[Tokumonkey]

My Gaim Kiwami Arms arrived today, and... well, it's a bit of a letdown.

The Good

- The visor looks terrific.

- The paint is fantastic. Aside from the chest emblem, all of the detailing I could want is well-done.

- It has most of the articulation you'd expect from Figuarts, with lots of hinging armor pieces.

- Unlike my Kachidoki Arms, the belt is nice and secure.

The Bad

- My figure came with fairly weak ankle joints. This is a big deal since due to the cape, the figure is very top-heavy. I can get my other Figuarts to balance on their own, but it appears I'll need a stand for Kiwami, because he's could easily take a shelf-dive. I worry that even a simple fall-over might break the helmet crest. This is a release that really, really needed the long-since-abandoned metal feet.

- The chest sticker is wrinkled, but it doesn't stand out that much due to the thick plastic coating it.

- Unfortunately, the plastic renders the image murky. I thought for a while that there might be a plastic film protecting the chest window. but that doesn't appear to be the case.

- When not on display, I keep my Figuarts in their boxes so I can keep track of their accessories. However, Kiwami shipped with the cape separate, and to attach it, you have to pull off the delicate head and upper-chest pieces. This is going to make the figure a HUGE pain to pack/unpack.

- Did we really need Kachidoki's accessories recycled?

The Both

- The lock seeds on Gaim's hips appear to be separate pieces that were glued on. I both love and hate this. Half of me is irritated that I can't do anything with the new Ichigo, Pine, etc. locks. The other half is grateful that I don't need to worry about locks falling off and getting lost when I handle the figure. This edges closer to the good category than to the bad. Bandai's design decision here may ultimately be wise. (I suspect it's possible to prise them loose - I don't think they're molded together - but I don't intend to try.)

- The Kachidoki and Kiwami lock seeds don't appear to be removable either, and again, I suspect this was wise. I love my Kachidoki Gaim, but the lock seed constantly popping off the Sengoku Driver was a pain in the hindquarters. This is a thumbs-down choice if you really wanted to remove them, but I suspect it's for the best.

- The cape will not lie flush with Kiwami's body. It's on a small hinge, and due to how it's built, it doesn't have a full range of motion. You can move it so that it is flung back a little more, but it won't move in any closer. The cape is always going to be sticking out at a slight angle from his body. This is annoying, but at least it leaves room for a stand (which you'll need due to the top-heaviness.)

I think Kachidoki Arms may have raised my expectations a little too high.