Ki Toy Log:https://www.facebook.com/ki0079.robot.workshops
SRX is a childhood dream. Now approaching middle age, I don't blush when talking about my childhood memories. It's not cheap—in fact, it's the most expensive single-box toy I've purchased to date. Still, I had to muster the courage to buy it because I truly wanted it (them). I bought the SRX set, so after unboxing, I went straight for the combined mode. I did play with the individual units for a bit, enough for a brief review of each. However, my main focus is to review the combined SRX form, and I'll also share my thoughts on the transformation.
This toy was clearly designed with the combination sequence as the top priority. The combination mechanisms were engineered first, and then the individual mechs were designed around them, ensuring that the individual units have some playability without compromising the integrity of the combined structure. If there was a conflict between the combination structure and the playability of the individual units that couldn't be resolved, priority was given to perfecting the combination. Therefore, the most satisfying part of handling this toy is undoubtedly the combination process.
Throughout the entire combination process, very little brute force is needed. Most parts align precisely, and the connection points fit just right without any major issues. Some connection points have been intentionally designed with a little bit of tolerance, so you don't have to twist the units into a 100% perfectly exact position to combine them. Furthermore, for certain steps, the instruction manual even provides both "Advanced" and "Beginner/Intermediate" combination methods, allowing collectors of different skill levels to proceed at their own comfort. This is a very thoughtful design. Although I think one method would have been sufficient, providing alternatives offers peace of mind to the collector.
The combination of R-1 and R-2 is the absolute highlight of the entire figure; it is truly engineered with incredible precision. Every single part has its purpose. The mechs are almost completely disassembled and then reconnected. This is faithful to the source material, where the mechs are broken down into "bits and pieces" and then combined via telekinesis. So, this aspect is perfectly fine; the units are essentially completely separated and then reassembled. No problem there, as long as it can combine and remain stable. Looking at the upper body alone, there's very little to criticize. The torso sections—the head, chest, waist, back, and the pelvic area (from R-3)—are all fundamentally very solid with no significant issues. This is absolutely praiseworthy and deserves a round of applause.
Although other areas have some minor issues, the core section is incredibly stable. The twisting mechanism for R-2's head and the internal torso section is particularly ingenious. You can handle it with confidence. If this toy were just a bust with no arms or legs, it would be quite excellent.
Does that statement imply some criticism? Indeed, I have some minor complaints, but they don't amount to a full-on "critique".
The arm connections are perfectly fine if you don't consider articulation. However, the joints connecting the torso and the arms are extremely tight, requiring considerable force to adjust the shoulder angles. But isn't applying force to a combined figure tantamount to "disassembling" its structure? After all, not every connection joint is made to be completely unbreakable. As a result, one careless, misplaced application of force can cause other parts to loosen and fall off. Therefore, everyone must use all the reinforcement parts as shown in the manual. Otherwise, if a problem occurs, you'll have to start the transformation all over again!
If the upper body (including the arms) gets a passing grade, then this next part definitely has issues.
The hip section is primarily formed from the R-3 unit. After R-3 is disassembled, its two beautiful legs become the components for SRX's thighs. However, because these legs are slender, an additional thickening part must be added to make the thighs more robust. Next is the connection to the lower legs. The lower legs are much longer than the thighs, and the thighs use only two small pegs that insert into the lower leg connection points to link the upper body with the two long lower legs. This feels rather precarious. Please be extremely careful here; this part is prone to accidents. Because if the upper body loses balance and falls, this connection part inserted into the knee is very likely to break (the upper body is incredibly heavy, so if it topples, the connector could snap). When rotating any part of the legs, you must be mindful of the thigh connection components to prevent accidents.
If I were to offer a suggestion, the thigh-to-lower-leg connection should use a thicker, more substantial connector and be reinforced in some way. Relying entirely on the four small pegs from the two thighs to support the entire upper body is simply too risky.
Compared to the solid, complex, and interesting structure of the upper body, the lower body suddenly becomes drastically simplified. The long lower legs have basically no mechanisms; they are like two large boxes, forming a stark contrast with the intricate upper body. Fortunately, the ankle pivot and foot stability are good, so it can basically be posed without a display stand. With this toy, I will definitely not be attempting any mid-air flying kicks.
Additionally, the side skirt armor on the waist comes off easily, but thankfully, it's not difficult to reattach.
SRX's Articulation
As a large combining robot, the manufacturer has clearly prioritized the "combination," meaning other aspects, including articulation, had to take a backseat. Achieving both a perfect combination and high articulation is naturally next to impossible. However, there are still some points worth sharing.
The head's range of motion is similar to R-1's, which is not a problem. The helmet requires a blacklight (UV light) to fluoresce.
The elbow joint cannot bend to a full 90 degrees. The shoulder's range of motion, however, is quite large. But when rotating it, you need to be careful with the connectors linking the arm to the torso.
It can even pull off a Spider-Man pose! XD
The five fingers on the hands are fully articulated with surprisingly few limitations. However, the back-of-hand armor falls off way too easily. This kind of design is unacceptable. (For a premium-priced toy, one has higher expectations).
Waist
I initially thought the waist would be completely static, but it turns out there's a little bit of room for a left-right twist. Being able to twist it a little is better than not at all, which is great!
When handling the hip joints by themselves, you might mistakenly think they have a wide range of motion. This is not the case. Once the legs are attached, it's difficult to bend them much, as the legs are too heavy and there's a lot of hindrance.
The articulation range for the knees and thighs is limited. Coupled with the fact that the thighs detach too easily, I didn't dare test the legs' absolute limits.
In terms of weapons, we have the Tenjo Tenga Muteki Ken (Z.O. Sword). The pose of drawing the sword from its chest can be recreated, albeit with some effort. However, because rotating the arms takes so much effort, I didn't spend much time perfecting this pose.
As for holding the greatsword, thanks to the additional sword-holding parts for the wrist, gripping the sword isn't too difficult. However, striking a dynamic pose with it remains a bit of a challenge.
Since it's a combining toy, lower articulation is understandable. On one hand, to facilitate the combination, some joints on the individual units are made easier to adjust and rotate. On the other hand, to ensure the stability of the combined form, some of SRX's joints are made extremely tight. The result is that when posing the combined SRX, you often encounter a situation where you need a lot of force to move a joint, but doing so also loosens other related transformation parts. This is a fundamental flaw of this toy that's difficult to work around. (The likely outcome is armor popping off while you pose it).
If you're just going for a static "museum pose," you might think the reinforcement parts aren't very useful. However, as soon as you need to move its joints, these reinforcement parts become the crucial line of defense preventing the figure from completely falling apart. So please, be sure to install all accessories according to the manual. Using the wrong force or having an accident would be disastrous. Some of the connection parts are especially fragile and require extreme care.
Next, a brief word on R-1, R-2, and R-3.
R-1 and R-3 are the most playable as standalone figures. R-1 comes with a rich and diverse arsenal of weapons, which is great. However, because it's designed to "transform" and "combine," it naturally can't be compared to a standard, non-transforming figure. For example, when compared to a figure from the ROBOT SPIRITS A.N.I.M.E. line, there's a noticeable gap in articulation and other aspects. However, such a comparison is unfair (though in terms of price, R-1 isn't cheap either).
As for R-2, to be honest, it's not very playable. It's pretty much limited to a static museum pose. Its range of motion is truly limited. With two giant cannons on its back, the number of possible poses is already very restricted.
R-3 is also playable, but it's quite large, and there aren't that many play features, so I quickly moved on to transforming and combining it.
Overall, from the perspective of the combination process and design alone, this release is excellent. It seems most of the production budget was spent on the combination engineering. If you want to experience a smooth and satisfying combination sequence, this toy is worth getting. Of course, whether spending over four thousand dollars (HKD) for one interesting combination experience is worth it really depends on the individual.
Additionally, the paint application is quite good overall, and it doesn't seem prone to scratching or chipping, which is very important. This SRX is sure to be one of the most distinctive mecha releases of the year!
On a side note, my wife said this toy looks like a cute kids' robot. I told her, this is not a machine a child could assemble! And in terms of price, it's definitely not for "kids"!