I'm not saying this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly. Oh yeah, and the fact that its about 300 bucks.

I’ve been kind of dreading doing this review for a number of reasons. There are so many expectations for this toy and I don’t know if I can accurately portray all that is good and bad with this without being a little biased. The fact that a Tread toy has been made sort of makes the set worth it for me, but for others, not so much.

The CM’s Brave Gokin EX-01 Legioss & Tread (Eta) (レギオスwithトレッド ブレイブ合金EX (エータ)) is the first Brave Gokin toy to get the EX designation. EX must stand for Extra Deceiving, because a Gokin toy this is not. In fact, the only metal in this toy is in the joints of the Legioss, the landing gear, and the large cradle that connects the Legioss and Tread. If you are expecting metal, you will be disappointed.

That’s not to say this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly.

Another point of contention with this toy is the price. At a Japanese retail price of 28,000 yen (figure about $350 USD once you factor in shipping), this thing is horribly overpriced. It’s cool but not $300 cool. So when I mention that something is really great about this toy, remember - $300 for the set, and almost no metal.

Packaging

Nothing special here with this packaging. The box features nice product shots and inside is a large clear plastic tray that holds the Legioss and Tread. There are very few accessories as most of the play value is in the units themselves. Included are a stand, gun, fists, sword, small ride armors in various modes, and a sticker sheet.

Legioss

Jump to the Legioss video >

The Legioss comes packaged in Armo-Soldier mode. It’s about 6.5 inches tall and weighs about 6 ounces. That’s pretty light, considering Toynami’s Alpha fighter weighs in at 15 ounces. Both the Toynami and CM’s Legioss are about the same size, but have drastically different proportions.

The engineering and QC are fantastic on the Legioss. Each part fits perfectly, the joints are tight, and nothing about it feels half-assed. Although the toy is light, it is extremely durable due to its use of POM plastic and diecast metal in the connecting joints. Articulation is great with some standouts being a waist joint and innovative elbow joints that allow for an amazing array of movement. One notable omission is the lack of any kind of head articulation.

The toy is molded in color with small amounts of tampo printing for the finer details. The paint is clean and sharp, with no visible over spray. Included with the toy is a sticker sheet that serves all three versions of the toy, but I think the toy looks great as-is. CM’s has also included a bunch of screw hole covers, but once again, I think it looks just fine, screw holes and all. It reminds me that it is a toy I guess, albeit an expensive one. The mold detail is crisp and clean, with etched panel lines, vents with interior detail, and few sprue marks.

One thing you may want to watch - there are two holes in the chest where the front fuselage locks into the body - those seem to be showing some stress marks

In Armo-Soldier mode, the Legioss can make use of several weapons. The EP-13 80mm 3-barrel Gatling beam gun features a moveable stock, and a removable armor clip. The hands of the Legioss have articulated trigger fingers, but there is no peg in the handle or hand to secure the gun to, making a weak connection. The Legioss also includes a sword, of all things. In episode 13 of Mospeada, Ley has a dream that he is fighting off monsters with the Legioss, brandishing a sword. I think it’s cool that CM’s included this as a sign of respect to the series.

In addition to the hand held weapons, the Legioss features two snap-on missile banks that attach to the underside of the chest, and a third, auxiliary missile bank that attaches to the left shoulder. And if the Legioss was not already armed to the teeth, it is covered with opening doors that reveal missile banks all over the figure – I count 14 of them. Not too shabby.

The Legioss is fully transformable into all three modes – Armo-Soldier, Armo-Diver, and Armo-Fighter. The Armo-Diver mode is similar to a Gerwalk mode from Macross – it sits somewhere in between fighter and soldier mode.

In fighter mode the Legioss looks good, but there are a few things that could have been done better, especially for the price. Once transformed into Armo-Fighter mode the parts just kind of sit there – there aren’t any pegs to lock parts into place. For example, it would have been great to have some kind of connector on the back of the legs to lock them together, or pegs on the bottom of the arm assemblies to attach them to the legs. As it is, you just have to put it in the position that looks best. Granted, the parts stay where they should pretty well, but it is not precise. Just look at the placement of the arms in fighter mode – things just don’t line up as well as they should.

The extra missiles and gun can all be attached to the Legioss in Fighter mode. The gun can be stored either under the wing, or in the back of the optional third missile bank. The gun slides into the back of the part by using a replacement gun clip.

The landing gear is all metal, and the wheels spin freely. Each landing gear is hidden behind a panel that is easily opened. The cockpit can also be opened, as well as a storage door on the underside for the Mospeada Ride Armor.

Tread

Jump to the Tread video >

Those of you not intimately familiar with Mospeada or Robotech: The Next Generation may not understand the big deal about the Tread. The Tread fighter (or Beta Fighter) is a support mecha that “docks” with the back of the Legioss for added firepower. Back in the day when Gakken came out with the original Legioss toy, they had planned on a Tread, but it was only released in limited numbers in Europe, and only for the smaller version of the toy. The toy has become a thing of legend, and when a specimen appears, it fetches a LOT of money. Fans have been clamoring for a Tread toy for years, and while Toynami announced theirs first, CM’s beat them to market with the first Tread toy since 1985.

The AB-01 Tread is a fantastic toy. It also fully transforms into three modes: Armo-Soldier, Armo-Bomber and Armo-Diver mode.

In Armo-Soldier mode the Tread is about 8 inches tall and weighs 10 ounces. It is extremely toy-like in its construction and articulation. In fact, I might go so far as to say the Tread is MORE articulated than the Legioss. The Tread has clicky joints all over the place, fantastic elbow joints, articulated fingers, a waist joint, and even head articulation. The toy is the same quality as the Legioss, but this time with almost no metal connector joints (the only one I can see is in the neck).

In terms of armament the Tread has 2 missile banks that open up on the chest and 2 that pop up on the shoulder, as well as cannons molded into the arms. The Tread can hold the Legioss’ gun, but the same issues occur. It’s really really great, and this makes the set for me. It ALMOST convinces me that it’s worth the money.

Transformation has an almost playskool-like simplicity. Fold up the legs, fold in the arms, and fold out the cockpit and the wings. That’s pretty much it. The wingspan in Armo-Bomber mode is a fantastic 14 inches. The cockpit can open and reveal a small pilot – a nice touch.

In Armo-Bomber mode, the Tread has no built-in landing gear, so it relies on the metal cradle to rest on. The cradle is secured to the Tread by way of 2 spring loaded ball connectors in the tail section. Unfortunately, the Tread is a little back-heavy and there is no way to connect it to the front, so it tends to tilt to the back. This is an example of one of many little things that CM’s could have done to go the extra mile. Why not also make connectors for the front to make this mode stable?

Legioss + Tread = FAIL

Jump to the FAIL video >

Here is where it all goes horribly wrong. Each toy on its own is pretty awesome, and if CM’s could have nailed the connection of the two it might, MIGHT have justified the price. But it is as if someone simply gave up when trying to engineer this. A little background information may be helpful here as I explain what went wrong. See, the Legioss was designed as a stand alone toy by Shinji Aramaki.. Gakken decided that they needed more transforming mecha in Mospeada so they had another designer, Hideki Kakinuma design the Tread, with no set means to connect them. In the show, animators relied on “Anime Magic” to make the transformation work. Unfortunately, that left today’s toymakers in the dark as to how they connected, and each maker has to come up with their own solution. Both CM’s and Toynami have come up with a connector bar solution, but CM’s is the first one we have seen in production.

Essentially, the connector bar is a solid metal cradle that attaches to the Tread in the rear and the Legioss in the front. The connection to the tread is reasonably secure aside from it being back-heavy (see above). The connection to the Legioss seems like a total afterthought.

First, you have to move the arm assemblies on the back of the fighter together, and push the tail wings down. These parts have no kind of peg or connector to keep them rigid, so they just mash together. The legs need to be splayed out to the sides so that they look like frog legs. To connect the Legioss to the metal cradle, you have to line up the hip connectors with the U-shaped connectors on the cradle. There is virtually no tension in this connection, so it just rests there. From there you have to “tuck” the Legioss in behind the front of the Tread.

Don’t let the pictures fool you – it’s a floppy mess.  Nothing really connects to anything, and if you pick it up it’s just going to separate. This is a real disappointment – shame on you CM’s. For $300 you couldn’t have figured this out? Added a couple extra clips to lock it together? It feels like you didn’t even try. How can you put so much love into one facet of the toy and completely ignore something like this?

You can also put the dock the Legioss and Tread when the Legioss is in Armo-Soldier mode, but this too suffers from the same issue. The included stand is more like a crutch to hold the unit up. While the pictures on the box show the combined unit floating up off the ground, the stand is not tall enough, nor is the toy balanced properly, to get its feet off up of the ground.

In Conclusion

Taken as individual toys, the Legioss and Tread are great. Not $300 great, but as well engineered toys they succeed. These should probably be priced around $60 each. Look at what $300 gets you for other toys – Soul of Chogokin, Fewture EX gokin – no other toy gives you so little for so much. It’s like an Otaku tax – we pay the premium to get these short run toys of obscure mecha, and even though we are disappointed, we come back for more. It’s like its some kind of sick game at the CM’s head office to see just how ridiculously priced these things can get. The upcoming CM’s Dancougar Nova will be around SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.  Well, here is where I throw in my towel with CM’s. I’m done with toys like this. If you are going to charge me over $100 for a toy, it better be worth it. For this price I demand that the quality and detail and engineering are nothing but the best.

It just kills me that this was the price I had to pay to get a Tread toy.

So obviously I have mixed feelings about this. I don’t think it is worth it, but maybe you are a bigger Mospeada fan than me. I can still say though I would recommend this one over the Toynami version. Hell, I would recommend something my 3 year old son made out of Lego before I recommend one of those. What the hell were they thinking? But I digress…

You can get your Legioss & Tread at HobbyLink Japan if you are so inclined, but you will not be able to get the Red or Green version there. Those are going to be magazine and convention exclusives, which will undoubtedly drive up the already high price, even higher.

Good luck with that.

VIDEO

The Mospeada Trilogy

Legioss

Tread

Combination

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65132

This is the same review I did for the Stick Type. If you've read that, there's nothing different here. It still kind of stinks.

The VR-052T MOSPEADA Ride Armor hails from the anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada, better known as Robotech: The Next Generation here in the states. In Mospeada, the VR-052T ride armor is used by Ley. In Robotech he was renamed Rand and the Ride Armor was renamed the Cyclone.

The last transformable Mospeada Ride Armor toy was made by Gakken in 1983. I got that toy for my 10th birthday, and I still have it to this day. I love that toy and that design.

Last year, no less than FOUR companies announced that they were making new Ride Armor toys. Twenty five years with no ride armor toys then BOOM, 4 toys. These are crazy times we live in.

The first of the four companies to hit the shelves is CM’s Corporation. They released 2 versions of the Ride Armor – a Stick type and a Ley type. I got them both from HobbyLink Japan about a week ago.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN SHALL WE?

Ley

The Ley figure is about the size of a Microman or GI Joe figure. This figure is actually really nicely done, with great articulation and paint detail. The translucent visor flips up and down, the arms are double jointed and pretty much everything moves where it should. The feet have the pull down action to accommodate the ride armor and they pop out just like the old Gakken toy did.

The chest and waist of the figure is painted but the arm and leg armor are just plastic. I’m not sure why these are different, but the figure would look a whole lot better if it was all the same color.

The Bike comes packaged in bike mode with only a few parts to assemble. It features nice printed-on markings, removable saddlebags with opening hatches, rubber tires. The frame is diecast metal as are the swing bars on the legs. Also included is a small stand that clips onto pegs on the bottom of the frame.

Once you begin to handle the bike, it all begins to go horribly wrong. The two parts of the front cowl never seem to line up right, and the headlights on the front have no locked in position, so they are always pointing the wrong way.

The panels on either side of the front wheel are really awkward. Lets see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. The struts that come from under the front of the bike are supposed to clip onto the pegs on the inside of the plates. This peg is removable, so each time you try to clip it in, it pops out. The front of the panel is supposed to attach to a peg on the wheel, but the hole isn’t deep enough for it to really grip. The rear wheel armor has a similar problem.

Riding the bike

In theory, Lei should be able to ride on the bike, but it takes an extraordinary amount of patience. This is the worst part of the entire toy. The interface between the bike and the rider is just terrible.

First off, you have to swap fists on Stick so he can grab the handlebars. Then there is a small “hook” on the back of the seat that is supposed to attach to Stick’s rear, but there’s just no way its gonna work, the fit is all wrong.

Beneath the rear wheel armors there are small riding pegs that fold out and you can insert them into the holes in Stick’s feet. Not only are these pegs small and fragile, but they like to fall off for no apparent reason. If by some sheer luck you get both hands on the handlebar and both feet on the pegs, you will notice that you can’t get the Stick figure anywhere near that peg.

Oh, and as you are doing all that, you will be swearing because the other parts keep falling off. The foot pegs just come right off of the armor.

RIDE BABY RIDE

So, next is the Ride Armor. You’ll be happy to know it’s not all that bad, but still there are some glaring flaws.

Transformation is similar to the vintage Gakken toy, just made more complicated. I’m not going to go through all the steps here, you can watch the video for that. Put it this way, CM’s included some spare parts in case you break something.

Once you go through all that to get it together, its not actually half bad. The figure remains poseable and can stand on its own, but is aided by a stand of sorts. The stand is actually just a stick that plugs into the back. 6,000 yen and they couldn’t pack a real stand?

The most noticeable thing wrong with the ride armor is the giant seam right through the center of the metal. I can’t help but think there was a better way to do this. It just looks like crap.

On the good side, there are some nice touches, like the rubber tires, targeting scope, and the pop-out articulated vents on the wheels.

SIZE MATTERS, NO MATTER WHAT SHE SAYS

This thing is SMALL. Disappointingly small. When I held the box in my hand I had this feeling of dread. It felt light like a model kit. In Ride armor mode, the toy is only 12 cm (4.75in) tall. The metal content is almost laughable. Apparently, at CM’s they apply the Brave Gokin label to anything that has ANY metal in it.

I am going to have to recommend that you don’t buy this toy, unless you meet the following criteria:

1. You have a high tolerance for frustration
2. You are good at origami
3. You are a complete and utter Mospeada maniac (and even then…)
4. You plan on never taking it out of the package

It just misses the mark… sorry CM’s. Let’s hope the Legioss is better.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

The VR-52F MOSPEADA Ride Armor hails from the anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada, better known as Robotech: The Next Generation here in the states. In Mospeada, the VR-52F ride armor is used by Stick Bernard. In Robotech he was renamed Scott Bernard and the Ride Armor was renamed the Cyclone.

The last transformable Mospeada Ride Armor toy was made by Gakken in 1983. I got that toy for my 10th birthday, and I still have it to this day. I love that toy and that design.

Last year, no less than FOUR companies announced that they were making new Ride Armor toys. Twenty five years with no ride armor toys then BOOM, 4 toys. These are crazy times we live in.

The first of the four companies to hit the shelves is CM’s Corporation. They released 2 versions of the Ride Armor – a Stick type and a Ley type. I got them both from HobbyLink Japan about a week ago.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN SHALL WE?

Stick Bernard

The Stick figure is about the size of a Microman or GI Joe figure. This figure is actually really nicely done, with great articulation and paint detail. The translucent visor flips up and down, the arms are double jointed and pretty much everything moves where it should. The feet have the pull down action to accommodate the ride armor and they pop out just like the old Gakken toy did.

The chest and waist of the figure is painted but the arm and leg armor are just plastic. I’m not sure why these are different, but the figure would look a whole lot better if it was all the same color.

The Bike comes packaged in bike mode with only a few parts to assemble. It features nice printed-on markings, removable saddlebags with opening hatches, rubber tires. The frame is diecast metal as are the swing bars on the legs. Also included is a small stand that clips onto pegs on the bottom of the frame.

Once you begin to handle the bike, it all begins to go horribly wrong. The two parts of the front cowl never seem to line up right, and the headlights on the front have no locked in position, so they are always pointing the wrong way.

The missile launchers on either side of the front wheel are really awkward. Lets see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. The struts that come from under the front of the bike are supposed to clip onto the pegs on the inside of the missile launcher plates. This peg is removable, so each time you try to clip it in, it pops out. The front of the panel is supposed to attach to a peg on the wheel, but the hole isn’t deep enough for it to really grip. The rear wheel armor has a similar problem.

Riding the bike

In theory, Stick should be able to ride on the bike, but it takes an extraordinary amount of patience. This is the worst part of the entire toy. The interface between the bike and the rider is just terrible.

First off, you have to swap fists on Stick so he can grab the handlebars. Then there is a small “hook” on the back of the seat that is supposed to attach to Stick’s rear, but there’s just no way its gonna work, the fit is all wrong.

Beneath the rear wheel armors there are small riding pegs that fold out and you can insert them into the holes in Stick’s feet. Not only are these pegs small and fragile, but they like to fall off for no apparent reason. If by some sheer luck you get both hands on the handlebar and both feet on the pegs, you will notice that you can’t get the Stick figure anywhere near that peg.

Oh, and as you are doing all that, you will be swearing because the other parts keep falling off. The foot pegs just come right off of the armor.

RIDE BABY RIDE

So, next is the Ride Armor. You’ll be happy to know it’s not all that bad, but still there are some glaring flaws.

Transformation is similar to the vintage Gakken toy, just made more complicated. I’m not going to go through all the steps here, you can watch the video for that. Put it this way, CM’s included some spare parts in case you break something.

Once you go through all that to get it together, its not actually half bad. The figure remains poseable and can stand on its own, but is aided by a stand of sorts. The stand is actually just a stick that plugs into the back. 6,000 yen and they couldn’t pack a real stand?

The most noticeable thing wrong with the ride armor is the giant seam right through the center of the metal. I can’t help but think there was a better way to do this. It just looks like crap.

Speaking of crap, there’s the gun. The gun comes attached to a hand, but the glue is so weak that it just pops off. The hand doesn’t stay on that well due to the armor, and then get it to try and hold the gun, well, you get the picture.

On the good side, there are some nice touches, like the rubber tires, targeting scope, and the pop-out articulated vents on the wheels.

SIZE MATTERS, NO MATTER WHAT SHE SAYS

This thing is SMALL. Disappointingly small. When I held the box in my hand I had this feeling of dread. It felt light like a model kit. In Ride armor mode, the toy is only 12 cm (4.75in) tall. The metal content is almost laughable. Apparently, at CM’s they apply the Brave Gokin label to anything that has ANY metal in it.

I am going to have to recommend that you don’t buy this toy, unless you meet the following criteria:

1. You have a high tolerance for frustration
2. You are good at origami
3. You are a complete and utter Mospeada maniac (and even then…)
4. You plan on never taking it out of the package

It just misses the mark… sorry CM’s. Let’s hope the Legioss is better.

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65185

CM’s seems to go the extra mile to make sure that their Brave Gokin toys will feel at home next your vintage gokin. It seems that no detail is overlooked in recreating a truly nostalgic experience.

Sankan-Oh (三冠王) is the second Brave Gokin release from CM’s Corporation from the show Ippatsuman. This toy is beautiful in almost every way – the only thing I don’t like about it is the price.

Jump to Video

It’s clear the people at CM’s have a true love and respect for vintage gokin. While Bandai pumps out SOC with all the modern touches (and horrible packaging to go with it), CM’s seems to go the extra mile to make sure that their Brave Gokin toys will feel at home next your vintage gokin. It seems that no detail is overlooked in recreating a truly nostalgic experience.

But that experience is not without a price. CM’s does not have the volume or resources that Bandai does. People bitch about the price but you are really getting an amazing toy filled with soul and craftsmanship. I’m sure if CM’s were as big as Bandai or produced toys in their numbers the price might be more in line with a mid-level SOC.  But CM’s is a smaller company, who largely make their living with PVC figures and racecars. This project is someone’s baby, and it shows. Thank god for the Brave Gokin line. You too can pray to the alter of Sankan -Oh by getting your own at HobbyLink Japan.

With each release the Brave Gokin toys seem to get better and better, and Sankan-Oh is no exception. This toy is, in a nutshell, awesome.

The toy comes in a similar box to that of the Gyakuten-Oh. I love it when a company keeps consistency in packaging. The toy inside is packed in an old-school Styrofoam tray. The only thing that reminds you that this toy was made in 2007 is that each part is additionally wrapped in plastic.

First of all – metal content. The amount of metal in this toy is staggering. Feet, legs, arms chest – all metal. Joints are tight and clicky. The hip joints are so tight that you at first think they are immobile. The knees click, the feet are tight. This thing rocks on so many levels. There is even a smooth waist joint.

The chest features an opening cockpit with a removable figure. The two chrome sets of guns on the chest can move. The paint is clean and sharp. No flaws. None.

The head is attached to the back assembly, and is much more secure this time than on Gyakuten-Oh. The whole backpack assembly actually is removable, but we will get to that in a minute.

Included with Sankan-Oh is a ton of accessories. You get 3 sets of variant hands, a gun, axe, shield, a bird creature called “Sharekoube Dachou (シャレコーベダチョウ) ” and a vehicle called “Tokyu Mammoth (トッキュウマンモス) ”.

The gun, axe and shield can be held by the set of opening hands. The shield’s handle has pegs on it that hold it securely in place. The axe is very very shiny.

The wings of the back unit are actually removable and can combine to create a giant red weapon. The hands don’t really hold it all that well, but it is still cool. The wings are keyed in such a way that they can only go in one particular side.

The Sharekoube Dachou is a purple bird that has articulated legs and a removable head. The top of the head appears to be a sort of “Escape Capsule”.

The Tokyu Mammoth is a large wheeled vehicle that can combine with Sankan-Oh. The Mammoth is all plastic. It first I really felt that it needed some metal, but once combined, I realize why it needs to be plastic. The transformation requires some tight tolerances that if both were metal, would result in paint chipping.

The wheels roll freely, and the bays on the back open up to create a platform for Sankan-Oh to ride on.

Combining the two is very simple and remarkably toy-like. It can be done in under a minute. The head and backpack assembly are removed from Sankan-Oh and become a ship called the Dangan Booster (弾丸ブースター号). This ship has moveable landing gear!

The chrome guns need to be removed from the chest of the robot, and the hands are folded into the forearms. The arms swing around the back and the legs are bent backwards.

The doors on the bottom of the Tokyu Mammoth open outwards and the tusk and trunk of the mammoth are pulled out. The doors are then pushed inwards and the tail is pushed out. This shell then clips onto the body of Sankan-Oh. There are several connection points to ensure a secure connection. Remember those chrome guns you removed? Well CM’s included a different set cast in gray that get inserted into the side of the mammoth.

The combined mammoth is pretty cool, but it doesn’t do much. The head and ears can move, and the trunk can swivel. There is a small ladder that can attach to the end of the trunk to simulate an entrance into the Mammoth.

But wait, there's more!

Parts from Sankan-oh are interchangable with Gyakuten-Oh. You can swap heads and even the back unit!

It’s all a little silly, isn’t it? A giant mammoth that houses a super robot, a purple mechanical bird with an escape pod? Ippatsuman (like all othe other Time Bokan series) was a silly show, but it had great mechanical designs done by Kunio Ohkawara (Gundam, Dougram). In fact, when you have the head and backpack removed, the torso looks incredibly like a Dougram in proportions.

So yeah, this thing rocks. But the price makes my wallet cry. I think it is worth it though, so if you can afford it I say go for it. Get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

VIDEO REVIEW

Ippatsuman OP

Get yours at HobbyLink Japan

Gyakuten-Oh is a really really nice toy. This is the second “Vintage style” Brave Gokin toy CM’s has done, and it lives up to the quality of its predecessor, Goshogun.

Gyakuten-Oh (逆転王) comes from the series Time Bokan Series Sudden Change Ippatsuman (タイムボカンシリーズ逆転イッパツマン), an animated television series by Tatsunoko that aired in Japan from 1982-1983.  The original toys are classic examples of Japanese toys of the time and were produced by the legendary Takatoku Toys (who also created early Macross and Orguss toys). Not including gashapon or trading figures, the last toy from Ippatsuman appeared in 1982. Now, 25 years later, CM’s Corporation brings us the remarkable Brave Gokin Gyakuten-Oh.

Click here to skip to the video review.

Gyakuten-Oh is a really really nice toy. This is the second “Vintage style” Brave Gokin toy CM’s has done, and it lives up to the quality of its predecessor, Goshogun.

The toy comes in a much larger box than Goshogun due to all of the accessories included. The tray is old-school Styrofoam, and each piece is wrapped in plastic. The whole trend of putting plastic sheets between the toy and the Styrofoam irks me a little – it ruins the “vintage” feel. The main components are embedded in the front while the smaller accessories are stored in a tray in the back.

Gyakuten-Oh is a chunk of die cast love. It is mostly metal, save for the hands, head, and wings. It clicks in all the right places, and feels great in your hand. The cold metal is reassuring to the touch.

The hands can be swapped out with a number of accessory hands and can hold a variety of weapons including 2 large spears, sword and shield. The arms and hands are designed with a gimmick that allows you to replace the hand with a claw for the combined toy. Two panels on the forearm open, and you can rotate the fist inside of the arm to reveal the blue claw hand. Unfortunately, this joint is much too tight, and trying to turn it results in you popping off the hand. It is best to swap the hand and forget about this gimmick.

Included with the set is a dinosaur like vehicle called Tokyu Zaurus (トッキュウザウルス). This toy is all plastic, much to my dismay. Even the wheels, which could have been rubber, are plastic. The wheels spin freely, and it retains the classic look from the 80s. The main point of the Tokyu Zaurus is that it can combine with the Gyakuten-Oh. In vehicle mode, the Tokyu Zaurus is called Relief Don (リリーフドン)

Gyakuten-Oh must be first folded up to fit inside the shell of the Tokyu Zaurus. First you remove the head, and then you move the shoulders up and out of the way. The back sections slide down and swing around front, reversing the front panels in the process. The arms then go back down to the side and the hands are swapped out with the claws. Then finally the legs get bent up around the back and the whole unit snaps into the open Tokyu Zaurus. The yellow knee guards fit into a slot at the bottom and the top plate snaps into where the head was. The combined unit is goofy, but that is what this show was about. In this mode the Tokyu Zaurus’ head can move a bit, the mouth can open (where you can attach a long set of stairs) and if you press one of the horns the eyes on the side of the cockpit open, revealing pilots inside.

The toy also comes with a trailer called the Cargo Unit. This too is all plastic, and features a translucent blue plastic cover, which can open to store the giant egg. The egg can separate into two parts, but as I have never seen the show, I have no idea what it is for. When not being towed behind the Tokyu Zaurus, it can be stored inside of it in Relief Don mode.

When combined, the head becomes its own ship called the Dangan Head (弾丸ヘッド), and also included is a small vehicle called the Sharekoube Buggy (シャレコーベバギー). The buggy can be separated into two parts.

So everything is great about this right? It’s neat looking, has lots of great features, but there were a surprisingly large number of things that I think they could have done better.

1. The Head – The head looks great, but turn it and it pops off. The connection here is a ball joint and it is just too small. When you remove the head for it to be a separate vehicle, the peg assembly should come with it, but I find unless you move it just so, the connector stays in the body.
2. The Hands – The whole gimmick with the hands and the rotating posts into the forearm are poorly done. You are better off just removing and replacing the hands than deal with this issue.
3. The Tokyu Zaurus – While it looks neat, it feels surprisingly cheap. It would have been great to have even a little bit of metal to this toy, and maybe rubber tires.
4. The Shield – Upon trying to get the hand to hold the shield, the entire handle just came off. It looks like it just came unglued, and looks like an easy fix, but still…
5. The Price – This thing is very expensive. Japanese retail price is 20,790 yen. That comes out to about $180.00 USD. Organic Hobby plans to release this to the US market at about $230.00. That’s insane. I mean, it is a great toy, but is it a $230 toy? I guess that is up to what it is worth to you. Maybe at $150 it would be a bit more reasonable but I think most of the buying public is going to scoff at the price. I recommend getting at Japanese retail through HLJ and even with shipping it still comes out less than the US price.

Regardless of the price, it still is a nice piece. A few flaws but nothing earth shattering. Let’s hope CM’s works out the bugs on the next piece, the Sankan-Oh.

Video Review

Ippatsuman Opening

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.

Lets get right to the point – this toy is AMAZING. It has exceeded my expectations in almost every way imaginable, and sets the new standard for modern gokin.

Lets get right to the point – this toy is AMAZING. It has exceeded my expectations in almost every way imaginable, and sets the new standard for modern gokin.

I did a short video review on YouTube which you can skip to here.

The CM’s Corporation Brave Gokin GoShogun is the 8th entry into their line of diecast robot toys. These high end toys give Bandai’s Soul of Chogokin line a run for their money.

GoShogun comes from the 1981 Super Robot Anime Sengoku Majin GoShogun (戦国魔神ゴーショーグン). Fans in the US may recognize this robot from a show called Macron-1, an imported mash-up of GoShogun and Srungle.

This toy is so incredible – it is hard for me to know where to even start. When the package arrived via EMS from HobbyLink Japan, I stopped everything and tore it open.

Packaging

GoShogun comes in a suprisingly small and light box. Inside the box you find a styrofoam tomb with a clear plastic tray attached to one side. The tray houses all of the accessories for GoShogun, and the styrofoam GoShogun on one side, and more accessories on the other.

GoShogun

The figure comes assembled and ready to play – there is surprisingly little you have to do with it. Included with the toy are some caps to cover up the screw holes. Make sure you read the instruction manual before you apply these – specific caps go in specific holes. The caps are also notched so they can only go in a certain ways, and they are angled to match the surface of the area. I can’t stress enough how important this is.

One of the most surprising (and wonderful) things about this toy is the sheer amount of metal used in its construction. I’d say the toy is about 80% metal. It is one of the most satisfying toys to hold, and it actually feels like a “new” vintage toy.

Also surprising is the amount of articulation packed into this toy. For example, the shoulders have very deep ratchets that make a satisfying click when moved, but then that whole assembly swings up and out, allowing the arms to be held up over the head. Each shoulder pad is movable, and the rest of the joints are exceptionally tight.

The neck is a ball joint and there is actually a waist joint. The hips move in every way that you would imagine (they are basically just ball joints, but really tight). Probably the most luscious joint in the whole toy is the knee joints. They just swing forward and backward, but they have that metal-on-metal “klank” noise that just makes my heart skip a beat. As people have mentioned, there are no ankle joints, but it really doesn’t matter. I think ankles would get in the way of the aesthetics of this piece.

Not only does GoShogun look and feel great, but it’s actually a fun toy as well. The translucent yellow “Go Flasher” assembly on the back is spring loaded and fires off with the push of a button.

This robot is smaller than a AA battery and still has articulation!  To top it all off, each of the three ships can be mounted to a display base that looks like the exhaust trails of the jets!

GoShogun comes with a full compliment of weapons, including:

• Short Axe
• Long Axe
• Bazooka
• Sword

Of course the figure comes with a variety of different hands to hold all of the different weapons. There are different hands for holding the sword, axe or bazooka, as well as closed and open hands. My one concern about the hands is that they are made of a really pliable rubber. Think of the consistency of a superball, and you have an idea of what these are made of. I really hope these fists will last the test of time, but I somehow doubt it. It is likely that they will eventually dry out and crumble, but that time is a long way away.

Buy it. Now.

This toy is the best new toy that I have gotten so far this year, and something would have to be pretty amazing to take its place. GoShogun has “Toy of the Year” written all over it.

GoShogun is available at