Robot King
Review by JoshB
Robot King is a bootleg of Sazer X Robo from Chousei Kantai Sazer-X (超星艦隊セイザーX), A Konami-backed Tokuatsu show that aired from 2005-2006.
I have to tell you, this one is a mystery to me, and maybe you can help.
See Konami had made combining robots for all their other toku shows (Gransazer and Justriser being the others) but apparently not for Sazer-X. The biggest deluxe toys we got from Sazer-X were the Perfect Gasshin Set which contained DX versions of the three core mecha - Leosazer, Eaglesazer, and Beetlesazer. Each could transform from a ship to a robot with the help of a core module, but none of them combined. Heck, I've never seen the show, I don't know if they combine in that either. This could be an entirely made up mode. In fact, the only other mention I can find of this form is on a Japanese blog, Marionette Mind. He's got the same bootleg as I, and no legit version to compare it to.
Now, this toy is really simple, much too simple to be a bootleg of a DX toy. My thought is that this is a bootleg candy toy set, maybe from Kabaya, maybe from Konami itself. It's a mystery.
We'll call it Sazer-X Robo for now. This guy actually came boxed instead of carded. The box looks great, and for a bootleg the packaging is top notch. The toy comes packaged in the combined robot mode, but we will break it down from the individual components.
Leosazer is a lion-ship thing that can transform into a robot. The transformation is nothing but parts swapping, and the fit and finish is shoddy. Some parts are too tight, some too loose, and you do feel as if you may break it at any minute due to the plastic quality.
Eaglesazer is a white eagle ship that transforms into a humanoid robot. Like Leosazer, the fit here is pretty atrocious, and barely holds vehicle mode.
Beetlesazer is of course a robotic beetle. It transforms into a robot, but it's a sloppy inarticulate mess.
Somehow these all get taken apart and combined into one giant robot. The design is not too well thought out, and the thing can barely stand up. The legs are wobbly, and the arms are loose at the shoulder.
Still, its unknown to me, which is a rarity these days, and that alone makes it intriguing to me. Is it worth the $10? not really, unless you have a sickness like I do and cannot pass up a bootleg robot no matter how crappy it is.
Comments
4 comments postedFor a boot leg, the quality on this guy doesn't look too bad
I've seen the entire run of the Sazer-X TV show, as well as the movie. The three (actually four) robots, known as the RyuSeiJin ('Meteor Gods') didn't combine into one gigantic form, not even once.
Still, it's an interesting toy. At least, now we know what the RyuSeiJin would look like if they combined :)
By the way, The RyuSeiJin's names are :
1) GreatLio (piloted by Lio-Sazer)
2) WindEagle (piloted by Eagle-Sazer)
3) MagnaBeet (piloted by Beetle-Sazer)
4) SharkLeaguer (piloted by Shark-Sazer)
Just thought I'd share that little bit of info :)
Found one at Big Lots not too long ago, and it didn't deviate too far from the actual character design. At the time $10 seemed like too much because these toys are seriously flimsy, so I passed. It's still worth strolling down their toy aisle on occasion if you're interested in strange variations of your favorite super robots.
Does anyone know where I can find one in europe? I always liked Gransazer and Sazer X but the mecha are almost impossible to find.