It's time for another tag team review, this one featuring Chris Mirjahangir and Joshua Sudomerski as they share their thoughts on this unique transforming figure. The toy review is broken into two parts, each a reflection by that particular reviewer.
Chris Mirjahangir
This is the least satisfying and most unpleasant figure I have ever reviewed. While the final product looks cool, the road getting there is an experience that is fraught with frustration and yes, even anger. From what I’ve seen on the figure, people have either broken the figure while transforming it, or suffered through transforming the figure to its vehicle/final pose and ultimately regret the purchase because the process was such a pain to do.
In addition, I feel that I must preface this review with the fact that I skipped over the vehicle mode and went straight to trying to form MechaGodzilla. Because of the design of this figure’s transforming process, I had difficulty getting things back into shape when trying to go from MechaGodzilla to vehicle mode. So, for that bit of information, I refer you to the section of Josh’s review where it’s addressed.
Details
Simply put, although this figure was created with transforming into different figures in mind, the pieces are so tight that when you transform the figure, there are times where you feel you may actually break the figure’s joints. Garuda is the only part of the figure that isn’t made of die cast and it was a very poor decision because it is made of cheap thin plastic and can easily be broken. MechaGodzilla’s head does look really cool sculpt wise.
Articulation
It’s tough to really talk about articulation when you have to move every piece around to get into the 3 forms (more on those in Josh’s review). In the final form, the arms can move up and down and to the side while the legs can move back and forth and side to side. The tail can move up and down a little but when you consider how brittle it is, it’s best not to move it so much. The “jet circles” (sorry, best description I could come up with while writing) can rotate side to side. The wings can also bend via hinge in the middle and at the base. Finally, the head can move side to side and all the way upward and the mouth can open and close.
Accessories
For accessories, there’s a cool 16 page comic about how the figure came about. There’s also a stand for Garuda. Although having a stand is quite useful, I’ve been told by others who have this figure that it’s very hard to detach the stand from its base once it’s attached. So, if you ever want to dismantle it after displaying Garuda, keep this in mind.
Paint
For the paint, there’s really nothing to mention outside of the top part of Garuda having a mostly well applied paint application outside of a tiny chip.
Overall
While it’s cool to see this figure in its final form, the chase wasn’t worth the catch for me. Granted, your mileage will vary depending on your love for frustratingly tight joints and cheap, weak plastic (Garuda). I can only recommend this figure for the completionists/those who like the design. For everyone else, you might want to pass.
**Below are several bonus images, including some close-up shots of Mechagodzilla and scans of the figure's instruction manual.**
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Joshua Sudomerski
Created in honor of the late Japanese illustrator Noriyoshi Ohrai, Chogokin Tamashii MIX Mechagodzilla (Ohrai Noriyoshi Poster Ver.) is based off a draft design featured on Ohrai's popular Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) poster artwork. Shinji Nishikawa, the concept artist behind this "Union Mechagodzilla" design, oversaw development of the figure, making this unexpected creation feel even more like an authentic piece of lost Toho history. But what exactly does this figure have to offer?
Details
Right out of the box, Mechagodzilla is separated into its three forms: the land-based G-Force weapon "Gundalva", which sports two giant arm cannons; the water-based G-Force tank "Naga", equipped with a large central maser cannon; and the flying G-Force unit "Garuda", a winged metal machine that houses the head, spines, and tail of Mechagodzilla. Each form has a distinct design and surprising amount of articulation, making them perfect for dioramas. The bodies of all three parts are littered with thin indented lines and very mild splashes of color, giving them a classic mecha look and feel.
When combined into Poster Mechagodzilla, these accents mesh together extremely well, and it becomes almost impossible to tell where each unit starts and ends! Just about every aspect of the design has some subtle feature applied to it. From the inside of Mechagodzilla's toothed maw, to the tiny guns hidden near Garuda's nozzle, down to the plating covering Mechagodzilla's legs, the attention to detail on the sculpt - whether unified or separated - has to be commended. One of the more noteworthy features are Mechagodzilla's eyes and forehead, which have translucent yellow plastic. While they may appear dark in some photos, with a little light they stand out perfectly fine. Red and yellow translucent parts can also be found inside the protrusions on the shoulders.
Mechagodzilla stands about 19 centimeters tall (if including Garuda's nozzle, around 23 centimeters), while Garuda's wings can be stretched to about 24 centimeters across. It keeps in scale relatively well with those from the S.H.MonsterArts line, and thankfully the wings have some articulation to give it and other figures some space if need be.
Articulation
Buckle up. We're in this for the long haul.
Let me preface by saying this: most of the joints for each of these forms WILL require a bit of force to get moving, in particular the gray base area for Gundalva and the feet/wheels for Naga. While gently wiggling the parts will gradually loosen them up, if you're still unsure about the whole process, I'd highly recommend checking out some online videos if you need a visual reference when assembling Poster Mechagodzilla.
The smallest of the three vehicles, Gundalva has two hefty arms with finger cannons, and sits on stationary treads. The treads are very smooth which can lead it to sliding down slanted surfaces somewhat easily, so be wary of that if placing it on a non-flat area. Beneath Gundalva's shoulders are two thin plastic pieces that can be moved to the sides of or behind Gundalva's shoulder sockets. While these pieces are given plenty of leeway, they still feel very fragile; simply don't bend them in such a way that could cause them to snap off. On the other hand, Gundalva's arms feel very sturdy, and are what give the figure its weight. The forearm can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing for the palms to be visible or hidden depending on one's preference. Each forearm can be flexed about 90 degrees inward or made to stretch straight out at the elbow. The entire arm can be rotated a whole 360 degrees at the shoulder, and be moved away from the body about 45 degrees. The hands can actually be moved forward, backward, and side to side somewhat, hampered only by the metallic blue cords connected at the palms to the forearms. While there's not a lot that can be done to the main body, the treads can fold in on themselves, which comes in handy later when combining Gundalva with the other units.
The heaviest of the three vehicles, Naga carries a central maser cannon supported by two other moveable weapons, two knee gun barrels, and rides on several pairs of mobile wheels. The wheels allow for the figure to easily roll across flat terrain, almost like a giant toy racecar. It's a unique touch to the figure that comes in handy later when Mechagodzilla is fully assembled. The kneecap guns can swivel from side to side, but sadly cannot be moved up or down. The central maser can be pointed straight ahead and tilted up about 45 degrees. The two pieces near the sides of the maser have more forward and backward range, while the circular piece they're attached to can swivel from the side to side just a bit. The massive legs can do the splits to roughly 45 degrees, while the cockpit can be pushed into the body as part of the transformation process. Near the front of the vehicle at the "toes" are two thin pieces that are capable of popping off the figure, and mostly come into play during the transition into Mechagodzilla.
The last of the three vehicles, the flying-type Garuda harbors two flexible wings and a tail, while on the underside are attached two chest pieces. These pieces in particular are probably the most fragile parts of the entire set, so be very gentle when moving them. The tail is segmented into four parts starting at the tip, and can be lifted fairly high or moved a little from side to side. The nozzle of Garuda can be split apart, revealing the face of Mechagodzilla within; each half of the nozzle can be angled about 30 degrees inward, which will come in handy later. Garuda's wings are one of the most interesting aspects of the figure - not only can they be moved near the base of the body about 90 degrees, but the halves making up the ends of the wings, as well as the circular rotors, can also be moved! The end flaps of the wings can be folded inward or outward a little over 180 degrees, while the rotors can flip a full 360 degrees. While Garuda as a whole is the most delicate of the three forms, it is arguably the most versatile.
Finally, it's time to cover Mechagodzilla itself, which there are some pros and cons to the transformation. The legs are able to kick forward about 45 degrees, while the lower half of the legs can bend almost 90 degrees backwards at the knee. The wheels on the feet enable the figure to satisfyingly slide around with ease. They can also be adjusted with the toe parts to become parallel with the legs in order to attain Flight Mode. The two thin pieces near the toes can pop on and off easily, which can be both a blessing and a curse, as any movement of the feet may cause them to wiggle out of their sockets. Fortunately, they're easy enough to readjust. Mechagodzilla's tail can still be articulated somewhat, but is largely used to support the weight of the figure. While Mechagodzilla's arms still function similarly as they did as Gundalva, the protruding parts on the shoulders may get caught on the lip of Garuda's nozzle if the arms are lifted too high. If this occurs, angle the Garuda nozzle inward to free the shoulder piece. Lastly, Mechagodzilla's head is capable of looking straight up and can wobble from side to side somewhat, though it cannot look down too far as the head is somewhat impeded by the grate on the throat. The mouth can open roughly 20 degrees, so you won't be able to stick any large effect pieces inside the maw, but it still works as intended and looks pretty cool. Also, due to the attachment of the Garuda, the waist can no longer twist. Otherwise, the arms, wings, tail, and legs all basically function the same as they do on the individual vehicles.
As a bonus, Gundalva and Naga can be combined into two very specific forms - the hulking "Gundalva + Naga Union Mode", and the Gunhed-esque "Humanoid Form". The Gundalva + Naga Union Mode has Naga stil assuming its default pose, just with the addition of the folded Gundalva on the top, and is shown in greater detail in the supplied instruction guide. The Humanoid Form is one of Shinji Nishikawa's personal transformations, and has the Naga standing upright with only the Gundalva attached, but with the yellow "eyes" above the cockpit folded into the chest. As it lacks Garuda, it has the benefit of twisting at the waist. Both transformations can be viewed in the gallery below.
Accessories
Sadly, there's hardly anything when it comes to accessories, though Mechagodzilla does come with a specialized black flight stand for Garuda, which Garuda can rest on on the base of the tail. The stand has a small lip that must be inserted into the thin gap of the tail in order to properly secure the figure, though it may be difficult to clip it in there the first time.
Mechagodzilla also comes with a special explanatory manga titled "The Secret Story of Chogokin Mechagodzilla's Birth". It spans 16 pages and is illustrated by the original designer of Union Mechagodzilla, Shinji Nishikawa himself. The manga briefly tells the two stories of a young Akira Terano (who would wind up conceiving the idea to have this figure made), and Nishikawa during the development of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), with the tales of both men eventually converging after Noriyoshi Ohrai's passing. The manga is very short and sweet with expressive characters and smooth storytelling, and even shows off some concept artwork made for the movie at the time, as well as faithful illustrations of Poster Mechagodzilla's prototype and finalized designs. While not much on its own, it's still a welcome inclusion either way.
As an aside, the box Poster Mechagodzilla comes in can be paired with Godzilla (Ohrai Noriyoshi Poster Ver.)'s box to create a complete image, with Poster Mechagodzilla's being the top-half and Poster Godzilla's being the bottom-half. It makes for an excellent display for anyone who keeps their boxes, and may give some slight incentive to own both figures.
Paint
In short, nearly the entirety of Mechagodzilla is coated in a silver paint app with some splashes of red, black, blue, gray, and yellow throughout. The silver coating is extremely well done, and nothing bleeds over into the colored segments, even on the smallest areas, which makes the completed figure stand out even more. From here, I'll cover the individual parts in greater detail.
Gundalva has the striking metallic blue finger cannons, with the same color being shared with the chords on its palms and forearms. It's a strange choice for color, but still somehow meshes very well with the rest of the figure. Small specks of yellow are hidden near the sides of the palms, with more found on the front above the treads and on the central "eyes" above the cockpit (the cockpit itself having some black applied). The treads and elbow joints are a brown-gray, while small portions of red and yellow can be found on the shoulder protrusions and hidden near the rear.
Moving on, Naga probably has the least amount of "pop" when it comes to color, though the yellows applied to the maser cannon's nose and other nearby attachments still help it stand out. Black strips can be found on the lower legs, on the cockpit, and also on the tiny arrows on the pieces attached to the feet. The black wheels have some silver paint applied to the rims, while the inner parts of the body, rocket boosters, and thigh vents are a brownish gray.
Lastly, Garuda's nozzle has a very prominent red paint app, with just a little more found on either side of Mechagodzilla's head. The brown-gray color returns here, and can be found on the innards of the tail, the two hidden nozzle cannons, and near Mechagodzilla's temples. The tips of the wings have the tiniest bits of golden yellow paint app, with a little more found on the sides of Mechagodzilla's neck. The wings have strips of black, with more found on the back cockpit of the largest spine, and there are even small black strips inside of the mouth! They are located on the lower jaw and separated by a sliver of silver paint.
I must note that during the transformation process, it's possible paint can be scratched off, especially during the attachment of Garuda. This is most likely to occur around the neck area of Mechagodzilla or on the chest plates if they're not carefully secured. I've combined and taken apart my Mechagodzilla for purposes of this review twice now, and fortunately haven't run into much issue, but it's still best to always handle the Garuda portion with care.
Overall
When separated into Gundalva, Naga, and Garuda, these units alone have some very diverse combinations and awesome poses. Together as Poster Mechagodzilla, while some of the flexibility is lost, it still makes for an impressive display and carries an intimidating presence. My only gripes are with the fragile nature of the chest pieces, the reliance on the tail to keep the figure upright, and how the head and mouth don't have much range. I also feel that having Mechagodzilla's head being attached with the Garuda wasn't the best choice transformation-wise, perhaps it could have been equipped to the Gundalva to help ease the process somehow. But I'm still very satisfied with how the figure turned out, and find myself fiddling with it every once in a while to try out new poses.
If you're a collector of Godzilla figures, then this is an easy recommendation - I'd even go so far as to say getting two sets just to showcase both the assembled Mechagodzilla and three vehicles would be ideal! There's also the benefit of having the secondary set used to create the Gundalva + Naga Union Mode or the Humanoid Form. If you have a passing interest or aren't much of an avid collector, then I'd still recommend buying one if only to make Mechagodzilla, though the transformation process is tougher than it looks. As much as I ended up loving this figure, the trademark "combining" gimmick does have some issues, particularly with the head and chest pieces, that may be off-putting to some. But from my experience, the end result is certainly worth it.
**Below are a number of bonus images, including shots of Gundalva, Naga, Garuda, the fully-assembled Mechagodzilla, and some for the box and alternate modes.**
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