Ah Kotobukiya, once again you have come to my rescue and provided me with an alternative to the Gurren Lagann mecha that no toy company has made figures of. The TengenKadou Grapearl Darry Custom is one of three grapearl model kits available from Kotobukiya (the other two being the Gimmy Custom and the mass production general version) is far more complicated (and more expensive!) than the other two GL kits I've bought from the company in the past - the King Kittan and the Dayakkaiser. Upon opening the box I was suprised to see a total of 15 different runners (some are duplicates for arms/legs etc.) for a 28 step kit. Upon completion I was treated to a highly detailed Grapearl figure that required very little painting (only a little bit of detailing around the chest 'teeth') that is perfectly scaled with the rest of my Gurren Lagann figure collection, which is made up mostly of Revoltechs. However there are the few flaws which really hinder both its posability and pla...

After being won over by Shin Mazinger , I felt it was time to dig back a bit and see what else the Mazinger Z franchise had to offer. 2001-2002's Mazinkaiser is a 7 OVA (+ 1 "movie") continuation/spin off of the original Mazinger Z and its successor Great Mazinger. After Mazinger Z is defeated by Dr Hell and Baron Ashura's army of mechanical beasts, pilot Koji Kabuto stumbles upon a secret laboratory build by his grandfather, containing the most powerful robot ever built, the Mazinkaiser. All I can say is, after seeing this I fully realised how much Shin Mazinger brought to the franchise. The fight scenes in Mazinkaiser are pretty spectacular, particularly in the final 2 OVA's and the movie, but everything else is a massive step down in comparison. Despite there being a far smaller cast of characters in Mazinkaiser , characterisation is at its lowest. Personalities are paper thin and nobody really develops at all throughout the series. Koji is a hot head...

Mazinger Z is a piece of anime history. First airing in 1972, it was a pioneer in super robot and mecha series – the first ever to use mechas being piloted by humans. The series saw hero Koji Kabuto pilot the Mazinger Z robot battle the evil Dr Hell and his mechanical beast army. 2009 saw a reimagining of this landmark anime - Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen (or “True Mazinger Impact! Z Chapter”), that also incorporated many other of creator Go Nagai’s works – such as the manga spinoff Z Mazinger , Violent Jack and Mao Dante , among others. In the near future, a mineral known as "Japanium" is discovered under Mt. Fuji . This ore is discovered to produce a powerful energy source known as "Photon Energy". Dr. Juzo Kabuto and his associates have begun researching Photon Energy, planning to use it as a solution to the energy crisis plaguing the earth, when the nefarious Dr. Hell and his associate, Baron Ashura attack his lab. Along with this, the mysterious ...

For a long time I've always had an outside appreciation of the Gundam franchise - the mobile suits/mecha were an appeal but the numerous series (each with a significant episode number) were always a bit of a put off and left me confused about where to start. But now I've finally taken a dive into the world of Gundam and begun with the first series to be set outside the main Gundam universe - the series probably best known to the Western world due to its prominence on Toonami's anime block during the early noughties. I'm talking about the one and only Mobile Suit Gundam Wing . The plot, which to be honest is rather difficult to summarise and so I'm going to cite wikipedia , is as follows: In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space, and, down on the Earth, the nations have united as the United Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the city Alliance oppresses the colonies with its military power. The colonies desire a peaceful resolution to the situation, joinin...

Here we have the first figure I've bought from a line I've been wanting to get into for a very very long time. Bandai's Robot Tamashii/Damashii (or just Robot Spirits) line offers a wide variety of mecha in a similar scale to Revoltech from series such as Gundam SEED, Gundam 00, Full Metal Panic, Code Geass, Macross Frontier and many more. What we are reviewing here appears in the fantastic series Eureka Seven. The only problem is these figures don't come cheap - you're looking at around £25-35 depending on which figure you're after. 70% off at HLJ later, and I've got myself a Devilfish. The Devilfish is Holland Novak's personal LFO (Light Finding Operation) which appears at the tail end of the series and the alternate universe movie Goodnight, Sleep Tight Young Lovers (Pocket Full of Rainbows). One of the most powerful LFOs in the series, it is not equipped with a limiter, which allows it to function to the very zenith of its capabilities. Howev...

The latest in what is becoming a long line of Character Options/Forbidden Planet exclusive classics 2 packs is one of my favourite incarnations of the Doctor - the Seventh Doctor (as portrayed by Sylvester McCoy) and a standard Imperial Dalek, loyal to mad scientist and Dalek creator Davros, from his 1986 story Remembrance of the Daleks. Firstly, let's take a look at the 7th Doctor. As usual CO have gone all out with the sculpt detail, with everything from his scarf to the pocket watch chain on show, and even his handkerchief hanging out of his pocket! You could argue that the grin face-sculpt they've gone for does come out as more of a stoner smile but it's not too badly executed, and still captures McCoy's likeness fairly well. If you feel you'd prefer a more serious expression 7th Doctor, pictures of an alternate head have been floating around the internet - and will most likely be included with the 11 Doctors box set due out later this year in September. Hi...

The Tenchi Muyo franchise will always hold a special place in my heart. Aside from the obvious Pokemon/Digimon/Dragonball Z I watched as a child, it was the first anime series I watched entirely and gained a significant love for. So after many years since the last instalment of canon OVA series Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki and only the less than impressive spin off series Sasami Magical Girls Club (reviewed earlier in this blog) to fill the void in that time, it’s nice to see a new iteration in the franchise that’s canon at long last, even if it doesn’t involve any of the characters from the series. Saint Knight’s Tale (or Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari if you prefer) takes place 15 years after the events of OVA 3 of Ryo-Ohki , and centers around Kenshi Masaki, half brother to Tenchi Masaki (the child of Rea, whom Noboyuki married at the end of OVA 3). Kenshi is somehow transported to the magical world of Geminar, and is deceived by a mysterious organization to participate in an attem...