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S.H. Monster Arts Godzilla 2004 (Final Wars)


The final pre-order from late April was delivered this week, Godzilla 2004. Which is fitting, since he’s from the film Final Wars, the last live action movie that Toho produced before taking a 12-year hiatus, finally ending with 2016's Shin Godzilla . They next went on to do 4 anime films, but the less said about them, the better. 




Like the film he’s from, this Godzilla arrived with his share of controversy; mainly complaints from certain customers about his quality control. The 2004 suit had long been a fan favorite (unlike the movie, which is either loved or hated), and fans had been making their wishes known for Tamashii Nations to finally give us a sculpt of this version. Well they finally did, and his articulation was alleged to be much more expressive than previous releases. And that is where the issues arose. Some collectors gave reports of the figure easily falling apart every time they attempted a pose, while others claimed to have gotten one with tight joints that stayed on. This caused anxiety in those of us who hadn’t yet received their figure, praying that we’d get a good one. When mine was finally delivered this week, I was able to breath a sigh of relief when it didn’t collapse like a poorly constructed house of cards.




So let me begin this review by talking about his impressive articulation. This Godzilla can achieve quite a few surprising poses, such as kneeling on one leg, a full sit, and that famous superhero landing pose. This is due to larger gaps that allow for wider range, and a few extra ball joints in his arms, ankles, and neck. He’s also made of a softer vinyl, so you’re better able to move his upper torso and waist for turns and ab crunches. I had a lot of fun playing with him, as he’s just so expressive.










While the impressive articulation causes him to have more visible gaps, this can be countered by rearranging his limbs, including a floating piece on his neck, to better conceal those gaps. 



His eyes are painted well, although his right temple seems to be thicker. I’m not sure if that was on purpose or not. His lower teeth are painted ok, but his upper row contains a bit too much gum bleed, as if he’s been eating some kind of sticky, purplish candy. His dorsal spines have a slight blue hue that’s subtle but stands out in certain angles. The rest of his body is the classic grey, with bone yellow nails and toes. Overall his sculpt is on point, accurate to the much slimmer suit.









I guess since Tamashii Nations gave us great articulation, they felt no need to include any accessories. While others felt an atomic breath beam or extra hands would have been nice additions, I think a small Gotenko ship would have been a great extra, but nooooo! Another missed opportunity from the Monster Arts line. Imagine that?








Despite being yet another bare bones release, S.H. Monster Arts Godzilla 2004 is a really fun figure that you’ll have a blast messing with, provided you get a good one that doesn’t collapse to pieces like the Tokyo tower in so many films. I lucked out in that department, hopefully you do, too.








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