Jump to content

Theme© by Fisana
 

Photo
- - - - -

Romando Kinnikuman Big Bombers (Manga Color Scheme Ver.)

Romando Kinnikuman Big Bombers Canadian Man Special Man

  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 unclevatred

unclevatred

    Budding Collector

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 49 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Chojin Graveyard
  • Interests:Romando's Kinnikuman line

Posted 13 March 2017 - 08:05 PM

Attached File  blb.jpg   42.59K   2 downloads

 

As an avid collector of Romando's Kinnikuman line, it can be frustrating that so few proper reviews of the figures are easily accessible to novices looking to get into collecting the figures. Thus, I'm going to be posting reviews of some of the 20+ Romando I've accumulated over the last year of collecting. Today, I'll be looking at one my favorite Romando two packs: The Big Bombers!

 

Attached File  bomb 2.jpg   46.15K   4 downloads

 

In the greater Kinnikuman mythos, Special Man and Canadian Man are pretty inconsequential characters. These are the Chojin who represent America (Special Man) and Canada (Canadian Man. Duh), and come together late in the series to form a tag team known as the Big Bombers. Neither character serves any real purpose to the story - They're extras who pad out the Justice Chojin roster, and are slightly more recognized due to their distinct names and characterization. Though they accomplish little in the original Kinnikuman timeline, they feel important due to the countries they represent. Romando's motto in producing figures seemed to be that any character with more than a minor speaking role was fair game to have a figure made. Overall, despite their lack of any real purpose in the story, the Big Bombers were an excellent choice to be produced for the Romando line - They've grown to be one of my absolute favorite sets, though they're not without their issues.

 

Sculpt: Special Man - 3/5 Canadian Man - 4.5/5

Though Romando was known to have many issues with their figures from a production standpoint, they were generally very good when it came to delivering solid sculpts that visually represented the characters near perfectly. They didn't always hit a home run, but 90% of their figures look ripped straight from the manga. The Big Bombers set shows good examples of Romando at their best and not so best.

 

Canadian Man is almost spot on, one of the better sculpts Romando did of such a minor character. He has a great facial expression, and his massive frame is realized quite well. He's huge - close 10 inches. His height combined with his defined musculature makes him one of the more imposing Romando. He is rotocast but he has a nice, solid feel despite that. The figure is not excessively detailed, but Canadian Man's design is quite simple so it works. His head is just a tad off to me - The maple leaf on his head just seems a bit too oversized. His arms also have a tendency to sag a bit at the shoulders, but that's an easy fix if you get them in the right spot. Those minor gripes are really the only things wrong with what is overall a very impressive sculpt.

 

Attached File  bomb 5.jpg   40.23K   3 downloads

 

Special Man didn't fare quite as well. He is a decent figure, and you immediately recognize which character he's supposed to be. There's just something off about him. I think it's mainly in his face. His head is a bit too round, his neck is a bit too stubby, and he just has a very dopey look on his face. Special Man's face/helmet is a direct reference to Ultra Man, but it just looks a bit too spherical here. His face almost looks fat. From the neck down it's a solid sculpt - I love his clenched fists (Most Romando were sculpted with open hands) and there's some nice detailing on his pants and boots. Special Man is also a rotocast Romando, and I have to say he is definitely one of the cheaper feeling figures. He is just so lightweight that he feels almost like a Happy Meal toy. For the most part Romando did a good job making their rotocast figures feel halfway decent, but Special Man unfortunately did not receive that treatment. He still displays well, and looks great next to Canadian Man, but he is the more flawed of the two.

 

Attached File  bomb 4.jpg   42.65K   2 downloads

 

Overall, these are both solid figures. Canadian Man is basically flawless and though Special Man is far from Romando's worst offering, he leaves a bit to be desired. As these two are a set though, they really complement each other well and look nice together on the shelf. Even with his flaws, Special Man is a charming figure while Canadian Man is the real star of the set.

 

Packaging: 4/5

The Big Bombers came in the basic Romando packaging, AKA an oversized resealable blister card which houses both figures quite nicely. Romando's packaging was always quite aesthetically pleasing, and this card is no exception. Nice, collector friendly packaging that does its job. Not much to say here other than that it's great!

 

Attached File  bomb 1.jpg   58.44K   3 downloads

 

Accessories: N/A

As was standard for many Romando releases, The Big Bombers feature no accessories of any kind. Bummer! Though you could make the argument that Special Man is almost an accessory for Canadian Man.

 

Articulation: 2.5/5 for Both

Romando was never a company known for making figures that were capable of a lot of dynamic poses or action (They had a few select figures later in their lifespan that featured improvements on this front, but the keyword is "few"). In addition to that, the figures of less significant characters tended to be even more limited than normal in terms of articulation. Seeing as the Big Bombers fall into the "less significant" category, it's no surprise they feature pretty weak, basic articulation. Both figures feature their arms and legs on black ball joints, allowing them to be rotated and moved up and down. Special Man features a cut neck as well. Canadian Man's neck may be cut, but I couldn't get mine to budge and I'm not risking breaking it. This isn't really a huge issue when it comes to displaying the figures, but on an objective level the articulation is just not that good.

 

Attached File  bomb 6.jpg   55.88K   3 downloads

 

Paint: 4/5 for Both

Honestly, the paint on both of these figures is damn near perfect! They are both relatively simple, smooth designs with little detail, and that lends itself well to paint being applied in a clean fashion. Canadian Man has the colors of the Canadian flag, and the white and red really pop on his massive frame. The only real issue with him is the sides of his nose aren't entirely red - Like they colored the top and missed the sides. Hardly noticeable. The spots where white meets red on the figure are done in a very clean manner, and there is no slop or overlap to speak of on my Canadian Man. 

 

Attached File  bomb 8.jpg   50.04K   4 downloads

 

Special Man is even better in the paint department - This is the manga color scheme Special Man, so he's plain white with flesh colors on his arms and abdomen. The white has a glossy finish, making it look nice in the light. The detailing on his shirt is spot on, and two spots that would be prime for sloppiness - The "S" on his head and the drawstring on his pants - look quite nice and are applied near perfectly.

 

Attached File  bomb 3.jpg   47.88K   3 downloads

 

Romando was generally pretty careful when it came to paint, but these figures are nice even for their standards. These are relatively cheaply made figures, and the excellent paint apps go a long way towards making them display nicely despite their cheapness. One other odd note, Canadian Man has a blue paint wash over his entire sculpt and Special Man has a tan wash. Looks a bit weird up close but doesn't really effect the figures one way or the other.

 

Attached File  bomb 10.jpg   49.59K   5 downloads

 

Value: 4/5 (As a Set)

I scooped this combo up for about $60 after shipping, which is an absolute steal for the Big Bombers MOSC. Don't ask me why Mandarake had them priced so cheaply - They usually go for upwards of $80 before shipping! Honestly though, this is a really solid set that is worth the money if you can find it cheap enough. I think my perception of the figures is a bit skewed due to the value I got them for - Their "cheapness" factor would be a bit harder to overlook if I had paid closer to their apparent market of $70+. They quickly became two of my favorite Romando (They're my profile picture on this very site!), and I really think any Romando fan needs these two in their collection if a good deal can be found. I think as a duo, they are a great value. Individually, not as much. Special Man is a bit on the chintzy side, even for Romando. Canadian Man is the clear winner of the two. I could have seen Romando releasing Canadian Man alone and getting away with it. There's no way Special Man could or should have existed in this form outside of this combo pack.

 

Attached File  bomb 7.jpg   60.55K   5 downloads

 

Where to Buy:
Stalking sites like Mandarake or Anime Jungle is your best bet to snag Romando for anything even resembling a fair price.

 

Overall: 4/5

Honestly, this set is a great example of how Romando could be so awesome despite their flaws. These are not perfect figures by any means - Their numerous flaws were outlined over the course of this review. But I still LOVE this set. They look so amazing in the display, and they just complement each other so well. The Big Bombers are two of Romando's more popular pieces, and its easy to see why. There's something very charming about this duo, dopey Special Man and all. I think you can't have one without the other - Special Man is definitely objectively a pretty weak offering on his own, and though Canadian Man is a decent figure, he's pretty pointless without his partner. Selling them as a set was a genius move, and allowed us to get two of the coolest Romando. Certainly not flawless, the Big Bombers round out the Justice Chojin ranks, and are nonetheless a worthy addition to any Romando collection - provided you can find them for a fair price.

 

Attached File  bomb 9.jpg   58.52K   5 downloads


Edited by unclevatred, 13 March 2017 - 08:17 PM.

  • 2









Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: Romando, Kinnikuman, Big Bombers, Canadian Man, Special Man



Copyright © 2024 LittleRubberGuys.com