Gurren Lagann
Review by JoshB
The Konami Great Impact Model Gurren Lagann is Konami’s first (that I know of) foray into the world of high-end diecast toys. It was only a matter of time really, seeing the success of similar lines by Bandai, Takara, Yamato and CM’s. I’m happy to report that this thing is awesome. Gurren Lagann WAS available from HobbyLink Japan, but as of writing this article, is sold out.
Gurren Lagann comes from the anime series Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (天元突破グレンラガン,). The series was created by legendary animation studio GAINAX (aka the people behind Evangelion) and ran on TV Tokyo for 27 episodes in 2007.
The series is very good, and I suggest you check it out. Wikipedia gives a good description of the series, but what I will tell you is this – Gurren Lagann is actually two separate robots that combine into one.
Lagann is a small Gunman (robot) that becomes the head of Gurren Lagann. He is found buried deep in the earth by Simon, a digger from Giha Village. Gurren is a Gunman that was originally owned by the enemy Beastmen. Simon’s “Brother” Kamina steals the Gunman and takes it for his own. The two combine in battle in order to overcome the enemy Gunmen, and make the combined form, Gurren Lagann, their own.
I know what you are thinking here, but no, Gurren Lagann does not transform.
Gurren Lagann comes packaged in a huge heavy-duty cardboard box with a flip-up lid. Inside the lid is a nice Styrofoam tray with each part neatly displayed. Gurren Lagann comes ready to go right out of the box.
The toy is heavy, and features lots of metal parts. Articulation on this thing is insane, with double-jointed elbows and knees, and possibly the most poseable feet ever. Check out the video to see what we are talking about, but its really great. The legs use a neat system of collapsible panels on the backs of the knees to allow for greater movement, and the elbows feature a neat pull out joint system.
At the hips there are 4 pieces of moveable skirt armor – the front and pack pivot out, while the sides move in all directions. These skirt parts are probably the only poor thing about this toy. Extreme poses can cause the skirts to pop out, but the good news is that they pop back in. Still, a stronger connection would have made this unnecessary.
Gurren Lagann’s torso has a huge range of motion. There is of course a waist joint, but in addition there is a joint in the upper chest that can move any which way. The chest is a giant face, and the joint takes advantage of the jaw placement. The jaw too is moveable. This whole chest unit is metal. It’s breathtaking. Gurren Lagann’s sunglasses can clip on to the chest and are made out of translucent plastic.
Gurren Lagann uses the sunglasses as a weapon, so Konami included not one but two additional sets to be used as weapons. These cannot be attached to the chest, and are a little bigger.
The head has a few ball joints that allow it to shift forward and back as well as the usual range of motion.
Another place where this toy really excels is the arms. The whole shoulder assembly is diecast with a section that moves forward and backward near the chest. Then there is the diecast ball joint at the shoulder and the previously mentioned elbows. Several sets of hands are included and they are easily swapped.
Included with the figure is a large Gurren Wing that can be attached to the back of the figure. This gives an impressive wingspan to an already impressive figure. The wings are all plastic and are actually collapsible. To attach the wings, you simply remove a metal panel on the back of the figure and connect the wings.
If you have watched the show, you will notice that drills play a prominent role in the series, in both the literal and metaphoric sense. I’m not sure what role these accessories play in the show, but included are what seems like dozens of small plastic drill bits that attach all over the figure. There are four different size bits, and each has a specific place, so make sure you read the manual for placement. These things are SHARP, and are made out of hard plastic. Most drill bits just plug in, but there are a few exceptions. The long drills on the arms require an additional cover piece that goes over the holes in the arms, and the drill that goes into the forehead requires some “modification” (at least on mine it did). It looks like paint filled the hole on mine, so I just had to clear it out with a thumbtack. The great thing is, that even with all the drill bits attached, Gurren Lagann is still fully poseable.
Another place where the drill metaphor comes into place is in an included accessory. A 1:1 scale key to operate Gurren is included, and is in the shape of a translucent gold drill. The handle to this key is solid metal, and it includes a holder.
An accessory called the Gurren House is included that is used to hold all the small drill bits when not in use. It has a removable cover, and requires a small amount of assembly.
Finally, included is a stand. This stand comes with two different display arms – one for standing and one for flying. The stand attaches to a hole in the rear of the figure, under the armor. It’s a solid, tight fit. There is also a small part that can clip onto either stand that can hold the wings. The back of the stand has a compartment that can hold the remainder of the accessories.
I really really love this toy. The build quality, engineering, and accessories are top notch. So where did Konami get this ability to produce high-end gokin? My theory is that they didn’t. I think Konami subcontracted this toy out to Max Factory. Everything about this reminds me of their Max Gokin Godannar toy. The build, the finish, the stand, hell even the packaging is identical! The two just seem too similar to not be related somehow. Not that that’s bad though, it is a quality piece, regardless of who made it.
As you can probably tell, I can’t recommend this toy enough. It is just so cool on so many levels, and is one of the rare toys that I think is worth the high price tag. Unfortunately, these things are selling like crazy and are already sold out at places like HobbyLink Japan (where I got mine). Be diligent in your search, and hopefully you will find one.
Comments
17 comments postedThis turned out way better than I expected. There was so little info about it prior to release that no one really knew what to think. I guess the Revoltech version coming out later this month will have to keep me satisfied until I can get one.
I'm really regretting not pre ordering one of these now. Oh well, maybe I'll catch one off eBay.
It's a shame there's no accessories for Giga Drill Breaker. Unless the Core Drill can detach from the handle and somehow attach to the arm. In any case, I really do hope I can get one.
Hi def arm hair.
Word on the street says it is in fact from Max Factory. Konami makes their Microman type stuff like Amdriver and MMS (both great lines mind you) but this is way more than they're capable of in terms of toy production.
I'd like to see how the plastic version holds up. It's about 1/3 the price and looks to be like a large Revoltech. It may end up being the choice for fans on a budget.
I like the piece in terms of quality, but after the Legioss/Tread, God Mars, and DX Raideen, (where's the review dude?) I'm tapped out.
Plus, the design is a little too goofy for my liking. Godannar is better in terms of shelf presence, plus much less to lose.
Raideen is coming soon - they are on their way (getting both)
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CollectionDX Admin
very awesome but for my budget I can settle for a revoltech
Transformer and other robot art by me on my DA site blitz-wing.deviantart.com
my plan exactly.
life needs to be bittersweet;
you work the sweet side, and i'll manage to embitter it.
Great review, looks cool, loved Godanarr, but with it sold out on every site i could find and ebay selling it for a EX-gokin getter like 300usd (I mean hobbylink is ok price wise and they had for 178). I will have to pass, feel like the kid who talked to the friend after x-mas about a cool toy that they recalled:(
Oh well, I'll live
Keep the great reviews coming just maybe before they sell out...lol
I think I can't keep up with these days' toys price. No matter how great they are, I can't afford such price anymore. Nice review, though.
After visiting the Konami site I see they're doing two different plastic versions with different parts. They also are doing the odd Head bot. The build looks great, but it's just too damn odd.
I think those are part of the regular "Impact Model Series". I think its a different size as well.
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CollectionDX Admin
so, after looking to hlj website, i saw that it's around Rp. 1.65 millions which is not too expensive considering other conditions. but surely, do you think this piece worths that much, Josh??
life needs to be bittersweet;
you work the sweet side, and i'll manage to embitter it.
Ah, we're using the same currency...
eheheh...
So the revoltech one gonna pop up. 20$ VS 180$ is the 160$ really worth it?
Man, hella-sweet review Josh. Seeing the current eBay prices kinda puts a damper on things, but it sure is nice. I'm guessing tons of people are regretting sleeping at the wheel for this one, myself included.
The comparison shot with Godannar is REALLY nice, I must say. I definitely can imagine Max Factory having a hand in this one. If I didn't know any better, I'd guess those two were from the very same toyline. Very intersting!
This was an excellent anime series buy it, or download it from Demonoid if you haven't seen it yet. Gainax never disappoints... killer robot action! This toy is awesome but to expensive for my tastes maybe SOC will release one that's not three hundred smackers. We'll see, great review!
Jonathan
I tried reading the manga and I wasn't impressed by the series. I'll have to try the anime. I don't own this gokin, but after watching the vid, is anyone else bugged by how paper-thin the clips on the gold waist skirts are? They're gonna snap at some point, especially if the skirts keep falling off that often with usage. No doubt about it, it looks awesome and has insane articulation, but issues like that make it less attractive at its $200 price point. Thankfully, there are other plastic options, such as the Revoltech and Impact Model versions which I'd be more open to trying out. Anyway, thanks for your reviews, really appreciate them.
Has anyone else had trouble with the hands being too wide to accommodate the long drills which go on the arms?
crap, late to the party on this one which seems the best version by far....well off to ebay..