ARCHIVE: Kaiyodo's Revoltech GIANT ROBO

Article originally published 03/19/2007 at cooljapanesetoys.com

Last year, Kaiyodo introduced a new concept in action figure articulation. The Revoltech system is an innovative revolving joint design that allows for an entirely new level of movement and posability. Thanks to the folks at Organic Hobby, who is handling distribution of the line stateside, anime and manga fans in the US will be able to get their hands on these amazing figures.

Giant Robo is the latest in this line of super-posable 6” figures. Giant Robo is based on the popular 1990’s Japanese OVA series of the same name (and its American counterpart, "Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot"). With his inclusion into the Revoltech series, Giant Robo and Johnny Sokko fans can now enjoy a highly-articulated version of their favorite robot pharaoh.

PACKAGING: As do all figures in the Revoltech line, Giant Robo comes in a nifty window box. The front of the box lists the figure’s name, series number and leaves enough room to clearly display Robo in a standing pose. Keep in mind that this is a Japanese import figure, so much of the writing on the packaging is not in English. Regardless, there are enough graphical elements on all sides of the box, including a diagram detailing the Revoltech joint technology. So it isn’t too hard to figure out what is being said. Another nice feature of the Revoltech packaging is that the plastic tray holding the figure slides in and out easily and can be re-used to safely display Giant Robo.

SCULPT AND CHARACTER LIKENESS: I admittedly didn’t know too much about the Giant Robo character before receiving this figure from our friends at Organic Hobby. After doing a bit of Internet research, I found that throughout the character’s 40-year existence, he has gone through a number of style changes. From the 1967 Johnny Sokko live-action ‘man in suit’ to the present-day streamlined manga OVA, the Giant Robo design has certainly changed with the times.

The Revoltech Giant Robo is based on the character from the animated series Giant Robo: The Animation. Sculpted by Katsuhisa Yamaguchi, this figure is an amazing representation of the original character.

Attention has been paid to even the minutest of details. Despite his array of cannons and armor, none of Robo’s sculpted features detract from the sleekness of the figure. As a robot, one would think that Giant Robo would look bulky and cumbersome. Yamaguchi takes this concept of a huge yet dynamic fighting machine and translates it into a streamlined 6” figure.

PAINT AND COLOR: Staying true to even the original Johnny Sokko Robo, this figure sports a simple blue and maroon paint job. The paint is crisp, including even the tiny details of Robo’s eyes and Egyptian headpiece. One of my favorite features on the figure is the faint burn discoloration on the bottoms of Robo’s jetpack.

ARTICULATION: This is really the selling point of all Revoltech figures. Kaiyodo designed the revolving joint to allow their figures to pose both naturally and in dynamic fighting stances. Other toy companies herald their ability to include a high number of articulation in their figures, but it almost always come at the cost of style or design. Revoltech joints become a part of the figure, disappearing behind armor and clothing. With this level of ‘invisible’ articulation, could you even imagine a Revoltech Marvel Legends figure?

Giant Robo features fourteen of these amazing joints, as well as two articulated wrists. With a grand total of sixteen points of articulation, there really is no limit to the number of poses Giant Robo can take on. Another nice feature is that even with his jetpack (which is also articulated), Robo is a well-balanced figure. I was able to pose him a number of standing, kneeling and fighting stances without having to worry about him toppling off a shelf.

ACCESSORIES: The only real accessories included with Giant Robo are an additional set of hands. The two sets (open and closed fist) snap on and off for easy customization. Robo’s jetpack includes a small centerpiece that can be removed for more advanced articulation of the rockets. One of the figure’s ‘hidden’ features (which I actually discovered by accident) is a removable cannon array on each shoulder. The red panel on each should pops out to reveal cannons that can be reinserted to make Robo battle-ready.

VALUE AND OVERALL IMPRESSION: Simply put, Giant Robo is an amazing addition to an already widely-successful line of figures. This is my first Revoltech figure but I’ll definitely be ordering more. At an average price of $20 - $22, they are a bit more expensive than you’re average Marvel Legends figure. However, the durability and pure awesomeness of the Revoltech joint more than makes up for the few extra bucks spent.

Organic Hobby, Inc. is distributing Kaiyodo’s Revoltech line within the US. Mucho thanks for providing us with access to these amazing figures!