[Gojira Prime]

I finally got some proper lighting to take some detailed pictures and writing up reviews for figures. This is my first real attempt at this, so be kind.

Up for review is the Tamashii Nations' first U.S. exclusive release of their Monsterarts line. This is a special version of the Monsterarts Godzilla that was released as part of the many exclusives that were only available at the 2012 San Diego Comic Convention. This exclusive figure originally retailed for $55.00 at the convention.

This specially colored version of Godzilla is based off one of his final looks in the 90's film, Godzilla vs. Destroyah, and represents Godzilla's nuclear energy running uncontrollably throughout his body, eventually leading to his meltdown.

PRESENTATION



Godzilla comes in a window box similar to other Monsterarts releases with a large head shot of the character adorning the right side. This one shows the head of Godzilla in a mostly reddish orange color scheme with glowing yellow eyes letting collectors know that this is a fiery version of the beast!

The difference with this version compared to other releases is the picture of Godzilla is not a photo from the movies, but rather an illustration. The artwork for the box was done by renowned Japanese illustrator Yasushi Torisawa who has worked on character and costume related content for Godzilla and other Japanese live action series.



More art by Torisawa adorns the back depicting a fiery looking Godzilla rampaging through the convention center with people running out of the building.
Also, on the back are small bios regarding Yasushi Torisawa and monster sculptor and designer Yuji Sakai.
The box alone is an eye catcher, and does a nice job getting the attention of collectors!




FIGURE



Inside the box, Godzilla comes in a clear tray by himself with no accessories. I wasn't really surprised by this given the exclusiveness, but I wouldn't have minded some unique accessory to go along with him.
Instead of the traditional charcoal gray color, Godzilla is cast in a translucent orange plastic. The plastic feels a tiny bit softer compared to the regular release, but the difference is minimal.





Under the right light, you can see some of the inner workings on how the joints attach to each other with the different ball and plug-in joints. This is especially noticeable with the tail as each segment alternates with a light then dark tone giving an almost striped appearance.





Only some minor paint apps were applied but are very effective. The dorsal plates on Godzilla's back were given a bright yellowish hue to them. This gives the plates the illusion of glowing with power, and really pops on this figure! The plates also do a nice job offsetting the main orange color.



The other minor paint app is the painted red tongue. Like the dorsal plates, it helps break up the orange a bit when Godzilla is in a roaring pose. I thought this was an interesting creative decision for the final colors.
One issue that I'm sure some collectors may have been concerned was with Godzilla's eyes. Some first releases of the figure had quality control issues with one of Godzilla's eyes not aligned correctly. This gave Godzilla an odd and unwanted expression many fans would call the “derp” or “derpy” look.
The explosion version doesn't suffer from this. His eyes are a solid colored orange with no visible irises or pupils. This gives Godzilla an almost zombie-like appearance. The look also reminds me of the Godzilla from the “GMK: Giant Monsters All Out Attack” movie.

SCULPT

Godzilla sports the same sculpt as the first release Godzilla with no visible tooling changes. This version represents the 90's or Heisei era version of Godzilla. The sculpt has amazing detail from the wrinkly textured skin to the lined dorsal plates on its back. Some of the detailing does get washed out because of the translucent plastic, but it usually depends on the lighting it's under.






ARTICULATION

Tamashii boasts that Godzilla has 29 points of articulation. The tail alone has 18 points and can be posed in a number of different positions.
However, some collectors who owned the first version had issues with not being able to utilize the articulation on the figure due to the bulky design and being only limited to certain poses. This problem seemed to have been resolved with the Monsterarts Space Godzilla which has a similar sculpt.
Even though the explosion version is the same as the first sculpt, it has a little more range for poses. I believe this may be due to the translucent plastic which may be slightly softer and allows for more movement with the joints.


QUALITY CONTROL

I didn't see too many problems with my purchase. Out of the box, the shoulder and neck joints seemed to stick out a bit, but it was relatively easy to push the parts back on to the ball joints.
Paint issues didn't seem to be a problem as there are only minor paint apps on the figure. Those that are there look nice with minimal issue. Again, the dorsal plates really stand out for me!

OVERALL

The completist in me was glad I was able to get a hold of this. I thought the overall execution of this figure worked very well. The colors are vibrant, and the red breath accessory that came with my effects set compliments this figure nicely. I will eventually swap it out in favor of the one that comes with the Monsterarts Rodan. The spiral ray looks even better from some of the pictures I've seen.





Is the “Explosion” for everyone? Probably not. The $100 price tag that some are asking for at this point may be a bit much, so I would hunt around for better deals.

This is a version of Godzilla for a niche market referencing a small but relevant piece of his history. The bright orange colors might not be for everyone, but I still recommend it if you can get it a decent price. It does make a nice display piece among the other Monsterarts figures, but your mileage may vary with this figure.