With the upcoming movie Trigun: Badlands Rumble, what better time to make a few figures from this space western anime series? Last week I reviewed Revoltech’s Vash the Stampede. This week I’m taking a look at the other half of the first series: Nicholas D. Wolfwood.
In the Trigun series, Wolfwood is a traveling priest and gunman. He is an expert marksman with his pistols, on par with Vash even. Plus his cross, the Punisher, can transform onto a machine gun on one end and a rocket launcher on the other. His main goal is to raise money to support an orphanage, so other children don’t have to suffer the hardships he experienced as a child. This usually involves violence and killing, which he justifies by saying that the world is cruel and those he kills are evil men. By the end of the series, and at great personal cost, Wolfwood comes around to Vash’s belief that life is sacred. (Manly tears were shed during that episode.)
I was a big fan of the Toy Tribe version of Wolfwood when it came out in 2001, but like with Vash, the Revoltech version is superior in most ways. The man who sculpted Vash, Yamaguchi Katsuchisa, also was the sculptor on Wolfwood. Portrayed in his classic blue suit, he gives off an entirely different style than Vash. There are sculpted wrinkles and fold lines all over his suit, giving off the impression that the sculptor used the manga as his source material. As opposed to Vash, who even if he was also influenced by the manga, feels much more fluid and dynamic like the anime. Although I don’t hate the look, I think he could have used fewer wrinkles. This would have made him and Vash feel a little more like they were part of the same line.
Something else I wasn’t very happy about was how short Wolfwood is. In the anime and manga he and Vash are about the same height, with Vash being slightly taller. The figure is almost an entire head shorter than Vash though. This makes posing them together pretty awkward. To get some good pictures of them, I had to put Wolfwood up on something or bend Vash down ridiculously low. If you look at the pictures where they are together but you can’t see their feet, it’s because of that reason. I don’t mind the different styles so much, but I am annoyed at the lack of scale, especially by the same sculptor.
Wolfwood’s paint job is good but very simple. His suit is molded in a dark blue color while the collar of and cuffs of his shirt are painted a very pale blue. His shoes are molded light brown and given a painted dark brown sole. The paint on his face is nicely done, giving him the perfect cocky nonchalant look on one and clearly angry on the other.
Like Vash, Wolfwood’s made up of almost all revolver joints, with a couple changes thrown in. His upper neck, lower neck, upper chest, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and ankles are all common revolver joints. His knees are double revolvers. But his thighs are double hinge joints. Each hip is separate, connected to the body with a hinge joint, and then connected to the leg with another hinge. I’m guessing they went with this choice to better fit the look of the suit. It doesn’t really take away any movement from the figure though, which is good. Continue to Page Two….
I have to say… I just bought these guys, partially because Trigun is really the only anime I love, but also because your reviews showed how badass the toys are… I have the toy tribe ones, but I need to add these guys too..
I do wish one of them had the cat.. seems like a silly omission.. umless they make the girls and include him with one of them.. then all is forgiven!
Wow, thanks for the compliment Jedi! I must be doing something right if I’m actually getting people to buy toys, lol.
Yeah, I’m annoyed about the lack of cat still. I’m kind of curious if there will be more figures in the Trigun series?
Every time I see this figure I think about Excel Saga and the giant shoulder pads.
The last picture is making me sad. Please stop.
Sorry Nik. It’s one of my favorite pics, and it turned out so nice that I had to put it in.
🙁
point a. If you got this from Hobbylink Japan, they’re VERY good about customer service and if you’re missing a face I’m sure they’ll supply the right one. It can’t hurt to at least ask!
point b. Are you sure Wolfwood is underscale? I never got into the Trigun anime but I was pretty sure Vash was a tall drink of water and Wolfwood was more ‘normal human’ size. I’m willing to accept I am completely off-base on this. 🙂
point c. I am in no way an expert on this but what I’ve gathered is Yamaguchi is the ‘go-to’ guy for super dynamic character models, he made some wild garage kits and his sculpting for the Revoltech line gets praise. He’s working on those Lupin III figures. I want to see how he does Zenigata (trenchcoat!) and Goemon.
point d. Revoltech figures are almost more models, and it seems you’re EXPECTED to pull the arms or legs off of one figure and stick them on another. Go ahead, put Gamera arms on Wolfwood, I dare you. 🙂
point e. You can buy spare Revolver joints at Hobbylink Japan. Just in case you get some bad ones. Bet you wish that could be done with the MOTUC figures. 🙂
(hmmm, I wonder what would happen if one of the master customizer guys that hang around here took a He-Man and replaced the Mattel joints with Revoltech joints….)
Good stuff, Vault! Keep up the great work!
Replacing all the joints in a DCUC/MOTU fig with Revoltech-joints is a pain in the arse because of all the resculpting you have to do, and you don’t even get that much more useful articulation. Also, the figure’s sculpt is ruined because detailed muscle areas clash with very smooth spherical Revoltech joints everywhere, you end-up with something looking like early Marvel Legends figures.
I would do it, for, like, $200.00! xD
I dig. 🙂
Still, given how much trouble there seems to be with the ankles of many of the MOTUC figures…bah.
Yeah, the Revolver joints are best used sparingly and blended into the sculpt, not an afterthought. I can see that.
Thanks Steve!
I’m not sure what I’m going to do about that extra face yet. I didn’t order mine from Hobbylink, plus I’m not sure it’s worth the trouble for something I’m probably not going to display.
Yeah, Wolfwood is way too short. Vash is just a bit taller than Wolfwood in both the comics and anime.
Speaking of those Lupin figures, I’m not sure about ordering them yet. They look great and come with great accessories, but I don’t know. I will buy the car if they make that though. That thing looks awesome, and all my five inch figures will be pimpin’ in it, lol.
I think the Benz SSK used in that display was a standard existing model kit, probably 1/12 scale or thereabouts. I can’t see them doing it for the characters, but OTOH, they DID make a big-ass horse for Raoh in the Hokuto no Ken line, so…
Lupin just popped up for pre-order at HLJ
http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD010360
No Jigen yet. MAN look at that thing. I’m still a bit iffy about the shoulder parts with the bits of jacket on them, but I have to say that allows for a MUCH larger range of movement than anything else. I think it’s all a matter of just not posing his arms in too extreme a manner.
Check out the bullet strike effect parts. 🙂
Not sure if want…
Seems like a pretty good figure, but his height and ugly neck detract. Don’t know about laying 30 bucks on him. If they make Milly and more, I’ll be more tempted. Otherwise, I could stand to add Vash to my Toy Tribe Meryl and call it a day.
I think you’ll be happy with Vash. I know I am.