Garo Kiwami Damashii Garo Part 1

Size doesn't matter
Done with the work on Keroro Robo Mk-II, an action figure review would be good for a little change on my blog I suppose. ^^

Digging up one of those unopened packs I have in my collection: ^^;


This is the title character from Tamashii Nation's Garo Kiwami Damashii line, which is really just the S.I.C. Kiwami Damashii line with a slight change of name. Since "Garo" has quite a few of its own product lines, I suppose the marketers at Tamashii Nation wanted this small-sized figure line of "Garo" to have its own identity as well, hence the differentiation. Not that it really mattered anyway. ^^

Released in November 2010, this action figure was meant to compliment the new "Garo" movie called "Red Requiem" that was released in Japan in October 2010, more than the original TV series which aired four years prior to that. As it turned out, at least two more movies and the second season of the TV series were released after "Red Requiem", resulting in continuous but not too frequent "Garo" merchandise releases, until now. ^^ The latest release was Thunder Knight Baron (雷鳴騎士 バロン) in the Makai Kadou (魔戒可動) series, which came in in May this year.

I only watched the original TV series actually. It was a very well done and enjoyable show. ^^ While the series was essentially a (or another ^^;) Tokusatsu show, its higher level of violence, maturity and horror helped to differentiate the series from Kamen Rider or Super Sentai shows which aimed at a more general audience. There were a lot of great choreography and stunt sequences in the show, aided with quite a bit of CG, which looks to be quite dated by today's standards (^^;), but overall, it was a very good show.





Opening of "Garo".
Video clip is from Youtube. Follow this link to the website if you can't see anything.
The suit design of Garo and all the other Makai Knights is very awesome as well. Garo wears a set of extremely shiny and luxurious-looking golden armors. With the accompanying heavy clunking sound the armors made when they are moved, you get a sense of how heavy and realistic the design is, even though a guy wearing golden armors with a wolf head fighting monster with a sword is anything but realistic. XD My favorite armor design is actually Kiba, the antagonist of the series.

As much I like the armors, they looked too clean in the TV series as I remembered them. ^^; For Garo, while the design is already very impressive, extra curves and details would make the design even better, ^^ and that's where the S.I.C. series comes in. ^^ The detail treatment given to S.I.C. Kamen Rider releases is ideal for Garo's armors as well. As the Makai Kadou (魔戒可動) series gives you great details through larger-sized figures of higher price, the Garo Kiwami Damashii series reduces the figure size and price significantly, but how about the details? ^^

I suppose you can find out about that through this review series. ^^



A very small overall package it is. The figure and all of the accessories included can be seen through the front window.




Closer look at the figure and accessories through the front window.



No much to see on the package's sides and bottom. ^^;




Introduction of the figure on the back of the package is pretty simple as well.
Size constraint is the biggest factor that everything is kept as simple as possible. I have a couple of S.I.C. Kiwami Damashii figures and their package design looks all the same. ^^


Package open.








Front view of the package content.





Rear view of the package content.


A simple hard paper cutout as the package's backdrop.


"Hidden" inside between the backdrop cards is an instruction sheet.
"Hidden" is a pretty accurate word to describe the sheet really, because unless you take out the entire hard paper cutout, you won't detect the sheet at all. ^^



The instruction sheet shows how to swap out the cape and equipping Garoken (the sword) to the hand unit.



Straight out of box Garo Kiwami Damashii Garo. ^^
A look at all of the accessories included for this figure:



All of Garo Kiwami Damashii Garo's accessories.


Garoken




Small as it is, the sculpting and paint work of the entire sword - both sides of it is extremely detailed. ^^


Option parts for the back when the cape is removed.


You can see "L" and "R" engraved on the joint to help differentiate the parts when they are used. ^^


Three hand units with equally impressive craftsmanship and paintwork are included: a pair of spread palms and one right hand unit to hold Garoken.


It might not be very clear in the image above, but an extremely tiny Madou Ring Zaruba can be seen on on the back of the hand, above the middle finger.


Rear view of the hand unit.


With Garoken equipped to the option right hand unit.


Very simple ball-type joint connects all the hand units to the figure's wrist.


The default pair of closed fist-type hand units.


Like the one to hold the sword, the right closed fist has a tiny Zaruba molded on the back of the hand as well. ^^
Staggering level of details on such a small figure is really awesome to look at. ^^

More images of Garo Kiwami Damashii Garo coming up in the next posting. ^^