Anime REVIEW: Gamera -Rebirth-

2023 has been a pretty fantastic year for kaiju fans, and that's not just because of all the Godzilla content we've been getting. This year also saw the big return of another powerhouse in the giant monster genre, one that's been absent from the screen since 2006. Gamera -Rebirth- is the first entry in the franchise since Gamera the Brave, as well as the first animated installment for the fire-breathing turtle that's friends to all children. Produced by Kadokawa and animated by ENGI, the six-episode series was released worldwide on Netflix.

TOP 5: S.H. MonsterArts I'd Like to See

It's time for another My Shiny Toy Robots top five list and this time we're getting kaiju-sized and entering the world of S.H. MonsterArts! Since the line debuted back in 2011 Bandai Tamashii Nations have arguably led the way when it comes to high-end articulated Godzilla (and a few other franchises, but mainly Godzilla) figures, but it hasn't always been smooth-sailing for the line. Expensive figures that only get more expensive on the aftermarket, endless repaints and a focus seemingly only on Godzilla suit variants, there's so much potential Bandai have left untapped. So without further ado, here are the five characters I want most to join my (admittedly rather small) collection of S.H. MonsterArts figures!

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Monsterarts Gamera [1995]

Release Date: August 2019

RRP: 10800 yen

It isn’t very often we see something that isn’t Godzilla related in the S.H. MonsterArts line these days, but every so often Bandai Tamashii Nations creeps something through that reminds fans just how much untapped potential the line has. One of the most pleasant surprises in 2015 was S.H. MonsterArts Gamera [1996], based on the titanic turtle’s appearance in the second of the Heisei era Gamera trilogy - Gamera 2: Attack of Legion. Though sadly an accompanying Legion figure never came to fruition a version of Gamera based on the 1999 instalment Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris eventually arrived in 2018, and now in 2019 the trinity is finally complete with S.H. MonsterArts Gamera [1995]. Based on the monster’s appearance in Shusuke Kaneko’s epic Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, this is the only of the three Gamera figures to have been a Tamashii Web exclusive.

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. MonsterArts Gamera [1996]

As much as I love Godzilla, when it comes to giant monster movies my heart definitely belongs to Gamera. Sure Godzilla has had the more illustrious film career, but the Heisei era Gamera Trilogy don't just rank as some of the best kaiju flicks you'll ever find - they're some of my favourite films of all time. The suits and practical effects are among the very best you'll find in modern tokusatsu, and the plots and characters are pretty damn good too! So imagine my excitement when Bandai Tamashii Nations announced that they would finally be visiting the Gamera franchise in their S.H. MonsterArts line - starting with the 1996 version of the character that appeared in the second instalment of the trilogy, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion. While the Gamera franchise did receive some love from Revoltech's SFX/Sci-Fi/tokusatsu subline a few years ago, this was a chance to see Bandai give it the same high quality treatment it's given the likes of Godzilla, King Kong and even the Alien/Predator franchises.

Toybox REVIEW: Revoltech SFX Gamera

The brand new Sci-Fi Revoltech line is devoted to movie characters from both Eastern and Western cinema. So far we've had a Xenomorph (Alien), Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and in the near future we'll be seeing the likes of Batman, Woody and Buzz from Toy Story and even a Jurassic Park T-Rex. But on the Japanese side are some of my most anticipated figures from this line - kaiju. First came Baragon, but hot on his heels were Gamera and Gyaos, and next will be Mothra, Moguera, Anguiras and hopefully more to come. Gamera is my first purchase of the line, and before I even begin the review I can definitely say for sure that I'll be coming back for more!

To start let me just comment on the packaging (which, let's be honest, is a rarity for me) - it is simply gorgeous. Instead of a standard window box this line is treated to velcro sealed book style boxes, with Japanese text (at a guess I'd say either information about the movie or comments from the sculptor - but I don't read Japanese sorry!) and images from Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (my absolute favourite monster movie) covering the inside front. Opening the window cover reveals the figure in all his turtle-y glory. This is the kind of packaging that is perfect for MISB packaging, however I'm not one for that sort of thing (in most cases) and so I opened him up straight away.

My first comment would be that Gamera is indeed a small figure, perhaps too small. Most revoltech figures tower over him, and despite his bulk I wouldn't go as far as saying it makes up for his lack of height. However, Gamera was never the tallest of Kaiju and so scales rather well with his nemesis Gyaos (from what I can tell from photos anyway, I haven't got around to buying the figure just yet). He only contains a few revolver joints - but then there aren't that many to actually place them, and the fantastic posability of his tail just about makes up for it. He does also include a few hinge joints, particularly in his hands (which can be switched between fists and open claws) and his jaw to recreate some great roaring poses. His accessories include and mid-air fireball which snugly fits inside his mouth and a extra crotch piece to incorporate one of the best accessories I've seen on a figure - a rocket exhaust stand! Perfect for launching your very own rocket powered turtle into the stratosphere!

While Gamera is a great and fun figure with tons of personality, his diminutive stature and (in terms of revoltech) lack of posability stops him from hitting the top spot. However, I am very impressed with how the SFX line is shaping up and can't wait to pick up the rest of the kaiju that have been announced. Here's hoping there's a Revoltech Godzilla planned somewhere down the line!