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--- Tatsunoko Hero Fighting Gear Figures (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=4737)
Posted by tatsunokofan on 21-11-2014 at 18:27:
Tatsunoko Hero Fighting Gear Figures
Hi all!
The Japanese toy company Sentinel has announced the upcoming release of a series of Tatsunoko Hero Fighting Gear action figures. The first figure in the series is going to be Hurricane Polymer, but the ads from Sentinel indicate that future figures will be of Ken, Joe, and Casshan.
These figures, standing approximately 7" tall, are highly articulated, allowing them to hold pretty much any pose you can imagine. The figures will all include a light in their chest that allows their chest emblems to light up.
The figures aren't cheap, retailing at 8,424 apiece (A bit over $71.00 at current exchange rates). Hurricane Polymer will be released in January, but no release date beyond "2015" has been given for the other figures.
Sentinel's webpage for the Hurricane Polymer figure, along with numerous photos of the figure in various poses, can be found here:
http://sen-ti-nel.co.jp/product-about/15_tatsunoko/product-about15_001.html
The ad for the Ken, Joe, and Casshan figures can be seen here:
James
Posted by Springie on 21-11-2014 at 20:40:
That's a cool idea! I love anything that lights up...and having a light up Ken and Joe would be icing on the cake! 
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Posted by ElectricWhite on 21-11-2014 at 21:51:
I wish I had a few bestsellers under my belt. That way, I could do more than just drool at the pictures of such goodies!
But at least they're good pictures. Thank you, James!
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by ChrisW on 22-11-2014 at 01:45:
Oooh new toys!
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by E.D. Darling on 22-11-2014 at 03:48:
ahhhh, what a night light that would be...
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Dang it!
Posted by rachel on 22-11-2014 at 18:32:
Woo....I can't find Ken and Joe at above link yet...
Want to see the product soon!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-11-2014 at 20:29:
Looks nice! I am excited to see the actual Ken/Joe figures.
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Posted by The Other Jason on 30-11-2014 at 00:58:
Hi all,
Just in case you're interested, here is an English link for the Hurricane Polymer toy:
http://www.sentinel-toys.com/catalog/info.php?target=products_detail&products_id=167&language=en
You can also order the figure (and the Gatchaman ones in the future, I'm sure) from Hobbylink Japan:
http://www.hlj.com/product/SET88216/Act
The Other Jason
www.battleoftheplanets.info
Posted by ChrisW on 30-11-2014 at 01:27:
Ooh thanks for the link, I was wondering where I'd get 'em 
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by Transmute Jun on 01-12-2014 at 19:45:
Thanks for posting the English links, Jason!
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Posted by The Other Jason on 23-01-2015 at 04:40:
Hi all,
I just received one of the Hurricane Polymer figures and I thought I’d post a brief review.
Sentinel’s “Tatsunoko Heroes Fighting Gear” Hurricane Polymer figure comes packaged in a small, nice quality window box (the coating feels like the dust jacket of the Gatchaman Graffiti book). There is broken English on the box that promises this is the first figure of the series.
For the most part, I really like the figure. It’s very well articulated just as advertised. The figure is divided in its construction between various types of plastic and metal and the metal parts in the feet, calves, torso, and forearms add a nice heft. Almost all of it comes apart too. Polymer can be disassembled at nearly every point of articulation.
Even with all the articulation and ability to take it apart, the joints on mine were all tight. The only loose parts were his two shoulder armor pieces and they can be removed if wanted. A small stand is included with an armature that can clamp on to Polymer to display him in jumping action poses. The two horns on the side of his helmet can be removed so he can hold them as boomerang weapons. There are three sets of hands - one set each in chopping, open and closed fist versions. Finally is an LED in his chest that glows blue. Batteries are included and the light is operated by a partially hidden on/off with a switch on his upper back.
If anyone here does end up getting one, watch out for the spike on the top of his helmet. The figure is delivered with a couple pieces of plastic placed between the torso and waist and they have to be separated to take the plastic out. The waist and torso are a bit difficult to press back together and it’s during this process that the spike on the head could easily stab a finger. Thankfully I noticed it ahead of time and pulled the head off before I tried to put the pieces back together. There are other hard sharp points on other sections so again, be wary if you take him apart and put him back together.
Speaking of those pieces of plastic between the waist and torso… they lead to my biggest complaint about the figure. When I removed the plastic some of the paint on the torso stuck to them and came off. Since the torso piece is metal, the missing paint reveals grey patches on each side that are very noticeable. Whether the plastic was pressed on the areas for too long or too tightly, or it was placed while the paint was wet, or if the paint simply wanted to stick to the plastic better than the metal, I think it’s a big flaw. Of course the affected areas come into contact with narrow edges on the waist piece, so if the torso is moved against it then even more paint will get scraped off.
I’ve attached a press release photo circling the problem area. Both sides in the same area have the problem on my figure.
Aside from the paint issue, I think this is a pretty nice start to the Fighting Gear series. But that one problem makes me a bit nervous to invest the same amount in the upcoming Casshan, Ken, the Eagle and Joe, the Condor figures. I hope I just got an aberration in production. I’m going to see if I can get it replaced with another one. If I do, I’ll be sure to say if the problem happens again.
Best,
The Other Jason
www.battleoftheplanets.info
Posted by ChrisW on 23-01-2015 at 05:05:
I'd definitely try to get it replaced if just to get their attention so they'll address it in future versions. 
Thanks for the report! Excitedly waiting to see the design of G-1 and G2.
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by Springie on 23-01-2015 at 06:20:
Sounds great! Hope they replace it for you...can't wait to see how Ken and Joe turn out!
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Posted by The Other Jason on 09-02-2015 at 08:48:
Hi all,
Wonderfest happened in Japan and Dengeki Hobby Magazine http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/52413/ posted information about the upcoming Tatsunoko Fighting Gear Ken and Joe figures.
These are just prototype shots for now but it looks like the bodies are going to be the same with the differences coming in colors, faces and accessories. Ken will come with his boomerang. Joe will come with a feather dart and something that appears to be another weapon in his right holster. It doesn’t look quite like his gun in the series, so I’m not sure what it is.
The figures use quite a few parts recycled from the Polymer figure. The legs (except the knees), arms, waist, torso, shoulder "armor" and maybe more. It's not a big surprise to see some reused pieces, but I was hoping to see more original ones. It's possible the reused parts were included just for these display prototypes too. I guess we'll see if they look a lot different in upcoming pictures and with the paint decorations applied.
The problem area I had with the paint chipping on my Polymer figure looks like it might be covered up with the Ninja Team’s belts. So it may not be as visible if it happens with these.
There were no projected release dates nor prices on either of their display cards. Casshan is next (another site reports by the end of this month) and apparently there might be a Doronjo figure (from Yattaman) in the works. If she sells well and Ken and Joe sell well, mmmaaayyybe we’ll see a Jun in the future.
What do you think? Will you buy them?
The Other Jason
www.battleoftheplanets.info
Posted by tatsunokofan on 09-02-2015 at 18:59:
Hi all!
I'm not at all sure I approve of their decision to revamp their Bird Styles so that they look like they're wearing body armor. I know that this is likely because they're using body pieces that are standard for the entire line, and I know that this a popular design choice these days, but I prefer the sleek simplicity of their proper, original look. Oh, well. Maybe they'll look better when they're colored.
It should also be noted that the Sentinel booth at Wonderfest was selling two different show exclusive versions of the Hurricane Polymer -- a metallic variant and a black variant (You can see a little of the metallic Polymer behind Joe). It is quite possible that they'll do something similar with Ken and Joe for the Wonderfest this summer. My poor wallet cringes at the mere thought of it...
James
Posted by ElectricWhite on 09-02-2015 at 20:56:
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*sigh!* You're not alone there, James! (If only there was some way to win the PowerBall drawing without actually buying a ticket...)
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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury
Posted by Transmute Jun on 10-02-2015 at 14:01:
Those look terrific! Thanks so much for posting the picture, Jason! I am very excited to see what these look like once they are completed.
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Posted by Springie on 10-02-2015 at 15:52:
Nice! I'd love to see the finished product, too! I agree...they are a bit armor-y, but maybe it will be better when they are painted (and hopefully the paint won't come off)...
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Posted by ChrisW on 10-02-2015 at 20:45:
I'm cautiously optimistic. Maybe if they're prototypes they'll be more sleek when they come out, but maybe not. Still, I'll be getting them, I'm sure! Wonder (hah) if I know anyone will be at Wonderfest this summer. (Which Wonderfest location would this be? Also in Japan?)
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Eagle Whisperer
Posted by The Other Jason on 24-09-2015 at 03:27:
Hi all,
I just received my “Tatsunoko Heros Fighting Gear - Gatchaman G-1” figure by Sentinel and thought I’d post a review. Yes, it is spelled “Heros” on the box.
As some of you may remember, I got the initial Hurricane Polymer figure in this Tatsunoko line and had a few issues with the paint on it. I eventually got a replacement but I don’t know if it has the same problem because I never removed it from the box. I didn’t get the second figure in the line, Casshan so I don’t know about it either. I decided to pre-order the Gatchaman figure though and I was glad to see it show up today just a few days after I got the ship notice.
Like the Polymer figure, the G-1 comes packaged in a small, nice quality window box with a coating that feels like the dust jacket of the Gatchaman Graffiti book. The design of the figure shares many elements with the Polymer and Casshan figures so if you've seen those you’ll know what to expect. It’s very angular and has plenty of futuristic looking visual details. This G-1 actually reminds me of the designs for the Ninja Team as they appeared in the old NTT commercials.
It seems there have been no changes done to the figure since the prototype (see post above for pictures) was displayed. I wasn’t crazy about the design on the prototype, but I’m starting to warm to it after seeing the final figure in person. The G-1 looks a lot nicer with the paint in place. The paint application is nicely done. However, I notice the joints in the wrist, knee and ankle sections are white. The blue paint coloring for the gloves and boots should continue to the joints underneath, but it doesn’t and the areas don’t look as finished as a result.
I like the figure for the most part. It has a nice weight to it and is highly articulated. It is divided in its construction between various types of plastic and metal and the metal parts in the feet, calves, torso and forearms add a nice heft. Almost all of it comes apart too. The G-1 can be disassembled at nearly every point of articulation. Even with all the articulation and ability to take it apart, most of the joints on mine are all tight. There is a tendency for the waist to pop apart too easily though. Nearly each time I try to move the figure or adjust something, it comes apart at the waist.
A small stand is included with an armature that can clamp on to the G-1 to display in jumping or flying action poses. There are seven hands included, with two fist, chopping and open versions each, plus one extra right hand that holds the G-1’s separate included boomerang. The boomerang is one piece, the wings are extended and do not fold closed. It really has to be jammed it into the hand too or it will pop out easily.
Unlike the hard plastic wings on the Polymer figure, the cape on the G-1 is made of three separate soft plastic pieces that are all attached under an upper back section on the figure. The cape is one color, white, with no red on the inside. There is a black hard plastic belt that includes the “G” logo in yellow and red on the front and a pouch on the right hand side that can rotate, but does not open to hold the boomerang. The G-1’s two color bracelet is present on the left forearm and it can be removed if desired. Finally comes an LED in the chest that allows the front bird head logo to glow red. Batteries are included and the light is operated by a hidden on/off switch under the center cape section on the upper back.
Now for the continued bad news. The figure is delivered with a piece of flexible plastic placed between the torso and waist pieces. They have to be separated to take it out. It’s there to protect the torso apparently, and once removed the same problem that happened with my Polymer figure happens with this one - the paint scratches off where it contacts the waist piece. Even with simple movements. This time it happened on the back rather than the front, but I’m sure it will spread with continued movement. However, as I had considered when I first saw the prototype of this G-1 figure, the belt manages to cover the areas that get scratched, so it isn’t noticeable when it’s in place. It could be that the belt caused the paint removal, but I couldn’t find any evidence of white paint on the belt. At least the paint didn’t come off right away when I removed the protective plastic as happened with the Polymer figure. But it’s still an annoying problem that Sentinel is obviously aware of. Otherwise they wouldn’t put the protective plastic piece in there.
Just like last time, I do like the figure overall even with the design that isn’t quite classic Science Ninja Team. There’s still the issue with paint scratching that’s a big problem for me. For figures that cost as much as these do, they shouldn’t be shipped with a known, or known potential, problem in place. At least the belt seems to cover the area this time but it’s still grating. Since the G-2 figure will be mostly the same as the G-1 I’m expecting the problem to continue.
Have any of you purchased the figure? What are your thoughts? Do you have any more questions?
Photos below.
Best,
The Other Jason
www.battleoftheplanets.info
Various shots
The belt is lifted up to show the area with the paint scratch
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