Toy Review: SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Rising Pegasus and Dragon

I'm almost complete with the Sh Figuarts Kuuga selection with Rising Pegasus and Dragon. Both figures came in a nice box art that was purchasable during the Tamashii Nations 2010 event last October 2010. It took me awhile before I actually got them and I'm about to tell you if both are worth the wait.

The Tamashii Nations box is a stone patterned art with Pegasus and Dragon's emblems. Inside the Tamashii Nations 2010 box are two more individual boxes that separate Pegasus and Dragon. Obviously, Pegasus' is green and Dragon's blue. Both boxes have silhouettes of the figures which are very unique from today's SHFs. If Bandai continues this pattern, we will see the same box arts that will be sold on upcoming Tamashii Nations events. 

Toy Review: SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Kuuga Rising Mighty

Coined officially as the first Kamen Rider of the Heisei Era, Kamen Rider Kuuga, he shares a lot of similarities with Ichigo and Nigo - its like coming back to its roots of the Kamen Rider. This also paved the way on how the treatment should be for the next generation of riders - themed, human and with a lot of beautiful transformations and firepower! That's why Kuuga remains as one of the most memorable Hsieh riders to date, in my opinion.

To add, he is one of the most number of power ups in a single show, you might think its decade but he only has 11. I won't consider Kamen Rider OOOs because its like changing hats.

Toy Review: DX Beat Chaser and Gouram

My first real epic Kamen Rider - related toy and a bike as well. It was selling on the local Ebay website a few weeks ago for a reasonable price. How reasonable? Well its like the price of a Toravendor (as of this post). I quickly bid on a nice bargain and waited the day of its arrival.

That epic day came.

The box of the DX Beat Chaser is very well colored, very detailed and huge! From front to back, it has all the goodies and gimmicks that toy could do. But my overwhelming surprise didn't end to its exterior box. The Beat Chaser to every bit a masterpiece and shouts KUUGA!!!. The wheels, spokes, spoilers, mufflers, engine front and back end of the single track motorbike are painted in shinny gold. The paint used is similar to the old Silver Hawks toys from the 90s - the kind that slowly chips off through the years (sigh).

Kuuga's emblem are found at the side of the gas tank and on top of the spoiler. The rest of the bike are in black with red lines near the silver or grey seat pad. You need three coin-type batteries to operate, the panel is on the seat cover. You need a Philips screwdriver to open it. After opening the switch underneath the front end, the joy come next in the form of a button behind the engine and when pressed, swifts you back in time when Godai was handed his steed for the first time.

Next is the Gouram, a mythical beast from who knows when. Arms do swivel and the horns go in and out. Wings do spread out more epically than an eagle. Grongi characters on his head do not pop out but it add to the whole look and feel of the life-size counterpart. Wait there's more. Gouram has its own stand that is sturdier than any Tamashii Stage. This stand has a very apparent shape like Kuuga's mark seen on his gloves.

What I like is that this toy came with a phone which has phrases recognizable from the show. With this, it puts you on the back seat of the action and remembering how the birth of Hsieh riders came to be - thanks to Kuuga.

Though I might say so many wonderful things about this toy, its not all perfect. To summarize these are the things I found out:

Cons: You need five batteries to operate this toy. The kick stand has no use to balance the bike and it tends to fold on its own especially in Beat Gouram mode. The latches that holds the Gouram in its form is flimsy so better be care full playing with it. Key pads on the phone don't work. Signal strength between the phone and the bike is laggy.

Pros. Design is very detailed. Recognizable phrases from the show. Gouram has its own stand. The stand design is amazing and very Kuuga-ish. The bike in Beat Gouram mode is astonishing. Paint apps are almost perfect. Even without the phone the bike can stand on its own as a toy. Perfect if you have SHF or Shocauku Henshin Kuuga figures. No need for extra hands for Kuuga.

Watch more info from the video below:

Toy Review: SH Figuarts Masked Rider Kuuga Amazing Mighty Form

 

SH Figuarts Kuuga Amazing Mighty is the one I've been waiting for since this one is hard to catch nowadays. I knew that it has Kuuga Rising Mighty's mold, I knew he had matte finish, I knew that in black he looks stunning. But all changed when I opened the box. But before I go through my very first WTF in SHF history. Let me go through the basics first.

As I've mentioned on top, SHF Amazing Mighty remold of Rising Mighty and Mighty form but in black. Instead of just one golden shin, this has two. Matte finish is pretty consistent with its Dark Kuuga counterparts. Think of it as mix of Rising Mighty, Mighty and Ultimate form...well he is isn't he..Nice sculpt, nice detail. Grongi details on the collar and on the shins do stand out in my opinion. Though the figure alone looks very much like Rising Mighty (but with small alterations) this alone made me feel I'm getting what I wanted, I knew I made the right choice. What else could go wrong? I spoke too soon and started slamming on my table, because I've been cheated.

Box design was decent - very SHF-ish, the toy is a dream and two pairs of extra hands.........what? There are only two pairs of interchangeable hands...WTF! I thought this was a Tamashii Web exclusive? Where did my money go? I tapped the box once again to assure myself that I was wrong, called the seller to check if I got the wrong item. Bandai oh Bandai. Then I fell on my knee raised my hands and shouted WHY?????????

Bandai cheated on me, they could have given extra hands like Ultimate form, a Tamashii stage like  Rising Ultimate, a greeting card from Godai Yuusuke, a signed autograph from the manufacturer but no. Nothing. Bandai justify this!!! For a web exclusive, why am I given just two extra hands, heck this is even worse than Agito. At least SHF Agito had an extra interchangeable mask and yet his is not an exclusive. I paid good money but given so less. This will haunt my wallet for a long time.

Oh ok, you want my verdict? Guess....ranting goes on, see my video below.

Toy Review: SH Figuarts Masked Rider Kuuga Ultimate Rising Form

The epitome of all of Kuuga's evolution - the Ultimate Rising form. Ultimate Rising is badass in every sense of it - like if Kuuga was in Dragon Ball, this is type Kai, the final transformation. For history's sake, Ultimate Rising made its debut on Kamen Rider Decade series, particularly on the last episode (or movie) wherein Yuusuke was possessed by Tsukasa's (Decade) younger sister and eventually able to wield the form on his own.

When I saw this form for the first time, I thought there's another transformation? Then I jumped in excitement like a little school girl.

This SH Figuarts Kuuga Ultimate Rising form at my first glance was a sight to behold. There are more thorns or horns protruding in almost every part of the figure, colored in gold - shining, shimmering, splendid. I got through the details of the golden arms, shoulder pads and horns on the helmet...I thought there is something lacking. Slowly, the gold paint was too much for me. In my opinion the vein-like design over those gold parts should have some sort of variety in color. It was a shame (well shame is a rough word), it didn't stand out and found that it was there until you actually have taken hold of it. Customizing it may be a solution.


 

But I was told on my Youtube channel that customizing the figure may ruin the figure. I agreed, because first, this is an exclusive figure so getting a new one just in case is cumbersome and expensive. Second customizing it doesn't guarantee that the finished product may not be what you wanted (well it depends). To each his own. Still, too much gold on this figure bothers me.

He has 7 interchangeable hands and a Tamashii Stage. The stage looks very plain in black. Bandai could have added some phrases (like SHF Ixa) from the show or a design that would signify that this is definitely exclusive for Kuuga UR. The dark compound eyes are very well done, dark enough to let you see the design underneath without ruining the whole concept of a devilish Kuuga.

Articulation on Kuuga UR are limited, because of those huge shoulder pads and thorny arms. It was difficult for me to maximize the potential of figure when I was taking photos and posing it to my liking. Only the head satisfied my appetite (this sounds wrong). Worst part is that when standing the figure straight, it is on a limp, he is tilting on his right side. I tried moving its legs to get it upright, but no senor.

Bandai is tricking us by producing the same figure, number of hands and other exclusive stuff with another Ultimate Rising - but with Red Eyes. They could have done the same with Ultimate form wherein aficionados are given an additional interchangeable mask all in one box. As a Kuuga fan, I'm in this dilemma whether I need to get the Red Eyes or not. But the concept of it is absolutely ridiculous. Again, to each his own. I already a little under satisfied how UR panned out. I won't fall for it twice. One is enough. Can I not reiterate it more?

In the end, you might get too excited on a figure that maybe be awesome. I'd rather hold back that feeling first until you've gotten it. Just don't get expectations so high.

Toy Review: SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Kuuga Ultimate Form

I had to say that Bandai was hitting the right spot when they released SH Figuarts Masked Rider Kuuga Ultimate form. This figure sets the tone on how generous Bandai could be for a specific toy line especially for a non-exclusive one. Ultimate form has 9 extra hands to compensate our lust for the figure - the fact that in the show, Kuuga in this form wields no weapons or special abilities but only a heightened strength. The toy also has an interchangeable green-eyed mask when, in proper lighting, the eyes look as dark as night. The mechanics of the mask is seemingly familiar with SHF Agito Ground Form. The slots and pegs, however are thin and susceptible to snapping it.

The toy is not really for kids because of the pointy thorn-like armor and small pose able hands that can easily be swallowed (not that i wanna chew on it). SHF Kuuga belongs to the first wave of SHFs that Bandai has released and I think that because of the success of selling Kuuga in the market paved the way for other successful SHF series such as IXA, D. Kiva, Double and alike. But not with Kabuto, until now I can still read reports that it continues to produce "bow-leggedness", despite that this SHF Kabuto series has been released and re-released (from my recall) thrice.

I still like hinges on the foot as it gives more balance in a certain stance. The problem is that over time hinges become loose thus making the figure more wobbly (heck if I am paying more than 3000 yen for a figure I would definitely take care of it). Grongi characters on the gloves change for every rising or ultimate form (well except for Rising Ultimate).

I've said it before that i like the dark version of Kuuga and I believe it suits him well. If I know someone who customizes figures for (ahem) reasonable price (when I say reasonable, it should cost me just a dime and a nickle) I'd rather have this figure in shinny black than matte black finish, but that is just me. I have a different concept of what Ultimate form should be but not would be as creative as Ishimori. The main attraction for me are the gold lines that highlight some of its parts. The paint job is clean well crafted. The jewel on the belt is now opaque as it would be on the show. Arms have a limited reach since they are hindered by those horny (take this literally ok?) shoulder pads that are tightly close to the torso. You can still lift those shoulder pads but it would look cumbersome when setting those on a 90 degree angle.

Some of the small nuisances are the loose ball joints/hinges on the arm. But it might be my figure only as some are satisfied on what they got.

In conclusion, not all SHF collectors would easily jump on this figure and would rather start first with other forms. But believe me, once you have your own Ultmate Kuuga, you'll slowly start to appreciate the beauty behind the beast.

Now on Spotlight - A toy enthusiast with an eye for photography

Kamen Rider Ichigo in Cyclone

Photography - I took a semester on it and didn't seem quite get the concept. Foreground, background, aperture, lens size, all that jazz - I just couldn't mix it all together and apply it in real life. Somehow, I passed the class with flying colors (a trade secret) a thing that I'm not ashamed of, it was fun anyway.

Though I lack the capability to hit the perfect snapshot of my subject, I do have the eye to spot a good photo. I wish I could do the same someday, with a little bit of tutoring, patience and practice I can mark myself as, at least a decent photographer.

SIC Ichigo

Ever since the advent of affordable SLRs/DSLRs (digital/single-lens reflex) it seems like everybody wants to be a photographer (or trying hard to be one). Every event I attended lately, there is a huge percentage of people using professional digital cameras than an easy-to-use point and shoot. Just like expensive mobile phones, having your own bulky camera is the new status quo. It is now a chick magnet for men to compensate the lack of moolah or to get their nice set of wheels.

With the brouhaha on digital cameras, only a few amateurs stand out and seamlessly integrate the love for photography and like me, a passion in collecting figures.

Jon San Pedro

I met Jon San Pedro in a theater organization back in the only Pontifical University in Asia (University of Santo Tomas, what "Pontifical" means, Google it). A usually meek person, not fitting for a guy of his size. Thanks to the social network and my curiosity of what everyone in my network is doing lately, i had the chance to get a glimpse of what Jon is now busy with. What caught my attention is the outstanding photo works he did with his action figures. Again, a dream I wish that would come into fruition one day. For me, Jon is rare breed of photographers who  share the same passion in collecting artistically sculpted figures and mechas but with an aptitude in photography.

Iron Man back to back

I sent a message to him the other day if I could feature his works in my humble blog. Like a good ol' friend he always was 12 years ago, he obliged to my request with a simple Q&A. Before I continue on, thank you Jon for marking my first interview. Now my site is becoming what I intended it to be - about people, places and events related to Tokumania.

FS: When did you had an interest in photography, what camera are you using?

JSP: I have always loved taking pictures since I was teenager but only took it seriously when I got my DSLR almost 2 years ago. Currently I’m using a Nikon D3000 with an 18-55 mm Kit lens and a 35 mm prime lens.

FS: What are your challenges in being an amateur photographer?

JSP: Equipment is always a challenge, but I would like to think of it as an opportunity to maximize one’s creativity. With the number of people getting into photography nowadays, it’s really challenging on how to set your self apart from the rest of the pack. You really need to work hard to get that distinct look and feel, your own visual signature as I would like to call it.

FS: When and how did your hobby in collecting masked rider toys start?

JSP: First and foremost, I have always been a mask rider fan. It started with Black (Kamen Rider Black) and I kinda backtracked to the first Kamen Rider (Ichigo) then Zo, this is way back in grade school. I rediscovered the franchise in my 20s when I bought the dvd for Agito, and that’s when I started buying SICs. (Super Imaginative Chogokin) Though due to unforeseen circumstances, I have already sold some of them.

FS: What is your greatest toy possession?

JSP: Though it’s not masked rider, I would say my 3 SOC Black Super Robots (Mazinger, Great Mazinger and Grandizer)

FS: What is your advice for like-minded people taking the same hobby as yours?

JSP: As early as possible, stick to one or 2 collections, if its Kamen Riders, then don’t spend on anything else…I know its really hard to do, take it from me, I’m still having a hard time following my own advise (LOL).

FS: If you were a masked rider, what would be your famous lines be?

JSP: The time has come for you to be undone…Henshin!

I believe that someday his passion will go miles. Good luck to you and more power.

Well done sir. Sugoi!

More Jon San Pedro amazing photos, subarashi!!

Iron Man

Halo Reach Boys

Ichigo in Black and White

Iron Man

You may catch his works at http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/jonsanpedrophotography

*All photos posted on this blog are with the permission of the owner

Hear YE Hear YE - The arrival of DX Beat Chaser and Gouram

Finally it has arrived. Watch my video to know what I'm talking about. Toy Review coming soon.

Amiami New Releases and Pre-Orders!!! as of 1/6/2011

Pre-order
S.I.C. Kiwami Tamashii Kamen Rider Agito Grand Form - 870 yen

S.I.C. Kamen Rider Kabuto Dark Kabuto & Gatack - 4,720 yen

Tokusatsu (Sci-Fi) Revoltech No.024 Iron Man Mk.VI - 2,150 yen

Kamen Rider OOO Trading Medal Collection BOX - 3,140 yen

Kamen Rider OOO Sticker Collection BOX - 2,350 yen

BB Senshi No.365 Sinanju Model Kit from Gundam UC - 730 yen

BB Senshi Sangokuden Anime Ver. 045 Shin Gouka Shoryutei Ryusou Ryubi Gundam Model Kit - 2,930 yen

S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider OOO SaGoZo Combo - 2,320 yen

S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider NEW Den-O Strike Form (Trilogy Ver.)- 2,540 yen

Kamen Rider OOO/000 DX Dress-Up Vol. 2 BOX (no pic available) - 3,350 yen
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Mini-pla Kaizoku Gattai Gokaioh BOX (no pic available) - 2,510 yen
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Ranger Key BOX (no pic available)- 1,670 yen

New Release

S.I.C. Kiwami Tamashii Kamen Rider Blade King Form - 870 yen

RHSOOO 05 Kamen Rider Birth - 580 yen

Real Action Heroes-505 DX Kamen Rider Axe (KAMEN RIDER DRAGON KNIGHT) - 14,350 yen

Produce Limited Yumi Sugimoto 3 Trading Card BOX - 5,030 yen

Figma Kamen Rider Dragon Knight - 2,380 yen

S.I.C. Vol.56 Kamen Rider Kuuga -Decade Edition - 4,350 yen

Chozokei Damashii SCAN HEROES Kamen Rider Vol.3 BOX - 2,900 yen