Rahxephon

Variable Action Hi-Spec arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan. Get yours today!

Raxephon was created by Mechanical Designer Yutaka Izubuchi as a tribute to classic Super Robot Shows, most notably Raideen. The parallels between the robots are strikingly obvious. In my opinion Raxephon is the true successor to Raideen, more so than the “official” re-imaginings of Raideen itself.

Those of you who wanted a toy of Raxephon have been out of luck until now. Bandai released a nice plastic model of the robot in 2002, but other than that there has been nothing. Fortunately Megahouse has come to the rescue and included Raxephon in their Variable Action Hi-Spec line.

The box is the nice book-cover style window box, with a clear window into the toy and all the features featured on the inside of the cover. The toy comes with no instructions so the inside cover is your only guide to the features and accessories.

Taking the toy out, it initially feels a bit light and fragile. It feels like a plastic model with diecast bits stuck on. However this is more due to the nature of the design of the character as it is quite spindly. The diecast, while plentiful, is a bit on the thin side. For the style of the character it is appropriate construction. I think the only thing I would change is to move some of the diecast into the joints. This will become apparent as we move along the review.

The Raxephon body is slim and angelic like a mix of Evangelion and Raideen. The character looks more at home floating in the sky than it does standing on the ground. Detail in the sculpt is nice and I appreciate the distinct bits for all the different materials. The clear amber plastic is used throughout the figure to add great detail.

Articulation is really nice, but like so many robot figures these days you are limited by the design.

You get a ball jointed head and neck, ball jointed shoulder pads, hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, double jointed elbows and ball jointed hands.

For the chest you have several ball joints which lead to the hips. The waist piece is loose on mine and it sort of floats on the internal skeleton – I’m not sure if this is a design or a flaw but it’s fine. What bothers me more is the glaring seam on the metal right down the middle of the crotch, and the paint wear that’s begun at the tip.

Hips are a ball and socket hip and have a tendency to pop out when you over-extend the legs. I would have much rather had metal joints in the hips to provide more stability.

Knees are double jointed and feature a movable knee, and also a small hinged panel on the back of the knee. Tucking the panel in behind the lower leg gives you a bit more movement.

The feet are an interesting design, but have a fair amount of movement. The jointwork is hidden inside the leg, but it has the usual twist ankle with each toe being individually jointed. The toy stands fine, but the small toes limits dynamic standing poses.

The head has removable “feathers” that need to be added when assembling the figure for the first time. The head crest and faceplate are removable, with three separate expressions and two crests. Each face has the chin beard like Raideen does.

Raxephon’s “singing” expression is included with the three, and one of the crests covers the eyes to replicate the look in the anime.

In addition, a set of feathers in the closed position are also included. To me this mimics when Raideen first appears before the pilot Fades in.

The Raideen tributes continue into the weaponry.

The Bow of Light is the most obvious nod to Raideen, similar to his signature weapon. The bow assembly is one piece and replaces the panel on the outside of the hand. The included arrow includes notches which fit into one of the variant hands. It securely holds the arrow, something Bandai has been unable to do with any Raideen toy.

On the other arm the Light Blade attaches in a similar fashion.

A gorgeous stand is included that allows Raxephon to float and do it’s signature Roar pose. Raxephon’s song will tune the world and rid the world of the Mu.

I’ve only watched a few episodes of Raxephon many years ago. While I enjoyed it, I never finished the series and the details of the story are vague in my memory. Like Raideen, I’m really in love with the design more than everything.

To me this is more than a tribute to Raideen. I think Izubuchi wanted to make Raideen but something kept that from happening, so he had to call it something else. But all the hallmarks are there. The song powers, the Mu enemy, the robot design. It all adds up. It’s a truer Raideen sequel than the official sequels.

And now, some 10 years after the anime aired, we have a proper toy of it. Overall it’s a good piece with a few flaws. I question the seam placement on the diecast and am cautious about more paint wear on pointy painted parts. The legs pop out a bit too easily and once you’ve replaced the hand covers they don’t stay on as well as they did originally. That said, it’s the best Raxephon you’re going to get.

Variable Action Hi-Spec arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan. Get yours today!