BANDAI - MANGA REALIZATION - BAOH

Here are a few snapshots of my recently acquired Manga Realiaztion BAOH figure.

Yes, this is indeed a full fledged action figure with all the articulation that you'd expect from a figure. Bandai, however, also included a set of pre-posed lower legs (from the waist down) that you can swap out with the articulated ones to create a more dynamic pose (one that you can't actually achieve with the figure's regular articulation) that fits perfectly onto the pegs located on the diorama's base.

I will hopefully get around to doing a real review on this figure-- along with some more info on it-- once I begin my action figure reviews.

Anyway-- on to the photos!!

 The diorama base (something we need to come with more action figures!) is a giant severed mandrill head!!

 

 Baoh comes with multiple hands and arm blades, including these blood covered ones. Simply brilliant!!

 Since this figure was sculpted by hyper-talented S.I.C. sculptor Takayuki Takeya it shares many of S.I.C.'s design tricks. All the flesh on the upper torso is cast in transparent plastic and then painted. This is most beautifully evident on the head sculpt(s).

All of the blood on both Baoh and the mandrill's severed head (and tongue) are also cast in a deep transparent red plastic giving this piece an intense, high-end, collector's look.

Having been a huge fan of Baoh since the early 90's when Viz Comics imported the original mangas, as well as the bloody gore-infested OVA's, finally having a figure of this level of quality (and size, it stand nearly 8") is like a dream come true.

Sadly, even though there are so many characters from this era that could fit perfectly into Bandai's Manga Realization line, they don't seem to be doing much-- if anything-- with it. 

I would love to see a new line of Guyver figure! I can't even begin to imagine what Takayuki Takeya's version of Devilman and Seline would be like! (Although I have to think it would be very much like Nirasawa's, who is obviously Takeya's main influence.) 

This figure is just about as perfect as they come-- fingers crossed that Bandai does something more with this line.

S.I.C. MASKED RIDER "THE NEXT" MASKED RIDER 1 (ICHIGO) & MASKED RIDER 2 (NIGO)

Thought I'd share some shots of my newly acquired S.I.C. (Super Imaginative Chogokin) Masked Rider figures from the Japanese movie "Masked Rider: The Next". 

 Unlike the early S.I.C.s, these guys are wonderfully articulated.

"The Next" was the sequel to-- you guessed it-- "Masked Rider: The First"! 

Ready to take on a gang of Shock Riders!

The second movie also featured Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) V3, but sadly, S.I.C. never made a figure of him. I do hear that third movie might be in the works which will introduce Riderman, so hopefully we'll see a new 2-pack from that movie with both V3 and Riderman. I love these updated versions of the old 70's characters, and S.I.C. works their usual artistic flair and interpretation into these two figures. 

A darker and moodier shot, much like the tone of the second movie on which these two figures are based.

These figures have been long sold out everywhere I looked, so when I found them on Amazon Japan, I used a special service to buy the set and ship it to me. They only charge 5% of the total as their fee-- very reasonable-- so it really didn't cost me much more than if I'd bought them direct myself.

"Rider Ichigo-- Henshin!"

 "Rider Nigo-- Henshin!"