Tuesday 26 October 2021

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising

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Release Date: July 2021
RRP: 7480 yen

As a celebration of Ultraman Zero's 10th anniversary and an endcap of sorts to the "New Generation Heroes" line of shows, it's unsurprising that Ultraman Z brought back a lot of familiar faces – many of whom got either a much-needed overhaul or even a whole new look. And being a show about an Ultra who longs to become Zero's student, of course Zero's original student had to make an appearance. With his Geed Riser damaged, Riku Asakura arrives on Haruki's version of Earth and transforms via a Z Riser – combining the powers of the Ginga, X and Orb Ultra Medals to create a brand new form. Now Bandai Tamashii Nations present S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising, the third Tamashii web exclusive figure to be released in their Ultraman Z range of figures.

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True to form S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising comes in packaging that matches the majority of New Generation Hero Ultraman releases from the last few years, giving them a nice bit of uniformity even if they vary in colour. As a web exclusive release the box naturally lacks a window to see the figure without opening it, but in its place we do get a nice big picture of that gorgeous Galaxy Rising suit. On the back of the box you'll find a selection of images showing the figure (and accessories) off in a variety of poses, whilst the right side also sports a nice little profile shot of Geed for a bookend-style display. Open it up and you'll find all the parts as usual on a moulded plastic tray. 

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Given that this is a form accessed through a transformation device other than his own, it's rather fitting that on first glance Galaxy Rising looks like Ultraman Geed wearing some sort of power suit. While the head sculpt is barely unchanged from his standard Primitive form, the neck moves down into this bulky skeletal body which gives doesn't quite capture the Ultras it's derived from in quite the same way as his Ultra Capsule fusions. In fact, whether coincidental or intentional, the skeletal structure of Galaxy Rising feels very reminiscent to Belial Atrocious' markings – albeit in a far more colourful and less sinister way. That said there's still very much an organic nature to this form, and if there's one thing that can't be denied it's that it's extremely ornate. Covered in all sorts of raised detailing, golden spikes and about as colourful as they come, Galaxy Rising is a design with a lot to pack into a six inch figure and Tamashii Nations have done a brilliant job of. That deep blue body is absolutely covered in paint apps (red, metallic blue, silver and gold) yet not a single one of them is missing or out of place. The head, an immediate focal point as such a huge area of silver, immediately stands out with those piercing blue eyes. It's unmistakably Ultraman Geed, but at the same time there's enough different with it that if you knew Geed you'd get the sense this isn't just a conventional form change. 

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Although the form itself is a lot bulkier than Geed Primitive there isn't a great deal of difference when it comes to articulation, with Galaxy Rising featuring; 
- Peg joint head 
- Ball jointed neck, torso, waist, wrists and hips 
- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles 
- Butterfly joint shoulders 
- Double hinge elbows and knees 
- Single hinge toe sections 
- Thigh swivels 
The shoulder pads are also attached via separate joints that allow them to tilt a bit, but not so much that it's truly of any real benefit to the shoulder articulation (the gap between the body and shoulder is enough to prevent any issues anyway). It's standard articulation for an Ultraman figure so is tried and tested by this point, however some of the more lavish elements of the design can make areas a little fiddly. The main example of this being the hips, which feel a little more restricted than usual because of those raised red ridges around the tops of the legs. Similarly the legs may have the usual double jointed knees, but due to the size of those legs you aren't getting much bend out of the top half of the joint. The butterfly articulation just about allows Geed to get into the Wrecking Phoenix beam pose, though you do have to work through that added bulk at the front to get the left fist to touch the right elbow properly. 

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As a release itself Geed Galaxy Rising is fairly well stocked with accessories, but when it comes to how many of those are for Geed himself then it's a little more lacking. Altogether he comes with four additional pairs of hands and a replacement red colour time, which are pretty much the basics when it comes to any Ultraman release. Among the hands are the usual array of open, grappling and knifestrike for a multitude of poses, and if you so happened to pick up the S.H. Figuarts Jugglus Juggler (New Generation Edition) release then there's even a pair of accessory-holding hands compatible with the Z Riser. All in all it's a pretty expected array for a form that's both a web exclusive and had fairly minimal screen time, but it might have been nice to see a Wrecking Phoenix beam effect included. Unfortunately you can't even use the standard Geed's Wrecking Burst part as an alternative since the hands are a totally different colour. Galaxy Cutting slash parts would have been interesting to see too (if done in the same vein as the Kamen Rider Amazons slash effect parts) but that really is wishful thinking. 

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What makes Galaxy Rising's accessories substantial though isn't what's included for Geed, but rather what's included for Z himself. Also in the box is the Z Lance Arrow, as well as a new pair of hands for Alpha Edge to wield it properly. On the one hand it's great to see Alpha Edge getting additional accessories after the release itself came with so little, but on the other Bandai really pushed it when it came to including parts with other figures. Juggler came with the Z Riser, Geed came with the Lance Arrow, Z Original comes with the beam effect and then finally the Tamashii Nations exclusive metallic Alpha Edge comes with an even fancier "Z" beam effect. I know as the inaugural Ultraman Z release the intention was to make Alpha Edge as cheap as possible, but surely at least one of these things could have been included with it in the first place? Personally I would have preferred to see the Lance Arrow included with Juggler and the Z Riser here instead, as the Z Riser can be used with both Z and Geed whilst the Lance Arrow is strictly for Z (not to mention it also made its debut in Juggler's proper reveal episode). That said, Juggler also came with the Dark Riser so it does make some sense that the release would have two accessories that share the same mould. The Z Lance Arrow itself is a really nice piece though, beautifully moulded and sporting a lovely metallic blue paint job. The thin staff section means it slides into the hands with ease too, there are shouldn't be any immediate worry about the paint chipping when using it. 

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Given the amount of characters and forms there were in Ultraman Z it was pleasing to see S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising released in the range so quickly, and although it's a form we'll probably never see onscreen again it's definitely one worth adding to your collection. Geed is a great character (and figure) as it is, but throw in a form that's as colourful and detailed as Galaxy Rising and you've got yourself a real winner. A little bit of fiddly articulation and general gripes about how Bandai have handled Z's accessories aside, there isn't much to be disappointed about here. The web exclusive Ultraman Z Figuarts have all sold out in record time and their aftermarket prices definitely reflect that, so if you're on the hunt be sure to grab it the first chance you get.

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