Tekkaman Blade/Teknoman Armor Plus Figure

[Solidus]

Tekkaman Blade/Teknoman Armor Plus Figure (UPDATED)

Edit (1/14/11)

One year after the initial release of "Armor Plus Tekkaman Blade" and Bandai is continuing to roll out new figures for Tekkaman Blade in their Armor Plus line!

Tekkaman Evil "Blaster" is scheduled for a May 2011 release according to BBTS. I'm not sure if this one is a Bandai shop exclusive, since a few stores have it up for pre-order:

$204.99 @ Big Bad Toy Store

Link: https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=BAN13546&mode=retail&picture=out

"Tekkaman Blade Gloss Color Version" (re-release of the original figure from 2010)

$179.99 @ Big Bad Toy Store

Link: https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=BAN13547&mode=retail&picture=out

Personally, I think that the prices from BBTS seem way too expensive, especially considering that these are 8 inch figures. It'll be best to search on Ebay when they become available at retail.

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Edit (2/19/10):

knightslade2007's (aka. SOLIDSNAKE) video review of "Armor Plus Tekkaman Blade" is up on YouTube! Check out his review thread on the link below:

https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72054

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Review from Canuck_Spartan:

JUST got my Tekkaman, and here are my initial impressions after snapping on the armor and some weapons.

Articulation: A-
Not as good as expected.
Legs; occasionally limited by character design (ie heel spikes don't allow for much forward/backward pivoting of the feet)
Torso; decent range of movement. can't curl into a ball, but offers a plethora of possible poses.
Arms; a triumph of engineering! The shoulder armor is so snug, with the design allowing for an enormous number of poses.
Hands; exceptable. The wrist point allows for decent posing, but the attachment engineering leaves something to be desired.

Accessories: A
A great assortment of accessories. Everything blade used in the show is included as far as I can tell. I would have liked to seem some transparent thruster components to add a flying effect, but that's a personal nit-pick

Paint: A-
Well done throughout. Diecast armor is coated with a well adhered layer. Plastic components are colour matched well. Painted seems aren't vary visible.

Value: B+
Well you get an enormous amount of diecast pieces, it's still a 7 inch action figure. It's awesome, but maybe MAYBE not $75 awesome...

Engineering: B+
Armor attaches well throughout the figure, with the exception of the heel.
Hands are a royal pain in the ASS... tiny ball and socket, with the socket being made of a pliable material (hands can be pulled off accidentally)
Special features included, such as the shoulder canons and torso fins are well hidden and work flawlessly
WHY Bandai can't manage to figure out a way to make things (ie the shield) on figures like this have their attachment points included in the accessory is beyond me. The tiny clear clips included for this purpose are ridiculously prone to being lost for sure!
Weight of the figure makes for some difficulty pulling off awesome show accurate poses (I WOULD RECOMMEND SOME SORT OF CLIP ON STAND!)

OVERALL: A-
Is it worth buying???
-For tekkaman/teknoman fans - HELL YAH! A must get for(the best iteration of the character to date.)
-For casual anime fans - RECOMMENDED. It's a lovely piece with a few annoying quirks, however the overall figure is above average IMO.
-For everyone else - You'll have to decide for yourselves, I'm a huge fan

Pics coming soon hopefully!


OH, and ONE more thing...
Mine came (like the review of the Macross armor plus guy on youtube somebody did), with a double taped edge on the box. Apparently this is a quality control sign (ie the box was opened and resealed in factory), which is good and didn't bother me one bit as I was opening the figure anyway. Just one thing to be aware of for MIB collectors.
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Original post:

I've always been a fan of Tekkaman Blade, and I couldn't believe it, when I found out that Bandai is making a Blade action figure. Does anyone else besides me have this on pre-order ? For an 8 inch action figure, it's pretty expensive at a price of approximately $100. But, I could care less about the price. I've been waiting for something like this since I was in Grade 3!

Manufacturer: Bandai
Figure height: ~8 inches
Rarity: Mass produced
Prices (exclusive of shipping charges): 7500 Yen ($82.20) from Hobby Link Japan. $104.99 from Big Bad Toy Store.
Release Date: January 2010

Big Bad Toy Store:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=BAN12332&mode=retail

Hobby Link Japan:
https://www.hlj.com/product/BAN958531

 

[canuck_spartan]

Want it? YES
Have it on preorder? NO...
Why? NO MONEY

 

[Solidus]

Want it? YES
Have it on preorder? NO...
Why? NO MONEY

Oh man, gotta love this hobby . I've got a backlog of pre-orders, and it's a miracle that I still manage to buy stuff.

 

[theghostinside]

dude i picked up the armor plus ronin warrior ryu figure from bbts and it was like $98 bucks after shipping. all the armor is metal and the figure rocks. my only gripe is that the paint wears of easy on the armor and it has plastic pegs on the metal armor to keep everything in place. the only place the paint has worn off were in spots that you cannot even see when the armor is all the way on. these figures rock and even though they are pricey, they are worth it.

 

[Kibagami]

Damn, that things looks sharp.

 

[Solidus]

dude i picked up the armor plus ronin warrior ryu figure from bbts and it was like $98 bucks after shipping. all the armor is metal and the figure rocks. my only gripe is that the paint wears of easy on the armor and it has plastic pegs on the metal armor to keep everything in place. the only place the paint has worn off were in spots that you cannot even see when the armor is all the way on. these figures rock and even though they are pricey, they are worth it.

Hey, thanks for replying man! It's cool that they use actual metallic parts for the armor. Anyways, my figure just shipped today from HLJ! I've been waiting for something like this for years!!!!

 

[Muzzy]

i must have this! i loved this show as a kid! well, i loved teknoman, but after growing up and watching tekkaman i became even more fond of it! im so glad i held out on the tamashii release with pegas now.

And it looks like theyre now working on bringing out a Tekkaman Evil to go along with this!

 

[Ra88]

Yeah, Bandai is known for cramming their Soul of Chogokin figures full with diecast. If this is like the others, then expect upwards of 70% diecast content.

 

[Solidus]

i must have this! i loved this show as a kid! well, i loved teknoman, but after growing up and watching tekkaman i became even more fond of it! im so glad i held out on the tamashii release with pegas now.

And it looks like theyre now working on bringing out a Tekkaman Evil to go along with this!

NO WAY!!! A Tekkaman Evil figure? If it's possible, can you post a link with the news, or some pics? I hope that Bandai releases the full line of Tekkamen, including: Omega, Axe, Sword, Rapier, and especially the Sol Tekkaman that was used by Noal (Ringo) and Balzac.

I also held out on the Tamashii release. Blade was just too small for my taste at 4 inches (how could they do that?!). But, I have high hopes for the Armor Plus figure, especially since it's twice as large, and has die-cast parts.

As for Teknoman, I first saw it on the UPN Network. That was 14 years ago ! In fact, Teknoman was THE anime that got me into anime. Years later, I discovered "Tekkaman Blade", which in my opinion, is the superior version of the series. However, Teknoman is still pretty awesome for what it is.

 

[Muzzy]

NO WAY!!! A Tekkaman Evil figure? If it's possible, can you post a link with the news, or some pics? I hope that Bandai releases the full line of Tekkamen, including: Omega, Axe, Sword, Rapier, and especially the Sol Tekkaman that was used by Noal (Ringo) and Balzac.

I also held out on the Tamashii release. Blade was just too small for my taste at 4 inches (how could they do that?!). But, I have high hopes for the Armor Plus figure, especially since it's twice as large, and has die-cast parts.

As for Teknoman, I first saw it on the UPN Network. That was 14 years ago ! In fact, Teknoman was THE anime that got me into anime. Years later, I discovered "Tekkaman Blade", which in my opinion, is the superior version of the series. However, Teknoman is still pretty awesome for what it is.

Here's the links to where I found out about Tekkaman Evil.

This is the single greatest announcement to come out of this line for me. Its my favorite design from the entire Tekkaman series.

I also hope to see the other Tekkamen released, especially Dagger.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/YORO...0959850#/photo.php?pid=3273436&id=88830959850

https://www.facebook.com/pages/YORO...0959850#/photo.php?pid=3307414&id=88830959850

 

[Solidus]

Just got my figure today. It's really awesome and detailed, except that the hands don't go back in once you remove them. I applied so much force, but still nothing. I guess, I'll just have to tape the on.

I'll post pics later.

 

[canuck_spartan]

Just got my figure today. It's really awesome and detailed, except that the hands don't go back in once you remove them. I applied so much force, but still nothing. I guess, I'll just have to tape the on.

I'll post pics later.

thinking of ordering one myself. please give us your impressions (in english)

 

[Solidus]

thinking of ordering one myself. please give us your impressions (in english)

Will do Canuck! I'll see if I can post a YouTube review over the weekend. If not, I'll definitely post a detailed picture review. Overall, it's a fantastic figure! And just like someone said on the previous page, all of the armor parts are 100% die-cast. Fans of the series owe it to themselves to get this figure!

 

[canuck_spartan]

Will do Canuck! I'll see if I can post a YouTube review over the weekend. If not, I'll definitely post a detailed picture review. Overall, it's a fantastic figure! And just like someone said on the previous page, all of the armor parts are 100% die-cast. Fans of the series owe it to themselves to get this figure!

awesome to hear! watching a review of another figure (macross alto or something) the guy said it was mostly plastic parts for that particular one... and yes, a youtube review would be PERFECT

 

[canuck_spartan]

solidus I've been waiting for your update all day! lol
let me know as SOON as it's up

PS, I just bit the bullet. I hope the $100 is worth it

 

[Solidus]

solidus I've been waiting for your update all day! lol
let me know as SOON as it's up

PS, I just bit the bullet. I hope the $100 is worth it

Technical problems right now . I'll get the review up by latest tomorrow, but hopefully sooner. And yes, he IS worth the money!!!

 

[canuck_spartan]

Technical problems right now . I'll get the review up by latest tomorrow, but hopefully sooner. And yes, he IS worth the money!!!

Yay! Can't wait for mine to arrive, and your review. One of my childhood favourites, even with the bad english dubbing

 

[Solidus]

I'll get to my review tomorrow, but for now, here's a really neat review that I found (link below).

"The real bonus though is how wonderfully the toy is sculpted as it’s remarkably faithful to the original design. It’s one of those rare toys that truly encapsulates its inspiration in an almost uncanny way."

https://www.mechadamashii.com/videos/toys-armor-plus-tekkaman-blade/

 

[daikkenaurora]

i didnt even now it was already shipping. Guess I'll have to go and find it. I have the original bandai kits. beyond cool.

 

[Solidus]

i didnt even now it was already shipping. Guess I'll have to go and find it. I have the original bandai kits. beyond cool.

Yeah, it's already shipping! I just received mine on Friday, from Hobby Link Japan.