Revoltech checklist
Updated Jul. 15 with Getter-1 (Renewal version) review links
Kaiyodo’s main line of Revoltech figures was rebranded as the Yamaguchi Series with the release of the 13th wave in May 2007. It gets its name from the sculptor, Yamaguchi Katsuhisa.
Born in 1970, Yamaguchi was an avid anime fan and active in modeller circles in his college days before joining Kaiyodo in 1993. He quickly made a name for himself with his work on Hokuto No Ken 200x, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Trigun figures.
The figures in the Revoltech Yamaguchi Series are generally about 12cm tall and retail for about 2000 yen. Kaiyodo has released two figures every month since May 2006 and has also released variants as exclusives.
The following Revoltech Yamaguchi Series checklist (which currently excludes the exclusives) includes links to Japanese pictorial reviews that have a generous amount of photos.
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Revoltech links
For further reading about Kaiyodo and the Revoltech line, check out the following links.
Kaiyodo
Japanese Wikipedia entry.
This has a good summary of Kaiyodo’s growth from plastic model shop to internationally acclaimed company.
Wikipedia entry.
A brief overview of the company
Sculptor bios (Japanese).
Kaiyodo is one of the few companies that credits and promotes its sculptors.
Revoltech
Revoltech Express (Japanese).
Kaiyodo’s Revoltech blog.
Wikipedia entry.
A good overview of the line with a checklist of released figures.
Japanese Wikipedia entry.
It’s suggested the Revolver joint was named after the handgun and considering Nightow Yasuhiro’s apparent gun fetish in Trigun and Gungrave, it seems likely. The Revoltech packaging colour also denotes the figure type: blue is for real robots, red for super robots, green for humanoids, and orange used when the main line was unified and rebranded as the Yamaguchi Series.
Fan wiki (Japanese).
The FAQ section is notable.
CollectionDX reviews.
Reviews of most of the figures.
Revoltech intro
Osaka-based Kaiyodo started out as Miyawaki Osamu’s small hobby store in Moriguchi city in 1964. He had closed his book loaning business and began selling plastic scale models simply because his son loved them. The store eventually became a gathering place for modellers to socialise and exchange ideas.
In the 80s, Kaiyodo began producing its own figures, beginning with high quality limited run garage kits before going into full scale mass production in 1997.
Now headed by Miyawaki’s eldest son, Shuichi, the Japanese company has gained international recognition for its detailed and faithful sculpts. Its dinosaur models grace the Museum of Natural History in New York and a full-sized Murakami Takashi Miss ko2 figure based on a 1/5 scale prototype by Kaiyodo sculptor Bome was sold for USD567,500 at Christie’s.
Action figure aficionados will naturally gravitate towards the Revoltech line of highly posable figures. Featuring Kaiyodo’s trademark emphasis on sculpting and detail, the line is a little unusual in that it derives its name from a joint.
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Cast away
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by ckirkman.
Toy review roundup
Matrix Prime does a video review of the unreleased Hasbro Transformers Animated Starscream figure.
yo go re reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Lady Jaye figure.
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe Combat Squad Desert Wolf figure.
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Bandai Power Rangers 15th Anniversary S.P.D Red Ranger figure.
Dan Wakerhauser reviews the Playmates TMNT Alien Hunter Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dumpjumper and Thrashmor figures.
yo go re reviews the Diamond Select Toys Minimates Taskmaster and USAgent Previews exclusive two-pack.
Mikesgtrs does a video review of the Character Options Doctor Who Dalek Thay toy from the Daleks in Manhattan set.
Jager reviews the Rocketworld Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo Adam the Baby Robo-Rhino Free Bento exclusive figure.
Retro reviews
Josh Bernard reviews the Takatoku Regult figure from the Macross series.
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Rampart figure.
mechanical_wunder reviews the Tomy Zoids RPZ-11 Gunbluster kit.
mechanical_wunder reviews the Tomy Zoids EHI-07 Reddra kit.
Mazin go!
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by scalleja.
Toy links
Microman training.
Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized image. It apparently took 20 attempts to get all those bowls balanced for this recreation of the Horse Stance training scene from Drunken Master.
Wakka Wakka.
Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a power pellet, kid.
Custom RealxHead Chaos figure.
“I tried the ‘Fighting Spirit’ technique of rubbing off the paint to reveal the contrasting vinyl underneath, but leaving paint in all the nooks and crannies.”
The 5 most ill-conceived action figures. [via]
2008 toy industry forecast.
What toy industry leaders learnt last year and what they expect this year.
Deer oh deer
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by Llima.
Japanese toy review roundup
The following reviews are in Japanese but they include a generous amount of photos so they’re well worth checking out.
Pokotannu reviews the Bandai Mugenbine MugenAnubis, MugenSphinx, MugenScorpion, MugenRa and MugenSebek candy toys and their combined form, MugenPharaoh.
Damien Sancho reviews the Banpresto DX High Scale Model RX-78-2 Gundam figure.
Damien Sancho reviews the Bandai S.I.C Kamen Rider Todoroki (Mazora coloured version) Hobby Japan mail-order limited figure.
SR../Blood Zwei reviews the MegaHouse Palm Action Knightmare Frame Lancelot figure from the Code Geass series.
Momodani reviews the Bandai Chogokin Time Lightan (Silver), Coin Lightan, Light Lightan, Cutter Lightan and Meter Lightan reissued figures from the Gold Lightan series.
Mojya reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Ingram 2 (movie edition) Friend Shop exclusive figure from the Patlabor movie. (See also.)
Mojya and Ken Murasame (part 2) review the Kaiyodo Fraulein Revoltech Ayanami Rei figure from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series (See also.)
Kuronuko Yamato reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Brocken figure from the Patlabor anime. (See also.)
Taku1 reviews the Bandai Kamen Rider Den-O Saikyou Rider Form King Liner candy toy.
Toybu reviews the Good Smile Company Action Figure Nendoroid Mabinogi Nao figure.
Tom reviews the GSI Creos P:Chara Monster Hunter Reia Equip figure. (See also.)
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Movie Final Battle Jazz figure. (See also.)
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Movie Autobot Jazz figure.
Toybu reviews the Hasbro Transformers Classics Mirage figure.
Retro reviews
Esuyu reviews the Takara Transformers Super Link Grand Convoy (part 2) figure.
Esuyu reviews the Takara Transformers Super Link Galvatron figure.
Misodrill reviews the Hasbro Transformers Beast Machines Air Attack Optimus Primal figure.
X-wing
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by Skip The Budgie.