Well, you get the idea.
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High Grade Collectionfigure Of Real Entertainment: Kamen Rider Part 1Possibly the most long-awaited release since some famous band that you liked said they were reuniting to release a new album.
Last year saw the end of the standard-issue "High Grade Gachapon" (sometimes written "Gashapon") where Ultraman & Kamen Rider were concerned, with close to 40 sets for the Riders and a dozen or so more for the Ultras. Of course, these popular lines weren't really going anywhere; they were just undergoing a little revamp, taking what Bandai had learned with the larger-scale "Ultimate Solid" Gachapon figures (namely, that people like pretty clear parts, chase figures and clever little gimmicks.) Also, a new numbering system would be implemented, considering things had gotten a little crazy by the end of 2006. Did the Action Pose sets count, or not? How about those re-released "Greatest Hits"-style mega collections? Was that Agito Trinity Form that came with the book set cannonical, or just some strange little oddity?
To rectify this, Bandai started over from scratch, yet at the same time didn't. The upgraded H.G.C.O.R.E. line would revisit older Riders and characters who hadn't gotten much attention in a while, whilst also sallying forth, covering Riders from the current series as well as continuing the seemingly-mad goal of doing every monster from the original Kamen Rider. And they'd do it all with a renewed sense of style and attention to detail, making High Grade figures live up to their name more than ever.
Now I'll be honest with you guys: when it all comes down to it, the High Grade Gachapon figures are my favorite ongoing line of Kamen Rider toys bar none. I like the "Rider Hero Series", the Sôchaku-Henshin figures, the Medicoms, the many miscellaneous candy toys, and all that jazz. But there is something especially appealing to me about HG figures, in part because they're 1) small, so it's easy to collect/display a lot of them, 2) diverse when it comes to covering goodies and baddies alike, 3) relatively inexpensive and 4) really fun to tinker with. So obviously, any time there's a big shake-up (pun!) in the Gachapon world, I take notice. So I awaited the release of this set with much anticipation.
Actually, we got a taste of what was in store with C.O.R.E. in the last standard HG Rider set. We had the "multi-figure 1/3 assortment" thing going with the three Riders from God Speed Love, and we had a sample of what clear eye-parts would be like with the Rider Kickin' Kamen Rider 1 from Kamen Rider THE FIRST in the same set. The second Kabuto Action Pose set also made use of the clear eyes in its various figures, and if you were one of the lucky winners from this summer's Kamen Rider Sigma Fan Art Contest, you might know what I'm talking about because you might've won some of them!
In any case, H.G.C.O.R.E. finally made its debut in early 2007, and I scooped up as many of these figures as I could (for reasons outlined below) during an earlier junket to Japan back in January. I had been meaning to review this thing for ages, and just finally got around to it now, back in Japan, where I went and collected all the current H.G.C.O.R.E. figures over again because, hey, when the Gachapon machines for them are still around, why not? This debut set features seven distinct figures, although an eigth figure can be created if you obtain two of the others. Technically, a total of six extra figures can be created, but more on that shortly. On with the review!
Kamen Rider 1 (New)The proverbial crown jewel of the set, and the one most-highly touted (notice how much space he takes up on the ad/insert!) And why not? Because I kid you not when I say that this is the Best. Gachapon. Rider 1. Yet. Yes my friends, it's that good.
Hongô Takeshi has probably seen more High Grade incarnations than anybody bar Kuuga, and that's only because Special K has all those forms. We've gotten nearly every costume variation of Rider 1 though; the classic, "blue" look; the "Sakurajima" version (in Action Pose as well!); the latter-half-of-the-series "New" Rider 1; plus a whole host of odds and ends like an unmasked Rider 1, a "cutaway" Rider 1, Rider 1 on the Cyclone and New Cyclone, etc.
The version seen here is the "New" Rider 1, specifically as seen towards the end of the original series where the costume was probably at its absolute sharpest, with crisp silver-white lines and a shiny blue/green/silver helmet. It's the one you've probably seen in the first two episodes of Kamen Rider V3 if you were awesome and picked that up on DVD when it came out, and the current, "modern" look of the character as seen in Kamen Rider Spirits, Kamen Rider Genealogy of Justice, and just to shamelessly promote myself, Kamen Rider Sigma.
So just what it is that makes this particular Rider 1 so good? Well, for starters, he's based on a particularly notable scene, from episode #92, when he's facing off against Shocker Rider #1 on the shore as waves crash around him dramatically. This is one of those really iconic moments for this particular look of the character, and it's great to see a three-dimensional representation here. Also, the detailing on this guy is spectacular, from the mask (with clear eye parts, which work out amazingly) to chest armor and to the detailing on the boots and gloves, and the scarf, which is a seperately-molded piece, allowing it to "flow" more naturally and, if possible, dramatically.
Speaking on the gloves, boots and scarf, they're important to point out as when you get your hands on the next figure, you can use parts from him with Rider 1 to make... well, we'll get there in a moment. But just know this: Bandai really outdid themselves with this guy, and it's no wonder he commands a high price in collectible shops across Japan— this really is the best Rider 1 in this scale yet, and if Bandai can top this, why, it'll be cause for dancing in the streets. And I don't often say that.
Gelshocker CombatantAlthough Shocker goons were popping up in High Grade form as far back as the very second set all those years ago, the Gelshocker thugs got overshot in favor of Destron's squeaking hordes and even the Riotroopers, who are basically glorified henchmen. H.G.C.O.R.E. Part 1 amended this, and threw in a great little gimmick which I'll get to soon enough.
As for the Gelshocker Combatant himself, he looks great. Considering the primary-color costumes these guys had don't make them look very threatening next to say, the GOD soldiers (who manage to look fearsome despite wearing berets), a large part of this character's (or more precisely, these characters') appeal comes from being familiar with them in the show, where they are vicious little buggers, teleportin' around and slaughtering hordes of useless ex-Shocker scientists and henchmen like it was going out of style. The pose on this guy is a fairly standard "henchman fighting" pose, and the simplicity of the design means he's great for customizing, although chances are you won't want to do that until you've amassed enough to have both a squad of these guys and enough extras to create...
Yep, when you take the gloves, boots and accompanying scarves that come with the Gelshocker Combatant, and switch them around with Rider 1's gloves, boots and scarf, you can create any of the six ripoff Riders who harassed our heroes in the original series episodes #92~94, and recently got a big-screen comeback/makeover in Kamen Rider THE NEXT. With each Gelshocker Combatant, you get two scarves (#1 & #2, #3 & #4, #5 & #6), so technically you just need three of the goons to get all six scarves. But you also need three more, plus 6 Rider 1's to create the whole Shocker Rider crew.
Thankfully, through a combination of luck, patience, and lots of 100 yen coins, I was able to amass enough of both to create all 6 Shocker Riders and still have a couple Gelshocker Combatants and a Rider 1 left over. Alas, they're all back in the States now, but I did get one of each here so you can see what the end result looks like.
Obviously, it's not the most accurate Shocker Rider ever (as any true Shocker Rider afficiando knows, the eyes are also different, plus the part of the scarf around his neck is still red) but really, these are minor quibbles that don't change the fact that this was a great little gimmick, as while both Rider 1 & the Shocker Combatant can be enjoyed on their own, combined, they can make an additional figure, which is great if you're prone to getting a lot of extras of them (and if you are, I envy you, because it's the rest of this set that I tended to get a lot of extras of.)
Kamen Rider GatackPrior to this and the more recent Ultimate Solid figure, the God of War had so far only seen Gachapon incarnations in the Action Pose spin-off line, with his Rider Form being in the first set and his Masked Form being in the second. The first of these Gatacks was decent enough, but like the rest of that set felt a little sidelined by the Zectrooper variation gimmick everybody was really buying it for, and deserved an update (as does Sasword, who's still waiting on one.)
Well, KAGAAAMI sure got it! If the Rider 1/Gelshocker Combatant/Shocker Rider deal was this set's big gimmick, Gatack would qualify as its other big gimmick. He comes with two sets of hands, the one seen here for a standard open/dramatic battle pose, and...
... the ones for gripping his Gatack Double Calibur, which can be stored on his shoulders when not in use, and even combined into the big scissor/hedge clipper weapon thing for "Rider Cutting!" action. Sweet!Apart from that, this Gatack is a big improvement over the Action Pose one, with a great, dynamic stance that even allows for some movement. It's not much, but it's a start. The clear eye parts look good, if a bit more pinkish than I remember (but I confess to not having watched much Kabuto since it ended, so it might be the mind playing tricks.) Again, small quibble though, and we end up with a really solid figure who likely won't need an update any time soon. Or at least, after we get a similarly-decent Sasword.
Kamen Rider 2 (THE FIRST version)The companion piece to the last regular HG set's Rider 1 mentioned earlier, this Rider Kickin' version of the big screen Ichimonji update is pretty much exactly what it needs to be: The companion piece to the last regular HG set's Rider 1 mentioned earlier.
All the details are there, including the Shocker logos on the gloves and back (something Bandai's getting really good at.) The clear parts for the eyes look great, and he looks really neat next to Rider 1. Now if they'd just do Bat in one of the upcoming C.O.R.E. sets...
SnakeSay it with me now: "SNAKE! COBRA! SPIDER! BAT! ANNNND... THE MASKED RIDERS!!!"
*Ahem*. Yet another "companion piece" this time literally, as Snake's boytoy Cobra was featured in the last HG set along with FIRSTy Rider 1. They look great together, blah-blah-blah.
While I'll get really excited when we get Spider or Bat some day (hopefully), Snake here isn't bad at all, and does pretty much what you'd want her to do: stand there and look cool. She comes with the snake tail whip thingy, which is detachable. This is a nice touch, and I suppose along with Snake & the Double Riders doing their kicky thing, you can recreate the climatic moments of the movie, which has one of my favorite overly-dramatic transitional jumps ever (it's at around 1:21:54 if you're keeping track.)
Mimizu-OtokoAdmittedly, Bandai's been a bit schizophrenic when it comes to the High Grade Shocker Kaijin lately. We got up to Gilgaras just fine, with the occasional jump forward to cover the major players (Shocker Officer mutant forms, Zanjio, etc.) Then it suddenly all went nutty. Some sets had a Shocker Kaijin, some had none at all. While they didn't break out of the late 50's/early 60's episodes, they still seemed a bit indecisive about whether to stick with the nice, consistant order they had going or not.
Ultimately, they seem to have settled on doing "whatever the hell we feel like", as the next few sets will attest to. While this does sort of make me dread having to wait until 2017 just to get my Gachapon Canary-Cobra (Don't laugh! He's one sadistic bastard!), at least they are doing somebody ever set, so that's good.
Mimizu-Otoko, hailing from episode #59 of the original series, was as good a character as any to pick up on for C.O.R.E. One of the more disturbing Shocker Kaijin (I mean, he's an oversized earthworm that strangles people with slightly less-oversized earthworms), he's also got a wicked design, with half of his torso seemingly rotted away, exposing a mass of, well, oversized earthworms. This look was reproduced faithfully by making the worms a seperate piece, giving them the feel of worms actually squirming around and not just being a bunch of bumps on his tummy with extra paint on them. And the rest of it all falls into place; his creepy snout, his oversized left claw, etc. It's a good sign that the Riders aren't the only ones benefitting from the C.O.R.E. improvements, and I can't wait to see how future Shocker Kaijin will turn out after this guy (and his follow-ups in the next three sets.)
Doctor ShinigamiAnd we round off this review with the requisite "Gallery" (re: includes a black square base) figure, although this time it isn't a Rider! Rather, it's the big man himself, last seen way back in the original High Grade Kamen Rider Part 10. That was like, pre-Kuuga, mind you.
Perhaps inspired by his digital appearance in Kamen Rider THE FIRST, this Shinigami 2.0 manages to improve on an already great figure. The main difference is that while the original had a molded-on cape, and was essentially a big chess piece split into two, this version can be displayed with or without his cape— he's a whole figure underneath! He's basically in a neutral, standing pose, but that's pretty much what you'd want a Shinigami figure to be in. The sculpting on the head is pretty good, and looks passable enough to be Amamoto. And did I mention the outside, black part of his cape is shiny? Shiny is always good. I like shiny.
So there we have it. A pretty solid first outing, and (via the power of writing these long after the sets have come out) I can say that the level of quality established here is maintained throughout. If you can still get your hands on some of these, by all means, do. They're the beginning, or rather the new beginning, of something very great indeed.
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