DSC_0989
A few weeks, the 80's Toy Show was held at the usual spot in Mississauga, ON. As per my tradition, I attended the show because I had nothing else to do, but also, if I entered at 11 am I'd essentially be paying $5 a person since my kid is still only 4 years old.
Unlike other times I've attended a show at this location (mostly 80's Toy or TFCon), I actually bought something. Just like all the times I end up with a con haul, it's usually something that really isn't on the radar of attendees. In my case, it was toys that weren't made in the 80's.
I ended up buying three things, the first of which is this figure right here.
So, I like buying cheap, well made toys. The only thing that gets me even more motivated is when I find cheap, well made toys with die cast metal in them.
Introducing Might Gaine, the primary mecha from The Brave Express Might Gaine series.
The Brave series is foreign to me. It apparently ran in Japan after the Transformers series had finished, with toys developed by Takara. Like Transformers, the series revolved around sentient robots, though I'm not sure if they were extra terrestrial in nature. Multiple lines were eventually developed under the Brave series, each featuring a main mecha that upgraded through combination with various allies they'd meet during their adventures.
Might Gaine here is a combiner that is formed from of several trains, with the arms being able to transform into other forms besides a train. None of which you will be seeing here, because this is a Super Robot Chogokin series, or SRC.
So, for the uninitiated, what is a SRC?
Well, imagine if Bandai made highly poseable action figures of various Super Robots, rather than transforming pieces like with the Soul of Chogokin line. That's pretty much the SRC line in a nutshell. Being a Chogokin, it features die cast metal and has a very high degree of articulation available. The line began in 2011 with Mazinger Z, and according to Wikipedia, has been dormant since Spring 2017. Other notable entries into the series include Daizyujin (aka the Megazord from MMPR), Dekaranger Robo (SPD Megazord), GoKaiOh (Super Megaforce Megazord) and Magiking (Mystic Force Megazord)... well I say notable because if you've never heard of any of the classic Anime Super Robos, these are probably the only ones you'd know.
The set itself comes with the main figure, various swords (known as Dou Rin Ken) which based on appearance probably represent power levels (with the exception of the one with the exaggerated proportions, as that one is meant for a visual 3D effect common in many anime), several additional hands, a handle for joining the two golden swords into one massive double bladed weapon, and a head that shows battle damage that is apparently a very common event in the Brave series.
You are further reminded that this is a Bandai product by the lovely adapter that reminds you that airborne poses are possible with this figure, but only if you purchase the appropriate stand, sold separately, of course.
I've never watched the show, as I've said, but my first impression is that the head seems a bit on the small side, making swapping out pieces a pain in the ass.
The abundance of joints on this figure make choosing your favourite pose a difficult task, though the head cannot tilt completely back, though you should be fine with what you have to work with. Furthermore, the head is on a joint, as is the neck piece itself, so you some additional range of motion due to that arrangement. Double jointed knees are nice to have as well, particularly if you do airborne poses. The figure does not appear to have any difficulty holding actual poses, despite the weight the various die cast parts add.
Speaking of die cast, the pieces are predominately found on the legs, which helps with stability of the figure.
Paint work on the SRC line is generally high quality, being a Bandai product and all, with the sole exception being the battle damage head, which has an ugly smear on it. Detailing on the figure itself is pretty consistent with what I would expect to find on an animation model - major details are there, but you wouldn't really find many small details. Of course, being a relatively small figure means that even if you had some minor details, the size of this one would probably make those details disappear anyway.
Overall, I think even if you're not familiar with the Super Robot world, but can appreciate good engineering in your figures, you'll probably find something to like in the SRC series. Even the "classic" figures made in 2011 are probably packed with impressive features. Further pros include the fact that unless it was some super rare convention exclusive, I don't think the SRC figures are particularly expensive to track down, though I could be bias biased due to my success at negotiating.
DSC_0989
A few weeks, the 80's Toy Show was held at the usual spot in Mississauga, ON. As per my tradition, I attended the show because I had nothing else to do, but also, if I entered at 11 am I'd essentially be paying $5 a person since my kid is still only 4 years old.
Unlike other times I've attended a show at this location (mostly 80's Toy or TFCon), I actually bought something. Just like all the times I end up with a con haul, it's usually something that really isn't on the radar of attendees. In my case, it was toys that weren't made in the 80's.
I ended up buying three things, the first of which is this figure right here.
So, I like buying cheap, well made toys. The only thing that gets me even more motivated is when I find cheap, well made toys with die cast metal in them.
Introducing Might Gaine, the primary mecha from The Brave Express Might Gaine series.
The Brave series is foreign to me. It apparently ran in Japan after the Transformers series had finished, with toys developed by Takara. Like Transformers, the series revolved around sentient robots, though I'm not sure if they were extra terrestrial in nature. Multiple lines were eventually developed under the Brave series, each featuring a main mecha that upgraded through combination with various allies they'd meet during their adventures.
Might Gaine here is a combiner that is formed from of several trains, with the arms being able to transform into other forms besides a train. None of which you will be seeing here, because this is a Super Robot Chogokin series, or SRC.
So, for the uninitiated, what is a SRC?
Well, imagine if Bandai made highly poseable action figures of various Super Robots, rather than transforming pieces like with the Soul of Chogokin line. That's pretty much the SRC line in a nutshell. Being a Chogokin, it features die cast metal and has a very high degree of articulation available. The line began in 2011 with Mazinger Z, and according to Wikipedia, has been dormant since Spring 2017. Other notable entries into the series include Daizyujin (aka the Megazord from MMPR), Dekaranger Robo (SPD Megazord), GoKaiOh (Super Megaforce Megazord) and Magiking (Mystic Force Megazord)... well I say notable because if you've never heard of any of the classic Anime Super Robos, these are probably the only ones you'd know.
The set itself comes with the main figure, various swords (known as Dou Rin Ken) which based on appearance probably represent power levels (with the exception of the one with the exaggerated proportions, as that one is meant for a visual 3D effect common in many anime), several additional hands, a handle for joining the two golden swords into one massive double bladed weapon, and a head that shows battle damage that is apparently a very common event in the Brave series.
You are further reminded that this is a Bandai product by the lovely adapter that reminds you that airborne poses are possible with this figure, but only if you purchase the appropriate stand, sold separately, of course.
I've never watched the show, as I've said, but my first impression is that the head seems a bit on the small side, making swapping out pieces a pain in the ass.
The abundance of joints on this figure make choosing your favourite pose a difficult task, though the head cannot tilt completely back, though you should be fine with what you have to work with. Furthermore, the head is on a joint, as is the neck piece itself, so you some additional range of motion due to that arrangement. Double jointed knees are nice to have as well, particularly if you do airborne poses. The figure does not appear to have any difficulty holding actual poses, despite the weight the various die cast parts add.
Speaking of die cast, the pieces are predominately found on the legs, which helps with stability of the figure.
Paint work on the SRC line is generally high quality, being a Bandai product and all, with the sole exception being the battle damage head, which has an ugly smear on it. Detailing on the figure itself is pretty consistent with what I would expect to find on an animation model - major details are there, but you wouldn't really find many small details. Of course, being a relatively small figure means that even if you had some minor details, the size of this one would probably make those details disappear anyway.
Overall, I think even if you're not familiar with the Super Robot world, but can appreciate good engineering in your figures, you'll probably find something to like in the SRC series. Even the "classic" figures made in 2011 are probably packed with impressive features. Further pros include the fact that unless it was some super rare convention exclusive, I don't think the SRC figures are particularly expensive to track down, though I could be bias biased due to my success at negotiating.