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S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Type A and Pandon/Reconstructed Pandon


 
Today was a double box day. From Amazon I got Ultraman Type A and from Bandai Online I got Pandon. I had pre-ordered Pandon several months ago, but had never gotten around to getting the original Ultraman. I recall seeing YouTube reviews of the 50th Anniversary Set (with buildings and Baltan UFO) and Ultraman Type C, as they call it, and many complained about the very loose joints on the legs, in some cases being so loose that they figures had issues standing up. So I hesitated to get those. Then when Type A came out, I saw many reviewers noting the improved joint issue, so I got this one.

 
 
Ultraman Type A is based on the suit and mask he wore in the initial 13 episodes. The mouth in particular has more wrinkles and not the more streamlined edges that we saw in the later suit and other Ultras. There was always something slightly creepy about the Type A face (at least to me), but I actually preferred the way that one turned out than the other faces.



I’m happy to say that this figure has strong joints, no spaghetti legs. The right arm is slightly more lose than the left, but it’s not too much of an issue. Ultraman Type A is a great figure that accurately capture his early look from those first episodes.



The figure doesn’t come with much accessories, only a hand with specium ray effect, red color timer, and several inter-changeable hands. There’s no shredding halo with this release. It would’ve been nice had it come with a small Science Patrol ship, or a small replica of the Science Patrol building, or even that circular ray that he used only once, to kill Keronia. But as it stands, it’s a nice figure, I’m satisfied with it.



As for Pandon, Tamashii Nations went all out. Not only do they include the figure, but they also have a swappable mechanical arm and leg to turn him into Reconstructed Pandon, an alternate hand holding the eye slugger to duplicate that classic moment when he stopped Ultraseven’s attack dead in it’s tracks, and 2 alternate head pieces to duplicate his ultimate decapitation.

 
 
As usual, a fantastic job was done with the sculpt, from the spikey skin tone of his neck (which will poke your fingers as it digs into your skin when you’re trying to pull off the head to swap it), to the smooth torso, the small hands, legs, beaks, and those tiny eyes.
 



As the final kaiju to face against Ultraseven, Pandon was an odd choice as he was quite goofy looking with his double face. I’ve seen photos that showed that they were originally going to give him 2 separate heads, but due to budget constraints, they just slapped both faces on one long neck. As odd as he looks, he’s still a very memorable kaiju and that final 2-part episode is very good, a fast paced story arch with lots of tension, ending that great series on a high note. I’ve always preferred the series finale over the 2-part Guts episode, but that’s just me.

 
These photos show arrows pointing to the articulation points, and most of the articulation is very good for “stiffer” kaiju design. Both mouths open and close nicely, the arms and legs have a good range of motion. You’ll be able to get him into some decent monster poses.


One thing to note is that popping out the arm and leg is quite easy, though popping them back in can be a bit of a challenge, as you’ll have to be careful to align the ball peg with the hole so that it pops in securely. And as I said before, popping off the head requires the rough edges of his neck to dig into your skin, not enough to cut you, but enough that you notice. When it comes to being decapitated, this kaiju bites back, haha!
 
 
In conclusion, I’m extremely happy with both of these figures, they’re both fantastic and a great addition to my growing Figuarts Ultra collection. I’m looking forward to what other kaiju will be released in the future, and I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that they eventually do Keronia (my next favorite kaiju from the 1st Ultraman series next to Dada).

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