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Hiya Basic Exquisite King Ghidorah 91


Several years ago, the company Hiya started putting out Godzilla figures from the Monsterverse films. After gaining fans with quality releases, as well as putting out new versions with updated engineering and problem fixes, this company seemed to have won over most of the Godzilla figure collecting community. I'm not a huge fan of the Monsterverse, so I skipped all those releases. Once I saw that they were going to start releasing some of the Toho kaiju, I bit the bullet and pre-ordered a few from Kowkis. Having been delivered this week, King Ghidorah 91 is my first official Hiya figure. Now I get to see firsthand what all the fuss is about.











Based on Godzilla's most famous foe, Hiya did a phenomenal job with their sculpt of King Ghidorah from the 1991 film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. The individual scales throughout his body, the many detailed lines and creases on the faces, the meticulously sculpted teeth and horns, and surprisingly detailed and painted small eyes are all stunning. The figure is bigger than the standard SHMA releases, so that size probably helps with better paint applications. Another thing that you notice, besides his larger size, is that he's quite hefty. This one will need to be displayed on a large shelf with a solid foundation. He's painted in a stunning, shiny gold, standing out significantly in the light. Everything on the figure is done so well that it looks like it practically walked off the screen. He doesn't come with any accessories (I'm assuming a gravity beam version will come later), but he's also not overpriced like some of those SHMA releases. You seriously cannot do better than this.













For his articulation, all three necks and two tails are on multiple ball joints, allowing for great range in all directions. The tails seem to be a bit heavy and can droop at times; you'll have to employ a little finess to get them to hold a pose. The hinged mouths open very wide, with each having a hinged tongue inside as well. When closing the jaw, the tongue will stay against the top of the inside of the mouth, so you'll have to reach in and move it down. The waist, thighs, knees and ankles are on ball joints, with those thighs having a good range so he can kick forward and stand with legs spread out. And finally, the large wings. They are on hinges, and are a softer plastic with bendy wire in them, which allows you to fold them in and out. The tend to be heavy, so you may want to use a stand to support them if you pose them facing up (that was recommended on a YouTube review). The only concern I have is whether the hinges will loosen over time due to their heavy weight, and how long the bendy wires will stay in place. So far, I've been able to fold them with no issues of breakages and popping through the plastic. I was able to get him into a variety of cool poses, including flying, closed wings, one legged kicks, and balancing entirely on the tails. That makes for some fun photo ideas. Everything moves smoothly, and nothing pops off, save for the right head, which I over extended at one point. But it easily went back on the ball joint and stayed in place.








I can confidently say that now that I have my first Hiya figure, they've absolutely won me over. The paint and sculpt is impressive, and the articulation is solid. I am now looking very forward to the rest of my preorders, including Godzilla 2000, and the 91 suit which has been delayed by Kowkis until July, because Hiya listened to the customer feedback about the how the eyes were painted (pupils larger than promo photos), so they will be redoing the head with re-painted eyes. Kowkis decided that instead of shipping the figure now, and a separate shipment when the new heads come in, they'll just wait to ship everything at once. Many who pre-ordered it will be getting 2 heads, both big eyes one and newly painted version. I'm cool with waiting until July. The reviews of that G91 have me excited, as it is one of the most articulated Godzilla figures on the market. I honestly can't wait to finally have him in hand, so he can finally have his showdown with this magnificent, three headed titan of terror.







 

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