Figure Name: Revoltech 101 - Gunbuster
Figure Maker: Kaiyodo/Union-Creative
Retail Price: ¥2,830
Available at  Hobby Search | Hobby Link Japan | AmiAmi

This is a box. It is made of cardboard and plastic and is colorful enough to get your attention if you're walking by. Besides the use of the Gunbuster font and the slip at the bottom, it isn't any different from your typical Revoltech box. It is my opinion that toys are for play, not display, so let's dispose of this plastic prison and unleash the Gunbuster on the world!

If you are a fan of the original Gunbuster OVA, then this is the pose that you have to put it in right out of the box. Granted, it isn't a perfect rendition of the original Gunbuster stance, but it's pretty damn close. The only way that they could have made it better is by providing another chest piece all together, an option that would make other bad-ass poses much harder to pull of.

Okay, with that out of my system, on to the Revoltech itself. The Gunbuster as a Revoltech is fantastic, baring a few annoyances. First, my Gunbuster was missing one of two extraneous pieces of plastic on its legs. It has nothing to do with any of the more complicated ways to present this figure, so for the sake symmetry I took off the other piece. Second, the other decorations that are supposed to fill out the gaps come out easily. That would be a huge problem were it not for the second major way to pose Gunbuster.

In the OVA, the Gunbuster is made up of Buster Machines 1 and 2. When the going gets tough, the two Buster Machines combine in an orgy of Super Robot glory. Thankfully, Kaiyodo made sure that the Gunbuster could be set up as the separate Buster Machines if you so desired. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as it looks in the show. In order to form the separate ships, you have to cannibalize the mech and literally take it apart. A combination of arms, legs, hips and shoulders are put together with additional pieces to form the above photo. It can be aggravating and at times harrowing getting all this plastic to play well with each other and, more importantly, leaves a giant mess.

Yeesh. With so many extra parts you'll need to have an extra container to hold everything safely. The added Revoltech box is good for holding the extra hands, but it won't hold the left-over leg and arm parts. The pay-off for all this is that the Buster Machines look great. As great as they look, you'll probably rather have the Gunbuster in its combined glory, so let me get it back together.

Ten minutes later, I got it whole again and ready to kick Space Monsters in the face! The giant hunk of plastic is supposed to represent the sparks that shoot out from the mech's feet during its famous Inazuma Kick. This pose looks great, but took a little balance work to keep it from toppling over. Note that the separation on the calf is supposed to happen and is part of the Buster Machine transformation.

The sparks can also be used as a base for arguably Gunbuster's best pose.

Replicating the end of the final episode, the Gunbuster can remove its chest plate and attach via PVC cable its own glowing heart. One of the many included hands is designed to have the heart placed in it, so you can have the mech slam its ticker into anything you deem necessary. This set up is probably why there isn't an extra chest piece to do the famous cross-armed pose, but in the end, I like the removable heart over the arms. That's just me, though.

Overall the Gunbuster is a great addition to my figure collection. So much so that a couple of other figures want to take the new guy out about the town. The welcoming party this time around consists of Lupin, Jigen and ... Woody. Oh.

Well, just because ol' Woody has a shady past doesn't mean the boys can't have a good time with him. The trio take Gunbuster out to a girly show, since it's become a guys night out. The first place they pull up to is featuring a fairly well-known bunny girl as the main act.

It's funny, she's quite a bit larger in person. Either way, Lupin and Gunbuster take a seat as the show begins. Jigen goes to grab a drink and Woody ... oh yeah, where's Woody? I thought he was going to grab a seat.

No! Don't do it, Woody, what will your parole officer have to say?

So, the guys were kicked out of the first club, even before they could get their first drink. Undeterred, the guys hit up the next club, this one a bit more exotic. The ladies are bit more mature here and, from what I heard, like to use snakes in their acts!

Now with Woody sitting next to Gunbuster, he should be less likely to go act the fool. As the act gets started, things start to get a little spicy, and after a couple of drinks and rude comments ...

Yep, Woody gets the guys kicked out again. At least they get a free chair out it, albeit with a Woody-shaped dent in it.

Well, third time's the charm. The guys decide to hit up one more club, this one a bit classier than the other two. It's probably a good idea, considering SOMEBODY's lack of control. An old 80s singer hits the stage and sings for everybody. It all goes well until, well, she strips down for one of all-time favs.

I'm pretty sure you can figure out where this is going. You can hit the gallery for the shots that made the paper, but it can all be summed up by this final photo.

While Gunbuster's welcoming party was ruined, at least he's a damn fine figure. Even though there are a few issues with a missing pose and some loose extra parts, the overall package is a great nod to a famous mech that I wish got more attention. For the price, he's definitely worth picking up and adding to your collection!