Souchaku Henshin Hibiki

I’ll begin this review of Bandai’s Chogokin GD-79 Souchaku Henshin series Kamen Rider Hibiki set by stating my general indifference to the Souchaku Henshin format. I don’t really care to play dress-up with my figures and I’m not a die-cast fetishist and those would the main draws of the series. I would have much preferred a well-articulated figure without unnecessary gimmicks but at the moment, the Souchaku Henshin version is the best representation of the character available for action figure fans.

The figure is retailing locally for RM39.90 which a good price considering the Japanese retail price is 2000 yen. In fact, it’s such a good price I suspect the local pricing might actually be a mistake by the distributor. The product code on the price tag is “MRH Hibiki” and I wonder if the “RH” might refer to the cheaper Real Hero series.

I’ll add some information about the character once I’ve translated the bio on the back of the package but in the meantime, if you’re interested in the character’s background, see this JapanHero forum post.

In the box

The set contents include:

• Hibiki figure.
• 4 chest armour pieces.
• 3 discs.
• Stickers
• Ongeki ko (drum/belt buckle).
• A pair of ongeki bou (taiko sticks).
• 2-piece helmet.
• 2 onkaku (tuning fork).
• A disc-holder piece.
• A single-sided instruction sheet.

The look

The Kamen Rider Hibiki series breaks with Kamen Rider tradition in many ways both major and minor, and the first pictures that appeared online of the eponymous character were a harbinger of those changes.

The biggest change in terms of the title character’s design has been the absence of the grasshopper-inspired elements one usually expects from a Kamen Rider design. The large oval bug eyes are missing and the usual insect antennae have been replaced with oni horns. The belt remains but it’s not the focus of the henshin sequence.

The 14cm-tall figure pretty much nails the show look. (Or should that be the other way around?) This shouldn’t come as a surprise since the show costume looks eerily like an action figure complete with an action figure’s plastic sheen. The minor differences shouldn’t bug anyone who isn’t a Fussy Bastard. However, I do happen to be a Fussy Bastard so I will make it a point to list all the differences.

I’m amazed at the level of detail on the figure with the helmet’s oni insignia especially remarkable. There is some minor paint misapplication but the two-piece helmet is otherwise well done. The only major omission is Hibiki’s hidden demonic mouth but that particular feature hasn’t made an appearance on the show since the early episodes. Besides, I’m not sure the toy designers could have pulled it off at this price point.

Unlike most of Heisei-era Riders, the oni Riders of Hibiki do regularly go unhelmeted. There’s little reason for this other than promoting the Souchaku Henshin series.

You’ll definitely want to keep the figure helmeted, though, as the head sculpt underneath is the most freakish thing I’ve seen in an action figure. The head, which bears a stunning non-resemblance to Hosokawa Shigeki, is way too tiny on a way too long neck and on top of that, whoever painted the eyes was clearly seeing double. The end result is a visage that that will scare little children more effectively than any oni mask.

Construction

The figure is mostly plastic and the chogokin label is earned through a few die-cast pieces namely the chest armour, the feet, the belt buckle and mysteriously, the knee joints.

The four die-cast parts which form Hibiki’s chest armour and the ongeki ko (drum/belt buckle) attach firmly to the figure. This is a relief since I was concerned parts might fly hither and thither every time I moved the figure.

I’ve yet to carry out my usual accidental drop test but there don’t appear to be any fragile parts and I have no qualms about fiddling with the figure absentmindedly.

Strike a pose

The articulation isn’t outstanding but it will satisfy most action figure fans. The low-down:

• Head — Ball joint.
• Shoulder — Ball and hinge joints.
• Upper arm — Swivel joint.
• Elbow — Hinge and swivel joints.
• Wrist — Swivel joint.
• Fingers — Hinge joint at the first knuckle. (The index and middle fingers are fused as a single unit as are the ring and pinky.)
• Waist — Ball joint. The range of motion is poor, though. I can barely get it to swivel.
• Hip — Ball joint.
• Thigh — Swivel joint just above the knee.
• Knee — Double hinge joints. However, he can’t bend his legs double.
• Ankle — Ball joint.

I would’ve liked a greater range of motion at the hips but it’s not a deal-breaker considering this Kamen Rider doesn’t do yoga much.

Ongeki bou

I had assumed the heads on the ongeki bou were done in translucent red on the show to tie-in with the action figure so I was naturally taken aback to find the figure’s 6cm-long ongeki bou painted opaque red. It’s a strange considering how much effort they took to get the other details right.

The sticks have finger grips which allow the figure to grip them securely and the holes have been made larger than they ought to be to accommodate the figure’s fingers which are fused as pairs.

Incidentally, the instructions note that the ongeki bou with the open mouth is to be used for the left hand while the ongeki bou with the closed mouth is for the right. The instructions don’t state what penalties one might incur if one should err in this regard but why take chances?

Discs

The three plastic discs included in the set aren’t, as you might expect, Hibiki’s CD-R porn collection but his Disc Animals in disc mode. Stickers have been included to make them look like the red hawk, blue wolf and green monkey in disc form. Being a mere 1.5cm in diameter, the discs understandably don’t transform.

That’s not to say the discs lack entertainment value, however. You could, for instance, hand them to an unsuspecting child, claim they’re candy and watch the ensuing hilarity. This would make an amusing anecdote to relate to your future cellmate.

A separate holder piece allows the discs to be attached to the figure’s belt. In a thoughtful move, the peg that attaches to the belt is angled to prevent the holder piece from impeding the hip articulation too much.

Onkaku and ongeki ko

Two versions of Hibiki’s henshin device, the onkaku (a tuning fork), have been included. The first version is folded up with a peg for attaching it to the figure’s belt. Additionally, the discs may be placed on the onkaku in this mode so you can act out Hibiki obtaining data from his discs and draw strange looks from your co-workers. The second onkaku is in unfolded form and ready to be used by Hibiki to transform into his oni form. In keeping with the set’s strange and mysterious size scales, both onkaku are much larger than they should be.

The final accessory is the ongeki ko, Hibiki’s removable belt buckle, which doubles as his makamou-slaying drum. It doesn’t look like much without the show’s special effects and it would be best to keep it attached to the belt.

Bottom line

Ignoring all the unnecessary Souchaku Henshin figure signature features (i.e. the removable helmet and armoured parts), this is a decent action figure. I believe I got my money’s worth having paid a little over USD10 for the set and as such it earns a thumbs-up.

(For additional thoughts and pictures of the figure, see the reviews by Japanese fans K, momodani and d Max.)