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Microknight

Takara Microman Microknight MC8 Silver

A photo of a Takara Microman Microknight MC8 Silver figure.

What a strange figure this is. It’s a seven-year-old reproduction of a 28-year-old Japanese toy based on a medieval Western knight.

The vintage Microman line had tremendous diversity but the Microknight still easily stands out from the other classic Microman figures thanks to all the chrome.

The articulation isn’t as great as that for a standard Microman figure from the Seventies. Microknight lacks the waist joint and the posability at the hips is impeded by the cuirass.

But I didn’t get it for the articulation. I got the figure because I love knights and Microknight is a classy and elegant representation of one.

Takara did a fantastic job with this repro and even threw in some new knight-appropriate accessories: a sword (seen above) and a lance.

A beautiful figure and one of my all-time favourites.

Posted in Pix, Toys.


Strike a pose 1/52

Takara Tomy Action Hero Pro Ryukendo

A photo of Takara Tomy’s Action Hero Pro Ryukendo figure sans armour and weapons. Action Hero Pro + air guitar pose = Air Guitar Hero Pro. The 16cm-tall figure was designed with posability in mind and it packs an incredible amount of joints in its small frame.

Continued…

Posted in Pix, Strike a pose, Toys.


Elsewhere on the web

Up, up … really, really up.
Another fantastic digital diorama by dreamonix.

Konami 2007 Financial Year Results.
“In the area of action figures, the ‘BUSOU SHINKI’, which we believe is a new way to have fun online, recorded strong sales. … In the area of action figures, our goal is to turn ‘BUSOU SHINKI’ into a mainstay of the market; we plan to enhance recognizability by marketing the series in multiple ways.”

FMV game intros.
YouTube links included, natch. Equally naturally, my ISP and YouTube have tagteamed to ensure my download rates of the videos are about 2.7KB/sec.

Mmm mmm mmm.
“… I don’t believe you, you’re not the truth, no one could look as good as you … mercy.”

Posted in Web.


Elsewhere on the web

Chevy transformer. [via]
The bandwagon’s here so hop on.

Hollywood’s toy ploy.
” … the toys became popular consumer brands. Brands that are now turning companies like Hasbro and Mattel into the next Marvel — at least, that’s the hope of William Morris. After snagging [Hasbro] away from CAA as a client (WMA reps director Michael Bay, producer Tom DeSanto and General Motors, whose vehicles play many of the robots), the agency last week announced plans to turn the toymaker’s more popular products, including Candy Land, Clue and Trivial Pursuit into movies and TV shows with its roster of talent attached.”

The family that plays together …
I love these Guild Wars anecdotes.

Rejuvenile.
It’s naturally going on my reading list.

Catula the vampire kitty.
I’s in ur veinz sucken ur blud.

Posted in Web.


Spy Shot 6

Takara Tomy Transformers Real Gear Robots Spy Shot 6

Congratulations on purchasing this fine Real Gear Robots product! With this purchase, you’ve uncovered one of the most closely held secrets on Earth. Known to only a very few humans. The power of the Allspark has been unleashed, and the machines all over the world have come alive. Unlock their secrets, and join the battle!

I’ve already gone through the packaging for Takara Tomy’s Transformers Real Gear Robots Spy Shot 6. Now it’s time to look at the toy itself.

Real Gear Robots, contrary to my previous assertion (and as pointed by Microbry), aren’t 1:1 scale like the Microchange figures of old. You could argue that some of them are but I think it’s more accurate to say these toys are primarily meant to be child-size toy replicas. I’m sure Hasbro and Takara could’ve gone with the 1:1 scale across the subline but they probably opted not to in order to keep production costs down. The other possible consideration is a 1:1 scale gadget like a videocam might be unwieldy in a kid’s hands.

The cheap price point is not necessarily a bad thing. It may mean the toys lack details but on the plus side, it also means the toys aren’t saddled with some stupid gimmick like Autosmurf or whatever it is that’s in the movie figures. Sometimes toy designers can be a bit too clever for their own good.

So, anyway, Spy Shot 6.
Continued…

Posted in Pix, Reviews, Toys, Transformers.