Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Review: [Bandai] S.I.C. Volume 7 Kamen Rider 1 -Classics 2008 Edition-
| Figure Information | |
| Manufacturer: | Bandai |
| Origin Series: | Kamen Rider |
| Scale: | Non-Scale |
| Height: | Approximately 18cm tall |
| Original Price: | 4,410 Yen |
| Figure Box: |
So going back to old school S.I.C. this time, the actual Vol. 7 Ichigo I got was the Classics 2008 rerelease which also come with an extra external white sleeve which labels it as the classics release and the name "Masked Rider" since Ichigo is the first Kamen Rider and wasn't referred to as Ichigo originally when he was still the only rider around.
Removing the sleeve will reveal the original box design; the box design back then is pretty plain so I won't talk much about it but it is indeed not bad either. A pretty neat eyecatcher here is that his box actually has Kikaider 00 in it and I actually don't know why really but maybe Ichigo appeared there? (idk lol)
As part of the Classics 2008 line, we get another bonus which would be the die cast nameplate which you also saw back in V3's and Black RX's reviews.
| Figure Details: |
For a very early SIC Model, the line already has the details that I've learned to loved for around 2 years now; being the very first rider in the SIC line, Ichigo has a very nice touch to it, compound-ish material were already used back in this model for his eyes and his belt buckle. The rough texture certainly does give a decent plus to it and the fold details on his suit gives it a pretty good representation of what's supposed to be a leather suit in real life, definitely a good transition of real life to figure.
The combination of dark colors also makes the figure stand out pretty well when hit with light and the paint job on his scarf is also impressive as hell. The Vol. 7 Ichigo certainly isn't all PVC either, his hair at the back is using some sort of material similar to brushes and the realistic approach of the hair was certainly impressive and this style did come to use again in the modern SIC era (Kintaros Imagin). As for die cast, Ichigo might not look like it but aside from his belt, he does have a fine die cast inside as opening up his chest will reveal a diecast heart piece and a rib (but since they're inside it's almost useless too so, what a shame. I also didn't take a picture of it since you won't see it anyway once you display it.)
The combination of dark colors also makes the figure stand out pretty well when hit with light and the paint job on his scarf is also impressive as hell. The Vol. 7 Ichigo certainly isn't all PVC either, his hair at the back is using some sort of material similar to brushes and the realistic approach of the hair was certainly impressive and this style did come to use again in the modern SIC era (Kintaros Imagin). As for die cast, Ichigo might not look like it but aside from his belt, he does have a fine die cast inside as opening up his chest will reveal a diecast heart piece and a rib (but since they're inside it's almost useless too so, what a shame. I also didn't take a picture of it since you won't see it anyway once you display it.)
As early SICs tend to be more like statues, Ichigo comes with a special base which has a dead Kumo-Otoko (Spider Man) in it, and mind you that the dead Kumo-Otoko is also as heavily detailed as Ichigo himself. The base itself is full of win but do note that Ichigo can indeed stand by himself even without pegging him to the base.
As for added gimmick, you can pull down his mouth piece and reveal a human mouth there as Kamen Riders were originally genetically altered human beings with Hongo being Hopper-1 iirc XD
As early as the first Rider of the line, SIC already uses the parts swap gimmick which is also one of the main selling points of SICs for me. By exchanging the gloves, boots, belt, scarf, head and chest piece, you are given one of the mass-produced enemy riders, the Shocker Rider.
Though using the same frame from an almost static piece of figure, the Shocker Rider certainly possess a different feel around it compared to Ichigo. The helm of the Shocker Rider demonstrates an early application of metallic paint which up until now is one of the things that I like so much when they decide to use such paint on SIC models. His scarf is also different in overall mold as the scarf this time is split and can be placed to contain the shoulder in between them. The chest piece also contains a semi clear effect on it thus, at least, allowing you to view the rib outline for a bit, canceling the complete uselessness of the die cast rib and heart. Lastly, the shocker belt buckle is purely die cast and the falcon's excellently molded as well.
Though using the same frame from an almost static piece of figure, the Shocker Rider certainly possess a different feel around it compared to Ichigo. The helm of the Shocker Rider demonstrates an early application of metallic paint which up until now is one of the things that I like so much when they decide to use such paint on SIC models. His scarf is also different in overall mold as the scarf this time is split and can be placed to contain the shoulder in between them. The chest piece also contains a semi clear effect on it thus, at least, allowing you to view the rib outline for a bit, canceling the complete uselessness of the die cast rib and heart. Lastly, the shocker belt buckle is purely die cast and the falcon's excellently molded as well.
Similarly to Ichigo's head, you can also pull down the Shocker Rider's mouthpiece to reveal a human mouth as well.
| Appeal: |
Even though the earlier volumes are meant to be statues, SIC did not make them complete bricks as they gave Ichigo's frame a ball joints on the neck and the shoulders and also some swivels in his boots, gloves and probably his waist (but I can't seem to make it budge). But due to Ichigo's hands, the shoulder joint is almost pretty useless since it would make his pose look stupid; however, the neck joint is, of course, a powerful tool to increase Ichigo's appeal factor, along with some swiveling gloves, you can actually make the completely plain pose into a pose that's more appropriate for the dead Kumo-Otoko on his base.
Of course, no one will stop from messing with his arms and such, and though just really standing still as a whole, Ichigo still brings out that cool factor that I loved with almost every SIC design; you can always feel that badass factor even if he's just standing there.
While I certainly loved the Ichigo form, I don't quite liked that of the Shocker rider but it'd probably be on his where you can use the shoulder joints but I can't say for sure since I really just took him as a bonus and didn't bother playing around with him when I shot this volume from years back.
| Final Thoughts: |
While some people who are into the newer SICs might be displeased at the fact that Volume 7 is meant to be a solid display piece; for me who's a multiline collector and someone who actually started out with static figures, the volume was pretty much worth my money and besides, he's the very first Kamen Rider SIC model, what more could you ask for. Though certainly not the best out of the 3 (or 4 including the limited V3) "static" SIC Riders, Ichigo's still a highly recommended piece for those who truly appreciate the SIC line and most especially if you have Nigo (vol. 8) and V3 (vol.9). So, that's that. Hope this review was informative or anything XD
| Rating (Out of 10) | |
| Details | 10 |
| Appeal | 8.5 |
| Price | 9 |
| Overall: | 9.17 |
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment