Two years after the release of Godzilla 1964 as a regular figure for its S.H. MonsterArts line, Bandai and Tamashii Nations would release the figure again as an online exclusive. For the re-release, the figure would receive an overhaul of the coloring of the skin. The concept is basically to emulate Godzilla's iconic emergence from the ground in Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). Furthermore, the figure came with accessories to simulate Godzilla using his atomic breath, which in the films was in a smoky mist although here it's in a full-blown beam energy form more closely mimicking the Heisei version.
Details
For those that have the figure already, the details are the same with the original. This means the same, correct to suit, three toe look for the character and the "iconic" upper lip that makes it distinctively tied to the 1964 version of Godzilla. The detail on the scales is done well too, and is consistent on the character. Probably one of the best aspects, though, are the dorsal fins. The proportions on them are great, and a lot of attention to detail has been placed into their bumpy exterior.
Not surprisingly, the dimensions of the figure are also the same as the earlier version. This means it's still smaller than the Heisei S.H. MonsterArts releases. Depending on preference, this might be fine, since the Showa series characters are supposed to be smaller, or a minor annoyance, since it will look dwarfed next to them.
Articulation
For articulation, this figure has mostly the same available movement as that of its predecessor. At times, this can seem like overkill as it leads to the consideration of the articulation taking priority over design and overall look even if the articulation is partially justified. The articulated sections, which in most cases is a copy of the original figure, include the tail, hands and arms, feet and legs, neck and head as well as the waist. In some sections, there have been improvements such as the waist section being tighter and closer together to avoid the gap situation that occurred with the first release.
Accessories
Unlike with the original release, the emergence version comes with accessories to simulate him using his atomic breath. The shape is a bit odd and the color for the beam is too white and not enough blue. Likely this was done to differentiate it versus the Heisei beam accessories, but feels like overkill. Furthermore, the beam appears slightly too "solid" compared to its appearance in the movie. At this stage, the beam was starting to mix a vapor look with a more concentrated blast. As a result, something that wasn't quite so "clean" would have been more appropriate.
The accessory is also fully compatible with the original release of the 1964 Godzilla figure.
Paint
The big change from the original is the skin coloring with the "brown dust" added. On some releases of the figure, the brown coloring is uneven on the body. For example, on the one in this review, there is a notable discrepancy from the main body to the neck. It's not bad enough to make the figure appear to be wearing a shirt, for example, but it's obvious that the two pieces were painted separately and coming together don't look fluid in the paint work.
Another complaint is that the paint doesn't completely match the scene in the movie. Godzilla should have more layers of dirt on his skin when he first emerges from the ground, rather than the light highlights that appear on this release.
Overall
This figure is for those that missed getting the original S.H. MonsterArts 1964 Godzilla the first time around. Although it may seem a bit pricey for those that already have the original release, it is a good figure to pick up anyway for the new accessory, even if it doesn't exactly mesh with the way the beam looked in the movie itself.
As of this writing, interested buyers can still purchase the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 1964 Emergence Version somewhat easily, although at prices that were higher than the price the figure had in its initial release.
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