DX Moguydai-Oh

This toy appears here courtesy of HobbyLink Japan (Hlj.com).

In Act 32 – “Ushi Origami” a boy from the mountains informs the Shinkenger that he has created a Hiden Disc that will be able to tame the first Origami ever created 300 years ago, the Ushi Origami. According to archived information in the Shiba Clan’s house, this Origami was created by accident, but unfortunately it was unstable and it rampaged through the countryside. Not being able to control it then, a Japanese family well versed in mojikara created a seal for the Ushi Origami deep inside a mountain, and it was strictly forbidden for any future generation of Shinkenger to attempt to release it. Thinking his plan would work, the boy attempts to use the Hiden Disc he created and then intentionally un-seals the Ushi Origami. As happened 300 years earlier, the giant Origami begins to run uncontrollably, attacking both Gedoushuu and the current generation of Shinkenger! In Act 33 – “Mogyudai-Oh”, the Ushi Origami evades capture and disappears. As the Shinkenger dispatch their own miniaturized Origami to look for it, Genta (Shinken Gold) wonders about new information given to them by the mountain family – that mojikara not only releases power, but it can also collect it. The next morning, the five Origami return to report that they’ve found the Ushi Origami caught between electrical towers (with the boy still inside from the previous day). Both the Shinkenger and the Gedoushuu clash as they try to lay claim to the rampaging Origami. As Super Shinken Red and an Ayakashi fight in the rock temple inside the Origami, the boy and his protective grandfather have an understanding with each other and try to tame the Ushi Origami. Their efforts pay off, and the Ushi Origami is at last tamed, also resulting in the transformation of a new Ushi Hiden Disc. When the Ayakashi is destroyed and then uses its second life to grow to giant size, Super Shinken Red uses the new Ushi Disc to transform the Ushi Origami into the Samurai Kyojin Mogyudai-Oh! The Ushi Origami has not only unsurpassed brute physical strength, but surprising speed for its size. It also has use of the Mogyu Hou (“Wild-ox Cannon”) multi-barrel cannon attack. As Mogyudai-Oh, it retains its brute strength and thick armor, as well as the Mogyu Hou cannons now located in its shoulders. Its finishing attack is the Mogyu Daikaiten Hou (“Wild-ox Big-revolving Cannon”) energy blast from the Ushi Disc that appears between its horns and the revolving auto-cannon held in its right hand.

Ushi Origami (An ox)

Only the small black ABS jaw can open and close a little. Other than that, the only other playable feature in this mode is the motorized rolling action (see below). The outer half of the Origami’s horns are the only pieces made of PVC.

Samurai Kyojin MogyuDai-Oh

The arms ratchet every 45-degrees at the shoulders; this is the only posability in the entire toy. The cannon used for the Mogyu Daikaiten Hou, however, can be attached to either fist.

In Act 34 – “Fatherly Love, Girlish Innocence”, when a host of Onanashii Renjuu and Nosakamata appear alongside an Ayakashi kirigami, Shinken Red gives command of the Shinken-Oh to Super Shinken Pink while he pilots Ushi Origami. The Onanashii Renjuu form towers with their bodies, so Shinken-Oh jumps atop the Ushi Origami and they fight together. After the Onanashii Renjuu are quickly dispatched, Daikai-Oh joins the battle, and alongside Shinken-Oh and Mogyudai-Oh the three use their combined finishing attacks to destroy the kirigami and Nosakamata. Though not named officially (as in the series it is a one-time improvised formation), many fans call this mode “Riding Shinken-Oh” based on past Super Sentai combos of a similar nature. There is no preparation or connection made between the Ushi Origami and the Shinken-Oh, the latter is simply set atop the former and that’s it.

The DX Mogyudai-Oh contains an electric motor function. This appears as two separately-acting features. The first is used in Mogyudai-Oh mode. For its Mogyu Daikaiten Hou attack, place the Ushi Disc (with the blue sticker) behind the face (which you must fold down first to accomplish the attack). Then, when the battery switch is turned on, the Hiden Disc inside the head will spin!

The second is a rolling action. When the activation switch is moved to the proper position (forward for Ushi Origami, down for Mogyudai-Oh), the toy will slowly roll forward. (Once you learn how to operate the switch properly enough, you should also be able to get it to roll backwards as well if you wish.) There is, however, a manual transmission toggle that can be used, and this is related specifically to the Hiden Disc feature mentioned above. If you do not wish to have the Mogyudai-Oh to turn its main wheels, pull the toggle switch outwards. Regardless of if the toggle is in or out, the Hiden Disc feature on the Mogyudai-Oh’s head will always turn according to which way the activation switch is moved. (The point of this toggle is to allow you to spin a Hiden Disc without having the whole toy roll about at the same time.)

Zen Samurai Gattai Samurai Ha-Oh

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Samurai Gattai Shinken-Oh
• Samurai Gattai Series 01 – Kabuto Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 02 – Kajiki Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 03 – Tora Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 04 – Ika Origami
• DX Samurai Kyojin Daikai-Oh
• DX Samurai Kyojin Mogyudai-Oh

In Act 35 – “Eleven Origami, All Combination”, Genta suggests that they try to integrate the Ushi Origami into a combined formation with the other ten Origami using a new Hiden Disc. Because of the amount of power that the larger Origami contains and that such a combination would be difficult to form, however, it could in fact destroy all of the Origami if done incorrectly! Meanwhile, an Ayakashi has been sent to the surface with an insatiable appetite for non-living matter. In a very odd act, the Gedoushuu destroy the Ayakashi on their own just after it fills itself up, forcing it to use up its second life as a giant. Beginning the battle with Daikai Shinken-Oh, they quickly discover that the Ayakashi has developed an incredible shield strength not encountered before, and all of their attacks are useless! Infused with enthusiasm from a personal battle he faced earlier in the episode, Shinken Blue strongly recommends using the new Hiden Disc to fuse all eleven Origami together into their final combination, the Zen Samurai Gattai Samurai Ha-Oh. The Samurai Ha-Oh (“Samurai Lord”) can utilize several attacks from the various Origami parts on it, including the Tora Drill with the drill bits on its forearms, Ebi Basami from the lobster claws behind its head, and the DaiShinken Ha-Oh Giri (“DaiShinken Lord Slash”). The Samurai Ha-Oh’s final attack is its greatest, the Mojikara Daidan’en (“Mojikara Great Shot Circle”), where all mojikara from the eleven Origami is focused into the rotating dual-Hiden Disc massed-energy blaster above its head. The only posability is the ratcheting shoulders, which snap to every 45 degrees. (Unlike in the series, the lobster claws cannot twist enough to reach past the combo’s massive crown.) The Samurai Ha-Oh can grip the DaiShinken just like it does in the series (though the Hiden Shield is not seen used even though on the toy it can).

(shown separated below for the convenience of detailed photos; it never operated separately in the series)

As with the DX Mogyudai-Oh separately, the Samurai Ha-Oh can take advantage of the motorized rolling action. The Mojikara Daidan’en can also be recreated [somewhat] by engaging the Mogyudai-Oh’s motorized Hiden Disc feature on its head. Likewise it can roll forward with the motor as well.

Shinzen Samurai Gattai Kyoryu Samurai Ha-Oh

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Samurai Gattai Shinken-Oh
• Samurai Gattai Series 01 – Kabuto Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 02 – Kajiki Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 03 – Tora Origami
• Samurai Gattai Series 04 – Ika Origami
• DX Samurai Kyojin Daikai-Oh
• DX Samurai Kyojin Mogyudai-Oh
• Samurai Gattai Series EX – Kyoryu Origami

After the unbelievable events of Act 42 and Japan about to be literally torn in half by Hell, in Act 43- “One Last Sword Strike”, the Gedoushuu general Sujigarano Akumaro’s centuries of planning and effort suddenly collapse on him when he underestimates Juzo’s emotions regarding his ancient katana which is the key to unlocking Hell. Juzo betrays Akumaro by turning his refurbished sword against him, forcing the general to die and use his second life to come back as a giant. Without wasting time, Shinken-Oh, Mogyudai-Oh, Daikai-Oh Minami, and DaiGoyou are assembled for the battle; Akumaro creates two kirigami to help him out. After Shinken-Oh and Daikai-Oh defeat the kirigami, they all team-up against the highly-powerful Akumaro. They decide to form the Samurai Ha-Oh, but even the great Mojikara Daidan’en is rerouted back at them … only just. As Akumaro stands now weakened but defiant as ever, Shinken Gold has the idea to summon the Kyoryu Origami. With the Samurai Ha-Oh grasping the giant sword, the Shinkenger use it as a focal point for the cannon-like Jūni Origami Dai Samurai Giri (“Twelve Origami Great Samurai Slash”). At last, Akumaro is overwhelmed and destroyed, and the Shinkenger earn a much-deserved Christmas break. This formation is also not named in the episode, but unlike the ‘Riding Shinken-Oh’, official off-screen materials have a name for this mode. (Also seen in this episode for the second time- but cannot be recreated as a toy- is the Mogyudai-Oh holding an enlarged version of the human-scaled Hiden Soutenjuu Mogyu Bazooka in its left hand alongside the Gatling cannon in the right.)

Ohh gosh, where to begin… Well, first off, to the people anxious to remind me of my own words from the past regarding this toy, I would say: For me to invest so much money and effort into acquiring something I despised for two years, I needed to completely reevaluate my position about not only the Mogyudai-Oh, but the Origami mecha line as a whole. To see it from the starting line was what has held me back for the last two years, and hindsight being what it is, I now know that was a mistake. I needed a reason to get it, which previously I did not have even when “Samurai Sentai Shinkenger” ended its run in early February 2010. Unlike some toys I have reviewed for CollectionDX.com, this was not [entirely] a case of “taking one for the team”, and many of the things I had problems with in the past have been, as I said a moment ago, reevaluated. (Hey, I’m allowed to change my mind too, ya’ know… That’s not against the rules.)

Since I made the decision to get this toy (and the DX Daikai-Oh) in August 2011, the thought that kept rolling through my mind, even as I opened the box and ran through all of the modes that first time, was, “What have I gotten myself into?” As a matter of fact, when I announced my intent to JoshB and asked for both his assistance in helping me find these toys , and his silence so I could spring these upon you all unannounced, I told him in an e-mail:

“I think I’ve gone off the deep end, Josh. Mark it on your calendar- this was a turning point in the life of one of your top reviewers… =3 [snip] WTF is wrong with meeeee???”

As I was tinkering with the toy, I discovered why it is that it costs so much despite its size and overly-simplistic transformation(s): it has two electric motors. Not one, but two. One drives the wheels in the black box that is the gissha cart (the transmission toggle actually just disconnects the wheels from the motor, it does not turn the motor off altogether), and the other motor is in the torso/head and spins the Hiden Disc(s) there. I am reminded of the DX Chou Karakuri-juu Revolver Mammoth I own, which has only one motor, yet it has two independently-operated motorized features (well, three, depending on which mode you have it in) driven by the same motor. Why couldn’t this newer set, which appeared seven years later, do the same? I doubt weight was the issue since the ultra-class Revolver Tenrai-Senpuujin combo actually weighs more as a toy than the Samurai Ha-Oh does. Over the years I haven’t heard of any break-downs with the Revolver Mammoth’s motor. Then perhaps it was inconvenient to have an internal drive shaft running the length of the molded-together legs, and a similar manual transmission to switch between the motorized functions?

Watching the episodes to prepare myself for this review, I was amused at the fact that the Ushi Origami roller-skates (why??) along on multiple wheels per hoof, and then the toy throws that feature away by having it rest on these giant wheels along the inner sides of each, and then turning around and molding those same wheels from the show in an immovable way into the hooves! Why even go through the effort of putting fake wheels in then!? Why not simply design it so the actual wheels are the actual wheels for both the toy and in the show?? Shifting animal legs have been used on motorized DX toys since the DX Juukishin King Brachion appeared in 1992 (aka Deluxe Titanus The Carrier Zord in 1993). I can certainly understand and respect that the gissha cart uses subtly-larger motorized wheels so that the two provided Hiden Discs don’t get damaged or stressed under the weight, but not the wheels on the four legs. I suspect that PLEX was trying to imply a towing hitch for an ox and cart when they placed that bar between the Mogyudai-Oh’s arms when set on top of the Ushi Origami, but that image gets completely lost by the non-transforming arms (though I do appreciate having the missile launchers up there even though they don’t shoot anything). Then when you change it into robot mode and those ‘hitch arms’ are still there, they become mind-numbingly irritating kibble and you ultimately forget their purpose altogether. It would have been nice to have the Ushi be able to look up a bit, but having the horns always presented forward like this isn’t much of a problem. It doesn’t do very well as a “carrier” mecha either. Simply plopping the Shinken-Oh on top there isn’t enough, and I’m very inclined not to use that word when describing this toy. Ever.

You would think that, in the largest of transformable Origami, some kind of articulation beyond the shoulders would be used to give it SOMETHING to do?? But… no. No rotating wrists, no extending elbows from even a transformation, or shoulders that angle outwards, all of which could be easily attained in this brick-former. Bad enough that all four of those Ushi legs awkwardly stick out the back (which somehow I can understand their reasons behind not having those transform), but if you can’t have posable head and legs, the very least you could give us is elbows that ratcheted forwards as much as 45-degrees. PLEX, Bandai- PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GIVE US SOMETHING TO WORK WITH. With the exception of a rotating Hiden Disc gimmick (which is, admittedly, not that bad by itself), this toy completely abandons all principles upon which its predecessors were based- it does not look or move or transform in any way reminiscent of origami in any of its modes. All you have to do is look at those ox feet and those robot arms and you’ll see what I mean right away. It’s just simply a giant motorized brick-former. If it had not come from a line called, and based heavily upon, origami, I might not have complained as much. Tt did, so I can and will. A Gatling gun!? Isn’t that a rather dishonorable weapon for a samurai to be carrying about? Well, regardless, I LoL’d at it and its enormous ammo clip. It’s a bummer that it didn’t turn by itself when the motor was running in Ushi Origami mode. Now it just looks like more inconvenient kibble stuck awkwardly out one side. It’s even more of a shame that it can’t be stored on the hip or back like the previous two Shinkenger robos could with all of their weapons. It is notable that this is now the most expensive single set in my entire collection by MSRP, at USD$130… and that was at the time of its release.

Zen Samurai Gattai Samurai Ha-Oh… Cluster-F***-You-Up Megazord… (It just kinda rolls off the tongue, don’t you think?) Ahh… well (*nervous chuckle*) it’s… big. It’s really big! Despite having no diecast metal anywhere in-or-on it, it’s damn heavy to boot. Aside from the fact that it’s an ultra-class parts-former, at first glance (and one of the things that held me up for two years on getting it) you have absolutely no idea what you’re looking at. It is unquestionably intricate and elaborate, but considering Super Sentai mecha and their combos lean towards simpler designs, this can be a real shock to your system if you’re not used to it by adapting from mecha in other media. What you see is this beefy-arm robot with a puny-ass katana, a f***ing-huge array of antennae on top of its head, and all of this actually plays second fiddle to the cannon placed directly above its head that spins as the whole machine mess roll along. Then it has these asymmetrical… wings(?) along the back attached to some kind of fat purple spear-like thing. Below these wing thingies are a 3D triangle and a cylinder that act as hubcaps for some strange reason and these two geometric shapes are mounted in the back-most edge of a huge black box with paper-like lobster claws sticki— …Need I go on? It took me the longest time to sort out what I was looking at before I realized how I could relate to it… and then I had to convince myself that the price of the toy was worth it! This came when I discovered that it wasn’t supposed to be one giant humanoid combination with some weird wings and a massive crown… but rather a humanoid robot with a massive crown standing atop a rolling ornamental throne or some kind of backwards-rolling chariot. When I reached that point, the skies cleared up and I was able to accept it. The rest was easy super robot stuff and could be accepted or ignored at my discretion. One thing kept rolling through my head in the months since I decided to get it. This was something that both YouTubers and CDXers had told me when I said it wasn’t worth it. They said, “You can’t appreciate it until you see it with your own eyes.” I kept hearing that over and over almost consistently from those who had sunk their money into all of the DX sets. From a technical standpoint, there’s not a whole lot I can say except that everything is held stead-fast. If you attempted to turn it upside down (for something that big, I would strongly advise against doing that), about the only thing that might fall is the DaiShinken. About that, by the way… I can’t believe Bandai actually chose to put the tiniest of tabs inside the holes of both fists, so the DaiShinken’s handle can’t be fully held. All I can say to that is WHY!!?. I swear, I’m gonna grind those puppies down first chance I get. I mean, the only thing those hands can hold is the DaiShinken and Mogyudai-Oh’s Gatling gun. So why would they feel the need to block that with a little P.O.S. tab anyways? Ugh. UGH! (Words cannot convey how pissed-off I was when I discovered that.) I kinda knew this next one was coming, but it hasn’t fully manifested yet because both toys were MISB when I got them. The shoulder joints on my DX Daikai-Oh felt kind of weak and weren’t able to easily hold the lobster arms up in Ebi Origami mode. Now with the Mogyudai-Oh’s far-larger arms, I can already tell those joints will get worn out easily if I use them too much. (I’m afraid to disassemble the Daikai-Oh’s torso for fear of unintentionally loosening the electronics within, so I may just have to deal with it.) Something else I complained about with the Daikai Shinken-Oh super-class combination was how weak the transformation connection was at the waist. Unfortunately, that connection is not stabilized or reinforced by this final combination. Indeed, the new larger chest armor, arms, and crown put an even heavier burden on the joint. Before I started writing this review, I had it pop on me once, and I have no doubt it will do so increasingly every time I change or move it over the years. The one final thing that everyone- and I mean everyone– complains about is the mistreatment of the Saru and Kame Origami. Originally full-use arms for the Shinken-Oh, they are then demoted to holding the Lobster Swords on the Daikai Shinken-Oh, and now with the Samurai Ha-Oh they are literally tagging along at the back of the ultra-class combination as hub caps. I’m absolutely certain that they could have either been placed in a more-meaningful or –useful role than punching out the tires of Ayakashi cars as it rolls on down the road. They are, after all, used by the only two female Shinkenger- surely that must count for something? (…Or am I reading more sexism into this than I should be?)

Just like with the Kyoryu Shinken-Oh, the True All Samurai Combination Kyoryu Samurai Ha-Oh also cannot properly grip the dinosaur-themed katana, because the arms’ reach is now too high to properly let the sword rest on its base. So that becomes even more of a disaster. (I made my gripes on that clear in my review of the Kyoryu Origami.) I know this turned out to be me more rambling about how confused I was and how I tried to sort it all out rather than talking about the actual toy, and I apologize for that. What is my final conclusion on all of this? Is the DX Samurai Kyojin Mogyudai-Oh worth it? For two years, my answer was no, because I saw it as nothing more than a very expensive brick. now I find myself joining with the chorus of those who persuaded me to take a second look: You cannot experience, nor make judgment, on it until you see it with your own eyes. If you have all of the other DX Origami sets (the Kyoryu Origami is not a necessity, by the way), and you’ve come this far, why not just go for the gold and finish it off with a relatively expensive bang, just like I did? That isn’t a definite answer, I know, but it’s the best advice I can provide. As with all of my reviews, I have provided as much accurate information as I can, and then at the end the rest is up to you.