6 replies to this topic

[Tortle]

I FINALLY got the FW Microman Godzilla from xxxxxxx yesterday. For those unfamiliar with the line, the toy is designed to be a "man in suit" figure. The Microman figure comes with a rubber Godzilla suit in which he can be placed. It's a friggin' awesome idea... but it's also a complicated one. Can Takara pull it off? Read on, true believers!

Company: Takara
Size: 4" scale
Price: $20 at xxxxxxx
Packaging: Slip-bubble carded (similar to many Japanese toys)
Pics from MicroForever.com: The Microman Godzilla line; inserting Microman into the suit (as usual, Tortle-specific pics to come later tonight)

Looks: 5 out of 5
The amount of detail in Godzilla is amazing. Not only is the sculpt well-done, with great Godzilla-esque textures, but the paint apps are incredible. Godzilla's mouth, in particular, has some wonderful paint detailing.

Microman looks like... well, Microman. He has a very basic color scheme, and comes with a few decals to accentuate his design.

Articulation: 5 out of 5
Microman figures are well known for their articulation. The differences in articulation between Microman and a real human skeleton are negligible.

Microman also moves well in the Godzilla suit. The suit allows for movement, but the rubber restricts posing. Even though you can move him around while in the suit, don't expect him to stay in a specific pose.

Accessories: 5 out of 5
The Godzilla suit is the coolest accessory in the history of toy making. But in addition, the figure comes with extra hands and a base for posing.

Value: 3 out of 5
$20 for this set is more than a bit expensive. Rokk said he managed to get it for only $10, which is a perfect price.

Coolness: 3 out of 5
So, given the concept of a small Microman figure with a Godzilla suit... "can Takara pull it off?" The answer, unfortunately, is "no". The suit cannot stand on its own. The suit's rubber is too thin to properly support it, and Microman's wrist and ankle-holes are required to support Godzilla's hands and feet.

Second, putting Microman in the suit is virtually impossible. I had to literally take Microman's arms and legs off, insert them and the torso into the suit separately, and reattach them inside the suit. And the suit's rubber does not seem capable of withstanding too much abuse from inserting and removing the Microman figure. Therefore, my Microman will forever be entombed within the Godzilla body.

However, Microman Godzilla maintains much of its coolness factor because the figure is an incredible incarnation of Godzilla in the Star Wars scale. Also, the suit's "skin" has a great rubbery flesh-like feel to it.

Overall: 4 out of 5
Microman Godzilla is an amazing figure, both in looks and articulation. I would definitely buy another figure in the line, but I realize that the "man in suit" concept is not designed for play. Still, the concept is interesting, since its "man in suit" movements do mimic the motions of Godzilla in the movies well.

Edited by Tortle, 20 January 2005 - 08:40 AM.

[Rokk]

Excellent review, as always, Nathan. I got both the Microman Godzilla: Final Wars and the Microman Original Godzilla on Monday. I did get a pretty good deal. $12 for each figure. I'll post a review of the orginal Godzilla figure since you beat me to the punch on the Final Wars Godzilla. Overall, I think the Final Wars Godzilla is fantastic. I agree that it is too hard to get the figure inside of the suit and I am disappointed that the suit cannot stand on its own. I will probably end up getting a Material Force Microman figure, the generic ones, and insert it in the Godzilla suit and pose the Godzilla microman figure next to it.

[Tortle]

Thanks, Rokk! I'm interested to see what you have to say about the other Godzilla.

Here's some pics! In the first pic, we see a full body shot of the G-man...

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•  godzillafull.jpg   32.83K   104 downloads

[Tortle]

Godzilla in a closer (and more dramatic) view...

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•  godzillafull2.jpg   38.5K   90 downloads

[Tortle]

A comparison shot featuring Microman Godzilla and Bandai Godzilla, both of Final Wars design. The Microman version is more dynamic in its expression and pose.

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•  godzillacompare.jpg   43.75K   88 downloads

[Tortle]

And finally... has Godzilla finally met his match?!

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•  godzillamatch.jpg   41.65K   84 downloads

[Rokk]

Ha! That last pic was great! The comparision pic between Bandai's version and Takara's version was also cool. It is a rare day that someone other than Bandai makes a Godzilla figure. I definately think that the Takara Godzilla is much more dynamic and expressive.

I'm curious to see how well these figures sell. The big question is whether this Microman Godzilla suit concept will appeal to Godzilla fans. Also, whether this series is going to be "Microman" enough to appeal to Microman collectors. I think the Godzilla suits are very impressive looking and should attract some interest from Godzilla collectors.

Supposedly, these Godzilla figures are the first in a new Henshin Microman line of toys based on microman figures wearing different costumes like Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, etc.

I was messing with the figures for a while last night. My first impression is that Takara went out of their way to make sure the microman figure fit as snugly in these Godzilla suits as possible. That is a plus and a minus. It makes the suit look good with a figure in it, but the hole in the back of the suit is so damn small! It is a real test of patience.

Edited by Rokk, 21 January 2005 - 06:29 AM.