My second Buddhist figure arrived a couple weeks ago, and my third is already on its way. So I thought I’d get this review done before he shows up. (Sorry Gokai Silver. Maybe next week.) Today we’re taking a look at Takeya Takayuki’s series two Revoltech: Komokuten.
Komokuten is the Lord of the West. His name literally means “wide eyed”, and he has the ability to see through falsehoods or evil, even if it’s disguised. Like the other Four Heavenly Kings, Komokuten is usually seen wearing armor. While he can be depicted with weapons, often Komokuten is portrayed holding a brush and sutra scroll. These represent the ability of Buddha’s teachings to overcome ignorance and evil.
At first glance I thought Komokuten reused many of the same pieces as Tamonten. It wasn’t until I compared the two side by side before I realized how few pieces they actually did share. Almost the entirety of Komokuten’s armor is a unique sculpt. Not only is the pattern original, but so are the various belts and straps that help add to the realistic armor detail of the figure. One thing I really loved was the sculpted stress fractures in the figure’s hip armor.
That’s not to say all of his pieces are original though. Both figures share the same fabric areas of their sleeves. Both have the same forearm bracers, and they both have the same basic hand assortment. Also, I’m pretty sure everything from the waist down is shared between the two figures.
Komokuten’s paint job goes a long way in disguising how many pieces he shares with Tamonten. It’s kind of amazing really. Their shoes, shin guards, and bracers are even the same basic color, yet the detailing on the gold trim has a much more worn look on Komokuten’s figure. Even the fabric parts of his clothing were given a heavier wash in a light gray to make them more aged.
One piece of paint work I really like is Komokuten’s skin color, which has this great statue-like feel. Each textured wrinkle has been highlighted by a dry wash that really brings out his rocky visage. Add to this the worn metallic look of his armor and Komokuten looks more like a tiny statue than an action figure. Continue to page 2…
those Demon stands are so freaking cool!
Yeah, I really like them too. They’re a nice little bonus to the figures.
these are seriously just about the coolest things on the market right now.
I’m liking them. I’m also hoping they’ll expand the line to other myths/religions.
is that the Harryhausen skeleton? Where would one find such a thing?
The Revoltech Skeleton Army is still in stock at AmiAmi.
Yup, he’s definitely worth picking up. He was my favorite figure from last year.
Never heard of these before, but I really like the looks of them. I would have no idea how big they are if not for that MOTUC figure in the last pic though. Might be a good idea to mention size or scale in the review at some point for the uninformed like myself. I was hoping they’d be 6-7in, but looks like they’re shorter than that.
it took awhile to get the message to vault about scale photos, so i suspect scale discussion will be some time in the coming… but we’ll keep trying. 😉
I didn’t focus as much on his scale since he’s so similar to Tamonten, the first figure in the series. http://www.itsalltrue.net/?p=17376 (There’s also another scale picture in the comments.)
I’ll be sure to cover it more thoroughly for the third figure.
🙂
Hey Vault, sorry, I missed that first figure review completely. But I’ve gotta say, you’ve got me tracking these down now. (Like I need another expensive foreign line… grr =) But I think I may have a lead on the first three. What would you say is a good price for those, now?
No problem, Sir. 🙂
Amiami had them for about $30, but those second preorders seem to be sold out. I’d say if you’re paying under $40, then you’re doing good. But it’s ultimately up to you. I know they’re getting a bit harder to find, so you may not have a problem paying more.
How tall is he? Looks to be about 5″.
I check out them at Hobby Japan and they look cool.
Spec
The top of his head is at five inches, while his halo tops out at six. He’s a bit small for the average Revoltech, but he’s still pretty cool.