Tachikoma

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG is the sequel to the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, based on Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell manga series. The Tachikoma are spider-like sentient robot tanks designed for assistance and transportation, and the focus of this Fewture rendition.

Fewture items known for their high-price (steep!), die cast content, poseability, and having some small but intrinsic failing in their design, making Fewture the “epic hero” (descended from Gods, perfection of their culture, but possessing a fatal flaw that leads to their demise, or a significant setback) of chogokin makers. The product box is the Fewture norm: sleeved black design, a crisp picture or icon of the Ex-Gokin on front, and nice Styrofoam trays inside.

The version being reviewed is the original blue release, not the Naked Metal silver version.

Both versions of the EX Gokin Tachikoma light up with red LED lights on the front and back (the button is inside the top panel).

A question to always answer in reviews is: “how much metal?” The die-cast content in the head and outside parts of the legs makes up most of the gokin. Besides the back pod, the toy is mostly metal and does have a nice weight, but foreshadows the toy’s problem…

Fewture has designed a great ratchet mechanism at the base of the Tachikoma body…with a heavy spider robot it needs that support!

Unfortunately, like most things with a Fewture label (think microscopic plastic waist joint on Getter 1), while the ratchet part that connects to the body is sturdy, the leg attachment is a plastic sleeved ball joint system that can’t handle the weight, pressure, or wear and tear.

The heft of the chogokin causes impact marks on the inside of the sleeves, which makes the legs become increasingly “floppy”, and the ball joints frustratingly loose. These problems mean that a slight shift in the weight of the chogokin causes the legs to spread eagle, with the poor little robot down like some crushed spider. I admire the attempt, and it does make all sorts of posing possible, but stability and less leg motion would have worked better.

I agree that the Tachikoma does some great “insect-like” stances, and actually looks pretty darn cool overall.

-Sigh- Nevertheless, too often it will have a leg out of whack, or it will be slowing sinking toward the ground…a small breeze or hard walking flatmate will “wash the spider out”.

I paid $150 for mine. It was selling for around $137 plus shipping… I assume, of course, because of this floppiness issue, the price has fallen, and the toy can be had for around $100. The naked version is on clearance at BIgBadToyStore, I have no idea why it says Yamato as the company (contact them before buying maybe I am wrong!)?

I will be honest, I tried to sell mine numerous times, and even finally listed it for only $89 plus shipping, but canceled the auction and kept it… it had kind of grown on me.

I like the static poses it can achieve, the Gatling gun and hub are interchangeable and poseable, and the die cast content is admirable.

Of course, the Gatling gun split when I removed it for this filming and needs to be glued…but that’s our little Achilles’ charm.

If you have collected many of Fewture’s “Epic Heroes”…Odysseus (Getter 1), Hercules (Getter 3), and Hector (Mazinger-repaint ver.), why not get yourself your own Achilles Tachikoma !