Tuesday 2 August 2022

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts SC-3 King Joe STORAGE Custom

S.H. Figuarts King Joe STORAGE Custom 01

Release Date: March 2022
RRP: 8580 yen

If there's a sure sign that a series is popular with fans, it's when Bandai Tamashii Nations continue to produce S.H. Figuarts releases for it long after the show itself has run its course. Given the way many of the releases sold out instantly it’s no surprise that the brand is continuing to push forward with Ultraman Z releases, with S.H. Figuarts SC-3 King Joe STORAGE Custom now joining the line as the latest Tamashii web exclusive release. Rebuilt from the remnants of the Alien Barossa's robot, King Joe became the third robot in STORAGE's defence force. The combination of four assault vehicles, this Earth-based King Joe wields a powerful array of Pedanium-powered weaponry.

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S.H. Figuarts SC-3 King Joe STORAGE Custom comes in a grey and black box, the style of which mirrors the New Generation era of Ultraman releases. On the front of the box is a gorgeous image of the King Joe suit in all its lit-up glory, with a shot of the figure itself just behind it. While one side of the box is blank, the other features that great bookend style image all of the Ultraman releases have – and the chunkier box really makes this one stand out. On the back of the box you'll find a number of images showing off the figure in various poses, and then inside King Joe STORAGE custom can be found comfortably sitting on a moulded plastic tray.

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There's more than likely a fair bit of bias in me when I say this, but King Joe STORAGE Custom is a near perfect update to the classic Ultraseven monster. It takes everything that's great about it and then twists it in a way that not only feels modern but also a version you'd expect humans to build. Of course they're going to paint it black, of course they're going to overcompensate with a giant cannon for an arm etc. It's a really bold design that stands out against Sevenger and Windom – both of whom were slightly updated for Ultraman Z but nowhere near to this extent. Bandai released a pretty great combining DX toy around the time of the series, but is far more in line with the suit we see on the show itself. Blocky like the design, but at the same time slimline enough that it looks like a suit someone could feasibly move about it. But it isn't just the proportions Bandai have nailed with this, it's the quality of the sculpt. All that glorious panel detailing, not all of which is accentuated through the colour or paintwork but still manages to stand out. You've got those bold white sections standing out against the predominantly black body, with mechanical detailing peering through the translucent blue chest plate and head crest. Given how chunky King Joe's design is too, it's interesting how light weight the figure feels. No so much that it feels fragile or anything like that (though like with all Figuarts there are definitely areas that could snap easily), but certainly not the big hunks of plastic many of the kaiju figures are.

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If you've handled any of the non-humanoid Ultraman Figuarts before then you'll know well that articulation isn't always their strong suit. The line very much as a "as moveable as a person in a suit would be" for a lot of the releases - the classic King Joe being one of them. However there is some really interesting stuff going on with the STORAGE version, and the asymmetrical arms open up even more possibilities. Altogether it features;
- Double ball jointed shoulders
- Ball jointed waist, biceps, left elbow, hips, knees and upper ankles
- Swivel hinge ankles
- Hinged right elbow and claws (x3)
- Left wrist swivel
- Rotating foot cannons
In addition to all this, both the front and back crotch sections are attached via a hinge, allowing them to flap upwards so as not to restrict the legs. They do have a habit of popping off the joints at times, but it's easy enough to reattach them and far more preferable to them being fixed in a single position. But wow - there's just so much cool stuff going on here. Sure not every point of articulation has the same level of bend or movement as a humanoid figure would (the elbows and knees for example), but the abundance of ball joints offer an amazing amount of versatility in their place. Little touches like the moveable claws on the left arm (each individually jointed no less) are the kind that could have easily been omitted but weren't, and it's incredible that even the cannons on the feet are moveable given how barely noticeable they are - be warned though, they are quite fragile. 

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King Joe comes with only a single accessory, but it is a fairly hefty one. Included is an alternate left arm, which can be opened up to replicate the robot's Pedanium Hammer attack. Unlike the DX version of King Joe this arm is not spring-loaded, but does feature two built-in hinges to open up in the correct way. The arm also features a closed fist piece, which can be swapped with the standard arm's poseable claw should you so wish. As a key gimmick of the robot it's fantastic that Tamashii Nations were able to replicate it whilst keeping the look and feel of a high(er)-end toy, made even better by the fact that the arm swapping is really easy to do. Simply pop the one arm off of the shoulder ball joint and click the other one into place. Swapping limbs can often be a frustrating or even scary process on Figuarts given how prone some of them are to breakage, but the chunkiness of this figure helps make it a really smooth process. While an effect part for the Pendanium Particle Cannon might have been nice, given that some alien/kaiju figures don't come with any accessories at all this alone is a great inclusion.

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The Ultraman Z range hasn't disappointed so far, and that certainly hasn't changed with S.H. Figuarts SC-3 King Joe STORAGE Custom. While the DX version offered a fun, gimmicky toy that scaled reasonably well, the S.H. Figuarts version offers everything collectors love about this line. But not only did Tamashii Nations manage a great sculpt, gorgeous colouring and impressive articulation on this release, they even managed to implement the gimmick in a way that feels true to the line AND remains a whole lot of fun. After a brief lull the Ultraman line is really picking up steam on the alien/kaiju/robot releases again, and this is one of the best yet. Given how good both Sevenger and King Joe have turned out, roll on Windom to complete the trio.

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