Orgroid
Takatoku made some really great toys back in the day… Not sure if this is one of them or not.
The 1/60 scale Orguss toys are significantly smaller than their larger 1/40 siblings. The transformation options are now limited to two modes, but with that you gain more dynamic poses and a more “action figure” like toy.
Super Dimension Century Orguss was the follow up show to Macross, and it had a lot of the same staff involved. It’s only natural that people who dig Macross also have an affinity for Orguss.
The show is kind of hard to explain, but a fighter pilot named Kei is at ground zero when a reality bomb goes off, and he ends up in a world that is a combination of two different dimensions. Kei is an oddity in this world. He is known as an “Idiosynchratic Point”, and both sides of the conflict – the Chilam and Emann want him for their own. The Emann convert Kei’s damaged Bronco 2 fighter into the transformable Orguss fighter. The name Orguss is a god of war in this alternate world.
The Orgroid comes in the typically beautiful Takatoku box, with its textured cardboard and detailed illustrations. A thin sheet of cellophane protects the toy from the outside world and is often seen punctured or torn on older specimens.
These old Takatoku toys were actually marketed as models, for you to paint and detail on your own. Check out the amazing painted version of this toy on the box.
Although the Orguss has four modes (Orgroid, GERWALK, Flyer and Tank), this toy can only do Orgroid and Tank modes.
The toy is made up of a combination of diecast metal and brittle plastics. The feet and lower legs are metal.
The head cover is translucent and can open and close.
The chest panel is removable to reveal the inner mechanism. The cockpit bubble can also be removed.
A gun attaches to the arm that can actually fire missiles!
Also included were stickers and a catalog.
Unfortunately, these toys did not stand the test of time. Colors faded and plastic became brittle – the immense weight of the diecast feet caused them to break off from the lower legs. Joints got loose over time..
Still, I can’t help but love these toys. Maybe I am just nostalgic for a time long gone. I love the aesthetics of the Orguss world, and as fragile as these toys are, I have a compulsion to buy every one I get my hands on.
