Tomopop Review: Groove's Taeyang Gyro

11:00 AM on 08.28.2010   |   Colette Bennett

I had never heard of Jun Planning or their Pullip and Taeyang doll lines before I got an eyeful of the Kuroshitsuji Sebastian they announced in late 2008. I bought it, naturally, and soon I found myself paying much closer attention to the line. Jun Planning filed for bankruptcy in May 2009, but luckily Groove of Korea took over the line, and there was no interruption in the production of these lovely dolls.

We got word of the elaborate and beautifully detailed Steampunk collection earlier this year, and I've been watching closely and waiting on them. Then, this gentleman arrived at my doorstep, and I found I had two instead of just one — and the desire to own more of them simply tripled. Dolls are like a sickness, as our own Jonathan Tubbs can attest to. And if I've caught it, well ... too late now!

Hit the jump for our review of Gyro from Groove's Taeyang line!

Some dolls do not come with stories, but I find it cool that Gyro does. He's actually an eccentric inventor (hence the outfit) that searches the world for treasure. He's also searching for Eos, the first release in the Steampunk line. I bet they'd make a fine couple, if they were ever to cross paths.

Every Pullip doll comes in a fairly attractive box (check out the gallery for side and back shots). Thin cardboard, so they are unfortunately easy to tear if you are not careful. But shelf it after you get your little lady or gentleman out, and you ought to be just fine.

Each doll also comes with their own ID card and certificate of authenticity, which shows which number you have of the limited number made, when it was released, and what collection it is from. I also like that if you flip the card over it says "Taeyang — Pullip's boyfriend". That lucky bitch.

Gyro is, essentially, a mad pimp. In an outfit like this, that's all you can be, really. I admit that in his full regalia, I think it's a bit much. I like my designs simple, personally.

And without the hat, but with the eyepiece. Gyro can wear it on his head, which I kind of prefer, or he can wear it over the eye. More pics of that later, but, if you want to see it up close, here it is. Pretty cool, actually.

Speaking of accessories, Gyro also comes with this gun.

The gun is perplexing because his hands are not adjustable, he does not come with extra hands, and he cannot hold it. He's defenseless. Oh well, at least he's pretty.

Also, you get a stand, which is the exact stand my Sebastian came with. I like these stands because they can be hidden under clothing. Although in many cases, the Pullips can stand up by themselves, so you may not even need it.

Anyway, about Gyro's detail work ... there is a lot of it. A remarkable amount, in fact. The closer you get, the more of it you see. Not that I had any problem getting close to this handsome dude, heh.

So, let's begin with this crazy jacket. The amazing thing is all this tiny attention to the extras. For instance, here you can see that each buckle is actually fully functional.

The arm piece actually lays over the jacket and attaches with three small bits of Velcro, but can be easily removed if you wish, which looks like this (still pretty damn hot!).

If you do decide to use it, though, check out the teeny scroll and all those little gears. Fantastic!

One detail I was especially underwhelmed with was Gyro's shoe choice. This guy needs to be wearing boots -- he's into steampunk, after all. But what they did here was give him these shin guards that look like boots, but then normal black loafers and — get ready — white socks. Um, NO. You won't notice when he is standing, but this just does not fit as far as I am concerned.

Anyway, enough nitpicking. Let's take some of Gyro's clothes off (ooh!).

So once the coat comes off, this is what you get. Gyro wears a long-sleeved black button down shirt, a pinstriped best, and a huge red tie. His pants are the military style riding breeches, also pinstriped, and tuck nicely into the lacing around the calves.

I'm convinced that Gyro knows he's hot. I mean, look at the guy.

Much like Jonathan's feelings about his new dollfie, I am also in love with Gyro's face. He's just so pretty. He also has one amber eye and one gray eye, which is a nice touch.

Limited to 2000 numbered pieces, I think Gyro would make a stunning addition to any collection. Priced around $178, he is still available for sale through some retailers. Eos, the first doll in the series, is still available as well.

For collectors fascinated by ball-jointed dolls but not quite ready to sink $500+ into the hobby, Groove's Pullip line is a great place to begin. The fully poseable collectibles certainly feel high quality, and there's clearly nothing spared in attention to detail. If you flip out after that and start spending thousands on dolls, though, don't blame me. I was just the messenger.

[Thanks to HLJ for the review sample]