Shakugan Robot Spirits Big Tony Review

 
 Last post for July and instead of the usual loot post it will be a review this time! One of the long due review for one of the Robot Spirits that I took photoshots back then which is Big Tony from Sakugan series. Perhaps it is due to my disappointment toward Netease with their treatment to SMC which make me forgot this fellow but Sakugan series itself was rather forgettable due to being a mecha anime based on unfinished works.

While I don't really have much things to say about the series, the titular mecha of the series Big Tony do caught my attention which made me bother to get a copy of the Robot Damashii despite having low expectation toward the series. The main reason Big Tony caught my attention is due to this mecha shared heavy resemblance with Gustav from Tron Bonne series, Capcom's Megaman Legend spin off. Not exactly a carbon copy but If you played Tron Bonne you will know what I am trying to convey.

For a mecha action figure from forgotten series, Big Tony has quite good gimmick and playability. Articulation is top tier expected from Tamashi Nation but Big Tony also comes with Cockpit gimmick along with transformation capability, a rarity for Robot Damashi but a big win for me. Due to the lack of popularity of Sakugan, you can probably Roda Big Tony for under 5000 Yen in Japan which I would recommend to get if you do look for a mecha with alternative aesthetics.

Vinland Saga Finale

 
 Another great Seinen manga series has reached its conclusion! Vinland Saga at last managed to accomplish what Berserk unable to do and wrap up its run. With the latest chapter 220 of Vinland Saga, the series has concluded its story. While some fans might not be satisfied how Vinland Saga ended considering the series began in a fashion that seems to be another great contender for Berserk, I would say the series ended just like how the mangaka envisioned.

LOGH Die Neue These 1/3000 Brynhild

 LOGH despite being a legendary Scifi series in Japan are still relatively niche series when it comes to merchandising, However, Kotobukiya being Gigachad as ever do try their chances with LOGH just like with other great but neglected series. Thus before we are even getting the 5th season of Die Neue These, Kotobukiya decide to release Model Kit for Kaiser Reinhard Von Lohengramm Flagship, Brynhild in 1/3000 scale rendition! Scheduled for December 2025 release, Kotobukiya's 1/3000 Brynhild will be sold for 8800 Yen.

Kotobukiya did some PVC Figure for LOGH OVA couple years ago considering the OVA remained to be the GOAT stuff in anime industry. But I never expected they picked interest on Die Neue These considering the series are not exactly performing particularly well as IP. Even so, The model kit looks quite promising as it is quite a big one spanning over 34 cm long and certainly Nendoroid Reinhard will be happy with this.

Despite not living up to the OVA's legacy, I am still willing to put faith with Die Neue These next anime season just I take interest onto this model kit. I don't actually mind getting Barbarossa too if Kotobukiya decided to ever make one because the legendary flagship do deserve its companion.

Gundam Converge Destiny Gundam Spec II & Zeus Silhouette

 
 I haven't talked about Gundam Converge for such a long time since I preferred Gundam Ensemble as my mainstay. But I do always kept a good look with Converge Mobile Armor as they still prove to be overall better value for money. In this instance, as Gundam Seed Freedom got some nice Converge treatment with Destiny Spec 2 being the candidate along with Zeus Silhoutte Pack. Released as P-Bandai, Converge Destiny Spec 2 w/ Zeus Silhouette will be sold for 7250 Yen SRP.

I might be a huge fanboy for Athrun but Seed Destiny Freedom truly give Destiny Gundam the opportunity to shine as MVP. While I didnt have much impression about Destiny Gundam using Zeus Silhouette pack as Destiny Gundam Kagebunshin Multikill scene overshadows everything. But when the dust have settled down, Zeus Silhouette is quite nice addition to Seed series which basically giving the protagonist gundam a boost in Firepower and Mobility making them essentially a Mobile battleship.

Had the Gundam Converge Destiny Spec II doesn't cost as much compared to its HG counterpart, this particular product would have been very appealing. Considering Bandai did make some converge for larger Mobile Armor for lesser SRP which meant they were capable at this particular department. Bandai also could have released the Zeus Pack separately and makes it compatible with Ensemble Destiny Gundam which would have been one of the best Gundam Candy Toys candidate that Bandai had. For now I will just keep a lookout for another promising Gundam Seed collectibles candidate.

Kingdom Nendoroid Kyokai

 
 Kingdom without a doubt is a reigning champion of Shonen manga genre. But due to lack of its marketability, the series never get much merchandise until now. But with the upcoming new anime season for Kingdom, the Japanese hobby manufacturers consider to chip in with this series once again including Goodsmile Company. Out of many Kingdom major characters, Goodsmile picked Kyokai the flower vice commander of Hi Shin Unit as their first Kingdom Nendoroid, Scheduled for February 2026, Nendoroid Kyokai will be sold for 6900 Yen SRP.

For Kingdom series, I would have thought Shin would be the prime candidate to be the first recipient for Nendoroid treatment. But in the end it turns out to be Kyokai which turns out to be fine nonetheless. Kyokai is a fencer from a legendary tribe who were known for ungodly swordsmanship during their tranced mode. Kyokai served as one of the early member of Hi Shin unit in her quest of vengeance for the killer of her elder sister but eventually formed attachment with this army which will cement its legendary in the Warring states era and become the valued member. At the current point of Kingdom's story, Shin and Kyokai had developed very close bond and fans like myself look forward to the moment where the relations fully bloomed. 

Given that Banpresto getting its share of Kingdom prize figure, I wouldn't be surprised if we will be getting SHF treatment for Shin and Kyokai.

Buddy Complex Moderoid Luxon & Bradyon

 Talk about coincidence! As I finished watching Buddy Complex not too long ago, the flagship mecha of the series protagonist, Luxon and Bradyon got their Moderoid model kit! Buddy Complex might not be particularly successful mecha series but they certainly deserves some merchandise treatment because they got some decent production value including mechanical designs. Scheduled for February 2026 release, Moderoid Bradyon and Luxon are sold for 7900 Yen price tag each and got Box set exclusive on GSC Online sold for 15800 Yen.

 Buddy Complex's Luxon and Bradyon might look like your standard protagonist Real Robot but it comes with particular quirk which sets them apart of its peers. These duo mecha comes with some sort of Synchronization tech that improves mecha performance based on Pilots synchronization level as well as enable less experienced pilot to close the gap of their combat skill mid-battle with their partner's combat data. This particular concept that Buddy complex tried to incorporate did had interesting premise but poorly executed which didnt help to prevent the series fell into obscurity. Should GSC interested enough to expand on Buddy Complex, they could make something for the Heroine mecha or the upgraded version of Luxon and Bradyon. I might get into SRW X to look further into Buddy Complex series in the future.

Gundam Gqux Relink Travelers Machu and Nyan Sekai

 
 Just as Gundam Gqux finished its airing not too long ago, the merchandise started to pour in slow but constant rate. The main characters of Gqux got their relative generous amount of merchandise with SHF and Prize Figure being made since the series aired. But Bandai decided that they might as well add super deformed products for Machu and Nyan set as part of the new Linked Travelers lineup. Sold as P-Bandai, Linked Travelers Machu and Nyan will be sold for 8800 Yen Price tag with December 2025 release schedule.

Joytoy Warhammer 40k 1/18 Imperial Fist Killteam Review

 Another 40k Joytoy Group Review! Actually I should have posted the groupshot for my Ultramarines and Dark Angels first, but since I forgot where I kept my Photo collections, Imperial Fist gotta come first for now. I am not exactly into Imperial Fist faction since I felt they are one of the more bland First Founding chapters. However since I quite liked Rogal Dorns performance in Emperor TTS, I did collect quite a sizable amount of Imperial Fist last year including some Black Templars.

 

In 40k settings, Imperial Fist is a well known Space Marine chapter for their Siege Defense capability as Rogal Dorn honored with the task of building defenses of Terra. This prestige are one of the main reason that created hostile rivalry between Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors with the latter eventually turned traitor during Horus Heresy event.

 

Compared to my other Space Marine chapters collection, My Imperial Fist Killteam collection are predominantly from Horus Heresy settings because MK3 and Cataphractii do fit Imperial Fists quite well for some reason. I never expected what started from an Imperial Fist sergeant ends up snowballed into extensive selections. Also having Tor Garradon and Sigismund being the hero representative of differing era of Imperial Fist end up quite fittingly. While I doubt that I will expand my Imperial Fist collection any further, the collection might still expand on Black Templars side due to Tacticus. I am still waiting for a 2.0 version for Marshall Helbrecht.

Berserk SHF Casca

 
 As Guts and Griffith got their Golden Age rendition of SHF, Casca obviously going to follow suit! I think it has been quite some time since Figma Casca got released and Bandai provided the much needed update. Scheduled for January 2026 release, SHF Casca will be sold for 11000 Yen Price tag.

Compared to other SHF lineup released in the same batch with, SHF Casca fall on the higher range of price tag likely due to the licensing cost. I don't think the incorporation of fabric parts in SHF Casca would inflate the price tag considering Casca's accesories in SHF rendition are rather modest. Compared to her old Figma counterpart, SHF Casca looks closer to her anime rendition. The only thing that is a slight miss is her battle expression which can look rather derpy. SHF Casca definitely will complement well with SHF Guts or Griffith for Berserk fans to relive the Band of the Hawks day. Considering Bandai is quite extensive in creating their Berserk Library, I am quite sure that God Hands will likely be getting some SHF/Figuarts rendition considering it has been quite some time since the Figma came up. 

Uma Musume Pretty Derby SHF Oguri Cap

 
 My return to Uma Musume Pretty Derby made me look back into notable Uma Musume products once again including the ones that I overlooked and turns out I did miss a big one. Oguri Cap being a legendary racehorse of course get really awesome treatment in Uma Musume Pretty Derby and she did become recipient of many merchandise whether PVC Figure or Nendoroid. However back in 2023, she did get SHF by Bandai albeit P-Bandai. Released for July 2023, SHF Oguri Cap was sold for 6500 Yen SRP along with Tamamo Cross who also sold for the same price. 

 In Uma Musume, Oguri Cap is one of those Uma Musume who possess Immense Main Heroine aura being a goofball glutton in daily life but an overwhelming presence in race. In the main season of Uma Musume, Oguri mainly relegated as supporting character known for her Mukbang antics. But given her popularity both in real-life and Uma Musume, Oguri become the main character in Cinderella Gray which also get anime treatment in 2025.

 The SHF rendition of Oguri Cap offers relatively standard accessory for Uma Musume action figure. But a physical action figure for 6500 Yen value for a Legendary Uma Musume is more than enough already. If it were not for P-Bandai treatment, I would have highly likely consider getting Oguri Cap back then despite I had quit Uma JP at the time. Personally I would consider to double dip SHF Oguri along with Tamamo Cross if they both ever got regular re-release, though I wouldn't mind Figma rendition either. Given Uma Musume recent resurgence with its Global Debut, I think it is a great opportunity for Bandai to push Uma Musume merchandise once again considering Japan consumption ability might not be satisfactory with their aging population.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux

 
 Finally gave this latest Gundam iterations a watch after it finished original airing recently. At first I thought this series called Gundam Gqux will be another "miss" due to unusual approach in visual direction to appeal younger audience. This might have been a consecutive failure after Witch from Mercury if executed poorly but it proves to be otherwise! Deep down, Gundam Gqux is a Legacy Project that involved legendary figure, Hideaki Anno which results in a Gundam series from the joint effort of Studio Sunrise and Khara. It is truly an honor for outsiders to be bestowed an opportunity to work on Gundam series considering Studio Sunrise tend to be very protective with their IP and Anno and studio Khara production team decide to make a Love letter to Yoshiyuki Tomino and Universal century which UC fans will appreciate.

Arknights Apex 1/7 Skadi Alter Pilgrim Ver

 
 The beloved Orca waifu of Arknights, Skadi got another PVC Figure! This time it is on courtesy by Apex Toys featuring Skadi the Corrupting Heart returns as Premium 1/7 Scale Figure based on Ambient Synesthesia theme simply called The Pilgrim. Scheduled for September 2026 release, Apex 1/7 Skadi Alter the Pilgrim will be sold for 26000 Yen Price tag.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners Buzzmod 1/12 Lucy

 
 Sometime before Cyberpunk Edgerunner sequel was announced recently, the main heroine of the first season, Lucy got an action figure by Aniplex through Buzzmod Lineup! Whether it is a coincidence or not, this one certainly a good news for Cyberpunks fans. Scheduled for April 2026 release, Buzzmod Lucy will be sold for 12000 Yen SRP.

Being a popular character from recent series, Lucy got many merchandise treatment including 1/12 scale action figure. But of the recent Buzzmod rendition is certainly the best one for Lucy. While Buzzmod are not as prevalent compared to Figma, the lineup is decent enough as the Kimetsu no Yaiba products under this lineup are quite decent. Not sure if David Martinez is folllowing up but Lucy will still make a good pair with V from Cyberpunk 2077 released several years ago.

In Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Lucy is a skilled Netrunner whom the protagonist David Martinez had a fateful encounter in Night City which led him a slippery slope journey to become the Legend Edgerunners. While Lucy talent lies in her hacking capability, she is still skilled enough to defend herself with Monowire for element of Surprise. Given how her story end up in the first season, Lucy might have a good shot at making reappearance in Edgerunners sequel likely as supporting character but lets look forward to the earliest trailer of this sequel in near future.

Buddy Complex

 Another Mecha anime backlog that I finished recently and turns out it is another Sunrise anime. Buddy Complex is one of those Mecha anime that had overall interesting Props and settings but end up getting mediocre education and the vibe kinda reminds me of Aldnoah Zero for some reason. 

Buddy Complex is your usual Evil Empire vs Federation mecha trope that use Time Travel and Twin Mechs as the centrepiece of its theme. Basically the main protagonist is a High School kid who somehow ended up thrown into 70 years ahead of his original timeline after a fateful encounter with mysterious girl and found himself piloting a Mecha against evil empire. The protagonist somehow possess unusual affinity with an experimental technology that requires high synchronization between two pilots which unleash high capability of particular prototype mecha,

Overall the animation is top quality as expected by Sunrise but story wise, it is rather mediocre due to strict deadline imposed on the production. It is rather difficult to have a decent mecha series with 13+2 episodes and Buddy Complex apparently didn't have the luxury of choice.  Personally I quite like Buddy Complex mecha whether it is the protagonist mech Luxon & Bradyon or the enemy mechs. It is just that the story format of Buddy complex does not allow the series to tap its full potential. I quite like the main villain archetype being a vengeful individual who turned insane and hellbent on quest of vengeance upon the protagonist due to being rejected by the main heroine and a good mecha anime could really make use of this trope. I might get SRW X to see the worth of Buddy Complex and wouldn't mind if the series somehow got merchandise in the future.

Joytoy Warhammer 40k Arjac Rockfist Review

 
 Trying to catch up the gap for my Joytoy 40k series reviews for single items and I try with Arjac Rockfist from Space Wolves this time! I have been playing Warhammer Tacticus for 2 years now and my experience do affect my purchase decisions in Joytoy 40k, including Arjac Rockfist. In 40k lore Arjac Rockfist is one of the elite Wolf Guard retinue of Logan Grimnar who also has particular affinity in Smithing. 

In Warhammer Tacticus, Arjac is one of the tankier Hero unit belonging to Imperium faction having Terminator Armor trait and Passive in debuffing enemy that attacked him. Arjac is not exactly Meta material since Snowprint didnt bother to update his kit, performing poorly in Raid and PVP. But he has served me well in Onslaught by tarpitting pesky poorly optimized Tyranid creeps, dispatching them reliably by fighting with Papa Smurf side by side. Therefore he gets the honor of being the candidate for early 40k Joytoy review in this blog. 

Joytoy's rendition of Arjac Rockfist had great sculpt as expected as you got yourself a Terminator Space Marine unit but the playability still needs improvements. For instance the Cable parts for Arjac Shield totally melded into the backpack which made it non removable unless the collector want to break their copy in irreversible manner. Interestingly Joytoy's Arjac Foehammer length are longer compared to Tacticus rendition as they physical rendition makes it effectively 2-Handed weapon which does have its share of cool factor. Regardless of some flaws, Joytoy Arjac is a good addition for any 40k Fans wish to collect Space Wolves and actually fared better compared to Ragnar who suffer from early Joytoy 40k proportion issues.