Tamashii Nations – Poe Ghostal's Points of Articulation

My S.H.MonsterArts Alien Warrior review is up at CollectionDX

On February 9, 2014

This has to be one of the busiest weekends ever for PGPoA. Usually I take weekends off. And I even skipped some news, like the new Jetfire and Unnamed One leaks.

Anyway, my review of the S.H.MonsterArts Alien Warrior fromÂ Alien vs. PredatorÂ has been posted on CollectionDX. (The reason it’s up over there is because it was a sample provided by Bluefin via my CDX connections, and part of my agreement with CDX is that any samples I get from their connections I review over there.)

Short version: great sculpt, fantastic articulation, joints are a little loose, figure is a tad on the small side, possibly my favorite Alien toy of all time.

S.H. Figuarts Mario?

By Poe

On January 27, 2014

In News

Have you always wanted a super-articulated Mario action figure? Tamashii’s Facebook page has a teaser that may interest you.

And don’t forget, the Figma Link is available again (BBTS, Amazon)

CollectionDX reviews S.H.MonsterArts Biollante

By Poe

On December 19, 2013

In News

The mother of all S.H.MonsterArts figures is here, and CollectionDX’s JoshB has the review.

Odds ‘n Ends > Halloween begins, S.H.MonsterArts AvP, random plugs

By Poe

On October 3, 2013

In Odds 'n Ends

It’s Halloween season! For as much holiday fun as can be fit into a blog, be sure you’re following Dinosaur Dracula, the current blog of Matt Caracappa, one of the minds behind the late, greatÂ X-Entertainment.com. Oh, and be sure to keep an eye around here as well, of course.
Pixel Dan has three new video reviews of upcoming MOTUC figures: Geldor, Strongor (Strongarm), and everyone’s favorite(?) pink bunny dictator, Plundor!
Speaking of Pixel Dan, it looks like he’s getting another #MyMosquitor – a new Mutagen Man for the current TMNT line, coming in spring. (I must confess I prefer the more grotesque vintage version a bit more.)
I’ve never even seenÂ Alien vs. Predator: Requiem – even though it evidently sucks, I probably should get around to it anyway – but I’m still intrigued by the upcoming S.H.MonsterArts versions of the characters. Here’s the official Tamashii Nations page for them. They’ll run $60 apiece, of course, but they’ll be better-articulated then NECA’s figures, offer more accessories, alternate heads, and I believe they will be closer in scale to 6″ lines like Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black, and DCUC than NECA’s stuff (which is in a 7″ scale). While the movie may be dreadful, I don’t mind the designs themselves, so I’m considering getting these. The scale will probably be the determining factor for me, so I may have to see them either in person or next to some other figures first.
Requested plugs: T-Rav from Doomkick.com is running a contest for some cool classic villain drink coasters;Â Acheson Creations is about 1/3rd of the way to their goal for theirÂ Kaiju Kaos: Super Robot StratoMaxx resin kit figure with just five days to go.

Super Review Wars continues with S.H.MonsterArts Destoroyah Evolution Set

By Poe

On September 12, 2013

In News

Over at CollectionDX, our own Nemo Eight reviews the S.H.MonsterArts Destoroyah Evolution Set!

Review > Godzilla 1964 (S.H.MonsterArts, Tamashii Nations)

By Poe

On August 12, 2013

In Reviews

As I’ve frequently mentioned on this site, I’ve behaved somewhat oddly in regard to my S.H.MonsterArts collection. I have always,Â always been an opener – an immediate opener (although sometimes I’ll hold off if I need to take pics for a review). But despite owning every single S.H.MonsterArts toy in existence, up to and including the subject of this review, I have only opened three (again, including this one) so far.

I’m really not sure why I waited so long to open them. Am I becoming a (horrors!) mint-on-card collector? No, I didn’t even have them on display, so that wasn’t it.Â Part of me wondered, am I getting tired of toys? It’s possible, but I don’t think that’s it either. I have other toys I open right away.

Part of the truth, I think, is that I just wasn’t really into the monster designs. With the exception of Godzilla 1985, I’m not really a fan of the Heisei era of Godzilla films. They were made in the 1990s and with few exceptions, they weren’t imported over here until the late 1990s when the American abomination of a film came out. By the time I watched the Heisei movies, I’d already grown nostalgic about the “Showa” era of Godzilla films (the 1950s through the 1970s). Also, I just didn’t enjoy the Heisei films – I found them rather dull affairs, with little of the fantasy and skill that went into the early Showa era.

So while I was very excited by the prospect of “super-articulated Godzilla figures,” I think I held off opening them because I was waiting for Tamashii Nations (the collector arm of Bandai that produces these figures) to get to the Showa era, at which point I would decide to either integrate my Heisei collection with the new Showa monsters, or just sell them off and focus on the Showa era.

Well, the Showa S.H.MonsterArts figure is finally here. Unfortunately, I found it very disappointing.

Creeeeeepy.

By Poe

On August 1, 2013

In Miniposts, Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnKj-svA37I

Now that’s a novel way of showing off a figure’s articulation. In this particular case it’s also really, really creepy.

S.H.MonsterArts Godzilla 2000 and Heisei Mothra revealed

By Poe

On July 28, 2013

In News

(Go straight to the bottom of the article if you want all the photos.)

It’s hard enough keeping up with the news on Western toy lines with Tamashii revealing S.H.MonsterArts figures with no fanfare at Wonderfest. Import Monsters always catches ’em, though. I’ve got to figure out where to keep an eye out.

Anyway, they revealed a Heisei-era Mothra from 1992’sÂ Godzilla vs. Mothra (not entirely unexpected, since Battra was revealed last week) and also a new Godzilla based on his appearance inÂ Godzilla 2000. If you’ve never seen it, it’s actually one of the most entertaining Godzilla films out there, especially in the modern era. The dubbing is good because the film had an actual American release. It’s a great movie to introduce someone to Godzilla with.

I’m not a huge fan of the 2000 design. I prefer Godzilla’s traditional “leaf” spines to the crazy jagged projections; I don’t like the green skin; and I really dislike the rose-colored hue of the spikes. Fortunately, all of that is relatively downplayed on this figure, which is actually based on the original design maquette created by sculptor Yuji SakaiÂ during the development ofÂ Godzilla 2000.Â So while it’s not a realistic 1:1 translation of the movie design, it’s arguably cooler than that.

AndÂ they seem to have articulated the hell out of Goji this time around, right down to the fingers – we haven’t seen that on a SHMA figure yet.Â Sakai sculpts almost all the S.H.MonsterArts stuff and this is one of his favorite G designs to sculpt (for obvious reasons, since it was his design), so I’m not surprised it seems to have gotten a lot of love.

While I’m not a huge fan of this design – I was hoping for the “Kiryugoji” version, which is similar to this one but features charcoal skin and bone-colored spines – I’m finding myself pretty excited by this figure. It looks fantastic and badass. And I don’t have to worry about a red breath weapon, since I’ve already got one from the Godzilla effects pack.

Mothra I’m not quite as excited about. I really, really wanted a Showa Mothra to go with Godzilla 1964. However, I will concede that to anyone but the most detail-oriented fan, the difference between the 1964 Mothra and the 1992 Mothra is not something you would notice unless you had both of them side-by-side.Â

Poe’s Point > Thoughts on SDCC 2013, Part I: Tamashii Nations, NECA

By Poe

On July 23, 2013

In News, Poe's Point

Photo by Rustin Parr

First and foremost, I would like to offer my immense thanks to Ridureyu for working so hard to keep us all informed and up-to-date as possible on developments at SDCC. It allowed me to relax* a lot more and recharge my batteries before what I hope turns out to be a very busy August here on PoeGhostal.com. Please be sure to visit Nerditis, where Ridureyu writes regularly about toys.

And now, presented in no particular order, are my thoughts on the various news and reveals at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

SHMA AVP (update: confirmed)

By Poe

On July 17, 2013

In Miniposts

Rumor is Tamashii is going to reveal prototypes of S.H.MonsterArts Alien and Predator to gauge fan reaction.

I’m sure they’ll look fantastic and be super-articulated, but they’ll only be in scale with each other and they’ll cost 3-4x NECA’s stuff. Not sure how these will sell here in the U.S., although they still might sell better than the Godzilla stuff due to the larger fan audience.

Update: Alien vs. Predator S.H.MonsterArts confirmed, but to make it weirder, the designs are actuallyÂ from the movieÂ Alien vs. Predator, which seems like…not a good idea. If they’d gone with the design fromÂ AlienÂ or Aliens and/or the firstÂ Predator, I might have had to think about it. But figures from my least-favorite movie of either franchise?* Pass.

*Well, okay, maybe second-least-favorite, because I haven’t seen Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.

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