TOY REVIEW: Revoltech Yamaguchi Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - Raiden

Fans were upset when Raiden took center stage in Metal Gear Solid 2, shouldering aside the series’ gravel-voiced epitome of manliness, Solid Snake. Raiden’s bishounen good looks, complete with parlor-treatment goldilocks hair, certainly didn’t help endear him to the gaming community, which was quick to tear him a new one.
 

But series and character creator, Hideo Kojima, wasn’t done with Raiden just yet, awarding him not only a pivotal role in 2008’s Metal Gear Solid 4, but also a sleek and sexy new look as a badass ninja cyborg. And then, early this year, Raiden even starred in his very own game.
 
No naked cartwheels or incessant whining here; Raiden was back with a vengeance—or should I say, “revengeance.” Even his luscious platinum-blond locks didn’t survive the transition; with polished silver hair and a battle-hardened mug only Kojima could love, Raiden was a full-fledged, sword-wielding, spine-ripping killer cyborg.
 
And that brings us to Kaiyodo’s latest entry in their Revoltech Yamaguchi line of super-articulated action figures. Raiden from “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” follows after their version of Snake from “Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.” Thankfully, Kaiyodo has showered both with the same amount of love; Raiden looks very much like he does in his game, which is amazing considering his six-inch scale.

 
From the screen, into your hands
 
I had to reinstall “Metal Gear Rising” just to see how well the Raiden figure compares to its video game counterpart. I can safely say the face sculpt is an extremely faithful, if not absolutely perfect, rendition of the game’s 3D model. If you look real closely, you can even see minute details such as those weird bolt things in his skull. Raiden’s exposed lower teeth are also quite visible, making us wonder how he pronounces words like “mommy” and “behoove.” His coiffure is beautifully done, styled into flowing locks that work nicely with both static and dynamic poses.
 
Raiden’s biomechanical body is also brimming with details, including the various studs on his chest and stomach; the muscle striations in his limbs, torso, and buttocks; his rock-hard robot six-pack; and the various metallic plates and other cybernetics just about everywhere else.
 
The tiniest of these elements don’t look like shapeless blobs of factory defect hell as they usually do on other figures of the same scale, but are instead finely sculpted with exacting precision. The hands and feet are particularly impressive; you can see the knuckles and joints on Raiden’s fingers, and his weird, bird-like feet are just as creepy as they are in the game.
 
Where the sculpt does suffer are the joint areas. A majority of these joints are cleverly hidden, but the elbow and knee ball joints are quite visible. The balls of the elbows interfere with the flow of the muscle striation from biceps to the forearms. The knee joint can’t be seen from the front thanks to the kneecaps, but they are definitely conspicuous from the back, and also when you bend the legs.
 
As for the paint job, it’s clean and very well-done, though again, not a perfect translation from the screen. In the game, Raiden’s entire body armor is polished with a uniform, metallic sheen. The figure’s armor does have a similar luster to it, but I can’t help but wish it were a tad shinier.
 
All in all, these are minor gripes. Together, the sculpt and the paint job produce an excellent likeness of Raiden’s in-game model; every inch of him exudes “butt-kicking cybernetic ninja.” Visible joints cannot be perfectly hidden on a figure with this much articulation; if you want an exact replica of the 3D model, you’re better off buying an immovable statue, not an action figure. But where’s the fun in not being able to pose Raiden like he’s in the middle of one of his infamous naked cartwheels?
 

Enough joints to reenact those precious naked cartwheel moments
 
Because this is Revoltech Yamaguchi we’re talking about, expect over a dozen points of articulation on Raiden for all those magnificent and wacky poses. Belly crunch? No problem. Two-handing his massive sword? Easy peasy! Spreading his legs wide open? Oh, you so naughty!
 
Yet despite an incredible range of motion, there are limits to his flexibility. For one, he can’t bend over backwards. He also can’t touch his heels to his butt. But that’s okay. Why would Raiden want to kick his own behind?
 
What’s a ninja without a boatload of killer accessories?
 
Aside from superb articulation, the Revoltech brand is known for one other thing: lots and lots of accessories. Raiden comes with seven extra hands, each with a different pose, from the good 'ole karate chop to fingers curled like they want to grasp something, uh, big and round. Like melons. Yes, Raiden comes with a melon, which he was last seen slicing in one of the game’s teaser trailers. The melon is in two halves, but they can be reattached and detached to your whim, so you can reenact that particularly goofy part of said trailer.
 
 
Raiden has his signature weapon—a beautifully-detailed, “high-frequency blade,” which is basically a high tech Japanese-style sword. He also has a dagger, and a large railgun scabbard in which to sheathe both weapons. The scabbard can be affixed to a two-piece structure which is in turn secured to his left hip. Because of the flexibility of this structure, you can position the scabbard any way you want, from behind his back to beside his hip. You can even shove it between his thighs, if you’re the type who gets the giggles with that kind of thing.
 
Raiden also has an extra red eyeball, but you’ll have to remove his face in order to poke it into place. And for him to wear his nifty-looking visor, you’ll have to remove the top of his hair. The hair and face pieces are quite tight, however, so taking them off will take some effort.
 
Other accessories include a blue “energy wave” stand, as well as some translucent balancing poles to help him stay put whatever pose he’s in.
 

Lastly, Raiden comes with a cardboard box made out of—you guessed it—real cardboard. You have to cut it and origami it into shape, however, which may or may not be a hassle for some collectors.
 

Slice ‘em and dice ‘em
 
Aside from some minor issues, Revoltech Yamaguchi’s Raiden from “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” is a fantastic figure. The wonderful sculpt and paint job make him a gorgeous display item; his extreme poseability and abundant accessories make him a ridiculously fun toy to play with.

Like a little kid, you’ll find yourself bringing him everywhere with you, moving those little arms and legs just to hear the delicious crunch of his joints’ ratchets, and making him do every pose imaginable. Raiden has come a long way from those embarrassing pretty boy days, and this figure is a reflection of his transformation into bonafide ninja badass that everyone can love. Kaiyodo has done an exemplary job translating a video game character into plastic; at last, here’s a Metal Gear Raiden figure that can slice and dice his way through any toy collection.
 
For more pictures of Raiden, you can check out the Revoltech Yamaguchi Facebook page. — VC, GMA News