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<\/a>I\u2019ve been pretty interested in Bandai\u2019s SH MonsterArts line ever since it was announced earlier this year.\u00a0 Not only would it deliver our first super articulated Godzilla figure, but it would have to keep the same quality we were accustomed to from the Sci-Fi Revoltech line.<\/p>\nI was originally surprised when Kaiyodo began producing the various monsters from the Toho films for its Sci-Fi Revoltech line.\u00a0 But that was the main reason I became such a huge fan of the line.\u00a0 Getting figures like Jack Skellington, Aliens, and Predators was pretty cool in its own right, but they couldn\u2019t hold a candle to all the kaiju.\u00a0 Not only were some of these monsters pulled from the obscure early days of Toho Studios, but they were given a level of detail and articulation that had never been seen before, even on the best kaiju figures.<\/p>\n
It seemed the success of these Revoltech figures cut both ways though.\u00a0 Profits were being made under a license that Bandai owned the universal rights for, and it didn\u2019t take long for them to pull the plug on Kaiyodo.\u00a0 Characters like Mothra in larvae form, or even the more obscure Jet Jaguar could no longer be made, and the Sci-Fi Revoltech line began to focus more on Gamera instead.<\/p>\n A short while later Bandai announced the beginnings of a brand new line, S.H. MonsterArts, which would focus on producing figures of the Toho kaiju.\u00a0 This raised a lot of questions for me.\u00a0 What kind of scale and style would these new figures be in?\u00a0 How much would a line like this cost?\u00a0 And most importantly, would we finally get the super articulated figure that Godzilla deserved?<\/p>\n The sculpt of this Godzilla figure is pretty amazing.\u00a0 His entire body is made up of that rough texture that perfectly mimics the thick rubbery look of the real Godzilla costume.\u00a0 Even the plates on his back are given a smooth texture around their edges, while their centers are rough and craggy like a rock.\u00a0 Aside from his spines, Godzilla\u2019s finger and toenails are the only other parts of his body that are smooth and sharp looking.<\/p>\n Godzilla\u2019s head is equally detailed with that rough skin, but it\u2019s much smaller and looks more like scales on the back of his neck.\u00a0 The inside of his mouth is lined with a double row of teeth on both the top and bottom, while his tongue and top of his mouth are textured with bumps and cracks like a real mouth.\u00a0 Something I found interesting was the expression on Godzilla\u2019s face, and his eyes in particular.\u00a0 His head was sculpted with his classic snarling roar in mind, so his nose and cheeks are a bit scrunched up.\u00a0 This is a bit odd looking from some angles though, because his cheeks have that constant puffed up look.\u00a0 His eyes are also a bit asymmetrical.\u00a0 This gives him a very organic pissed off look, but also seems a bit odd from certain angles.<\/p>\n This Godzilla was sculpted in the style of his modern look.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really know why Bandai chose to go with this version first.\u00a0 They\u2019ve even shown us seven more figures since the original announcement, and all of them are modern incarnations of Toho properties.\u00a0 I don\u2019t usually associate politeness with corporations, and Bandai probably chose the modern look because it\u2019s what people are currently familiar with, but I do find it interesting that they\u2019re not stepping on the toes of what the Revoltech line has already produced.<\/p>\n Another interesting note is that this new SH MonsterArts line seems to be in scale with the Sci-Fi Revoltech kaiju.\u00a0 It\u2019s not exact scale, but it\u2019s close enough for my tastes.\u00a0 Modern Godzilla is so much larger than the older Showa characters, even the bigger ones like Gigan.\u00a0 But it does make me wonder if the Showa and early Heisei characters will also fit in with the Revoltechs.\u00a0 Continue to page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n Godzilla\u2019s paint job is incredibly simple.\u00a0 Almost his entire body has been molded in the black plastic of his skin.\u00a0 His claws have all been painted white, while the spines on his back are colored a light gray with a wash of white and black.\u00a0 I think this actually helps give them that luminous effect.<\/p>\n One thing that some were concerned about was Godzilla\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard claims that some people have gotten eyes that look a bit googly.\u00a0 I don\u2019t doubt this, since the sculpt itself is asymmetrical.\u00a0 I think mine turned out ok, but if you do have a chance to inspect your figure before buying it, make sure to check out his eyes.<\/p>\n When it comes to articulation, I have mixed feelings about this figure.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m pretty sure this is the most articulated Godzilla figure out there.\u00a0 This figure has a ball jointed jaw, upper and lower neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, torso, hips, knees, double knees, and ankles.\u00a0 He\u2019s got swivel cuts on his bicep and just below the elbow.\u00a0 Last, but definitely not least, his tail is also made up of segmented pieces that are connected to each other by eighteen ball joints.<\/p>\n What\u2019s disappointing about all this articulation is that most of it is hampered by the sculpt.\u00a0 Instead of creating a figure that can move like a real Godzilla, Bandai has created a figure that moves like a man in a Godzilla costume.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that big of a deal, because you can still get plenty of Godzilla poses.\u00a0 But I do wish they would have thought about this figure a bit less literal and more like a real creature.\u00a0 This is definitely one area where the Revoltech\u2019s came out superior, but that tail is still amazing.<\/p>\n As a first release bonus, this Godzilla figure was released with a beam of atomic breath that can be positioned coming from his mouth.\u00a0 His jaw isn\u2019t really strong enough to hold the long effect piece though, so there is also a clear arm and a base to prop it up with.\u00a0 I was really impressed with the sculpting on the base itself because it looks like an energy wave effect you\u2019d see in a video game.\u00a0 The beam is pretty nice also, but it does make me think more of a water spray than radiation.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/godz01.jpg?resize=640%2C480\")
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