I know what you are thinking. “I just love my Revoltech Toro, but I just don’t feel that the included facial expressions adequately represents the full emotional spectrum!”

Well, If this is you, your prayers have been answered.

Then again, if this is you, you need to get out more often.

I know what you are thinking. “I just love my Revoltech Toro, but I just don’t feel that the included facial expressions adequately represents the full emotional spectrum!”

Well, If this is you, your prayers have been answered.

Then again, if this is you, you need to get out more often.

I have to give some credit to Kaiyodo though – they could have done a straight reissue of Toro, but instead they decided to do something a little different. With this reissue they changed up all the facial expressions. So, if you buy both the original and reissue, you now have 8 faces to choose from.

Other than that, it’s the same toy as the original, and you can get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

Today’s I am reviewing Dragon Shiryu from the Saint Cloth Myth line. Saint Cloth Myth is Bandai’s premium line of collectible figures based on the Manga and animated series called Saint Seiya.

This figure came courtesy from Angolz.com who have been nice enough to provide us with all of our Saint Cloth Myth figures for review.

If you are just joining us and want to know all about what is going on with Saint Seiya I suggest heading over to wikipedia and checking things out.

Now on to the actual toy - Bandai has consistently banged out some quality collectibles with the Saint Cloth Myth line the figures are always well produced and loaded with ton’s of accessories. Figures are made of plastic, stand about 6 inches tall and feature lot’s of poseability. The armor the figures wear are always made of a high amount of die-cast metal and honestly I am running out of nice things to say about this line.

This time around I am reviewing Dragon Shiryu, one of our main heroes and a Silver Saint of Athena. Shiryu is the oldest and wisest of our band of heroes. Shiryu wears the Dragon Cloth (armor for those not in the know.)

From Wikipedia:
“The Dragon Cloth represents the constellation Draco, which is associated to Ladon, the hundred eyed dragon who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, in Greek mythology.”

“The Bronze Cloth of Dragon is legendary for its large shield on the left arm guard. Its reputation is unmatched by any other cloth among Athena's saints, and only very few have ever shattered it. The Dragon Cloth itself is noted for its ultimate durability, as it had spent the last 200 years bathed under the mineral-rich waterfall of the Rozan mountains, which made it harder than diamonds.”

This is Dragon Shiryu as his Cloth appears later in the series and Hades OVA’s. The armor is almost all die-cast metal with only the waist skirt and head piece being made of plastic. Paint detail is nice with no chipping or flaking.

The figure itself is made of plastic with over 40 points of articulation with the feet being made of die-cast metal. Included in the package is an alternate head which sports Shiryu with his eyes closed (Shiryu goes blind in the later part of the series and tends to have his eyes closed.)

Lastly the armor pieces do assemble into a statue when our heroes aren’t wearing them. In the series the armor shrinks a bit to make the statues small, because these are made from the armor the figure wears the statue stand about as tall as the figure.

As you can see from the pictures, Dragon Shiryu looks good and as always Bandai has made a fantastic collectible. Fans of the series should run, not walk to add Shiryu to their collection and if you don’t watch or read the series it may still be a sharp enough design to pick up. The Saint Cloth Myth line always delivers a quality product and it is well worth finding a design you like and giving one a try.

I have included a video review below and as always you can get your Saint Cloth Myth figures at Angolz.com.

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.

Dog Alma makes me fell funny inside, and is recommended for Mature Collectors only.

Dog Alma comes from the Tandem Twin animal girls series by master sculptor Kouichi Yamazaki. Each one of his creations feature a female with animal features. This figure is available at Yamato USA's on-line store.

First of all, this toy is for Mature Collectors only. You will see why in a little bit.

Dog Alma is packaged in an attractive wondow box, and the figure itself rests in a clear plastic tray. There are no twist-ties or anything to remove.

The figure stands about 12" tall and actually has some articulation, but it may be unintentional. You can move the head a bit, the arms where they connect to the clothing, and the wrists.

The sculpt and paint on this is amazing. By collecting mass-produced robots with articulation, you get used to a certain level of quality. Sometimes toys don't have as much detail as you would like because of manufacturing and tooling costs to make the toy move, or be playable. With these fixed-pose female figures, you get a whole new level of quality. Each paint application, every fold in the mold is perfect, and it has to be, to justify the price tag. If all it does is look good, it better look damn good.

Dog Alma also has a few additional things that make her more than just a statue. Included is a removable visor:

Removable neck and wrist spiked rings

Removable whip

Removable chest armor! :-0

Of course, we run a family show here on CDX so we're not going to show you the uncensored pictures, but rest assured, she's anatomically correct under that armor. This figure is definitely for mature collectors.

Yamato USA currently has a variant of Dog Alma up for preorder on their site called Dog Annerose. If you like Dog Alma then you should check it out. It's a little different, and it ships in May 2008.

Dog Alma is available now at Yamato USA's on-line store

Dog Alma is available now at Yamato USA's on-line store

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.

Jump to Video Review

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

Who is that little green haired girl that manages to sneak into the shots of the Japanese uber otaku reviews? Why, it’s none other than Yotsuba!

Who is that little green haired girl that manages to sneak into the shots of the Japanese uber otaku reviews? Why, it’s none other than Yotsuba!

Once only available has a hard to find static figure, Kaiyodo brings us the Revoltech 2G Yotsuba, available from HobbyLink Japan.

Anime and Manga nerds know Yotsuba as the title character of the series Yotsuba&!, a manga created by the same people as Azumanga Daioh. But for us toy nerds, we recognize this little girl as one that has shown up in countless toy reviews in Japan. Yotsuba has become a sort of an indicator of scale. By placing a small Yotsuba figurine in each review, readers can get a sense of scale of the toy being discussed. You can see a good example of the previous Yotsuba figure here.

The previous Yotsuba figure

Kaiyodo recognized the demand for people to have their own, articulated Yotsuba figure and responded with the Revoltech 2G Yotsuba figure.

This figure is really cute. There aren’t a lot of Revoltech joints, but it’s quite poseable and absolutely adorable. Yotsuba features 2 heads, 2 extra hands, a squirt gun, Popsicle, and display stand. The head swaps out easily and is attached with a Revoltech joint. The shirt is new for the Revoltech line – its rubber, making for more poseability. In fact, Kaiyodo included an extra dual Revoltech joint to be swapped out with the existing chest joint for added flexibility.

The shoulders are dual swivel joints and not as articulate as I would like. You can put Yotsuba’s hands up, but the shoulders end up looking odd. The elbows are Revoltech Joints, and the hands can be swapped out easily via standard plug joints.

The hips and knees are standard joints but the ankles are Revoltech joints. Youtsuba stands up pretty well but does benefit from the stand when trying advanced poses. The stand can be used as the base only or in conjunction with the included metal rod.

If you are not into cute, this is not the toy for you. But if you are sick of using AA batteries and cigarette packs for size comparison, why not pick up a Revoltech Yotsuba? It will add some color to your otherwise boring life.

Enjoy Everything!

Get yours now at HobbyLink Japan

After getting the Waffebunny, I now decided that I needed to get another Busou Shinki figure so I could display both the Devil type and Rabbit type together. I didn't want to buy a whole new figure and luckily Konami has the answer.

After getting the Waffebunny, I now decided that I needed to get another Busou Shinki figure so I could display both the Devil type and Rabbit type together. I didn't want to buy a whole new figure and luckily Konami has the answer.

Available only as a Konami Style exclusive, the MMS type Naked (black) is perfect for the Waffebunny. These bodies are just that - bodies. No armor or weapons are included. They are great for customizing, or for completing figures that came without bodies.

Here's the big problem - they are an exclusive to Japan at the Konamistyle shop. I ended up using Tokyo Hunter to get the item for me and ship it to the US. Thanks Joseph!

The MMS Type Naked body comes with a variety of hands and connection points, as well as two different styles of chest plate. A less-bulky stand is also included. This figure is a must have if you bought the Waffebunny and now need a body!

How can something so cute cause so much frustration? It probably stems from the fact that the Waffebunny is actually only an accessory set. There is no actual figure included; only parts that can be used to modify an existing figure.

The Waffebunny. How can something so cute cause so much frustration? It probably stems from the fact that the Waffebunny is actually only an accessory set. There is no actual figure included; only parts that can be used to modify an existing figure. A lot of people ordered this thinking they were getting a complete figure.

In this review, we used the body of the MMS type Devil Strarf

Waffebunny is another in the animal type series of Busou Shinki, along with dog, cat, dolphin, etc.. Waffe means weapon in German, so Waffe bunny means… Weapon Bunny.

And what a Weapon Bunny she is. The figure has a cute face with cute packs with giant freakin’ guns. The most obvious weapon is her giant Gatling Gun.

The figure comes with a cute head that features pigtails, 2 position visors and a breathing apparatus. The body additions include various packs and armor. A backpack is included that can store several different accessories and has Rabbit-like “ears” that you can position freely.

Waffebunny is no slouch when it comes to armament – Included with the figure are 2 pistols, 2 machetes and a large Gatling gun. The gun features a removable armor clip and a stand.

No stand is included with the figure, but any Busou Shinki stand will work.

If you don’t have an existing figure to use these parts on, you can hunt down one of the MMS Naked type bodies to add the armor parts to.

Rinoa Heartlilly comes from Final Fantasy VIII

Bandai America has been distributing Japanese toys in the US since the 80s, and we thank them for that. But they haven’t all been smash hits like the Power Rangers.

Back in 1999 Bandai America tried their hand at an anime theme line by putting out a series of fixed-pose final fantasy figures. These figures had ONE point of articulation, a weapon and a stand.

Rinoa Heartlilly is part of a line called Extra Soldier. These 4”-ish pvc figures are essentially trading figures re-packaged as action figures. Unfortunately, they do almost nothing. Rinoa can move her arm at the elbow, but that’s it. You can attach a weapon to her arm, which is oddly made of two parts. So you can’t point basic joint work on this figure but you can create a miniscule weapon with two parts?

It’s nice enough if you are a FF fan, otherwise, skip.