The first time Bandai made chibis of the Godzilla figures, they knocked it out of the park and they were a huge hit with Godzilla fans. This time, the chibis are back for the in two separate sets with more fantastic results. As a bonus, inserted in this review is an additional video review by Godzilla: Rulers of Earth artist Matt Frank.
Each set contains Godzilla in a different pose and one of two MUTO figures. One has Godzilla with his hands reached out, while the other has Godzilla doing a fighting stance with a fist pump. The MUTO figure is also different, where one has the wings back (male MUTO) and the other is leaning on all fours (female MUTO). Another thing to note is the non-winged MUTO has a more pronounced, round belly while the male form in the "Destruction City" set, there is no belly.
What's interesting is that Godzilla looks almost entirely different with each chibi. With the version where he's in a fighting pose with his fists up, the figure is smaller compared to the other version. There are, for some reason, small gouges on the chest. I don't know if this is factory defect or part of the design.
Below is a promotional shot of the four figures next to each other:
Unlike the variations of the last set, this chibi set only comes in sets of two so the only way to buy them is just in sets of two and not in single packs or the set with all the figures.
For the packaging, it's with the movie artwork so it's easy to distinguish from the current artwork on the other Godzilla toys. Despite having different figures, the sets don't have a unique name. On Amazon they are noted as "Version A", seen on the left directly above, and "Version B", seen on the right with the fist motion, of the Figure 2-Pack.
Name and package aside, the paint on these figures is really well done for the most part and they're just cool looking overall. I'm a big fan of how the eyes look for example. They bring back memories of the old Showa films for me. Like all the chibi's in the line (2014 and the previous) there's no articulation. They're mini statues meant to sit there and look pretty and they do a great job.
Overall, of the Bandai figures for the 2014 movie, these two/four are my favorite. They are stylized yet hit all the right beats in how they were designed and executed.
For a special bonus, here is a complementing video review of the toy as well by super star artist Matt Frank. Note, both the male and female MUTO packs are reviewed. This was filmed in April, right before the movie was released.
As a side note, here is the Fact Sheet listing for this figure:
GODZILLA 2014 MOVIE FIGURE 2-PACKS
SRP $6.99
Item: 39500
Godzilla takes on an anime look with these highly collectible chibi-style figures! Two different 2-Packs available, each includes one (1) Godzilla in a different pose and one (1) Muto.
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