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Posted (edited)

Ok, so I am getting yamatos Garland, and saw these pics of a Microman on the bike. It looked really cool, so I have been starting to look around at some of the Microman atuff out there....and frankly Im a little overwhelmed.

I wonder if i could get some advise from u folks about em. Whats cool, whats not. Whats the story, who are the heroes etc etc.

Any assistance would be great. They seem like cool toys, and i wouldnt mind getting at least one for my Garland.

edit:

So far this one:

http://www.hlj.com/product/TAK64107

has caught my eye.

Edited by Scream Man
Posted

You can pretty much divide Microman into three "types" - the original, classic series from the 70s (you may have had the licensed US versions as "Micronauts" as a kid), which are sometimes reiussed by Takara from time to time; the 90s versions of which I know nothing, and the modern, 21st century versions.

The very latest types have got joints all over - they seem to add more with every release - and tend to come with lots of accessories; guns, spare hands, stands etc. Some of the designs are also very good, and considering the scale, pretty inventive (which includes "blank" Microman material Force figures for customising and variable breast sizes for the MicroLadies!) They are also perhaps the cheapest Japanese action figures you can collect (well, unless you start lusting after the various "exclusive" ones).

On the downsides, build quality can be patchy (some figures apparently suffering from cracked joints), joints can be floppy, and parts like armour can be a right pain in the arse to fit properly, and the figures can be rather fiddly to pose.

Having said that, although I only have a few of the figures (and have sworn at that them quite a bit at times), I've just ordered two more MicroLadies. Heres a picture of MicroSister El to help you make your mind up!

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Posted

Just noticed you're looking at a MagneForce figure. I have one. They're pretty neat, although the issues I've had with mine are slightly "slippery" limbs (they don't always hold a pose) and very loose wrist armour. Still very nice figures; you can do some nice boxing poses with them! One neat feature is the "light pipe" eyes; at the right angle, light will filter through the head and give the figure "The Glowy Eyes of Righteous JUSTICE!". :)

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Posted

If you feel like a plain body for customization or to make fun stuff like this, look up Material Force on ebay. They are originally ToysRUs exclusives in Japan. Comes in all kinds of colors, and have both male & female body. :D

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ka7.jpg

Posted
Bonus image - Road Force MicroLady Ray gives evil AcroYear-X VolTech something to think about...  :)

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I like the extra articulation they added on these Road Force figures at the feet. I just don't get why they didn't do this for figures that came out after these. I hope the newer ones coming out soon will have this added articulation.

Posted (edited)

Yeah they are really cool. . .

Get some if you can. . .

Check "my toybox" thread for more pics. . .

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Edited by DARKWIND
Posted

I bought a couple once... the posability is awesome, but the quality and durability is crap... I was really dissapointed and only opened two of the four I bought. Way too fiddly and cheap feeling for me. Some joints ended up really loose really fast, and the ball joints fall off relatively easily.

Posted

I guess you get what you pay for. The price of the intricate designs is fiddliness and occasionally suspect quality. You could always buy Star Wars figures instead. I hear thats popular. ;)

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Microman. When they're being bad, they make me want to conduct experiments with ballistic arcs through top storey windows. When they're being good, though...

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Posted

I've got that one....that's the set of four that I bought, actually... the underground guy was broken in the box, the air/wind-surf-board with hawk guy was way too fiddly and had a terrible parts fit, the green bike guy was okay but really floppy, and I never had the heart to open the underwater guy.

Posted

They have apparently got somewhat better since then. Incidentally, thats quite an old release, so they might be a bit tricky to find new, at least from retailers and not auction sites.

Posted
I've got that one....that's the set of four that I bought, actually... the underground guy was broken in the box, the air/wind-surf-board with hawk guy was way too fiddly and had a terrible parts fit, the green bike guy was okay but really floppy, and I never had the heart to open the underwater guy.

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Yeah that's why I keep all of mine moc.

Posted (edited)

So far I've gotten a few that were hokey, but the majority were good. . .

But they make great troops, and the exclusive figs usualy rock. . .

The only ones I had real trouble with were the Predator line. . .

Cracked parts, loose legs tops. . .

Edited by DARKWIND
Posted

hey guys

tanx all for the replies, I decided to wait and see till i got my garland, which i did today.

I think Id need a cool military lookijng character. Hell, if i could find a Macross looking guy, id use him and add UN spacey stickers to the garland or something.

In all, they are a bit to pricey to import for my money. But thanx all for showing me some pics :)

Posted

Try Big Bad Toy Store.com. . .

They usually get the toys pretty cheap, at leats cheaper than others. . .

Also, best series to use with the Garland. . .

Road Spartan, Casshern or Material force figs. . . .

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  • 1 month later...
Posted (edited)

Okay, I got some new MicroLady figures today - MicroLady Marl, Eriss and MicroLady-gone-bad, AcroLady Spiria.

Disappointments first - Spiria. She looks awesome in photos, like the Terminator crossed with one of those "sexy" android designs from th 80s.

Unfortunately, Takara didn't follow up the great design with the execution. Instead of being chromed plastic, as I was expecting, the figure is mostly painted silver plastic. Its not nearly as nice in real life as images make it look. It also suffers from the traditional Microman weakness of fiddly armour parts that have trouble staying in place.

I still think its a great piece of design as a character, but this really should have been a much better product.

Fortunately theres some good news - MicroLadys Marl and Eriss are pretty damn good. Although theres still a fiddly aspect to them, one gets the feeling this is more due to their size than their design this time round. Marl has perhaps the tightest joints I've yet encountered on a Microman figure, but Eriss slightly lets the side down by being a bit looser.

Both lovelies come with huge "Medical Weapons" which you would not want to see anywhere near you in a hospital! :o Eriss has an item that like a giant syringe, and it has some really clever touches - the plunger actually pulls out, and the transparent parts can form giant, propellor-like blades for reasons I'm sure have nothing to do with healing!

These large items do create slight problems of balance, and keeping arms straight, but early experience suggests that its possible to find poses that shouldn't cause too many problems. Besides, if you get tired of these huge implements of medical destruction, they also convert into little jet-scooters for the girls to ride around on!

These figures also benefit from recent improvements in the MicroLady line, such as "anime"-type hands, which lack the moveable connectors of previous versions - although both kinds are included. Theres also a saddle-like seat for the included figure stand, but I'm a little unsure just how to balance the figure on them - it certainly looks uncomfortable!

So, overall, as always with Microman figures, a bit of a mixed bag, but Marl and Eriss are two of the nicest Microman types I've met yet.

NURSE! :)

Edited by F-ZeroOne

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