Tetsujin 28 VS Black Ox

This is my Tetsujin 28.

I never watched Gigantor as a kid. I don’t know how it escaped my notice, but it was before my time. So, as a result, I don’t have really any nostalgia for the old pot-bellied T28, as cool as it is. I can appreciate the design and they have made some great toys of it, but it’s not my Tetsujin 28.

No, the first Tetsujin I remember was that massive Godaikin Tetsujin. Originally released by Popy as the SG-01 Chokinzoku Tetsujin 28, the Godaikin Tetsujin taunted me from the toy aisles. Actually, it taunted my by hardly ever being around. I remember seeing it maybe once or twice in stores, and those memories are hazy at best.

Regardless – I’ve always loved this version of Tetsujin 28 best. His design comes from the 1980 version Tetsujin 28 which actually did air in the states in the 90s.

“Tetsujin Ni-Ju Hachi-GO!”

In 2009, Bandai released two different versions of th GX-44 Soul of Chogokin Tetsujin 28. The basic set was the GX-44 which just included the Tetsujin 28. What I will be reviewing here today is the GX-44S set which includes both Tetsujin 28 and Black Ox. You can only get Black Ox with this set.

Tetsijin 28 VS Black Ox is available at BetaToys.com

The box is your standard SOC fare, with both figures packed securely in a styrofoam tray. A plastic tray contains the accessories, and a cardboard box contains the stands.

Both figures are pretty much ready to go right out of the package. Which is good, because these things are meant to be played with.

Tetsujin 28

T28 is reasonably tall at 18cm tall and is mostly metal. I’d say the only thing not metal here is the head, and hands. It’s heavy for sure.

The first thing you will notice about T28 is the articulation. Specifically, how insanely articulated he is. This is the new gold standard for chogokin articulation. The head is on a ball joint but at the neck so it just looks fantastic from any angle.

Shoulders are ball joints, elbows are double joints, hands are removable. The torso has a joint mid-chest as well as at the waist.

The legs at first appear to have limited articulation, but what you have to do is pull them down a bit. The first thing that clicks out is the bottom of the crotch, and then if you keep pulling, the legs slide down a little. This little bit of room goes a long way for added movement.

The legs have a spectacular knee joint where the back panels on the lower legs fold in to allow for the leg to bend much more than normal. The feet are on ball joints, and these too can be pulled down to allow for a greater range of motion.

It appears that the T28 was the test of the new articulation we are going to see in the upcoming Mazinger Z. It has the same elbows, chest joint and collapsing leg joints. I thought I didn’t need another Mazinger, but if that’s as cool as T28, I’m sold.

There aren’t many gimmicks with T28 but there are a few accessories worth mentioning.

Tetsujin 28 can fly by replacing the head with an alternate head that can look up when flying, replacing the hands, and adding on the rocket backpack. The backpack is held in place with a magnet, and pushing down on it activates spring loaded wings.

Also included are two miniature figurines of the boy Shotaro, his vehicle the clipper, a small helper robot called Zero Hachi (08) and a large control briefcase called the Vision Controller.

The Vision Controller can open up and it unfolds automatically. The handle can fold out or be stowed away flat against the case.

The Tetsujin alone is a great buy and well worth the money. But is it worth getting the Black Ox set?

The first thing you notice about Black Ox is the lack of diecast in the lower legs. The rest of the figure has just as much metal as T28, but you can’t help but feel a little let down with the metal content. You also don’t get the cool folding panels on the back of the legs like you do with T28.

That being said – I still think Black Ox is pretty cool. He is the same size as Tetsujin 28, has the same build, but is a completely unique toy. He even has the cool double jointed elbows.

Aside from variant hands – Black Ox only has two gimmicks. On the regular head, the mouth can open and close. With the alternate head, you have the option of displaying it with or without its faceplate.

Each robot has a display stand with plugs for all their respective parts. Its the same stand, with different nameplates and a different front insert.

So yeah, in conclusion I really enjoyed this set much more than I thought I would, largely due to the crazy articulation in T-28. He was on my desk for about a week prior to this review and I had a blast trying all kinds of poses with him. And, if you get the set with both, you can re-enact some awesome battle scenes.

Tetsijin 28 VS Black Ox is available at BetaToys.com

On a side note, this review is the first shot with my new Olympus SP-590UZ. I had to pick up a new camera at Yodobashi in Tokyo when the old Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom got a fuzzy spot in the middle of the lens that I can’t get out. So far I like the camera, but I am still getting used to it. Let me know what you think of the shots, and if you notice any difference.