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S.H. MonsterArts Battra


I was browsing on Mandarake a few weeks ago and came across a listing for the SH. MonsterArts Adult Battra for a decent price. After reading the listing (used, complete in box and never displayed) and seeing the photos, I went ahead a pulled the trigger. The figure arrived earlier this week. Now that I have it in hand, I can say it was worth getting.










Battra is from the 1992 film Godzilla vs. Mothra (aka The Battle for Earth). This giant bug was known as the black Mothra, and was created by the planet Earth after an ancient civilization built a climate control device. Battra destroyed the device and then attempted to destroy the human race, before Mothra rose up to fight the deity, ultimately defeating it and sealing him in the Arctic Ocean. A meteor crashes into the sea and reawakens Battra, who rises once more to attack humanity, and soon enough engages in battle with Mothra, and then Godzilla. Anyway, Bandai did a great job recreating the adult flying version of this beast, from his red patterned black wings, to his spiked head, spiked talons, red compound eyes, and black and red patterned thorax and abdomen. The figure is painted fairly well, with the spikes on his head appearing to be translucent shades of yellow and orange. When held in front of the light, they really pop, as well as the eyes. Being a fan of both the insect and flying kaiju, Battra is one of my favorites from the Heisei era, and this accurately designed beast is now a standout in my collection.




For accessories, Battra comes with a stand and base. Painted black, the base has a red drawing of both Battra and Mothra that was shown in the film, with his name in English and Japanese. The cradle is designed to fit between Battra’s legs, so that the figure can rest securely on top of it. Honestly, that piece is a bit small, so you have to balance it just right so that the weight of the figure doesn’t cause it to collapse. I’m displaying Battra on the bottom layer of my shelf, as I don’t want to risk it accidentally falling from a high distance.












And now for the articulation. One of the concerns I had with purchasing this figure was that several reviewers had complained about the legs easily popping off. I was wary of that, especially after the Biollante figure turned out to be a QC nightmare with the vines falling apart with the just the slightest touch. Well I’m happy to report that my Battra doesn’t have that issue that some complained about. All the time I spent messing with it and posing for photos, and not a single leg popped off. Only once, when the figure fell off the base did one leg pop out, but I was able to easily insert it back into the ball joint, and it’s stayed on ever since. The legs are articulated at the base, at the “elbows”, and at the claws. They can fold in a bit, fold out, and be turned facing forward and back. The head can twist to the sides, look down, and his mandibles are on hinges that open and close. The wings are on a hinge and can raise up high and down, to duplicate those flapping wing poses. The smaller wings are on a separate hinge, and can open in a downward position. The abdomen contains several ball joints, allowing it to curl up and down. The kaiju wasn’t very expressive with his movements, so the figure does a fine job of capturing all his range.










Ultimately, this figure ended up being better than I had imagined. I had some concerns of him being so fragile that he would easily falls apart, so I’m happy to report that that’s not the case with this evil Mothra.  Considering it’s an older release, he turned out pretty solid, as did the larva set that I also scored off Mandarake earlier this year. Now I find myself pondering if I should purchase an adult Mothra or wait to see if they re-release one in the future, since they seem to be doing that with their older Heisei kaiju. I’ll have to ponder it further, but for now, adult flying Battra turned out a winner.









 

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