I've finally "completed" my jumbo Shogun Warriors collection.

I say "completed" in quotation marks because of course there are still variations out there that I should probably get someday, but for the time being, I just wanted one version of each character available in the Shogun Warriors line. And some may find it odd that Dragun would be the last one I would get since he is among the most common and popular ones out there, but I was waiting for just the right specimen, at just the right price.

So, why did I need a particular specimen? Well, it's been awhile since I was cranking out jumbo reviews on a regular basis, but you may remember that I do have the original Popy version. And by all accounts, the first version Shogun Dragun was the exact same toy simply in a different box. So I figured that if I'm going to have more than one toy of the same character, I would like them to be as different as possible. To that end, I decided that I would not buy a Shogun Dragun until I saw a complete, box "lightning legs" version at a decent price.

As you can see, this version replaces the traditional "V" stickers on the legs with some silver lightning bolts.

Why?

Who knows? But this is usually the version that is the least popular so every time I'd say I specifically wanted this version to a friend, they would often wonder what the heck was wrong with me. But variety is important to me. So here are all of my jumbo Getter Dragons.

(l-r) Popy, Mattel, Nacoral, Famosa

(Famosa review forthcoming..)

I'm really glad I held out for that version because when I got it, I noticed some things about it that I didn't know before. For instance, did you notice that the Popy version is shorter than the Mattel version? Why would that be if the only different is the leg stickers? Well, upon closer inspection, I noticed that the feet on the Mattel version are actually modified feet from a Great Mazinger!

I'd never seen this reported anywhere else and it makes me wonder what other barely noticeable differences there are among the various versions that can't be seen without having all of them in one place!

One other difference that WAS known is of course the fact that the spinning sawblades from the Popy version were removed from this version. Also, the star shooter accessory was added to the Mattel version. The first version Mattel one has a strap but this one has the more common clip on version.

My specimen came with 12 stars and three axes.

So, other than pointing out those differences and just adding this toy to our database, there really isn't much more I feel like I can add.

(And yes, I know I haven't reviewed the Shogun Warriors Goldorak. I have it and will do it....later. )

Seagorath is an Ultra Kaiju, meaning he is a Giant Monster featured in the Ultraman Franchise. Specifically, Seagorath comes from episodes 13, 14 and 37 of "The Return of Ultraman" from 1971.

Seagorath is an Ultra Kaiju, meaning he is a Giant Monster featured in the Ultraman Franchise. Specifically, Seagorath comes from episodes 13, 14 and 37 of "The Return of Ultraman" from 1971.

The Kaiju fights with Ultraman Jack until he is defeated and driven back into the ocean.

However, his face mysteriously reappears on the Kaiju Tyrant, who is an amalgam of many previous Ultra Kaiju.

This vinyl toy is a kids toy at heart. Produced in 1992, before Bandai had the collectors market in mind, Seagorath is a solid sturdy vinyl figure. Articulation is limited to the arms and legs.

This figure was bought at a flea market in Tokyo on my 2009 trip for 100 yen. A Bargain.

To celebrate international Soul of Soft Vinyl Week on CDX Leonardo Flores reviews release #36 Tackle from Kamen Rider Stronger. "Although I will say there is some nice Zettai Ryouiki action going on here!"

Tackle

I always admired the costume and character Denpa Ningen Tackle from 1975 Kamen Rider Stronger. One feature I like about 1970’s tokusatsu programs is many of the costumes and art design still had a huge 1960’s influence throughout. For me, Tackle has always been one the most rememberable of those 60’s style costumes due to her cute and colorful Lady Bug motif, Go-Go boots and miniskirt, and vintage European motorcycle style helmet mask and goggles.

When I discovered there was of SOSV version of Tackle I had to track one down for my collection, eventually locating one on Y-Auctions for 100yen! I was not disappointed when I finally received my Tackle in the mail from Japan.

Tackle includes: 1X Tackle figure, 1X white antenna, 1x hanger card. There are no options. Please note that while most SOSV figures do not include extra parts Tackle’s antenna is included loose in a plastic case connected to the hanger card. If the card is missing and there is no antenna I would pass on the item as most likely it has been misplaced. Accordingly the only assembly required is attaching the antenna to the helmet.

I am impressed with the beauty and detail the sculptor took when designing Tackle and all the minor details throughout when looking at closer inspection. For example the helmet is actually a clear piece that is painted to match the figure with floating eyes attached to the body. The result is a simple but very effective look of clear goggle on the helmet. I also like the fine details of the boots, from the zipper down the side, reinforcement leather panel seams and separately painted souls. With all these great small details I have no doubts that the sculptor had access to the original costume for reference.

The dress itself has a nice pitted texture to it with pleats and hemlines represented throughout. Personally I like the detail of the belt being folded behind itself on the back of the figure. Nice touch! The yellow flowing scarf also added a great visual to the figure and really represents an era when many tokusatsu characters wore scarves as part of their uniforms.

What is most important about this figure is the female representation in the figure itself. So easily Bandai could of sexualized this figure by heightening or blowing the proportions up but the sculptor choose to represent a very realistic sculpture of an average stocky Japanese female. This is rarely seen even in expensive dolls much less a $10.00 action figure. The result is you get a nice heartfelt tribute to the actor who played Tackle and kept the figure from becoming the typical generic female action figure.

My only real complaint is the lack of any real articulation, which is limited to turning the helmet, and arms, waist and boot pivot. This is an issue many collectors feel about Soul of Soft Vinyl figures but I feel this is a nice tribute to original soft vinyl toys from the 70’s as frustrating as it might be. But the pose is dynamic and really stands out on the shelf.

What I like about this figure was how the sculptor balanced the realism of Tackles costume of just being a stage prop on an actor during the daily grind of a film set and the fantasy of Tackle’s iconic henshin uniform fighting the evil armies of Black Satan. It all depends how you want to look at it. If you are an admire of 60’s and 70’s art design with a nice 1960’s Go-Go appeal or a fan of vintage tokusatsu programs the price should not keep you from purchasing this inexpensive figure but I am sure you will more than pleasantly surprised at this representation of Tackle as I was.

©2009 Article and photos Leonardo Flores Modcineaste & CollectionDX.

Israfel comes in both it's Alpha and Beta (Kou and Outsu) forms.

I remember first watching Evangelion back in the day, and aside from the Eva Units, the thing I looked forward to the most were the Angels.

The Angels were the main enemies of NERV, or so we thought. No one knows where they come from, or what they want, but they are bent on attacking NERV headquarters at every opportunity.

Each Angel is unique looking and has an unique style of attack.

Israfel is the seventh angel, and features the ability to split iself into two units - Alpha and Beta (Kou and Outsu in Japanese). The pair of angels use coordinated and synchronized attacks egainst the Eva units.

Due to this attack style, Eva Unit 01 and 02 lead a synchronized assault on Israfel, set to music.

In the context of the series, it's really quite a remarkable scene.

Bandai released a few Angels in it's Soul of Sofubi line - Sachiel, Shamshel and Israfel. For Israfel they released both Kou and Outsu versions. Other than the color, they are exactly the same.

Each is 23 cm tall and made out of soft vinyl. Articulation is limited to the arms and waist. These are in-scale with Tamashii Spec Evangelion units.

Due to the flimsy feet and the top heavy construction, neither likes to stand up well.

Each has a clear red "core" in its chest.

These were sold on hang tags with cards, and as such, it is common to see them with scuffs and blemishes.

Of course, when we are talking about Neon Genesis Evangelion, the term Angel takes on new connotations.

Shamsel is an angel. Not just any angel, but a giant, super-powered monster angel.

Of course, when we are talking about Neon Genesis Evangelion, the term Angel takes on new connotations.

The Angels are the bad guys of the series, sent to the earth to steal panties from Japanese school girls. No, wait.. that's not right. But it would make more sense if it was.

Shamshel is the Fourth Angel (Fifth if we are talking Rebuild of Evangelion) and is one of many Angels that attack earth, more specifically, NerV headquarters.

Shamsel attacks Eva Unit 01, and the battle is fierce. Unit 01's power supply is severed in the attack and manages to kill Shamsel seconds before his power runs out.

If you haven't seen NGE, then this may be lost on you. Shame on you.

While there have been tons of toys of the EVA units, there have been very few of the Angels, and mostly we get Satchiel or something. But with Bandai's Soul of Sofubi line, they started to make vinyl toys of the Angels. Unfortunately, they stopped after only a few releases.

Shamshel is the last release in the line.

As a vinyl toy, it's not bad, but doesn't do much. Shamshel stands 22cm tall, and features two clear energy whips and a clear core. There's no articulation.

Shamshel comes loose on a hang tag with a card, and the energy whips are packaged in a plastic case. You need to attach the whips, and they are keyed to go in a specific way.

Because Shamshel is not bagged or anything, he's often found scuffed or damaged.

There you go - Shamshel. It exists.

Happy Halloween! My contribution to this fine holiday is a review of a decidedly creepy pair of designer vinyls...

Okay, I know it's not usual for us to review two toys at once, but in the world of designer kaiju, exceptions ARE the rule!

On this fine Halloween, I present two toys I've been dying to talk about for a while now: Velocitron's Bechigon and Larvagon in the "Emperor" colorway. These are two genuine Japanese slush-molded vinyl figures. These designer (non-character) toys are clearly horror-inspired--more specifically, a bit of a refinement on H.R. Giger's designs from the Alien films.

First up, we have Bechigon, Ricky "Velocitron" Wilson's first toy sculpt. They run around $35 each, and while each colorway is pretty short in terms of run size, there are lots of 'em and they ALL look great! Just check out the various pics in Velocitron's flickr.

Header card.

Bechigon is very reminiscent of the face-hugger pods from Alien, but it seems more like closed fangs at the top rather than an opening for something to hatch. Also, the added tentacles are fantastic. I picked up this particular colorway of Bechigon when it first came out because it was one of the first shot in glow vinyl and because it just looks so cool. The black spray and the spiral masking on the tentacles is brilliantly executed. Also, the gloss red handpaints are a striking accent. This thing looks sick!

I mean, just check out how cool the tentacles look when they're glowing!

Bechigon's tagline was "Egg of the Apocalypse". So what gives? Why would a budding designer vinyl maker start off with an egg...rather than a full-size (ostensibly adult) monster?? Well, Ricky has said that he wanted to create a sort of progression with this toy line. So, start with an egg...then move on to a larva (hint, hint)...and then...

I sorta compare it to the different vinyl makers who release Hedorah toys depicting his different life-cycle forms (larva/tadpole, crawling, flying, adult, etc.). Anyway, clearly, these toys are designed to complement each other when displayed on a shelf. So, I assume that the next in the series will be an adolescent or young adult monster...but I'm getting ahead of myself...

After Bechigon, Ricky released the much-anticipated Larvagon. They retail for around $55. I think of Larvagon as a cross between Giger's face-hugger and the chest-burster designs. Only giant! Well, they're Japanese, so I imagine them being giant! :P

Header card.

Now this damn thing is metal as all hell! I mean, it's grotesquely detailed and monstrous...but it's still just a silly glow kaiju toy. For some reason, I feel like blasting Dethklok while playing with it! ;)

I love how Ricky carried over the Emperor theme into Larvagon. The striped black look has been preserved, and the black paint rub over much of the body accentuates the detail of the sculpt perfectly. [By the way, I have no idea what "Emperor" is supposed to indicate. That's just the name of this colorway. Maybe there is a whole race of these monsters...and this is their leader!]

There are a few neat things about this sculpt. Well, first, it features a whopping two points of articulation! Yep, just those red-clawed tentacles can move. Hey, works for me! Also, there's a sweet removable carapace shot in clear vinyl that fits on top of the head. This is TOTALLY reminiscent of some notable Alien xenomorph toys like the classic 18" Kenner Alien, which had a glow skull underneath a smoky clear cap. Larvagon's carapace has two tusks with a groovy black chain connecting them.

Yo, what's up with the red wad that looks like a mashed strawberry on the left side of his head!? :P

Anyway, not much else to say about these guys. Their beauty--or lack thereof!--speaks for itself. While I think these toys are absolutely great, I can definitely see how your mileage may vary. Designer vinyl, in and of itself, is an acquired taste. I, for one, am looking forward to future releases in this line and completing an Emperor set!

If you're interested in picking some of these toys up, go to skullbrain.org and do search for "Bechigon" or "Larvagon"...you'll find info on how to get in touch with Ricky, get on his mailing list, and see what's in stock...not to mention finding TONS of great pics of other colorways of these toys!

A long review just in time for Halloween of some scary figures: the various mutations of Chaos, the most popular and iconic Real x Head character, and the last of my Mutant Zone I reviews.

Real X Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

Mutant Chaos debuted as the fourth and final hero Mutant in the Mutant Zone I series, and has become the flagship character in the Real x Head line. I am pretty comfortable in believing that more Real x Head figures have come out with a Chaos head on them than any other design… I make the Chaos head distinction for a reason. Mutant Chaos is described as a shapeshifter, and is capable of taking on a variety of forms. In the name of conciseness, and in the spirit of Halloween, I am going to try something different in this review and discuss Chaos in all of his forms that use the original Mutant Zone parts (and one that uses a Mutant Zone II part, but we’ll get to that). I will leave the two more recent all-new Chaos sculpts for separate reviews. So, let’s get started as we look at the direct Chaos ‘family’.

First off we have the figure that started it all, Mutant Chaos. Unlike the first three Mutant Zone figures (Head, Evil, and Bigaro), Chaos was 100% new parts. Mutant Chaos is a shapeshifter, and in his default form he appears to be in something of a permanent flux state. Mutant Chaos still has the characteristic three fingers and toes of the Mutants, but he also has some bits that look like armor, and the prominent weapon hand, as well as the distinctive eye, which is actually a plastic doll eye. Mutant Chaos’s body is a mess of different textures and shapes, but it does not feel random and thoughtless… the mess flows around regular body features, and it looks like Chaos has deliberately morphed smooth legs and feet as well as a hand so he can function alongside the rest of the Mutants. The great Roger Harkavy, a lover of vinyl toys, has always emphasized the tactile experience of hand-sculpted vinyl figures, and Mutant Chaos really brings this idea home for me. There is just so much detail to take in, from the big smooth armored-looking piece on the chest, to the wrinkly and pod segments on the head and the little tail out the back covered in scales. The left arm looks like a weapon, but is described as Chaos’s probe hand, which he uses to sample new forms so he can take those shapes. I like to think it still functions as a weapon of some sort as well. Mutant Chaos is articulated at the regular RXH neck and shoulders, but also features a cut around the ‘elbow’ on the probe arm. The might seem like a mostly useless joint, but it actually enables you to angle the probe different ways and get Mutant Chaos into some cool poses, especially if you like to pretend he can also use the probe as a ray gun or some such.

This particular Mutant Chaos is the Frankenruge variant, a tribute scheme to Frankenruge, a villain kaijin (humanoid monster) from the 1972 tokusatsu show Barom-1. Frankenruge is one of the most popular villains from this much scarier show than the usual Ultraman-style tokusatsu fair, and an extremely hard to find vintage kaijin vinyl figure. This was an early Chaos release, and the unsymmetrical paint scheme from Frank translates well onto the Chaos canvas.

Now we get into the Chaos mutations, made possible by the brilliant interchangeability of the Real x Head figure parts. I am going to cover the next two quickly, as we’ve now seen all the parts that make them up previously.

The Chaosfighter form combines the Mutant Chaos head and arms with the regular Mutant body. The smooth and clean Mutant body contrasts nicely with the complex Chaos head and arms. I think I have more Chaosfighters than Mutant Chaoses in my collection and this is one of my favorites. This guy is molded in black vinyl with an overall metallic tone added and really luscious metallic sprays over top. He is really glossy and full of luster, and I like how the darker colors and tighter sprays bring together the dissimilar body and limbs.

The Chaosman form combines the Mutant Chaos head with the regular Mutant arms and body. The Chaosman combination seems like it functions much better as Chaos’s everyday form working alongside his fellow Mutants. The Chaosman design works really well with either contrasting spray styles on the head and body, or unified with one paint scheme across the whole figure like seen here. This particular Chaosman is from the Junkspot shop in Japan released as a store exclusive from an event a few years back. We also see here the bandanna that has become common (but not definitive) on Real x Head Mutant releases. On the Chasoman design, the bandanna does a great job of hiding the neck joint and bringing the pieces together even better. You can even pull the bandanna up over the face for a ‘bandito’ look to your figure!

The last figure we’ll cover today is the Armored Chaos, a Chaosman wearing an armored vest featured first on the Mutant Zone II Akro-kaizer, a figure I have not covered yet. The armor is another mix-and-match-able piece, slipping over the regular Mutant body. The armor spreads the arms out a little bit, but does not actually hinder articulation of the arms (the vinyl is soft enough that you can push the arms past the armor to do a ‘YMCA’ pose). The armor DOES actually hinder head movement a little, due to the shape of the Chaos head on the right side, but this is minor. This guy is a tribute to Beetleman, a tokusatsu character that I do not actually know anything about (I believe he is pretty obscure). The Armored Chaos is neat for two reasons: first, the body and arms are molder in orange vinyl, while the head and armor are molded in grey, something unusual for Real x Head releases, and second, this is the only production Armored Chaos release, and surprisingly easy to find even though he is really quite cool.

That’s it for the original Mutant Zone I/II Chaos mutations, but not all of the Chaos figures, or all of the figures using Chaos parts. I will continue through the series, covering Mutant Zone II next, and then moving to the new Mutant Zone III releases and Chaos Adult figure, where the story gets really interesting!

We're here to discuss the sculpt, but the figure is also one of my first Real x Head customs, in tribute to Tetsujin 28! The third of the original Mutant Zone characters.

Real x Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

Mutant Bigaro is the third Real x Head to use the Mutant head body as a base, as well as the third friendly character in the Mutant Zone Series. Bigaro looks to be a bit of a brute when compared to the previous Mutants, with a stockier look and single eye in a large cavity, similar to a Zaku mono-eye from the Gundam series. Bigaro has visible cracks in his skin, suggesting a thick and rugged hide, to me, as well as a cape on his back. The actual physical design of the figure in making a new character is unlike any other figure in the line (except for one specific case that we’ll get to later), but the idea of creating add-on parts for the Mutant body to create different characters over a single base body is something integral to the Real x Head style and business plan. Instead of using the neck joints already on the Mutant body, the Bigaro head-piece is a cowl that fits over the shoulders and neck of the Mutant body, using a piece of foam in the front and back to keep it safely in place. This is both a blessing and a curse, and I have somewhat mixed feelings about the Bigaro head-piece. Because the head-piece does not actually clip onto any specific mounting point, it has a large range of movement on its shoulder perch, and can be very expressive. At the same time, however, I do not like how the head-piece flops around in your hands while you handle the figure, making the figure feel almost incomplete. As such, I typically relegate my few Bigaros to shelf-duty and leave them alone. Even with this problem, Bigaro is a popular character with many different colorways, and I am a big fan of the design even if I do not care for its actual execution.

The particular figure pictured here is a custom of mine. The stocky and round appearance of Bigaro gave me a classic Gigantor (Tetsujin-28) feel. I painted the cape to look like flames from Tetsujin’s jetpack, and took advantage of a piece of advice Sanjeev gave me on how to give the blue a metallic finish without using a metallic blue paint by over-spraying the blue coat with a thinned down coat of silver. I painted over a beige ‘flesh’ blank, just like the Mutant Evil I reviewed, as can be seen through a number of spots on this figure where the paint has rubbed off… I did not do a good enough job of sealing this figure, and the paint is not well enough protected, especially around where the head-piece rests on the shoulders.

The second of my Real x Head series, Mutant Evil. Despite the name, he's on our side!

Real x Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

Mutant Evil was the second Mutant Zone figure, utilizing the Mutant Head body, but with an all new head sculpt. Despite the name, Mutant Evil fights alongside Mutant Head in the name of protecting humanity from the Mutants that would do us harm. Evil is described as the first completely original design, with the Ninja Turtle vibe still a little bit heavy in the Mutant Head design. Evil retains the same three points of articulation, at the shoulders and neck, as the previous Head, due to their sharing the same body. Evil features a much more detailed head sculpt that Head, complete with fangs and a scar across his left eye. I like to think Mutant Evil is older than Head, and has seen his fair share of scrapes.

The figure pictured here is a beige ‘flesh’ blank figure, ideal for admiring the sculpt on its own merits, or as the base for a custom painted figure. The tradition of beige skin-tone blanks stems from the vintage days, as I understand, where vinyl toy makers typically produced vinyl doll parts as well as monster toys, and would occasionally release monster figures using the beige doll-colored material when it was in excess, due to the exploding popularity of kaiju in the 60’s and 70’s.

The first of my series on Real x Head, documenting each sculpt. Neo-kaiju just in time for Halloween! I'm going to do the first three Mutant Zone characters this week, and then Chaos on Halloween.

Real x Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

The Mutant Head sculpt’s heritage can clearly be traced back to Mori’s love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with its round and friendly face, bare chest, and three fingers and toes. The Mohawk, torn shorts, and skull belt buckle provide a little punk flair, and enough originality to make Mutant Head a fun fight figure. All of the Real x Head Mutant Zone figures stand around 5 ½” tall, and the standard Mutant Body, derived from Mutant Head, is articulated at the shoulders and neck. It might not seem like a lot of play value, but the sculpts are loaded with character, feel great in your hands, and can be posed with some serious dramatic flair. The basic Mutant body does not have a ton of detail, but this is intentional, in order to allow a great deal of detail to be filled in with paint work. The myriad and complex colorways on Real x Head figures have been a major contributing factor in Real x Head’s success. The particular figure reviewed here (only because it is currently the only Mutant Head I own) is a tribute figure stylized after Booska, a Japanese mascot character (about which I admittedly do not know much). Real x Head figures are painted by Goto-san, a legend in the Japanese vinyl industry, who has been painting since Bullmark was the dominant name in Japanese vinyl. Booska Head features a large number of sprays including an opaque cream color, a light and translucent black for the spots, all based on a really vibrant orange vinyl. I believe the eyes are hand painted with a brush, but it is also possible they were done with a mask. A companion Mutant Head exists in a similar paint job, but based on a great looking bubblegum pink vinyl.

I know that the modern Japanese vinyl niche is really not for everyone, but if you are at all interested in vinyl toys, kaiju, or classic 80’s action figures, I’d recommend giving a Real x Head figure a try. Mutant Head here is just a taste of what is out there, and I am going to follow-up with the rest of the line, starting first with all the figures based on the standard Mutant body, and then moving into some of the unique-bodied figures and newer original Mutant Zone sculpts. The characters are fun and imaginative, and the seemingly endless colorways make it so that there really is something for everyone within the RxH line. If you like the look of the figures, I’d recommend just getting out there and picking one up, and then if you like it, taking a look at the RxH section in the Super 7 mook, which documents the first few years of RxH.