{"id":12798,"date":"2011-06-07T03:13:18","date_gmt":"2011-06-07T08:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12798"},"modified":"2011-06-07T03:13:18","modified_gmt":"2011-06-07T08:13:18","slug":"vault-review-s-h-figuarts-kamen-rider-skull-crystal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12798","title":{"rendered":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts
Kamen Rider Skull Crystal"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Well, I did it again.\u00a0 I\u2019ve purchased another figure that I know nothing about.\u00a0 So my review today is going to be another one of those odd ones where I showcase just how little I know about the character of my newest toy.\u00a0 But who needs back-story when you\u2019ve got a figure that looks as awesome as Kamen Rider Skull!<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t really caught on to the Kamen Rider craze yet.\u00a0 I\u2019m more of a Power Rangers man.\u00a0 But what has been tempting me is the S.H. Figuarts toy line.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been admiring the articulation and detail of the line from afar, knowing that one day I\u2019d be taking the plunge into buying my first.\u00a0 After all, they\u2019ll be releasing figures of Kaizoku Sentai Goukaiger soon.\u00a0 (Pirate Power Rangers from space that can use the powers all the previous Sentai groups.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t get more awesome than that!)\u00a0 But what I didn\u2019t expect was to find a Kamen Rider so awesome that I had to own him just based on his looks.<\/p>\n

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The man behind the mask is Sokichi Narumi, <\/strong>a hardboiled detective in the fictional city of Futo.\u00a0 Using the powers of the Skeleton Memory combined with the Lost Driver, he is able to transform into Kamen Rider Skull to defend the city.\u00a0 Not only is he one of the more powerful Riders, but he also has the unique distinction of incorporating the white scarf and fedora he wears in his civilian identity into his Rider costume.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The original Figuarts Skull figure was released as an exclusive to coincide with his debut on the show.\u00a0 Due to his unique look he became highly sought after by Kamen Rider fans and non-fans alike.\u00a0 This pushed the original figure\u2019s prices up quite high on the secondary market.\u00a0 Recently Tamashii has released a second Skull figure, Skull Crystal.\u00a0 This figure was also an exclusive, but it allowed many who missed out on the first figure to finally purchase one.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I was really happy when I saw the news of this second release.\u00a0 As one of those non-fans who loved the characters design, I wasn\u2019t willing to pay those crazy high secondary market prices.\u00a0 Plus, I actually consider this figure to be superior.\u00a0 Not only did they make a few tweaks to the toy\u2019s design, but he also includes a second head of his Skull Crystal look.<\/p>\n

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The first thing I usually talk about in my reviews is the look of a toy.\u00a0 But you\u2019ve probably guess by now that I think Skull\u2019s look is fantastically awesome.\u00a0 Like many Riders, he wears armor that covers his entire body.\u00a0 What really sells this design for me is the skeleton theme though.\u00a0 His helmet is clearly a skull, but they were also able to blend that look seamlessly with the insect motif that the Riders are generally designed on. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

His scarf and hat also take his look farther.\u00a0 Not only do these allow him to stand out from the many Rider designs over the years, but it also gives his character a sense of personality.\u00a0 Like Batman, his suit design is meant to intimidate evil doers, but the hat and scarf add a sense of cockiness that makes you think the bad guys are really screwed now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like I said, this version of Skull comes with two different heads.\u00a0 The first is his original metallic silver with the jagged \u201cS\u201d cut down the middle of the forehead.\u00a0 The new head is his \u201cincomplete\u201d Crystal version.\u00a0 This head has a translucent outer plastic skull that surrounds an inner metallic core.\u00a0 This effect is really striking with the right lighting.<\/p>\n

Both heads also have a fantastic compound eye pattern that you\u2019d see in a real life insect.\u00a0 The outer plastic on the eyes are a bit dark, but if you shine a light into the eyes you\u2019ll see a metallic honeycomb pattern back there.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Skull\u2019s paint job is incredibly simple yet effective.\u00a0 His body has been molded in a matte black and highlighted in certain parts with metallic silver.\u00a0 The only real color on his body is the metallic red used on his Driver belt.\u00a0 His fedoras have a black band around them, which wasn\u2019t painted perfectly straight.\u00a0 But it\u2019s not too noticeable.<\/p>\n

One problem that the first Skull figure had was that in high heat and humidity his hat would begin to bond to the silver paint of his mask.\u00a0 This second Skull actually comes with two plastic lids that fit inside the hats, keeping them from touching the helmets.\u00a0 These work, but they take the traction away entirely.\u00a0 So they can be a bit temperamental when it comes to balancing.<\/p>\n

This may be another boon for the second Crystal head.\u00a0 Since all the paint is underneath the clear plastic I don\u2019t think the hat has anything to bond with.\u00a0 Only time will tell, but I haven\u2019t had a problem with it yet.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I always thought S.H. Figuarts looked like they had good articulation, but I never realized just how truly amazing it is.\u00a0 His head and wrists are on swivel\/hinge Revoltech type joints.\u00a0 His neck and waist are ball joints.\u00a0 His upper torso and biceps are swivels.\u00a0 His toes are hinges while his knees and elbows are double hinges.\u00a0 His shoulders and hips are ball joints attached to swivel hinges.\u00a0 Last, but certainly not least, his ankles are swivels attached to hinges attached to rocker joints.<\/p>\n

This figure can basically take any pose you want.\u00a0 Plus, with the added help of metal die cast feet, he can balance incredibly well on just one leg.\u00a0 This is the future of toy articulation and the US companies need to start getting on board.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Aside from his two heads, Skull also comes with five sets of hands: fists, open hands, open hands with his index finger up (to hold his hat), gesturing hands (for when he says \u201ccount up your sins\u201d, and gun holding hands.<\/p>\n

He also comes with a few accessories.\u00a0 His Driver Belt, which can be removed.\u00a0 There\u2019s also his Skull Magnum gun, two scarves (one normal and one windblown), and two fedoras (one normal and one with a cut in the brim).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This figure is going to be one of my favorites for a very long time.\u00a0 Not only does he look amazing, but he\u2019s also got great articulation and a ton of accessories.\u00a0 This figure, like the first, was still an exclusive in Japan.\u00a0 So if you\u2019re after him, expect to pay at least $50 on the cheap end.\u00a0 If he\u2019s worth that much is up for you to decide, but I certainly don\u2019t regret my purchase.<\/p>\n

-Vault<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, I did it again.\u00a0 I\u2019ve purchased another figure that I know nothing about.\u00a0 So my review today is going to be another one of those odd ones where I showcase just how little I know about the character of my newest toy.\u00a0 But who needs back-story when you\u2019ve got a figure that looks as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[34,10],"tags":[1029,899,1027,1028,1030],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/skulTN1.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-3kq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15758,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=15758","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":0},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts\u2019 Kamen Rider 2","date":"December 6, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I preordered Masked Rider months ago as an impulse buy. Unfortunately for me (but mostly for my wallet), I didn\u2019t realize just how many of my preorders were going to be filled in the last month of the year! December\u2019s already been an expensive month, and we\u2019re only six days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/mari9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18385,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=18385","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":1},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts’ Kamen Rider Skyrider","date":"April 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"With my glut of Transformers reviews over, I\u2019m going back to take a look at a few imports that I passed over.\u00a0 Today\u2019s figure was an impulse buy.\u00a0 I was itching to spend some money, so I took a chance on a couple of figures. I\u2019ve mentioned this in previous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/skyr9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24348,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=24348","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":2},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatmen","date":"August 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Toys"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/gallery\/shockersoldier\/DSC01716.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23450,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23450","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":3},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider, Riderman","date":"May 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"If there\u2019s one line I collect for no discernable reason, it\u2019s definitely SH Figuarts Kamen Riders. \u00a0I\u2019ve never seen any of the series and know next to nothing about the characters, but for some reason I really love the Showa Era designs, especially with the amazing articulation of a Figuarts.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/rdrm7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25117,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=25117","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":4},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider V3","date":"October 4, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/DSC02820.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24781,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=24781","url_meta":{"origin":12798,"position":5},"title":"Vault Review: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Amazon","date":"September 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC00675.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12798"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12816,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798\/revisions\/12816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}