Japan's renowned toy company Megahouse (株式会社メガハウス) has launched a new line of articulated robot toys, the "Machine Build Series" (マシンビルドシリーズ). This new product line is scheduled to release its first item in December 2022, featuring "Rod Drill" (ROD DRILL, ロッド・ドリル) from the classic robot anime "Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos" (マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲).
Many friends might find themselves a bit confused or unfamiliar with the work "Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos". It was produced by the Japanese animation studio "Ashi Production" (now PRODUCTION REED) and first aired on TV Tokyo in July 1986. In Taiwan, when it was broadcast by CTS, it was known as "機器勇士", and also referred to as "天威勇士" or "劍狼傳說".
▼Opening animation theme song of "Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos":
Following this work, a sequel inheriting the same worldview, "Machine Robo: Battle Hackers" (マシンロボ ぶっちぎりバトルハッカーズ), was broadcast. In Hong Kong, it was aired under the name "新天威勇士" (New Ten-i Yūshi), while CTS in Taiwan broadcast this sequel under the name "天威勇士" (Ten-i Yūshi). This often leads to confusion for some regarding whether it should be "機器勇士" or "天威勇士"; it is recommended to distinguish them by their Japanese names for clarity.
The protagonist of "Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos" is named Rom Stol (ロム・ストール). He is the son of the leader of the Cronos tribe on the machine life planet "Cronos" (クロノス), and also the successor of the "Tenkū Chūshin Ken". To protect the "High Libido" (ハイリビード) coveted by enemies, he fights alongside his sister Leina and a group of companions. Rom can summon a blue giant named "Kenryu" (ケンリュウ) via his sword wolf and combine with it for combat. In more critical situations, he can summon the red giant "Baikanfu" (バイカンフー) to perform the transformation combination "Pile Formation" (パイルフォーメイション).
MegaHouse's new "Machine Build Series" primarily constructs robots with an inner frame covered by external armor. For transforming mecha like those in Machine Robo, this design does not hinder their transformation while simultaneously ensuring articulation and poseability. The first unit, Rod Drill, not only faithfully recreates its original design but also reproduces its transformation sequence. Regarding accessories, it includes three interchangeable head parts and two additional sets of hand parts. Standing approximately 13.5 cm tall, it is perfect for display and play.
via： MegaHouse