Tachi Yellow

This item was provided by HobbyLink Japan. Get yours here!

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex was a landmark anime series that built off the success of the only other anime besides Akira that movie critics have heard of. Stand Alone Complex also provided Cartoon Network with another show they could endlessly repeat besides Cowboy Bebop, to the delight of sci-fi anime fans who don’t know how to use the internet. Commonly referred to by its internet brevity code of GITS:SAC, the show drew in audiences with its slick cyberpunk inspired future setting, competent yet colorful characters, and a strong narrative flow between episodes. While on the surface it appeared to be devoid of the overbearing cuteness of more recent anime that internet critics like wail against (to no avail), the real kawaii factor came not from the human characters but from their support machines. Enter… the Tachikoma.

Tachikomas were created out of a dispute over the original Fuchikoma spider-tank from the Ghost in the Shell movie. When the producers of GITS:SAC needed an equivalent design for the show it was up to the enigmatic creator of Ghost in the Shell, Masamune Shirow, to craft a suitable replacement.

This figure of the special Tachi Yellow variant of the Tachikoma is the 126th entry in the ever expanding Revoltech line. It measures roughly five and a half inches in length and is constructed mostly from PVC plastic. It comes with a wide range of accessories that include several Revoltech staples like the adjustable display stand and the Revo-container. You also get three additional hands, a hand extension piece, a small manipulator cable, a bottle of oil, a set of plug-in wheels, and two mysterious white boxes.

The Tachikoma itself is an amazingly well designed machine that combines the practicality of a multi-limbed machine with the friendly appearance of a Pokemon. This particular Tachikoma is from the episode where the whole squad of them are decommissioned with this one ending up as a construction machine. He is called Tachi Yellow for his pleasing golden yellow color. The figure’s gloss finish makes it quite attractive.

These guys are just full of character and the Revoltech captures this down to a T for Tachikoma! In the series, the Tachikomas serve as the requisite giant robot buddies for the agents of Section 9. While not huge by the standards of most anime, these delivery van sized buggers chatter and gesticulate like energetic children while performing their duties like true professionals.

With a large Revoltech joint at the base of each of the figure’s six limbs, the Tachi Yellow can do just about whatever you need it to posing wise. A Tachikoma’s very simple layout makes it a very flexible unit. The optional hands plug in and out of the wrists with ease and give the simple three-clawed arms a lot of personality.

Tachi Yellow is covered with many fine details and tamographed markings like the kanji above its main sensor eye.

Almost all of the paint apps on this figure look exceptionally sharp.

Also note the gray multi-launcher under its “chin” can be moved around like robotic proboscis. Unlike the regular blue version, this Tachikoma’s multi-launcher cannot be uncapped to reveal a gun barrel as this guy is supposed to have been disarmed.

The rear abdomen is attached via a regular universal joint that can tilt forward or back and swivel side to side. The compartment does not open so sorry there’s no majorbooty.gif here.

Sadly, one of the movable antenna on the side seems to be misshapen at one end. As great as this figure is there’s still some quality control issues that crop up around Revoltechs.

Probably the biggest gaffe was how one of the joints on the main legs was fused in place due to excess paint drying in the joint. My patented freezer method did not work on its own so I ended up taking a sewing needle and digging out the paint in the joint. The figure is fine now but I don’t expect everyone to attempt something that involved when handed a new toy. I don’t know if this is a wide spread problem but at least it is fixable.

Also there were some splotches of yellow under one leg joint. Honestly I feel like there’s so much to love about this guy that I can’t get too hung up on quality control. Tachi Yellow is just too darn cute!

Each of the white bowling ball shaped sensor eyes can all be individually positioned. You first pop off the upper half of Tachikoma’s main body.

And then pop out the eye you want to move and snap it back place in the desired position. The whole process can be a little cumbersome but this setup prevents the eyes from spinning around loosely in their sockets or accidentally dislodging and getting lost.

The extension piece for the right hand lets Tachi Yellow reach out just a little bit farther to grab some forbidden goodies. This simply pegs between the hand and the wrist socket and can accept either of the three swappable right hands.

In the show, only agent Batou’s personal Tachikoma is allowed to have delicious organic oil while the rest get yucky synthetic brands. This figure includes an appropriately scaled bottle of Eneuron (haha) Organic oil.

OIL GET!!!

It’s so hard for a Tachikoma not to look incredibly happy all the time.

Sadly it’s really hard to get the Tachikoma’s “pointing hand” as I call it to hold the oil bottle. The box shows the bottle resting vertically in the hand where it balances between the two bottom fingers with the top extended one keeping the bottle upright. I think they cheated with some adhesive because there is nothing that secures the bottle to the hand when you do it like that. In the previous picture I tried to balance the bottle horizontally just long enough to snap a photo. I think Tachi Yellow is still pleased with the results though!

The open right claw can mount the Tachikoma’s extra manipulator piece. This is similar in function to Robocop’s data spike only less lethal and more R2-D2-y.

It also serves as a neat parlor trick to show Tachi Yellow’s friends at a construction site.

The included Revoltech display stand lets Tachi Yellow deftly leap away from danger…

Or hop around like an idiot.

This extra sensor underneath can be rotated like a turret and is also removable. The remaining hole is where you can attach either of the two mysterious white boxes.

The first white box has a pair of wheels with rubber tires sticking out of on either side. I am quite familiar with these kinds of boxes and the sheer power they possess within…

Just attach the box under the abdomen and add an extra set of wheels to the main body to make Tachi Yellow ready to go.

“Pleased ta meetcha!”

So you’ve probably guessed already but that white box is a bona fide pullback motor! It’s a pretty strong one too! With this equipment Tachi Yellow is ready to join the ranks of the venerable Moto Bots!

Moto Bots! Pull back and roll out!

Admittedly the Tachi Yellow doesn’t roll quite as smoothly as the Moto Bots do but I can’t helped be charmed by this very children’s toy style gimmick on an adult collectible. In a way it kind of suits the childlike personalities of the Tachikomas. The reason for this gimmick is to simulate how the Tachikomas use the wheels under their feet to drive around at high speeds. It’s a really nice touch.

The hidden Easter egg with the pullback motor is you can use it in conjunction with the Revo-container to form a little box car! Now this thing absolutely flies across the ground so maybe you shouldn’t put the accessories inside when you make it go fast…

The other white box is a magnet and a pretty powerful one too! And by powerful I mean you probably don’t want to put it near your computer. You can plug the magnet in either under the main body or under the abdomen.

The reason this magnet is so strong is to allow Tachi Yellow to do what every spider (even car sized ones) should be able to do and that’s hang around like a radioactive superhero.

And they say modern magnetic toys are weak!

Seriously the magnet is so strong the connection point to the figure itself will give out long before the magnet does. The connection is pretty tight out of the box but I’d be wary of leaving your Tachikoma dangling over danger for too long.

Tachi Yellow’s true calling is being a refrigerator buddy.

The Revoltech Tachi Yellow is an excellent figure that captures the energetic nature of the Tachikoma design amazingly well. It’s a really fun toy to play around with and its charmingly innocent demeanor makes it a standout piece next to my battle hardened war machines. Now I am admittedly more forgiving of quality control issues on toys and Revoltechs especially but what happened with my Tachi Yellow was rightly irritating. However the figure is really a joy to play around with so I would still recommended it barring some major problems out of the box. I found the construction equipment scheme really sharp looking and most fitting for a mechanical spider tank robot. As this guy is largely identical to the standard blue colored release I would say for with whichever you find the most appealing.

Get your Revoltech Tachi Yellow here!