Ki's Toy Journal:https://www.facebook.com/ki0079.robot.workshops
In my experience, the METAL BUILD line has always emphasized three core tenets: "Ornate," "Articulated," and "Detailed." We see these qualities in the vast majority of releases, many of which are truly outstanding examples of the brand. So, what does this new venture for METAL BUILD bring to the table?
"Mashin Hero Wataru" is a cornerstone of nostalgia for a generation of fans (now adults), a must-watch anime before or after school. Naturally, its toys hold a special appeal.
Let's start with the articulation.
Given Ryujinmaru's inherent design, it's hard to expect an extreme range of motion, and that's understandable. However, you can still see the thoughtful engineering in the details.
Head
The large head is one of the series' signature features. It can slide forward and backward; moving it forward slightly increases the side-to-side range. To tilt the head up, you first need to adjust the neck armor, which grants a bit more movement for a decent upward gaze. However, the left-to-right rotation is somewhat disappointing. A key design point for this Ryujinmaru is the "internal Golden Dragon," and you can faintly see the dragon's head through the translucent red piece on the figure's head.
While handling it, I accidentally popped the head off, revealing the full dragon sculpt within the chest cavity.
*QC Issue: On my copy, the head joint is too loose to hold a pose and constantly droops downward.
Arms
The arm articulation is average. The shoulder armor doesn't offer much clearance, and the front plate on the right shoulder of my figure was a bit loose, which negatively impacts the handling feel. The upper arms can rotate, and the elbow bend is reasonable. The wrists also have an additional joint for more flex. Can the arms be brought together in front of the chest? If you raise both arms up for a "Toryuken" pose, yes. But for a standard forward-facing pose, it's not possible. The chest armor can be adjusted to improve the arm's range of motion, so posing for the iconic Toryuken is absolutely no problem.
*QC Issue: The right arm on my copy can't hold its position and constantly sags, which seriously affects the playability.
Hands
The paint application on the default hands is a little strange. These three-fingered hands are fully articulated. You also get alternate hands for holding the sword and a pair of open-palm hands. Please note that the articulated three-fingered hands cannot grip the sword.
Waist
The waist has a decent range of motion. Bending it reveals the blue Dragon Orb and the "dragon-shaped frame" inside. When the waist is articulated, the back armor features a linked movement gimmick, which is a very nice touch.
Legs
The legs can splay outwards quite wide, and the forward/backward movement is perfectly fine. The legs can bend enough for a kneeling pose, but because they're so short, it doesn't look much different from standing. The ankles have a good range of motion and can also pivot, providing excellent stability and a solid footing.
Weapons
The figure includes the Toryuken sword and two Ryuraiken effect parts. The Toryuken is well-proportioned and held very securely, even with a two-handed grip. The effect parts, however, don't feel very stable when attached to the hands.
Display Stand
Unlike other METAL BUILD releases, this display stand cannot be adjusted for different angles. This severely limits posing options when the figure is mounted on the stand.
The above are objective observations. What follows is my personal analysis and critique.
Personally, I feel this new attempt has both its successes and its failures.
The success lies in making Ryujinmaru look absolutely gorgeous and ornate. When photographing it, your eyes are constantly drawn to its gleaming surfaces. The concept of a golden dragon as an internal skeleton is also very cool. Furthermore, the figure is quite large and has a very substantial, satisfying feel in-hand.
However, the list of shortcomings is not short either.
First, the QC issues. My figure suffered from drooping, weak joints in the head and arm, which is the most frustrating problem to encounter with a die-cast toy. If this happened after extensive handling, it would be acceptable. But for it to be weak right out of the box is not. On top of that, the front plate of my figure's right shoulder armor was already in a "damaged state." Why was it broken straight from the packaging?
Second, the display stand. No matter how ornate the METAL BUILD line gets, its stands have remained unchanged for a decade. And there are no other premium stand options available. For a collector who wants to create dynamic poses, this kind of stand is a real letdown. The quality of the figure isn't the problem; it's the lack of a suitable base to display it on.
The golden dragon concept is interesting, but it feels incomplete without a light-up feature. If the head and waist had LEDs, the entire figure would instantly become much more impressive.
Furthermore, because this is Ryujinmaru, it's difficult to add the usual detailed markings and complex, layered paint schemes that are hallmarks of the METAL BUILD line. The result is that the designers had to find creativity within a relatively simple design.
For this kind of design, lines like Robot Spirits, METAL ROBOT Spirits, or NXEDGE STYLE would be a better fit. With METAL BUILD, collectors have a different set of expectations compared to those other three lines. Currently, each of those product lines has found its audience and is developing in a positive direction. The Robot Spirits A.N.I.M.E. series, for example, seems to have a perpetually strong following, especially after releasing units from "0083" and "The 08th MS Team," which has revitalized the entire line.
Frankly, Ryujinmaru's design doesn't offer much potential for complex articulation or detailed markings, meaning the core strengths of METAL BUILD can't be fully leveraged. Unless they were to produce a heavily redesigned, "custom" version of Ryujinmaru, this issue is hard to overcome.
I always try to approach toys with an appreciative mindset. However, when certain aspects are genuinely not up to par, they need to be pointed out. Hopefully, this feedback leads to more high-quality products in the future that can truly enrich the hearts of collectors.
Ki's Toy Journal:https://www.facebook.com/ki0079.robot.workshops