It's been a long time since I purchased a figure from Bandai's Ultra Action line, but when I saw that they released an articulated Kanegon, even before S.H. Figuarts, I had to order one myself. Now I have him in hand, in all his goofy glory.
Kanegon made his debut in episode 15 of Ultra Q, the series that preceded Ultraman. A greedy young boy named Kaneo Kaneda found a magical cocoon that swallowed and transformed him into a coin eating monster. Despite not appearing in any other Ultra series during the Showa era, Kanegon remained popular among fans. He eventually returned in later shows, including Ultraman Z and most recently Ultraman Arc, where he was an AI character that kept swallowing currency. His head is wide and resembled a sort of seashell, though it was originally meant to resemble a coin purse, with the mouth opening being a large zipper. He sports two eyes on tall, narrow stalks atop his head, like a snail, with his body being chubby, with short arms and legs. He's molded in dark gold, with red on the inside of his mouth, and white, orange and black in his eyes. Bandai did a great job in accurately capturing his unique, unusual appearance.
The articulation includes head on a ball joint, eye stalks on a swivel, swivel hinge shoulders and thighs, hinge elbows and knees, a full wrist and bicep swivel, and ball joint ankle rockers. The body is one solid piece, with no torso or waist cut. The section where his eyes are attached to can be pulled out, revealing a small, hollow compartment (perhaps to store small coins?).While he is not the most expressive figure, mostly due to his body shape, he’s able to sit, kneel down on one knee, achieve one-legged stands and running poses. Pretty much most of the moves that the suit could do.
Bandai Ultra Action Kanegon is a fun release. This line, which offered a cheaper alternative to the pricier SHF line, first began releasing various Ultraman figures. They have recently started tackling the kaiju, such as Zetton, King Joe, Gomora and Baltan. All of those monster figures have turned out pretty solid, and Kanegon is equally as impressive. Even if SHF never give us a Kanegon, this release is worth owning, especially if you want a more articulated version of this iconic kaiju. He'll make a great addition to your Ultra collection.
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