"I know Micro-oxygen and it doesn't have that kind of power."
"Then what does?"
It's long overdue since I last got an S.H. MonsterArts figure! However, the good thing is that in Tamashii Nations' latest internet exclusive release, we get not only one, but three figures of the different evolutionary stages of Destoroyah! The 'Perfect Form' of Destoroyah was released as a standard figure earlier this year in late February. We first saw our glimpse of the Aggregate Destoroyah figure back in late 2011 at one of Tamashii Nations yearly events. Since then it has been out of sight until late last year when it popped up once again at a Tamashii event in Akihabara. The set was announced earlier this year and preorders went up in March. The set originally released in late June, but being that I ordered my set from Amazon.com, I waited till Bluefin Distribution brought it over for North American customers.
The set came in the typical Tamashii Nations internet exclusive brown box. Inside was the regular packaging. Unlike previous releases (with the exception of the Toho Weapons Set and Garuda), the Destoroyah Evolution Set comes in a windowless box. Instead of the usual mugshots of the actual suits/props on the box, we get a montage of images of the figures themselves. It's a nice change from the norm and the box itself is very flashy and eye catching.
Upon taking the figures out of the box, minor assembly for the larger and smaller crab forms was needed. Other collectors have told me that these figures were smaller than they were originally expecting. Truth be told, these are actually bigger than I was expecting! Sure, they're still small in comparison to the other MonsterArts figures, but they still have some chunk and weight in them. Three figures are included in this set. Two crab (Aggregate) Destoroyahs - one sculpted by suit maker Sinichi Wakasa (left), and the other by Yuji Sakai (right). The third is the Flying Destoroyah.
The first Aggregate Destoroyah, sculpted by Wakasa, is highly articulated. Its head, neck, claws, tendons, legs, pincers, and tail are all articulated. It is very well done for such a small figure.
It's inner jaw could also be adjusted to be extended or retracted. To do this, one must remove the head and with a needle or toothpick, push on the back-end of the inner jaw to the desired length.
Wakasa's sculpt is the only figure in the set to come with another accessory, which in this case is an alternate head with a much longer extended inner jaw. The inner jaw is flexible and sculpted out of a very soft plastic. It is unsure whether this was going to be an attack by the Aggregates in the movie, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, considering that they never extended their inner jaws that far out on screen.
It really makes for a dynamic photo with the MonsterArts Godzilla Junior though!
Speaking of Junior, I'd like to dive in a little bit about the scaling of the Aggregate Destoroyah. Even though the actual movie prop was indeed shorter than Godzilla Junior's suit, the MonsterArts figure depicts him even smaller. This is one of the few cases in where a MonsterArts figure falls out of scale of its movie counterpart. I have no complaints in this case considering that it works all the same with me. It's just a fact that I want to point out for all those people who are nuts about figures properly scaled with one another. To get this figure close to eye-level with Junior, I had to pose him as high as he could go!
The second Aggregate Destoroyah, sculpted by Sakai, is the smallest figure in the set; about three inches tall. For such a very small figure, it is very detailed and beautifully sculpted and painted. Unlike the other two figures, this one is NOT articulated. It is more for show rather than play. It's a curious addition, but the more the merrier. It's still a neat little figure despite the lack of movement.
The Flying Destoroyah figure, also sculpted by Wakasa, is definitely the highlight of the set. Why? This is the first time (as far as I know) that a figure of the Flying form has ever been produced and easily obtainable. It is clearly the best figure in the set for obvious reasons. There is a good deal of articulation on this one. The jaw opens and closes, the neck joints move up and down and from side to side, the joins of the bases of the wings are adjustable, the claws underneath can move as well as the tail. The unfortunate aspect about this figure is the the set does NOT include a stand to pose it with. If you have some Tamashii Stage Act stands lying around, make use of them for this! They work like a charm.
All in all, the S.H. MonsterArts Destoroyah Evolution Set is one neat little package. It's great to see Tamashii Nations taking advantage on Destoroyah's multiple forms and making figures of them. However, when it comes to the price, I wish that it had been at least $30-$40 cheaper. For $99, you don't get much out of it aside from the three small figures. This is a set that a die-hard collector would be willing to buy, but if you're happy with the adult Destoroyah you have now, then stick with that and save your money for something else. My personal note, however, is if you buy this set, do it for the Flying Destoroyah figure! It's one of a kind. Just be sure you have or buy the proper display stands for it though.
Good review. I agree with your assessments
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