Release Date: April 2024
RRP: 16500 yen
While a re-release of 2007's Soul of Chogokin King Joe in celebration of Ultraseven's 55th anniversary didn't necessarily come as a huge surprise, it's 2008 repaint from a series that isn't celebrating any notable anniversary getting similar treatment was. As was the case with GX-37R, the Tamashii Web exclusive Soul of Chogokin GX-37B King Joe Black (Revival Ver.) is a slight reworking of the figure from 16 years ago - updating it with a sharper colour scheme. King Joe Black first appeared onscreen in 2007's Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle, clashing against ZAP SPACY on several occasions, In addition to its bold new black and gold colour scheme, King Joe Black is also armed with the Pedanium Launcher - a powerful weapon capable of rapid-fire energy projectiles.
Just like last year's reissue Soul of Chogokin GX-37B King Joe Black <Revival Ver.> comes in revised packaging to conform with line's current aesthetic. It's a little less elaborate than the 55th Anniversary figure though, the front of the box simply highlighting the figure (in both its individual components and combined form) without any specific backdrop. It does however sport the Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle logo in the bottom corner, so it's nice to see the proper series it hails from getting recognition. The sides of the box sport two turnaround images combined robot, and then on the back you get a look at all the specifics - the robot, the individual Separation Ships and the designated display base. Inside all of the components are all neatly laid out on a two-sided polystyrene tray - one side featuring all the actual toy components and then the other the parts for the display base. Also included is a detailed instruction booklet featuring some information pages on King Joe Black as well as documenting how to combine and transform the robot.
Moving through the individual components that make up King Joe Black we have the first "Separation Ship" which makes up the robot's head and arms. Although each component has received a sharp new paint job this is the only one to have any sort of remoulding, with the lower right arm now replaced by the Pedanium Launcher. Though the cannon can technically be posed, in ship mode it does mostly just hang down like the arms on the standard version. With one arm being replaced on this version it means the combined hands included with the standard King Joe have been omitted from this release entirely, so the left hand now just has to hang there without anything to clasp onto. In ship form, the small dish-like "ears" on King Joe's head need to be swapped around for longer antennae - this is done by opening up the silver circular sections and then extending the antennae outwards, twisting the circular piece to face the other side and then extending the antennae outward again. It's a small but intuitive little bit of transformation. The new black and gold colouring really well works too, especially as this component also uses a lot of silver to break it up a bit more.
The second Separation Ship is what becomes the robot's upper torso, though in this form sports a number of antennae and radar dishes protruding from its top and bottom. Though sturdy enough to be moved around (they do have to to fold inside the ship for the transformation after all), these moveable pieces are definitely among the more fragile parts of the set so it's worth being extra cautious around them. Especially as this particular section of King Joe Black is also made from die-cast metal, making it a particularly heavy piece with paint that can easily chip. Being primarily just the upper torso of the robot it might not seem that interesting on first glance, but the dishes and antennae do a good job of making look a little more interesting as well as giving that nice retro sci-fi feel. The new black and gold colouring definitely makes the design pop a little more than the 55th anniversary version however the reflective chest panels aren't quite as vibrant, which is a shame as if anything they're more colourful on the suit itself.
The smallest of the components, Separation Ship number three forms King Joe Black's lower torso/abdomen. As with the previous ships, it has retractible antennae to create more uniformity between them - in this case two that pull out from top of the craft. It's worth noting that these parts feel among the most fragile of them all though, so definitely treat them with care. What it lacks in moving parts it definitely makes up for in its traditional UFO-shaping, with the placement of the black and gold (along with a splash of silver on the sides) giving it an almost wasp-like look.
The fourth and final Separation Ship makes up King Joe Black's legs, though in this mode the feet are folded away to reveal little articulated die-cast radar dishes in their place. The four antennae protruding from the cylinders are also a nice touch - revealed by opening the panels and flipping them around. The antennae are also attached to springs to give them a greater degree of flexibility, though should any accidental breakage happen Bandai have included replacement parts for these in the box. At this point it goes without saying how well the black and gold colour scheme works, but on this particular component said colour scheme also feels a lot bolder than it did on the original SoC King Joe Black release - particularly the bronze border panels at the front of the ship (the thighs of the combined robot).
Rounding off the individual pieces is once again a miniature Alien Pedan spaceship, which like the King Joe components has been given a refreshed colour scheme. While the metallic red parts remain the same the main body of the ship is now a pale gold colour (as opposed to the more silver tone of the original version), corresponding better with King Joe Black itself. It's a minor change, but more than enough to distinguish between the two. As before the metallic colours really make the (relatively simple) design pop, and the socket at the bottom is sized for standard Tamashii display arms – making it perfect for display alongside Ultra-Act and S.H. Figuarts Ultraman releases as well as this set.
The usual Soul of Chogokin style display stand has also had a few minor alternations, the most obvious of which being the new placard proudly displaying the robot's name. Interestingly this wasn't present on the previous release of King Joe Black, which just had the same "King Joe Ultraseven Anniversary 40th" one as the original SOC King Joe release. Bandai could have easily done the same here and used the 55th Anniversary one, but it's nice to see they went the extra mile and did one that shows this variant off properly. The layout of the base itself however remains the same, with four unique arm pieces to display the Separation Ships in their individual modes as well as a spring-loaded hatch for the Alien Pedan ship. The clear plastic display arms are the same as the ones included with the standard King Joe with the exception of the one for the first ship, which has been lengthened to accommodate the extra height from the gun arm. Curiously it is now also cast in black plastic, which wasn't the case on the original release. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter at all, but it is slightly odd to have that one arm cast in a different colour when displaying the components in this way.
Transforming and combining the ships into King Joe Black is fairly straightforward, but care should definitely be taken around all those antennae just to avoid any breakages. The legs feature the most complex transformation, with the top halves opening up so that the rest of the legs can be rotated downwards. The fronts of the four cylinders at the top of the legs all open up rotate, so that the previous exposed antennae can be stored inside. After flicking down the two antennae at the top, the lower torso component then simply clips onto the legs. Meanwhile the head/arms component requires repeating the "ear hatch" steps mentioned earlier so that the smaller square ones are visible. The head then attaches to the upper body via a magnet (once the antennae and panels have been folded away of course), which in turn attaches to the lower body via the same method. The magnets hold the robot together comfortably but aren't necessarily the strongest, so I'd recommend holding the toy by the legs for the most part.
Combined King Joe Black really looks the part, with the new black and gold colour scheme (along with some silver and bronze thrown in for good measure) highlighting the details on the robot even better than the standard version does. Those chest panels might not be as colourful, but as has been proven time and time again on all manner of robot toys - black and gold repaints rarely miss. Even more-so when they've got new additions like King Joe Black's impressive Pedanium Launcher cannon. With its long rifle barrel and Tommy Gun-like drum it's a really unique looking firearm that blends works with the King Joe aesthetic really well. If the colour wasn't enough to convince you that this is powered-up version of King Joe, then the giant gun it's got for an arm definitely should.
One thing to note about the Soul of Chogokin line is that it's evolved quite a lot over the last 15 years or so, and when the King Joe mould was originally release articulation wasn't quite as prominent as it is now. As is the case with the standard version, King Joe Black features;
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Ratchet hinge elbows and knees
- Hinged fingers (left hand)
Elbow, (left) wrist, (left) thumb and waist swivels
- Ball jointed feet
On paper it sounds a lot more impressive than it actually is, with King Joe Black able to pull off some basic poses to give it a bit more personality but certainly nothing too drastic. The limited scope of the shoulders is particularly disappointing as it's a struggle to pose the gun forward in a decent firing pose – the lack of a visible neck on the robot means having it outstretched to the side doesn't quite have the same effect. Touches like the ratchet joint elbows and knees are immensely satisfying despite their limitations though – that clicking sound giving the toy an appropriately old-school feel. Admittedly there aren't any more articulated options out there for this version of King Joe (so in reality it's probably the most poseable version out there), but this is very much a display piece first and foremost – if you're looking for anything along the range of the S.H. Figuarts version, you're going to be disappointed.
That black plastic arm piece for the first Separation Ship can also be used to display the combined King Joe Black, simply by placing the arm in the centre peg-hole and turning it around so that the peg can fit into the rear of the robot. The remaining display arms can then be safety stored in the underside of the display base. The figure could feasibly stand on the display base without the additional support, but given its weight as well as the various fragile parts it makes sense to give it the extra support from behind. It's a great way of displaying the set, especially with the colour scheme of the base blending in so well with that of the robot itself.
Soul of Chogokin GX-37B King Joe Black (Revival Ver.)
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