[Another new guest reviewer brings us a to a whole new location with this "matter of import" Articulated Review. With a toy straight from some other shore, Updatedude takes a look at this figure I've never heard of from some line I've never heard of, but it's still a joy to read. Find out what he thinks by reading on! -TAO]
Name: Kamen Rider Hibiki
Line: Kiwami Tamashii
Manufacturer: Bandai
Released: Early 2009
Price: Retail: $10.00
Scale: 3.75 in. (figure is 4.0 in. tall)
Accessories: 2 extra hands (holding clubs), clubs in passive mode, clubs holster, disc, tuning fork and holster for disk and tuning fork
I know this is out of Articulated Discussion format, but
because you guys might not be familiar with Kamen Riders or Super
Imaginative Chogokin (SIC), here's a quick preface before the review.
Kamen Rider: A cash cow franchise from Japan that's been around since
the 70s. The Kamen Rider (or Masked Rider) TV series preceed even Super
Sentai (Power Rangers in the US). To make a long story short, Kamen
Rider is like Power Rangers, only the focus is more on a main character
rather than the group. Kamen Rider stories are also typically much
darker than normal Super Sentai/Power Rangers fare.
There are two eras of Kamen Rider; the Ishimori Era, named after the
father of the series, and the Heisei Era, which consist of shows made
after Mr. Ishimori's death. Hibiki is a Heisei Era Kamen Rider.
SIC: Hyper detailed re-imaginings of Kamen Rider designs. These guys
represent Ishimori's true vision for the Kamen Riders; which frankly,
is rather maccabre, even grotesque. You get used to it after awhile...
SIC Kiwami Tamashii figures are scaled down versions of the 7" scale
SIC line. As such, Kamen Rider Hibiki here has inherited that line's
hyper detail and stylization. As prefaced above, giving a toy the SIC
treatment can result in a(n intentionally) grotesque monster of a
figure. In Hibiki's case, it works, as Hibiki is actually supposed to
be an Oni, or Japanese Ogre.
Truly, Hibiki is hideously beautiful. It's not simply that the sculpt's
very detailed, which it is, but the details have a very organic quality
to them. Just look at those abs and that manly back! Putting Hibiki
next to other 3.75" figures, he stands out like a McFarlane figure
surrounded by Mattel Kens and Barbies.
Speaking of the 3.75" scale, Hibiki is a tad on the tall side. He's
actually closer to 4" scale, or the same height as a Star Wars Darth
Vader. Which means that in the context of 3.75", he's a 7 foot mythical
Japanese demon. I can dig that.
But perhaps the best thing about Hibiki's sculpt is how well he hides
his joints. The only places you can spot his articulation are in his
inner elbows, and the back of his knees. He otherwise looks very
natural, almost like a tiny statue as opposed to an action figure.
Sculpt Score: 10 / 10
The paint's pretty amazing here. Hibiki's got this wash
effect over his body that really brings out all his musculature. And
the fade of colors is impressive, for instance, check out his forearms
and see how his red hands fade into the purple body coloration. Or that
weird white smidge on his face.
Or check out the paint details to things like his belt buckle, or his
accessories. For the size, it's all pretty impressive. Even his
loincloth has a nice leathery brown to it. Hibiki's very nearly
flawless, if not indeed flawless.
Paint Score: 10 / 10
Articulation is superb in this figure. The larger SIC
figures started out as basically statues, and through the years, became
more articulated. Hibiki here follows the the tradition of the latter,
but does not seem to have the fragility that infamously plagues the
SIC. Granted I haven't dropped Hibiki, but it doesn't look like he's
going to snap apart anytime soon.
Hibiki has a balljoint at the head, full movement in his shoulders,
swivel biceps, elbows with a high degree of bend, swivel wrists,
balljointed torso, balljointed hips, swivel thighs, doublejointed knees
and very versatile ankles. Despite his tall, lanky proportions, Hibiki
is able to easily strike plenty of poses that require balance.
He does suffer from a couple of problems in the articulation department
though, and that's that due to the head and collar sculpt, his head
movement is restricted, despite being on a balljoint. He can turn it
well enough, but he's one of those toys who're forever looking down.
His thigh swivels are also restricted, though they have enough movement
to cross Hibiki's legs. But Hibiki's biggest drawback here is by far,
his inability to kick straight backward. He can do the side splits and
kick his leg straight up, but his loincloth prevents him from moving
his legs back from the hips. Thus ends Hibiki's aspirations for the
Olympics.
But despite his lack of perfection articulation-wise, I can forgive
Hibiki. Not just because he's still highly poseable, but because as
mentioned above, his sculpt hides his joints oh so well. You'll note
that I simply said his shoulders have full range of moment, whereas for
his other body parts, I mention what kinda joints he has. That's
because I have no idea what joint is within Hibiki's shoulders. His
shoulders cover it up completely, while not restricting him at all. So
while it's probably a balljoint, I can't confirm it.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
Hibiki looks great, he's articulated, he's durable and
he even scales with 3.75" toys if you have them. On his own, Hibiki is
loads of fun. Against other toys though, he has a fatal flaw/strength.
You see, amongst the 3.75" scale figures, Hibiki stands out TOO much.
He's TOO hyper detailed. It doesn't matter whether you're pitting him
next to a smooth bodied Stormtrooper or wrinkly alien from Star Wars,
or even the realistic G.I. Joe or even Hibiki's own toyetic cousins,
the Motion Revive Series. He just stands out. A lot.
Obviously, with imagination and denial, you can still make Hibiki work.
But it's still an unusual, yet actual problem with Hibiki in that he
actually looks TOO good. It's like a supermodel hanging around
stereotypical overweight and dishelved toy nerds, it just don't look
right.
Fun Score: 7 / 10
Hibiki comes with an extra pair of hands which hold his
Ogenkibo (drum sticks), a holder for the Ogenkibo in passive mode, an
ancient mythical Japanese Blu Ray, a tuning fork and a holder for the
Blu Ray and tuning fork.
He's a tall 3.75" scale figure that is highly poseable, super detailed
and given a wash and paintjob on the level of specialty market
collectibles. Guess how much I paid for mine?
I got my SIC Kiwami Tamashii Kamen Rider Hibiki at an import hobby shop
for... let's see, current rate of conversion... high import taxes...
calculator says... around 6.75 USD. At the OTHER hobby shop, I saw it
for around 9.00 USD.
Now, I might have gotten Hibiki for an especially good price, but even
if you order online, he should only be in the 10.00 USD range. That's a
friggin' good price, especially nowadays when a puny little 3.75"
Hasbro figure will set you back 12-13 bucks.
Value Score: 10 / 10
Summary
10 - Pretty much a spot on figure. His sculpt is exceptional
at this scale. Only possible drawback is if you're not into the SIC
aesthetic or the character/series/genre.
10 - At this scale, they've gone all out with Hibiki's color. It's pretty crazy.
8 - Not only does he have great articulation, but they're all perfectly hidden.
7 - Looks? Check! Articulation? Check! Accessories? Eh, adequately checked. This guy should play well alone or with your 3.75".
10 - Comparing Hibiki to Marvel Universe, Wolverine Origins
or even Star Wars, there's no contest. You're getting way more in terms
of quality than what you're paying.
Overall Score: 90 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy
I know I gues about this guy. I know I score
extremely high in all categories, but he deserves it. I tried, I really
tried, but there's so little wrong with the guy. I mean, how can I
score his sculpt as being bad when he's as detailed as a 7" figure?
It's not like he has all his joints showing like some Marvel Legends
toys or he's got an oversized nose that's not show accurate. Nor can I
fault his style, and he's modelled after the SIC series, and they're
meant to have this kinda look. Heck, I docked his "Fun" score for being
too GOOD looking.
SIC Kiwami Tamashi Kamen Rider Hibiki is a high quality figure, priced
at a steal. If you're a SIC fan, a Kamen Rider fan, a 3.75" fan or you
can appreciate a toy on its merits, grab 'em. However, if you're simply
not into the aesthetic, he's probably not going to change your mind
when you get him.
For an alternate take on SIC Kiwami Tamashi Kamen Rider Hibiki, there's
a YouTube review by Vangelus here, and another review here.
-Updatedude
Updatedude is the fellow to turn to when you have a question about imported toys. Besides that expertise, he's an active member of the collector community and regularly contributes his opinions and reviews at a little place called Turqoise Version, so be sure to visit and get your regular imported fill.
