Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who Classics 'Resurrection of the Daleks' boxset

I may have skipped over reviewing the 'Remembrance' of the Daleks set (one word: PERFECT) due it being 3 repaints and 1 remould (but an excellent one at that), but this set has a little more variety to it. Based on the 1984 story 'Resurrection of the Daleks', this one is comprised of the Doctor, the Dalek supreme, a standard Dalek drone and, most importantly, our first classic Davros figure.

This set's Doctor figure is (obviously) the 5th Doctor, who's already received his fair share of figures in the line. Despite 5 being my least favourite Doctor, I have to say that he has one of the best sculpts so far. It's a dead ringer for Peter Davison, and the clothes are the perfect representation of his series attire. That's not to say the other Doctors have been bad, because they've all been brilliant, but this one definitely stands out. My own gripe is I feel the figure should have come with some sort of accessory - maybe not a sonic screwdriver, but perhaps the gun he uses to threaten Davros in the story's climax.

Obviously the star of this set is Davros. Based on the Terry Molloy version of the character (Resurrection was Molloy's first appearance as Davros) the figure has very limited articulation, mainly only in the one arm and head. The sculpt however is magnificent and really looks like Molloy's iteration of the character. The figure even has a bonus feature - by pressing a hidden switch on one of the spheres a panel pops off on the side of the chair, revealing some circuitry details. Perfect for recreating those scenes from episode one of the story.

By now there's not a lot to say about the Daleks - any one who reads this blog will know my feelings about the classic Dalek figures by now. The supreme Dalek looks stunning, which is especially good for me as its my favourite supreme Dalek from the classic series. The drone however sadly isn't so good. Its clear that the Dalek mould is beginning to run its course, as a few quality control problems were present in mine (and after looking round the internet, others have been affected too). Firstly, the figure was forced in the packaging in such a way that the eyestalk is completely bent, leaving my Dalek to view things at an angle (it can bend back with a bit of force and doesn't break, but eventually returns to that angle). Secondly the top neck ring is also bent, leaving a gaping hole in the side of my Dalek. Looks quite good from a battle damage point of view, but I would not expect a figure to arrive in this condition. Hopefully any Daleks released in the future won't suffer from the same problems. The QC problems can be seen below.

All in all this set is amazing, simply amazing. Some people may prefer to wait for the Genesis (Michael Wisher) that's coming in the near future, but Molloy fans will not be disappointed by this set. My only suggestion is that if you're picking this set up in-store personally, check the Daleks carefully to make sure that they don't suffer from the same problem my grey one did.

Movie REVIEW: Pokemon: Zoroark - Master of Illusions

Before I start I should probably mention this. Cartoon Network, for reasons unbeknownst to me, decided to not air the prologue sequence, instead going into the film straight at the opening credits. Having grown up with Pokemon in English and therefore vastly preferring it dubbed (even after the cast changed) I haven't seen the prologue, and probably won't now until the DVD is released (or I can be bothered to track down the Japanese version). While it was still quite easy to get up to speed with the story, the opening does seem a little confusing when you consider 15 minutes of the plot that features all the main characters has suddenly disappeared. It was a shame, because I always love the openings of Pokemon movies.

Moving along, the latest Pokemon movie sees Ash, Brock and Dawn arriving in Crown City for the annual Pokemon Baccer Tournament, only to find a lost Zorua with the ability to talk looking for its mother (or if you're watching the dub, it's Meema - which kind of makes it sound like the Pokemon equivalent of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory). Zorua's mother is a Zoroark being manipulated by business man Grings Kodai, who is searching for the time ripple - a mysterious energy caused by Celebi's time travelling. 20 years ago the ripple gave Kodai the ability to see the future, and now losing his power he intends to restore it. Its up to our heroes to save Zoroark and stop Kodai, with the aid of Celebi and Crown city's legendary protectors - shiny versions of Raikou, Entei and Suicune.

Okay so the plot is a little silly, but for some strange reason it seems to work in Master of Illusions. Perhaps its because its been a long while since a Pokemon movie has been this refreshing, not once dipping back on recycled clichés from earlier Pokemon films (something the rest of the Sinnoh movies are notorious for) or epic legendary battles. Raikou, Entei and Suicune's role in the film is actually minimal, making the moments they do appear all the better (it's strange that absolutely no reference is made to them being a different colour though). Its a shame that it had to include a Pokemon that could speak English, especially since Zorua is an illusion Pokemon (and therefore the whole concept of it looking for its mother could have easily been told visually) but it's become such common practice with these movies that it should probably be expected from now on. On that note, Zorua's voice is incredibly annoying - not as bad as Arceus in the last film, but still pretty bad. Think Jirachi but worse. Digimon fans might recognise the voice as Sora from Digimon Adventure 01 and 02.

On the flip side, the Master of Illusions dub also has some pretty good talent too. Grings Kodai happens to be voiced by Sean Schemmel, voice of Goku in Dragonball Z/Kai who also appeared as Lucario in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

Master of Illusions is by no means a great film. In fact it's a decidedly average endeavour into the world of Pokemon. However it is most certainly a step up from the more recently Pokemon movies and the best effort since Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. With a story that hinges on characters more than legendary Pokemon, Master of Illusions is the perfect warm up to the release of Black & White on DS next month. Bring it on.

Toybox REVIEW: Revoltech Evangelion Evolution Eva Unit 01

To celebrate the 100th figure in the Yamaguchi (basically the main) line of Revoltech figures, Kaiyodo has brought back a popular character from the past. So popular in fact that it's already had several Revoltech figures. Of course, its the titanic purple Eva Unit 01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion. This isn't just a straight re-release though, this new Eva boasts more articulation than any other Revoltech figure that's come before it (according to the Kaiyodo website, 22 moving parts). A worthy figure for the #100 spot? Let's find out.

I can't say that I've checked to see if there really are 22 moving parts in the figure, but it wouldn't surprise me - there are joints all over the place. The are 2 joints and 3 separate moving pieces in the neck alone. The Rebuild 2.0 Evas were pretty articulated already, but this guy takes it even further. What I can't quite understand is the lack of a moving jaw (especially since the Unit 03 figure had one) but with 2 separate heads its not a big issue. The sculpt is perfect - which should be expected really as Kaiyodo have already had numerous versions of the figure in their line-up. Perhaps what sets the figure apart from previous releases is that it glows in the dark! The green paint needs to absorb quite a bit of light for it to show, but when it does glow it really makes the figure look even more menacing. The picture below isn't the best example, but it should give you a good idea of what areas glow exactly.

Speaking of separate heads - Eva 01 comes with a ridiculous amount of accessories. There's the aforementioned extra head, 12 (yes 12) extra hands, the umbilical cable, a prog knife, machine gun and an effect part that can be attached to the head for a bleeding effect. Most importantly though, and what will sell this release to those already in possession of a Revoltech Eva 01 is the inclusion of an angel base/pieces, or Sachiel to be precise. Sachiel not only has an arm that can be attached and posed via a revolver joint, he also has a light up core. Sachiel can be attached to the blood stain base included with the figure (the standard revo base is also included if you prefer) to create a diorama base akin to those included with the SFX Revoltech line. Also included is a piece of broken bone, so that Unit 01 can be posed beating the angel with its own body parts.

Most considered the announcement of #100 to be Eva 01 a massive disappointment, but as I didn't have a Unit 01 figure prior to this I was extremely happy. The figure is superb, and I can't see how Kaiyodo are going to top it when they inevitably release another Unit 01 figure when Evangelion 3.0 is released. A perfect score.

N.B. What I do find frustrating however is Kaiyodo announcing that all the Eva units will be released using this figure design and (supposedly) including angel dioramas just when I've completed the set and am able to do this...

Ah well, they look pretty damn good there don't they?

Toybox REVIEW: Bandai Super Robot Chogokin Mazinger Z

Mazinger Z is an important piece of Super Robot/Mecha/anime history. As the first piloted robot to appear in anime, its important that it receives figures that reflect this legendary status. And he does....except most of the really good ones are a little bit on the expensive side. Not to worry, because Bandai's (relatively) new Super Robot Chogokin line has brought us a highly detailed Mazinger figure at a small scale (about the size of a Revoltech/Robot Damashii figure).

Mazinger Z isn't a complicated robot - in fact the simplicity of the retro design is one of his biggest selling points to me, and Bandai have got the design dead on perfect with this figure. Metallic paints, deep glossy blues and blacks - I don't have a single complaint here.

Being a Bandai Chogokin figure it has a fair bit of die-cast, mostly in the chest and hip areas. So as you can imagine, he has a bit of weight behind him. Not only that, but Mazinger also has an excellent amount of articulation. The head and neck are both on ball joints, so there's quite a bit of expression available. Moving down there's swivel joints, ratchet hinges and more ball joints (even the ankles have them!) - so he's capable of a hell of a lot of posing. The hands are easily removable and are attached via a ball joint on the wrist - so pop on and off with minimal effort, but are secure when attached.

There's quite a few extras included with the figure - the Pilder (the flying machine pilot Koji Kabuto operates the machine from), some separate hands, a reinforced rocket punch piece with larger hands, and the Mazinger Blade. Both the reinforced rocket punch and blade have a chrome finish, looking especially shiny.

Also included (well, the internet says it was only included with the first release, and since I got mine almost 6 months after it came out I assume if you got it now you'd get it too) is a Styrofoam rock base. There's not that much to say about it really - it looks like a rock and its made of Styrofoam. However it doesn't look like a rock made from Styrofoam, and so posing Mazinger on top of it does look pretty fantastic.

I only have two complaints with this figure. The first is the Pilder. While it makes sense to have it as a separate piece on the larger Mazinger figures which you can take on and off the head to recreate those "PILDER ON!" sequences, with a figure this small it means that the Pilder is tiny. Not only that, but it is incredibly difficult to play firmly on Mazinger's head. Mine kept popping off, refusing to stay down. After about 10 minutes of struggling (and not even applying that much pressure, knowing how fragile the piece is) the Pilder broke. Only a little bit - the very tip of the middle fin snapped off, and though its almost unnoticeable I still know it happened and therefore is even more annoying). Even now the Pilder isn't attached properly - its being held on with a little bit of white-tack. I don't know if this a common problem for the figure, but it certainly is a pretty big negative for me. Breaking a figure even only slightly right out of the box is always a sad moment.

The second, and not as big a complaint, is Bandai's decision to release a separate weapon pack for the figure - including the Scrander (i.e. the wings), a second reinforced rocket punch and (most annoyingly) rocket punch ignition effects. Given that the Super Robot Chogokin Great Mazinger figure comes with his wings and effect parts for his signature 'Thunder Break' attack, I don't see why at the very least least one rocket punch effect part couldn't have been included. Even if it meant jacking the price up a little.

I wanted to give this figure a perfect 5, I really did. But the Pilder was such a huge issue for me and the thought of having to buy an add-on set just to make the figure even better makes it just narrowly miss out on the prize. Still, if you're a Mazinger fan and like all your figures to be in roughly the same scale this is probably the best Mazinger Z figure money has to offer.

And yes, I probably will get Great Mazinger down the line too, even if he shares the same Pilder problem. That's how great this figure is.

Anime REVIEW: Soul Eater

Originally released in 2008-09, the 51 episode series revolves around Shibusen, a school run by the Grim Reaper in order to train teams of weapons (humans that have the ability to turn into weapons) and meisters (wielders). The three main teams consist of Maka Albarn and her partner Soul (who can turn into a scythe), Black Star and Tsubaki (who can transform into a variety of ninja weapons) and the Grim Reaper's son Death the Kid and his twin partners Liz and Patty (pistols). With the help of their teachers and under the guidance of a rather eccentric Grim Reaper, they battle witches, golems and finally, a face off with the madness spreading 'demon-god' Asura.

Soul Eater gets off to a very promising start - rather than throw the viewer right in at the deep end, we're treated to three prologue episodes, each starring one of the three main groups of characters. This is a great introduction to world of Soul Eater, and only after these three episodes to the characters start appearing together properly and sharing adventures. Add in a strong and diverse group of side characters and it has the makings of a very strong show. The first arc is very strong in terms of content (and feels like it's leading on to something bigger, but ultimately doesn't). It's also one of the few anime shows out there were the few filler episodes are as equally entertaining as the main plot - the moomin-esque Excalibur is actually one of the series' comedy highlights, and he has some pretty stiff competition in the forms of the Grim Reaper himself and Kid's rather simple partner Patty.

The art and music are top notch - particularly the first opening track 'Resonance' and its accompanying opening. My only regret is that the series is completely animated in the deep shadowy style of its opening city scape, which for me remains the animation highlight. The series itself is equally fluid, if a bit brighter. The uses of CGI don't detract (Shibusen looks fantastic in all its birthday cake glory) and it has a strong selection of background music.

As fun as Soul Eater is as a series, its also littered with problems. Being based on a manga that's still ongoing, it's only natural that there would be several dropped plot points, but Soul Eater seems to take it to ridiculous levels. Soul's determination to become a deathscythe? Never happens. Villain Mosquito's powerful 400-year old form? Never shown. And anyone expecting second arc big-bad Arachne to do anything apart from sit on a spider's web and order people about will be sorely disappointed, as this is all she does as her whole scheme is orchestrated by her henchmen. There's not even an indication of exactly how powerful Arachne is. Her apparent rivalry with sister and first arc big-bad Medusa is rendered null, as Medusa proves to be a far more interesting a threatening villain throughout.

The second problem is the series insistence on giving almost every character some sort of catchphrase or quirk - Soul always talks about how something is cool/uncool, Black Star will surpass God, Kid is obsessed with symmetry, Crona can't deal with things etc. And that's not all of them either. While a lot of these a dropped as the series progresses (and some are interesting character traits/genuinely funny), to begin with they're drilled into the viewer non-stop. Finally, the series ends on an incredibly abrupt note with plot points coming out of nowhere without even being vaguely hinted at, leaving a rather unsatisfying taste.

Another problem is Black Star, who is horribly one dimensional. His arrogance has no bounds, and there's no other side to it either. All he does is shout his way through the series claiming he's going to get stronger, and he does. While it does add a bit of variety to the cast, he's so arrogant it becomes nigh impossible to like him as a character and difficult to watch him on screen - and as a main character, that's quite a lot of screen time. It's a wonder how the hell Tsubaki puts up with him.

Soul Eater is by no stretch a bad series, in fact it's a very good watch full of likeable characters and (for the most part) an engaging plot. It was certainly better than the Naruto-lite-with-demons-instead-of-ninjas I was first expecting it to be. But in comparison to some of Bones' other works (which include both Fullmetal Alchemist series', Eureka Seven, Ouran High School Host Club and more recently, Star Driver) it doesn't quite live up to the standards the studio usually produces. Catchphrases, annoying main characters and a horrifically rushed ending get Soul Eater a high 3 out of 5 rating, but just make it miss out on receiving a 4.

Toybox REVIEW: Revoltech SFX Anguirus

Next in Revoltech's sci-fi line and rounding off Godzilla's BFF club is the very first Godzilla foe, who would then go on to become the big G's most trusted ally - yes, it's none other than Anguirus.

Rather than be based on his first appearance in 1955's Godzilla Raids Again (all the other Toho kaiju in the line so far have been based on their original films), Anguirus is based on the design from his second appearance, 1968's Destroy All Monsters. This is not only evident by the overall design of the figure, but also from the packaging and the inclusion of the Moonlight SY-3 spaceship from said film. The spaceship also includes a 'launch' stand, made with a similar effect to Gamera's rocket booster stand.

As is the norm with Revoltech figures, Anguirus has a fair amount of poseability - there are revolver joints in his neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees and feet. The jaw can also be moved via a hinge joint. What is most notable about Anguirus however is his tail - rather than make it out of segments connected by joints at various intervals (like Gamera's), Anguirus' tail is one whole piece made out of soft plastic which can be bent into specific poses. While this still doesn't mean it has a huge amount of poseability, it's still looks far more natural and is a step up from Gamera's. Anguirus' spines are made from soft plastic so they are quite flexible and unlikely to break if a little pressure is put on them. They are still however particularly pointy - a point I found out first hand when resting my hand on them trying to plug in the left arm and leg (which came unplugged in the box in order to fit the figure in the tray)!

It's quite disappointing that Anguirus only comes with a spaceship while the other Toho kaiju have received some pretty neat dioramas, but the figure itself is far from disappointing. Now that Godzilla's core crew of allies have all been represented in figure form, its time for Kaiyodo to bring on the antagonist monsters and hopefully, one day the big G himself.