GX-42 Kotetsushin Jeeg SOC Review by Gold

The following review was originally prepared by Gold on 8/18/08 on the Robot-Japan Forum:

Hi all, here's a review of the Gx-42 Kotetsushin Jeeg.


Box




Raikoba Bike




"Raikoba Bike " head and "Pre-transformed" head





"Raikoba Bike " head requires a peg to attach to Jeeg's torso (peg has a magnetic connector)







Bike wheels can bee seen in the back.





"Pre-transformed" head





OAV series intro.
Please click to begin playback.





BUILD UP!!!
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Kotetsushin Jeeg!!!










Comparison with Gx-01R Mazinger Z







Kotetsushin Jeeg's attack moves

In the old 1970's series Jeegs moves were primarily wrestling based (grappling and such).





Knuckle Bomber
Please click to begin video playback.














Jeeg crusher
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Hell Slap





Spin Storm
Please click to begin playback.








Jeeg Breaker
Please click to begin video playback.












Jeeg Bazooka
Please click to begin playback.






The bazooka attaches not just by the magnets but also a secondary peg is present for extra support.














As big as the Jeeg Bazooka is, it should actually be bigger.







Mach Drill
Please click to begin playback.

















Display base (the name plate comes pre-attached)




Everything can be neatly displayed.











The Good
-Diecast chest, lower waist, lower legs and connectors.
-Kotetsushin Jeeg weighs roughly 280 Grams (Reideen is 220 Grams, Gx-01R Mazinger is 320 Grams).
-Magnets hold tight!(This was one of my concerns with the toy) .
-Knuckle Bomber fires (spring triggered).
-Each segment of the Mach Drill spins.
-Nice finish, hardly any paint bleeds.
-Articulated "toes".
-Double jointed knee.
-Double jointed ankle (can rotate front to back, and sideways).



-Neck joint can look straight up (for Mach Drill flight pose).


-Mid torso joint allows "Spin Storm" pose ala Gx-07 Mazinger's "Breast Fire".








The Bad
-Plastic feet (this was a turn off for me, with Reideen it was okay since if the feet were diecast then the "God Bird" would tip backwards, but with Jeeg, I don't see any reason why the feet should be plastic)


-Plastic "Spin Storm" tummy, what's up with that? I was really hoping at least the whole torso was diecast.


-Changing the fists are a chore, make sure you have a pair of pliers on hand. Grip the peg at the joint (make sure to wrap the joint with something to prevent tool marks) and pull.



-The "Jeeg Crusher" spikey shoulder accessory is very loose, there's no clicking lock on mine (it clicks perfectly on the normal shoulder), it just sits there in the pic. Did anyone else encounter this?


-A minor quibble, I think it would've been really cool if the display stand had optional props to hold up Jeeg in "build up" mode like how they did King Joe.


-Another minor quibble, while the Mach Drills do spin, the columns don't spin in unison( you have to spin each segment manually) . It would've been cooler if it could spin in opposite directions per segment, per column, in unison, like a regular multi-layer drill bit.


-The thighs! Although I know this is the fault of the toon design, it's still a bit difficult to get the legs to come close together to fit on the display stand feet grooves due to the thick thighs! Likewise, the awkward groin joint (magnet) makes the double jointed knee pretty useless since the leg can't really go up to "crouching" level.


-Elbow joints are a too stiff, elbow connectors too loose. I found it easier to pop off the forearms, then bend the joint and reinsert the forearm to do poses.






The Ugly
-While the magnets do hold tight (very tight, which is good) the other joints are terrible! No ratchet joints in sight, and since Jeeg is a bit top heavy, it tends to fall over (weak knee and ankle joints on my unit).

Case in point, I went to answer the phone while doing the photoshoot, this is what greeted me when I came back. LOL!



Better make sure not to leave Jeeg in awkward poses on your display shelf. He can stand, just don't leave him in action poses (*Note that this could just be a problem limited to my unit though, mainly due to a weak left knee joint)





In conclusion, while I was initially really excited for this toy when it was first announced, it left me somewhat disappointed.

There are good things about it (great detail, really solid magnets), but the negatives are really somewhat disappointing for an SOC release (a few simple ratchet joints would've fixed the biggest problem IMHO).









Gold