First, let me just say Happy New Year! Secondly, this is my first figure review in a long while, and the first in many to come in 2015. Without further ado, let's begin...
It was all too inevitable that after the first version of Kiryu was released (back in September/October 2013) that the repaired/upgraded version from the 2003 Toho outing, Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo SOS (internationally titled, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS) would be made as well. Earlier this year we already saw the reutilization of an already existing sculpt in the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 1995 (Birth Ver.) and sure enough, Heavy Arms Kiryu followed suit in a similar fashion. However, Heavy Arms Kiryu, is jam packed with new accessories, new parts on the sculpt, and a whole new paint job. Is it worth your hard earned cash? Well let us see!
If you have the first version of the MonsterArts Kiryu, then you should be well familiar with the sculpt of this figure. It is extremely well done and perfectly manages to replicate every detail seen on the suit from the film. The new details such as the right arm, chest, and tail section, make this figure much more distinctive when identifying it against the previous figure. On top of that, the figure is coated in a dark gun-metal gray color. It appears worn and battle damaged when compared to the clean, shiny, silvery coloration of the first MonsterArts Kiryu.
Articulation on Heavy Arms Kiryu is pretty much the same as that of the first figure from last year, being that the body sculpts are exactly identical. It is one of the more dynamic figures in the S.H. MonsterArts line in regards to how it can be posed. The added diecast parts to the sculpt give the figure extra weight and balance, allowing for many action-esque poses.
Heavy Arm Kiryu's rocket launchers are articulated as well, similarly to that of the first figure.
In the movie, the rocket launchers can be converted into giant missiles if need be to use against Godzilla or any other monster threat. The MonsterArts figure allows you to remove the rocket launchers one at a time. If you have a Tamashii Stage Act 4 stand, then you can prop the rocket launcher to look like it's being shot.
When you first take Kiryu of of its box, it's packaged without its rocket launcher and wrist cannons attached. Without its heavy weaponry, Kiryu is far more dynamic.
One of the features on this figure, like the previous figure, has rocket boosters concealed in its legs. You can open the panels and the rockets themselves can be manipulated as well.
One of Kiryu's most distinct features in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS is his damaged eye from when Godzilla blasted his mechanical clone in the face with his atomic breath. The damaged head is completely seperate from the regular head that is already on the figure. To replace the heads is not hard. All you need to do is remove the regular head, and then stick the damaged head into the ball joint. Be sure to also stick the wires, running down the side of the base of Kiryu's neck into their respective sockets before snapping the head to the neck. It can be quite tedious, especially for me with my big hands. However, the final look is very menacing and amazing. The detailing on the damaged portion is very meticulous and well done.
When we open up Kiryu's chest cavity, we see the Triple Hyper Maser weapon, the cheaper alternative option to the Absolute Zero Cannon as seen in Godzilla against MechaGodzilla (2002).
The final accessory to be packed in with Heavy Arms Kiryu is his Drill Hand. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Kiryu's new completely robotic arm (having lost his right arm at the end of Godzilla against MechaGodzilla) can be transformed into a giant drill to penetrate Godzilla's tough hide. The drill on the MonsterArts figure is a seperate piece from the normal hand piece already on the figure.
If you have the first Kiryu figure, then you have an exact idea of how big it is. To compare, it stands approximately at the same height as the previous MonsterArts figure, Godzilla 2014.
When Heavy Arms Kiryu was first unveiled, I have seen so many people moan and groan about this being a cheap reissue. Some people got rid of their first Kiryu in order to get this one because, "There's no point to have two Kiryus." I completely disagree with those opinions. This figure is distinctive in its own right and has far more differences in its design and sculpt to make it an entirely different figure from the first version. Is this figure worth your money? I say, HELL YEAH! The S.H. MonsterArts MFS-3 Kiryu Heavy Arms/High Mobility Type is an incredible figure with amazing details and paint, and a decent array of accessories. It is surely a great addition to any MonsterArts collection.
If you're interested in buying this figure, you can still find it at Amazon.com and Flossie's Gifts.
No comments:
Post a Comment