X-Plus
has been very active in regards to toys and collectibles
for the Toho monsters. They can be pricey, but their
releases are generally high quality with lots of
detail. In the early part of the new millennium,
the company started to release several chess pieces
based on the Godzilla franchise. One of those collectibles
was the final form of Hedorah, which was issued
in 2002.
Like their other chess piece releases, Hedorah
is very detailed and looks authentic in regards
to the nuisances of the original design. The eyes
in particular are amazing, having a very deep color
range and a slightly glossy look compared to the
more earthy body which makes them stand out. On
the downside, the front chest area feels a little
loose in terms of detail, including the hands, but
at a glance the figure is very imposing.
The coloring on this figure, while not commendable,
is good. As previously mentioned, the eyes are fantastic,
and draw a lot of attention to themselves when looking
at the piece. The head is a slightly lighter green,
which gives the figure a bit of diversity in its
look even if its not accurate versus the original
design. The body also has some faint orange coloring
through out, which breaks up the monotony. Its not
colored in with the same care as one might expect
on a larger figure, but at a glance it works for
this chess piece.
In regards to the back of the chess piece, its
a little disappointing. The tail looks great, and
extends out an appropriate length while also having
good detail. The two "sacs" on Hedorah's
back are also represented here, although with not
a lot of detail. Coloring is particularly sparse,
outside of a few orange marks. Suffice to say, the
back is serviceable, but lacks the attention to
detail and care that was placed on the front of
the collectible.
The chess piece is a heavy resin, weighing more
than it looks. As expected from a chess piece, the
collectible is not moveable or possible. The default
stance, with one arm at its side and the other slightly
raised, is a good choice for the Smog Monster. The
item comes in three pieces with very minor assembly
required out of the box. In total, there is the
body, the tail and the stand. The tail is easily
attached to the figure and stays in place very well
on its own. The stand is a flat piece of resin "dirt"
with grooves for the figure to comfortably be placed
in. In terms of this being actually used as a chess
piece, forget it. One will need a gigantic board
to fit Hedorah on it, even with the tail removed.
Overall, it might not be a good chess piece, but
as a small, model figure Hedorah is well made and
worth a purchase.
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