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.
(Please do not hotlink images on these sites.)
Tom reviews the Volks A3 (Advanced System of Action Arms) Muv-Luv Alternative Takemikaduchi Type 00F & Type 00C Wonder Festival Summer 2009 exclusive figure.
Shishioh reviews the Bandai S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Agito (Storm Form) Jusco Store exclusive figure.
Shishioh reviews the Bandai S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Agito (Flame Form) Jusco Store exclusive figure.
Alfes reviews the Bandai S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Yuuki B-Shop and Tamashii Web exclusive figure from Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O The Movie: Final Countdown. (See also.)
Nuu, Gamu, Cosmohoshimaru and Kanon review the Bandai Robot Tamashii Masurao figure from Gundam 00.
Red reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance Sideswipe and Tech Sergeant Epps set.
Itsuki reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe class Autobot Skids and Mudflap set.
Alfes reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Encore 17 Steeljaw and Amhorn vs. Ratbat and Slugfest set.
Itsuki reviews the Hasbro Transformers Animated Deluxe class Oil Slick figure. (See also.)
Koshihara Hitoshi reviews the Bandai Shinkenger Samurai Gattai DX Daikai-Oh set.
G.S.R. reviews the CM’s Corporation Brave Gohkin Mugen Calibur (Miyazawa Model version) figure from Special Armored Batallion Dorvack. (See also.)
Tettsun reviews the Bandai Saint Myth Cloth Andromeda Shun (God Cloth) figure from Saint Seiya. (See also.)
Damien Sancho reviews the Bandai Super Imaginative Chogokin (S.I.C.) Limited Kamen Rider Nega Den-O Tamashii Web exclusive figure from Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka. (See also.)
Mojya reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Hokuto No Ken Revolution Thouzer figure. (See also.)
Gamu and Tom review the Kaiyodo Revoltech Yamaguchi Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann figure. (See also.)
Nuu reviews the Max Factory Figma Billy Herrington Nico Nico Chokuhan exclusive figure.
Gun0826 reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe The Rise of the Cobra Barbecue Toys ‘R’ Us exclusive figure.
Toyhunter reviews the Wing DX Kensetsuo set.
Retro reviews
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Brave Police J-Decker McCrane figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Micron Densetsu MC-04 Grap figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Beast Wars D-10 Kuwagiger figure.
Nekonekokoara reviews the Toy Biz Marvel Legends Showdown Booster Pack Doc Ock figure.
Mondo reviews the Volks Customa-P Rozen Maiden Suiseiseki figure.
Fanmode ver. 4
Fanmode readers would have noticed some tweaks to the format over the past week or so. These long-overdue changes are meant to help readers better navigate through the site and help us better do what we set out to do.
Fanmode was set up to highlight toy-related links that don’t appear on high-traffic web sites. We’re here to point out the obscure and the forgotten, to link to the neat Flickr photo with a few hits instead of the one currently on Explore, to tell you about the quirky-cool line most collectors ignore.
We’re less interested in what toy fans can buy next and more interested in seeing what toy fans can do with what they have now. We’re particularly keen on discovering what clever things creative toy fans are doing with their toys whether it’s an impressive custom, a whimsical photo, an amazing digirama, a creative Lego MOC or an ingenious fanmode.
To better do this, the toy links format has been changed. The front page now highlights the last 15 toy links published with the Toy Links category view now functioning as the toy links archive. Finding related links in the archive will be much easier thanks to the tags. As this new format is something of a reboot, there might not be many tagged links at the moment but given the fact Fanmode adds over 100 toy links every month, readers should find reason soon enough to spend time sifting through the archives.
Discontinued categories (the old toy links format, interesting Creative Commons-licensed toy photos, English-language review roundups, the Optimus Prime-themed love fests, etc.) still exist though they aren’t visible on the sidebar. The reason they’ve been removed was to direct the attention of first-time visitors to currently emphasised categories.
We hope these changes will help readers better understand the Fanmode mission statement. We set out to remind you toys are fun and to show you why creative toy fans are cool, and we’ve had a blast doing that for the past 21 months. We expect things to only get better.
Toy links
Classics Skyfire Prime.
Alpha Magnus’ superlative fanmode combining Jetfire and Optimus Prime. (A how-to video. YouTube, 5:46.)
Tags: fanmode, Transformers
Toy links
Armed Base.
BBB’s Assemble Borg version of the Gundam Dendrobium Orchis. (Click on the image for a better look.)
Tags: Assemble Borg, fanmode, Gundam
Toy links
MagneForce Acroyear 2.
Scroll down and click on the photo to see a vintage-inspired upgrade kit for the Microman MagneForce figures. The kit will be sold at Wonder Festival Summer 2009.
Tags: custom, kit, Microman/Micronauts
Toy links
The Art of Toy.
Click on the thumbnails to see some neat digirama.
Toy links
Checkmate. Checkmate.
A photo by Matt Brooker.
Tags: Diorama, Flickr, photo, TV
Toy links
Teamwork. Teamwork.
Photos by Justin Whitlock and Mick.
Tags: Diorama, Flickr, G.I. Joe, Lego, photo
Toy links
Bruce Lego.
More Lego mosaics by Stefan Sacherer. (See also.)
Tags: art, Flickr, Lego, MOC, photo
Toy links
Booming sales in toyland.
“There’s a robot market now, but will there be one in a few years?” A Time article from 1984.