In 2002, there was a 52-episode anime series Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier. This was the third television series in the long-running Cyborg 009 franchise that began in 1967 with a manga that spanned 38 volumes until 1981 and spun off into seven films and several popular television shows. The series was created by Shotaro Ishinomori (the genius behind Power Rangers) and features nine cyborgs with unique powers that were created sequentially as new guinea pigs were kidnapped and experimented upon. The newest cyborg, Cyborg 009, is Joe Shimamura who wakes up with new powers, fractured memories, and soon leads a revolt with the previous eight cyborgs. The character design of the series has gone basically unchanged since the beginning, so when this new animated series started in 2002, it spawned a ton of toys that can represent all eras of the Cyborg 009 franchise. Cyborg 003 is the sole female, a French woman with enhanced vision and hearing. Let's check out Francoise below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Cyborg 009 - FRANCOISE ARNOUL (Cyborg 003)!
Friday, June 17, 2022
Astro Boy - URAN!
In the past 10 years or so I've become a big fan of Osamu Tezuka. He is known by many nicknames, but I was always fond of "The Godfather of Manga." At over 150,000 pages and 700 volumes of manga in his brief 60 years, he earns that title easily. Interestingly, I think what finally turned me from a casual appreciative fan into a mega-fan was the launching of KickStarter and the almost immediate campaigns to translate various works of his into English. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I picked up the very first KickStarter-funded manga of his at my local comic shop and was instantly smitten. But way before I began obsessing over his manga, I was a big of the 1963 black & white Astro Boy anime (an adaptation of Tezuka's Mighty Atom manga from 1952). I had an VHS with a handful of episodes and I was blown away by the quality. It's was lightyears ahead of American animation. I even played the exact same tape on a loop in my college years for background ambiance at parties, and it always got attention.
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Netflix's Eden - SARA!
This purchase is very unlike me. Although I definitely am known to dabble in anime, I rarely buy product product tied to the movies or shows (unless they are super classic/retro). But something about the Netflix original anime series, Eden, really captured my attention. So when I saw Super7 was releasing a line of Target-Exclusive products for the show, I knew I would at least have to pick up the main character, Sara. If you haven't seen Eden, I would definitely suggest it. It's only four short 25 minute episodes. I find the show especially intriguing because I can't tell who the intended audience is. It could easily be for kids, but it also deals with pretty dark themes.. flaws of humanity, apocalypse, greed, etc. It reminds me of a mashup of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and The Matrix with a somehow family-friendly vibe. I don't know if there will be a season two or not, but either way I think the cast of this futuristic world is pretty finite and these are likely the only toys we will see. Let's check out Sara below!
Monday, November 22, 2021
Avatar - KATARA!
Avatar is one of those properties I always intended to pay more attention to, but just haven't. Elemental-themed powers in a unique fantasy world is something I would definitely be drawn to, but it rose to popularity at a time when I was a young professional pinching my pennies and focusing on my career. I was just starting to dabble in comics and toys again, but I honestly didn't even own a TV. My first exposure to the property was actually the live action film in 2010 (which didn't thrill me), and recently I watched and highly enjoyed spinoff series The Legend of Korra. Yet I still haven't actually watched the original Avatar. The action figures never really appealed to me until this new Katara figure from McFarlane toys. Previous toylines had either zero female characters, or had figures that seemed overpriced for their quality. But this new McFarlane line is a great introduction. The figures are fun, well-sculpted, and inexpensive. The show is on my watch list of this Winter now. Let's check out Katara below!
Friday, September 10, 2021
Robotech - LISA HAYES!
Being a Robotech fan and collector can be really problematic for me. I loved all three chapters of the Robotech Saga so much. I love that the story spans generations, three different alien invasions, and introduces us to tons of unique and interesting characters. Those characters are what make it for me. Without them it would just be like Top Gun in space. And I think a lot of fans would agree. But when it comes to the toys, it seems like 90% of the focus is on the transforming planes and motorcycles. In the show, these vehicles create a great dimension to the battle scenes and are very cool in their own right, but when that becomes the focus of all the toys, especially in lieu of the human characters, I get bored quick. There as been a pretty steady flow of Robotech merchandise over the years, but this current Toynami series is the first to focus on humans in more than 30 years. It's long overdue. Lisa Hayes is the Commander of the SDF-1 Battle Fortress and a very deserving of more toys. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Robotech - CLAUDIA GRANT!
When the first Toynami Robotech 3.75" action figures came in 2018, I immediately developed a huge wishlist in my head. I'll admit the top of my list was characters from Robotech: The New Generation, but with the hunch that they would stick to The Macross Saga, my number one wish was Claudia Grant. Claudia was an impressive character. She was third in command of the SDF-1 Battle Fortress under Captain Gloval and Commander Lisa Hayes. Lisa was rather stiff and by-the-book, but Claudia was more relaxed and confident and all the other women on the bridge looked up to her. She wasn't all business though. Claudia had an intriguing relationship with bad-boy pilot Roy Fokker. It was also very rare to see a woman of color in action-based animation back in 1985. I can only think of two others: Astrea from Space Sentinels and Lt. Uhura from Star Trek the Animated Series (FYI Netossa came in 1986). Overall she was a standout in a huge cast and it's amazing she finally got a toy. Let's check out Claudia below!
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Macross - CLAUDIA LA SALLE!
One great thing about the trend of American media in the 80s and 90s co-opting Japanese properties for an English-speaking audience is the chance for us to double-dip into two collectible markets. Transformers, Voltron, Robotech, and Power Rangers all have distinct American and Japanese toylines, and avid collectors like me eat it up. The first season of Robotech (US) was a re-edited Super Dimension Fortress Macross. The US action figures of the human and Zentradi characters weren't the best, even by 80s standards. And until recently most characters have gone completely without representation in plastic. But the Japanese market continually revisited the property with interesting product. These 1998 mini PVC statues from Banpresto gave us what I believe is the first Claudia figure ever. Note that her name was changed to Grant for the US market. I have had this in storage forever, but the recent Toynami figure inspired me to finally open her for review. Let's check out Claudia below!
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Robotech - LYNN MINMEI!
I have a love/hate relationship with Lynn Minmei. On one hand, she's a major character in the first season of Robotech, she brings a much needed pop culture element to an otherwise military-focused story, and she is the initial love interest for the main character, Rick Hunter. But on the other hand, I just find her totally annoying. She's a bubbly popstar and beauty pageant contestant with a rather grating presence (in my humble opinion). Her songs are... unique. And they become the soundtrack for so many episodes. Her fashion choices are also very specific. Her vintage toy in a yellow and teal polka-dot outfit was the only figure from the line I never tried to get. But before her character wins Miss Macross and becomes famous, she worked at a Chinese restaurant called Nyan-Nyan and wore this traditional cheongsam. I love this outfit because it lets me include Lynn Minmei in my collection without hurting my eyes. Plus it compliments the streamlined uniforms of the other characters. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, July 4, 2021
Robotech - LISA HAYES!
When people think about that iconic first season of Robotech, a lot of characters probably come to mind. Of the many females in the huge cast, Linn Minmei and Miriya get the bulk of screen time and character development. But I was always most impressed by Lisa Hayes. Lisa is the First Officer aboard the SDF-1. She comes from a military family (her father is Admiral Donald Hayes) and shows competency and leadership from the minute she steps on screen. She is skilled at directing the Veritech fighters and even created some maneuvers that became standard practice. I also like that she lead an almost entirely female bridge crew. Lisa's presence added brains and strategy to the boys' club of pilots and officers. And to top it all off, she eventually ended up marrying the main character, Rick Hunter (but I must stress, unlike others in the cast, she was not a boy-crazy one-note character at all). This line of 6" scale action figures is kind of a dream come true. The price point is a little steep, but so far they're worth it.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Roblox - NITR0-Z!
I've always been really drawn to anime-esque character design. Although the actual anime and manga I consume is very drawn in a simple and retro style (Takahashi, Tezuka, Miyazaki, etc), that doesn't mean the more modern bright colored hair, animal ears, and goggles aesthetic doesn't appeal to me. In the past I've been obsessed with the idea of toylines like Palisades Space Channel 5 or Bandai's EXH, but the actual execution of the toys kept me from ever making any purchases. This new Nitr0-Z figure is the first time I've ever actually purchased a character from this design genre... and I think she's awesome! The bright colors, dynamic sculpt, great articulation, and cool translucent accessories make for a figure that's hard to resist. Roblox is a game system that frankly confuses me. I gather that players can create characters and games and challenge others to play. The characters historically seemed to be blocky lego-like creations, but lately (luckily) they have much more realistic human bodies.
Monday, November 2, 2020
Dragonball Evolution - BULMA!
It seems like every time an anime series becomes a certified worldwide success, some genius decides to make a live action version which almost never holds up. Big ones that come to mind are The Last Airbender, Ghost in the Shell, and Alita: Battle Angel. These movies often have mixed reviews, but are usually far less successful than their source material. One of the most universally panned examples is Dragonball: Evolution from 2009 (with a dismal 15% on Rotten Tomatoes). I never saw the movie, but the consensus seems that the story was muddy, the characters weren't engaging, the CGI was inconsistent, and the movie overall was full of lame clichés. The reviews are very entertaining, and they actually make me want to watch it. Bandai had high hopes and pushed out a toy line in 2008 with both 6" and 3.75" figures. The sole female release was a 3.75" Bulma (played by Emmy Rossum). Bulma is the token female typically portrayed as a brilliant scientist and creator. Let's check her out below!
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Cyborg 009 - FRANCOISE ARNOUL (Cyborg 003)!
Shotaro Ishinomori is a prominent creator in Japanese culture and across the world. He is probably best known for creating the Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) genre. But he is equally notable for various manga and anime properties, my favorite of which is Cyborg 009. Beginning as a manga series that ran from 1967-1981, it has spawned 7 animated movies, and 3 separate animated series. The story focuses on Joe Shimamura (aka Cyborg 009) who wakes up to find himself cybernetically enhanced and with only intermittent memories of his past. He meets all the other previous Cyborgs (numbers 001 through 008) and they all escape the facility that kidnapped and experimented on them. Each Cyborg has one unique ability, like flight, shapeshifting, telepathy, etc. The premise reminds me of other more modern properties that I've loved like Next Men and Gen13. Something I especially appreciate about Cyborg 009 is their matching uniforms that barely changed throughout their 56-year run.
Friday, March 20, 2020
Centauria - GO NAGAI ROBOT COLLECTION!
Go Nagai is a provocative and prolific creator. He is most known in the US for Mazinger Z, Devilman, and Cutie Honey. All of which were groundbreaking in many ways, but they also all have oddly objectifying themes for the female characters. On one hand, Cutie Honey (1973) has the first female protagonist in a shonen manga series. But every time the character transforms into the heroine, she is nude for a second. Devilman (1972) is full of female characters, but a large number of them are humanoid demons who wear no clothes. And of course, Mazinger Z (1972) introduced female mecha to manga and anime, but that innovative inclusion is tempered by the fact that almost all these robots have breasts that are weaponized and can be launched as warheads. All that said, I don't find any of these traits actually offensive. Sometimes they are worthy of an eye-roll, but nothing is overtly sexual and there is a consistent playfulness that let's you just enjoy the simple retro designs and historical context.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Centauria Figurines - MAZINGER ANGELS!
Calling this group the "Mazinger Angels" is a bit of a misnomer. All four of these characters were introduced individually throughout different iterations of the Mazinger series throughout the early 1970s. Then in 2004, they were brought together in a new manga series called Mazinger Angels (a spoof on Charlie's Angels), but with very different color schemes, while these figures here show their original colors. I became obsessed with Go Nagai's female mecha about 15 years now when a friend was reminiscing about his favorite childhood cartoon in the Philippines and how these big female robots would launch their breasts like missiles. I had to Google it out of morbid curiosity and quickly got swept into the world of Mazinger. The series is notable for introducing female mecha to the world of anime and manga. But it's also notorious for the Oppai Missile System, where these characters literally have weaponized breasts. It's ridiculous and weird, but I overlook it for the historical context of these awesome bots.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Urusei Yatsura - LUM!
Urusei Yatsura is an iconic manga series which was published from 1978-1987 (plus an anime series from 1981-1987). I was often exposed to images of Lum, the bikini-clad flying girl with little horns, when I was young (her popularity in Japan somehow traveled across the ocean, albeit without much context), but my first real exposure came when the comics began to be reprinted in the US in the early 90s. I was instantly hooked. Lum's author and artist, Rumiko Takahashi, is one of my top five favorite creators of all time. She's most commonly known for Inu-Yasha or Ranma 1/2, but I've literally loved every series she's created. Urusei Yatsura roughly translates into "Those Obnoxious Aliens" and deals with a threatened alien invasion that can only be thwarted if a randomly chosen young man, the lecherous and comically unlucky Ataru, can win a game of tag against the young alien princess, Lum. Wacky hijinks, zany characters, and ridiculous scenarios ensue - for nine years and 374 stories!
Monday, September 17, 2018
Robotech - LYNN MINMEI!
I really love animation. Especially properties from the 1970s and 1980s. And even if a movie or show is terrible, I still usually find find some silver lining and appreciate the overall effort. Consistently though, my biggest issues have revolved around music. Specifically when a character or characters sing an irritating song. My number one example is Rankin and Bass's Return of the King from 1980. The music makes that film (almost) unwatchable for me. A close second is Lynn Minmei's song stylings in Robotech. In the show she is a beauty pageant contestant and pop star in Macross City. The memories of those songs still make me cringe. Although I must admit I recently rewatched the whole series on Netflix and for the first time I was able to sit all the way though her performances. Minmei is the only figure from the 1985 Matchbox line that I never picked up, so I'm super glad we got this great updated figure in the first wave. And she's actually wearing my favorite outfit of hers. Let's check her out below!
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Robotech - MIRIYA!
Robotech is one of those 1980's properties that was just way ahead of its time. In fact, I honestly didn't appreciate it until the mid-90s while it was in heavy syndication on the SciFi Channel (and later Cartoon Network). Robotech is composed of three independent Anime series edited into once long multi-generational space odyssey - which is blasphemy for anime purists, I know - but it was my first real exposure to Anime so I will always adore it. In the mid-80s there was a commendable toy series from Matchbox and Harmony Gold. It was missing tons of core characters, but it included at least five females from across the three chapters. The problem is that all the figures had really weird headsculpts. They made early GIJoes look like masterpieces. Surprisingly it took 33 years to get new action figures, but they are gorgeous so it was worth the wait. Now I just want a Lisa Hayes and Claudia (Not to mention all the characters from the Masters and New Generation). Let's check out Miriya below!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Funko POP! Asia - PRINCESS SAPPHIRE!
Several years ago I was in one of my local comic shops and picked up the first volume of the 12-volume manga epic, Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka. Many years prior I had notice an abundance of Phoenix figurines which prompted me to investigate and discover the manga. But at the time, the first volume was selling for well over $100. I was interested, but not obsessed enough to spend that much. So years later when I found it for cover price on the shelf I was really happy. Then overnight I became a huge Osamu Tezuka fan. I had heard his name all my life (I was a big fan of Astroboy in high school and I knew of the Tezuka manga award). His 44 year career in comics earned him the title "The Godfather of Manga" and in the course of his life he drew over 700 volumes (very few of which have been translated into English, relatively). I've read quite of bit of his work since then (and loved it all) but my favorite by far has been Princess Knight. For a comic published between 1953-56, it was shockingly relevant.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Cubix: Robots For Everyone - ABBY!
Cubix was a Korean CGI-cartoon that was translated for English audiences in 2001. The main character was a boy named Connor who lived in Bubble Town in the year 2044 when robots outnumber humans. When Connor arrives to Bubble Town, he does not have his own robot, but soon he manages to fix Cubix, the "Unfixable Robot." Cubix ends up having unexpected abilities and his relationship with Connor is the focus of the show. Abby is Connor's nosy neighbor who shows him the ropes of the robot world. They first met when she sent her robot pet Dondon to fly over and spy on him. This action figure is a random acquisition for me. I got her in an eBay lot several years ago. She's not the type of figure I would ever make an effort to buy on her own, but for some reason never wanted to part with her. When I realized she was made by the commendable, but defunct, Trendmasters (90's Godzilla, Voltron: 3rd Dimension, Mars Attacks), I knew I had to give her a proper review. Let's check out Abby below!
Monday, September 1, 2014
Skysurfer Strike Force SLICED ICE!
Skysurfer Strike Force was an animated series from 1995 that never got its proper time in the sun. It lasted two seasons and was fairly popular. But for some reason it was lost to time and you almost never hear mention of the cartoon or the toylines. The story in a nutshell is that there are five protagonists with powerful watches that transform them into the Skysurfers - and also turn their vehicles into giant hovercraft/surfboard things. The bad guys are a group of "bio-borgs" led by the evil Cybron, who stole a technologically-developed brain from Skysurfer-One's Dad and connected it to his own brain to make himself an evil genius. Yeah, the plot is weak, and so are the surfboard gimmicks to be honest. But what is great about this series is the throwback to 80's cartoon culture by means of outlandish character design and wonderfully repetitive transformation sequences. When watching this show, I see correlations to Bravestarr, Silverhawks, C.O.P.S., and so many more, despite airing at a time when most cartoons were in the choppy early stages of CGI. This show just had a classic quality about it that I really appreciate.
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