Toy Review - Takara LG Super Ginrai
Series - Legends
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - Retool of TR Powermaster Optimus Prime using similar engineering to CW Ultra Magnus
Wave - 1
Released here - not. (Late Dec 16 from Japan)
So here we have Takara's take on Powermaster Optimus Prime.
First off let me mention the fact that apart from the wheels, there are NO parts that I can see that have been re-used from the CW Ultra Magnus mould. Not even the lower leg pieces that are hidden behind his shins and trailer sides. Even the rear of the truck cab section has a different tail-light configuration. Excellent effort HasTak.
I don't have Hasbro's Powermaster Prime, so I can't really do a comparison beyond images found on the net, but obviously the major differences are the Titan Master, cab front end, chest piece, lower arms & hands, new feet. The hip pieces from the legs also seem to be different - they look to have sockets to attach the upcoming God Bomber set. The 5mm peg holes on his arms are probably for this purpose also, but lets you stick extra weapons there.
Initially I was a little worried about an open "car carrier" turning into an enclosed trailer when I heard that PMOP was supposedly a retool of CW Ultra Magnus, but for the most part it works. Just a couple of small gaps on the roof.
Takara's new design for the front of the cab is very G1 Prime, and is a closer match to the original release than Hasbro's more modern take. However they've kept the sides of the cab the same (from what I can tell) and it meshes oddly with the more traditional look of the front - the side windows being half the height of the front and the strange protusion from the sides in front of the new windows. The new feet also look more convincing in this mode as (unpainted) tail-lights than do Ultra Magnus' feet (from what I can tell, PMOP uses the same feet?)
For bot mode, those issues about the side of the cab vanish, and are covered up by the new chest piece that closely matches the design of the original version, including Hi-Q/Ginrai's engine mode. Moulded detail all over the figure such as his shoulders, knee/shin pieces and helmet all hearken back to the original design, but with a more modern, more Classics-verse/Generations updated feel.
The feet have been divisive among the online communities, and I can see why - very flat front, and unless extended properly, not very stable. I don't mind too much, and it does make him look like he's stepped out of the cartoon. I can definitely see where the feet attach to the God Bomber components when I look closely.
The Titan Master is coloured just like Hi-Q/Ginrai, and has a traditional Optimus Prime/Ginrai face on his back, rather than the Orion Pax face Apex had. There are two new, quite long rifles to replace the Ultra Magnus weapons Hasbro's PMOP inherited, but the shoulder cannons are unchanged. The new rifles also combine and create a seat for a Titan Master.
As a side note, if you like the red eyes from the original releases, LG Soundwave's Titan Master does quite a nice job with his red visor behind the Super Ginrai mask.
Recommended? I think appearance-wise he was worth the price over the Hasbro version, and definitely worth it if you're looking to make God Ginrai with God Bomber, but just be aware of the cost of tracking this guy down.
Photos to hopefully come soon when I get the chance.
