SPECIAL THANKS:
King Arts International Limited
http://www.king-arts.com
Alfredo (Actarus77) PR of the site Gokin.it
Davide (Fred77) graphics and texts
Paolo (Shin71) Photos and review
Giustino (Kengiu) publications
The REVIEW OF DANGUARD KING ARTS:
-"click on the photos for zoom"-
Introduction:
In 1977 the collaboration between Toei Animation and the famous cartoonist and animator Leiji Matsumoto was born. From this union comes the idea for a new mecha series called Danguard Ace. Made up of 56 episodes, this robotic adventure will remain the only one of its kind created by Matsumoto. It arrived in Italy in 1978 and only 9 episodes were initially broadcast. Only later were the rights purchased and it was broadcast entirely. The window of memories reopens thanks to the new creation of the Danguard Ace produced by King Arts which, after Yamato and Bandai, offers its personal interpretation of the famous mecha designed by Matsumoto to the robotic collectors market.
Packaging:
The package looks good with all in all small dimensions and with simple presentation graphics, both on the front and on the back. Inside, a large black plastic blister immediately presents all the contents of the King Arts production. In the center stands the model surrounded by all the available accessories. Only the pedestal for the satellizer configuration is housed in the rear part of the container. Of course, there is also the manual with instructions on the correct positioning of the parts and the transformation.
The Robot and the "Satellizer trasformation"
The first contact with the model is really impressive, both in terms of its size and its surprising weight. On the scale test, the Danguard registers around 1200 grams (1,2 kg). King Arts adds centimeters compared to the productions seen previously, we are talking about a Danguard of 33 cm in height and I can assure you that the visual impact is truly devastating! The design of the model winks at the small GX62 Bandai, but the King Arts product has its own well-defined stylistic conception which, in my view, does not allow the two productions to be compared.
As with the previous releases, albeit in a more contained form, King Arts inserts removable parts on the Danguard which, once removed, show the internal mechanical details. The aesthetics of the mecha has been slightly revised through the use of paneling and small gray / gold inserts that break up the linearity of the classic Danguard appearance. Be careful though, these additions are never aesthetically invasive and heavy, but give the right touch of novelty to an outdated mecha design. The sections with the internal details are 11 in total, they open very simply thanks to the removal of the covers fixed by means of pressure pins. The operation is really simple and every single part is precise and perfect.
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We can therefore admire mechanical sections of the Danguard starting from the head, in the shoulders, in the forearms, on the front of the pelvis, in the femurs and in the two halves of the lower part of the legs. Technically, the King Arts production appears to be well studied, both in terms of articulations and in the choice of materials, we have the right mix between plastic and metal parts. Shoulders, carriages, pelvis, femurs and feet are in diecast, while the remaining parts of the body are in high quality plastic. The general finish is excellently cared for, I have not found any signs or defects in any part of the model. The joints that manage the movements of our Danguard are mostly friction with the exception of those of the hips (forward / backward movement) and knees which are snap. All joints have an excellent degree of stiffness even after several movements. During the phases of the photo shoot, I was able to test them very well and they always maintained their initial resistance. This detail is very important, because it guarantees safety over time. Those who like to "play" with their own models will find in Danguard King Arts great reliability in replicating dynamic poses without the slightest difficulty. I want to point out the incredible opening of the legs supported by the ankles with a truly astounding degree of inclination. This allows the model to always keep the feet firmly on the ground, even with poses in which the legs have the widest spread. King Arts has designed two lighting points, we have LED lights for eyes and internal chest plate. The intensity of the LED’s amazed me a lot, they emit a very strong light that is effectively noticed even with the model displayed under domestic lighting. The painting is impeccable with the right point of gloss. The coloring is homogeneous and does not show chromatic variations between the plastic and metallic materials, a sign of great care in its realization.
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On the accessories front, the equipment is quite complete. We have two helmets (one transforms), three heads (normal/mechanical/illuminated), two chest plates (with trolleys/illuminated), wings, alternate back pack, four pairs of hands, the trolley for the Guard Launcher, a transparent pedestal and the two spears. The latter have the foldable handle inside them which obviously allows the union between the two parts. The various alternative hands are well defined in their details and enjoy ample movement once inserted on the large (very resistant) fixing pin. The Guard Launcher carts, while very small, can be folded and are well defined. The wings are foldable and are fixed to the model by pressure couplings. We can therefore choose to display the Danguard even without wings, thanks to the alternative backpack. However, the lack of an important display stand is felt, perhaps capable of storing unused accessories inside, for display in robot mode, but above all for the Satellizer version. A support to help the flying version of the spaceship, therefore without the aid of trolleys, would have been very welcome. The transformation into a Satellite is very simple and intuitive and we can choose between two different versions, it is almost not necessary to consult the instruction manual. The only step you need to pay attention to, is the separation phase between the torso and legs. By pressing the button behind the back, the body of the model must be rotated forward to obtain the perfect division of the two elements. This phase is very important because pulling upwards could cause unpleasant breakages between the parts. Once separated, proceed with the extraction of the fairing where the transformable helmet of the Danguard will be hooked up and the forearms, equipped with special fists, will be folded inside the cavity of the bust. If, on the other hand, we want to replicate the aesthetics faithful to the TV series, we have to remove the forearms and simply close the compartment with the special panel supplied.
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Body and legs then simply clip on top of each other in the classic way we all know. The fixing is very simple, and at the same time, very solid. The two panels that hold the legs do not present the slightest yield, even overturning the Satellizer over and over again. To complete the transformation, the illuminated pectoral panel will have to be replaced with the one equipped with metal trolleys and the pedestal that we find in the accessories supplied must be applied on the back. Worth mentioning is the magnetic union of the legs and feet which is really very resistant and reliable! A solution that I greatly appreciated because it does not disfigure the aesthetics of the legs with various holes and protuberances. Our Satellizer is massive and impressive, ready to take off towards new adventures ^___^ . It's a real shame not to have a dedicated display support.
The others photos - click for zoom:
Conclusions.
The King Arts model is the Danguard that all of us collectors have been waiting for, big, solid and well made. An excellent product from all points of view and, above all, with its own well-defined identity. This Danguard marks a new and important technical/evolutionary process by King Arts and you can clearly perceive it, by observing and testing their new production. I want to thank King Arts very much who, by sending us the model, allowed us to review and admire the Danguard before it was released on the market! A very special thanks to Just and all the Gokin.it staff for giving me the pleasure and honor of showing the King Arts model to all users in preview. Thanks again guys!
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Shin71
