At the Fwoosh, we’ll pick up any figure that’s super-posable and loads of fun to play with. So, to prove that we’re not just Marvel toys all the time, here is a look at the fourth figure to be released from the Kaiyodo produced/Organic Hobby distributed REVOLTECH line: Neon Genesis Evangelion EVA-01.
Packaging
Instead of going the blister card route, Kaiyodo went with a window box that allows you to see the figure from the front only. On the side is an explanation of how the REVOLTECH joints work, however, since these toys weren’t originally intended for US distribution, the text is not in English. There are pictures though that allow for a straightforward interpretation of how the joints work. The back of the package has several pictures of the figure in various action poses with the included accessories.
Sculpting
For a figure in the 5” scale, I’d say the sculpting is very solid in regards to maintaining a balance between a figure that is intended to be played with yet enough detail to appease those who will pick their favorite pose and then leave him on a shelf. Also, these ball joints flow well with the overall robot esthetic and don’t leap out at the eye. The joints seem very natural to the EVA’s robot form.
Paint
Paint applications are very straightforward – in the sense that there is paint where there needs to be paint. There is not hyper detail here as in no wash, but I’m personally not a fan of paint washes as they can often times be overdone at the factory level or much worse, get into the joints and lead to breakage. There is no concern for that here. But I don’t want to sell the little details short on this figure. He does have the EVA 1 detail on the shoulders and EVA 01 TEST written on both the insides and outsides of the forearms. Also, the paint applications are well done on both of the heads. He has the red “scarring” around the eyes which I wouldn’t have expected at this scale.
Articulation
Well, all of the attention that REVOLTECH has garnered has been due to its hyper articulation; so obviously, the EVA-01 is no slouch here. The REVOLTECH joints are a little tricky to explain in words: imagine a sphere cut in half. Now each half of the sphere has a peg extending from it, a rough comparison could be made to a turkey drumstick. These two “drumsticks” are put back together with a ratchet to create the full sphere with pegs sticking out at each end. But since the sphere was originally cut down the center, these two pegs can rotate towards and away from each other. Now the pegs are inserted into whichever part of the body as necessary. So if the joint is being used as a knee, the two pegs would go into the thigh and shin, allowing the leg to bend at the knee, naturally, but also allowing full 360 degree turns where the pegs go into the shin and thigh. This allows an incredible amount of movement and posability.
Due to the ratchet in the joint, I’ve yet to run into any loose joints. These ball joints are present in neck (two there), shoulders, elbows, wrists, one for the waist, knees, and ankles. The hips/crotch region does not use these ball joints, but instead is more of a classic v articulation – yet still allows quite a bit of movement. Lastly, there are shin guards which are unique to the EVA REVOLTECH figures – so these do limit the side to side movement at the ankles.
Accessories
The REVOLTECH figures are not lacking when it comes to accessories either. EVA-01 comes with an alternate head, three additional pairs of hands, “power cord”, sword, rifle, pistol, and knife.
Playability
Taking into account everything I’ve mentioned thus far on articulation and accessories, it has to be fairly obvious by now that you can do quite a bit with this little guy. The joints are strong and the overall composition of the figure feels like a very durable figure. Ultimately though, he’s still meant for an adult collector – but he’s been sitting on my desk for a few days now and I still stop every now and then to fiddle with him or repose him. He’s definitely hand candy. As for how he fits into your collection, I have included a picture of him with some figures from other companies in a variety of scales.
Where to Buy:
Three Fwoosh sponsor currently carry the REVOLTECH line of figures:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=revoltech
http://www.youbuynow.com/category/Revoltech
http://www.cornerstorecomics.com/af_revoltech.html
