Italian toy manufacturers Giochi Preziosi may not be the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of Dragon Ball merchandising, but Japanese animation TV series are hugely popular in Italy so it isn't actually that surprising to discover Anime action figures appearing here. And what a great job they've done by the looks of this fabulous Goku I found on a market stall the other day, outdoing even Irwin and Jakks in turns of sculpt and articulation. This is Goku in his Super Saiyan 4 … [Read more...]
Goku from Dragon Ball Z
The collection of Japanese Anime action figures is very much a sub-genre within action figure collecting as a whole and I certainly wouldn't profess to having anything other than the slightest passing knowledge of the subject. Having said that, however, I know a handsome looking action figure when I see one, so this impressive sculpt of Dragon Ball Z hero Goku immediately caught my attention when I saw him on a market stall in Rome recently. Curiously, Japanese animation TV series have always … [Read more...]
Mobile Suit Gundam RX-78-2
It's always fun hunting down vintage action figures on market stalls or in thrift shops, but this snap-together Gundam model kit proved more of a challenge than most. I spotted the limbless and headless torso first, in a box of mostly broken toys and it took a lot of painstaking rummaging around before I managed to gather and assemble all his parts! With hands and feet and even shoulder pads detached, I was incredibly satisfied to have at least found all his body parts, if not all his … [Read more...]
Celebrating 30 years of Gundam!
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Gundam a giant 59-foot action figure built on a steel frame using fiberglass-reinforced plastic will tower over Tokyo this July for two months. The figure will even have one point of articulation - the giant head will actually move! Image © Gundam.info … [Read more...]