[TAO's Note: Updatedude is back to lead another expedition into the world of imported toys. This time it's a name you might be a little more familiar with, and it's a toy that you might want by the time the review is finished.]
Name: Ultraman Mebius
Line: Action Works
Manufacturer: MegaHouse
Released: March 2008
Price: 2200 Yen
Scale: 4.00 in.
Accessories: Two mini fighter jets and two extra hands
I'll be frank (you can be Shirley), the sculpt for Ultraman Mebius is highly compromised. It's not that it looks bad. In fact, it looks pretty good, with minute detail on his left forearm brace and all the lines are sculpted as well. The head is a little oversized, but I don't want to hold it against him, since it's technically show accurate. After all, the original suit actor also had to wear the Ultraman helmet. I mean, talk about accuracy, even his crotch has a little... erm, bump, to represent the suit actor's... bump, whilst wearing skintight spandex.
But alas, sacrifices had to be made to the sculpt. For in order to provide him with a high degree of articulation, Ultraman Mebius is absolutely riddled with cuts and joints. They tried to minimize its effects, but ultimately, it's Marvel Legends syndrome. It's not necessarily that the figure looks bad, but when the source material calls for a smooth skinned giant space alien, the breaks in the smoothness become all the more evident.
This isn't an issue if you don't care about the source material very much. But if you're a fan and stickler for show accuracy, this might be just the kind of thing that'll bug you crazy. It's otherwise a pretty good looking mold though, even with the articulation lines.
Sculpt Score: 7 / 10
Not too much to be said here. It's pretty much all good. The paint's all been cleanly applied with no noticeable spillover. If there are any imperfections, they're all pretty miniscule. The little details such as his wrist brace thingy and his eyes are also well painted. One thing of note is that the silver is nicely reflective. It won't blind you with its shininess under normal circumstances, but it certainly photographs well.
I guess the most noticeably impressive paint apps would have to be those on the tiny mini-jets though. It's a really clean job they pulled for 'em.
Paint Score: 8 / 10
Action Works Ultraman Mebius is an articulation GOD. A minor god, since he's got some issues. Let's get those out of the way first. Just as the Sculpt of this toy was compromised to ensure he had plenty of articulation, the articulation is also compromised by the sculpt. It seems this guy was designed to be easily taken apart. I'm not sure why, but it does seem to be the case. I guess they wanted to give customisers the option to kitbash figures from this line. But the bottom line is, this resulted in some loose jointage. The upper body is mostly fine, but the lower body is pretty loose.
There's a couple points on the legs where the parts are pegged on, but they aren't pegged on very snugly. They're not so loose that you wouldn't be able to do anything with them, however, they're bordering there. As much as I would like to sell you (the reader) into trying this line or just this toy out, it wouldn't be right not to mention this. Ultraman Mebius can support his own weight, but that's just about it. You'll have to tighten the joints with a little clear nail polish if you want a solid toy. Once you thicken the pegs a little, and tighten the hip ball joints for good measure, Ultraman Mebius will at last achieve his full potential.
And what potential! I mean, let's let action (and pictures) speak louder than words. Check out the pics for this guy. Once his lower half has been tightened up, this guy is a tiny deity of poseability. Forget stuff like Revoltech or Figma, here's an example of conventional joints far exceeding even those specialized joints.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
How much fun you get out of a toy, partly depends on your imagination. But if there's one thing that helps in this department, it's the articulation. And Ultraman Mebius has it in spades. And despite the aforementioned flaws in the sculpt, this is still a great looking figure based on what is in my view, one of the better Ultraman designs. The result is something that wouldn't look too out of place with your Marvel Universe figures. I mean, sure, you can see he's way taller than Spider-Man, but the MU line does have a variety of scales. Captain America's only slightly shorter than Ultraman here, and then there's the Hulk and the Thing, or even Sabertooth from Wolverine Origins, who represent the taller end of the spectrum, that Ultraman can fit in.
Basically, this guy's cross playability is higher if you're a Marvel Universe collector, since he's basically a superhero himself. And hey, his articulation blows theirs out of the water.
Fun Score: 8 / 10
Unfortunately, this is not a cheap toy. Even if you take the nice paint quality into consideration, and even if it doesn't have any issues or if it had more accessories, the fact is, it's still just a 4" scale toy that you're paying hella lots for. If this was a S.H. Figuarts, or a Busou Shinki, I'd accept the plastic-to-money ratio you'd pay for those, because of their build quality and extras. But Action Works Ultraman Mebius just isn't worth 2200 Yen.
If you can find him for about half that price (including shipping), then I'd say go for it. It's a good toy in an of itself (provided you do a little DIY). Moreso if you're a Marvel Universe collector.
But otherwise, unless you're financially well off, I'd recommend skipping this guy over. It'd be fiscally irresponsible to get him at full price.
Value Score: 4 / 10
7 / 10 - Good sculpt, but too many articulation lines.
8 / 10 - Everything's well applied. Very little (if any) imperfections.
9 / 10 - Joints are a little loose, particularly for the legs. But otherwise, a tiny GOD of articulation.
8 / 10 - While not a perfect fit, it scales reasonably well with 3.75" figures.
4 / 10 - Expensive and not quite worth full retail. Half price is just about right.
80 / 100 - This is a Great Toy
Price aside, this is a good toy. Fix it up a little and it becomes a great toy. Unfortunately, you can't really put the price aside altogether. Fact is, Ultraman Mebius is good, but he's not 2200 Yen good. If you see him cheap at a flea market or going for clearance at your local specialty import shop, then he's worth the pickup. Otherwise, I can't in good conscience, recommend this guy, despite how good he is.
I give this guy a thumb's up, but I'm holding onto my wallet with the free hand (on which the other thumb is firmly attached).
-Updatedude
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!
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