My Rodan and Mothra set finally arrived after being delayed for a few weeks. After spending a few days going over them, I've had time to really assess them. They're both decent, but there are some issues. Let's dig in!
As far as sculpt, Rodan fairs better than Mothra. Everything from the wings, face, torso and legs on Rodan are well done and nicely capture his condor-like look from the film. The face, legs and body of Mothra is sculpted in a very simple, dull manner, lacking any real detail or pattern. Part of it I think is that her body is so small it doesn't leave much room for details. Another thing that was pointed out to me by someone on social media is that Monsterarts may have based their Mothra on early concept artwork as opposed to her actual look in the film. The result is a smooth, crude design that, upon close inspection, resembles a Play-Do sculpture. If this was the case, Tamashii Nations really should've waited until they saw what Mothra really looked like to better capture her look. They could've also made the body a little bigger. While I don't own the NECA version, the photos and reviews I've seen show that their figure is more detailed. The price Monsterarts charges for this figure, they could've and should've done better. It's not impossible, as the Bandai high grade Mothra 2019 looks great and blows both NECA's and Monsterarts' versions out of the water.
The pattern and paint on Mothra's wings is, however, very nice. In that sense they did a great job. Both pairs of wings are on ball joints, and while the range is decent, they can't move too far up or down. NECA's version has them on a hinge, and while they have more range, many have reported that the hinges can become loose, making them unable to hold certain poses. Monsterarts has more articulation points, with all six legs on ball joints, as well as abdominal articulation, which NECA lacks. Both figures have their pros and cons, so it's really up to the buyer to decide what they're willing to settle for.
Rodan, on the other hand, has more, slightly better articulation than the NECA version. The wings are on a hinge that can move up a bit, down pretty far, and can hinge all the way around, for some very expressive poses. The joints on mine were a bit stiff, but applying some heat and a little shock oil helped to loosen them up significantly. For the price I paid, I sure as hell didn't want to risk breaking anything. The wings lack the extra hinge that the NECA has in the middle, though that extra hinge can get loose. The torso, legs and tail are also articulated, and those joints are pretty good, allowing for more posing options. And finally, the head, neck and mouth are moveable, though this is where Rodan's issues reveal themselves. The head is on a ball joint, with some loose pieces to make up the neck, but when moving it, the head pops off quite easily, which becomes annoying very fast. I've figured out that I need to keep one finger pressed down on the head and another finger pressed on the neck to keep it intact when posing it. He can look forward and down, but not too far down without coming off. And the mouth hinge has very little range. It doesn't open too wide and is loose enough that a simple shake will cause it to drop open. When NECA released their figure with 2 separate open and closed mouth heads, I initially scoffed at that. Now I realize that was a smart idea on their part.
Rodan's paint is a simple brownish red, with nicely painted eyes and some black highlights on the beak, head horns, claws and toes. It's missing the brighter lava highlights on the edges of his wings that the NECA version did quite nicely. While that doesn't bother me too much, I understand collectors who complain about that, and for the price, Monsterarts really should have added more paint details to the wings.
Both figures come with simple Tamashii stands. Rodan's has an extra piece to put the figure in a flying position, but I have to warn you that this small piece is quite flimsy and can cause the figure to easily loose balance and fall. The NECA stand, while having a great base of the mountain with explosion, suffers from the same, flimsy support piece. I prefer the claw piece that can wrap around his body more securely. Mothra's stand has a small piece that grips quite well to her torso, so she can be put up with confidence.
My final verdict? While both are decent, they each have their issues and setbacks that, when all points are taken into account, you're probably better off settling for the NECA versions. Those figures aren't perfect either, but two $20 figures with imperfections is easier to swallow than a pair of hundred dollar ones. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
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