My Shiny Toy Robots

Anime Review #41: Strike Witches

2012-02-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

Moe girls, magic and fighter planes collide in a battle for the planet against alien lifeforms in Strike Witches! After starting out as a short preview OVA in early 2007, Strike Witches went on to have a 12-episode series in 2008 and then a sequel series in 2010, also comprised of 12-episodes. This review will look at both seasons of the anime.

Strike Witches is set on an alternate Earth during the midst of World War 2. Only here the enemies aren't Nazis, instead it is the Neuroi - an alien lifeform which began their widespread invasion of Earth in the year 1939. Unable to battle the threat of the Neuroi alone, the army employs witches (or magical girls if you'd prefer) to fight for the planet. When using their magic powers, each girl grows and pair of animal ears and a tail (why exactly is never explained) and fights in aerial combat via the use of a striker unit - plane-like machines which attach to the legs and amplify strength, speed and magic power.

After noticing her magical ability, Major Mio Sakamoto offers Yoshika Miyafuji the chance to join the aerial infantry dedicated to battling the Neuroi. Despite initially refusing her offer, Yoshika receives a letter from her presumed dead father, in which he is seen with a striker unit and a young Mio. Wishing to protect people, Yoshika accepts her offer and joins the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, or the Strike Witches. Along with the Major and Yoshika taking up the rank of Sargent, the rest of the Strike Witches are;

Lieutenant Colonel Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke - commanding officer
Captain Gertrud (Trude) Barkhorn - quiet, but efficient
First Lieutenant Erica Hatmann - Lazy, but Karlsland's 200 victory 'ultra ace'
Captain Charlotte (Shirley) E. Yeager - Speed demon and thrill seeker
Ensign Francesca Lucchini - The hyperactive youngest member of the group
First Lieutenant Sanya V. Litvyak - The quiet, nocturnal radar
First Lietenant Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen - A girl with the power to see the future
First Lieutenant Perrine Closterman - Initial rival to Yoshika with an unhealthy attachment to the Major
Master Sergeant Lynette Bishop - The Witches' sniper and closest to Yoshika

Our protagonists.

Together the unit battle the Neuroi and eventually liberate Britannia, leading to their disbandment. But six months later, Venesia is attacked by an even stronger Neuroi threat and the Witches are called into action once again.

The nations from which the main characters hail are also based on major world powers of the time, but with different names and altered territories. Japan is known as Fuso Empire, the United States of America is the United States of Liberion, Germany is Imperial Karlsland, France is Gallia, Great Britain is the Commonwealth of Britannia, Austria is Ostmark, the Soviet Union is the Orussia Empire, modern Italy is split between the Duchies of Romagna and Venezia, Finland is Suomus, Norway and Sweden are Baltland, New Germany (Argentina) is Neue Karlsland in South Liberion, and Spain Hispania. The show also makes several references to tactics and machinery used in WW2.

Yoshika Miyafuji - alien ass kicker.

The first season offers a lot of promise, but doesn't quite answer a lot of the series' more interesting questions. Who or what the Neuroi are is never properly explored, and instead the audience is just expected to accept that they're here and they're dangerous. However the human characters receive excellent characterisation, if a little unbalanced (this is fixed in the second season however). Each character have their own distinctive personalities and tend to pair off in the show, but they all play off each other nicely and are more like a family than a fighter unit. There are a few duds when it comes to the one-shot stories, but all help to build up the relationship between the extensive main cast. The aerial battles are superb, fast-paced and give an excellent feel of hot-shot pilots on the battlefield. It certainly saves the best for last, with the final aerial battle blowing the rest out of the sky!

The second season saw production of the show move from Gonzo to AIC Spirits, but this doesn't really affect the art quality of the show other than a more gratuitous use of CGI for the ships (and sometimes the witches mid-flight). After what seemed like a good closing note in the first season, the reformation of the Strike Witches does come across as a little abrupt. On the whole the plot is weaker than its predecessor, with more focus going on one-shot character-centric episodes rather than the overarching story, which only really has a dominant presence in the first and last few episodes. However the other plot line, concerning Mio and how she is gradually losing her powers, is much better and adds a lot more to her character, only cementing her as my firm favourite in the show.

The fanservice in its tamest form.

Saving one of the key factors until last, its time to talk about the fanservice. As you've probably guessed from images, Strike Witches is a show with incredible levels of fanservice. Right from the get-go its apparent that trousers are alien to the witches, essentially making the show one giant panty shot. Although one could assume this allows the characters easier access to their striker units (and I'm sure there is an official explanation somewhere), this issue is never addressed in the show and so characters go about their day to day business in their underwear without batting an eyelid. There are also obligatory beach episodes in each season, and both also have an episode dedicated to the characters wearing their underwear as little as possible. Bath scenes are aplenty (with breasts galore in the uncut versions), with some of the characters showing off a perverted streak (Yoshika and Lucchini) resulting in plenty of groping. Strike Witches has a plot without it, but it's fair to share the show was made with presenting as much opportunity for fanservice as it humanly possible.

Relevant.

Your enjoyment of Strike Witches will mostly depend on the levels of tolerance you have for fanservice. If fanservice is what you look for in a show, you will LOVE this. If you can tolerate it, then there's some great character building in the show behind a decent plot which, while could have done with a little more fleshing out, is an interesting spin on the events of WW2. If you hate fanservice, you'll hate this show. Strike Witches isn't a flawless series by any means, but it's much better than most people will give it credit for. With a feature film due for release later this year, I personally am looking forward to more aerial adventures from the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, trousers or no trousers.

The Toybox #62: Doctor Who Classics Emperor Dalek Davros & Destroyed Imperial Dalek 2-pack

2012-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

While last year saw the release of the excellent "Remembrance of the Daleks" box set, it was missing one key element. There were also box set releases for the rest of the stories Davros, the Daleks' creator, appeared in - from Genesis all the way to Revelation. These four sets all had a Davros figure included, so the following figure was the next logical step. The third 'Remembrance' figure pack (after the 7th Doctor/Dalek 2-pack and the aforementioned box set) finally sees Davros released in his guise as the Imperial Emperor Dalek. But he is not packaged alone, and is included with the destroyed Imperial Dalek that appeared in part 3 of the story. This set is a Forbidden Planet exclusive in the UK.

The Emperor Dalek dome is nicely detailed, however the visor hexagon is a clear plastic window rather than an accurate viewing screen. I found this particularly disappointing, since one aspect I liked about the emperor design was the eye screen with moving line (as pictured here). Not only does this window make the figure look like the screen has been deactivated, but in certain light it is also possible to see Davros peeping inside the casing. The front section of the dome can be lifted to reveal Davros...or what's left of him anyway. The headsculpting detail is excellent, capturing the mask Terry Molloy used in 1988 nicely, but the body section isn't quite as impressive. The detail on the wiring that covers Davros is a sloppy collection of paint apps, most not covering the actual moulding. Davros has zero points of articulation, not even a neck joint.

One minor complaint is that mine suffers from a few paint scuffs, such as splashes of gold paint on the skirt and a black mark on the back of the dome (both of which are particularly noticeable on the ivory colouring). Of course, this may just be a one off incident and could vary between sets.

While the Dalek mutant has an articulated claw (complete with metal prosthetic details as mentioned in the series) but arguably some artistic liberty has been taken on the sculpt. While the mutant itself is never fully revealed in the episode, the figure has a mutant more akin to the ones seen in the modern series, complete with brain detailing and single eye. Regardless, the mutant is nicely detailed, as the ooze surrounding it and the charred Dalek mid-section.

How good this set is depends on a variety of factors. The 2-pack costs a grand total of £29.99, so equally divided the figures cost around £15 each. This is an awful lot when you consider that a) the previous Dalek packs were £35 each, and included FOUR figures, b) both figures have very limited motion and c) in some cases the accuracy/quality may be less than stellar. Dalek/Davros fans will certainly be happy by the release, but I can't help feel that I would have preferred a cheaper single Davros release...but unfortunately it seems Character Options doesn't work in single packs any more. Still, it's great to finally have all the versions of Davros released and at last an emperor Dalek, fingers crossed that Character are at work on an 'Evil of the Daleks' emperor and then maybe one day a TV21 comics Emperor....

...okay that will probably never happen. But let a man dream.

The Toybox #61: Bandai Super Robot Chogokin Dekaranger Robo

2012-02-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but better late than never. Today's review is of the third Super Sentai mecha to be entered into the Super Robot Chogokin line (following on from ShinkenOh and GokaiOh). Dekaranger Robo hails from the 28th Super Sentai series Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger and will also be known to Power Rangers S.P.D. fans as the Delta Squad Megazord.

Like the other SRC Sentai mecha, this cannot be split into its component parts, instead trading that and size for superior articulation. And that it has - Dekaranger Robo has a full range of motion in its head, shoulders, arms, hands, waist, legs and feet. The sculpt is excellent, with the standard inclusion of diecast in the legs to give the figure a little weight. Dekaranger Robo is a predominantly white mecha so the toy has some nice uniformity, but still retains the multicoloured aspect that makes the Sentai mecha so appealing. There are also a few extra gimmicks implemented, including is an opening panel on the figure's right leg (the Patrailer), just like the compartment the Signal cannon comes from in the show. Another is a hinged shield piece on the left arm (the Patsigner), meaning it can also replicate the "judgement" pose (albeit without innocent and guilty symbols).

There are plenty of accessories included to appease both Dekaranger and general mecha fans alike. We have Dekaranger Robo's two signature weapons - the Judgement sword and Signal Cannon, along with the gyro wappa, judgement sword hilt (which can be attached to the right arm as additional cannons), seven additional hands, one of which is a brilliant 'thumbs up' hand and a blasting effect part for the signal cannon. Early runs of the figure also come with separately packaged "boost effect" parts, which are giant spiky pieces of translucent plastic that are a bit confusing to display properly. They aren't character specific though, so could feasibly used with any figure, even ones from different toy lines.

In addition to what I've already listed, SRC Dekaranger Robo also includes some additional parts meant for GokaiOh. In order to transform your SRC GokaiOh into DekaGokaiOh, a Patstriker patrol car along with machine gun pieces are packaged within the tray (not as a first wave exclusive). Since I don't own GokaiOh there aren't any pictures included in this review, but if you're interested in seeing the figure a picture can be seen here.

I was a bit disappointed by ShinkenOh for his price, but with Dekaranger Robo its like Bandai went and fixed all those flaws. A hefty figure with plenty of details, hidden features and a great range of accessories for both himself and GokaiOh, with SRC Dekaranger Robo you're getting far more bang for your buck and enough to forget about the fact the figure lacks the combining gimmick of the larger DX version. If this is the quality of the SRC Sentai mecha to come, bring on Magiking.

Alex's Customs #9: Dalek Zeg

2012-02-04T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is a custom I've wanted to do for god knows how long, but the fact classic 1964 Daleks don't come cheap on eBay hasn't sped the process along. Anyway I finally managed to get one for a reasonable price and have created what was not only one of (if not the) first red Daleks in Dalek history, but also the first Dalek ever to have a given name. I present to you...Zeg the invincible!

In the TV21 comic strip he originated from, Zeg was a Dalek inventor who conducted experiments to strengthen the Daleks' Dalekanium casing. After a lab accident he went through a transformation that made him almost invincible. He named his new red casing 'Metalert'.

Believing he should rule the Daleks, Zeg challenged the Emperor for supremacy. Untouched by even the black Dalek (the emperor's second in command) it was decided that both the emperor and Zeg should duel to the death. In an intense battle through the landscapes of Skaro, Zeg withstood attacks from both acid and mercury. He was eventually killed when the emperor froze him with liquid oxygen, the extreme cold freezing Zeg and then crushing him upon contact with heat.

This custom was done using a Character Options classic 1964 Dalek as a base, and then using Humbrol red enamel paint and Revell gold enamel. I am extremely pleased with the outcome, as its the most extensive repainting I've ever done to a Dalek. The downside is I now really want to get a few more classic Daleks to make some TV21 drones, and that won't come cheap!

The TV Times #18: Power Rangers Mystic Force

2012-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Power Rangers Mystic Force is the 14th season in the Power Rangers franchise, adapted from the series Mahou Sentai Magiranger and following on from Power Rangers S.P.D. The season ran for 32 episodes during 2006.

Twenty years ago, a parallel dimension where magic flourishes was attacked by the forces of darkness. An army of the monsters, led by the powerful Morticon, swarmed the land with the intention of taking over the magical dimension and our own. The Mystics battled valiantly against overwhelming odds until they drove the evil back from the edge of the human world. The strongest wizard of all, Leanbow, cast a spell and sent the evil warriors into the Underworld, having the Gatekeeper seal the gates for all eternity. Or so they thought...

In present day, the city of Briarwood is struck by an earthquake which cracks the seal holding the darkness underground. The sorceress Udonna, seeks out the warriors of legend - five teens living in Briarwood, to become Power Rangers alongside her. When she loses her Mystic Force ranger powers the evil but honourable Koragg the Knight Wolf, it is up to Nick, Chip, Madison, Vida, and Xander to save the Earth on their own.

Eventually they are joined by legendary knight Daggeron (the Solaris Knight) and his genie cat Jenji. But who is the mysterious Koragg? And when connects him with both Udonna and Nick?

There is an excellent team dynamic in Mystic Force but I felt when viewed separately none of the characters have anything particularly outstanding to offer Nick takes a while to come into his own but is an archetype red ranger through and through. Xander initially started out as my favourite member of the team but his focus episodes only served to quash any like for him, and Chip got a few laughs from me but is very much the average member of the team. Sisters Vida (or V) and Madison (Maddie) are more or less the opposites of each other. V is rather tomboyish and makes for a slightly different take on the pink ranger (she hates the colour, but accepts it more as the show goes on) and Maddie, while more compassionate, is rather dull. As the series progresses the focus becomes heavier and heavier on Nick, and individual characterisation and the team element do suffer a little from it.

Mystic Force also has a huge range of side characters on offer, and that is both a good and bad thing. Along with Udonna there is also record store owner Toby, sorceress-in-training Clare, the comedic but wise troblin Phineas, and finally Necrolai's daughter Leelee. While all the characters do eventually play an important part in the story and come together nicely at the very end of the series, for the most part their main use is for comic relief. Toby's inclusion adds a nice bit of real-world element to the series but his scenes are completely unnecessary, and I spent the first few episodes of Leelee's introduction wondering who on Earth she was (not that she was Necrolai's daughter as that was a plot twist, more the fact she came out of nowhere). Clare starts off as the worst 'comic' character as them all but gradually builds something far better and Phineas feels like the Piggy-esque character of the show, but wholly good. Speaking of Piggy from S.P.D, he makes a nice little cameo in one of the episodes to make up for the lack of a team-up in the season.

There are a lot of villains on show in Mystic Force, and while the quality of them is far from lacking sadly there isn't really enough episodes to do them justice. Morticon doesn't really do anything at all and is swiftly replaced by Imperious, who is probably the best villain in the season and a great "hero turned true evil" character. Finally there are the Ten Terrors, who are the main antagonists for the final portion of the show. But with only 9 episodes left when they are introduced some of them do fall a little short in the characterisation department. Thankfully, Koragg the Knight Wolf proves to be an excellent villain all the way through. His code of honour and later revelation and redemption make him possibly the most notable character of the show, and his story culminates nicely in a battle between him and his good self, the Wolf Warrior.

Like its Sentai counterpart, the zords in Mystic Force are not robots, but transformed versions of the rangers themselves. The Mystic titans display in interesting variety in zord size, and come complete with two interesting and unique combinations (the Mystic Dragon and Titan Megazord). Solaris Knight's Solar Streak Megazord is more the usual fare for Power Rangers, but is still impressive. The second mecha (the Manticore megazord) is made up from the Mystic Firebird (formed by the red ranger) and the Mystic Lion (formed by the other four). Its transformation sequence is impressive, but it isn't really a patch on the Titan Megazord. Finally Koragg has his own megazord formation, which is also replicated by Nick on a few instances. Nick also does it with a unicorn zord, but that comes completely out of nowhere and is only used once.

Finally we come to the aesthetics of Mystic Force. The series is notable for being the only Power Rangers series (thus far) where the rangers have had capes, and the suits look good in both regular and the powered-up legend modes. Mystic Force also boasts one of the best battlizers in Power Rangers, created by combining the red ranger with Fire Heart the dragon. Not only is the battlizer very fitting with the Mystic Force aesthetic, but it's importance is something that's carried through the majority of the show rather than appearing as a power-up in a one-shot episode.

To begin with the series does lay the magic clichés on a little heavy. Places have names like Briarwood and Rootcore (the rangers base of operations inside a tree) and there's everything from magic wands and brooms to goblins and medieval villages. It does seem like Disney tried a little too hard to say "THIS IS A MAGIC DIMENSION" but it does help display the stark difference between the two dimensions. It's a very difference aesthetic for Power Rangers (a LOT of woodland battles), but one I feel it ultimately benefits from.

As a huge fan of Magiranger I went into Mystic Force expecting the worst given its reputation, but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes the series has some obvious flaws, is a bit short and tries too hard in some areas, but it's still particularly enjoyable and makes some very nice additions to the established Sentai plotline. While it may not be the best of the Disney seasons, it's far from the worst. From what I've seen, I'd consider Mystic Force the most underrated PR season and definitely deserves some love once in a while.

Anime Review #40: Invincible Superman Zambot 3

2012-01-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

As the creator of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, Yoshiyuki Tomino is a name that is synonymous with both the mecha genre and anime as a whole. But before Tomino created Gundam, in 1977 he created a 23 episode series named 'Invincible Superman Zambot 3'. While this show may not be anywhere near as famous as his other works, it undeniably had an influence on them and also other shows of the genre that followed.

On the face of things the plot seems fairly generic for a 70s super robot show - the space aliens Gaizok are invading the Earth, their leader (the awesomely) named Killer the Butcher. In the past the Gaizok destroyed the planet Beal, with the survivors fleeing to Earth. In the present day, there are three related families that are descendants of the Beals, who defend the Earth using technology passed onto them by their ancestors. In order to battle the Gaizok Mecha Boosts, 12 year old Kappei Jin and his 2 cousins pilot three weapons that can combine into the titular mecha Zambot 3.

The twist in the story is that instead of being hailed as heroes, the Jin family are condemned by the people of Earth, who blame them for the Gaizok's arrival and the death and destruction that followed. Anyone expecting Zambot 3 to be a light hearted Super Robot show with few real consequences will be in for a surprise - the world is left in ruins, people die left right and centre and climactic final battle is particularly brutal.

The Zambot 3 mecha is made up of three components - Kappei's Zambird (which can transform into its own robot mode, the Zambo Ace), male cousin Uchūta Kamie's Zambull and female cousin Keiko Kamikita's Zambase. The combined form is not an awful design by any stretch of the imagination, but its not a particularly memorable one, and could easily get lost among the many other red, blue and white mecha that had their own series at the time. Piloting-wise I was disappointed to find that control of the mecha pretty much always solely relied on Kappei, with the two cousins doing very little from what I could tell (Keiko's cockpit was in the robot's crotch).

While having young pilots certainly adds more gravity to the "WAR IS BAD" tone of the series, it makes the protagonists rather unlikeable. Kappei spends most of the show as an annoying brat, and the same goes for his rival, local gang leader Shingo Kōzuki. Kōzuki is the character that in some ways spearheads the animosity toward the Jin family, but when watching I found it hard to accept his point of view when he was just as stubborn about issues as Kappei. It is only after the two come to blows on several occasions that they begin to see each other's way of thinking and thus become more bearable as characters. But as far as the plot is concerned, the show never lets you forget that these are children who have been thrust into a war zone.

But Zambot 3's biggest weakness is without a doubt its villains. Other than managing to churn out a new monster every episode, the Gaizok never come across as a particularly huge threat. Killer the Butcher in no way lives up to his name, and spends 99.9% of his scenes as nothing more than one big joke. From singing in the bath and holding his own personal rock concert to trying on jewellery and perfume, NOTHING about this character screams 'threatening'. Even when the Gaizok move away from their tactic of throwing out a different monster every week to something far more deadly, Butcher and his lackies remain a comedy joke that feel completely out of place in the show.

Another smaller complaint is that, the fact it's obviously dated aside, the animation is particularly inconsistent. It's the usual fare of changing backdrops/colours and badly animated mouths, but that doesn't make it more easy on the eyes to watch, especially when there were shows around this time that were better animated.

Zambot 3 isn't a brilliant show, the combination of a brutal, gritty plot and a monster of the week format don't gel together well and the result is something that doesn't live up to the full potential of either style. It is however a very interesting watch, its themes certainly original at the time and still holding up particularly well today. If you're a fan of the mecha/super robot genre and don't mind a bit of dated animation, it may be in your best interests to check this show out.

The TV Times #17: Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger

2012-01-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

Back in 2001 the Super Sentai franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary with the 51-episode series Hyakujuu (Hundred Beast) Sentai Gaoranger, following on from the previous year's Mirai Sentai Timeranger. One thousand years ago, a war raged between the human race and the demonic Org Tribe. With the help of the Power Animals, the ancient Gao Warriors were able to defeat the Orgs and seal them away. Then, in present day (or 2001) the Orgs reawaken and five individuals are chosen by the Power Animals to become Gaorangers. But to do so they must give up their names and ordinary lives, living on an island in the sky and referring to each other by colour rather than name. Midway through the series they encounter Rouki, a wolf Org sealed for a thousand years who is actually possessing the body of Tsukumaro Ohgami, an ancient Gao Warrior who used the evil dark wolf mask to gain strength to defeat the Orgs, but became cursed by it in the process. After breaking the curse, he joins the team as the sixth Gaoranger, Gao Silver.

While none of Gaoranger's protagonists are outright bad, none of them really stood out from the other or from any other Sentai hero. Red (Kakeru Shishi) is initially hot headed but gradually falls in his role of leader, while Yellow (Gaku Washio) is more aloof but becomes accepting of Red's leadership. Blue (Kai Samezu) and Black (Sotaro Ushigome) spend most of their time as some sort of comedy double act, and White (Sae Taiga) is actually one of the more competant female fighters I've seen. Silver has a lot of focus during and after the Rouki arc, but after its said and done he sort of just slots into the background without anything making him truly stand out other than that he's from the past. But my biggest problem was that while referring to them by colour helps emphasise the lives they've given up in order to become Gaorangers, I can't deny that it made me feel a little less attached to them. I've only watched the series once, and without looking them up I can't honestly remember ANY of their real names.

The suit aesthetic was great, the gold sashes complimenting the suit colours well and striking helmet designs. The retractable claws on the gloves were an excellent touch for the "wild" look, and were not only used for extra effect but also as weaponry (particularly by GaoWhite). Alone the weapons weren't much to look at (White had a baton, and Red had some glove things that could also strangely turn into a gun) but together they were a little better.

The series technically has no 'main' antagonist, instead the role of lead villain is split among different Highness Orgs in multiple story arcs. The first is the Shuta arc, which is followed by the lengthy Ura arc (although this has the Rouki arc sandwiched inside it), followed by the Rasetsu arc and finally a short final arc involving all three generals and the combination of them - Senki, the King of all Orgs. For me, this is where the series really fell short, as none of the Highness Orgs are particularly good. Shuta doesn't really achieve anything of great note, which Ura (who in fairness does probably achieve the most out the three) is overshadowed by the much more interesting Rouki. Rasetsu however is one of the worst villains I've ever seen, being primarily occupied with eating (he even captures Tetom JUST so she can cook for him). Not only that, but none of them look that good either - while they have a different aesthetic from the standard Orgs (body parts instead of technology - Shuta is eyes, Ura nose and Rasetsu mouths) they would still look little more than monsters of the week in any other series. Senki has a much better "big bad" feel about him, but his arrival (coupled with the rather anticlimactic and dull final episode) are a little too late.

Tsuetsue and Yabaiba, duke Orgs and the series lackies, are quite well rounded at the start, posing a competent threat to the Gaorangers and sharing rivalries with GaoWhite and GaoYellow respectively. Mid-way into the series they tend to delve more into comic-relief territory, but once again become more interesting as Tsuetsue is betrayed by her masters.

Gaoranger displays an excellent array of mecha, boasting one of the largest amount in Super Sentai. There are a total of four main mecha (GaoKing, GaoMuscle, GaoIcarus and Silver's GaoHunter) and then a variety of special versions (such as GaoCentaurus and GaoGod) and limb changes. These limb changes had very uninspired names, such as 'GaoKing Another Arm' but added a little bit more variety to the mecha fights, which can always potentially become a bit dry over the course of 50 odd episodes. One combination I wasn't too fond of however was the Striker formation (using GaoMadillo and GaoRhinos as the legs), because the finisher involved kicking the armadillo like a football, complete with mecha doing football tricks in a shoddy CGI stadium. In an animal-themed series, not only did it look horrible, but it also felt completely out of place.

Which neatly brings me on to my final two complaints about the Gaoranger aesthetic. The first being their mode of transformation, which was a mobile phone (a feature that would go on to recur repeatedly in Super Sentai). Not necessarily a bad thing, but a little odd given the series is so focused on natural wild animals and has a rather clear environmental message. Finally would be GaoSilver's finisher, which involved him playing pool with his animal jewels. It's certainly different, but that didn't change the fact I thought it still looked stupid.

As this was an anniversary series, Gaoranger also included the first "Vs. Super Sentai" movie (which would return for the 30th anniversary/Boukenger and under a slightly different name for the 35th/Gokaiger). While the film brings back a lot of old faces, its severely dampened by the fact about half of the footage is clips from older series. This is ESPECIALLY noticeable during the "all Red rangers" scene, which in many ways should have been one of if not the crowning points of the movie. A clip show can be okay now and again, but a 1 hour 10 minute one is stretching it a bit.

Gaoranger is enjoyable series, but in comparison to all the Super Sentai series' I've seen thus far it's pretty average. The mecha, music and aesthetic (for the most part) are excellent, but the awful villains and so-so protagonists really make the series drag after the superb Rouki arc (and even moreso once the Rasetsu arc kicks in). The good really does equal the bad, but as a 25th anniversary series it does fall a little short of the mark.

The Toybox #60: S.H. Figuarts Gokai Yellow

2012-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

With all of the mass release Gokaiger figuarts out of the way until Gokai Silver's release at the end of the month, it's time to move onto the two black sheep of the Gokaiger figuarts line - Gokai Yellow and Gokai Pink. Unlike their male team mates, the two girls have been relegated to Bandai Tamashii Web exclusives, meaning not only are they around double the price of the other figures but anyone living outside of Japan would need to buy them via eBay or a middleman service. Unless these two happen to be your favourite characters, I can imagine they'll only really catch the eye of those planning to collect all of the Gokaigers.

Being a girl, Gokai Yellow obviously sports a different sculpt to Red, Blue and Green. Aside from the obvious feminine proportions and the addition of a skirt, the figure is noticeably shorter than those that have come before her. The gold trimming is much less striking on top of yellow than any other colour, but as a whole she is on par with the rest of the team released so far.

Due to the posing limitations of the skirt, Bandai have offered an alternative (like they did with the three female Shinkenger figures) in the form of a three piece skirt (a main piece, and then two separate hip pieces). While still made of soft plastic, the detached hip pieces mean the legs can move freely about for some of the more dynamic posing (and if you plan to use some of Yellow's accessories, you're gonna need it). Changing the skirt involves removing separating the torso from the legs and then unhooking the one piece skirt. The main piece then attaches in the same place, while the hip pieces attach at tiny plugs on the legs. While the plugs are small, the pieces fit nice and tightly.

I'm not sure whether being an exclusive has anything to do with it, but Gokai Yellow sports a particularly impressive set of accessories alongside her alternate skirt. Along with ten extra hands and the usual Gokaiger fare of Gokai Saber, gun, alternate 'Final Wave' weapon barrels, mobirates and 'sneeze and you'll lose them' ranger keys, Yellow also comes with both of her signature weapons from the show. The first of which is the double bladed Gokai Saber, made up of two swords stuck together (although on this figure its one solid piece). Like the single sword the key barrel is movable, however two 'final wave' barrels are not included (I'd put this down to the fact she's never had a final wave using the weapon).

The second weapon is much more interesting - her wired Gokai saber. The weapon itself is just the standard blade, however it is attached to a bendable wire with a handle at the end. The wire itself is particularly strong, and so retains any outstretched sword poses excellently (although balancing the figure during these may be a different issue entirely). The only downside is that only ONE of the blades is included with Yellow, while most of the time on the show she is shown using two. Since you're paying extra for Yellow its a little disappointing that she doesn't come with two, but its hard not to argue that the wire trick is still a ridiculously fun addition. Solicitations for Gokai Pink have suggested she may also come packaged with a wire saber (although this is yet to be confirmed), so all might not be lost if you are planning to pick up the whole set.

And of course, Yellow also comes with her Gokai Darin, only this time its packaging is a little different. Since Yellow is an exclusive and therefore unlikely to ever see reissue, the wheel is packaged within the actual figure box rather than separately. There's little to say about the wheel I haven't already said in my Gokai Blue and Green reviews, other than the fact its yellow...but it is nice to be one step closer to completing a GokaiOh cockpit display.

It's a shame Bandai decided to make the girls exclusives but if you're prepared to pay the mark up for Gokai Yellow you won't be disappointed. Sporting good proportions for a feminine figure, an interesting posing mechanic for the skirt and (in my opinion) possibly the best range of accessories for any Gokaiger bar Green's Navi, Yellow is yet another excellent figure from the line. If the rumours of the second wired Gokai Saber coming with Gokai Pink turn out to be true, then she'll be even better.

Two more to go!

The Toybox #59: Nendoroid #161 Stocking

2012-01-06T04:26:00.000-08:00

The second nendoroid I'm going to review (and funnily enough, also the only other nendo I own) is the second of the Panty and Stocking ones - this time Panty's goth lolita, sword wielding, cake loving sister Stocking.

While both small and super deformed, the sculpt of the figure is excellent, nicely capturing all the details in Stocking's gothic black dress. Her long twin coloured hair covers the majority of the figure, the back of the dress completely covered by it with the head attached. However the hanging portion of the hair is made from a soft plastic and separated into semi movable strips, which means it can be moved around for poses using the outstretched arms. I personally found neatly moving the hair out the way like the box shows a little difficult, but the hair moves neatly back into place when straightened - which was initially a worry of mine.

Much like Panty, Stocking comes with a pretty wide range of accessories. She is packaged with three alternate faces (a standard mopey face, a shouting face and an "OMG THIS CAKE IS DELICIOUS" face), a variety of alternate arms and hands, a extra "panty-less" set of legs with removable bare legs, a fork, a plate of neatly sliced cake, 2 swords (stripes I and II) and her beloved plush toy Honeneko. Much like the detailing on Panty's guns, the blue stripes on the swords are a nifty translucent blue plastic. The cake is not attached to the plate, instead being held via a peg on the optional hand that is able to hold the plate (there is a small hole in the plate for the the peg). This means it can be posed with either the whole cake attached, or (with some clever peg hiding) one slice left after Stocking greedily eats it all.

Due to being posable at the hips, it means the legs can be swapped so that you can have one stocking on and one off rather than both on or off. This is great if like me you like to pose Stocking with just the one sword rather than two. To make Stocking hold the swords, the handles have to be removed and inserted into the hands via the bottom of the fistsm then reattaching the blades at the top. A little fiddly, but the blades peg into the handles pretty firmly.

Stocking also comes with the excellent pink magnetic stand that Panty has, which attaches at the head with ease (no plugs - just the magnet inside the head attracting to the stand's), is firm and can be easily hidden by the figure's exaggerated proportions.

Much like how I felt about Panty, I'm still not fully convinced that nendoroids are worth the full asking price due to my love for proper posable figures, (but then, I didn't pay for Stocking, she was a fantastic Christmas present from my girlfriend) but Stocking is still a great toy. She doesn't have quite as much personality as the Panty nendoroid (but Panty is a far more lively character in general) but her accessories are much better and more fun than her sister's. I'm not sure if I could recommend one over the other, so if you're only planning to get one I'd say go with whoever you like best, but both sisters are both great in their own way and look even better when posed together.

Anime Review #39: Shinryaku!? Ika Musume

2011-12-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

Squid girl is back, with a whole new season of adventures! Broadcast at the tail end of 2011, this 12 episode second season continues the story of Ika Musume (aka Squid Girl in English), a tentacle haired girl who vows to conquer the surface world as revenge for human polluting the ocean. Only her invasion hasn't gone quite according to plan, and she's found herself working in a beach restaurant in order to pay for damaging a wall upon her arrival. With her friends Eiko, Chizuru, Takeru, Kiyomi and more, Squid Girl continues to fend off the advances of the oh-so-slightly-obsessed Sanae, learns new things about the world she's come to conquer and forms her own 'Invasion club'.

While I did enjoy the first season, all in all it was a pretty average show at best. So going into the second season I was happy to discover that the show had really upped its game, and the stories were a lot more enjoyable. The format remains the same (2 or 3 short stories in one 22 minute episode) but since the characters are already well established, it meant it could dive straight into the action. The new opening might not be as catchy as the original, but the actual episode content is much more infectious.

Episode highlights include bikini-clad scientist Cindy Campbell holding an English teaching class (which is played a lot better than most Engrish anime jokes), Eizo and Chizuru's discovery that Squid Girl has the ability to change her weight at will, Squid Girl losing her memory and the aforementioned formation of the Invasion Club. The jokes were a lot funnier (but still the same style of humour) and the only real flaws the show had was the overuse of Sanae and the 'serious' final episode (which wasn't half as good nor as effective as the first season finale). But once again, as usual, the mini-Ika short manages to completely steal the show.

So for anyone who enjoyed the first season of Ika Musume, I highly recommend the second season as it only builds upon what was great about the original. Those looking for a light hearted anime but haven't watched the original - it might take a while to work out the who's who of the show but I wouldn't say its impossible to jump in with season two. But at only 12 episodes each, its not much of a chore to enjoy a whole 24 episodes of ink-vading shenanigans.

The Toybox #58: Doctor Who Classics 'The Chase' collectors set

2011-12-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Truth be told, my interest in Character Option's Doctor Who figure range has been waning of late. Besides their high price point (which seems to only be getting higher), there's been an increasing focus on one off monsters paired with releases or remoulds of existing figures. But among the god-knows-how-many sets they announced over the Christmas period (seriously, there were LOADS) was a set themed on the 1965 first Doctor/Dalek story 'The Chase', including a figure I've wanted to be made since I was five. Alongside two Daleks, the set also included a Mechanoid - the spherical robots that not only battled the Daleks in the final episode of the story, but was also one of their main adversaries in the TV21 Dalek comic strips.

Given its size, I was expecting the Mechanoid to be hollow. But nope, its a solid figure and therefore as you can imagine quite heavy. The sculpt is perfect (although the arm did suffer some bending in the packaging) and the colours, while simple, are striking and reflective of a 1960s Doctor Who robot (as it would look exactly the same in black and white) The anntenae decoration on the top of the figure can be extended up, and the Mechanoid's claws can be pulled out via little tabs on the side of them that make them easily accessible, but don't ruin the aesthetic or accuracy of the figure. The dish piece at the front is on a ball joint so has a little bit of articulation, but can also be swapped out for a piece with a translucent flame piece, for that weapon firing effect. The Mechanoid has 5 free moving wheels on its base, making it possible to roll the figure round in all directions.

The two Daleks are of usual fare, but notably the first release of the standard Dalek model used from 'The Chase' up until 'The Evil of the Daleks' (although the eyestalk lense would change during the second Doctor stories). The silver/blue finish still remains my favourite Dalek drones, and the translucent orange head lamps are the icing on the cake. As usual the dome rotates 360 degrees, the eye stalk moves up and down and the plunger and gun are on ball joints - all the articulation a Dalek ever needs.

I'm going to be honest, this set is for collectors only. Its fairly expensive (£40 for 3 figures) and in reality only contains one brand new figure, which is a pretty obscure one at that. But for Classic Who/Dalek fans, this set is worth every penny. The Mechanoid is a fantastic figure, and has become hands down the best Doctor Who figure I own (and I own A LOT of Doctor Who figures). The only real downside is that the Mechanoids won't get a single release, because I'd really love a few more of these. The 5 year old in me is grinning with glee, and so is the 22 year old in me. The wait has been worth it.

The Toybox #57: S.H. Figuarts Gokai Green

2011-12-19T04:06:00.000-08:00

The third in the Gokaiger figuart collection is one of my particular favourites - the comic relief but at the same time awesome Don Dogoier, aka Doc and Gokai Green! Since I've covered the figure mould somewhat extensively here and here this will be a somewhat shorter review (the Yellow and Pink ones will be longer again, given its a different figure shape). The photo shoot also suffered from a lack of Red and Blue to pose him with (they're back at my university accommodation), which unfortunately meant no dual-pistol wielding action for poor old Doc either.

Just like Red and Blue, the sculpt is excellent and the shade of green is effective despite not have that gleam that the spandex suits in the show have. While I found hand swapping a little more difficult here than I did with the other two, its still by no means frustrating.

Green has all the accessories included with the Gokaiger figures thus far (the extra hands, Gokai saber and gun, mobirates, minuscule flipped/unflipped keys and alternate final wave barrels for the weapons) but his 'exclusive' accessory is definitely the best one so far - an in scale figure of Navi! The robot parrot has articulation in her wings, meaning not only is she semi-posable but you can also recreate her frantic flapping.

As per usual, the first wave release also comes with the Gokai Darin and chair, which is identical to the one included with Blue (and presumably Yellow and Pink), only this time in a green deco.

This review might be short and sweet, but Doc is just as good as the two that came before him, and possibly more fun as he is the character that is more fitting to the ridiculous poses the Figuarts are capable of. The inclusion of Navi marks him above Blue's figuart in my eyes, even if only to make Marvelous even more of a badass pirate captain. That's it for the (main) guys, time to bring on the girls!

Anime Review #38: Fate/Stay Night

2011-12-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

Fate/Stay Night is a 24 episode anime series from 2006, based on a Japanese visual novel by Type-Moon. While the visual novel had three divulging scenarios, the anime series follows only one of them (the 'Fate' scenario) while showing glimpses of the others. The second scenario, titled 'Unlimited Blade Works', was made into a theatrical film of the same name.

Orphaned in a catastrophe ten years again, Emiya Shirou lives inspired by the man who took him in following the event, wishing one day to be a hero of justice. Soon, he becomes tied up in the sixth ‘Holy Grail War’, in which seven masters with seven servants battle to the death to obtain an ultimate power with the ability to grant wishes. Despite having limited magic skills, Shirou experiences a twist of fate when he summons the most powerful servant, Saber.

Along his battles he learns that each servant contains the spirit of a fallen hero, and that the event that orphaned him is not only linked the last Holy Grail War, but that he also has more involvement in it than he originally thought.

The story on the whole was very good, progressing towards what should have been an exciting finale (but I'll get onto that in a moment), with some twists and turns along the way. However I couldn't help feel that the fight scenes were a little on the weak side. For a character anime fans often tout as being a badass, Saber sure spends a hell of a lot of time getting her ass kicked. And then when she DOES win, its either by aid from Shirou or by having near invincibility from the her sword sheath - the source of her power. I realise the show mainly about Shirou and Saber was often fighting at half strength, but even then her reputation as the strongest servant both in and out of the show seemed overblown. The episode structure was also repetitive, with more episodes ending with Shirou shouting "SABEEEER" than I'd like to count. But what's worst of all was the comedy/harem elements dropped into the show, either as one note jokes or larger segments of episodes (particularly early on). They completely change the tone of the show, feel incredibly forced and usually involve by far the worst character in the series - Taiga Fujimura, Shiro's guardian and homeroom/english teacher.

The art seems very promising to begin with, showing off some interesting character designs and some gorgeous backdrops and action sequences (Saber's initial summoning a particular highlight). However I felt the overall quality to drop in places throughout the show, leaving some odd moments where it looked rather cheap. The main thing I noticed was scenes where the characters were drawn without pupils, leading to eyes that looked practically comatose. The other thing that let the art down (much like the story) was the comedy moments - the exaggerated facial expressions, actions and comedy backdrops simply didn't fit the tone and only served to cheapen it.

But perhaps it is the supporting cast that is Fate/Stay Night's biggest flaw. Outside of Shirou and Saber (and perhaps Rin), the rest of the cast fall into the categories of either uninteresting or underdeveloped. The majority of backgrounds are shown via brief flashbacks with nothing more to support them, and the master/servant combos in the lead up to the finale seem like after thoughts. Despite them all seeming like interesting characters, they are either quickly disposed of or appear towards the beginning to the series, then disappear until a few episodes later where then they're offed in the show's anticlimactic fashion.

On the other hand, Unlimited Blade Works follows a much more interesting path - while the first twenty minutes or so are essentially a recap of the series up to a point, the rest is a VERY different experience. Being a theatrical film, it obviously benefits visually from a far greater budget but the story is much more interesting, answering questions left unanswered in the 'Fate' story and giving more time to the other characters (some mains from 'Fate' are killed almost immediately, and Saber spends the majority of the time lurking in the background). Most notable is Archer, who goes from semi-interesting character to fully fledged badass. The problem is though it's cramming a whole scenario into a 105 minute movie, meaning the plot is somewhat rushed resulting in characters appearing and disappearing rather quickly. Had it been developed more I definitely would have a far bigger love for the franchise as a whole.

Overall, Fate/Stay Night was a good series, but nothing particularly mind blowing. There was a lot more that could have been done with its 24 episodes of run time, and to fully understand character backgrounds requires more internet reading than I could be bothered with. Fans of the visual novel might have more fun with this, but for those unfamiliar with it Fate/Stay Night falls firmly within the category of "good, but forgettable" anime.

The TV Times #16: Power Rangers Ninja Storm

2011-12-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Power Rangers Ninja Storm is the 11th season of the Power Rangers franchise, the second to be made under Disney copyright and the first to be filmed in New Zealand. While Ninja Storm is considered by many to be a parody of sorts, lovingly poking fun at both Power Rangers and ninja tropes alike, its also a series that meets mixed response.

Shane, Tori and Dustin are students at the Wind Ninja Academy. One day, the academy was attacked by Lothor, a banished ninja master who has returned to take over. Shane, Tori and Dustin are the only three remaining students, and along with Sensei and his son Cam, retreat into the underground Ninja Ops. There, the three are given morphers, which allow them to transform into Wind Rangers to protect the city of Blue Bay Harbor from Lothor's forces. Lothor soon raises the stakes by sending his new allies to battle the Wind Rangers - the Thunder Rangers Blake and Hunter, who are on a mission to destroy the Wind Rangers' Sensei, who they believed to be responsible for their parent's death, when in reality it was Lothor responsible for the deed. The Thunder Rangers soon realise and join Wind Rangers in the battle against evil.

They are later joined in the field by Cam, who travels in the past to retrieve the Samurai Amulet, which he uses to become the Green Samurai Ranger.

The initial three rangers are fairly bland - none of them are awful (although some of the acting did make me think otherwise at certain points) but at the same time none of them stand out in any shape or form. Blake and Hunter's introduction as "evil" power rangers was promising, but the story arc concluded far too soon to have any lasting impact. Once they join the team, they join the other three in their blandness, all five of them walking stereotypes of extreme sports fans. Cam, who is by far and large the best character in the show, initially plays a very integral role as the rangers' tech expert yet somewhat bitter at the fact that he's not a ranger himself. This development goes somewhat out the window when he eventually becomes a ranger himself, falling into the background moreso than before and becoming as forgettable as the rest of them. Sensei Watanabe isn't a bad character from a mentor standpoint in a vocal sense, but visually he's a CGI guinea pig, and a bad one at that. The idea became more bearable as the series went on I'll admit, but sights like a CGI guinea pig fighting or riding a miniature halfpipe (yes, seriously) are a pretty bitter pill to swallow.

While I had no qualms with the overall suit aesthetic, the open visor looked did bug me a little. It seemed heavily overused (they were opening the helmets to talk mid-battle at points) and reminded me far too much of those awful concept helmets for the Power Rangers movie. The thunder ranger suits were probably my favourites of the six, but with PR's tendency to always name rangers after colours, I didn't think crimson and (even moreso) navy ranger were the most exciting of names.

The villains are just as bad, if not worse. Lothor does little to live up to his reputation of an all-powerful space ninja, instead lazily sitting around his spaceship making bad jokes and blaming his failures on his equally inept subordinates. Zergane's badassery is extremely shortlived (and by that I mean the last two episodes he's in) and if anything I thought Choobo was the sympathetic character of the series, being the one to bare the brunt of most of Lothor's wrath at the beginning of the show when he achieved more than anyone else did. The other generals who are introduced later in the series (Vexacus, Motodrone and Shimazu) have their own focus episodes initially, but then they sort of slink off into the background until the build up to the final two episodes. And the less said about Marah and Kapri the better - I thought the series was going to be going somewhere when they were revealed as being somewhat competent (which happened right at the end ANYWAY), but that turned out to be false hope.

The story itself feels more generic than other Power Rangers shows, as the plot doesn't really advance whatsoever until the final few episodes. The rangers seem to completely forget about trying to save the captured ninja students, not even mentioning them until a dues ex machina from an early episode is brought up once again. Lothor's attacks don't seem threatening whatsoever (at one point he attacks an environmental conference just because he wasn't invited) and his 36 episode span of bumbling is basically explained by showing that he was following a scroll that accurately depicted events up to that point.

The zords were one of the few positives of the show, but even they weren't free of some flaws. The Storm Megazord was a good combination of animals and was well designed, I even liked the way the zords would appear once they were summoned (although a roller coaster becoming a lion was pretty bizarre). The Thunder Megazord was even better, being made up of two vehicles that felt HIGHLY reminiscent of the assault vehicles from Juuko B-Fighter/Big Bad Beetleborgs (a lot about the Thunder Rangers reminded me of Beetleborgs) and the megazord being a completely different aesthetic from the Storm Megazord, yet still working in the series. The combined Thunderstorm Megazord mixed the two well, but I have to criticise whoever came up with the lackluster name of 'minizord', and also whoever thought that voice was a good idea. Cam's Samurai Star Chopper/Samurai Star Megazord reminded me of an earlier mecha too, only this time it was the Super Zeo zords from Power Rangers Zeo. Its combination with the Storm Megazord was awful, being nothing more than a ridiculously oversized arm, but the shoulder-gun combo with the Thunder looked great. Put the the three together and the end result was the best of all, the Hurricane Megazord took all the best aspects of the three megazords and slammed them together into one great looking robot.

Finally there was the 'Mighty Mammoth' zord, which I'm not really sure how I reacted too. Its purpose was simply a zord carrier that could also fire ninja spheres like a crazy reverse hungry hungry hippo. It was also controlled via a guitar, which put an 'interesting' spin on zords controlled via music I guess. It didn't look bad, but felt more like a novelty than anything else.

The thing about parodies is that they need to be funny to work properly, and Ninja Storm simply isn't. Even ignoring the humour issue, aside from Cam the protagonists aren't likeable, and the antagonists worse. The dialogue feels forced, the soundtrack is often unfitting and there's never any real feel of struggle of good vs. evil until the last episode - and even that is pretty anticlimactic. I usually try to find atleast SOME good in a show, but Ninja Storm made it pretty difficult for me since everything I liked about the show had already been handed to them from Hurricaneger. Your mileage may vary when it comes to parodies, but in my opinion this is one Power Rangers adaptation that's best left alone.

The Toybox #56: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger mini-pla Machalcon/Kanzen GokaiOh

2011-11-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a fun ride, but sadly the last of the 'main' Gokaiger mecha is upon us (I say main because there's a rumour the Gokaiger vs. Gavan movie will feature another Gokai machine) in both DX and mini-pla form. But the last usually proves to be the most exciting, and it's no exception with Gokaiger! The final machine in their arsenal is a brand new character, rather than new decos of characters that featured in previous series. Machalcon is the son of Speedor and Bear RV - the red and yellow engines from Engine Sentai Go-Onger. Machalcon takes up three candy toy boxes, however his wave is included with a re-release of the Gokai Galleon. This is because box 2 of Machalcon also comes with (scaled down versions of) Gozyujin's arms, meaning that the ultimate Kanzen GokaiOh mecha is completely self contained within the assortment.

As you could expect from a figure that takes up three boxes, Machalcon is considerably larger than his Gokai machine friends - about as long as GokaiOh is tall. That being said, the second box does feel a little on light side, merely containing Kanken GokaiOh's helmet, fist and Gozyujin's right arm. Compared to the contents of the other two boxes, I do wonder if this could have perhaps been split between them. The model looks great stickered up, lots of detail and not in dire need of any paint. I painted the mini GokaiOh swords and fist (the latter due to my utter hatred of wrap around stickers), but the stickers look like they'd do the job fairly well too.

The transformation to Go-On GokaiOh is straightforward - simply take off GokaiOh's legs and plonk him in the slots on top of Machalcon. That's it. So much like GaoGokaiOh, the combination isn't particularly exciting, unless you quite like half a robot perched on top of a cartoony formula one car that is.

What's exciting about Machalcon is the combination for Kanzen GokaiOh, the 'ultimate' mecha of the Gokaiger series. To transform, Machalcon is split into multiple components (the back end is split to make the legs, the front is folded to make the chest area) and attached to a limbless GokaiOh (hence only the need for the galleon for this combination). The front wheels are then attached to the figure via a hole at the back the the helmet (with swords clipped on) placed on the head. You can use the Gozyujin arms provided with Machalcon for Kanzen GokaiOh, but in all honesty not only are they the wrong colour but they're also short and stubby. If you own the Gozyujin minipla (and if you don't, you should because its the best in the line) the arms from that figure look MUCH better on it.

The articulation is great, allowing a variety of poses with joints that you wouldn't see on a DX version of the mecha. I found balancing issues with the legs a bit tricky at first due to the wheels, but that soon passed. The giant fist has some posability - the thumb is able to move, as is the joint section of fingers.

The minipla is a fantastic scaled down, posable representation of both Machalcon and Kanzen GokaiOh, but the set suffers from one flaw that prevents me giving it full marks. That flaw being the same one any version of Kanzen GokaiOh suffers from, and the main flaw of the series mecha - an abundance of spare parts. Certainly the assortment is self contained, but this so called 'ultimate' combination leaves out all of GokaiOh's limbs and the majority of Gozyujin, which is pretty disappointing when you consider some the final mecha that have come in the past using all the mecha from its respective series.

Still, it's a great end to what's been a great line of Gokaiger toys. See you again next year for some Gobuster minipla!

Anime Review #37: Tiger & Bunny

2011-11-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

Traditional Western superheroes aren't something you often see in anime. In a universe populated by mecha, vampire and magical girls, there just didn't seem to be much demand for costumed heroes with a variety of superpowers. Other than Marvel's poor effort at bringing four of their properties to life as anime over the last year, no series really spring to mind. Until Sunrise's Tiger & Bunny came along that is. Released this year, Tiger & Bunny is a 25 episode TV series that saw two heroes with the same power (but VERY different personalities) team up in a futuristic world when superheroes are part of a reality TV show.

Taking place in the fictional Sternbuild City, superpowered individuals known as NEXT have been around for around 45 years, with some of them becoming heroes. Each of the city's most famous superheroes work for a sponsor company and their uniforms also contain advertising for real-life companies. Their heroic activity is broadcast on the popular television show "Hero TV", where they accumulate points for each heroic feat accomplished (arresting criminals or saving civilians, for example) and the best ranked hero of the season is crowned "King of Heroes". The story focuses on veteran hero Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (aka Wild Tiger) who is assigned with a new partner following a company buyout - the young Barnaby Brooks Jr (nicknamed 'Bunny' by Kotetsu, much to his dismay). However Barnaby and Kotetsu have very different opinions on what being a hero really means, and while competing for points against other heroes such as Blue Rose, Rock Bison, Sky High, Dragon Kid, Origami Cyclone and Fire Emblem, the two also try to crack the mystery of the Ouroburos organisation and the murder of Barnaby's parents - the event that set him on the path to becoming a hero.

The series's main storyline is split in two - with various one shot episodes scattered in-between. While the two halves deal nicely with a overarching plotline with two very different sorts of antagonist, the one shot episodes are great at expanding the diverse range of character on show in the series. The supporting cast are equally as deep (and memorable!) as Kotetsu and Barnaby, and in many cases often stole the show for me.

For the more keen comic book fan, there are a lot of references (some definitely intentional, some maybe not) dotted around to look out for. I thought Wild Tiger's transition from a classic silver-age style costumed hero to armoured suit not only played on the strength of the current popularity of Iron Man but was also a good commentary on how comics have shifted towards a more armoured look for their characters (the new DC 52 is an excellent example of that). As far as the more blatant references go - Blue Rose's secret identity is "Karina Lyle". Enough said.

One of the surprising factors of the series is how obvious product placement actually works in it, in fact I'd say it thrives on it. Each hero has their own sponsor, with many real life companies like amazon.co.jp, Pepsi, UStream and Bandai (alongside their S.H. Figuarts line). While some of these have obvious impact on the marketing of Tiger & Bunny (the main toyline is S.H. Figuarts - which have been in extremely high demand), the series has a lot of fun with others. Each episode's commercial segment contains a specially animated advertisement for Pepsi Nex (a zero-calorie version of the drink available in Japan) featuring Blue Rose. It's extremely well done, and only a shame that other companies didn't jump on this idea with their respective heroes. In many ways the show is both a celebration and parody of modern media.

The animation is of the usual Sunrise quality - crisp, clear and never boring on the eyes. The show also blends CGI and animation better than most series in the past have, despite it not being the best design choice in the world for some moments (it works well for armoured characters like Wild Tiger and Barnaby, but not so much for costumed heroes like Fire Emblem). The character design is excellent - with each hero having their own visually distinct look and at the same time being distinguishing from each other outside of costume too.

Tiger & Bunny is not just a fantastic series that stands apart from other anime due to its subject matter, but it also would make a fantastic transitional anime for those who are fans of Western comic books but are yet to try anime. While superheroes is a predominantly Western affair, with Tiger & Bunny Sunrise have gone and shown that the genre not only can work as an anime, but can also grow from it. A refreshing and much needed take on both anime AND the superhero genre.

The Toybox #55: S.H. Figuarts Gokai Blue

2011-11-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Another month has passed and that means another Gokaiger figuart is available! Bandai's second figuart Gokaiger release is none other than Gokai Blue aka Joe Gibken. Gokai Green is the next in line (he saw release last week in fact) and Yellow, Pink and Silver are to follow in December and January. I'll keep this review shorter as to not repeat myself six times over, so anyone looking for a more detailed review check out my Gokai Red review from a month ago.

Once again Blue has the excellent sculpt and build I've come to expect from this line. The shade of blue is perhaps somewhat darker than I originally expected but not by too much, and this helps the gold highlighting stand out more vividly. The joints are very flexible and removing hands doesn't prove too tasking, while at the same time when attached the fit firmly and there's little chance of them dropping off during posing.

Gokai Blue has a very similar amount of accessories to Red - the mobirates, gokai gun/saber and variety of alternate hands are all the same as seen in his release. However Blue does have a few extras of his own to get excitedly - firstly would be that his two included keys (folded and unfolded) are both blue (well, obviously!) but most importantly, he also comes with a 3-blade piece and a 2-blade piece to recreate his finisher from the fourth episode of the series - the Final Wave Five-Blade Style Blue Slash. To go along with Blue's excess blades, this means there are also a total of FIVE key-filled swappable ports for the weaponry. So while at first glance his extras may seem very similar to Marvelous', it's the little extras (taken from one-off appearances no less) that make them stand out.

Of course, what would any Super Sentai figuart be without its first wave bonus item? Gokai Blue is no exception, and included is his own Gokai Darin (or wheel) which is used to pilot the Gokai Jet and GokaiOh. Unlike Red's darin this is a much smaller wheel, but has a more distinct cockpit feel and comes with a separate chair piece. This version will be the same both the releases of Green, Yellow and Pink - albeit in their respective colours.

Yes I realise I'm giving another figuart a full-star review and yes I realise the figure is almost exactly the same as Gokai Red, but SH Figuarts figures really are THAT good. Gokai Red was a top notch figure, and Gokai Blue follows suite so deserves just as much praise. If you're comfortable with just owning Gokai Red that's fine, but anyone looking to complete the team can know full-well that so far, 2 out of 6 have been absolute winners.

The Toybox #54: S.H. Figuarts Shinken Gold

2011-11-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

My third trip into Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line is yet another Sentai, only this time it's not a Red. Shinken Gold is the 6th member of the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger team, and the second (and last) to be made available at retail. Shinken Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink and Red (Kaoru ver.) were all Tamashii web exclusives).

Much like his red team mate, Shinken Gold has a fantastic sculpt which captures both the simplicity of the suit and the raised visor pieces on the helmet. The gold and blue colouring compliment each other nicely, with the gold not being too flat nor too shiny. He uses the same system of joints as Shinken Red, so unless you are familiar with how they work you might want to be careful when initially posing him just so there aren't any accidental breakages from putting pressure in the wrong places. Removing the hands is a simple task and stay firmly on the wrist joints when applied.

Shinken Gold also comes with a fantastic range of accessories - besides five extra hands, there is also 3 different versions of the Sakaramanu (fully sheathed, partly sheathed and then blade/sheath), the Ebi and Ika origamis, the sushi disk, DaiGoyou (lantern mode) and his arm/stick weapon...thing. So no humongous sword like the Rekka Daizantou that came with Red, but still an extremely impressive set featuring pretty much everything Shinken Gold needs (although a Sushi Changer might have been good too). The sheathed Sakaramaru slots into a hole on Gold's belt when its not in use, and the sushi disk also fits on the other versions of the sword so that he can be posed ready to perform his finishing attack!

The initial run of Shinken Red/Gold also came with a first wave bonus, in the form of a non posable Kuroko figure. Since Gold came out back in March I was surprised to find a kuroko included with my order (which was from Amiami if you're interested). For a free gift, its a pretty good in-scale figure that would look good along any Shinkenger (but mainly Shinken Red).

Figuarts have wowed me yet again. From the amazing range of accessories to how dynamic the figure is when it comes to posing, there's very little to fault when it comes to Shinken Gold. Its shame the rest of the Shinkengers did have a mass release, because if they did I'd certainly be tempted to buy them all (I'm tempted enough as it is). With Figuarts Shinken Red and Gold available at retail at Toys R Us stores in the US, this is a great time to get into the line without having to resort to overpaying for them.

If the Kamen Rider figures are just as good as the three I have already (and the five I have ordered), this could very easily be my favourite toyline of all time.

The TV Times #15: Juken Sentai Gekiranger

2011-11-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

Juken Sentai Gekiranger is the 31st Super Sentai series, taking over from GoGo Sentai Boukenger. 4000 years ago, a martial art known as Jūken was created by man named Brusa Ee in which one mimics the abilities of animals as well as trying to attain spiritual peace. However, dissent grew among the creator's ten students. Three of them believed that they should use the suffering and hatred harnessed within humans to increase their power, using their power to assume monstrous forms; the Three Kenma. After murdering Brusa Ee, the Kenma gathered followers to practice an evil form of the Jūken style known as Rin Jūken Akugata. The other seven students believed that true strength should come from within and engaged their former friends in a great war, ending the fight with a forbidden technique to seal the Kenma' powers at the cost of losing their own human forms in the process, becoming the Seven Kensei. Followers of the Kensei created the Geki Jūken Beast Arts school: the Jūken of justice whose sport discipline enhances the human body with the self-produced positive Qi called "Geki". It is taught by Grand Master Shafu, one of the seven Kensei, using a sports goods company named "SCRTC" as a front.

In the present day, a fallen student from the Geki Jūken school named Rio turns to the Rin Jūken style, rebuilding the Rinjū Hall and bring the long-dead Rin Jūken users back to life as kyonshi to collect Rinki, Geki's polar opposite Qi, in order to resurrect the Three Kenma so that through them, he can become stronger. To fight them, Shafu trained Ran Uzaki (GekiYellow) and Retsu Fukami (GekiBlue). Along with Jan Kandou (GekiRed), a feral boy raised in the woods, the Gekiranger team is formed and later joined by two other Geki Jūken users, Retsu's presumed dead brother Gou (GekiViolet) and Ken Hisatsu (GekiChopper). However, an even greater evil is using the two sides for its own agenda.

The Gekirangers themselves, while not awful, are probably the weakest link in the casting. Jan is incredibly annoying and hyperactive, speaking in his own nonsensical language. His growth at the end of the series comes a little too late for my liking, but its better than it not being there at all. Ran is severely underused, especially when taken into consideration that she's the team leader, so comes off quite flat. Retsu starts in much the same way, but grows as character once Gou arrives on the scene. Gou himself was certainly my favourite Gekiranger, pulling off the badass loner turned badass team player really well, complete with an epic werewolf introduction. Ken, much like Jan, started off as annoying, but grew on me as his time on the series went on. I also enjoyed how he had to earn SaiDain rather than being initially introduced with it.

The kenshi are great bunch of characters, no matter how you may feel about the animal costumes. While I felt this worked really well for some of the characters (Shafu, Bat Lee and Sharkie Chan) there were others where it fell a bit flat (Elehung, Michelle Peng and Bion Biao). Each of them have their own unique skills and personalities, with some playing off each other better than others but as a whole making a colourful and respectable force. Keen eyes will notice that each of the Kensei is named after a prominent figure in martial arts movies.

Gekiranger's real strengths lie in its antagonists. Rio is by far and large the best character in the series, his desire for power and need to be better than everyone else the plot's main driving force. Stealing every scene he's in, Rio's character is interesting in that while he very much remains a threat, due to his relationship with so many of the cast he never feels like a generic villain, receiving far more development that almost anyone in the show. But what struck me most is that Gekiranger never feels like a simple good vs. evil plotline - the battle between the two schools is one based just as much on rivalry as it is between their allegiances, making the exchanges all the more exciting.

When Mele isn't acting like a lovesick teenage towards her master, she's an equally engaging character. Her loyalty and love (when it isn't being piled on too thickly) are interesting character traits, and her honour when it comes to fighting makes for some of the series' best episodes. Even when Rio isn't in charge these two characters exploits deservedly remain the focus, which helps shape the twists and turns the series' climax has to offer. Their fighting form designs are superb, as are the other Rinrishi that appear (ostrich and pig monsters non withstanding).

The two other antagonist groups are the three kenma on Rin Jūken, and then in the last quarter the GenJūken -the show's "big bad". The three kenma's more menacing animal designs is are a great foil to their more friendly animal appearance. Meanwhile the GenJūken offer an injection of mysticism to the monster designs, and while not as strong as the original ones displayed the different styles between the groups well while keep the flair of the show much the same. Their leader Long proves to be an excellent main antagonist, devious and sowing seeds in the story all along.

Gekiranger's aesthetic when it comes to the suits themselves isn't one I'm overly fond of. The costumes are very basic, primarily made up of one colour with some black to break things up a little in places. The helmets are equally basic. Later the three main characters master the power of KaGeki and receive 'super mode' upgrades, the suits then having an much needed infusion of white and sharper details on the helmets. GekiViolet and GekiChopper's suits are better, they all rank pretty low on my list of favourite sentai suits. Certainly different, but too plain to be what I personally would call good.

The Gekiranger equipment was also mixed. What I really liked about the change devices for the season was that since there were 3 slightly different styles of fighting between the team, it meant there was a plausible reason for them all to have different ones. Jan, Ran and Retsu all used GekiJūKen and so had the GekiChangers, while Gou fought using ShiGeki and so had his GongChanger. Ken also used GekiJūKen, but his weapon-based style gave him the SaiBlade. I wasn't too fond of the projectile side of the SaiBlade, given that I appreciated the series more simply for avoiding weapons like that as much as it could. The same could be said for the GekiCannon, which while different to other giant cannon weapons in Sentai series' had the same effect.

Gekiranger's mecha line up is particularly interesting, as they aren't actually mecha at all. The team's Geki beasts are in fact physical manifestations of each ranger's geki, and are brought together to form a Geki giant. While the individual animals are all excellent, I thought the giants were a bit mixed. First we have GekiTouja, the first and my favourite of the 3 (or 4 depending on how you count it) giants in the series. GekiTouja stands out from previous sentai 'mecha' by being a lot slimmer and agile, rarely using a weapon and instead focusing on more hand-to-hand techniques. It brings a refreshing change to the "oh so predictable" battles, and GekiTouja is a unique and colourful design. It even came with some power ups in the form of the elephant, bat and shark spirits. Coincidentally, the order they're introduced is also the order I'd rate them - the elephant is great, the bat so-so and the shark pretty ridiculous (although underwater battles do make a pretty cool spectacle). These add on's could also be used on the second Geki giant - GekiFire, who I wasn't so much a fan of. The combination of a gorilla, gazelle and surfing penguin didn't really flow as well as three cats, and the overall design was more akin the standard sentai fare, much to my disappointment.

Luckily, GekiTouja kept making regular appearances as GekiWolfTouja...the difference being that he had a wolf for a leg instead of a cheetah. Don't get me wrong, while I'm happy to see as much of GekiTouja as possible, giving GekiViolet an offshoot of an existing giant where his beast isn't even the main limb just seemed to not give the character enough credit if you ask me. Finally there was GekiChopper's SaiDain, who was a bit different to the rest as it was actually an existing physical being. SaiDain could become the giant SaiDaiOh, which while looked good didn't really fit with the aesthetic of the rest of the giants (obviously due to its different origins). SaiDain also combined with GekiTouja and GekiFire to create SaiDaiGekiFire and SaiDaiGekiTouja respectively.

Finally, as rarity in the franchise - Rio and Mele also had beast spirits that could combine with GekiTouja, creating GekiRinTouja, who is fantastic in every respect.

I went into Gekiranger not expecting a lot, but the series took me completely by surprise. Despite having a fairly weak cast and some design choices I wasn't too fond of, its superb plot and supporting cast were enough to keep me hooked throughout the twists and turns of its 49 episodes. While not perfect, Gekiranger is a thoroughly enjoyable series and comes highly recommended to everyone, especially people who are looking for a Super Sentai series that is a little different from the norm.

Anime Review #36: Macross Frontier - the Movies

2011-11-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Back in December 2009 I gave the Macross Frontier TV series a 5 out of 5 review. Not only was it a brilliant series, but it was also my first foray into the Macross franchise, which quickly became one of my favourite anime properties. But the Macross Frontier story didn't end there (well, it technically did, but work with me here), as 2 feature films were released in 2009 and 2011. These films, titled 'The False Songstress' (Itsuwari no Utahime) and 'The Wings of Goodbye' (Sayonara no Tsubasa) do not follow the events of the TV series, instead offering an alternate story with the same characters much like 'Do You Remember Love?' did with the original series. I decided to patiently wait until both films were released so I could review the entire story, and now that time has come. Since I've already reviewed the series, I won't go into the initial premise of Macross Frontier, and will begin by taking a look at the first of the two movies.

The False Songstress

Those looking for the first of the two films to be something entirely new are going to be rather disappointed. Much like most anime films these days 'The False Songstress' is a streamlined version of its TV counterpart, cutting out side plots and unnecessary details in order to focus on the characters more. Some things are sped along (for example Alto and Ranka are school friends already, rather than meeting for the first time) and a bulk of the film is made up of footage from the TV series, with the climax being all anime animation very different to anything in the show. Whether the film achieves greater depth to the characters is left to interpretation, as I felt the romance between Alto and Sheryl had far more weight than it did in the TV series (as a Ranka fan, leaving me quite disappointed).

While 'The False Songstress' does in many ways feel like a watered down version of the early half of the TV series, the look and feel is definitely amped up. The show was stunning, but this is really something else. The sheer beauty of the movie is apparent as soon as Sheryl hits the stage for a brilliant performance of 'Universal Bunny', complete with dancing clockwork robots and some risque intimacy between a good and evil Sheryl Nome (her black and white bunny personas). Following on from this are some fantastic aerial fights between the VF-25 valkyries and the Vajra aliens (who have received a bit of a makeover for these releases), cultivating in a brilliant showdown between the two on a waterfront while Sheryl and Ranka look (and sing on).

Back on the subject of Sheryl Nome, this is definitely her movie. Ranka still has a very clear presence, but overall she's completely overshadowed by Sheryl in terms of plot, development and music. Ranka's songs are 90% commercial jingles, while Sheryl has some fantastic tunes like the aforementioned 'Universal Bunny', and 'Pink Monsoon'. Her mini-album that was released to coincide with the movie trumps most of her songs that were present in the show. That isn't to say that the popular songs from the show are gone though - 'Aimo' is more important than ever, and 'Lion' finally works its way into the show itself as the show stopping finale piece.

Don't get me wrong it's great film, but other than some gorgeous eye candy it didn't really do much that series hadn't done better in terms of story. However it was important set-up for what was next to come...

The Wings of Goodbye

While 'The False Songstress', despite events happening a little differently, followed the series quite closely and contained a lot of re-used footage, if anything it was merely a set up for this. 'The Wings of Goodbye' takes the Macross Frontier crew in a whole new direction, and finally answers the burning question that the series never answered - who will Alto choose, Sheryl or Ranka?

While it's great that this film takes things in a completely new direction, offering something to everyone, it does suffer a little from its limited time frame. The movie contains plot twist after plot twist, and by the end of it you aren't quite sure who the real villain is (or you could just assume like me that everyone but the SMS seems to be). Nevertheless it has some great action scenes, besting 'The False Songstress' when it comes to explosive climaxes and even featuring a very special cameo for Macross fans.

If the first movie was Sheryl's moment in the spotlight, I certainly felt like this one was Ranka's. Even though Sheryl has a lot more importance than Ranka when it comes to the plot development, Ranka's screen time has been amped up and her songs completely overpower Sheryl's. Much like the effect 'Universal Bunny' had in the first film, 'The Wings of Goodbye's money shot is Ranka's live debut, where the newly dubbed 'Superdimensional Cinderella' performs a colourful version of her brand new song, 'Niji Iro Kuma Kuma'. One of the film's best highlights is when Ranka performs her iconic 'Seikan Hiko' alongside Lovely Bomber (one for the Macross 7 fans) at Alcatraz prison (the San Francisco homages are even more apparent in the movies!), leading into a duet of new song 'Get it On~Kousouku Climax' with Sheryl Nome.

Conclusion

While the Macross Frontier movies may lack the charm the TV series had in terms of story, everything else has certainly been amped up to 11. The songs all feel bigger and bolder, and the art/CGI is one of the best looking pieces in modern anime. References to the previous 25 years of Macross (remember, Frontier was created as the 25th anniversary series to the franchise) are far more minimal than the series, so not only is this an excellent condensed Macross Frontier adventure (but be aware it ends VERY differently to the show), it is also possibly a better stepping stone for newcomers to come aboard the franchise. An excellent duet of movies for both fans and newcomers alike, much like the very duet that star in it.

Both films (separately and together) earn:

Anime Review #35: Alien Defender Geo-Armor: Kishin Corps

2011-10-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

At an anime convention I attended over the summer, Alien Defender Geo-Armor: Kishin Corps (or Kishin Corps for short) was summarised to me as "people fighting aliens and Nazi robots that shoot swastika lasers". With a description like that, obviously my interest was piqued and I immediately went home to download the 7 episode OVA series.

Based on a series of light novels by Masaki Yamada, Kishin Corps is set in an alternate history, specifically during World War II. Amidst the war and destruction, the planet is also hit by an alien invasion, but the two sides seem content on continuing their war despite this aggressive new threat.

An orphaned teenager named Taishi suddenly finds himself at the center of a struggle over a mysterious black case entrusted to him by his father, Professor Tokamura. The case contains the controlling mechanism for one of the giant Geo-Armor Robots, and the Japanese Kanto Army, the alien invaders, and the Kishin Corps all want to recover the device. Between the spies, the armies, the aliens, and the Giant Robots, Taishi is in for an epic adventure - that is if he can survive it.

So with only seven episodes (well, eight if you take into account that the first is twice the length of the rest) you'd think Kishin Corps would stick to relatively simple story, whilst remaining engaging to the audience? As far as I was concerned, it didn't really achieve this at all. The episodes were really drawn out, with the action usually taking place in the last five minutes or so of each episode. Now I know that not every mecha series needs to have gratuitous shots of explosions (as much as I'd like it to), and that Kishin Corps is much more a "gritty" war-time piece, but any series that's going to have GIANT ROBOTS as a centrepiece needs to have some sort of money shot.

The characters themselves are pretty balanced, but none of them ever struck me as particularly interesting. The antagonists are pretty one dimensional, just your cliché evil soldiers with pointy noses and scars. The aliens are extremely bland - looking like humanoid turrets from the Portal video games, but lacking the personality. Or any personality at all for that matter. Why exactly the aliens are there in the first place is never quite explained, and the OVA has is pretty open ended, meaning a lot of questions remain unanswered. With more time to spread the story across and less dialogue heavy exposition, Kishin Corps could have been a bit more interesting.

Which brings me to the question of why exactly Kishin Corps needed to be set in an alternate WW2. Other than the presence of Nazis (read: generic villains) the show also has the bizarre concept of having Eva Braun as a scientist who ends up joining the Kishin Corps. Other historical figures like Albert Einstein also pop up throughout the course of the OVA, but even then it doesn't feel like the setting is particularly integral to the story - any sort of fictional war or villains could have achieved the job just the same. Maybe even better, since its backdrop only worked as some sort of surreal incentive to watch the show in the first place.

The art style is...eclectic. While some of the characters seem particularly well designed, others are really simple by comparison - to the point where they don't really feel like they belong here. Characters with normal eyes and faces interact with ones with exaggerated proportions and black dots for eyes. And besides the aforementioned cliche villains, whoever designed the characters for Kishin Corps clearly thought that Taishi would look four years older by just stretching him. No, not quite.

The mecha designs are mixed. While the aesthetic certainly suits the tone and feel of the OVA (particularly the Nazi Kishin - the Panzer Knight, despite its lack of a proper swastika laser), the mecha won't really win any awards for being memorable.

This turned out to be a particularly short review, because I genuinely don't have a lot to say about Kishin Corps. It wasn't quite what I expected, and while I gave it a chance the whole viewing experience was ultimately boring. The series clearly had an idea of exactly what it wanted to do, but at the same time didn't quite have enough time to pull it off - resulting in a dull, dialogue heavy show that's settings and antagonists merely seemed there to promote interest in the first place. Kishin Corps isn't a completely awful OVA series, but as far as political flavoured mecha dramas go, there are some much much better choices out there.

The TV Times #14: Power Rangers S.P.D.

2011-10-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Power Rangers S.P.D. (or Space Patrol Delta) is the 13th season of the Power Rangers franchise, following on from Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The story takes place in the year 2025, after Earth has welcomed alien beings to live peacefully with the human race. But peace is short lived, as the planet-conquering Troobian Empire turns its destructive attention to Earth. When the Earth's first line of defense, the S.P.D. A-Squad, vanishes without trace, the protection of the planet falls to their replacements: the B-Squad Rangers, and their doglike alien commander, Anubis "Doggie" Cruger. When two reformed thieves join the team as the Red and Yellow S.P.D. Rangers, tensions threaten to tear them apart. With the alien threat growing stronger every moment, the Rangers must put aside their differences and go into action as one.

S.P.D. has an excellent group of protagonists. Where I've often found other series' have left particular members underdeveloped at the expense of others (Lightspeed Rescue and Time Force for example) each ranger here got great development and had their own specific place on the team (apart from Sam/Omega Ranger, but I'll come to him later). Jack (Red) struggles with suddenly being the leader of the team; Sky (Blue) struggles with NOT being the leader of the team, his father being a famous red ranger is S.P.D.'s history; Z (Yellow) is the member that takes pride in being part of something bigger and helping others; Bridge (Green) is the brains/comic relief and Syd (Pink) is the typical pink ranger with a good heart. Okay, so maybe they all aren't quite equal, but they all at least brought something to the table.

S.PD.'s version of Doggie Kruger is a strong, driven character with a troubled background, not often part of the show's lighter moments but not completely devoid of comedy. A great leader, and a great part of the team as the excellent Shadow Ranger too. On the subject of Doggie - going into the show I didn't think I'd like the American suit at all (which exchanged Dekaranger's fur suit for a scaly, more alien-like appearance). Initially the suit's googly eyes and rubbery facial expressions were distracting, but I came to like the suit a lot as time went on. The aesthetic changes made a lot of sense in the context of the show (as did the other S.P.D. staff who received similar changes) and was just as good as its Dekaranger counterpart. Kat was also an excellent side character, receiving much more screen time and characterisation than I was expecting. The most interesting side character for me however was Piggy, an alien turncoat who works as an informant for both sides. While some of his appearances may have been bad slapstick, I really liked the idea of a morally ambiguous character.

Unfortunately the villains aren't quite as good. Grumm just comes across as a ranting villain (mostly ranting at himself actually...or at least you think he is) who sometimes comes down to Earth to have some stupid fights on his motorbike and Mora/Morgana is just terrible whichever form she's in. Broodwing is better, an arms dealer who eventually tires of Grumm and proceeds with his own aspirations of world domination. However the most interesting villains are without a doubt the surprise twist of the show (I won't spoil it, because it's the best part of the series) and while their final fight may be a little anticlimactic, they've earned their place among Power Ranger's more interesting antagonists.

S.P.D.'s zords are (in my opinion anyway) among the best in Power Rangers. The Delta Squad Megazord is a fantastic combination of futuristic/alien emergency vehicles and the addition of the OmegaMax Cycle only adds to it. The S.W.A.T. Megazord makes up for its rather boring name and lack of individual component focus by being not only a brilliant robot, but having the ability to turn into a giant cannon! The weakest link is the Delta Command Megazord - but its gigantic size (akin to the carrier zords of previous shows) and impressive array of weapons more than make up for its lack of manoeuvrability.

While the cast (most of it anyway) and zords of S.P.D. may be excellent, there are several places where the story is less than stellar. While I usually praise a Power Rangers series for going a different route to its sentai counterpart, I found that with S.P.D. more instances than not differing from Dekaranger actually didn't work to its favour. In most cases, you don't even need to have SEEN Dekaranger to realise how misplaced some of these things feel. Firstly, Grumm felt completely out of place in the show. In a show that had quite a bit of focus on small time criminals as well as run-of-the-mill monsters, an evil empire looking to conquer Earth seemed a bit dumb (not to mention completely ineffective). Had Grumm been a crime boss or something more akin to Ransik from Power Rangers Time Force, I feel he might have worked much better as a character.

The Omega Ranger is equally as lazy. A ranger from the future is a great idea - having him only appear in ranger form or as a ball of light is not. Sam looked completely out of place in pretty much every non-fight scene he was in, and his weird voice (I'm not sure if it was processed or not, but it certainly didn't sound natural) made him feel like an extra more than a character. Since the Omega Ranger had no place in the current timeline, it meant pretty much all of DekaBreak's characterisation was shifted over to other rangers. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but it did make for at least one out of place moment. In the second part of the episode 'Reflection', monster-of-the week Mirloc (who killed Sky's father) has his mirror dimension (and thus, the source of his powers) destroyed by...the Omega Ranger. Why? Because in Dekaranger, it was DekaBreak who had the rivalry with the character, not the blue ranger. While this was eventually redeemed by Sky's brilliant battle sequence where he uses Jack's morpher to become the battlized red ranger, the lead-up to said event paid far too much attention on the wrong character.

Next comes S.P.D.'s tactic of killing barely any of the monsters in the show, instead having them all captured in small, card-like devices at the end of each episode. While this in itself isn't a bad idea (in fact, I thought it was a pretty interesting approach that certainly diverged from usual Power Rangers precedent), in the early episodes the monsters would be seen to explode in a ball of flames (as usual in Sentai/Power Rangers), only to be perfectly fine 2 seconds later so that they could be put into the containment card. While this was rectified later on by having them put immediately into the cards, final attack's had absolutely no point to them at the beginning of the show, other than to use the footage of course.

As a final note, it should be mentioned that S.P.D. is also the last series (thus far) to include a two ranger team team-up episode. Two of them in fact, both with the Dino Thunder ranger team. What's great about these episodes is they both take place in different times - one in S.P.D.'s future timeline, and one in the Dino Thunder period. While the first of the two (History) only has the three core Dino Thunder rangers, I felt it to be the stronger of the two - as opposed the second which featured all the rangers (and Zeltrax) but lacked Jason David Frank...but to his credit Jeffrey Parazzo did a pretty good Tommy Oliver impression.

Finally comes the pacing. At 38 episodes Power Rangers S.P.D. isn't particularly long (but its not the shortest Power Rangers season either) but I couldn't help feel everything happened at once. The OmegaMax Megazord appears straight after the OmegaMax Cycle is introduced, so there's absolutely no build up to this new combination. The S.P.D. battlizer is probably the best battlizer that has ever appeared in Power Rangers (so good it even appeared in Mahou Sentai Magiranger vs. Dekaranger), yet is barely seen or heard from again two episodes later when the S.W.A.T. armour is introduced. An episode after that the S.W.A.T. Megazord is introduced, but is severely underused. Everything comes at once, and the most interesting addition that was made doesn't even get a proper chance to be taken in.

Power Rangers S.P.D. is not a bad series - in fact it's a really enjoyable show, but I can't help feel that some of the ideas the show had actually ended up shooting itself in the foot rather than it benefiting from them. An average show that had the potential to be something much bigger, and much better too.

Photo Corner #5: A childhood goal accomplished

2011-10-19T02:20:00.001-07:00

A complete set of original Power Rangers Zeo action figures!

I've had the red, green, yellow and gold rangers since they were first released, but for some reason never got blue and pink. Managed to get a blue off eBay a couple of months ago but an affordable pink had been eluding me for ages - I seemed to either completely miss auctions or I'd get outbid in the last second.

So yeah, I'm pretty happy right now. Hoping I can pick up a gun and blade for Pink and Blue's tonfas at some point.

Anime Review #34: Bubblegum Crisis

2011-10-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Bubblegum Crisis is possibly the first anime I ever heard about. When I was younger, any VHS I bought released by ADV (so the Sonic the Hedgehog and Tekken movies) always had an advert for it, and even then it always looked like something I'd enjoy. So here I am, years later, watching the original Bubblegum Crisis OVAs for the very first time. These eight episodes were released between 1989 and 1991.

The series takes place in the year 2032 in the city of MegaTokyo. Japan is still slowly piecing itself back together after the destruction of the Second Great Kanto Earthquake. The Genom Corporation, known for their intelligent labour robots (called Boomers), took a major role in the rebuilding of Tokyo, and as a result has become one of the largest corporations in the world. While the Boomers are supposed to serve humanity, in the wrong hands they are a deadly threat. Enter the AD Police force, who are tasked with dealing with any Boomer-related crime in the city. The only problem is that due the influence Genom have, the inability of the department to deal with certain threats due to politics and red-tape often shows.

Enter the Knight Sabers - a mysterious all female fighting force clad in hi-tech armour that deal with the Boomers in situations that the police can't. The team is made up of Sylia Stingray, the leader of the group and wealthy business owner; Priss, a popular rock singer, and the loose cannon of the group; Linna, an exercise instructor in her alter ego; and Nene, the group's tech, who also moonlights as an AD Police office worker. There's also Mackie, Sylia's younger brother and the group's mechanic.

What really sold this show to me was its style. Bubblegum Crisis takes heavy influence from the film Blade Runner, and this is illustrated in both the noir cityscapes of MegaTokyo and some of the more subtle (or not so subtle) references dashed throughout the show. Its opening, in which lead character Priss takes to the stage with her band Priss & The Replicants (see, there's one already!) launches you straight in with both fantastic art that still holds its own today and also the other thing that Bubblegum Crisis excels in - the music. While the background music again owes a lot to Blade Runner, the vocal tracks are female-vocal 80s J-rock at its very finest (with many of the songs performed by Priss seiyuu Kinuko Ohmori).

Coming back to the art, alongside the dark cityscapes Bubblegum Crisis has some great character designs on offer. The Boomers are shown to be hulking, robotic brutes while the Knight Sabers are quite the opposite - curvy anime babes in simple yet highly effective armour. The Hard Suits are certainly one of the more memorable pieces of anime design from that era, and arguably still one that's equally significant today. The fight scenes are nicely animated, with smooth motion and enough explosions to prove that the girls here kick far more ass than the men do.

Despite its retro charm and beauty, there are quite few problems with Bubblegum Crisis. The main issue is that the stories are all very self-contained, and as a whole lack any overall substance. None of the episodes specifically centre around the Knight Saber team, instead focussing on characters newly introduced each time, with their own predicaments somehow involving the team. Back story is non-existent, and the team's battle against the corrupt Genom corporation never reaches a conclusion. Its shame really, because plenty of the Knight Saber's history would have made far better episodes than some of the plot lines that did make it into the show. The episodes themselves are often too long to house the actual plots they contain, making scenes drag until you finally get the explosive climax where the Knight Sabers finally take on some Boomers (this is the formula for pretty much every episode by the way). After the final battle is concluded, the episodes pretty much stop - making the endings seem even more abrupt. The final episode ending is rather disappointing in that while it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it doesn't give any closure to anything at all either.

So to summarise - Bubblegum Crisis is a slick piece of retro anime charm that has some great art and a brilliant soundtrack. Granted it's definitely a case of style over substance, but at the same time it certainly shows that they don't make sci-fi/cyberpunk anime like they used to.

The TV Times #13: Transformers: Prime season one

2011-10-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

After the frankly superb Transformers: Animated, I was sceptical to see what the next iteration of the Transformers franchise would bring, especially since it was likely to have some sort of movie flavour to it (while I don't particularly oppose the live-action Transformers movies, I'd rather they keep apart from the series'). But despite being developed by first two movie screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Transformers: Prime isn't quite as movie-influenced as one might expect it to be.

Before I look at the story and characters of Prime, it's worth mentioning that this show really is a visual treat - I've not seen any CGI TV series like it before. The humans don't suffer from the "uncanny valley" factor of looking too realistic, but the metal finishes of the robots look amazing and the backdrops (both Earthly and alien) look superb. Even if the writing doesn't sell this show to you, it's worth the watch just for how damn good it looks.

Immediately from the 5-part opener 'Darkness Rising' it was clear that this show was going to be daring. Killing off long-time fan favourite and original Autobot Cliffjumper in the first 5 minutes was always going to be a move that upset fans somewhere (but let's be honest, Transformers fans ALWAYS manage to be upset about SOMETHING) but it was a key event that set up so much for the future of the series. We were shown how much of a threat the Decepticons can be, we were introduced to dark energon, it was integral to Arcee's character development etc.

The Autobots are a lot more varied character-wise than the Decepticons so I'll start by analysing them, starting with none other than Optimus Prime. What can I say? Prime is Prime. He's the wise and great leader of the Autobots he's always been, but at the same time I couldn't help find him a little dull. But then again, its very true that no-one can voice Optimus quite like Peter Cullen can and he sounds just as fantastic as he did back in 1985. Ratchet (while being voiced brilliantly by Jeffrey Combs) is a great character, but in many ways feels like a watered-down version of his far more interesting Animated counterpart. The same can be said for Bulkhead. Its no surprise that its Bumblebee that's most like his movie counterpart, in terms of both looks, voice (or lack of) and character. The R2-D2 style beeping can get a little irritating at times, and while I can't say I cared for the character that much (in fact, if anything he seemed like most back-seat Autobot surprisingly) but he certainly had his fair share of excellent moments - the episodes "Sick Mind" and "Out of His Head" can attest to that.

But as far as Autobots go, the real triumph is without a doubt Arcee. Gone is the pink, stereotypically feminine Arcee that's been around since 1986, and in her place is something entirely new. Not only did this Arcee prove to be just as competent fighter (if not better) than her male team-mates, she also had an incredibly fleshed out backstory. Future generations of Transformers should take note, THIS is how femmebots should be handled.

On the whole, the Decepticons were a lot better. Its great to see Frank Welker back as the voice of Megatron, but his new twist on the iconic Megatron voice is darker and more sinister than ever (which complemented the more movie-esque design of the character nicely). Despite spending a significant portion of the series out of action, when Megatron came back into the frame his presence was certainly felt. Cold, calculating and merciless - this Megatron was everything the G1 version of the character wasn't. Another triumph in terms of writing was Starscream, who despite not being quite as great as his animated counterpart in my opinion was definitely a contender for one of Prime's best characters. This iteration of Starscream was a lot less vocal about his desire for power, instead manipulating events to eventually rise to to power in Megatron's absence. And in fairness, he wasn't a particularly terrible leader either. When Megatron finally returned and Starscream's leadership crumbled around him, he shined more than ever. Despite a disappointing absence for quite a while at the end of the series, I look forward to the return of the character in the future.

Soundwave was very different to the Soundwave's that have come before him, but at the same still very much Soundwave. Silent but deadly, this version of the character was far more "in the shadows" than previous versions, acting out only when he truly needed to (and this was completely worth it for his fight with Airachnid in the final episode). Newcomers Knockout, Breakdown and Airachnid were all excellent additions to the Decepticon cast, bringing along a Decepticon doctor (something the faction have never really had properly before) and good foils to Bulkhead and Arcee respectively.

The human protagonists are a lot more mixed. Jack is the standard human protagonist - likeable but not very interesting. Raf is younger, but a lot less believable as a character due to his Deus Ex Machina levels of hacking skills. And finally, Miko is just annoying. Loud and obnoxious, Miko constantly endangers the lives of everyone around her, which would be so bad except everytime it happens, she fails to learn any sort of lesson and it just happens again a few weeks later. Her character development is practically nil.

Transformers: Prime also introduced some human antagonists into the fray, M.E.C.H., but unlike the human adversaries seen in Transformers Animated, these were genuinely a threat. Truth be told I can't say I was completely sold on M.E.C.H. in the course of the series - their episodes were among the more forgettable ones and the only thing particularly interesting me was that their leader Silas was voiced by Clancy Brown (and looked a lot like the DCAU Lex Luthor too). Still, they did present themselves as a credible threat and if this series was only meant to establish this, then they should have quite a bit going for them in future episodes.

But despite a few duds and a lack of interest from me in the middle-to-tail-end of the series, the final four or so episodes REALLY managed to pull me back in. Suddenly plot threads such as Megatron's obsession with dark energon come to a head, and we see the 'Darkness Rising' that has been prophesied since the very beginning - the chaos bringer himself, Unicron. And this Unicron is very different to any that have come before him, another bold move on the writers' part. While I don't think the generic ancient-Transformer look worked for him very well (especially when he looks like he has a pinecone for an arm), the new origin meant a lot more could be done with him. While a planet sized Transformer is quite the spectacle, it does make interactions with the main characters severely limited. By making Unicron the core of planet Earth itself, not only is this Unicron just as threatening and powerful as his predecessors but he is a lot more versatile too. The 3-part finale began weaving in various origins from various sources into one epic story, and the series was left with a cliffhanger like no series has ever done before. 'One Shall Rise' really sucked me back into the show.

While personally I felt Prime lacked some of the charm and heart that Animated had, Prime is an excellent series that looks to serve the franchise well for many years to come. The CGI is superb, the characters are excellent and despite a few duds the story telling on the whole is very good. After the conclusion to this season, I'm eagerly awaiting season two.

The TV Times #12: GoGo Sentai Boukenger

2011-10-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

GoGo Sentai Boukenger was released between 2006-2007 and was the 30th anniversary series for the Super Sentai franchise. The Boukengers are part of the Search Guard Successor foundation, a worldwide organisation that hunts down powerful ancient relics known as Precious. There are many organisations (known as Negative Syndicate) who plot to use these Precious for evil, and it is the Boukengers job to put a stop to them and collect dangerous relics all over the Earth. The Boukengers are made up of Satoru Akashi (Bouken Red), Masumi Inou (Black), Souta Mogami (Blue), Natsuki Mamiya (Yellow) and Sakura Nishihori (Pink). They are later joined by Eiji Takaoka (Bouken Silver), a monk-like warrior who defends the world from demons known as the Ashu.

Before I begin this review, I should warn you that's going to be a recurring adjective all the way through it - and that's boring. I found pretty much everything about this show boring. Satoru is just the typical red leader type, which is some ways is refreshing as the previous 2 sentai series lacked this, and he does get some good character-centric episodes (particularly episode 27) doesn't really have that much depth outside "always seeking an adventure".The mystery of just who Natsuki is is quite prevalent for the early episodes of the show, then is forgotten about for ages until its brought back for a rather lackluster 2-part episode in which we find she shares a similar origin to Superman, but is destined to destroy modern civilisation. Exciting. The same goes for Masumi, who outgrows his rivalry with Satoru as the series progresses, only for it to return at the tail end of the series for a few episodes when he becomes the focus again (although the show does handle his return to the rivalry in a rather amusing fashion). Eiji is a very interesting character when he's first introduced, but once he becomes Bouken Silver he joins Souta and Sakura in the ranks of being bland and forgettable characters. Finally, Zuban, the show's "extra hero" (like Kakuranger's Ninjaman or Carranger's Signalman) isn't even a character - he's a plot device at best.

Unfortunately, Boukenger's vast array of villains aren't that interesting either. While admittedly Boukenger does change the status quo a little bit by having various groups of villains (a total of four) all working at the same time (meaning there are times when they are either working together or working AGAINST each other), all of the groups are pretty dull. Each of their back stories are minimal (Ryuuwon does receive a brief origin, but it's rather one dimensional) and none have any particular depth to them. Gajah, the series' main antagonist, looks very similar to the more human-esque villains you would seen in earlier Sentai shows, but looks very silly alongside the more modern-styled villain suits in the series. The worst offenders in the show are definitely Dark Shadow (a ninja organisation who sell Precious to the highest bidder), whose best character doesn't actually get good until he betrays the organisation (and is subsequently beaten shortly after) and are led by an blue owl. And, a blue owl - and the saddest part is said owl would have been the most interesting character in the series if he had received more than 10 seconds of back story. At a stretch, the Questers (the final antagonists to be introduced into the show - reanimated versions of Ashu demons Eiji defeated) are the best of the bunch, but then they are also the first to get defeated.

On the subject of final defeats, the villains that don't survive the series all receive some sort of glory in their final battle, but each at the same time they all tend to feel anticlimactic. The final episode of the show lacks the exciting element of a final battle that shows that came before (and after) it had, and its main redeeming feature is its "half a year later" epilogue (although admittedly I'm a sucker for epilogues such as this), which does answer a question that had been bugging me the entire series. I won't spoil it, but all I'll say is it's not even guessable until the penultimate episode.

But it's not all bad, episode 25 is by far the stand out episode of the show - handling the "monster of the week doesn't want to fight" plot line in a way I've not seen any other show do, making it all the more heartwarming (and for once, has a relatively happy ending for all involved). The mecha are very good in the series too, even if the main mecha gets shunted off a little too quickly for my liking. DaiBouken has a very interesting design, a lot bulkier and more detailed than previous mecha, a long with some interesting (but fitting) weapon choices - a pickaxe and shovel that combine into a sword. What I particularly like about DaiBouken though is that when additional GoGo vehicles arrive on the scene that can combine with it, the robot is capable of storing the swapped out limbs in its hollow legs, meaning all the pieces remain on the robot at all time (something the current series mecha GokaiOh fails badly at). Super and Ultimate Daibouken aren't quite as good design-wise if you ask me (and as I said earlier come into the show far too quickly), but are still fairly decent and Ultimate doesn't look too cluttered for something that's made up of 10 separate vehicles. I don't think Bouken Silver's SirenBuilder is a bad mecha, but I'm not a huge fan of it either so I don't really have a lot to say about it. However the main team's second giant robot, DaiVoyager is a beast of a robot! I don't really understand why an organisation like SGS would need a giant battleship of that calibre, but I can roll with it...and besides, its ship mode is a great homage to the battleship mecha of the early Sentai shows.

Finally I'm going to take a moment to talk about Boukenger's entry into the VS series of movies, as because it is an anniversary show its a "Vs Super Sentai" movie rather than vs the previous show (which in this case would have been Mahou Sentai Magiranger). The film features the first appearance of AkaRed, an embodiment of the spirits of the 30 red Super Sentai warriors, and also returning characters (both heroes and villains) from earlier shows. While the film gets off to an excellent start, I can't help feel it trails off toward the end and is lacking in some aspects. The most disappointing thing about the movie is that in reality its only really the last 6 years of Super Sentai on show (the returning characters are all from Gaoranger, Hurricanger, Abaranger, Dekaranger and Magiranger) and so doesn't really feel like a THIRTY year celebration.

In many ways, GoGo Sentai Boukenger feels like a back to basics tribute to Super Sentai, combining the formula that had gone down so well in Japan for 30 years and sprucing it up a little with some of the more modern flair the franchise had picked up over the years. It's by no means an awful series, but one that's likely to divide opinion more than others. Some will enjoy it - but I found it really boring and the worst out of the seven Sentai series I've watched thus far. In short, not the best 30th anniversary celebration the franchise could have had if you ask me.

The Toybox #53: S.H. Figuarts Gokai Red

2011-10-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

The wait is finally over. After several months of waiting and a pretty frantic scramble for preorders the hotly anticipated Figuarts Gokai Red has arrived. The Gokaigers are the second Super Sentai team to be released in the Figuarts line (after the Shinkengers) and Red is the first to be released of the 6 (Blue, Green and Silver are mass releases, whilst Yellow and Pink are Tamashii web exclusives).

Much like Figuarts Shinken Red, Bandai have really outdone themselves on the sculpt. Every detail from the suit is on show and the colours are replicated well (the gold is a little duller than the show versions of the suit, but any brighter and they probably would have had to be chrome which would not only look garish but ruin the overall aesthetic of the figure). The suit's collar is made of a softed plastic, which is good as it means it isn't brittle and gets in the way when posing parts of Gokai Red around that area. The joints are much like the ones Shinken Red had, only this time they aren't quite as tight and complicated posing doesn't make you feel like you're about to snap the toy's limbs off. The wrist balls for the alternate hands also require significantly less force (although this may vary figure to figure, I'm not sure), yet nothing is loose and everything fits on snugly and more importantly, stays on.

Gokai Red's accessories include the Gokai gun and saber (each with hinged key barrels), the mobirates, a folded and unfolded ranger key, alternate "key inserted" barrels for the gun and sword, a wide variety of alternate hands and a nifty cross armed piece to do a proper arms crossed pose (not matter how much you try, the articulated arms will never do it justice). While I think Shinken Red's accessory count was a little more impressive, you can't argue that Gokai Red comes with everything he should come with and more. The level of detail these relatively small accessories have is staggering...the folded ranger key even fits in the mobirates! A word of warning though, as you can imagine the keys are TINY, so are not only delicate, but could also be lost extremely easily.

The first release of Gokai Red also comes with the Gokai Darin (or if you'd prefer, the Gokai Galleon wheel). Packed in its own separate box, the Gokai Darin is highly detailed, and the wheel itself is free spinning. While it may not seem like much on its own (although it's a pretty great bonus if you ask me), it will look brilliant alongside the wheels included with Blue, Green, Pink and Yellow.

Gokai Red is a brilliant figure, and a must have for all fans of the show and Super Sentai fans in general. If you want the wheel included, I suggest buying the figure as soon as possible because it's in pretty high demand. To those into the S.H. figuarts line but not so much the Sentai side of things, I'd definitely give this figure a look because it's a hell of a lot of fun, and would look great on display even without his team mates.

In short - buy Gokai Red. Captain Marvelous has spoken.

The Toybox #52: Engine Sentai Go-Onger mini-pla Gunbir-Oh

2011-10-08T04:37:00.000-07:00

At long last, my Go-Onger mini-pla mecha collection is complete! My final review in the series, and the 2nd mini-pla to be released is Gunbir-Oh - consisting of Go-On Green's partner Birca, Go-On Black's partner Gunpherd and the partner-less Carrigator. The set is made up of four boxes - with Carrigator taking up two of the boxes.

I personally find that the engines that make up Gunbir-Oh don't need any additional paint as such for extra accuracy, but the silver engine parts on Birca and Gunpherd look much much better painted than they do stickered. On the subject of the stickers, BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN APPLYING THEM. The stickers used for each of their eyes (and to be honest, most of Birca too) are TINY, and could be lost or broken extremely easy. My Carrigator's right eye didn't come off the sticker sheet properly, and was pretty much rendered unusable. I managed to paint him a pretty good substitute eye (which I have thus christened his gimpy eye) but its still an example of the level of care applying the stickers to the figures need, especially if you've bought the (what I've found to be) slightly cheaper quality Hong Kong reissues.

As far as the single engines go Carrigator has the most going for him. Being made up of two separate boxes, he's significantly larger than both Birca and Gunpherd, sporting lots of moveable flaps and even a posable jaw! Better, still, both Birca and Gunpherd can also ride on top of him! That's not to say Birca and Gunpherd are without their own features though, the 'animal' part of Birca is able to spin around freely and Gunpherd's front part is able to extend forward (this is more for use in Gunbir-Oh mode though).

Gunbir-Oh himself is pretty simply to put together, simply standing Carrigator upright, folding the head down then plugging the arms in the corresponding sockets. I don't know if this is an issue with all Gunbir-Ohs, but I found mine's legs to be quite floppy, and combined with his strange feet this makes him a little difficult to pose. Arms-wise there isn't a lot to do either, since Gunbir-Oh doesn't actually have any hands. You can get some great firing or blade cutting poses from him, but that's about it. Still, the figure itself looks great, and fits nicely among his Go-Onger brethren.

So, final thoughts? Gunbir-Oh is an excellent figure, but much like my Engine-Oh he suffers from a few problems which prevents him from being truly brilliant. I have no regrets in buying the figure though, and it feels good to have all four Go-Onger mecha sitting proudly on my shelf. The big question is, where do I go from here? I think the Goseiger candy toys might be calling me...

EXTRA: And of course, now that I own all four mecha I can finally show off the G6, G9 and G12 combinations! I don't really have a lot to say about them, because as you can imagine as you add more and more to the body the posability becomes less and less (G9 and G12 are pretty back-heavy too, but not to the point where they'll fall over). However, that doesn't change the fact that all the combinations are extremely well executed and G12 himself is HUGE for a candy toy (see the comparison pic with Gokai-Oh below for reference). One thing I will say though is that, if like me, you don't have the instructions on hand when it comes to making the combinations (although G6 is simple enough) be prepared for a lot of guesswork - I had to consult some video reviews before I worked out how Jumbowhale attached to Speedor, and then even more before I worked out how the hell Kishamoth was involved.

Revisiting the TARDIS #8: Doctor Who Season Six - an overview

2011-10-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Another year, another season of Doctor Who over with. And its time for me to once again share my thoughts briefly on this year's offerings. This isn't a proper review as such, but more my opinions and ratings on thoughts on what has been my favourite TV show for as long as I can remember.

The season began with 'The Impossible Astronaut' (★★★★) way back in April. The episode was a very strong start for the season, setting up the main plot for the year with the Doctor's death and the introduction of the Silents, who'd had a lot of hype surrounding them prior to beginning of the season. Not only that, but the episode included extensive shooting in the US, which was also a pretty big deal. Exchanges between the Doctor and River began to feel a lot less groan-inducing, and resulted in some pretty good banter between the two. At this stage Rory and Amy were also working well as a married couple. Unfortunately its second part, 'Day of the Moon' (★★★) wasn't quite as good. Glossing over three whole months at the beginning put the plot in a completely different place to where we left the last episode already put it in a lower position in my mind, but despite some particularly creepy moments (the drawn out tally charts were an excellent touch) the Silents failed to live up to their hype. Still, the episode concluded with a very interesting cliffhanger, and one the would keep the audience guessing for the whole first half of the season.

'The Curse of the Black Spot' (★★) was the first true miss of the season, but certainly not the last. The siren herself was well imagined, but the story itself was pretty uninteresting, especially when following on the the previous episode's massive cliffhanger.

Neil Gaiman has always had mixed results with me, but 'The Doctor's Wife' (★★★★★) turned out to be by far and large the best episode of the season, and one of the best episodes of Doctor Who since the relaunch. With finally the TARDIS finally capable of speech, the interesting relationship the Doctor shared with his blue box could finally be shared. It dealt with a lot of history between the two characters (since the TARDIS is alive I guess it justifies as a character) and it also housed quite a few references to the classic days of Doctor Who. Personifying the TARDIS was a bold move, and one that could have gone wrong so very easily -

The two-part story 'The Rebel Flesh' (★) and 'The Almost People' (★) was certainly my lowest point of the series. Besides not needing 2 parts by any stretch of the imagination, the story was a pretty cliché piece of science fiction writing, complete with predictable characters, twists and cliffhangers and a terrible CGI monster at the end to top it off. It DID however provide the rare opportunity to see two of the same Doctor in the same place, and too much Matt Smith is never a bad thing - 'Reverse the jelly baby of the neutron flow' is a line that probably made Doctor Who fans of all ages over the world smile. It also created a red herring that would be a popular fan theory for the Doctor's death and an excellent (and unexpected) set up for the finale of the first half of the season.

'A Good Man Goes to War' (★★★★) had a lot going on it, meaning at times it felt a little rushed, but it was still a hell of a lot better than what had come before it. The stakes had been set pretty high, and element of conflict in the episode nicely reflected that. The twist was pretty obvious from a mile off, but that didn't make its impact within the story any damper. The episode also introduced to some very interesting side characters, including a Sontaran nurse and a Victorian Silurian (who also happened to be a lesbian). It's a shame these characters will probably never get a proper origin, because for me they were among the most memorable parts of the episodes and surprisingly endearing characters.

A few months later, the second half of the season opened with 'Let's Kill Hitler' (★★), which actually turned out to not have very much to do with Hitler at all. Instead it was about River's origins and how she was brought up to kill the Doctor, which was done in a horrifically predictable fashion. To make matters worse, the whole big plotline of Amy looking for her child seemed to just stop with this episode, making me wonder if it had all been such a big deal in the first place.

Thankfully next came 'Night Terrors' (★★★★★), which was easily my favourite episode of this half of the season and my second favourite of the overall season. A great emotional story, some genuinely creepy monsters and Matt Smith showing off his Doctor's quirks and eccentricities made this episode a pleasure to watch. When Moffat eventually steps down from the helm of Doctor Who, I'd like to see what Mark Gatiss could do with the show if he had the chance.

Following on from that was 'The Girl Who Waited' (★★), which perhaps was my breaking point with the Ponds. While the story played with some interesting time travel concepts (such as paradoxes and alternate futures) and easily had the best display of the 11th Doctor's manipulative sides, the story's overpowering emotional drive was too much. Future Amy waited 40 years for the Doctor and Rory to come and save her and felt betrayed that it took that long? Boo hoo, Rory waited for Amy for 2000 years and you don't see him constantly bringing it up. 'The God Complex' (★★★) was a better episode, if mostly forgettable. What I did enjoy about it was some great comedy easter eggs in the background (Silurian in a suit and tie), a surprise nod to a classic villain and finally a goodbye to the Ponds (for now).

Going in to 'Closing Time' (★★★★) I wasn't expecting too much, mostly because I'm not a fan of James Corden. But what I will say is that the episodes he appear in definitely bring out the best in Matt Smith. 'The Lodger' did it, and this certainly did too. Alone again, the Doctor is shown a very different light, becoming increasing aware and accepting of his incoming demise. The dynamic between Craig and the Doctor is very different to the one between the Doctor and any of his companions from the modern series, which is extremely refreshing. It was also nice to see the return of proper Cybermen (their 30 second cameo in 'A Good Man Goes to War' notwithstanding) and the first modern series appearance of Cybermats, even if they were underused (and somewhat superfluous) to the episode. Still underuse is sometimes better than overuse, and they weren't what was most important to the episode - they'll get their chance to shine yet.

So, with the season being mostly duds for me, was the finale going to be able to pull it all back. And thankfully, the answer was yes - 'The Wedding of River Song' (★★★★★) managed to help a lackluster season go out with a bang. The episode delved in what would happen if you tried to change a fixed point in time, and the result was a pretty interesting alternate take on the world using famous landmarks and people. Much like many of Moffat's episodes the story did play around with time a lot, but it made good use of the seeds sown in earlier episodes and the end result was equal parts thrilling, touching, 'scary', and exciting - everything a Doctor Who episode should be. The 'wedding' of River Song was handled excellently, and could equally have been great closure on the character as well as opening more doors for any potential returns in the future. And most importantly, it just goes to show the Doctor really is one step ahead of everyone else, and always has a plan.

But the best bit of the episode? Nicholas Courtney's death finally getting the in-show recognition it deserved. It didn't impede on the episode, but had the perfect level of emotional impact for both the Doctor and the audience. He may not have worked with Courtney, but the Doctor's look of sorrow and loss at the news of the death of the Brigadier perfectly summed up the sorrow of Courtney's family, friends and fans alike when the world lost one of the best and most loved Doctor Who companions from the classic series.

So my final thoughts on the season? Overall quite weak, but then again also includes some the best episodes since the relaunch. Matt Smith continues to dominate as the Doctor, but I think perhaps it's time that both the Ponds and River Song moved on. A season comprised mostly of stories where the Ponds are in mortal danger has made me become somewhat bored of them, to the point where in this season I began to wonder if Moffat thought they were more important than the Doctor himself (admittedly this did begin to die down after 'The Girl Who Waited'). River still has some element of mystery remaining to her, but perhaps some things are better left unsaid to keep the audience guessing - too many revelations will only serve to destroy the all-important aura of mystery that the Doctor has. But with Gillan definitely signed on for another season, it doesn't look like we'll definitely be saying goodbye to the Ponds quite yet. Hopefully they'll have a slightly less intensive role in the next season, which after today's episode I can quite happily say I'm looking forward to again.

Anime Review #33: Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

2011-09-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is a 39 episode (and one movie) show that aired between 1990 and 1991. A joint venture between Toho and Gainax, it is notable for being based on a concept by Hayao Miyazaki (of Studio Ghibli fame) and directed by Hideaki Anno (Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion). The show is very loosely based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne.

Set in 1889, it tells the story of Nadia - a mysterious girl with unknown origins. While working as a circus acrobat, she meets young French inventor Jean Roque Raltique, who saves her from a trio of jewel thieves attempting to steal her 'blue water' pendant. On their travels to find Nadia's homeland, they meet the equally mysterious Captain Nemo and his advanced submarine, the Nautilus. The pair become caught in a battle between Nemo and the Neo-Atlantean forces, inhabitants of the lost city of Atlantis who seek to dominate the world. As the battle unfolds, Jean and Nadia are joined by new friends as they learn the secret of the blue water gem and Nadia's mysterious past.

Initially, the story is near perfect. Characters are introduced well and the plot is equal parts gripping, action packed, heart-warming and heartbreaking (the introduction of Marie, an orphaned 4 year old girl who is taken in by Jean and Nadia had me in tears). While obviously being based on Verne's famous book, it still has its own distinct originality and (until episode 23, but we'll get to that in a moment) sticks to the story excellently without straying off on any tangents.

The characters are all fantastic, with all the main characters having their own distinct back stories that usually tie in the main plot somehow. Two particular favourites of mine were Marie - who is perhaps my new favourite 'child' character from ANY anime I've seen, and the Grandis gang, who made an excellent transition from bumbling antagonists to true heroes and worthy role models to the three main children. It's true that Nadia is extremely annoying at times, but the element of mystery to her character (along with Nemo) is particularly strong and she manages to frequently bounce back in terms of interest. Gargoyle, the leader of the Neo Atlanteans, is fairly one dimensional but has a fantastic evil presence, and also has quite a lot of mystery behind him, given that you don't see his true face until the very last episode. Even the side characters have a good role in the series, with some playing an important part in one the Nadia's more tragic episodes.

The art is beautiful, blending latter-day Victorian style with Ghibli-esque scenery and character design. The submarines and ships are also well designed, fitting for a Jules Verne story but perhaps not looking too out of place in Anno's other works. Fans of the Macross franchise might also notice that Captain Nemo bares a striking resemblance to Global from Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

But when you get to episode 23, that's where it all begins to fall apart. Due to the show's popularity, Nadia was expanded beyond the original episode count, and since the budget was running low the animation was sourced out elsewhere and Anno, who was already working overtime, handed over the director's chair. And boy does it show. While the early episodes are well crafted, excellent pieces of storytelling, this "Lincoln Island" arc (where Jean, Nadia and Marie are stranded...the rest of the cast do not appear aside from the Grandis gang who rejoin towards the end of the arc) is the complete opposite. The art style is cheap and nasty, the characters lose most of the development they'd had over the last 22 episodes and the style is completely different - often resembling a cheap comedy with lame gags and simple stories. Its not just bad, its among the worst anime I've ever seen in my life. The arc has ONE important piece of information that drives the plot forward, but other than that watching these episodes is a complete waste of time.

Nadia returns to its former glory for its final four episodes, providing some brilliant action alongside stunning visuals and glorious science fiction (plus an ending that couldn't be any more perfect) but by then it's perhaps little too late, and the sour taste from the previous 12 episodes never really leaves. And let's not get started on the movie, the less said about that the better...

To summarise, Nadia is the most diverse anime in terms of quality I have ever watched. 2/3s of it are brilliant, while the middle third and movie are simply awful. And for that I can only give it an average mark out of 5 at the best. In Japan there exists a condensed version of Nadia called "The Story of Nautilus" which apparently cuts all of the filler from the show. While I have not investigated this further, I can only the imagine the show benefits from the extensive work it would need to give Nadia the true brilliance the majority of it deserves.

The Toybox #51: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger mini-pla Furaimaru

2011-09-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Finally! Another Gokai machine has arrived! The bad news is, if you were planning on buying a case to get this guy, he's being sold with releases of all the other earlier Gokai Machines, and since Furaimaru only takes up 2 boxes you'll be getting quite a lot of excess figures. However, there are a few ebay sellers that are selling this guy separately at a more than reasonable price, so he's not too hard to find at all without the excess baggage. Anyway moving on, the new addition to the Gokaiger arsenal is none other than Furaimaru, who originally appeared in the series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger. And when pirates and ninjas unite, the most powerful shuriken arsenal under heaven is made manifest...HurricaneGokaiOh!

Standalone the Furaimaru minipla is by far and large the best Gokai machine the line has presented so far, and one of the best in the Gokaiger range (Personally I think he's second only to Gozyujin). He has an excellent range of articulation (shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet) and comes with a a vast array of foldable shuriken. Also included is the giant one that he flies around on (I apologise if this has a name), which freely spins and can be fixed to the figure's back. Unlike any of the other figures in the line where I've felt paint SOMEWHERE could improve the figure, the stickers do everything they need to do and paint isn't really required for accuracy unless its a personal preference to paint rather than use stickers.

To create HurricaneGokaiOh, Furaimaru's components must be taken apart. The head crest is moved down over Furaimaru's face to create the HurricaneGokaiOh face/helmet, the torso is flipped around and plugged into GokaiOh's chest and the arms and legs are plugged into the corresponding sockets. Finally the shuriken weapons are unfolded to complete HurricaneGokaiOh. If you prefer HurricaneGokaiOh without the huge shuriken everywhere (something I dislike in the show, but I think the toy pulls it off pretty well), just use the chest component and arm HurricaneGokaiOh with the giant shuriken instead!

Again, like the individual component HurricaneGokaiOh is extremely satisfying. He has the same bulky, imposing look as ShinkenGokaiOh, but feels a lot less cumbersome, is easier to pose AND uses all of the GokaiOh components. Perhaps not my favourite GokaiOh combination, but all things considered probably the best.

I wasn't expecting to like Furaimaru as much as I do, and am completely blown away by how good he is. As one of the best figures in the line, I'd go as far as calling him an essential purchase. If you only get ONE Gokai machine minipla (although why would you since they're packed together), make it this one. Ninjas and pirates truly are a winning combination.

The TV Times #11: Power Rangers Time Force

2011-09-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

The final season to be produced by Saban, Power Rangers Time Force is the ninth season of the PR franchise and was adapted from the Super Sentai series Mirai Sentai Timeranger. Time Force is held in high regard among Power Rangers fans, and often praised for its darker, more mature storyline.

In the year 3000 a police organisation known as Time Force has tracked down and cryogenically frozen every criminal bar one - Ransik, a powerful mutant created in a chemical accident. Bent on crushing humanity in the name of mutant-kind, Ransik hijacks a prison full of convicts and escapes to the year 2001 with the intention of altering history, but not without taking down the Red Time Force ranger (Alex) before he leaves. The remaining 4 rangers - team leader Jenn (Pink), Trip (Green), Lucas (Blue) and Katie (Yellow) follow Ransik into the past. There, much to Jenn's initial dismay, they are joined by Alex's ancestor Wes, son of a rich industrialist. Wes is the only one who can take the mantle of the red ranger, due to the morpher being locked to Alex's DNA signature.

While protecting the city from Ransik's attacks, they are also faced with the problem of Wes' father Mr Collins, who has created his own for-profit protection group known as the Silver Guardian. After discovering his son to be the red ranger he offers him a place on the Silver Guardians as team leader, to which Wes declines, believing he should create his own destiny. Not only to the rangers have to struggle against Ransik, they also face the problem of Mr Collins' team of scientists making scientific breakthroughs early (thus upsetting the course of time) and the Silver Guardians own Time Force Ranger - Eric, who claims the Quantum powers and becomes the Quantum Ranger.

To start with, Time Force boasts one of the best lead casts in Power Rangers history. Each of the 6 rangers have very different personalities and interact with each other and the secondary cast well. Unlike other shows, each member of the cast receives ample screen time (while Lucas, Trip and Katie's development is overshadowed by the relationship between Jenn and Wes, they still feel like completely fleshed out characters). Eric's relationship with the main 5 Time Force Rangers is particularly of note because it isn't quite like anything that came before it - Eric is never presented as an evil or formerly evil character, he just initially belittles the rangers, choosing to work alone because he feels he can do a better job. His gradual acceptance of the Time Force team is one of the series' main strengths and cements his place as one of the best 'extra' rangers on Power Rangers. Jenn's grief over the loss of Alex (they became engaged at the beginning of the series and prior to his death) and growing relationship with Wes also comes very naturally and not forced unlike other Power Rangers relationships. On the subject of Jenn, she is a VERY different breed of pink ranger to anything that came before her - acting as the team's leader and a strong, determined woman. As the last pink ranger to appear until Power Rangers SPD four seasons later, she left a mark on what is usually considered the cliché 'girly' member of the team.

The antagonists I'm a little more mixed on. Ransik is widely considered to be a more sympathetic villain, and while this can be considered true there are also many reasons not to feel sorry for him in the course of the show. While its true that humans feared and shunned him due to his appearance, when he was finally shown kindness by a human he in turn murdered them in cold blood (this character would go on to become Frax, who I will get onto in a moment). While the cycle of hate is a prominent theme in the series (especially in the 3-part finale), Ransik's attitudes toward those trying to help him make him a character very hard to feel sorry for. That being said, he is a very different breed of main villain - more of a thug than all-powerful super villain. He is a very active villain, often actively participating in combat with the rangers and was also shown at times to be quite the calculating villain. Other than being there to be shown as the one thing Ransik truly cares about (which is actually critical to the plot), his daughter Nadira is a lot less interesting - a character often used for light hearted scenes and not particularly interesting until her excellent development in the finale.

Frax, a former human who saved Ransik's life by creating a serum keeping him alive after being fatally bitten by another mutant, is the stand-out 'tragic' character of the show. His origin is perhaps one of the darkest moments of Time Force - after being left for dead by Ransik, Dr Louis Ferricks turned himself into robot in order to save himself and worked alongside Ransik, eventually planning to take his revenge. Even when working alongside Ransik he is treated poorly, and plans to get rid of both humanity and mutants to create a world where robots rule. Following his eventual defection from Ransik he becomes a main villain in his own right, eventually being captured and meeting a particularly tragic ending.

The show's aesthetic is another thing I felt mixed about - while the ranger suits are excellent (and the only team to have visors in the ranger colour rather than black) there is very minimal difference between the red ranger and Quantum ranger suits. While from a narrative point of view the similarities do symbolise the rocky relationship between Wes and Eric, visually it can be confusing when the two appear onscreen together. And the less said about the Mega Battle and Battle Fire modes the better, as they are among the worst battlizers to come out of the franchise...and that's facing some stiff competition.

The main zords of the season are also particularly lackluster. While its quite interesting to have a megazord that has two different battle modes (blue for speed/projectile weaponry and red for power/physical weapons), the uniform colour scheme makes the Time Force Megazord seem like one robot rather than a combination of five (the uniform colours worked better in Power Rangers Zeo, where it was clearly made up of 5 different components). The addition of the Time Shadow (which looks excellent as a standalone zord, and perhaps should have been utilised more) to create the Shadow Force Megazord improve the overall look better and boast some excellent finishers, but it still feels a little underwhelming. On the other hand, the Quantasaurus- Rex (or Q-Rex) is an excellent zord - boasting both a dinosaur mode and a Megazord mode.

Finally I'd like to take a look at the claims of Time Force being a 'dark' series, which I feel are somewhat over-exaggerated. Certainly the series had some very dark themes present (such as the origins of both Ransik and Thrax) and the show still has some extremely light-hearted and goofy moments. The treatment of mutants by humans is never really fully explored (and mutants are shown to either be good or have worked for Time Force a number of times) and Ransik is never portrayed as some masterful villain. Episodes like 'Movie Madness' (which is a good episode nonetheless), 'The Legend of the Clock Tower', 'Beware the Knight' and 'Nadira's Dream Date' are all examples of Power Rangers cheese at its finest, and the latter episode also turns Ransik into a complete comedy relief character. Alex's death at the beginning of the show also loses a lot of impact after his miraculous recovery later in the series (a point which I feel should still have been down to the rangers altering the time line). A more mature Power Rangers series? Yes I'd agree there but darker? Not so much.

So while I think some fans may oversell Power Rangers Time Force a bit much I can't deny that it is an excellent series, and one of the best in the Power Rangers franchise. It has a gripping story, interesting and diverse characters, and some the best acting in the franchise to boot. However some of the design choices (I admit this is mostly down to the Sentai footage used) and odd balance between light and dark themes make Time Force just lose out on full marks. An absolutely brilliant series yes, but not a flawless one.

Alex's Customs #8: The Only Good Dalek

2011-09-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

With new paradigm Daleks currently cheap at both Tescos and Boots, I thought it was about time I picked up a Strategist and did a custom I've been planning for a long time now - Dalek #3 from the 2010 graphic novel 'The Only Good Dalek'. Dalek #3 is particularly significant to the latter part of the story (providing one of its main twists) and even graces the inside cover of the book.

To begin with I removed one of the side panels much like the battle damaged version in the story. In its place I put some some sturdy plastic mesh to create a sort of framework feel to the Dalek skirt. To give the mesh a bit more bulk and realism, I added some (painted) electrical wire to make the Dalek look properly damaged. The bumps around the removed panel were cut and filed (they were much thicker than I expected, which was a good thing) and repainted over. Finally the grey parts of the Dalek were given a watery-grey (the paint used was Citadel's Boltgun Metal) wash to give it a bit more of a worn effect as well as look much more like a sketch brought to life, and the '3' label was added to the head.

A simple custom, but one I'm extremely happy with. 'The Only Good Dalek' was a fantastic book, and I'm glad to own something from it in figure form.

Anime Review #32: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?

2011-09-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Released in 2011, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is a 12 episode (plus one OVA) television series based on a series of light novels of the same name. Ayumu Aikawa is a zombie brought back to life by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe after he is brutally murdered by a serial killer. As he continues his day to day life as zombie he meets a magical girl named Haruna, who battles against surreal animal creatures called Megalos. Unfortunately, Ayumu inadvertently steals Haruna's powers, meaning that he has to become a magical girl in her place to fight the Megalos. Not much later he also crosses pathes with a vampire-ninja named Seraphim. With Eucliwood (Eu), Haruna and Seraphim all now living under his roof, Ayumu battles monsters while trying to solve the mystery behind his death.

As far as surreal anime comedies go, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? couldn't have a better opening. Zombies, chainsaw-wielding magical girls and a giant talking lobster - need I say more? But once the hilarious yet bizarre image of a super-strong zombie crossing dressing as a magical girl to battle school uniform clad animals has settled in, this show begins to take a nosedive. Jokes are repetitive (there's only so many times you can hear Haruna and/or Seraphim call Ayumu disgusting or a pervert and it be funny) and the moe fanservice drives the show down into the depths of being a sub-standard harem anime. This is a shame, because the concept itself works extremely well as a comedy. There are occasions where the show tries to be creative with its jokes and scenarios, but often it's just lazy gags that have been done so many times before on (better) shows. Once the matter of Ayumu's death has been resolved (which does make for a pretty good plot twist), the actual 'serious' plot of the show is incredibly dull, and its reassuring that by the end of the series the creators have returned to the lunacy that drew my eye to the show in the first place.

Despite the often poor set-up, the chemistry between the cast is actually pretty good. While several of the characters start off as incredibly annoying, they do become a lot more tolerable as the series progresses. Ayumu's nonchalant attitude toward both his house-mates and being a zombie works well against the more hyperactive Haruna, silent Eu and insulting Seraphim. And despite the monotonous plot, a carefully timed offhand-line from Ayumu is a brilliant way for the show to maintain some balance between the serious and the comedy.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is a mixed bag. At its best, it's a surreal comedy with plenty of amusing moments. At its worst it's a dull story spaced between bout of cliché harem anime conventions that have either been done to death, or been done much better by something else. Its biggest problem is perhaps that it tries to stretch into far too many different genres of anime, rather than making itself comfortable in one or two. The earlier episodes of the show are a delight, but as it goes on its clear that this zombie could possibly do with being laid to rest.

The Toybox #50: S.H. Figuarts Shinken Red

2011-09-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

For my 50th toy review on this site I come to yet another toyline I've been meaning to look into for a while - Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line. While many of the line's Kamen Rider figures have tempted me in the past, I currently lack the fan knowledge of Kamen Rider to jump on any impulse purchases (this WILL change in the future though), a Super Sentai figure was a whole different story. I originally planned to pass on Shinken Red (as Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink were all exclusives), but when it was revealed that Bandai had plans to do more Super Sentai figures in the line, Shinken Red became a necessary beginning to a collection of (hopefully) all the red Sentai. If you haven't guessed already by the way, Shinken Red is from the series Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.

While admittedly the suit is relatively simple in design, the sculpt of the figure is gorgeous. Every detail is perfect, and the matte finish both looks and feels beautiful. Some of the joints are quite obvious on the figure (such as the waist, shoulders and hips) but this in no way impedes on the overall aesthetic of the figure. It is quite possibly the best looking Super Sentai/Power Rangers toy to date.

As the line promises, Shinken Red boasts an incredible range of articulation. I apologise that my pictures do not truly express this, as the joints system in taking a little bit of getting used too...especially in the shoulders department. While the hinged shoulder pieces attached to ball-jointed arm pieces is a great feat of toy-engineering, it does at times feel like too much pressure will cause the shoulders to snap (this picture floated around the internet at the time of release, and I did not want a repeat of it). The rest of the figure doesn't suffer from the same problem, with the joints able to move about naturally and, dare I say it, almost lifelike. The hands can feel difficult to remove at first (quite a bit of force is sometimes required to pop the hand of the ball on the wrist) but after a while you come to realise that rather than it being a case of feeling like the figure is about the break, its more that the hands fit on nice and securely.

Other than the variety of extra hands, also included with Shinken Red is a ShinkenMaru (complete with removable disc), a shodophone, a folded and unfolded Shishi origami and of course, an enormous Rekka Daizantou. The sculpting and detailing on the Rekka Daizantou is just as good as Shinken Red himself (it even comes complete with a spinning disc attached), but can be a bit of a pain to pose with. Shinken Red is more than capable of hold the weapon freely if you're careful with posing, but some of the more action-y poses will certainly require the aid of a stand. And looking at the sheer size of Rekka Daizantou, this seems like a pretty fair trade-off.

I may still have to get used to the articulation a bit more for dynamic posing, but I am completely in love with this figure. The overall quality and attention to detail in the S.H. Figuarts line is simply staggering, and I certainly plan to buy a lot more figures from the line in the future. The Gokaigers are all on preorder (bar Gokai Silver, who is yet to be given a release date), with Gokai Red to be released this month. Following that, I hope the Super Sentai franchise has a long life within the Figuarts line, and that at the very least we eventually see all 35 red senshi. Shinken Red is a MUST HAVE figure for fans of the series and/or franchise, and also comes highly recommended to any Power Rangers fans looking for a high-end alternative to the Power Rangers Samurai fans that are currently hitting shelves across the globe.

The Toybox #49: Nendoroid #160 Panty

2011-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Nendoroids have always something I've been mixed on in the past - while they look like excellent super-deformed versions of popular characters that come with a pretty impressive set of accessories, the size and price (around 3333 yen/£26 RRP) has always been a bit of a turn off. However when Good Smile Company announced that they would be making nedoroids of Panty and Stocking (and thus, the first 'posable' toys for the characters) I felt it was time to finally check this line out. And since she was my favourite of the two, Panty was the first one to be purchased.

A standard nendoroid is about half the size of a figma/revoltech figure (I forgot to take a comparison picture, but this will illustrate the scale difference), with the bulk of the figure being in the oversized head. While small, the limbs do have some posability. In Panty's case, she is posable at the head, shoulders and hips. While her posability is somewhat limited, the variety of poses you can get out of mixing and matching the arm pieces (the hands are removable) mean that Panty is no short of dynamic poses - whether it be gunslinging or being the slut that she is.

As stated earlier, nendoroids usually come with a fair amount of accessories, and Panty is no exception. Included with her are three separate faces (which I can only describe as a maniacal grin, a mid-sentence face and a 'wink wink nudge nudge' face), two guns (Backlace and what I can only assume is Stocking's underwear), a variety of different arms and hands, a bent right leg, Chuck and (much to my amusement) two different crotch pieces - one with underwear and one without. One thing that also surprised me is that the guns have completely different decos (one lacks the bow on the barrel, and they both have the clear blue plastic detailing in different places) and that the bracelets are actually moveable on one of the arms. I'm slightly disappointed that Chuck has TINY legs and, therefore, unable to stand up on his own, but his tail's wide surface area means he looks pretty good standing leaned back. The face is replaced by removing the two hairpieces (which are attached in a similar fashion to most Figmas) and then pulling the head off of the torso. One thing that does irritate me is that due to the nature of the removable faces, the earrings are also removable. This wouldn't be a huge deal usually, but they're quite small and doing really fix to the ears properly (they clip onto small dents in the earlobes) - quite easy to lose if you like playing around with your toys.

Another thing that surprised me was the stand mechanism. Firstly, there's plenty of holes in the base for the arm piece to go in, and secondly the figure is attached to the stand via the power of MAGNETS! That's right, no holes in the figure for plugs or obvious claws around the figure - the nendoroid is simply held in place via a magnet in the head. While this does mean that the figure has to be attached to the stand at the head, the nendoroid proportions mean that its quite easily to hide when looking at the figure face on. And if it bothers you that much, Panty is more than capable of standing without the aid of the stand to hold her in place.

I'm still not completely sold on the size of nendoroids in comparison to their price, but I can't deny that Panty is one of the most lively figures that I own. Despite its limited posability, it just OOZES character. Stocking will definitely be bought soon (although, I never planned to have one without the other), as will the recently announced Sonic the Hedgehog. I can't say I have any desire to own any (currently) announced/released ones besides those, but this is certainly a line I will be keeping my eye on in future.

The TV Times #10: Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger

2011-09-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger is the 28th entry into the Super Sentai franchise, following on from Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger and preceding Mahou Sentai Magiranger. The story begins when Banban Akaza (nicknamed Ban/DekaRed) is transferred to the Earth branch of the SPD (Special Police Dekaranger) and arrives in the city of Megalopolis. His teammates are Houji Tomasu (Hojo/DekaBlue), Sen'ichi Enari (Sen-chan/DekaGreen), Marika Reimon (Jasmine/Deka Yellow) and Koume Koudou (Umeko/DekaPink). Under the guidance of their chief, the Anubian alien Doggie Kruger and scientist Swan Shiratori the Dekarangers defend the city of alien criminals, known as alienizers. Midway through the series, they are also joined by Tekkan Aira (Tetsu/DekaBreak), an elite member of SPD's Tokkyou division.

The main cast are excellent, each having very contrasting personalities and thus being able to to bounce off each other well and each adding something different to the combined team. Between the 5 (or 6) of them there is no obvious leader, so the chain of command fluctuates episode to episode depending what the operation is. Despite the format of the show (which I'll get into next) each character has their background explored adequately and the relationships between them are properly expanded on.

What's instantly the most noticeable thing about Dekaranger is the format of the show. There's no evil witch/demon/empire trying to take over the world, no ongoing story about a team of heroes preventing the world from turning to ash etc. Instead, Dekaranger is an episodic series that deals with the SPD dealing with "low-key" criminals (well, on a Sentai scale anyway) such as murders and arms dealers. Most episodes are stand alone from each other (with multi-part episodes appearing every so often, usually when there's a new addition to the cast and/or arsenal) and a minimal amount of recurring antagonists. The variety of alienizers in the series is massive - there's everything from the standard hulking sentai monsters to small prop aliens, aliens in human clothing (the space mafia, complete in tuxedos, was a highlight of mine) to even humanoid villains with human faces. Not that all the aliens are villains of course, because the world of Dekaranger is one where aliens live among us, meaning there are plenty of 'ordinary citizen' alien characters too.

Midway-in the series does begin to sow seeds for its finale episodes, and the Dekaranger's main antagonist is revealed in full - Agent Abrella. As I said before, Abrella isn't the typical Sentai villain dealing in galactic conquest, he's only interested in one thing - money. From smuggling to developing weapons to sell on the black market, most one shot villains in the series have had some contact with Abrella. His minimal use in the majority of the series makes him a much more interesting character, and when he's eventually fully revealed its apparent how effective he is for a criminal with such simplistic aspirations. Certainly one of Sentai's most memorable offerings in the villain department.

The next thing to mention would be the impressive amount of rangers this series boasts - a total of 10. Besides the main 6, Doggie Kruger also has the ability to transform into the too-awesome-for-words DekaMaster, Swan makes a one-shot appearance as DekaSwan, and then there are also one-off appearances from DekaBright (the head of the Tokkyou division) and DekaGold (movie only). While appearances from the other rangers are scarce, its a rare treat to see more than 6 rangers outside of a team-up movie, and helps emphasise the larger scale of the SPD. DekaMaster is also without a doubt the highlight of the show, stealing every scene he's included in. If I had to recommend this series for a single reason, it would be for Doggie.

Finally, the other thing that sets Dekaranger apart from other Sentai series is its approach to mecha fights. Since the villains of this series are aliens rather than outright monsters, there's actually very little 'growing' in the show (some aliens do grow to fight the Dekaranger mecha, but that only happens a handful of times). What Dekaranger provides instead is some alienizer-piloted mecha (named Kaijuki in the show), giving us some genuine mecha vs mecha fights. The enemy mecha designs are varied at best (some are excellent, while others look like an after thought) and its not long before the same design starts appearing in different colour schemes but with the amount of character design that had to go into this show, its a pretty fair trade-off and an excellent change of pace. The episodes don't always end with 'giant monster/mecha fights Dekaranger Robo and is beaten' either - mecha fights often begin an episode rather than end it, and more often than not (well, until DekaWing Robo comes around) the alienizer is killed by the Dekarangers themselves rather than the robot. This mix-up of events helps the show be less formulaic than standard Sentai show, meaning you're not watching the same plot progression over and over again. The Dekaranger mecha themselves are all excellent, particularly Dekaranger Robo - individually looking like futuristic police vehicles and together having a nice uniform combination that at the same time stands out (its also nice to see a main mecha that doesn't use a sword as its main weapon). The later combination with Dekabreak's DekaBike is just as smooth, adding armour in all the right places to prevent it from looking like a mesh of vehicle parts. DekaWing Robo doesn't really have much focus as individual components, but more than makes up for it in combined mode (not only does it form a brilliant robot, but can also turn into a GIANT FREAKING GUN). Deka Base Robo (as the name suggests...the robot mode of the mobile part of Deka Base) is the weakest of the lineup, but its easy to let slide given both its gigantic size and that fact that (in-show) it was built to be more of a giant weapon than a mobile robot.

It may be small, but the show does suffer from one flaw - the narration. It's not so much that the narration is bad, more that it's horrifically repetitive. When certain key moments happen in the show (such as Jasmine's ESP powers, Sen's thinking pose and judgement time) narration appears over the show to explain what's happening. The only problem is, it does that for every single episode that moment appears, and as you can expect 'judgement time' happens EVERY EPISODE. Hearing the explanation in the first 10 episodes or so makes sense as its a chance to fully come to grasps with the concepts of the show (not that they're difficult to get anyway), but hearing them in episode 20, 40 or even 50 (that's right, the last episode) is ridiculous - no one would just jump on the show at that point, so what's the point of explaining it again?

Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger is a show that gets a lot of praise, and it deserves every single bit of it. The wide range of aesthetics and alien design really help create the impression of a world filled with alien life, the main team all work fantastically together and apart and it has a very minimal amount of forgettable episodes. Arguably one of the best Sentai Series of the noughties, and certainly a worthy contender for a top spot in the franchise's 35 year history.

Photo Corner #4: Are you ready for the summer?

2011-08-28T13:38:00.001-07:00

All I know is, Megatron is sure as hell ready for those hot nuts.

Yes I know it's not the right Megatron, and that a smaller Pinkie Pie probably would have been better. But hey, it's going to be a while before I end up getting TF: Prime Megs and this is the best Pinkie I had on hand (other than the creepy one eyed bandit McDonalds version). Maybe I'll take a v2 once I have Prime Megs and the blind bag Pinkie.

Oh, and for anyone who doesn't know what this is referencing - see here.