Hakaida

Hakaida is one of 3 figures from the SIC line that Bandai America incorporated into their short-lived “Studioworks” series.

SIC Stands for Super Imaginative Chogokin. It is a line of modernized Tokusatsu character toys, enhanced with small amounts of metal (chogokin). Early toys in the series were basically fixed-pose statues, with little to no play value aside from some interchangeable accessories.

Hakaida stands about 6″ tall, and is made of hard plastic. The brass-colored accents are metal, and it gives the toy a solid feel. He comes with a good amount of accessories, including:

• Brain canister
• Clear brain
• Solid brain
• Shotgun
• Staff
• Cape
• Extra hand
• Stand
• Heart

The clear brain in the canister can be exchanged with the brain in Hakaida’s head by removing the clear dome. The shotgun can be stored on his leg by opening a hidden panel and pressing it into the grooves. The cape is rubber, and just drapes over the shoulder. Hakaida sands on the base via pegs that insert into the feet.

Articulation is limited to the neck, shoulders, wrists and waist. There is also a hidden chest compartment that opens up to reveal Hakaida’s heart.

While the sculpt is fantastic, it doesn’t do much but look pretty. Since I have no knowledge of the Hakaida character, I don’t have the emotional attachment that I would need to justify keeping a fixed pose character.

Bandai’s Studioworks line was cancelled after only three entries. They really put a lot of effort into the packaging and presentation, but the high price point and obscurity of the character didn’t drive enough sales. I wonder how the line would have fared if they had started with the later, more poseable SIC toys.

Hakaider was released as #4 in the Super Imaginative Chogokin line in 1999, for ¥3360. It was imported to the USA and released as part of the Studioworks line in 2002 for about $24.99