I recall being intrigued when I first saw the design for Garo and pretty impressed when I first set eyes on Bandai's Equip & Prop volume 1 set but now that I've actually bought it, I have to say I'm completely staggered by the sheer amount of stuff the in the set. It's hard to believe Bandai managed to put this much into it for 3800 yen.

Now, both Garo and Kouga aren't without flaws. I prefer my figures with more articulation (Kouga is especially disappointing in this regard) but when the figures look this good, I don't mind that much. The Garo figure is notable for its fantastic paint job. It's mostly plastic but you'd be hard pressed to tell without touching it.

If you haven't got this set yet, go for it. It's well worth the asking price.


My photos:
Kouga

Kouga with sword

Garo

Garo with sword

Garo with sword and cape

Now to hunt down those Garo DVDs ...

Thanks! I'm using a simple desk lamp and an overhead ceiling light for lighting. Nothing fancy.

I paid RM190 including shipping. I could've got it cheaper directly from Japan but I wanted to save some time.

The weapons are die-cast so the figure might some trouble holding them but I've not had much problem with my set in this regard.

*shrug* I actually prefer Garo over S.I.C because I feel S.I.C takes too many artistic liberties with the source material. If I wanted a representation of, say, Ryuki, I'd rather pick up the R&M set than the S.I.C version. Granted the R&M version is toy-ish but I'm a stickler for accuracy when it comes to character merchandising.

In terms of construction, I think both lines have minor QC issues. Chances are both lines are made in the same factory.

I could have bought the Garo set directly from Hobbylink Japan for RM150 (including shipping) but it would have taken 7 to 14 days to get it. I was suddenly filled with an irrational need to have a Garo figure so I wasn't willing to wait that long.

So, NTV7 is airing Garo locally on Saturdays. I've not seen it and since it's most likely dubbed, I won't. However, I expect there might be viewers who might be interested in getting some of the merchandise.

(Incidentally, has Litt Tak brought in any Garo sets?)

I've put together a 1600-word review of Bandai's Garo Equip and Prop volume 1 set on my site if anyone's interested.

Bottom line: "I paid approximately USD55 for the Japanese retail version but I don't feel like I was ripped off because I'm delighted with it. The figures in the set could do with a little more play value but I recognise it's aimed at the segment of the adult collector market which is far more interested in toys as display pieces. As display pieces go, the Garo figure alone is worth the asking price and the other items in this set are really nice bonuses."

This post has been edited by Henshin: Jun 5 2007, 11:06 PM