WARNING!

For those who are thinking or already acquiring the S.H. MonsterArts King Ghidorah, be warned!

The wings on the figure are extremely fragile, especially the hinged joint at the base. Excessive handling of the wings may cause them to snap off without warning! Be wary of this fact when handling the figure. The right wing on mine broke, but I have since reattached it with Gorilla Glue. It looks as good as new, but articulation was totally sacrificed.

So please, be absolutely careful for those who are getting this figure.

S.H. MonsterArts - A Series Review

When Bandai Tamashii Nations, the makers of well known figure lines such as S.H. Figurarts and UltraAct, first revealed the initial prototypes for super articulated figures of Godzilla 1994, Godzilla 1995, as well as MechaGodzilla 1993, and M.O.G.E.R.A in the early months of 2011, I was pretty excited. I knew that these new figures were going to be big amongst the Godzilla fan base. Personally, a super articulated figure of Godzilla was a dream come true. I recall myself as a child, first getting into the Godzilla series, wanting a figure of Godzilla himself that can be posed in any stance I wished. Now, that dream has finally become a reality in the form of the S.H. MonsterArts toy line.

The first in the line was Godzilla. He was sculpted in his 1994 incarnation from the movie, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. His figure was released at the end of November 2011. Granted, his figure suffered various quality control issues that made him deviate away from the nearly flawless and movie-accurate prototype. However, as figures continued to be produced, these errors were gradually fixed. The figure I currently own is my second Godzilla. My first one, which I bought last year had the infamous 'derpy eyes,' a trait in the earlier released figures that made Godzilla look quite... err.... dumb. My second figure, which is still a first edition, doesn't have derpy eyes. It goes to show that as these figures are continuously produced, errors from earlier figures will be corrected.

MechaGodzilla is the second figure in the S.H. MonsterArts line. It was released at the start of December, just in time for the 2011 holiday season. MechaGodzilla is sculpted out of plastic and metal around the waist, and feet. The diecast additions to the figure give it better balance, especially when it came to attaching the Garuda web exclusive, that came out several months later, to its back. MechaGodzilla is a good figure despite what people say about it. It's very durable, and it really displays well. The only problem with mine is that when I first displayed it with the MegaBuster beam effect, I shoved the beam part in its mouth too fast, causing the center tooth on the top jaw to break off. I honestly did not notice the tooth was missing until a few days later! I had considered replacing it, but since the issue is so unnoticeable, I decided to just stick with it – I have heard far worse cases where the entire top row of teeth were accidentally ripped out because of shoving the beam effect in there.

In between the second and third standard figure releases, Tamashii Nations released two web exclusive packs. The first included a set of Masers, Fighter Jets, and the Super X-2 from the movie, Godzilla vs. Biollante, that can be propped on Tamashii Stands for a kick-ass battle scene. Then there's Godzilla's infamous Red Beam, which he used to destroy MechaGodzilla and SpaceGodzilla in their respectful films. This accessory is essentially a redeco of the original atomic ray accessory that was included with all First Editions of the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla figures. The second web exclusive is the Garuda airship that is able to be docked onto MechaGodzilla's back to form Super-MechaGodzilla. The Garuda can be displayed on its own as well. The pack also includes MechaGodzilla's other weapon, the Shock Anchor.

By late March of this year, the third figure in the line finally releases, SpaceGodzilla. So far, SpaceGodzilla has been the best figure in the line to date. The detailing on it is extraordinary, and it has the least quality control issues as far as my figure goes. The articulation is radical, and surpasses that of Godzilla, and MechaGodzilla.

By mid-May, the fourth figure, MOGERA, is released. Ironically, as static and stiff MOGERA was in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, the figure for it possesses some of the best articulation in any mecha in the line. Like MechaGodzilla it also possess bits of diecast metal in it as well. MOGERA is also impressive due to the plethora of accessories it comes with. It comes with parts to convert the figure to its flying mode, as well as an impressive Spiral Grenade Missile effect, and its Plasma Laser Cannon. Out of all the figures in the line, MOGERA is equipped with the most accessories.

In June, the third web exclusive is released. It is the figure for Little Godzilla, the adopted son of Godzilla in his incarnation from Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Little Godzilla turned out to be quite a controversial figure due to various 'flaws' in the articulation of the legs and waist. It also came with two pairs of crystal spires that can be positioned next to SpaceGodzilla, or as a trap for Little Godzilla.

In mid-July, Fire Rodan's figure was released. Fire Rodan, besides Little Godzilla, is the next smallest figure released in the line, barely standing over half Godzilla's height. Due to its small size, various accessories were included such as a flying stand, Fire Rodan's uranium beam, and a newly sculpted Red Beam for Godzilla, and an alternate head for MechaGodzilla featuring a busted eye where Rodan pierced it in the movie. I believe Fire Rodan was released at this time as a means to get another figure out there, and to also act as a filler before the long awaited King Ghidorah is finally released.

Also in mid-July we saw the release of an alternatively colored Godzilla for the San Diego Comic Con called Godzilla Comic-Con Explosion. It was mean't to depict Godzilla in his hypothesized explosion death scenario from Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.

Finally, at the end of September, the most recent figure, King Ghidorah was released. I received mine just this morning. For such a big figure, quality control issues were indeed present. However, despite that fact, once I was done handling it and positioned it upon the shelf along with the rest of the S.H. MonsterArts figures, King Ghidorah looks quite majestic. Its only accessories are its trademark gravity beams, which in themselves, are quite complicated to prop up. Regardless, King Ghidorah possesses the most detail of any figure in the line and perhaps the most articulation ranging from his three heads, necks, main body, wings, and two tails. Personally, King Ghidorah represents the end of the 'First Wave,' as I'd like to call it, of figures in the S.H. MonsterArts line. Second Wave begins once November's Godzilla 1995 is released.

From last November up to now, early October 2012, S.H. MonsterArts has indeed had its ups and downs. Many fans and collectors remain mixed on the line. There are those who completely despise the line mainly for focussing primarily on the Heisei Godzilla series, and then there are those extremists who essentially worship this line as the greatest thing since mayonnaise. I for one, find myself in the middle. The S.H. MonsterArts figures are indeed great figures in general, but are they the best? No. But then again, what is? They're great figures because they're so detailed, and yet so affordable. However, like any other figure from Tamashii Nations, they have their flaws. That's something that one must accept when collecting a line such as this one.

At this time last year, I had honestly believed that the line would not last beyond King Ghidorah, however, when news of Burning Godzilla, Godzilla Junior, and Destoroyah surfaced, it renewed my faith in the line. I have made it my goal to collect every single figure and web exclusive in this line. Overall, the line itself is what essentially got me back into the collecting game and influenced me to buy higher quality figures. I surely hope that in the future, S.H. MonsterArts expands beyond the realm of the Heisei series, and perhaps beyond the Godzilla franchise itself. It was hinted earlier that Bluefin, Tamashii Nations' stateside distributor, will probably be showcasing the prototype for their first non-Godzilla related monster at the New York Comic Con on October 11-14 once licensing agreements are finalized. I honestly believe that this line is still going strong despite speculations put forth by certain people.  

Kaiju Toy Review - S.H. MonsterArts King Ghidorah

The King of Terror has arrived.

After months of waiting, the S.H. MonsterArts King Ghidorah has finally reached my hands.

The box for King Ghidorah, is HUGE! It's at least around the same size as a box for a 25cm X-Plus figure! Based on the photo above, it absolutely dwarves the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla.

Upon taking King Ghidorah out of its box, I did face several quality control issues, which I will highlight later on in this review. However, after spending 20 or so minutes getting everything properly displayed, King Ghidorah is propped up and looking nice!

As far as the detailing goes on this figure, King Ghidorah's detail surpasses that of any other figure in this line up to date. Each fold of skin, scale, horns, teeth, and eyes are spot on in regards to paint and sculpt.

The detailing on the wings is especially spectacular as it nails down the various folds on the membrane without overdoing it - like with the X-Plus 30cm Rodan 1964 where the wing details were a bit overkill for the figure's own good.

Articulation on the figure is exactly what one would expect for King Ghidorah. The tails can bend any way you want, the necks themselves allow extensive twists and turns. However, it's the articulation itself that I had problems with when first taking this figure out of the box. The center neck, has a tendency of falling off at the slightest jolt. It can hold on its own if left alone, but I was quite disappointed in the amount of time it took me to properly pose King Ghidorah the way I want it. The waist area too has its own fair share of QC issues with the articulation. The joint is so stiff that I had to disassemble the figure in order to move the joint by my own hand. Essentially, King Ghidorah is clearly not mean't to be manhandled extensively. 

Despite my irritation with the articulation, King Ghidorah still has some great qualities. The detailing is the first, and the second is his scale compared to Godzilla, and the other figures in the line. Finally, we get a properly scaled King Ghidorah figure from Bandai! It's a long time coming. 

When erected, King Ghidorah towers over the Big G. King Ghidorah stands at 10 inches making him the tallest figure in the line - not the biggest. The biggest will be February's Destoroyah. 

His bigger size compared to Godzilla does make for some fun diorama poses. 

King Ghidorah's only accessories are his trademark gravity beams, and a single plain Tamashii Stand to prop them on. Now, this is another issue that I've had with this figure. While the beams themselves look impressive, it requires a great deal of patience to get them to stay up. The grips at the ends of the stands don't hold onto the beams. Moreover, they're just something to rest the beams on. With that, I hardly got the pose I wanted. Perhaps if I was more patient, I would have accomplished it, but being that I was rushing to get to this review, I had limited time. 

Overall, my feelings on King Ghidorah are really mixed. I really love the detail that went into this figure, but the QC issues in the articulation - at least in the center neck, and waist - have slightly ruined my experience with this figure. However, it still makes a great centerpiece to any S.H. MonsterArts collection as long as one doesn't fiddle around with it as much. I for one admit, that this figure is definitely not worth what I paid for when the issues with it are taken into consideration. It does make me question my future dedication to the line when it comes to larger and more expensive figures such as this one. Regardless, I perhaps my expectations were a bit higher for King Ghidorah than usual.

My final rating for it is a 3.5 out of 5. I had hoped better out of it, but after my experience with it and the QC issues that were present in this figure, I had to give it a lower score than I had intended.