mode. In robot mode, the Garland is a sturdy, well-articulated figure. It stands about 9.5 ” tall and is solid as you could ask for. It feels like a toy. The legs and hips have a wide range of movement, including detents in the knee and ankle sections. The ankles even have side-to-side movement in addition to the standard range of motion. The arms are also similarly well articulated, with swivel joints at the biceps as well as joints in the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The hands have individually articulated fingers. Shogo can fit inside the Garland in Maneuver-Slave Mode, but it is a very tight fit, and not recommended for the faint-of-heart.

Weapons

The Garland only comes with one weapon – a rifle. The rifle can be held in the right hand and features a removable magazine, and an extending front section. The garland does not grip the rifle tightly, unfortunately.

Transforming the Garland

Transforming the Garland is not an intuitive process, but once you have followed the instructions a few times it gets pretty easy. Yamato has done some interesting things to achieve this transformation. Things seem daunting at first, but once you understand them, it is actually not that bad. I would urge caution though - don’t force anything, and take your time. There have been reports of breakage with the metal bars that hold the arms on. To avoid any chance of breakage, loosen the two screws that hold the bars to the main body of the garland. Also, do not move the arm/wheel assemblies by the wheels – hold the bars in the middle and use those to move them.

Final Notes

I urge you to watch the video review. The Garland is really a toy that needs to be experienced. Until I held one, I had no desire to get one, but now I absolutely love mine. It has a great transformation, is constructed with high quality materials, and looks totally badass.