With the addition of the adult Mothra and Battra figures in the S.H. MonsterArts line earlier this year, the inclusion of their larval versions was a no brainer! Both larva versions of the two were released in a two-pack set back in June and July in Japan as a web exclusive, and North America as a standard release respectively. The figures are packed in a windowless box as with almost all web exclusive figure releases.
In length, Battra is 10 inches while Mothra is around 6.5 inches. Both are highly articulated with joints at almost each body segment. Sculpted by Yuji Sakai, both Mothra and Battra are extremely well detailed, and effectively replicate their appearances from the 1992 Godzilla vs. Mothra (internationally titled: Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth.)
Since there are two figures in this set, we'll be reviewing them individually. First we'll begin with Battra. Battra is by far the most impressive figure in the set, boasting an amazing sculpt, stunning detail, and a bright and vibrant color scheme. In height it stands at around six inches from ground to the tip of its horn.
Master sculptor, Yuji Sakai, did an amazing job with the sculpting of Battra. Every little detail from the original suit is captured flawlessly in this figure. All the spikes, claws, and barbed points are all captured sharply... No pun intended! The paint work is pretty great too with patterned sections of dark red, yellow, orange, and grayish greens.
Battra's sculpt integrates the use of translucent plastic primarily in its head sculpt. The eyes are translucent red with a bubbly texture inside. The crests and horn on its head are sculpted in a translucent yellow plastic, which integrate well with the more solid colored parts of the sculpt.
Battra's face features a decent amount of articulation. Firstly the mouth can open and close, the large and small pincers around its mouth can also move - but word of caution: do no forcefully move them or they MAY snap off. Be careful!
I have to be honest, Battra turned out much larger than I was originally expecting. He stands almost on par with the previous S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla figure.
Overall, Battra is undoubtedly an impressively sculpted and detailed figure. I am really enjoying it and makes a fantastic addition to any S.H. MonsterArts collection.
And now onto Mothra! While it does not feature the extravagant detailing as seen on Battra, Mothra is just as impressive in its own right. She is six and a half inches long and from the tabletop to the top of its head it is 1.5 inches, far shorter (in height) than Battra. The detailing is pretty spot on and dark speckled areas all over Mothra's body adds an extra amount of detail to an already nice looking figure.
Mothra's body is fully segmented, so dynamic articulation is achieved similarly to the tail sculpts of many of the MonsterArts Godzilla figures.
Other than its entire body, Mothra's face has a bit of articulation as well. it's mouth can open and close and the small little feelers on the side of its mouth can move as well. But like with Battra, be cautious when handling them. If forced, they may snap off. Watch out!
To make up for Mothra's lack of detailing (when compared to Battra,) a stand and web effect piece are included in the set. The stand is rather necessary to keep Mothra perched up since it does not have the center of balance to stand upright on its own. The web effect does not require a stand to keep it propped up. One just needs to insert it into a socket deep inside Mothra's mouth and bippity-boppity-boo it holds up rather well thanks to the effect's light weight.
While small, Mothra is indeed in scale with Godzilla. With the proper stands, it is not too hard to recreate some of Mothra and Godzilla's famous battle scenes such as the one above.
All in all, Mothra's a good figure. While it pales in comparison to Battra, it is still quite necessary in the set and looks good in anyone's overall MonsterArts collection.
To conclude, the S.H. MonsterArts Mothra & Battra Larva Set is an impressive addition to the MonsterArts line and perhaps a necessary part of anyone's collection. This set features the absolute best figure representations of both the larval versions of Mothra and Battra.
If anyone is interested, this set is still readily available at Amazon.com, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Flossie's Gifts, and more!
Battra stole the show for me. He's nicely crafted, paint job is neat, and his articulation far exceeded my expectations. Mothra is great in her own right as well. However, I'm a little disappointed in how her paint job came out. Particularly, the dark brown shadowing around her mouth and face. Do you feel the same way?
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