ThreeA Popbot Tomorrow King Shogun

On 20 December 2012, the Shoguns were dropped on Bambaland for purchase. While there were 6 variations of the same figure dropped that day, only 3 were advertised prior to sales:

Shiho, which means "All Directions", sporting blue hues and a member of the 7 Bones crew,

Tsuki, which means "Thrust", with grey hues almost akin to a loper except with a normal skin tone, and

Gorei, which actually refers to the commands being shouted out in a dojo when sparring. He is the brightest of the 3 with an orange shirt on and fancy painted eyes on his helmet.

The other 3 variations are the DIY and Light & Shadow 2-pack that were dropped at random... Those so-called secret drops. I managed to pick up a DIY but sold it off shortly after... so I am left with the 3 that are reviewed herewith.

Adhering to the storyline that the TKs are actually clones, the Shoguns' faces are similar to the usual TKs, except that they are clean shaven with only a short pony tail left behind. This treatment of the head really makes them look like monks, and they almost always remind me of the protagonist in Avatar, The Last Airbender.

The Shoguns seem to be a blast from the past, as they sport outfit that are relatively more primitive to their TK brothers earlier released. The most striking feature in their get up is the left shoulder armour and apron that hangs waist down, on both the fronts and backs of the figures. The shoes are something new too... at least for me. They do remind me of those covered shoes that Crocs is famous for... Shirts with one long sleeve is not uncommon when it comes to 3A, but for once I felt that the design is justified: the long sleeve is on the left arm on which the armour is strapped on, so it could actually be in place to minimise abrasion. The armour is symmetrical and I have seen people flipping it to the right shoulder, but... following the argument of the long sleeve reducing friction it just doesn't make sense to me to do that.

The right arm sports a short sleeve and from the design (and promo pics), it is not hard to gather that this is the sword welding arm. The sleeve is actually longer than in the photographs here (covers the elbow hinge) but I felt that it will look nicer if it was shorter (yup don't care if the joint is exposed) so I flipped the trimming inwards to shorten it. A sword welding arm should be less encumbered, even by a sleeve, I thought...

The Shoguns carry only one weapon, which is a long sword. It is very, very long, but well proportioned in terms of width and handle length. I really like the narrow triangular section adopted for the blade, and coupled with a great paint app with gradation, it looks ready to slice someone's head clean off! I was surprised that the sword is pretty light to carry and faced no difficulty in posing them. The sword comes with a weathered sheath that hangs across the back of 'em Shoguns. I felt that the straps for the armour and sheath were kinda messy and overlapping right out of the box, so I took it apart and straightened them out... and in doing so I noticed that double rings were used where you would expect a buckle to be. It is a nice detail to use as it stays true to the archaic look of the figure.

The only modern feature on the figure are the two wires that run from the end of the sword handles. They attach on the other end onto what appears to be a compact battery pack... well... compact compared to what the Slicers are carrying. I like to think that the batteries only pack enough juice to charge their swords only once for the finishing move. I do, however, suggest not to insert the pegs at the ends of the wires into the corresponding holes on the battery pack. I did that for Gorei and the red wire got stuck... I did manage to remove it eventually but not after breaking... out in cold sweat. I swore the peg almost broke off and got stuck in the hole for eternity. Just tuck the wires into the same pouch used for the battery.

To sum things up, Tsuki is my favourite, followed by Gorei, and then Shiho... Unfortunately for me, the QC on the specimens I received are in the same order reversed. Gorei sports loose left knee, and Tsuki's left knee is really what i term near-dangling. It really limits the possibility if I can only keep him stable when his legs are straight, or when the left knee is bent to its maximum. It is that serious... Some people got their Shiho with off-centred goatee, and had to send them back to the hatchery for repairs. While 3A is A-list when it comes to remedying defects, I think they really should tighten QC further and avoid these issues altogether. Collectors will be surely be happier and I'm sure 3A will be glad to save all those time and money wasted on delivery and repairs.

I think the reason why I don't really like Shiho is because his skin tone churned up to be a pale bluish green, as though he is down with some serious food poisoning and has been throwing up all week. I bought him really just to complete the 7 Bones but at the time of writing this review, I'm really losing interest in this crew, and fast. Looks to me A. Wood's promise to complete the7 Bones within 2013 is another loada BS again...

It appears 3A has upped their game at the production front. The Shoguns were delivered within 7 months of order. They are still a couple months late but hey, they used to take 9 months for their shit to roll. I've just received Oroshi that was ordered in March, which makes 5 months, and surprisingly, they made it in time for 3rd Quarter! Frank, Nage and Pascha should be next as they were labelled as 3rd Quarter shipments too. WWRp Dropcloths, Blind Cowboy and EDOs will then follow suit and close off 2013. It's been a fairly good year... Looking forward to receiving these orders, especially Blind Cowboy!

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ThreeA Adventure Kartel Tracky Custard

I wasn't one of those who bought the original Custard that came with the Bleak figure. Needless to say, I didn't buy the Circle of Dark Natured Lab 5-pack. I guess I wasn't too keen on the Bleak, nor was I interested in a dog statue with no articulation... hell, I think I wasn't even interested in Adventure Kartel at all at that time.

Later I had the opportunity to see and handle this dog in person and man, it weighs well for a figure it's size. Somehow I always prefer figures that carry some weight, and, being made out of polystone, this dog fulfills this criteria to the utmost. Images of Tracky first surfaced on the blog I think... and it was dropped as a surprise with no warning at all. I'm glad to be lucky enough to score. Who could resist a Labrador dressed in a track suit...!?

Some people actually speculated that Tracky was released because there was excess of the labrador figures from the earlier release... To me it doesn't really make sense since 3A manufactures the quantity that is ordered. Guess it doesn't really matter. I like the figure and the only thing I don't really like is how the pouches were designed. For a dog I feel that the pouches should've been rotated 90° cause as it is now, facing side ways, all the contents will surely fall out when Custard starts running around 'em zombs and finger gang! New pouches that face up will surely beat what is given now, which really looks like leftover pouches that are recycled and just slapped on without much consideration.

All in all, nice piece. If you haven't got one and you're interested, don't pay exorbitant prices for it, despite the fact that it was a surprise drop. It is AK, so prices won't usually escalate too far from the retail price...

Another dog has been teased and this time it is a beagle. Well... think I might pass. I'm wondering now whether it is in line with what 3A does for an articulated dog to be designed and released. The best articulated dog I've seen so far is Timber that was released with Sideshow's Snake Eyes. Well, I just hope that 3A would do an articulated dog for a change, rather than another statue of a different species.

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ThreeA WWRp DP & Euro Brambles

Less talk and more pics for this post.

I think these two Brambles need no introduction. With 3A's fame (or notoriety...? heh...) in the toy industry these days, surely one way or another, you would've come across something that resembles these Brambles but painted in different colours.

These two were originally released in 1/6 scale, but recently zapped with the shrink gun to become 1/12. It is a great alternative for those who missed out on the original release, like yours truly! My Deep Powder Bramble came in great condition, but my Euro Bramble was plagued with loose joints as show here in this video. It is an easy fix but... i think this kind of QC problem should totally be sieved out and not sent to the consumer...

Now I'm just waiting for those 1/12 Bertie Mk2s to be zapped with the magnifying ray to become 1/6! Will buy EMGY and Warbot, no doubt about it.

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ThreeA Ma.K 1/12 Kröte Bamba Ex.

I honestly cannot say that I'm the go to guy when it comes to Maschinen Krieger (I even had to google some gibberish that resembles these words to make sure I get the spelling right). I will say though, that I have been an admirer of these conceptual machines and inventions that are the brainchild of Japanese artist and sculptor, Mr Kow Yokoyama. There's something about the design that intrigues me... If I must describe the attraction in words, I would say it is how these out-of-this-world machines get put together with old mechanisms, that brings to mind some of those older weaponry used in the World Wars, that has captured my attention. I really do like how the artist reimagined tanks and planes into mobile suits and fantastic machines that are primitive yet high-tech at the same time, such as the Kröte.

So far, to like Ma.K stuff almost essentially means that you have to be good at model kits. While I have tried my hand at a good handful of Gundam models, I do believe Ma.K stuff are in quite a league of their own and have never attempted building any of them. So 3A's undertaking of this assignment, to assemble and paint an iconic Ma.K design, came as great news to fans like me. 2 versions were released: the Original and the Bambaland Exclusive reviewed here (and later dubbed the "Snow Krote"). I thought it was quite an easy choice for me, since I've always loved the winter defense colourways that 3A had been putting out... but for die-hard Ma.K fans, I'm sure the shark mouth decal is quite irresistible.

Prior to the actual delivery of the product, there was an update via the sporadic 3A newsletter, VOX, for the box arts. I was pretty bummed that Ashley Wood didn't bother to paint a box art for the Bambaland Exclusive... and as a result, some CAD drawings showing the axonometric views and elevations of Kröte was used.

The product came with a simple black and white instruction sheet, and some very minor assembly was required (for the antenna and a huge metal eyelet of sorts). Straight out of the box is the figure encased in a two piece styrofoam inserts joined right in the middle of the fig. I think at the time of writing this review, the news that a majority of the product is actually mold infested must already have spread far and wide. Much to my disappointment, I too received Kröte that has living mold eating off its paint, all over it. At first I wasn't sure what it was, and thought it was just dust. Of course, it was weird, since these "dust" were localised on some spots here and there all over the figure. 3A offered each purchaser the option to refund or replace the figure, which I appreciate, though I felt that the company should've been more honest and forthcoming about informing all purchasers about the potential mold problem. A vague blog post was published, without stating the problem in specificity. Mold can be a serious problem to different individuals, especially those with respiratory diseases... the least a company can do is really to respect how each individual will react towards mold, and just be truthful about it.

I didn't select any of the option (refund or replacement). Personally I have sent things to the Hatchery for repair before... and my experience is that they might not come back to you in the state that you expect it to be, ie. the "repaired" product can return in a worse state. Rather than to go through the hassle of sending the parcel back, and playing the waiting game again, I thought I will just dust the mold away thoroughly with a dry brush, and observe the situation. Couple of weeks after the 1st clean-up, a small spot of mold reappeared. I brushed that away as well, and then observed further. It has been a couple of months now since I received this parcel, and I'm quite happy to say that the mold seems to have been purged completely. Alright, I think I shall make it a point to stop saying the M-word again in this review, cause it really taints the appreciation that this masterpiece deserves.

Kröte is amazing. The scale is really quite ideal for all the details to be put on to it, and add to it the marvel of 3A's paint application technique, a masterpiece is born. I really love it so much, I can't bear to send it back to the hatchery for repairs. I think the orange highlights and red letterings does a great job with adding some interest to the otherwise monotonous snow camou effects and weathering. Kröte means frog / toad in German I believe, a name rather apt for this bipedal machine that looks like it is built to hop over obstacles with those spring loaded legs it is equipped with.

There's alot of details going on all over its body, most notably in its legs and the rear side of its lower body, which consists of a motor, almost like those you see on motorcycles, only inverted. The lower body is also where all the articulation is: ball jointed hips and a couple of hinges on the knees, ankles and feet. Mine came with a jammed piston on its left thigh which limited the movement of the knees, but I heated it up and exerted some force carefully to get it released. After that, every joint works well and as tight as it needs to be.

Waist up, after the waist cut that allows 360° rotation, any references to the anatomy of a frog ceases as the machine takes on the form of a tank, with a 4-barrel machine gun turret and a single headlight. Though the upper body doesn't have any articulation, 3A packed some electronics into the design of the figure; the light turns on (orange, sorry not photographed, was lazy to get the batteries out again) and the barrels rotate (slowly but surely with some cranking noise, which to me is a good thing). Not only does the barrel turn, 3A fitted the barrel tip with lights too to simulate the firing of the machine gun. The light in 1 barrel "sparks" each time the barrel moves past the top of the rotation. Pretty cool if you ask me. Try youtubing "3A Kröte" or something and you should be able to find some nice vids of the machine in action. I like how the controls and battery compartment is well concealed behind a weather hatch that looks as though it is hinged (refer to pic above).

The couple of shots above attempts to pose the figure in more dynamic ways, well... as much as the leg articulation has to offer. Below are some size comparison shots to give you an idea of how large the figure it (advertised and verified as 11.8" at its tallest configuration).

Ok, I promised not to bring up the M-word again, but seriously, I have to say it really is a bummer that casts a faint shadow over the figure, which is pretty well designed (thanks Mr Yokoyama), engineered and executed (good job 3A)... The fact that mmmm moh-infestation hasn't really been heard of in the toy industry suggests that this is a freak accident that was a result of 3A's mishandling of their own precious labour of love. Look past it and you will see a great product that is, another M-word, a great Masterpiece.

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