My Selections For Not So Great Figures of 2018

Here is my list of 2018 Figures that I got that should've been better than they actually were.....

 



S.H. Figuarts Antlar. Sculpt and paint are great, articulation is pretty good, but the issue that put this guy on the list is that it’s a web exclusive, meaning that you’ll pay a lot. Considering the only accessory you get is a plastic dirt mound, that price is too steep. That’s a shame, because I’m sure many fans would love to have this figure, but not everyone can afford it. They should’ve made it a regular release so it would be more reasonably priced, or added a ton of accessories to justify the web exclusive cost. If you were able to get it as a pre-order then you were probably lucky, because the price will only skyrocket in the aftermarket. If you don’t believe me, look on Amazon or Ebay and good look trying to find this guy for under $100.

 

Evolution Toy Jumborg 9. I should’ve known better, but considering how much I really liked their Fireman, I assumed this one would continue to have improved engineering. Well, Fireman must’ve been a fluke, because this guy is more like a cheap bootleg knock-off. The articulation on the waist and torso is wonky as hell, and there’s a big gap in his back due to this. The arms and legs aren’t too bad, though the silver side is much more loose than the red side. The listings I saw said it supposedly came with the Jumborg car but it doesn’t, and instead you get an extra belt that’s kind of meh and 2 chest pieces to allow more forward movement in the arm. This figure is way overpriced for the quality you get. I’m hoping Spectreman and Mirrorman are better assembled.

S.H. Figuarts Alien Guts. This is one of the more famous of the Ultraseven aliens, but this figure landed with a thud. The sculpt and paint are spot on, but the articulation is where this figure sinks. The elbows and knees are not double jointed so they can only bend so far, the torso can move a bit, but due to the oversized head and it’s design, it can’t really move and makes standing this figure a challenge as the weight causes issues with balancing it on it’s own 2 feet. For an alien that posed such a threat, the only threat the figure poses is falling over easily.

S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Geed Royal Mega Master. A good figure that was ruined by the plastic cape. They really should have gone with a cloth cape, as the heavy plastic weighs it down, making it a challenge to stand independently, though the cape can be used as as a balancing tool in certain positions. Also, the way it’s designed, the pegs can easily pop out when you move it. It’s just a big clunky mess that gets in the way of his articulation. The odd part is that I own Dasin’s Saitama figure that also sports a plastic cape, but that one is designed so well and does not interfere with the figures’ movement that I almost feel embarrassed for Tamashii Nations that a knock off company bested them in plastic cape design.

S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Zero Beyond. A great looking figure that gets dragged down by the sub-standard articulation. The elbows and thighs don’t have much range, and when you consider how fantastic Ultraman X’s turned out, you know that they could’ve done better. Also, that color time falls out so easily, the design makes no sense as the pegs really don’t match with the holes you plug it into, so unless you glue it or use some sticky tack, it will fall out often and due to it’s tiny size, will most likely get lost and you may not even realize it’s missing until much later.

And here are figures that I was interested in getting but ultimately passed on.....

S.H. Monsterarts Mechagodzilla 74. This was one I was really interested in getting as I love Showa MG, but knowing Monsterarts’ track record, I waited until the reviews came out before purchasing it, and I’m glad I did, because it was a big letdown that I happily passed on. Practically every single review I saw complained about those loose arm pieces that were such a QC nightmare, getting stuck in the arm and stopping the articulation dead in it’s tracks. When you have to resort to pulling the arms off to get everything back into place then you know you’ve committed a major engineering screw up. Also the paint is so shiny and thick, it actually looked like a cheap knock-off and not the high end release that Monsterarts is supposed to be. When the standard Bandai figure sports better paint quality you know that Tamashii phoned it in with this guy. I’m hoping they re-release it or do MG75 and that they fix the issues that plagued this release.

S.H. Figuarts Infinity War Captain America. Thank God for YouTube reviews that tell you everything you wanna know about a figure. This guy turned out to be a bare bones release, with an awful face sculpt that made it look like a bad wax museum figure. The fact that it did NOT come with a shield was the nail in the coffin for me buying it. Instead it comes with a spear (???). That’s like Thor without a hammer. Several reviews did show that this guy has some good articulation, but that’s not enough for me, when I know full well that Figuarts will release another one in the future to coincide with the next movie that will most likely be better.

 

 

S.H. Figuarts Infinity War Bucky. When I first saw the promo pics I said HELL NO. The face looked like a damn caveman. When it was finally released I saw that the face was a bit improved (just a bit) but it was still another bare bones release. Several reviewers noted the limited articulation in the elbow and knees. I passed and considering that the Winter Soldier Bucky that will be released next year looks much better, I’ll gladly wait on that one.

 

Evolution Toy Jumborg Ace. Something about the face on this made me hold off on getting it. It just looked off to me. I’m glad I held off. When the reviews came out, the brutal reality could not be denied. This figure was bad. The legs were looser than cooked spaghetti, and a few had issues with the arms popping off easily at the joint.

 

And finally, the figure that I think was simply awful!

 

 

Bandai Planet Eater King Ghidorah. I’m sorry, but this is the ugliest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. When the pics first started to pop up on my Instagram feed, it wasn’t until about the 6^th time that I realized it was King Ghidorah and not a plant or banana. I haven’t seen the anime, but based on the trailers, Ghidorah looks much more expressive than this stiff clunk of yellow shit. Seriously Bandai, WTF???

 

 

Hope you all had a good year of collecting. Looking forward to what 2019 has in store.