Patlabor - Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 1

Series Patlabor
Title Revoltech AV-98 Ingram 1
Release Date September 2006
Manufacturer Kaiyodo
Suggested Price (JPY) 1,900
Scale Non-Scale
Height (cm) approx. 12.5 cm (highest point)
No.  of Parts 1 figure + 11 parts
My Rating Excellent

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Comment
This is my first Revoltech figure although Kaiyodo had release 9 of it previously. The reasoning behind is that I am bored with those Evangelion mecha and I don't really know the rest of the bunch. I already have a set of 3 from the SOC series and I believe that Kaiyodo effort in re-releasing those over-produced mecha is not really something to die for. However, when Kaiyodo is releasing this classical Patlabor mecha in their Revoltech series, I really could not stop myself to get one of these Ingram. I always wanted a Patlabor and Bandai MG model is already out of production for quite a few years. (As of now, the weasel Bandai is riding the hype and planning on re-releasing their Patlabor Master Grade models. Dammit!).

Kaiyodo version of Revoltech Ingram 1 really does justice to this classical mecha with its anime accurate sculpting and markings. Check out the photos below.

This item is bought from a local store at Midvalley Megamall.

Packaging  
The following are the package contents:
  • 1 fully-articulated Ingram 1 figure

A perforated plastic bag is tapered to the back of the figure's plastic tray and it store the following items:

  • 1 display base
  • 1 police rod
  • 1 half police rod (for keeping at arm shield)
  • 5 extra hands (plus the default 2 and in total 7 hands)
  • 1 additional shoulder antennae (as spare part)
  Photos of contents. The additional shoulder antennae is not shown.
Front Cover Back Cover

What is Revoltech?
The trend for Japanese action figures are always striving for aesthetic value while balancing the articulations. For the past few years, Japanese toy manufacturers like Bandai are pushing out their super articulated series like SIC, MIA, HCM and such to attract their local consumer market. On the other hand, western toy manufacturers, for example Hasbro with their Transformers line, are pushing toys with better durability (with the expense of increased size) while maintaining the look and feel. In their respective line of pursuit, we can clearly see Japanese Toys lack durability and Western toys lack quality in term of paint job, details and sometimes articulations.

Kaiyodo Revoltech series is not really something new or a never before seen technology. It is simply an ingenious fusion of the best from both side of the world, namely durability and articulations while maintaining a figure size below 15 cm.

In short, Revoltech is simply a combination of click-joints (as seen in much larger Transformers toys) embedded inside a ball-joint (widely use in series like SIC and Saint Cloth Myth) that enable free articulation. You can twist and turn the joint without worry about loose joint problem commonly seen in a SIC figure.

Bravo! Bravo! I believe Kaiyodo have successfully set a new standard for the Japanese action figure.

Figure disassemble to reveal the Revoltech joints. Some explanation and schematic diagram from the box art explaining the revolutionary joints from Kaiyodo.

 Action Pose

A front and back shot of this AV-98 Ingram 1  
Police rod store at the inner left shield. A half rod is provided for this.
The half rod is replaced by this fully extended rod for an in-action pose.
The articulations is superb. These poses can only be done by a Revoltech figure.
Not even a Saint Cloth Myth Final Bronze figure could not get into this pose with its armor on.
Note that the shoulder have an unconventional shoulder joint cutting where the arm turn inwards toward the chest. This is to allow Ingram 1 to hold its gun with both hand. The gun is permanently attached to the hand.

Paint Job
Articulation. Checked! Durability. Checked! But these are not the only strong point for this Revoltech figure. Although the entire item is made of hard and soft plastic where metal is nowhere to be seen, the paint job is simply superb mimicking a metal feel. I think it is safe to say Kaiyodo is providing the same paint finish equivalent to the overpriced Takara Kiss Convoy although Kaiyodo is merely charging at an affordable 1,900 yen. This is something that I have not seen before for a affordable 15 cm or lower figure. Not even the premium Transformers THS series could match the paint quality.

The marking are tiny and detailed. It might not be as good as those Gundam Fix miniature markings but it is more than enough for this figure. Paint run is hardly detected and unlike Hasbro, Kaiyodo does not cheat on the paint job here.

 
 
 

Conclusion
An action figure that comes with articulation that can only be best by a Yoga master, paint job that kill and selling at an affordable price matching its quality. This is simply a new standard for a below 15 cm action figure. Highly recommended.


Document Date : 2006-09-19



Responses to this page:

  1. (Wed, 20 Sep 2006 5:02 pm) Herbert Donald says:

    A great action figure by itself, some nice great pictures as usual.Only the best from KFChong

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