Honestly it would take too much time to do a video, edit, upload etc. I'm just trying to get it done. I have a backlog of reviews building up. I have about 12 working days of content left I think. I just gotta plow through it.
oh man sorry to hear about all the trouble you're having Josh.
but glad things are moving. I'm surprised you haven't hopped on to youtube and instagram and twitter to make more updates. to show what you're doing. keep the awareness going and hopefully more donations will come in.
Having the Shishi disk spin when it didn't in the show (and also be oversize) is a dumb "compensation". Now, I get why they didn't make the Rekka Daizanto transform: The blade actually shrinks lengthwise substantially when it transforms in the show. But that being the case, they should have included an alternate cannon mode version. Also Shishi and Tora disks. But it could be worse... Can you imagine if the Common Disak was permanently attached to the Shinkenmaru? And he didn't come with the Rekka Daizanto, the Shodophone, or the Shishi Origami, but instead came with the Beckoning Cat that Takeru got bodyswapped with?
Well, that's basically what happened to Ryuranger. No Lai-Lai Jewel, no Soryuken (Double Dragon Swords), and he only has a single Dairenrod with the Rod Arrow tip permanently attached instead of either a detachable tip or a second rod with no tip - even though the rods were most commonly used with no tip. But he sure does have those gag accesoeies from Akibaranger! (ugh)
I've seen a photo of the Zybots combined mode. I wonder if certain bots are interchangeable or if everyone has a specific place they have to go (like G1 Devastator) Not sure if the second robot mode was intentional or accidental, but he would make for some great fan art/fan fic. I saw one person above comparing him to Punch/Counterpunch.
I noticed another flaw now that I own the toy myself. There's a ridge inside the right hand meant to help it hold the sword tighter, but it seems to be on the wrong side. Why do I say this? Well, the ridge holds the sword solely by friction if it's touching the solid side of the hilt, but actually tabs into the hollow side... which requires the sword be inserted facing the wrong way. So either the ridge was molded on the wrong side of the fist, or the DaiShinken's hilt was molded with its hollow on the wrong side.
Still holds its sword way more securely than the Thunder Megazord/Dairen-Oh, though.
I can see the hilts of the swords in the Minami face, at least.
The Kita face just makes me think "Prepare to meet... Mister Angry Eyes!"
"Are those supposed to be cannons above the knuckles?" That's certainly what they look like. They're probably a feature that Plex designed but then forgot to really make use of. It happens now and again - Black Gammer and Yellow Kumard from Kakuranger never actually used the Gammer Bow and Kumard Claw (they were at least seen readying them in the fight with Tengu, but didn't actually get to wield them), the Saurer Buster finisher from Zyuranger (seen in some promotional material) went completely unused...
"what the hell kind of weapon is that if it isn’t a very poorly designed spear?" Well, that's exactly what it is - a spear (yariika is "squid spear", not just "squid"). A spear that in toy form Ika Daikai-Oh can't properly wield but instead only awkwardly hold by a handle. It's the Dragon Antler/Power Staff allll over again. Bandai's desire for bulky polearms does not mix well with their neglect of articulation.
Oh, a bit of an oversight: You neglected to say what size battery it takes. For those wondering, it's size LR44/ size 357 (Same size, different material) button cell batteries and you need two.
it looks magnificent- but ¥38500? That’s incredibly steep, isn’t it?
Sure, there are a lot of component vehicles, but ~$350 is another 50% more expensive than other recent flagship SoC releases, right?
Sigh. I’ll probably end up with it anyway. I expect pre-ordering will be necessary, as I can’t imagine vendors wanting to stock many of these that aren’t spoken for.
What happened was apparently that at the time the initial PRS toyline was developed, it looked there wasn't gonna be a show to shill it. So the Zords developed at the time (Samurai Megazord, Beetlezord, Swordfish Zord, Tiger Zord, and Octozord - which may have been released later, I honestly forget, but it has all the hallmarks of the initial line's developent) got simplified and cheapened EXTRA-hard to account for that.
Apparently a lot of the issues with the Power Rangers Samurai zords and the toyline in general stem from the fact that at the time the initial PRS toyline was developed... it was looking like MMPR 2010 was the end of the line for Power Rangers on TV. Disney had no interest in doing any more seasons. Bandai of America still wanted to press on with a toyline, but when they started development all signs pointed to it being a toyline without a show to promote it. So they made changes based on that: The samurai armor-based Mega Mode was created and given more dense distribution than the gi-based regular uniform Rangers, the morpher got simplified, the Zords developed at the time (Samurai Megazord plus the four main Armament Zords) got HEAVILY simplified, the Beetle Zord and Swordfish Zord got changed to things BoA and possibly retailers felt would sell better (show accuracy be damned because there was no show then), the armament Zords came with riding Mega Mode Rangers to make them more attractive in stores, and with the assumed lack of show support they didn't plan ahead even as far as the Clawzord - they probably didn't see an ahead to plan for.
"I can see why incorporating poseable legs would have been both difficult and expensive for the consumer. But couldn’t they have at least left an indent or a line or something to indicate that there is supposed to be this fictitious knee joint there!?" In fairness, the thighs are recessed when seen from the front, and there are those big red and chrome knee pads there.
"Now, this may be me being paranoid, but the rectangular bars that the shoulders are attached to seem to stick out a tad more than seems necessary; certainly they’re more accommodating than need-be for transforming it" As I'm sure you're aware, this turned out not to be the case. I think the actual reason is because the internal workings (like the catch for the Soul socket cover) don't leave room for them to be tucked further from that angle.
"Head swiveling. Why didn’t it have this???" Probably because the head/engine is tied into the system that controls the sound effects. so they didn't want it moving around. Heck, there are actually restrictor ridges under the golden exhaust pipes to make sure it stays still!
"the Go-On Sword doesn’t fit very well in the hand(s) because the friction of the finger joints isn’t that strong; so it tends to droop as soon as you let go of it" Sentai robos that can'tr hold their swords well seem to outnumber the ones that can. I think the real issue in this case isn't so much the finger joint friction (mine are fairly tight) as it is the shape of the fingers - they aren't molded to tightly engulf the Go-On Sword's hilt.
"For a good while there before “Go-Onger” came out, rumors swirled around that Buson was actually a bison... which would have made much more sense to me than a friggin’ lion. If I have to look that hard to recognize a lion’s head on the front of a bus, then somethin’ isn’t right." Right,suuuure. Because the fangs, the small whisker grooves on either side of the frontmost section of his faceplate, and the lack of horns and beard look veeeery bisonish. Not to mention the numeral :P I can understand you not immediately seeing a lion (just like I could get someone mistaking BearRv for a cat), but seeing a stronger resemblance to a bison? I just.... what? As I said in the 2015 comment, it helps if you speciofically think of a Shishi lion statue. That kind of squat look, the protruding fangs, plus the way the mane starts behind the cheeks (in Bus-On's case, the mane starts with the molded gold parts either side of his face), It's probably the best they could do when the base vehicle is a brick with wheels.
Me, I can see Bus-on as a lion fairly well. What I wish was different with him: * A couple tiny extra licks of paint to better pick out the missiles * The destination board, rather than being a single sticker decal, instead being a flat clear pocket you could insert different graphics into (like the angry-face emoticons)
You missed or didn't cover an amusing detail of the Engine Souls that I discovered when I got Engine-Oh in today: The "Don't put the batteries in your mouth" warning molded on the battery cover is a struck-through image of Pac-Man munching. That gave me a good laugh
I got one. Yay!
Years later, I would have loved to hear your take on all the Robot Spirits Dunbine figures they put out.
Honestly it would take too much time to do a video, edit, upload etc. I'm just trying to get it done. I have a backlog of reviews building up. I have about 12 working days of content left I think. I just gotta plow through it.
oh man sorry to hear about all the trouble you're having Josh.
but glad things are moving. I'm surprised you haven't hopped on to youtube and instagram and twitter to make more updates. to show what you're doing. keep the awareness going and hopefully more donations will come in.
I appreciate the work Josh thanks again.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-s_cL8zHE
Will do! Hopefully it'll be ready within a week.
As long as we get credit it's fine, thanks! Drop us a link here when the video is done! Thanks for asking!
Josh, would it be cool with you if I used a couple of your images from this toy for a video on Raideen? I'd also want to use one from the GA-01 reissue as well. (http://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/1999/mazinger_z_reissue)
Thanks, either way!
Having the Shishi disk spin when it didn't in the show (and also be oversize) is a dumb "compensation". Now, I get why they didn't make the Rekka Daizanto transform: The blade actually shrinks lengthwise substantially when it transforms in the show. But that being the case, they should have included an alternate cannon mode version. Also Shishi and Tora disks. But it could be worse... Can you imagine if the Common Disak was permanently attached to the Shinkenmaru? And he didn't come with the Rekka Daizanto, the Shodophone, or the Shishi Origami, but instead came with the Beckoning Cat that Takeru got bodyswapped with?
Well, that's basically what happened to Ryuranger. No Lai-Lai Jewel, no Soryuken (Double Dragon Swords), and he only has a single Dairenrod with the Rod Arrow tip permanently attached instead of either a detachable tip or a second rod with no tip - even though the rods were most commonly used with no tip. But he sure does have those gag accesoeies from Akibaranger! (ugh)
I've seen a photo of the Zybots combined mode. I wonder if certain bots are interchangeable or if everyone has a specific place they have to go (like G1 Devastator) Not sure if the second robot mode was intentional or accidental, but he would make for some great fan art/fan fic. I saw one person above comparing him to Punch/Counterpunch.
I noticed another flaw now that I own the toy myself. There's a ridge inside the right hand meant to help it hold the sword tighter, but it seems to be on the wrong side. Why do I say this? Well, the ridge holds the sword solely by friction if it's touching the solid side of the hilt, but actually tabs into the hollow side... which requires the sword be inserted facing the wrong way. So either the ridge was molded on the wrong side of the fist, or the DaiShinken's hilt was molded with its hollow on the wrong side.
Still holds its sword way more securely than the Thunder Megazord/Dairen-Oh, though.
Yup, many people alerted me of this this morning. I've got it preordered. Good price even though I have to wait a month later than Japan.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SH712ZH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=transformers-20
Thats what not getting the pre-order will do to you...
I can see the hilts of the swords in the Minami face, at least.
The Kita face just makes me think "Prepare to meet... Mister Angry Eyes!"
"Are those supposed to be cannons above the knuckles?" That's certainly what they look like. They're probably a feature that Plex designed but then forgot to really make use of. It happens now and again - Black Gammer and Yellow Kumard from Kakuranger never actually used the Gammer Bow and Kumard Claw (they were at least seen readying them in the fight with Tengu, but didn't actually get to wield them), the Saurer Buster finisher from Zyuranger (seen in some promotional material) went completely unused...
"what the hell kind of weapon is that if it isn’t a very poorly designed spear?" Well, that's exactly what it is - a spear (yariika is "squid spear", not just "squid"). A spear that in toy form Ika Daikai-Oh can't properly wield but instead only awkwardly hold by a handle. It's the Dragon Antler/Power Staff allll over again. Bandai's desire for bulky polearms does not mix well with their neglect of articulation.
Oh, a bit of an oversight: You neglected to say what size battery it takes. For those wondering, it's size LR44/ size 357 (Same size, different material) button cell batteries and you need two.
It says "Due October 2018 for 38,500 yen."
Ugh, fixed. I'll be up at 4am waiting for the preorder go live tonight!
Wow, and it doesn't come out till 2918?! The wait will kill us all!
LOL but seriously, cool. I'm thinking I may pre-order two for display purposes.
it looks magnificent- but ¥38500? That’s incredibly steep, isn’t it?
Sure, there are a lot of component vehicles, but ~$350 is another 50% more expensive than other recent flagship SoC releases, right?
Sigh. I’ll probably end up with it anyway. I expect pre-ordering will be necessary, as I can’t imagine vendors wanting to stock many of these that aren’t spoken for.
Forget about Miracle Productions' version. This is the real deal I'm waiting for.
What happened was apparently that at the time the initial PRS toyline was developed, it looked there wasn't gonna be a show to shill it. So the Zords developed at the time (Samurai Megazord, Beetlezord, Swordfish Zord, Tiger Zord, and Octozord - which may have been released later, I honestly forget, but it has all the hallmarks of the initial line's developent) got simplified and cheapened EXTRA-hard to account for that.
Apparently a lot of the issues with the Power Rangers Samurai zords and the toyline in general stem from the fact that at the time the initial PRS toyline was developed... it was looking like MMPR 2010 was the end of the line for Power Rangers on TV. Disney had no interest in doing any more seasons. Bandai of America still wanted to press on with a toyline, but when they started development all signs pointed to it being a toyline without a show to promote it. So they made changes based on that: The samurai armor-based Mega Mode was created and given more dense distribution than the gi-based regular uniform Rangers, the morpher got simplified, the Zords developed at the time (Samurai Megazord plus the four main Armament Zords) got HEAVILY simplified, the Beetle Zord and Swordfish Zord got changed to things BoA and possibly retailers felt would sell better (show accuracy be damned because there was no show then), the armament Zords came with riding Mega Mode Rangers to make them more attractive in stores, and with the assumed lack of show support they didn't plan ahead even as far as the Clawzord - they probably didn't see an ahead to plan for.
I thought of a good way to prop up the Bus-on Missile launchers: Putting the Go-On Sword and an Engine Soul in the compartments upside-down
"I can see why incorporating poseable legs would have been both difficult and expensive for the consumer. But couldn’t they have at least left an indent or a line or something to indicate that there is supposed to be this fictitious knee joint there!?"
In fairness, the thighs are recessed when seen from the front, and there are those big red and chrome knee pads there.
"Now, this may be me being paranoid, but the rectangular bars that the shoulders are attached to seem to stick out a tad more than seems necessary; certainly they’re more accommodating than need-be for transforming it"
As I'm sure you're aware, this turned out not to be the case. I think the actual reason is because the internal workings (like the catch for the Soul socket cover) don't leave room for them to be tucked further from that angle.
"Head swiveling. Why didn’t it have this???"
Probably because the head/engine is tied into the system that controls the sound effects. so they didn't want it moving around. Heck, there are actually restrictor ridges under the golden exhaust pipes to make sure it stays still!
"the Go-On Sword doesn’t fit very well in the hand(s) because the friction of the finger joints isn’t that strong; so it tends to droop as soon as you let go of it"
Sentai robos that can'tr hold their swords well seem to outnumber the ones that can. I think the real issue in this case isn't so much the finger joint friction (mine are fairly tight) as it is the shape of the fingers - they aren't molded to tightly engulf the Go-On Sword's hilt.
"For a good while there before “Go-Onger” came out, rumors swirled around that Buson was actually a bison... which would have made much more sense to me than a friggin’ lion. If I have to look that hard to recognize a lion’s head on the front of a bus, then somethin’ isn’t right."
Right,suuuure. Because the fangs, the small whisker grooves on either side of the frontmost section of his faceplate, and the lack of horns and beard look veeeery bisonish. Not to mention the numeral :P I can understand you not immediately seeing a lion (just like I could get someone mistaking BearRv for a cat), but seeing a stronger resemblance to a bison? I just.... what?
As I said in the 2015 comment, it helps if you speciofically think of a Shishi lion statue. That kind of squat look, the protruding fangs, plus the way the mane starts behind the cheeks (in Bus-On's case, the mane starts with the molded gold parts either side of his face), It's probably the best they could do when the base vehicle is a brick with wheels.
Me, I can see Bus-on as a lion fairly well. What I wish was different with him:
* A couple tiny extra licks of paint to better pick out the missiles
* The destination board, rather than being a single sticker decal, instead being a flat clear pocket you could insert different graphics into (like the angry-face emoticons)
You missed or didn't cover an amusing detail of the Engine Souls that I discovered when I got Engine-Oh in today: The "Don't put the batteries in your mouth" warning molded on the battery cover is a struck-through image of Pac-Man munching. That gave me a good laugh
Somebody needs to wave this thing in the faces of the bozos who designed the ToQger mecha