I’m getting back into some of the non-Transformers imports today and finishing up the last (so far) character in Takeya Takayuki’s Buddhist Statue Collection. Like the Buddhist figures before him, Jikokuten is an impressive specimen of how detailed paint/sculpting can be on a smaller scaled figure.
Before I get into this review, I wanted to remind everyone that Summer Wonder Festival is coming up soon in Japan. Our regular guest contributor Robert Baldwin (aka Dorkey) will be bringing us the latest news and pictures from Kaiyodo, Max Factory, and more! He’s also generously offered to take our questions directly to these companies, giving us non-Japanese collectors a rare chance to make our voices heard. So if you have any questions for the companies that will be attending, check out our dedicated forum thread and get your questions posted by July 27th.
Jikokuten is the King of the East. He protects the Eastern continent that surrounds Mt. Shumisen, the mythical home of the historical Buddha. His name literally means “Guardian of the Nation”, and he is charged with protecting the world. Jikokuten is often shown holding a sword or spear, but he can also be portrayed playing a lute. This is a representation of the Middle Way, as the strings won’t play if they’re too loose or they will break if too tight.
Even though this is the fifth figure in the series, I’m still incredibly impressed with the intricate sculpts on these figures. The shared pieces in the arms and legs blend seamlessly in with the different body armor styles of the four Kings. Jikokuten in particular has an interesting combination of rounded chest plates and more jagged leg guards, while his face is particularly fierce looking when compared to the other four characters.
While all the Takeya figures have amazing paint jobs, I think I like Jikokuten’s the best. His face and hands have that stone texture like the other characters, but his deep green resembles a weathered jade color and stands out more vividly to me. I also like the metallic bits on his armor. Instead of the tarnished bronze look, Jikokuten has a definite gold look with some interesting blue drybrushing. Continue to page 2…
love the group shot up there. these guys look really incredible together.
Thanks DR! I just hope I get to add more to the group. I need a Justice League of Buddhist Deities.
these are also a great case for smart parts reuse too. these guys look fantastic, and even w/ the parts that were re-used, they don’t look like dcuclones or anything. and it helps that each got their own pillow demon.
another cool review of a offbeat but cool line.
Excellent review, great figure. Not something I’d splash out on (not to my taste, and I’ve got enough other lines sucking up my money as it is), but as a casual dabbler in world mythology, I can appreciate the cultural basis for the toy, and it’s nice to see covered like this, anyway.