Have I ever mentioned how much I loved GaoGaiGar?
Really, as far as mecha anime from the 1990’s is concerned, it’s seriously one of the best. Takara and Sunrise took the Brave series, a franchise that was losing in terms of ratings and toy sales, and gave viewers one last ditch effort in an attempt to give it some credibility. That show, my friends, was GaoGaiGar: a wonderful tribute to the super robot anime of old and the earlier Brave shows. What more could you ask for?
One of the best characters in the series was Volfogg: a purple ninja police car robot who commands a battleship. Yeah, I love that description. Ever since I saw the show I’ve wanted a decent figure of him, and out of all the old DX toys, his is easily the worst, mostly thanks to his impossible transformation. I was sure the Big Volfogg figure we got back in April would be the best we’d ever get. I guess Bandai is just full of surprises.
As one would expect, Volfogg is TINY. He stands at the height of an old-style G.I. Joe, possibly making him the smallest figure in the Super Robot Chogokin line. I’m not sure how accurate his scale is compared to the other members of the Saikyo Yuusha Robo Gundan. That will be easier to determine when the other members have been released.
His articulation manages to be both great and limited, at the same time. His upper body includes an ab crunch, a double-jointed neck, and some incredibly fluid joints on his arms that allow him to do his trademark “arms-crossed-across-the-chest” pose; you know, the one all badass robots do. The problems are with his legs, which have a lot of joints, but are limited due to the diecast metal and the blocky nature. Additionally, his joints also seem very spaced apart, but this is also likely due to the limitations on a figure of this size.
Limitations aside, he’s pretty damn sturdy for his size.
His accessory complement is what you’d expect: open hands, fists, and “holding stuff” hands; the two Silver Moons and the Silver Cross, a yelling head, and, most importantly, the soda cup. Really, I can’t imagine a Volfogg without this piece. It’s adorable.
But of course, the most important part of this package is the corner of the Big Order Room. Volfogg’s corner includes his little high-chair, so he can look eye-to-eye with his other teammates. It also extends, but sadly not by much.
But not only does Volfogg come with his section of the Big Order Room, he also includes his command chair from the Amaterasu! What would our favorite robot battleship commander be without his command chair? It’s a nice little accessory to use if you don’t plan on building the whole playset. When not in use, it stores right in the center, though I think it’ll have to be placed elsewhere for the full product.
While not perfect, this is easily the best Volfogg figure we’re ever going to get since I doubt a fully-transforming figure is even possible. Still, I’m happy to have a Volfogg figure on my shelf that represents about 90% of his appearances though the series, and I’m really excited to build the Big Order Room. If you’re up to the task, make sure to check FPNYC to get yourself a start!
