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11-28-2008, 07:43 AM | #26 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 34
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Since i've started the ball rolling with GGG, here's is the main support robots from Gaogaigar. they're the Ryu bros, twin bots Horyu & Enryu. Gaogaigar heavily relies on them & even tho they are just supporting mechs. they are equally powerful on their own.
The 2 Ryu bros to the left is Horyu (blue) & right is Enryu (red) For a toy that is made in the 90's, they are really quite poseable & are comparable even with present day TFs. Horyu Enryu Posing with their superior officer Gaigar Horyu alternate vehicle mode, a mobile crane. Enryu alternate vehicle mode, a fire truck. This is the gattai (combine) mode of the 2 of them. it's called Choryujin. whenever GGG needs reinforcement & additional muscle, this is the support mech that he can always rely on. they're very dependable bots'. Choryujin size comparison with Gaigar (even after combining gaigar is almost the same height as choryujin) last few final pics of Choryujin & The combined form of GGG (GGG is still da boss) Choryujin handing-over the dividing driver to Gaogaigar (just like in the anime) One happy family. GGG & the Ryu bros :cheer: A note for those seeing them for the 1st time: these (Horyu & Enryu) robots dat i have are not the the original Takara products. they are not even made by Sonokong of korea. i'm sad to say that they are K.O.s! they are made by Happywell under the brand name Galaxy Defenders, the makers of Roadbots. for quite awhile already Happywell has been making a lot of Brave K.O.s renaming them as Galaxy Defenders. Quality-wise they are not on par with the original versions of the toys. but for the amt of $ that we are paying, it's worth it then. they just cost a mere USD$6 each only. The height and dimensions are identical, the colors are different though, with black instead of grey and Enryu is a very dark blue instead of light blue. As far as differences go, the joint fit is kinda bad, with the arms in particular not locking in very securely in vehicle or Gattai(combine) mode. The locking parts for their Ladder/Crane attachments are also pretty badly formed, meaning they don't go on very easily and like to come off. Overall The KOs aren't that awful, definitely not for their price. But i'm quite happy with it tho (since it's rather hard to find & better than nothing) i've totally Refurbished it. for the loose-fit joints & slight difference in colors, nothing like a nail polish or super glue can't fix & as for painting a few bottles of cheap Tamiya paints will certainly do the job. So what you guys see now is the improved version of the K.O.s. i make sure that they resemble more or less like the originals. i hope i'm not boring you guys to death with my lengthy explanations. i just had to get it out of my chest. i feel 'bad' if dun tell y'all the truth. dat's all. Last but not least here're some clips from youtube. hope you guys dig it. Horyu & Enryu gattai (combine) sequence Horyu & Enryu transforming
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11-28-2008, 08:11 AM | #27 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Ok. Added the link to my first post .
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11-28-2008, 09:30 AM | #28 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Ok. I just photoed my Shadow Dagwon so I'll review him now. The colours turned out worse than I wouldve liked.
Shadow Dagwon is the yuusha identity of Ryu. He is the loner of the group but he eventually warms up to En (Dag Fire/Fire Dagwon). Instead of combining with other Dagwon members, he has 3 Shadow Guards to rely on that have their own intelligence (though they dont speak) and they are stored in card forms when not needed. The shadow Jet is the form that he uses when launching from DagBase. It is a passable jet. The wings are a bit small but but so what. It has no wheels on the underside. This is its Shadow Dragon form. It looks quite good and better fits in with the overall theme of beasts. The purple colour scheme works for this form slightly better than the jet. Guard Wolf is one of three Shadow Guards. He is a bit plain compared to Guard Tiger in which he shares the basic mold with (apart from the head and tail). Guard Tiger is the 'twin' mold to Guard Wolf. Guard Hawk is the worst mold in this set. His beast mode transforms like Sorakage. Its a mold born out of necessity to have a fourth member. This is the Dag Shadow form. Its tail becomes a sheath for his sword and goes behind his shoulder. Its articulation is a bit limited. He has elbow and shoulders that only go forward, not to the side. His head is also loose if you attach the dragon tail. Guard Wolf in robot mode. Basic shoulder and elbow articulation. Guard Tiger in robot mode. Same as Guard Wolf. Guad Hawk in robot mode. Has only shoulder articulation. His tail can be used as a shuriken of sorts. I dont like his proportions... This is Kijuu Gattai (Machine Beast Union) Shadow Dagwon! Any shortcomings from the previous forms are non existant here. It looks very cool. Only problem really is that the arms are not ninja colours. His dragon tail now goes on the back of his hips. He can also use the shurikens from Guard Hawk. Due to his hand's transformation he can use the Shuriken as a shield like he does in the show . Very cool set but Guard Hawk is the worst of the lot. Hope you guys enjoyed that .
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 11-30-2008 at 10:26 AM.. |
11-28-2008, 10:57 AM | #29 |
Dark Lord of the 'Ark
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 8,224
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Always been a big fan of TF-ing dragons, so I'll have to add this Brave to my growing list of stuff I eventually want to get.
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11-28-2008, 03:25 PM | #30 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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In many ways it seems Volfogg has influences from Shadow Dagwon. It has similar two arm add-on style and the chest kinda turns around (worked differently of course) and they both have the basic purple and white colour scheme.. Overall though Shadow Dagwon was probably a better toy (because of Dragon ode and Volfogg has a lackluster basic robot mode).
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11-28-2008, 05:48 PM | #31 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Ok. Another one before I go to bed .
The Sabers are from Brave of legend Dagarn. They are the first team to be found but they remain incomplete until later on when the Sabers are killed temporarily. First up is Jumbo Saber. He is the first Saber to be found. I love it. Mainly because there is a severe lack of Jumbo planes as Transforming robots. The wings have a slight tendency to move forward and back when being handled though. Jumbo Saber 's colour scheme is faily 'realistic'. His robot mode is a bit strange. His arms can only move at the elbow and even moving there is a bit wierd. He also has articulation at his hips and knees (both side ways so you can sort of make him do a side kick of sorts. He comes with a cross bow weapon which cant be stored in vehicle mode. Next up is Jet Saber. He is found alongside Shuttle Saber. His jet mode isnt that great. I do like the colour scheme but too much kibble. In robot mode, he has the worst proportions of the team IMO. He does come with a sword and shield (the shield stores on the back of his jet mode but the sword cant be stored). Shuttle Saber has a good vehicle mode. My one was put together wrong at the factory. One of the wheels at the back are reversed. The small extension that allows you to get the wheels out is on the wrong way so I need to use one of their weapons to get that wheel out. Also mine doesnt fit together properly so theres always a gap at the back. He probably has the most asthetically pleasing robot mode of them all. His weapon of choice is a small lance.He has elbow articulation, hip articulation (out to the sides) and knees. (All these guys with knee articulation could probably utilise them if theres is a stand nearby .) Hawk Saber. Another bot made especially for the combo. Its a eagle/griffon thing. Not too convincing really. What is there to say? It has a nice flip up face. And it has no weapons. This is Sky Saber. Formed by Jumbo Saber, Jet Saber and Shuttle Saber. It looks good. Jumbo Saber's wings get in the way of the arm's movements but you dont expect to pull off GGG style poses do you :lol? The Saber's weapons combine into a lance of sorts. Its a cheating weapon in which the top and bottom arent connected. Only Sky Saber's hands are keeping them together . This is the official way to transform his legs. But I prefer to do it this way. His chest plate can be removed and held for his boomerang attack. Once Hawk Saber is added to the mix we get something truly unique among giant robots (Well its only been done a few times any way). Despite its name being Pegasus Saber, its not a winged horse. Its a centaur. He can still use Sky Saber's weapons. Or.. He can use the two smaller wings from Hawk Saber combined as a bow. Just like the Sagittarius constellation . Theres some stability issues in this mode though. Also the tail does not like to stay attached. I like the head sculpt. No reason why. I just do. It has a truly unique final form. Not just slapping boots or armour on. Its a very different looking mode. One of my favs but truth be told, I like all my braves .
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 11-29-2008 at 11:11 PM.. |
11-29-2008, 08:28 PM | #32 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Ok. Get the sun glasses out. This time I'm reviewing Brave Revival 05 Great Goldran . Because of how many pictures I took, I'm going to have to split this review up into a few posts.
Goldran, being the primary mecha and the brave this show is named after, he is revived first. The Braves in this series are all found as Power stones. Dran is revived on the first episode. As it is the kids who awakened him, (And to make him more samurai-like) he refers to the lead kid as master (at least in the first episode). His alternate form is a car. It seems to be half realistic, half fantasy vehicle. The front is very realistic looking but the back is not. And of course, its nearly completely gold so that destroys the whole realistic theme. You can see I have some chrome damage on his car door. Dran's reissue has very little additional gold shown in vehicle mode. Dran's bot mode has a semi-samurai esque feel. His helmet mainly. He also comes with a small sword called the ryugaken (Dragon Fang Sword) which he can hold in his hand or on his hip. He has enough articulation to go into the kneeling pose that he does so often. As you can see the change is only his upper arms and a his inner thighs (Actually you cant see that bit...). He also has additional paint on his face and shoulder pads. His lower leg decals are also painted on now. And his sword has been given a good chroming too. When the time arises, Dran steps up and calls forth the King of Monsters. Gojira.... I mean Golgon. The sculpt for Golgon is very nice. It looks very ancient looking. My Golgon's jaw has a tendency to drop. I guess it gets surprised easily. So much for King of Monsters. A small gripe I have is that his feet cant touch the floor properly. Only his clawed toes can . He can lift up these cannons on his legs as additional weaponry. As you can see the original Golgon was severly lacking in chrome goodness. In fact it was hardly chromed. But its a whole lot stiffer than the reissue. Dragon rectum! Look away now or be forever scarred. Anyway, this is one of the few unchromed areas. Along with the trigger on the back of his shoulders that are used to fire his missiles. And the back of the sliding portion of his neck. "Ougon Gattai! Goldran!" (Golden Union! Goldran!) Goldran is Dran and Golgon's combined form. Truly an awesome piece. It has great proportions and the articulation is great for a Brave toy. He has four in each arm and he can split his legs apart. Thats 10 articulation! What can I say? I fell in love with this thing ever since I got the sonokong version. He can still activate his leg launchers. He has a badass sword adequately called the Super Ryugaken. More comparisons. I love how they chromed his face too . Dran with Golgon in vehicle mode. Dran with Golgon in robot mode. Onto Sorakage next .
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 11-29-2008 at 11:17 PM.. |
11-29-2008, 08:33 PM | #33 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Sorakage is the second Golden Brave to be revived. His name means Flying Shadow in japanese. I dont know how he supposed to hide himself when he's full of bling bling though.
His bird mode is a bit wierd. The talons his legs becomes arent that great looking. I've mentioned this in the Shadow Dagwon review but Guard Hawk and Sorakage share very similar designs transformation wise. He can flip up his launchers on his back for an offensive but they cant be completely unfolded with the missiles in them (But thats one heck of a missile rack). I like his golden flame tail. Some originality went into designing how his head is revealed. The face is actually not concealed in the bird head but on his tail. When the tail is pushed up to form his chest the his head is flipped out and meets the bird head. He has good articulation. Two on each arm and three on each leg (counting the feet). This allows him to walk forward. His flame tail becomes the sheathe for his sword. He can also utilise his missile launcher in this form. He also has a sickle weapon that should have a small ball accesory and strings to attach it but I dont have the string. He can also throw shurikens from his wrists. "Daiku Gattai! Sky Goldran!" (Great Air Union! Sky Goldran!) Sorakage can combine with Goldran to form Sky Goldran giving him aerial capabilities as well as more missiles! Surprisingly with Sorakage's addition he can still stand. Alternative angle. Next up is Leon Kaiser. One of the last Braves to be revived. He is similar to Goldran in that the main guy is a small vehicle who has a giant beast partner to hook up to. I'm a bit dumbfound that the jet's name is Leon and the Lion's name is Kaiser. Not the other way round... Leon's alternate form is a jet. One of those that you just look from the bottom and you can immediately tell its a robot in disquise. Jets make terrible transformations if your main mission on earth is to DISGUISE yourself. For Leon this isnt so much a problem. Leon's robot mode hints at things to come. He has balljointed elbows. Something that rarely reared its head till Beast Wars where everyone and their mother had them. Thanks to his transformation he can pose with his Naginata Sword and actually look somewhat good. Kaiser is Leon's trusty companion. He looks a bit awkward but does his job. Just dont open his mouth cos Leon Kaiser's face is hidden there. He has a missile pack underneath his chin and he aint afraid of using it . Unchromed gold... One more. "Ju-oh Gattai! Leon Kaiser!" (Beast King Union! Leon Kaiser!) He is the stiffest of the Golden Braves. He has two points of articulation. Pitiful. But he looks a hell of a lot better than Gaohn IMO. You may have noticed theres some smudges on his shoulder stickers (as well as Leon's wing stickers). Bad quality? Leon Kaiser has two weapons along with his missiles. The Kaiser Javelin and Kaiser gun (which is Kaiser's tail). The Kaiser gun is pretty unconvincing. In fact the Kaiser gun in the anime looks like its directly ripped from a Gundam series. Leon Kaiser can also combine with Sorakage for a Sky mode but he doesnt use this form in the series at all. Alternative view. Leon with Kaiser in vehicle mode. Leon with Kaiser in robot mode. Next up, Great Goldran!
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 09-09-2009 at 03:37 PM.. |
11-29-2008, 08:34 PM | #34 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Some pics of everyone together first .
Sorakage is naturally the smallest :lol. "Ougonju Gattai! Great Goldran!" (Golden Beast Union! Great Goldran!) This is the most powerful combination of the Golden Braves. It isnt until the 30s that this form is achieved. This form is truly majestic. Even without arm extensions, his arms dont feel too short for his now taller appearance. I will also point out that this beast has 28 missile ports all over his body. Alternative view. Kaiser Javelin and Super Ryugaken combine into the awesome weapon that is double the size of Great Goldran called... the Super Ryugaken. I find no evidence as to it being given a different name. Wierd. "Golden Archery! Final Shooot!" This is Great Goldran's hissatsu (Absolute Kill) weapon. Its not quite as thin as the one on the show but I guess the bulk adds more presense . He has no strings to hold onto unfortunately. Also add this to the missile count. Another angle to finish off this review. I only have the original Goldran so I couldnt take comparison pics of the other members. But generally anything gold is chromed (apart from hidden stuff or joints) and the big exception is the feets of Leon Kaiser which were also chromed except in a orange colour (and Leon Kaiser's mane now being orange/ginger as well). Also all the Power Stones are now translucent plastic (Leon Kaiser and Sorakage's Power Stones were chromed red previously) to better match Goldran's Power Stones. This set is highly recommended (the Brave Revival set more so though its so rare now ). Take care guys.
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 11-29-2008 at 11:27 PM.. |
11-29-2008, 08:34 PM | #35 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Smilies count as images now .
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11-29-2008, 09:13 PM | #36 |
Dark Lord of the 'Ark
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Where's that smilie with the sunglasses when you need him? Ah, here he is: .
Extremely shiny review, Roan. Dran seems like he influenced Cybertron Hot Shot's TF sequence and basic alt mode, although with far less chrome (read: none).
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11-30-2008, 02:58 AM | #37 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 34
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Ha ha great review there Roan. i didn't know that you could be this humourous. it was a very detailed (& fun review). it seems you were really enjoying yrself. keep it up!
Edit: Damn man you're getting better & better in yr reviews
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Last edited by rizuan76; 11-30-2008 at 03:07 AM.. |
11-30-2008, 03:44 AM | #38 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Thanks guys. Riz you should review J-Decker and the other GGG braves. I've seen the pics before but its not like I'll get tired of them or anything .
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11-30-2008, 11:17 AM | #39 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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After reviewing the Golden Braves I thought it right to move onto the Silver Knights.
The Silver Knights are the basic support combiner of the series. They are revived after Advenger. Like all of Goldran there is a theme running. Each member is a european style warrior of some sort. Jet Silver is the first of the Silver Knights to be revived. His alternate form is that of a jet as the name implies. Like Dran and Leon, the Silver Knights are all chromed up so they dont make very good disguises. More So because of the jet alt mode. Jet Silver's jet mode is slightly more realistic looking than Leon's though. You can add his shield to the vehicle mode but that bulks it up too much. I doubt its aero dynamic with that thing on its back. Jet Silver's robot mode is very knight like in appearance. Indeed in the show his poses give off a very british knight feel (anime over the top of course). He comes with his jet Spear and Jet Shield. He has two points of articulation in each arm. He can fire the Jet Chaser from his shield as well. Next up is Star Silver, the second Silver Knight to be awakened. I think he's supposed to be a police car? Its nice but unlike Jet Silver he needs his shield to be attached or theres nothing at the rear. Just Silverion's head. His robot mode is inspired by roman sentries. Very different than the usual Knights or samurais littering the anime scene. His weapons are the Star Sword and Star Shield which can fire small discs. He has two articulation on each arm, and four articulation on each leg allowing him to pull off some fancy poses like this. Drill Silver is the third to be awakened. He is the brute of the team so his alternate mode is a drill tank. He has gattling guns that can move up and down (they're his arms). Abit awkward and again his shield is neccessary as it is his cockpit in this mode. He looks to be inspired by vikings. And suitingly his weapon is the Drill Axe and just for kicks the Drill Shield. He has only two points of ariculation (one in each arm). The last to be awaken is Fire Silver. He takes the form of an ambulance. A very solid mode and I guess silver is close to white . Truth be told, I'm not really sure what Fire Silver's robot mode was inspired by. But he looks pretty badass with those huge wings and his head sculpt is great (unfortunately washed out by the flash). His main weapon is the Fire Bow Gun. He has only three articulation (one on each arm again) and the head. Amazingly he has no character conficts with other members of the team. (Sorakage is the one that causes problems initially). "Silver Gattai! Silverion!" (Silver Union! Silverion) When Jet Silver, Star Silver and Drill Silver combine they form Silverion. They have a very proportionate combined form. How his arms are jointed are a bit on the wierd side though. The drills on his knee are later reused for Gaogaigar. His legs are jointed a bit strangely. This jointing allows for him to split his legs apart and to form a v-shape but it also makes it easy for it to fall off. The Silver Knight's weapon and shields combine to form the Tri Lancer and Tri Shield. Very appropriate weapons for a knight. "Chou Silver Gattai! God Silverion!" (Super Silver Union! God Silverion) Once Fire Silver is added to the mix God Silverion is born! He has bigger shoulder pads and bigger feet. Making him look even better than before! He also has small wing things on his back. Another break in the norm is that God Silverion is not formed when the others are in danger as per Anime rule but instead the kids figure out that their names are similar so they ask the four Silver Knights to combine (frustrating Walter when he finds out). Sadly his weapons are the same but the Tri Lancer is now called the Burning Tri Lancer. I guess it sets a light in the anime. With Great Goldran. God Silverion is the first Brave I bought from Toyarena. (Though I first owned Guard Star and Guard Wing). Its still one of my personal recommendations. Its a great set and Star Silver has great articulation for its day though thats because of the combination .
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 09-09-2009 at 04:11 PM.. |
11-30-2008, 06:32 PM | #40 |
Dark Lord of the 'Ark
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I think Fire Silver might be based on a medieval knight as well. The cross-on-shield motif is a common theme in coat-of-arms for that time period. Maybe Jet Silver is a type of lancer knight (maybe a dragoon) while Fire Silver is more of a standard foot soldier.
And as always, nice review and pics. I will say that God Silverion looks less shiny than Great Goldran, but less gaudy as well.
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12-01-2008, 01:05 AM | #41 |
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Doh! I forgot to rotate some of those pics >.<
Yeh maybe so. I can see that.
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 12-01-2008 at 01:08 AM.. |
12-01-2008, 11:42 AM | #42 |
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Ok. The biggie. Masterpiece Brave 01 and 02. King Exkaiser and Dragon Kaiser. The ones that started it all. Takara chose them as the first to be remade with new tech like how Optimus Prime/Convoy was chosen as the first if its own Masterpiece line. These two are quality figures that should have been the start of a line of high end products for the Brave series. But I dont know why this has not come to pass. They remain to be the only figures in the Masterpiece Brave line.
The figures are packed with high quality colour instruction booklets and cards that on one side shows the character (King Exkaiser's is represented by Exkaiser which is strange since its Exkaiser and Dragon kaiser now rather than King Exkaiser and Dragon Kaiser) in anime-esque style (Dragon Kaiser being very much thinner than the toy) and the other side a picture of Exkaiser combining with the character in question. They also come with plenty of extras. These include lots of hand variations, a stand for Exkaiser, two different chest pieces for Dragon Kaiser, another chest for Exkaiser, Kouta and Mario figurines and a lot of weapons. This is Exkaiser. Even if you are not familiar with Braves you may have seen it on Sol Fury's funnies 'My family car is an alien' was that particular episode if I'm not mistaken (And I think the first episode of Exkaiser is called that too). Indeed it is Kouta's family car. But it has a civilian mode so when its not in combat it looks a bit different. To put it simply. Its tiny. Sligtly bigger than a hot wheels toy car. It has a few issues with fitting due to its size. Also notice the damaged diecast at the front. Only that part is diecast. The rest is plastic. Kouta and Mario (the dog). They are nice additions though not really necessary. Exkaiser's transformation into robot mode is quite a feat for such a small figure. It stands a bit smaller than a microman figure. It has good articulation to boot. The shoulders, elbows, hip and legs are ball jointed so they will get loose quick. Its ingenious how they hid the lion insignia. The lion head is also a bit loose on mine so it likes to slide into his chest. He has three articulation in his arms, four in his legs, one for his neck and waist. Sixteen in total. Quite good for its size. He has a second chest piece he can use. This was original a feature in the original Exkaiser where you flip his lion chest into the back to reveal a second chest piece. I recall him using this form to repair stuff. This is his non-battle mode. He comes with two Jet Boomerangs which slide into a hole on the side of his wrists. I imagine they'll be a bit harder to pose once his ball joints start loosening up. He also comes with two Spike Cutters. Next up is King Roader. It seems to come out of nowhere. No explanation is given from the first 4 episodes I watched as to where it comes from. Its a transformation piece. Its not made at all to carry anything. Even some later vehicles (like J-Roader) can carry the smaller guy. But not this one. It seems to be actually made to be towed instead. Those small panels at the front that the wings are attached to can be a bitch to get connected without the piece falling down. The cockpits are retracted for its trailer mode. It also has a flight mode which is really just used as stock footage for it to transform into King Exkaiser. "Kyodai Gattai!" (Giant union!) It takes a bit of trial and error but eventually Exkaiser WILL fit into King Roader. This is one of the big draws for me. The fact that Exkaiser can fit in without hindering the articulation one bit. Its not even that apparent that theres anything inside (Unlike SOC Vaikunfu) "King Exkaiser!" Once formed King Exkaiser stands at about Ultra TF Price point size range. His face is very gundam influenced (it IS drawn by Kunio Okawara). Unfortunately when most non Brave fans saw this design hoping it would be a TF character thought it WAS a gundam with a lion on its chest. He has articulation at his head, five in his arms and four in his legs. Nineteen in all. He comes with his Kaiser shot weapon which is molded to look like he's firing it. It also spins. He hides two halves of his Kaiser sword in his legs. I dont recall it being like that in the show. "By the Power of Grayskull!" Wrong show... "Kaiser Sword! Thunder Flash!" He also includes a longer version of his sword. You can also take Exkaiser's mouth piece off to reveal a face. This is to replicate the show of course. Next up Dragon Kaiser!
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 12-01-2008 at 01:36 PM.. |
12-01-2008, 11:43 AM | #43 |
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Dragon Jet is Exkaiser's second support vehicle. Not shown until part ways through the series.
Like King Roader, it can be towed by Exkaiser (WHY you want to do that is beyond me). "Kyodai Gattai!" The gattai is not as 'show accurate' because the leg covers are supposed to flip up with the chest. Oh well. This is 'Dragon'. I think this form is used when Exkaiser is not inside Dragon Jet but instead it is remote controlled. In this form the eyes on Dragon Jet's chest are hidden to similate the show and his eyes on his head are also blank (theres a switch at the back of his head. He can not remove his mask. Unfortunately. Also the white on his face it painted on and mine has started to scratch (because of the transformation so I remove it now) Dragon Kaiser comes with two chest pieces. One for transformation so it can fold for vehicle mode the other is perminantaly in Dragon Kaiser mode. Dragon Kaiser has nearly exactly the same articulation as King Exkaiser. But he misses one at his hips but gains one on each elbow. "Dragon Archery! Thunder Arrow!" Dragon Kaiser comes with his arrow (Which plugs into his back via Great Exkaiser's waist armour) and bow (transforms from his chest plate in the show). He also comes with a hand specifically made to hold the arrow. "Dragon Tonfa!" His cannons flip backwards and a handle comes down for him to hold for this weapon. "Dragon Anchor!" His shoulder parts can come off to similate his Dragon Anchors. This is the thing most people (who cared) was worried about. How would the combined mode look? It turns out the combination was very close to the animation. "Chou Kyodai Gattai!" The transformation is a bit different to the show but makes it much more accurate to the final form (I've been told this transformation is in fact ripped from SHE's simple change Dragon Kaiser!). "Great Exkaiser!" His proportions are how you'd expect him to be. Tall. Yet not fat. Its a bit difficult to attach his chest plate but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. His head needs to be replaced so its not a 'perfect transformation'. This is his 'detail up' mode. Basically remove Dragon Kaiser's arms, flip the hinges closed, flip Dragon Kaiser's chest pieces up and attach the blasters. This mode is the more accurate mode. Its also more sturdy in this mode (All of Takara's pics in the booklet use this mode too). His leg articulation are the same as King Exkaiser's. He has six in his arms. Including his head, thats 21. Thats quite a lot. "Kyodai Kaiser Sword!" (In the show his sword is combined from the Kaiser sword and Dragon Archery) Be careful. Be sure to sand the clip. Incase you need to split the handle and blade apart for storage because the plastic the sword is made from doesnt feel as sturdy. One more pic to leave this thread with . They are fantastic pieces though the paint chipping is kind bad. I've been hit with some QC problems too but nothing to make me hate it. Its also slightly cheaper option than getting the original since that was never released in Korea and Dragon Kaiser was never reissued. Its not quite up to scratch compared to Masterpiece Prime (transformation wise) but it makes up for that in the combining. Very worthwhile piece to have. And that wraps up another review. I've still got Super Fire Dagwon, Great Might Gaine Reissue and CM's Great Baan Gaan to do. I might review CM's Raijinoh too (Not God Raijinoh. I have no idea where Bakuryuoh is. And its broken anyway).
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Last edited by Roanstalker; 12-01-2008 at 11:54 AM.. |
12-01-2008, 12:44 PM | #44 |
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The paint flaking on King Exkaiser's feet is kinda horrific, but the combined mode is pretty nice looking. It's just too bad that the individual figures don't transform into anything more convincing.
That Goldran, though... gah... my eyes burn and my soul yearns for it. That's one heck of a display piece. |
12-02-2008, 05:31 AM | #45 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 34
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Great review there Roan (as always) .
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12-02-2008, 05:35 AM | #46 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Taxachusetts
Posts: 1,587
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Wow, sensory overload!
Nice stuff!
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12-02-2008, 03:47 PM | #47 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Thanks guys for the compliments. Onto CM's Great Baan Gaan. This is a special piece. Before this set was released, no other transforming figure was ever made of these guys. Theres been a few fixed pose figurines and poseable figures sure but this is the first time a transforming figure was made. Very special occasion being the Brave that wouldve been shown on TV if Gaogaigar hadnt come along. Instead anything they had done (OP and stock footage) were used in the PsOne games Brave Saga and Brave Saga 2.
When this figure was released a lot of fans were on the edge because of the QC problems CM's products were known to have. Indeed someone in Hong Kong had a peek at a few boxes and sure enough there were QC problems like some wheels from Baan gaan's arms had fallen off and I'm sure there were others. I was lucky. I had practically no QC problems whatsoever. Thank god. After the God Raijinoh Debacle I'd rather not have those problems pop up again. This figure is basically a parts former. Parts need to be removed or added for some modes. I will also add that its not a parts former for the sake of being a parts former like Yujin's Master Action Gaofighgar but its really beause theres is very little else that could be done to achieve those forms without these additions. First up is Baan. He is a small (really small) car. In the game/show Baan is a energy life form from Astaria who posseses a toy car/robot that the main character has. Whenever he is needed Baan grows into a giant robot to combat the enemy of the week/scenario. The car mode seems pretty average brave affair. Except its the size of a micromachine. Size comparisons with minicons to give you a better view of how small he is. Baan requires two small pieces to go under his feet to be able to stand. Bad design? Perhaps. His head is also attached to the backtrunk area of the car so you need to take it off and attach it to the ball joint on the body. Kinda hard if you have big hands (I'm assuming most people who buy this arent kids). He has articulation at his hips, knees, feet (kinda), two at each shoulder, head and his wrists (yes they turn. Major pain they are). Pretty good for the size. No elbow but what do you expect. More size comparisons. He includes his signature Baan 'Magnum' weapon which has been in use by main characters ever since Dagarn with the exception of Dran and Gaigar. Baan with Gaan Dasher. Its a big truck that cant hold Baan (just like King Roader not holding Exkaiser).Pretty clear from above that its a giant robot. Comparisons with King Roader and Exkaiser. As i said before Baan is TINY! This is Baan Gaan Dragon. It is flawed in that he needs to forever look upwards. Its also not that great looking. A tacked on mode. The amount of parts additions in this thing is unbelieveable. Also he has no useful articulation. His legs are stuck in place, his arms can do jack and his neck and tail have very limited movement. None that could actually make him look down.Disappointing. "Brave Charge! Baan Gaan!" "ohhh! Gaan Dasher!" This is how Baan fits into Gaan Dasher. Its not accurate at all to the stock footage (the transformation of the upper body is also pretty different). I guess it wouldnt work quite as well though. "Ryujin Gattai! Baan Gaan!" (Dragon God Union! Baan Gaan!) Well. It looks like Baan gaan. Its face plate is a bit thinner than its anime appearance making it look a bit angrier. The head parts and the dragon's 'eye brows' had to be added on. He has articulation at his shoulders (they are hindered by the cover area that the wings are attached to), upper arms, elbows wrists, two at the hips (hindered by his waist armour), feet, knees and head. His waist can also move but only a little. Pretty disapointing especially since the legs are so immoveable even WITH all this articulation. "Impale Nova!" He has his Twin Lancer weapon. In theory he should be able to split them up for dual wielding but he only has one grip hand. His canons can be moved to point forward and his wings can be deployed in this mode as well. Baan Gaan is slightly taller than King Exkaiser. But King Exkaiser's extras outdoes Baan Gaan immensely. Onto Mach Sperion now.
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12-02-2008, 03:48 PM | #48 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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Sperion starts off as a rival to the main character apparently working for the enemy. At that time he was called Gildion and he sported a badass black and gold colours cheme and some wierd mask covering his eyes (think Char). He later broke from the enemy's grasp and became best friends with Baan Gaan (actually I think they should know each other if they are from the same planet).
Sperion's alt mode is a bird. A phoenix in fact. But you wouldnt be able to tell. The alt mode is so fugly and none bird like at all. His bot mode at least seems to make up for it. It looks pretty cool actually. Becareful of the bird head. It has a tendency to come off. Sperion's weapon is his Sperial Blade. Like Baan's Baan Magnum its a bitch to get on and off. Mach Phoenix is Sperion's support mecha. It is the one that the stock footage is focused on. It looks like the animated counterpart at least. It has some articulation on its legs but the weight of it all renders them useless. Sperion and Mach phoenix. Mach Sperion uses two different 'bases' for each mode. The left one for Mach Phoenix and the right for Mach Fighter. Mach Fighter looks ok. Not really that aero dynamic. Also the gold parts of the wings drags this mode down even more. I'd say this mode is the after thought of the two. Its sleeker than the Dragon Jet though. "Fire Charge! Maha Sperion!" (Fire Charge! Mach Sperion!) Sperion needs to be posed like this to fit into the two halves of Mach Sperion's chest. "Houou Gattai! Maha Sperion!" (Phoenix Union! Mach Sperion!) Its also a little off compared to the TV show. The 'neck' the phoenix head is attached to is supposed to be gold but I'll let that slide. He has more articulation than Baan Gaan but he also has more stability issues. He has three articulation at each shoulder, two at each elbow (forward and twist), wrists, head, hip, three at his knees (double jointed and twist) and his feet. Its a bit difficult to utilise the leg articulation because his waist likes to split apart. And his whole wing structure likes to disassemble as well. Only really a display piece. If you tried though you could get one like the one below. "Maha Shot!" (Mach Shot!) He comes with his trusty shot gun. No zombies found though so a bit of a overkill . Strangely enough he comes with two shot gun hands but only one shotgun. Why??? And only give Baan Gaan one sword hand??? His Mach Shot Gun can be opened and bullets can be inserted. Doesnt do anything but its still cool. I'd like to note that Mach Sperion is supposed to have a weapon called the Mach Saber but CM's neglected to include it. Next up is Great Baan Gaan.
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12-02-2008, 03:49 PM | #49 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 129
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First some shots of Baan Sperion together. Tiny.
Mach Fighter and Gaan Dasher. Baan Gaan Dragon and Mach Phoenix. Mach Sperion and Baan Gaan. ""Yujou Gattai!"" (Friendship Union) ""Ohhh!"" "Brave!" "Fire!" ""Charge!"" The combination is nothing short of spectacular. They go back to their roots and having nearly the whole body completely armoured up. Not just boot and chest addons with some fancy weapons attached to their wrists. a full combo. Its colour combination is also very nice looking. But do becareful with some parts like the head crest and the chest plate. Weapon comparisons between Cm's DX and Cm's Mech Action series. The Mech Action clearly has the edge but they dont need to transform. "Phoenix Blade! Fire Arrow!" The weapons turn out a bit small for him. Especially the Fire Arrow. If only he can also use the Mech Action series's weapons . His wings can also be deployed in this mode. This is called the 'Full Weapon Mode'. Great Baan Gaan actually loses height over Great Exkaiser. Mainly due to the transformation. Great Baan Gaan is definitely a display piece more than a toy. I cant transform this piece as quickly as Great Exkaiser. It just doesnt feel as sturdy. But I'm glad Great Baan Gaan has now gotten his own toy. One of the most wanted toys by Brave fans I'm sure. Just becareful if you buy it online. The QC issues dont sound good. And if you have a local shop selling it, be sure to ask to check the contents first. Well that wraps it up .
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12-03-2008, 01:10 AM | #50 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 34
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Great Baan Gaan is pretty AWESOME! but the only thing it lacks in full gattai mode is a waist/crotch armour, that would've made the look totally complete.
Ah well just a minor gripe from me that's all. good job roan on the review.
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brave, eldoran, sunrise, takara, thread |
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