Tachikomas are for REAL..!!

tachikoma1 from toybot studios on Vimeo.

I can't explain how, but the cutesy Tachikoma straight out of Ghost in the Shell is for real and coming to your house soon! Personally I prefer the Fuchikoma design. Where's the love for the OG? Check this out at a great site featuring real robots at ROBO GARAGE. Thanks for the heads up Sjors!

tachikoma2 from toybot studios on Vimeo.

GitS SAC 2nd Gig Uchikoma Tank!!

Ok, now were talking. Finally Wave has released a toy version of the best tank from GitS SAC 2nd Gig: the Uchikoma! Now this is a proper tank piloted by badass Bateau. Will be around $75 when it comes out later this year...

GitS Tachikoma - Tokyo Drift Style!!

When I first saw this pic earlier tonight on www.amiami.com, those import cars with all the decals in movies like "Fast and the Furious" came to mind. I think it's perfect. If it wasn't for the fact that I already own this toy, I would probably get this F&F version..lol..







damn, with so many Tachikoma toys out this year, where's the love for the OG Fuchikoma?

GitS SAC Solid State Society Scorpion Tank!!

While were on the subject of Ghost in the Shell, how about this Scorpion Tank from Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society? Looking very fearsome. I would not want to be in front of that stinger. Just under $100 retail, this looks like a toy and not a model. Very nicely detailed and even comes in Desert Storm colors...

Fewture EX-Gokin Tachikoma in Silver!!!

Right on the heels of releasing it's EX-Gokin version of the Blue Tachikoma from Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Fewture announces this slick new Silver version here. I haven't had the opportunity to check out this die-cast EX-Gokin Tachikoma, but from all the pictures i've seen, it looks pretty good. If previous EX-Gokin releases are any indication, this thing is gonna be hefty with plenty of die-cast!!! You gotta dig the LED's, right? Here's another request to the Toy Gods: will someone (like Fewture) please make a die-cast version of the OG GiTS Tank, the Fuchikoma??? C'mon....the OG Fuchikoma design KILLS this Tachikoma big butt. Let's get back to basics before we move forward!!! Fuchikmoma!!!! Thank you....

Megahouse Perfect Piece Tachikoma....

I received my Megahouse Perfect Piece Tachikoma a while ago and it was sitting on my desk for the longest time before I recently got around to taking some pics of this thing. The first thing I noticed when it arrived is that it's a pretty big toy. I'm guessing its around 7" or 8" across including the legs which would make it the biggest Tachikoma / Fuchikoma tank I own. The good news is that it's a pretty detailed piece with a very nice paint application. The big gimmick would be the operable cockpit...very, very cool. A major selling point. The engineering is quite impressive too. The top of the cockpit raises just like the Anime. The back opens with two swinging doors to reveal a very detailed cockpit with controls, the seat and viewfinder googles. Accessories like a Matoko figure, book and wrench are welcome additions.









Now the bad. Aside from the rather large footprint, the piece that I purchased has very loosey goosey joints. So much so, that you can't stand the tank up properly under it's own weight. At well over $100 for this toy, this kind of thing is completely un-acceptable. Given my past experience with the Palm Layzner figure, i'm not a big fan of Megahouse. I emailed Scott who owns Hobby Link Japan and asked him about the problem. He actually had one of his guys take another Tachikoma out of the packaging to check if it would stand up on it's own. Apparently it did. Oh, well...So one of the guys suggested an old Gundam modeling trick which is to put superglue in the ball joints to add friction so they would stick where you need them to, but still provide enough movement for positions, etc. It worked, but still not as good as I would like. My other complaint is that for over $100, there is not a lot of die-cast in this toy. It's pretty much all plastic which means I paid a lot of money for a decent toy with a cool gimmick. In summary, if you're a GiTS fan and want a highly detailed toy and dig the cockpit gimmick, this toy is for you. Is it worth the $100+ price tag? I don't think so. Find it on eBay for around $75 if you can...











I haven't pulled the trigger on Fewture's EX-GOKIN Tachikoma version yet, since it's close to $140, but is made of much more die-cast. I'm a little put-off Tachikoma's at the moment. Hell, I still think Fuchikoma's look way better...

Ghost in the Shell Trading Figures!!!

Toy buddy Josh Bernard from CollectionDX was in town for some web conference a couple of weeks ago. He was totally cool enough to show me around Boston when I was there last July that when he came into town, I was gonna show him around to some sites and toy stores. One of the stores we visited was Jeffrey's on Geary Blvd. It's a pretty big store and carry tons of comics and your usual western action figures and such. They do have a decent Japanese toy selection as well, but what really sets them apart in my mind and what keeps me going back are two (2) huge three-ring binders. Huh? Well, they are essentially catalogs for trading figures sets. They have pictures of all of their trading figure which can be purchased as a set or individually. I prolly spent 40 minutes inspecting each page trying to decide which set I wanted to get. I lucked out on this Ghost in the Shell set which is older but relatively rare. It features two of the best Motoko sculps around IMO. There are five pieces to the set and include Cyber Motoko, Urban Motoko, Fuchikoma Tank, Batou and a kinda lame crouching Ishikawa figure. Remember? He's the dude that insists on using a revolver!? Anyways, what blows me away about this set is that each figure is only 3-4 inches tall yet sport incredible, amazing details and paint applications!!

GiTS SAC Tachikoma Tango!!!

We have two interesting high quality Tachikoma figures from the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex series coming out soon. I thought I would take this opportunity to compare the offerings from Megahouse and Fewture based on the pics and info out there. The version from Megahouse is called the Perfect Piece Tachikoma and it's the one I pre-ordered already from Hobby Link Japan for around $80 not including shipping. What I like about the Megahouse version is the color. From the pics, it looks to have a bit more of that awesome metallic blue going on than it's Fewture Rival. I also like that the doors swing out in back and will look awesome with sort of Matoko figure (If I can find one to scale!) My biggest concern expecially after receiving Megahouse's Palm Layzner action figure would be the fragility of the figure. When you look at these pics, it just looks a bit flimsy, no?





Now we compare it to Fewture's $120 EX-Gokin Tachikoma figure here. What I like is that it's designated with Fewture's EX-Gokin name. If you own any of Fewture's EX-Gokin Getter figures, you know what I mean when I say HEAVY. These things are just dense pieces of die-cast toy bad-assness. Considering how much I paid for my EX-Gokin Black Getter Ryoma, $120 for this Tachikoma is not bad. I would just hope that is wields as much metal. From the pics, it looks slightly more detailed and sturdy, but the color although a nice shade of blue, does not appear to have the same metallic sheen going on. Also it looks like the only doors that open is a hatch at the top. Not as cool.





So there you have it!! Our Tachikoma Tussle!! There seems to be pros and cons to each. A little here, a little there. Which one is better? Hard to say without having them in hand. Undoubtably, I will have to order the Fewture version as well just to compare myself! Megahouse Perfect Piece Tachikoma is due out in February and the Fewture EX-Gokin version slated for May! Both can be pre-ordered now at Hobby Link Japan!