Masked Rider Den-O Climax Form
Review by The Enthusiast
Den-O arrives courtesy of Tamashii BlueFin.
Kamen Rider Den-O (2007-2008) was a popular interpretation of the classic Tokusatsu series, marked by a goofy, comedic tone. The Climax form appears to utilize armor fragments from other characters or forms.
My grasp of the Kamen Rider mythos is more or less limited to Wikipedia, so I encourage any fans to flesh out the series beyond my skeletal description.
S.H.Figuarts is Bandai’s high-end, non-mech figure line. The Den-O Climax is my first, and I’m impressed. Den-O is packaged in a very slick, compact window box. The screen printed plastic window is pretty sweet.
Inside, a healthy variety of armor components and accessories. I’m normally wary of such clutter, but all of the pieces are actually well integrated. Nothing here is extraneous.
The core figure is lightweight, but the thing just oozes quality. The fit and finish is amazing. I’m still working out if it’s forty-dollars amazing, but it’s certainly close. I can’t think of a better feeling action figure off hand.
The sculpt and paint apps are exquisite, again very high-end. Everything feels very precise and bespoke. The execution of the cell-phone belt piece is particularly fine.
Articulation is solid and buttery. I only wish I had a proper SHF stand to get beyond the standing poses.
The hips have an extra pivoting peg which allows for more realistic movement.
To reconfigure Den-O into the Climax Form, you need to swap out a fair amount of parts. It’s a little work, but nothing feels finicky or delicate, just detailed.
The result is a handsome, engaging piece. The mismatching parts really liven up the composition.
Unlike so many high-end adult toys, this succeeds as a plaything. It’s just a fun piece of hand candy. I’m not Kamen Rider superfan or anything (obviously), but I you don’t need to be to enjoy this impeccably executed figure.
Posted 3 June, 2012 - 14:57 by The Enthusiast |
Comments
1 comment postedYou haven't seen any images of Climax Form in action, have you?
First of all, Climax Form is the combined form of all four protagonist monsters in the show: Momotaros (Sword Form), Urataros (Rod Form), Kintaros (Ax Form), and Ryutaros (Gun Form). This form can only be achieved though the phone that clamps onto the front of the belt, the Keitaros.
And those last couple of images? Not all of the masks need to be equipped to the figure at one time. Blue on the right, yellow on the left, and purple in center is what the default form should look like. The other mask things represent Climax Form's three finishers: Boisterous Kick (masks that fit on leg), Boisterous Punch (masks that fit on arm), and Boisterous Shout (purple mask lifted up).