Review: Legioss from Another Genesis
Packaging & Extras: (4/5)
The box for this toy is refreshingly small (25 x 18 x 5.5 cm) and while it doesn’t have thick cardboard or any premium frills, the artwork is topnotch. A plastic tray includes the Legioss as well as:
1) Articulated Pilot Figure
2) VR-052F Ride Armor (Bike mode)
3) Gun
Behind the tray you’ll receive:
4) Black and white, fold out instructions
What more could we ask for? Sentinel added a missile pack between the arms but this toy’s design integrates that feature. Similarly, Sentinel gave us hardpoint adapters to connect the gun or missile pod under the wing. While the ToyR!se only includes a gun, the body of the toy is covered in 3 mm slots that can receive a host of weaponry from other toys you own. Sentinel gave us intake fan covers for Armo-Soldier mode while the ToyR!se opts for always exposed fans. Sentinel gave us a clear stand for the ride armor while the ToyR!se has large footrests that suffice. The biggest deficiency is the lack of a display stand. It would have been nice if TakaraTomy had managed to include something akin to a Tamashii Stage Act display stand.
Charm & Collectability: (3.5/5)
At 21 cm long in fighter mode, the ToyR!se is only 1 cm shorter than the Sentinel and remains close enough to be called 1/48 scale. However, while the Sentinel includes a 1/48 scale pilot (at 4 cm tall), the ToyR!se pilot is closer to 1/70 scale at 3 cm and the cockpit is also smaller implying that this “Another Genesis Legioss” would have different real-world dimensions from those seen in the show. Moving to soldier mode, the Sentinel stands 15 cm tall (1.5 cm shorter than the Riobot), which is about 1/60 scale. Weighing only 142 g, the ToyR!se is 80 g lighter than the Sentinel and will not feel substantial in your hands. However, the MSRP of 12,000¥ is less than half the MSRP of the Sentinel making it an attractive alternative. Though the lack of heft and bold, non-canon, reinterpretation of the Legioss could have resulted in diminished demand, this toy sold out during the preorder phase and immediately received mark-ups after launch. Its collectability receives a boost from its ability to accommodate Diaclone pilots and accessories. Diaclone products are advertised as having a unified 1/60 scale so you can imagine the prototype Legioss was larger than the final version making a 1/60 scale prototype nearly the same size as a 1/48 production model.
Sculpt, Detail, & Paint: (7.5/10)
The Omega variant is described as a prototype with numerous differences from the Legioss variants in the show. The most notable changes are the sloped area behind the cockpit, the weapons pods between the arms, the fold-up machine guns rather than an over-the-shoulder sensor array, a more aerodynamic chest hump, and a new head. The bright yellow trim captures the prototype aesthetic and painted on labels and insignias are plentiful. The head has nice paint applications and two small eyes that make it look like it’s wearing a warrior’s helmet. I didn’t love how the wings hinge in the opposite direction from the anime design when moving to soldier mode instead of shielding the back of the bot.
A direct comparison reveals why the Sentinel toy demands a much higher price. The Riobot has more paint applications like the thrusters in the forearms and feet, vents next to the cockpit, and smaller details like ‘no step’ warnings. While neither toy has paint applications in the cockpit, the Sentinel has a separate translucent blue HUD piece and two tone (gray & black) interior while the ToyR!se is simpler and gray. Sentinel also includes fine sculpted details throughout while the ToyR!se simplifies and smooths the Legioss and then pocks it with the 3 mm attachment points. While both toys have landing gear that function as indicated in the Legioss line art, the Sentinel has detailed landing gear made from multiple parts while the ToyR!se has single piece, basic gear. The Sentinel has a matte finish while the ToyR!se is shiny and looks much more like a toy. The canopy on the ToyR!se isn’t as clear.
The ToyR!se scores a win by adding paint applications to the pilot figure. The figure otherwise looks like a shrunk version of the Sentinel except the hands are twisted to look more natural when standing, the Sentinel’s pilot’s hands are oriented to hold imaginary grips on the motorcycle. Speaking of the motorcycle, I prefer the ToyR!se figure’s use of the base color for more of the bike. I TakaraTomy used the original ride armor design as opposed to updated version both to differentiate this product from the Sentinel and also because I love the classic design. If they ever get around to making the TV designs, maybe they’ll make the switch.
The Sentinel’s pilot being larger also means the cockpit is larger which gives a very different feel to fighter mode; the Sentinel looks more compact, the ToyR!se has proportions like many modern fighter planes. Sentinel and ToyR!se both avoid the hump in chest being so pronounced it drags on the ground when the toy is on its landing gear. The ToyR!se softens the impact of the chest hump by reshaping it to have more of a rearward angle but it’s more pronounced than the Sentinel and doesn’t look good from straight ahead.
Diver mode reveals the different philosophies between the Riobot and ToyR!se. Sentinel goes to great lengths to perfectly recreate the line art while the ToyR!se takes a practical approach that’s ‘close enough’. Where Sentinel incorporates numerous parts and hinges in dropping the wings and shifting them forward, Takara simply has them hinge down. On the ToyR!se, the wings go so far behind the vehicle it almost looks like they could have made them twist horizontally for a Macross-style GERWALK mode. The biggest ToyR!se shortcoming of Diver and Soldier modes are the forearms. The fist spins out from the forearm leaving a cavity in the space it occupied. Opposite this cavity is an opening allowing you to look through the forearm of the toy. In contrast, the Sentinel forearm can be finicky in collapsing and revealing the vertical stabilizer but conceals all transformation mechanisms when complete.
Soldier mode of the Omega is so different from the anime version it’s hard to compare it to the Riobot. The two glaring negatives are the forearms we’ve already discussed and the feet. When handling the toy, the feet don’t seem as jarring as they do in some of the pictures where it looks like a street walker wearing impossibly high heels. Another area that looks incomplete are the insides of the shoulders. While other toys tend to have vent detail to conceal the shoulder mechanism, the ToyR!se leaves it exposed. Outside those two glaring issues, everything looks great.
Design: (8/10)
Continuing the comparison to the Sentinel, here’s a list of its design elements and how the ToyR!se fairs:
1) Opening cockpit with removable articulated pilot figure
2) Integrated landing gear that provide sufficient ground clearance that lock in the deployed position for easier handling. The locking is less important on this toy because the landing gear are one solid piece of plastic, lacking the spinning wheels and rubber tires of the Riobot.
3) Mountable gun in fighter mode. Sentinel thought they were cool because you could mount the gun (using a separate hardpoint attachment piece) under the wing or remove the magazine and mount it to the central missile pod. ToyR!se needs no separate hardpoint connector and you can peg the gun into several different areas.
4) Mountable missile pod. Sentinel allowed you to connect the missile pod between the arms or under a wing while TakaraTomy gives us two missile pods that can be mounted in two different orientations to numerous slots. The ToyR!se pods can open to reveal missiles (little red dots) on either side and have a mounting peg below that can be stowed and one on the side that can slide to accommodate numerous orientations on any of the available anchors.
5) Integrated missile bays on shoulders, forearms, and legs… are all deleted on the ToyR!se in favor of the previously mentioned missile pod.
TRANSFORMATION GUIDE COMING SOON!
6) Perfect transformation – the ToyR!se simplifies the transformation making it a much more enjoyable process. The Riobot is only slightly larger but much more complex making transformation uncomfortable and giving the toy the sense of being ‘fiddly’.
7) The ability to open the cockpit in soldier mode – The ToyR!se emulates this feature and makes it easier to use
While it may be a bummer TakaraTomy didn’t include a stand, all those 3mm slots on the toy mean it works very well with any Tamashii Stage Act display stand without any need for an adapter.
Durability & Build: (8.5/10)
Though I’ve seen a few reports of manufacturer defects, this toy otherwise performs very well. The only issue I encountered was what appears to be a glue smudge near one of my rear landing gear. There is one design element that TakaraTomy already sees as an durability weakness. The toy has a hip lock that is activated by the VTOL thruster. If you inadvertently leave the VTOL vent pointing toward the feet and then go to swing the feet forward, you could break the toy. Otherwise, the design cuts the right balance between being complicated enough to be an impressive transformation that reaches three different, attractive modes and simple enough to not frustrate. The plastic feels solid during handling and there were no elements that gave me pause even through the initial several
Articulation: (8/10)
The head is a ball joint that can spin 360 degrees (assuming you move over-the-shoulder weaponry out of the way), can cock to either side, can look down, but can’t look up. There’s a pivot point at the base of the shoulder allowing 360 degrees of arm rotation but there’s a big peg on the wing behind the arm that can lead to frustration. If you leave the missile pod attached where it was in fighter mode, it will hit the wing peg the moment you go to move the arm . Had the wing pivoted inward like every other Legioss toy, this peg would not be an issue. The base of the shoulder slides into the chest. While I hoped this would lock the chest in place and keep it from rotating when I moved the arm, this is not the case. In an ideal world, the shoulder can pivot forward to the front of the chest to help compensate for the Legioss’ stubby arms, but TakaraTomy didn’t give us that feature. Just below the shoulder housing is a swivel point, and a double-jointed elbow that allows nearly 180 degrees of movement, and an outward elbow that allows 90 degrees of side movement. The hands connect via a peg that allows them to spin. Though we don’t get the ab crunch pivot point seen on the Sentinel, we do get a waist that allows 45 degrees of twist in either direction. The legs can move forward and backward until they run into another part of the toy and connect to the hips via circular joints that allow the legs to also pivot out ward about 33 degrees. A twist directly below the hip is very well executed and allows the leg to twist 90 degrees from having the toe straight ahead to straight outside. The knee is a single pivot point allowing about 90 degrees of backward swing and a small amount forward. The foot connects to the leg in the rear of the leg housing via a forward-facing ball joint that allows it to angle and twist in all directions though the housing of the leg will restrict the movement. It’s curious to me the foot couldn’t open further to provide a more natural angle rather than a high-heel look. The rear heel can pivot further open for diver mode and the front toe can pivot downward.
Total Score: (40/50)
Some will want to know if they should purchase this instead of the Sentinel. If you don’t already own a Sentinel, and haven’t been swayed by all of its features and beauty to make the plunge due to its high price to size ratio, then this toy may be the perfect substitute. It makes compromises but those compromises make it more playable and affordable while keeping it nearly the same size. Compatibility with existing and future Diaclone/TakaraTomy products may increase the fun factor. For people that already own the Sentinel, it’s likely not a tough sell to encourage you to grab some toys from this line. As gorgeous and feature-packed as the Sentinel is, just a few loose joints on it quickly make it much less fun to handle due to the complex engineering. Pick a pose and display your Riobots prominently but add some ToyR!se to transform and play with frequently.