Following the 2022 announcement of Gigan 1972 joining the S.H. MonsterArts line, Bandai revealed in early 2023 that a new Godzilla figure was in development. This release would be based on the SoshingekiGoji suit design from Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Scheduled as a standard release in early 2024, the Godzilla 1972 figure was sculpted by Yuji Sakai.
Details
The overall design of the figure is an excellent match to Godzilla's appearance in the 1972 film. The dorsal fins are especially well done, with sculpting and shape that closely resemble the suit. The tail is also a faithful recreation of its on-screen counterpart, while the skin texture and standard charcoal gray color are accurate, though the shade can appear lighter under certain lighting conditions.
Articulation
In Godzilla's appearances in 1968-1972, the Godzilla suit allowed suit actor Haruo Nakajima to achieve a wide variety of movements, which the figure replicates very well. The figure's main points of articulation are in the feet, legs, arms, neck, head, hands, the upper and lower waist and the tail.
Accessories
The only extra on this figure is an additional head that is bloodied to resemble after Gigan injures Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Unlike on the regular face, the painting on the teeth on the damaged face is in a more uniform condition although there are some red patches on both the upper and lower teeth. The blood on Godzilla's face is accurate to how he looked at the end of the film's climatic battle.
Paint
Sadly the paint job has a few inconsistencies. The claws feature a sandy-brown tone that works well, but the toes differ between feet with the left having traces of charcoal gray, while the right does not. The teeth are mostly fine, though the upper set has some noticeable red paint bleed. Additionally, the eyes are slightly misaligned, giving the figure a mild cross-eyed look when viewed from the front. Unlike on the regular figure's head, the injured face has his eyes in a better match up with that of the suit, though.
Overall
The figure is excellent and very welcometo the line, particularly with Hedorah (1971) and Gigan (1972). For a regular buyer, the figure looks like it stepped off the screen from the 1972 movie. With the upcoming releases of the 1972 versions of Anguirus and King Ghidorah, the kaiju cast of the movie will be complete. The main issue is that of price, although that's universal across this line, and some small detail issues.
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