It's not bad given its price.

Some more pictures:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba6lLoyIEAAxbi-.jpg:large

Wild Force Red Lion Fire Smash, ShinkenRed Figuart Rekka Daizantou and Gokai Gaolion Rekka Daizantou

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba6meKDIcAEhvJJ.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba8AaT7CMAAqVCk.jpg:large

This is the only one I can get to ride the Lion in lion mode and even still, picking it up the wrong way makes it come apart.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba8DlxnCIAEnG6V.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba8Gn7BCMAAuETt.jpg:large

I like the new Firesmasher. It doesn't have that hinge near the tip, and is very well painted.

The bigger Rekka Daizanto with no hinge is definutely nice, but it doesnt make up for the craptastic look of the Wild Force lion from any where but front view to accomodate it (ignoring the visible kanji) or the awful combined mode. Having a smaller daizanto, which the sword does start off as in the show (it grows during the finisher) is the better half of the trade off. This Lion is really the biggest downgrade barring the Legendary Megazord itself from SMF thus far. I'm interested to see if Fuuraimaru is hit as bad or if it succeeds in being a cheaper and slightly nixed, but still acceptable, toy like the Mystic Dragon and Delta Runner. Machalcon should get out unscathed though, considering the middke door is the only part used for Kanzen Gokaioh. Maybe I'm just looking at the glass half empty and should be more lenient to BOA, but this toy is a complete and ugly fail to me in all modes, both lion and Shinken.

Pretty much for the reasons everyone said. The shoulders look like decorative samurai armour and the design is just mores streamlined as a whole. Shinken GokaiOh looked great on the show but in toy form it just turned into this big boxy mess that I couldn't get behind. I'd happy take a cheaper, somewhat downgraded lion for a better looking combo.

Is it difficult to attach the lion leg onto the blue arm with its gold wing folded down? I've started to see that the front peg on the blue arm feels difficult to attach parts to. On mine it's won't fold up property without the wing getting in the way. I also noticed some of the stock photo combinations have the wing just pulled off, especially the Mystic Dragon combo.

Yeah, it's a little awkward. The wing just doesn't fold back enough. A lot of pieces can be detached and re-attached, anyway.

I gotta agree with Wonder, I don't see what makes this much better than Shinken Gokai-Oh.
In fact, dare I say it's... worse.

It's not worse, it's better. It looks better, the Smasher doesnt have that annoying hinge, it looks more.. Samurai-ish? Yes, Samurai-ish.

Please show me a samurai with lion legs jutting off of their shoulders.