Monday 22 October 2012

Toybox REVIEW: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters mini-pla FS-0O Frog


After a disappointing no-show in terms of movie exclusive minipla mecha last year (I'm still disappointed there was no Variblume Gokai machine), Bandai have returned to form with the exclusive Buster machine that appeared in this summer's Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters movie "Protect the Enetron Tower". The mecha is FS-0O Frog, which can transform from frog mode to submarine mode and is piloted by the tiny Buddyroid Ene-tan (who is also the only female Buddyroid). The frog can also replace RH-03 Rabbit in the Go-BusterOh combo to form Go-Buster Kero-Oh!



As a single box minipla model, FS-0O is simple to build even for minipla standards. The figure has a minimal amount of stickers to apply, which are mostly silver detailing aside from the frog eyes and Go-Buster KeroOh face. The three tadpole missiles stored in the top section are removable, and can be fitted in a slot revealed by opening the frog mouth. Articulation-wise as well as the frog mouth each foot is hinged, while the top turret section and turbines can rotate 360 degrees. As was the case with CB-01, GT-02 and RH-03, a miniature Ene-tan in included which fits behind the frog head.



While frog mode looks pretty good, there isn't really a lot to say about the submarine mode. Mostly because there really isn't much to it. The front legs and back feet simply flip to the side, and the pole piece stored on the bottom of the figure is inserted vertically. That's really all there is to it.



Finally we have Go-Buster KeroOh, which is formed by swapping out all the rabbit pieces on Go-BusterOh. I wasn't a huge fan of the Go-BusterOh combination, and its no surprise that many of the flaws carry over to this version (of no fault of this kit). While I do like the unique look of the robot's arm and the sheer ridiculousness of its face (how can you say no to a giant scuba diving robot?), the green doesn't mix quite as well with red and blue as the yellow did making an even more garish mess of colour.




FS-0O Frog isn't a spectacular figure, but neither is it a terrible one. For a one box kit and a one off appearance mecha (at the time of writing it shows no sign of appearing in the Go-Busters series), its a perfectly good toy, and adds nicely to the weird menagerie of animals already in the line. One for completists undoubtedly, but in a series with no green ranger its hardly going to look amiss on a display shelf.


Paint gone wrong.

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