Category: Bandai

When in Japan, you walk. A LOT. My feet hurt every day I was there. That is probably why people seem much thinner in Asia, everyone walks.  I was only there for 5 days, so you kinda try to make the most of it. Lab was another electronics store within walking distance of the hotel. It had about the same stuff. But near the elevator was a wall of gashapon. Some of it was kind of hentai – ish. I did not know that was a thing. Anyway literally walls of gachapon machines. Dave was buying a certain line his sister liked. According to my cousin, this was a small collection of machines. I can’t imagine a large wall of machines. Lab Electronics is a good place to buy the latest greatest robot toys. They have the most popular hits but you will not find any obscure toys here.

A wall of gashapon machines at Lab

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger DX Cube 10 Zyuoh Dodekaioh at Lab Electronics Japan 2016

The Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger DX Cube robots are an interesting bunch. Blocks 123 and 456 create their own robots on the right. Blocks 1 through 10 make the larger robot on the left.

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger DX Cube 10 Zyuoh Dodekaioh Japan Gattai

Ranma, Lupin, Arcadia SOC Soul of Chogokin Daitarn 3

I was planning to buy a few Soul of Chogokin Tryder and Daitarn from Lab Electronics, but I ended up finding some really nice older pieces at Mandarake. Which is really what I wanted to do.

Autobots Transformers MP-31 Masterpiece Delta Magnus Combiner Computron UW-08 2016

The Combiner Computron was an interesting piece because the packaging looks just like the US packaging with Japanese characters. Shinkalion was in all the stores and it appears to be a very popular line of toys right now.

Shinkalion E5 Hayabusa & Komachi E7 Kagayaki E3 Tsubasa 05 Takara Tomy Plarail robots at Lab Electronics

Shinkalion Takara Tomy 2016 Bullet Train Plarail

The Robot Spirits Tamashii Nations Bandai Arcadia Super Robots at Lab Electronics 2016

Robot Spirits Tamashii Nations Heavy Metal Auge Vifam Aura Battler Lab Electronics 2016

I was a little surprised to see the Aura Battler Dunbine figure. I didn’t think the series was very popular. At least not enough so that they would release new versions.

So I guess there was a decent amount of stuff if I have to make another post for Bic Camera. If I had to guess I think Bandai wanted to get into the  building block business. So they came up with the Doubutsu Gattai ZyuohKing show to cash in on the cult that is Lego or maybe to give the robots a Minecraft look. They are kind of cool. Big, heavy, blocky, robots. It is an interesting idea at the very least. I would not buy any, but they did catch my eye every time I popped into a toy section of any department store in Japan. The DX Cube 123 King Zyuoh & 456 Dodekaioh were in a display where you could play with them hands on at another department store name Lab.

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger DX Cube 123 King Zyuoh & 456 Dodekaioh by Bandai Japan

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger DX Cube 123 King Zyuoh Bandai Ultraman figure Japan Gattai 2016

Is Ultraman still a thing? Just checked now, I guess that show is still going. I did not know it was an ongoing show. Just like the Super Sentai (Power Rangers in the US).

Getter Dragon, Getter 1, & Z Mazinger Dynamite Action, Destroid Monster Macross at Bic Camera

The Dynamite Action Getter Dragon figure looked pretty good. It looks like it popped right out of the cartoon. Based on what I see, I prefer it to the Soul of Chogokin version. They also have a Tetsujin 28 figure that looks pretty good. Their line of robots are totally up my alley but they seem a little pricy. I guess I will have to see how big they are.

Kaiju, Mecha Godzilla, Ultraman and more figures!

Did I ever mention I was a Godzilla fan?

Tomica Cars

The cars by Tomy are cool just because of the packaging for me. Japanese packaging has always been something I have loved about the toys. You can take them out, put them away and practically keep them brand new. In US packaging you have to destroy the packaging to take the toy out, think Matchbox cars for example.

Tomica Cars

The Robot Spirits Tamashii Nations Bandai Unicorn Gundam, Zaku & Sniper

More robots under the girls anime display, which I assume is more for guys than for girls. The Robot Spirits line by Tamashii Nations has a good selection of Gundam mobile suits and 80’s robots in the line. It seems to me to be the line that replaced the MS in Action!! line.

More Robot Spirits Gundam, Iron Man, Star Wars, Dragonballz figures

I picked up this Mobile Suit in Action!! figure at Mandarake with the Gaza C figures. This is the Hambrabi RX-139 MSIA 4.5″ from Bandai in 2005. I am not terribly fond of this figure design wise, but it rounds out my collection. The body and color is pretty cool but the head needs a redesign. I am actually surprised this is an Earth Federation Forces mobile suit instead an Axis Zeon suit. Most of the cool suits and variation come from the Zeon suits. It give some much needed reinforcements if I ever put up an Earth vs Zeon display.

The RX-139 Hambrabi is a transformable mobile suit featured in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime tv series. That is the second Gundam tv series.

Hambrabi RX-139 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2005 MSIA

Hambrabi RX-139 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2005

Here are a couple Gaza C AMX-003 MSIA 4.5″ figures from Bandai that came out in 2006. I picked up a magenta one for $8 and gray one for $5 at Mandarake. I had been seeing these at $15. I have a lot of these figures and I love the enemy armors as the variety and design are more appealing. At $15 I really could not justify the purchase and hauling these home, but at $8 each I picked up 3 I did not already have.

The AMX-003 Gaza C figures are from the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (機動戦士Ζゼータガンダム Kidō Senshi Zēta Gandamu) 1985 anime tv series.

Gaza C AMX-003 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2006

The Mobile Suit in Action!! series is one of my favorite toy lines and one of the most extensive parts of my collection. The paint application, range of motion and articulation, attention to detail and all the accessories are why I love these.  The Gaza C really is very faithful to the anime version and is a really nice looking robot.

Gaza C AMX-003 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2006 MSIA

Gaza C AMX-003 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2006 MSIA ガザC改

Gaza C AMX-003 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2006 MSIA

Gaza C AMX-003 Mobile Suit in Action!! 4.5″ Bandai 2006 MSIA ガザC改

Toys R’ Us is running a few exclusives. I have seen several Power Rangers black and gold versions which look pretty nice. While I am not a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fan, the Black Edition Legacy Megazord looks way better than the original. This TRU Exclusive I found at the local Toys R Us . The Power Rangers Limited Black Edition Legacy Dragonzord by Bandai. I do not really like this piece but it is kinda cool that you can combine the Megazord with the Dragonzord to make the Dino Megazord.  I saw the Megazord a few months ago, and it is a nice looking black and gold robot. So if you are a fan, I recommend picking up these pieces.

Power Rangers Limited Black Edition Legacy Dragonzord 2016 Toys R Us by Bandai

Power Rangers Limited Black Edition Legacy Dragonzord 2016 Toys R Us Exclusive by Bandai

The MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo is one of my favorite Machine Robos. It is one of the most simple designs, simple transformations, the straight lines, with a red and silver color scheme and make a simple looking robot. There really is nothing special about this robot. But who doesn’t like a fire engine? I wanted to be a fireman when I was younger and I have always loved fire trucks since I was a kid. So this particular robot has a special place in my heart.  This is a cool little robot in a line of cool robots from Popy. The only criticism I have is the gun seems like such an afterthought. In the robots hand or even on the ladders seems a bit lame. It is just too small. Using the ladder as a weapon/gun seems just as bad as well based on what I see on the Tonka packaging.

It’s too bad the Gobots cartoon was so bad. I have never been able to force myself to watch a whole episode. I wouldn’t mind a reintroduction of the Gobots in a modernized revamp(like they did with other 80’s franchises like V and Battlestar Galactica(maybe they can make a Gobots movie since Transformers has made so much money!)). Since Hasbro owns the rights when they picked up Tonka, it would be awesome if they brought them back in a stand alone series instead of part of the Transformers. So Fire Robo did some time as Pumper in  Challenge of the Gobots back in 1983-1987.

More Machine Robos to come. They keep on coming. This is number 4? It’s because I have 25-30 of these robots. Sorry you are going to see more posts about these for a while. I found the box I stored them in so I will keep pumping out posts about these till I get bored or I am all done.

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-10 Fire Robo (ファイヤーロボ) 1982 Popy Bandai robot front Machine Men from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos(Chronos no Gyakushuu マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 aka Pumper

MR-10 Fire Robo 1982 Popy aka Pumper

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo aka Pumper 1982 Popy Bandai Fire Engine/Fire Truck Vehicle Form

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo aka Pumper 1982 Popy Bandai

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo Pumper 1982 Popy/Bandai

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-10 Fire Robo (ファイヤーロボ) 1982 Popy Bandai from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos(Chronos no Gyakushuu マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 aka Pumper

Here is my Soul of Chogokin Getter Liger. This one is not one of my favorite robots from this anime series. I have never been a big fan of its design or the color scheme. It was never a must have robot, but since it was cheap I just bought it to complete my set of Getter Robo G/Starvengers. The robot makes me think of the Greek god Hermes with a jesters hat.

Getter Liger GX-19 Bandai Soul of Chogokin 2003 from anime Getta Robo G(ゲッターロボG ) 1975-1976 Starvengers

The back of SOC Getter Liger. I never saw this one in Japan. I purchased this on Ebay 80 dollars