Kiryu, you don't have to fight anymore...
With the recent announcement that the long-sought-after S.H.MonsterArts Type 3 Kiryu is getting a re-release under the new "Movie Graphic Plus" banner, fans are once again reminded of the enduring appeal of this iconic Mechagodzilla, even two decades after its debut.
This seems like the perfect opportunity for a retrospective unboxing and review of the Soul of Chogokin version released in 2023. To this day, it remains the top-tier Kiryu figure available on the market (especially with the Metal Build version's release date still MIA...). After a few years, its price has thankfully come down from the stratosphere, making it a much more accessible piece for collectors.
The back of the box details the figure's various features and included accessories, which allow you to recreate famous scenes from the movie.
Supervised by original designer Shinji Nishikawa himself, the package includes concept art that offers a glimpse into the creative process behind Type 3 Kiryu, showing its evolution into the awesome design we know today.
Fight until you shatter!
Let's get right to the unboxing! Lifting this beast out of the box, you can feel its substantial weight—it's over a pound and feels hefty in your hands.
The Soul of Chogokin Kiryu stands at approximately 23cm tall and comes with a dedicated hangar-style display base. While the base's overly simple construction feels a bit out of place next to the detailed main body, it does add a little something to the sense of scale and presence (just a little).
The sculpt faithfully captures the powerful, bulky proportions seen in the film. The entire body features a silver paint finish with a fine metallic flake, giving it a fresh-off-the-assembly-line look. Several highly recognizable tampo-printed markings add detail, but the light-up feature for the eyes is the real soul of the figure, bringing it to life.
Lift the hood, and you'll find two direct-facing white LED bulbs.
Three interchangeable head parts are provided to display different eye states: the standard yellow eyes, the berserk red eyes, and the damaged, shuttered look after repairs. Commendably, the inside of the clear eye pieces is coated with a layer of paint that diffuses the light, preventing a harsh point-light effect.
Of course, it would have been even better if the red "tear streaks" on the cheeks could also light up.
Another light-up feature is hidden in the chest: the signature Absolute Zero Cannon, a devastating weapon that can instantly freeze and shatter its target. Pressing a button on the lower-left chest unleashes a brilliant, dazzling yellow light.
The light effect transitions through different levels of brightness before fading into a final, clear blue glow and then extinguishing.
Moving on to other details: the back of the neck features sculpted lines and printed markings, recreating the scene where pilot Akane Yashiro rushes to the fallen Kiryu and enters through the MB-3 maintenance hatch.
At the cost of a region-wide blackout, all power was channeled through the support aircraft, the AC-3 White Heron, and beamed via microwave to Kiryu's dorsal fins to reboot the mecha.
In terms of handling, the experience is a bit lacking. The figure only comes with one pair of soft vinyl hands. While the paint job is decent, it doesn't offer much variety.
The articulation is another major weakness. For example, the leg bend is so limited that it's nearly impossible to get it into a dynamic, wide-legged stance, making poses look quite awkward.
Fortunately, the thruster nozzles on the sides of the thighs can be deployed without needing to swap parts.
The nozzles can pivot to a wider angle than the legs can even lift. It's almost comical!
Most of the die-cast metal content is concentrated in the lower body. The heavy feet provide excellent stability.
This solid base supports the long, multi-segmented tail, allowing for dynamic tail-swipe poses without compromising the figure's ability to stand on its own. 
With the main body covered, let's move on to the included accessories.
First up is the back-mounted booster unit. It's mostly molded in bare plastic, and swirl marks are noticeable. However, some areas have fine paint applications, so it doesn't look too plain.
Before attaching the backpack, the three small dorsal fins on the upper back must be removed.
Next, you need to carefully angle it to avoid the lower fins and align it with the pegs before snapping it into place.
Finally, connect the cables to both arms and attach the Type 0 Railguns with their extendable barrels. The heavily armed Type 3 Kiryu is ready for deployment! Compared to the Aoshima model kit version, this Soul of Chogokin figure, while lacking in articulation, excels in its sculpt, presence, and overall finish.
Type 3 Kiryu, Fully Armed
Let's wrap things up by recreating a few famous scenes from the movie:
Hearing that big guy Godzilla roar... it's so passionate, so creative...
It's lit a fire in my mechanical heart!
I can feel it, in this moment...
It's about to go down!!!
Going Berserk...
(Wait, which movie did you watch again?)
Recreating the shocking headbutt from the Battle of Shinagawa, just before Godzilla unleashes his atomic breath. (Get away from me!).
Deploying the Maser Blade for a nasty stab, followed by a hundred-thousand-volt shock for good measure!
All jokes aside, to sum up this Soul of Chogokin Type 3 Kiryu: putting price aside, the playability could be better. However, its sculpt and paintwork are solid, and the striking light-up effects make it a fantastic display piece. For collectors who primarily want a shelf presence, this is still an exquisite collectible that no Godzilla fan should miss.
After the brutal, mutually destructive final battle in the film, a heavily damaged Kiryu stands against the sunset, gazing into the distance. In this conflict where humanity challenged nature by creating its own god, the battle is not yet won, and the story is far from over...