So.. something odd happened... I bought a Mezco. Though this isn't some spur of the moment thing. Ultraman has actually been on preorder for quite a while now, and I believe it got caught up in all the COVID related madness. So, a bit late, but it's finally here.
Mezco and I aren't exactly friends, as they tend to focus on their male characters. For hardcore collectors, it's generally about the outfits the characters are wearing, which Mezco is pretty much a monopoly when it comes to figures of this size. The OG Ultraman always looked like a guy dressed in a rubber suit, a look which Mezco actually nailed quite well. This is pretty much the only necessary criteria I had for this release, because It's already been established that the articulation isn't going to win me over.
Ultraman was one of the first live action special effects driven shows in Japan, known as Tokusatsu. I've never really been a fan, but I respect its place in history. The series is alive and well today, but is much more complicated than a guy wearing a bad suit. Prices will vary, but in my case, I ordered from a Canadian store and it was about $100 USD shipped. Set contents are kind of neat:
- 1 x Main Figure (w/Light Up Eyes and Chest)
- 1 x Alternate Face w/Eyebeams
- 1 x Brothers Mantle Cape
- 12 x Hands
- 1 x Spiral Blast Effect
- 1 x Energy Blade Effect
- 1 x Spacium Beam Effect
- 1 x EDF VTOL Aircraft
- 5 x Scale Buildings
- 1 x Base/Stand
Not pretty, though again, not expected to be. What's unfortunate, however, is that it seems Mezco is still using that strangely short and stocky body for a limber character like Ultraman. Credit given where credit is due, however, the suit is made of a thick patterned vinyl that was able to handle the abuse that I put it through, yet return to its original form, no worse for wear.
These photos also highlight the Chris Benoit body shape that most of the Mezco figures have, though strangely those are for characters that are muscular, which Ultraman is not . I don't think it was a need or a larger chest cavity to accommodate the electronics.
I've already established that the Articulation is kind of average - in some ways it's better than a Marvel Legends, in other ways it's actually inferior. Ultimately, what would have been nice to see would have been are butterfly joints for the shoulders and much better head tilt, as these limit the capability of this figure to replicate classic Ultraman poses.
Otherwise, the body does do a pretty good job at getting into most of the poses I was aiming for, most likely due to the fact the suit does have some give, which understandably can look kind of wonky, but I like having the option of having my figures crawl into fetal position.
Improving the range of motion for the shoulder joints would also be great because any overhead arm poses can look really unnatural due to the need to rotate the entire arm.
The various effects parts were nicely made. There's no flaws in the plastic, nor does it feel like the parts are particularly fragile. Actual attachment methodology is pretty basic, so there's no fragile connectors to break.
There's really not much to talk about from a paint perspective. It's not bad, just there's really not much of it. It's mostly just the silver paint, which I will credit for actually colour matching the silver on the suit. The most complicated paint applications would be on the VTOL and the buildings.. But, at least the were cleanly painted. There's no questionable flesh tones and other small details like on most other Mezco figures.
Build Quality wise, nothing has fallen off or broken, despite my rough handling. I'm not sure how well the suit will hold up at the wrists, where there is high friction due to the joints being embedded within the cuff, but time will tell. Otherwise, everything is seems pretty sturdy, and I don't forseee any breakage, unlike that poor Conan release. I also don't see any obvious points of breakage, other than don't bend the Effects parts the wrong way.
If you're an Ultraman fan, this figure is probably on your radar. It's not like they make a lot of them, and outside of the 1/6 Medicom, this is probably the only other figure you'll get with a body wearing a suit. There is certainly room for improvement, but I've made peace with the fact Mezco figures are never going to blow my mind, so from the perspective of a casual collector, this figure does alright, and offers a good number of display options. EVERY fight will look like it's Kaiju sized.
Furthermore, while I was too lazy to put in the batteries, photos have shown that the light up function works nicely, giving you even more display capabilities.
So if you're looking for something different for your shelves, give Ultraman here a try.
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