This toy is full of massive fail.

I had high hopes for both the AV-0 Peacemaker, and the Mecha Action Series in General, but CM’s has let me down yet again. For the price, this is an absolutely atrocious action figure.

The AV-0 Peacemaker comes from the anime Mobile Police Patlabor. I think it squared off against the griffon in the OVA series, but my memory is a little hazy on that.

The whole idea of this toy was that it was an affordable alternative to the Brave Gokin toys. Mecha that weren’t popular enough to warrant the full gokin treatment could be rendered in the same scale and look, only in plastic. This Peacemaker is the same size and scale as the other Patlabor Brave Gokin toys, and they even share a similar cloth joint system. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end.

This toy is full of massive fail.

The plastic used on the outer coverings feels cheap, and unfinished. It almost has a rubbery feel to it. The inside of the joints uses a harder plastic, but that is irrelevant because you can’t seem to pose this thing without popping the joint out. And since the joint is covered with cloth, you can’t see it, which makes popping it back in a pain in the ass.

That is unless the cloth decides to separate from the body like this, then it’s its easy to put the joint back in.

They did include several accessories, but none of them are executed quite right. A small handgun is included that stores in a compartment below the left side of the chest. The gun BARELY fits in there, and when it does you have to really jam it in. After that though, you will find that the door hangs open. There is no clip to keep it closed.

The left arm features an opening panel that opens up to reveal the compartment for the stun stick. Included is both the full size and shortened stun stick, but the space for the stick is too large, so it just sort of falls out.

The shield looks pretty nice, and is attached in two places. First, the pegs on the arm secure midpoint on the shield, and the front of the shield is supposed to secure to a special hand that has a molded on handle on it. Well, the shield is hard plastic; the hands are rubber and molded poorly, thus the hand wont stay attached to the shield.

This toy cost 6500 yen which really is not that much different than the Brave Gokin Ingram, and that was amazing – lights, tons of metal, solid as hell. This? This is crap. I feel so let down by it. Sure, it looks nice on the shelf, but the second you try to pose it it all goes to hell. To top it off there are TWO versions of this toy - a unit 1 and unit 2, the only difference being the marking on the shield and shoulder. Oh, and you don't know which one you are getting until it shows up at your door.

The AV-0 Peacemaker is for Patlabor completists only. I'm getting angry just thinking about it.

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65182

For all your bathtub playtime needs, it's the Revoltech Griffon with Aqua Unit!

The Griffon comes from the series "Mobile Police Patlabor" and arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan. Its the closest thing to a rival that the AV-98 Ingram labor has. To learn more about the Griffon and its role in the series, check out our previous Griffon reviews.

This Revoltech release represents the Griffon with its Aqua unit backpacks. Most people associate the Griffin with its winged flight mode, but in one episode of Patlabor the Griffin surprises Noa in her Ingram by coming out from under the water.

At first glance it appears as if this is the same as the previous Griffon Revoltech, only with different back attachments. There are actually a few more subtle details.

Most obvious is the newly designed feet. While the first release Griffon had flat feet, this one has molded details in the feet.

The back unit has been redesigned as well. It looks almost the same, but looking up into the vents you can see the difference.

This version also omits the tail fin, but it leaves an unsightly gap that should have been smoothed over.

The rest of the Griffon is pretty much the same. It features a bunch of fists, a gun, and a stand. Pretty standard Revoltech fare. Good thing the standard is pretty damn good.

Revoltech Type-J9 Griffon with Aqua Unit is available at HobbyLink Japan

http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD01177

Kaiyodo Friend Shop limited version of the Ingram 02

Really, the first Revoltech Ingram was so nice that I didn't see the need to make a whole 'nother release for the Movie version of the Ingram. But now that I've handled it and seen the changes that were made, I can understand why.

Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 2 Movie Version is available at HobbyLink Japan

This is the Movie version of the AV-98 Ingram Unit 2 from the series Mobile Police Patlabor. The Movie designs aren't terribly different than the TV designs, aside from some minor detailing differences. In fact, the differences are often so minor that all some companies do to make the different toy is swap out the head. Kaiyodo could have gone this route, but instead they tooled an almost entirely new toy. So what's Different? Lets take a look.

The first thing you notice is the accessories. This Ingram comes with a lot more accessories than the last one did. This one includes the riot gun, and two different pistols, one with the barrel open.

The complete list of accessories:

• two stun sticks
• three types of revolver cannons
• 90mm riot gun
• optional hands
• display base with stand

When you put the old version of the Ingram against the new version, the differences become clear. The new Ingram has better proportions all around, especially in the neck and chest area. The chest now sports safety lights in the up position. The shoulder pads use a different red for the lights, and the legs appear completely redone.

The new legs provide a more neutral stance, and now has a compartment that stores a revolver. This door is secured by a Revoltech joint.

In all, I'd say its a great improvement. This time the only difference from the Unit 1 is the head and some slight paint differences. Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 2 Movie Version is available at HobbyLink Japan

Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 2 Movie Version is available at HobbyLink Japan

I didn't think it was possible, but Kaiyodo made a BETTER Ingram than before

Really, the first Revoltech Ingram was so nice that I didn't see the need to make a whole 'nother release for the Movie version of the Ingram. But now that I've handled it and seen the changes that were made, I can understand why.

This is the Movie version of the AV-98 Ingram Unit 1 from the series Mobile Police Patlabor. The Movie designs aren't terribly different than the TV designs, aside from some minor detailing differences. In fact, the differences are often so minor that all some companies do to make the different toy is swap out the head. Kaiyodo could have gone this route, but instead they tooled an almost entirely new toy. So what's Different? Lets take a look.

The first thing you notice is the accessories. This Ingram comes with a lot more accessories than the last one did. This one includes the riot gun, and two different pistols, one with the barrel open.

The complete list of accessories:

• two stun sticks
• three types of revolver cannons
• 90mm riot gun
• optional head with visor on
• optional hands
• display base with stand

When you put the old version of the Ingram against the new version, the differences become clear. The new Ingram has better proportions all around, especially in the neck and chest area. The chest now sports safety lights in the up position. The shoulder pads use a different red for the lights, and the legs appear completely redone.

The new legs provide a more neutral stance, and now has a compartment that stores a revolver. This door is secured by a Revoltech joint.

The optional head and optional hands provide a unique look to this Ingram.

In all, i'd say its a great improvement. Kaiyodo also released a limited "Friend Shop" version of the AV-98 Unit 2 (movie version). This time the only difference from the Unit 1 is the head and some slight paint differences. Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 1 Movie Version is available at HobbyLink Japan

Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 1 Movie Version is available at HobbyLink Japan

In the Patlabor series, the Asuka-SSL96 Taisyo is the civilian model of the Asuka MPL96 Taisyo Police labor. This labor is used in construction and other non-police duties.

In the Patlabor series, the Asuka-SSL96 Taisyo is the civilian model of the Asuka MPL96 Taisyo Police labor. This labor is used in construction and other non-police duties.

I'm sure any fan of the Patlabor series has thought it would be cool to have toys of every labor in the show. Unfortunately, I don't think the fan base is that huge that it could support a whole toy line of labors. CM's corporation feels your pain, and has found a way to bring some of the lesser known labors into toy form. By releasing limited run vinyl versions of lesser labors, CM's can flush out their line without doing expensive gokins for each one.

The Asuka-SSL96 Taisyo is made out of soft vinyl and is in-scale with the other labors released by CM's. These things essentially have NO articulation. At around $50 bucks that may seem like a high price to pay, but think about it. This is a limited release toy (only 300 of this version made) made of a very obscure character. Compare it to the price point of designer vinyl. They also released two versions of the Police version. While the Construction version seems like a repaint, it is actually an entirely different sculpt.

The sculpt, paint and finish is really nice. It's such an odd design compared to the more humanoid Ingram design. The toy comes complete out of the box aside from small hands that have to be attached. The toy comes in a clear plastic bag inside of a generic box. In fact, all three versions of this toy have the same box, with only a sticker on the side denoting which version is inside.

If you are a Patlabor fan, these are a really cool addition to your collection. The limited number produced and high price point make the appeal to a limited audience, but they are cool regardless.

The best way to get your hands on one of these limited release toys is to pre-order them from HobbyLink Japan as they are announced.

In the Patlabor series, the ASUKA-MPL96 Taisyo Police Labor was the standard police labor used by the Tokyo Police Department before the introduction of the AV-98 Ingram labors.

In the Patlabor series, the ASUKA-MPL96 Taisyo Police Labor was the standard police labor used by the Tokyo Police Department before the introduction of the AV-98 Ingram labors. Ingram Unit 2 pilot Isao Ota piloted one before he was selected to be on Special vehicles 2 unit.

I'm sure any fan of the Patlabor series has thought it would be cool to have toys of every labor in the show. Unfortunately, I don't think the fan base is that huge that it could support a whole toy line of labors. CM's corporation feels your pain, and has found a way to bring some of the lesser known labors into toy form. By releasing limited run vinyl versions of lesser labors, CM's can flesh out their line without doing expensive gokins for each one.

The Asuka MPL96 Taisyo is made out of soft vinyl and is in-scale with the other labors released by CM's. These things essentially have NO articulation. At around $50 bucks that may seem like a high price to pay, but think about it. This is a limited release toy (only 700 of this version made) made of a very obscure character. Compare it to the price point of designer vinyl. They also released a OVA version color scheme in white and a Construction labor version.

The sculpt, paint and finish is really nice. It's such an odd design compared to the more humanoid Ingram design. The toy comes complete out of the box aside from small hands that have to be attached. The toy comes in a clear plastic bag inside of a generic box. In fact, all three versions of this toy have the same box, with only a sticker on the side denoting which version is inside.

If you are a Patlabor fan, these are a really cool addition to your collection. The limited number produced and high price point make the appeal to a limited audience, but they are cool regardless.

The best way to get your hands on one of these limited release toys is to pre-order them from HobbyLink Japan as they are announced.

The Brocken Labor is bigger and tougher than the Ingram, the main mecha in Patlabor, and this is reflected in the design of the Revoltech toy. It is only because of ace pilot Noa Izumi’s skill that the Brocken labor is able to be defeated.

The GSG-9 Brocken Labor is a West German Labor built by Schaft Enterprises Europe. It is a heavily armored Commando Military Labor. It appears in the anime Mobile Police Patlabor. There are two color versions of the Brocken Labor. The red version appears in the OVA while the blue version appears in the TV series.

I received both Brocken Labors from HobbyLink Japan. The red Brocken is technically a Revoltech Friend Shop exclusive, but for some reason HLJ is carrying it. I’m not complaining, the more Patlabor mecha the better.

The Brocken Labor is bigger and tougher than the Ingram, the main mecha in Patlabor, and this is reflected in the design of the Revoltech toy. It is only because of ace pilot Noa Izumi’s skill that the Brocken labor is able to be defeated.

The Revoltech release of the Brocken has over 40 points of articulation and comes with a minimal amount of accessories.

Accessories Include:

• iron pipe
• four optional hands
• display base with stand

The design of this hulking beast is really impressive. The bulky torso allows minimal movement for the head. On the back there are two poseable antennae that can be placed in various positions. I really enjoy the look of this figure from the back – the large circular vents are a nice touch.

As opposed to the helldiver, the Brocken is a rather simple figure.  Weapons are limited to an iron pipe, used to smash other labors into smithereens.

I had some issues with the swivel joint on the upper thigh becoming loose easily, but it was rectified by just pushing the leg up firmly.

Grace, Power, Style, and Beauty – the Brocken labor almost has it all. I just think they could have done a little more with accessories, maybe include an extra part from another labor or something.

You can get either version of the Brocken Labor at HobbyLink Japan.

The Revoltech release of the Brocken has over 40 points of articulation.

The GSG-9 Brocken Labor is a West German Labor built by Schaft Enterprises Europe. It is a heavily armored Commando Military Labor. It appears in the anime Mobile Police Patlabor. There are two color versions of the Brocken Labor. The red version appears in the OVA while the blue version appears in the TV series.

I received both Brocken Labors from HobbyLink Japan. The red Brocken is technically a Revoltech Friend Shop exclusive, but for some reason HLJ is carrying it. I’m not complaining, the more Patlabor mecha the better.

The Brocken Labor is bigger and tougher than the Ingram, the main mecha in Patlabor, and this is reflected in the design of the Revoltech toy. It is only because of ace pilot Noa Izumi’s skill that the Brocken labor is able to be defeated.

The Revoltech release of the Brocken has over 40 points of articulation and comes with a minimal amount of accessories.

Accessories Include:

• iron pipe
• four optional hands
• display base with stand

The design of this hulking beast is really impressive. The bulky torso allows minimal movement for the head. On the back there are two poseable antennae that can be placed in various positions. I really enjoy the look of this figure from the back – the large circular vents are a nice touch.

As opposed to the helldiver, the Brocken is a rather simple figure.  Weapons are limited to an iron pipe, used to smash other labors into smithereens.

I had some issues with the swivel joint on the upper thigh becoming loose easily, but it was rectified by just pushing the leg up firmly.

Grace, Power, Style, and Beauty – the Brocken labor almost has it all. I just think they could have done a little more with accessories, maybe include an extra part from another labor or something.

You can get either version of the Brocken Labor at HobbyLink Japan.

The Helldiver is one of the supplementary mecha from the series Mobile Police Patlabor. The Helldiver is an airborne military operations labor. In short, it’s a big-ass robot that jumps put of planes.

The Helldiver is one of the supplementary mecha from the series Mobile Police Patlabor. The Helldiver is an airborne military operations labor. In short, it’s a big ass robot that jumps put of planes.

I’m gonna say right now that this is probably my favorite Revoltech figure. Both aesthetically and physically, this thing exceeds on all levels. I was excited when it arrived from HobbyLink Japan, I am even more amazed now that I have got to handle it.

Cast in green, the Helldiver looks like something that could come out of today’s military, albeit the advanced weapons program. The toy has a matte green finish with various highlights and paint details. Helldiver is loaded with over 40 points of articulation and a bunch of accessories.

Included are

• 40mm rapid-fire machine gun
• two combat knives (sheathed and unsheathed)
• an interchangeable head
• four optional hands
• display base with stand

The machine gun mounts to the outside of the arm and the hose plugs in to the back of the torso. The gun is fantastically detailed and can be plugged in on either side of the arm.

Two knives are included. One knife is the full knife and can fit in a set of the option hands. The other knife is a sheathed knife. That knife is just a handle and is not meant to be removed. It can be plugged into a hole on the back of the waist.

A variant head is included to replicate the look of the night vision visor being down.

The main cool feature of this toy, besides its fantastic looks, are the two opening “Dive Brakes” on either leg. These open via dual Revoltech joints and reveal the inner workings of the legs. What a fantastic feature!

The Revoltech Helldiver is one of the best Revoltech releases so far – I love it!

You can get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

The Revoltech was just a tease. The CM’s Corps Brave Gokin Griffon is the real deal. (Video Review)

The Revoltech was just a tease. The CM’s Corps Brave Gokin Griffon is the real deal.

Jump to the video review

The Griffon Flight Unit Version Brave Gokin (グリフォン フライトユニット Ver ブレイブ合金) comes from the anime series Mobile Police Patlabor (機動警察パトレイバー). In the series, the Griffon is developed in secret by the Shaft Enterprise company. The Griffon is meant to be the next generation of labor, and to prove it, is set out to defeat the Ingram series of labors. The pilot, a 15 year old Indian boy named Bud Harchand, develops a rivalry with Noa Izumi, the ace pilot of the Ingram unit 1 (aka Alphonse).

The Griffon’s sleek black lines translate well into toy form. It looks like a mooth, agile machine. CM’s has hit a home run with this one. It is the logical next step in the line of Brave Gokin, and a perfect companion piece to the Ingram.

The toy stands about 8 inches tall and has a wingspan of about 12 inches. The Griffon has an ample amount of metal, giving the toy a good, solid feel. Other parts on the toy are made of ABS plastic and cloth for the joint coverings.

This labor has more articulation than the previous gokin labors. Starting from the top, the head is on a ball joint with an additional joint on the neck. Each shoulder is a ball joint, with another ball joint in the bicep. The elbows appear to be double jointed, but I cannot tell for sure due to the cloth covering. The wrists are ball joints and the hands can be popped out with ease.

The waist joint is covered in a cloth coating and can both rotate and tilt up and down. It appears to be a ball joint, but movement is limited due to the placement of the tail fin and how it fits between the jets on the back. Hip joints are ball jointed and cloth covered, as is the double-jointed knee.

The feet are on a ball joint and include working pistons in the rear. The foot itself is made out of three separate diecast pieces and is articulated at the ankle and toe.

The wings need to be plugged into two holes on the back, and are fully articulated. The wings can rotate and move forward and back with nicely detented joints. The wings also can spread out with two moveable wing sections.

You can access the cockpit by first lifting up the head unit. From here you can see the top of the small “Bud” figure. From here you pull up on the cowling and pull down the chest panel in front to have full access to the inside of the Griffon. The pilot does not seem to be removable.

The Griffon’s accessories include various hands and a revolver. The hands include open hands, a gun holding hand, a “thumbs-up” hand, and 2 closed fists. The revolver is the same one that is included with the Ingram.

This version is the “Flight Unit” version. There is also an “Aqua” version that swaps out the wings for undersea rocket packs and also includes a bonus ripped-off Ingram unit 2 head.
While the griffon is a remarkable toy, there are a few noticeable flaws.

• No electronics. While the Ingram had electronic shoulder lights, the griffon includes no electronics at all. It would have been nice to have a glowing eye.
• No stand. The Ingram came with a nice stand, the griffon has none.
• Watch out for paint chips – While my toy does not have any chips, you can see where it is likely to happen. Where the upper legs meet the waist looks like a prime spot for chippage.
• Loose codpiece. The protrusion from the waist is a separate plastic part, and I actually managed to knock mine off, loosening the plastic in the process. I was able to unscrew the part and re-attach it, but I think CM’s could have found a better method for this.
• The tail fin. The fin rests between the two jet boosters on the back, and prohibits it from moving much. This is probably just the design of the robot, but still…
• No accessories. CM’s could have very easily packaged the aqua unit in with this, as well as the unit 2 head. But why do that when you can sell another toy to hungry otaku? Well, this otaku is sick of it. Just pack all the accessories in one box, please?

Despite the minor gripes (I had to really think hard to come up with things I didn’t like about it), the Griffon is a great toy, and another shining example of why CM’s is one of the most exciting toy makers right now. Not only is it fantastic looking and loaded with metal, but its durable.  You never feel scared picking this thing up and flying it around the room.

Brave Gokin 09 Griffon is available from HobbyLink Japan.