Yeah that right along with the tire in the middle it made it difficult to make some poses.

Like I said, I'm more critical than most people but I do stand by my opinions. I figured out that you can tuck the arms into the chest cavity to lift them up more, but everything stands. Unless I got a dud, his ankles have almost no pivot range, the rocker joint gives you the standard range but the cuffs are molded into the legs instead of free floating so you can tilt them forward maybe 10 degrees forward and 30 back. Yes, the head can rotate a bit more than 180 degrees but the effective range is maybe 45 degrees left and right, any more than that and the hood tilts the head up, and limits and doesn't look natural for posing anymore. As for the waist articulation, the jacket design is part of the problem, but its not limiting the articulation, the articulation isn't there to begin with. The stormtrooper/decade ab crunch exists, and would have worked fine with the design, yea, it wouldn't be able to lean back as much but the parka is soft enough that it could just sit over the driver when turned side to side.

Everyone rates figures differently, me, I just like taking pictures of toys and Ghost just doesn't have the articulation to for me to enjoy doing what I like with it. Conversely, I enjoy Drive significantly more than Ghost and the wheel never really got in the way of any of the poses I wanted to do. For me, I'm probably selling Ghost and still am stuck with a Specter preorder.

As for Japanese reviews, keep in mind this is a society that pretty much never really says anything bad about something. Shishioh gave wizard a 3, its not exactly a very critical rating for a figure universally panned.

By pivot you mean side-to-side rotation? If so, then yours must be stuck or something. The ankles on mine can twist all the way around if need be.

I don't mean to change any opinions with these, but here are some objective examples in comparison to Type Speed:

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...psggyj0qun.jpg

On Ghost, both the shoulders swing out and the elbows bend marginally farther.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...ps35kbqydt.jpg

While Drive can look all the way to the right, sure, the tire hinders looking left almost exactly as much as Ghost's hood.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...pspm9n4v01.jpg

Ab crunch is actually about the same.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...pss7zwtxya.jpg

So is lateral flexion.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...psrvevao7n.jpg

Drive has a fair bit more waist swivel, but that's entirely to be expected because the sides of the jacket run into the Ghost Driver. They'd be about on par with each other if it weren't for that.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...pschi4nyyx.jpg

The pull-out joint lets Ore's leg raise a little higher, but I think the most peculiar limitation is actually the knee bend. It doesn't go as far because of the bulk of his leg. Still pretty comparable to Drive regardless, though.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...psu3s70mnc.jpg

Side ankle tilt is the same. If not a TINY bit better than Drive's, maybe?

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/...psoubp59kz.jpg

And finally, the last upper hand Drive gets is a little bit more backward tilt. But that's it.

All in all, extremely similar. And Ghost has a fair few advantages that you might not expect. Although if less waist rotation, backward ankle movement, and slightly less knee bend is what kills it for you? Then hey, I guess that's how it is.

I think you and I could be friends.

Tenjuro Banno aka Gold Drive will be released in September:

http://i.imgur.com/ZSKm5MF.jpg

as a... retail release? It says pre-orders go up May 10 but never once mentions the Premium Bandai shop. In fact, running the text through the Google translator gives me this:

"reservation lifting of the ban in 2016 May 10, general retailers
( Presence or absence of reservation handling depends on the retailers )"

Doesn't sound like a Web Exclusive to me.

Anyways, looks cool, but where's Type Tridoron?

Huh. That's very interesting.

But yeah. Where IS Type Tridoron?

Got my payment in for Ghost. Can't wait to get my hands on him.

..now to catch up on the show >_<

Oooooh YEEEES!!!

I was hoping and praying that Gold Drive would see a release. A potential retail release makes me even more excited. I absolutely loved Banno in the series. One of my favorite antagonists.

Gold Drive! It's so pretty, I think I wanted this more than Type Tridoron. It being a retail release is even better.

(I would've totally taken a two-pack with Super Evolved Heart though. All that gold together...)

Bandai's release pattern has officially stopped making sense.