Keroro Gunso Kerobot Gattai
Review by The Enthusiast
Keroro Gunso, or Sargeant Frog, is a popular anime and manga series which follows the exploits of the titular Sargeant and his cohorts, two-foot tall frog-like aliens bent on the conquest of earth. The cartoon is a manic, goofy affair, and the frog-alien story wouldn’t typically be of much interest to a robot fan. But Keroro is suffused with a deep love of the mecha genre, particularly Gundam. Keroro’s platoon regularly pilot all manner of mobile suits and spaceships, most of them direct homages to classic robot designs.
I don't follow the show, but i always keep my eye out for Keroro toys, as Bandai often produces some really killer product, including tons of Gun-pla and even faithfully realized FIX figuration figures.
The Keroro Gunso Gattai Kerobot Five is one of those toys which is way better than it has any right to be. Released as a set of five cheapo Gashapon figures, the Gattai Kerobot Five (hereafter ‘GKF’) is a gem.
Each piece was released in a smallish box, with the top and an inset photo showing you which component you are getting.
The GKF is similar to Combattra and Voltes V in its build-up. Each piece includes a vehicle (with accessories on sprues), a driver, and a sticker sheet. The set consists of:
1: Head/Walker Mech
2: Torso/Boring Machine
3: Arms/Submarine
4: Feet/Tanks
5: Jet-Pack/Airplane
The pieces fit together intuitively. The completed Gattai stands around seven inches tall. Though it’s barely articulated, and something of a static brick, it’s still a very successful plaything. The cartoonish interpretation of the real robot gattai toys is dead on, with excellent proportions and color composition. I love the clear cockpits, the visible drivers, and the classic mech styling.
I think, as collectors, we tend to get too wrapped up in the high-end, serious adult ‘collector’ segment of the market, missing the contemporary, genuinely fun, simpler toys which grabbed us all as children. The Kerobot Gattai is a remarkably silly, soulful piece which transcends its disposable nature.
Posted 12 December, 2010 - 16:06 by The Enthusiast |
Comments
3 comments posted"...tend to get too wrapped up in the high-end, serious adult ‘collector’ segment of the market, missing the contemporary, genuinely fun, simpler toys which grabbed us all as children."
Umm, had I the money, tools, & skills, I'd be just as knee-deep in SD Gundam models as I am in Super Sentai & Transformers.
This is ten kinds of awesome. I love all the references to old mecha in there, like the obvious nod to the Shigcon Tank, among others. The feet also have a cute oldschool Fisher Price kind of feel to them, too. I may have to snag this guy later. "Candy" toys are not to be underestimated these days, with both Bandai/Plex and Kabaya turning out some high-quality, incredibly imaginative product. Were I not so already inundated with my own obsessions, I'd be collecting Mugenbine, Bukiborg, Hone-Hone Saurus, and others, rather than only having some great samples.
And the heritage runs deep too, with the super-creative, classic Lotte Super Joint Robo omake toys fetching a hefty yen among Japanese collectors nowadays.