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Thread
:
S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Kickhopper Gallery
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10-10-2017, 03:14 PM
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Den-O
Admin
AKA Zordon
Content Director
@DenO_TokuNation
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Lexington, Ky
Posts: 16,328
"Change, Kick Hopper."
Sou Yaguruma
was once the top dog of
ZECT,
commanding legions of ZECTroopers as
Kamen Rider TheBee.
The advocate of "perfect harmony" would soon be humbled however by Souji Tendou, and begin walking a darker path of self-loathing that eventually (and inexplicably) lead him to his new identity as
Kamen Rider Kickhopper!
Now Yaguruma is the latest addition to the
Shinkocchou Seihou
premium renewal line of
S.H. Figuarts!
So let's dive into our review of the figure.
Packaging
That standard slipcover packaging of
Shinkocchou Seihou
returns again. I promise I really appreciate the ease of access this kind of packaging provides. I really like this design more than a standard figuarts square box, but they've gotta start spicing things up. The one monotone image across the front of the box is getting rather boring. The presentation is nice but it's starting to fall flat in the face of more colorful and creative mainline releases like those from Ex-Aid is all.
Main Figure
Just as with
Kabuto, Gattack, & Dark Kabuto
before him,
Kickhopper
is an overwhelmingly needed update to an outdated and obsolete figure. The original release was plagued by the now standard QC issues of the original Kabuto line. Especially with those bowed legs. I'm happy to report that Seihou Kickhopper is the perfect successor to that original release. As with my last couple Seihou galleries form this series, you'll find a lot of similar passages in my review, it's just unavoidable when these figures share the same basic body and tooling aside from a few key areas. But I'll definitely zero in on the differences with this one.
To start, the most iconic thing about Kickhopper is of course the
Anchor Joint
weapon attached to his left ankle. This unique item not only gives Kickhopper the 'jump' in his
Rider Jump,
but packs all the power behind his
Rider Kick.
It's also the most improved thing about this release. On the original figure it was a static accessory, permanently fixed in placed. This go around however the Anchor Joint is actually jointed and can be slid down the shin with the blade fully extendable to properly recreate a Rider Kick. The style of hips originally implemented in this mold provide a wide and balanced motion that allows you to replicate all of Kickhoppers most iconic poses & attacks. Though I do still think any standing kick looks pretty goofy in figure form. I would say the hips are limited only by their design as they do impact the waist assembly a little more prematurely than I'd like. But it's undeniable how versatile they are compared to many figures.
The
Hopper Zecter
is really nicely detailed, especially when compared to the original. The details are sharp, the paint apps crisp, and it's even removeable. If you flip it around, the backside is also (properly) fully painted in
Punch Hopper
colors. It does pop off the buckle rather easily but it just looks so good. And while we don't have moving pectoral plates or flexible chest armor like with Kabuto & Dark Kabuto, Kickhopper's design is still pretty smooth, albeit a bit more limited in the upper body area. But you also don't have to worry about the torso impacting the Zecter. The new chest armor is really really nice though, it looks like a perfect replica of the show prop with really subtle paint details I had never really noticed before. The arms are free of nearly all obstruction thanks to wonderfully hinged shoulder pads. They do tend to look a little unnatural in some poses and expose the joints beneath however. But the elbows and wrist provide the same great range of motion we've come to expect from this mold, one that's still holding up very well 3 years on.
Lastly we look at Kickhoppers head, which is just spot on. The original suffered from it's disproportionate size to the body as well as some issues with length and width. I'm happy to report that this go around the head is the correct size relative to the body and also the proper glossy green. The mouth plate is a brilliant gold and the compound eyes really sparkle in the right light. As with his 3 predecessors,
Shinkocchou Seihou Kickhopper
really is the ultimate apology for the original release. And being able to FINALLY recreate my favorite moment from Kabuto, the
Triple Rider Kick
in Seihou form, is the ultimate treat.
Accessories
Not much here, but just what you need:
1- Hopper Zecter (open).
This is the flipped version of the Hopper Zecter from Kickhopper's
Rider Jump/Kick
combination. After the moving parts that were present on
Seihou Kabuto's Zecter
years ago I was surprised that Seihou Gattacks' was a swap out part instead, and I'm surprised again that the Hopper Zecter is the same. It just seems like something that could have been engineered to work instead. I mean just look at the W Driver & Gaia Memories.
2 - sets of hands.
These hands are a bit odd if you ask me. The open hands are a very stiff variety of open palm. They aren't very expressive at all. The other pair are the standard type of "holding things" hands, and they look almost perfectly shaped for handlebars on a Rider Machine. But the Hopper Bros had no such bikes, nor any weapons they would have held. So these hands are a really pointless inclusion.
The two glaring omissions that most collectors will notice are undoubtedly items included with the original figuart. The
ramen bowl
as well as a personalized Tamashii Stage. The ramen bowl was a pretty hilarious and iconic accessory, signifying one of the goofier plots of the show. And while the stage isn't nearly as important, it was nice that the original Hopper bros came with them. As is the original figuart is so dirt cheap now you could pretty much buy it just for those accessories. So while it's a bummer they weren't included here, it's no great loss either.
Final Thoughts
That's 4 down and well frankly quite a few to go. With
Hyper Kabuto
on the way finally, is it only a mater of time before TheBee, Sasword, Drake and others finally get this premium treatment as well? Possibly. Seihou Kabuto originally sold very very well as a retail release. So well that it was reissued several times. And although every Kabuto rider since has been an exclusive, each has sold very well and now garners high secondary market prices. With the recently released Kickhopper & Punch Hopper, as well as the impending release of Hyper Kabuto, surely it won't be long before the others follow suite. For now though, I'm happy to report that
S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Kichopper
is indeed the renewal we deserve.
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