Sunday, April 29, 2018

Toy Review: Digivolving Spirits 02 MetalGarurumon


Review:  #443
Name:  MetalGarurumon
Brand:  Digivolving Spirits
Year of Release:  2018
Variations:  none

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS:


The second in the Digivolving Spirits line is none other than MetalGarurumon.


The gimmick for the Digivolving Spirits line is the ability to transform the toy into two forms.  In this case, Gabumon can "digivolve" into MetalGarurumon via the manipulation of parts, and provides an update to the original figure from the 1990s.

GABUMON:


The figure comes in MetalGarurumon form but we'll cover Gabumon first, who is a Rookie Digimon.


Gabumon is pretty good for the most part although his arms are awkwardly positioned and as the back arms are attached to the legs, there's no meaningful articulation there.


The figure is well painted and in general, pretty well designed.  There are unavoidable transformation seams, the obvious one being his horn.  The head is also fixed and cannot turn due to the transformation scheme.


A quick comparison against Agumon, they are fairly equal in size and look great together.


Here's a size comparison against a Transformers Deluxe Wreckage toy.


In terms of articulation, unlike Agumon, Gabumon doesn't have many useful joints.  Gabumon only has a joint for the shoulder so it's somewhat awkward to pose.


While he has joints for his knees, as the legs are attached to his back arms, it also restricts any meaningful movement here.  Gabumon looks best at a neutral pose.


Gabumon looks great, it's just that he's lacking in anything additional to being a display piece.

TRANSFORMATION:

Gabumon uses the transformation scheme from the original 1990s toy as a base and iterates on it to achieve a better proportioned figure overall in both modes.  A very interesting element here is that going between the modes, the front become the back and vice versa.  The way the wings form is interesting, as is the way how Gabumon's head tuck away into the torso and you pull MetalGarurumon's one out.  Gabumon's front legs become the rear legs, and his back arms become the front legs.  Unlike Agumon, this toy doesn't rely as heavily on shellforming and panels.

METALGARURUMON:


MetalGarurumon is where the designer focused their efforts and he looks great here.


Of course, there's no avoiding some proportion issues, such as the smaller tail and the chubbier torso (a compromise to make Gabumon work).


The headsculpt is fantastic and the metallic paint used is so awesome.  The figure also has die-cast in a few areas, such as the head, wings and the tube joints on his front legs, giving him substantial heft.


A comparison with Wargreymon and they pair well together.


And now against Wreckage again to see his size.  MetalGarurumon is pretty big, which you would hope for due to the premium pricing, although he is pricier than Waregreymon.


There's a lot more articulation in this form.  The neck is jointed on a swivel and the mouth can open.


All four legs have a hip joint as well as knee joints, and the paws have a separate hinge as well.


There are some clever placements of Gabumon parts, such as the feet doubling as his shoulder missile launchers.


An excellent form and well worth the compromise in Gabumon.

OVERALL:


MetalGarurumon is a very nice figure, displaying well in both modes.  It's surprising at how well they were able to achieve both forms without too many compromises.  The MetalGarurumon form is the better of the two but the figure is well designed and well painted to be worth the cost.

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For reviews of other toys, have a look at this page.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Book Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project 15


Review:  #741
Title:  Neon Genesis Evangelion:  The Shinji Ikari Raising Project 15
Series:  Neon Genesis Evangelion:  The Shinji Ikari Raising Project - 15th volume
Author:  Osamu Takahashi
Read Before:  no
Comments:  Continuing on with the slice-of-life of Shinji and his daily antics, where he gains more and more affection from his harem.  Rei is getting closer to Shinji while Asuka is forced to view jealously from the side.  The volume opens up with a healthy dose of fan service that continues on throughout the rest of the volume.  It seems every few pages there is some fan service of one character or another, plus Shinji’s god-like clumsiness is getting him into awkward situations.  The volume covers off a camping trip which can be pretty funny but finishes off with mundane excuses for Shinji and Rei to show their affection for each other.  Surprisingly, there are three Extra chapter at the end, two of which are purely fan service while the third focuses on the equally sweet pairing of Suzuhara and Hikari.
Rating:  6.5/10

Friday, April 27, 2018

Doctor Strange (2016)


Serving as the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and being the fourteenth film in it, Doctor Strange takes on a relatively obscure character for the big screen.  Doctor Strange himself has more otherworldly and unique powers compared to the other Marvel superheroes, being that he gains the power of the mystic arts, able to bend time, dimensions and other awesome things.  This gives way to some amazing and fantastic visual spectacles through various sequences in the film, these are some of the best special effects we've had (although there were still scenes where the effects were subpar and awkward).  The plot is a classic superhero origin story but Benedict Cumberbatch does a great job at being charismatic even when his character is a jerk.  The plot does eventually boil down to preventing the villain from summoning an evil entity that will take over the world but the resolution and showdown was funny and fitted perfectly with the tone of the film.  The film flits between subtle humor and more obvious gags but it works for the most part and doesn't get in the way of the story.  The mid-credits and post-credits scenes are interesting and teases us for future films.  Overall, Doctor Strange is a strong film that manages to not be overshadowed by its predecessors.


Wednesday, April 25, 2018

YuruYuri Nachuyachumi! (2014)


YuruYuri Nachuyachumi! is an original video animation continuation of the YuruYuri anime, which was originally based upon the manga series of the same name.  It is 60 minutes long so it is effectively movie length (and it was released in theaters in Japan).  In it, it is currently summer vacation and the characters discover camping equipment in their club room.  Naturally, they decide to go camping.  It plays out like a typical episode but obviously longer as the OVA only has this one plot.  Despite that, it doesn’t feel like it drags it out.  While it does dwell on certain scenes a tad bit too long, there is enough content to keep viewers interested.  The characters remain charming, and the frequent gags makes it funny to watch.  It goes over a few typical camping activities such as cooking and going on a test of courage.  The animation is a higher quality than the TV episodes and overall, it is an enjoyable OVA.

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For other anime reviews, have a look at this page.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Book Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 13


Review:  #740
Title:  Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 13
Series:  Neon Genesis Evangelion - 13th volume
Author:  Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Read Before:  no
Comments:  Rapidly approaching the conclusion, Volume 13 depicts Shinji and Asuka desperately fighting other Evas to survive.  On the other hand, Gendo and Rei head towards Adam for the final part of their plans.  It takes a dive into the weird and unknown as the finale starts to unfold.  With further sacrifices being made, the unusual beings that start to appear is confusing since you’re not sure what it is supposed to represent, and why it had started acting this way.  What is made clear though, is that Shinji’s mother, Yui, is very much involved in all of the events and the motivation for a lot of the characters.  The pacing was quick and while it was hard to make out what was happening during some of the battles, this is an excellent volume.
Rating:  7.5/10

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Toy Review: Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Slug


Review:  #442
Name:  Slug
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Autobot
Line:  Generations - Power of the Primes
Year of Release:  2017
Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 1)
Mold Status:  new

DINOSAUR MODE:


Slug transforms into a robotic Triceratops and looks really good here, particularly with the clear plastic having gold paint on the inside, to mimic the original toy.


This is a clean dinosaur mode with no visible kibble.


As part of the Power of the Primes line, he comes with a character card.


Above is a comparison against Age of Extinction Scorn, and Slug is a little bit smaller than previous Deluxes.


Unfortunately, this mode isn't very well articulated, he's best left standing on all fours in a neutral pose.  His mouth looks like it should open but as it is used for transformation, the joint is too far back for it to look natural in any way other than closed.


His gun can attach on either side of his legs, and the Combiner fist can attach on top as a type of missile launcher.


This is a pretty good dinosaur mode, if a bit static.

TRANSFORMATION:

Slug has a really simple transformation since he needs to double up as an arm and leg for combined mode.  The back unfolds to form his legs, the front legs become the robot arms and the head remain unmoved, you just fold the mouth down to reveal the head.

ROBOT MODE:


Slug's robot mode is very accurate to his G1 self and it looks good here too, albeit a bit lanky.


He has the dinosaur head and torso on his back... untouched by transformation, and so it is this huge block which feels lazy (it actually has to be like this for the leg mode).


The headsculpt is quite good but as the head is mostly surrounded the Triceratops' head, it is tricky to turn the head side to side.


Slug gains a bit of height in this mode and is similar in height to other Deluxes but is noticeably lighter and lankier, Hasbro has somehow managed to shrink the Deluxes yet again.


Articulation is excellent.  He has the full suite of joints including a waist swivel.


He has a large footprint and is fairly stable as a result.


His weapons are a gun and the Combiner fist.


The combiner fist can attach onto his chest as armor.  You can fit any Titan Master, Prime Master, Matrix or Enigma of Combination into the middle if you so wish.


Officially, Slug can hold the fist as some kind of missile launcher weapon, and the clear piece can detach and held like a gun, it features sculpting to make it look like a gun too.


His gun can be held in either hand and is a much better weapon than the Combiner fist.


Most of the paint budget went into the gold paint inside the transparent pieces and thus in robot mode, he is almost unpainted apart from his eyes, the Autobot insignia on his chest and his foot.


A better usage for the Combiner fist is as a shield.


You can also give him a bigger fist just for fun.  This is a good robot mode although a bit generic.

OVERALL:

Slug, like most of the Combiner Wars line, is simple and fun.  However, just like those toys, he ends up feeling bland and generic as he doesn't do anything new or interesting.  This isn't a bad thing, just that we've seen everything before and can be forgettable.  Still, an updated Dinobot is awesome no matter what.

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As part of the Power of the Primes line, all Deluxes can now combine with the Voyagers of the line.


Transformation to arm and leg modes are pretty simple, and he looks pretty good in both.


Both modes are stable although the leg mode is little more than just the Triceratops with the head jutted out and tail tucked away.


He uses the same joints as the Combiner Wars line so there are plenty of combinations available, significantly increasing his play value.
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