Toyz Review: Revoltech Yamaguchi Vash The Stampede

If I recount my experiences with Japanese Animation, there have been several shows over the years that have impacted and influenced me a great deal. There'd be too many to list down if I started going through each and everyone of them, but fortunately, in relation to today's post, I'm going to concentrate on one anime in particular - Trigun. A futuristic space western tale set on the planet Gunsmoke, this series was the brainchild of one Yasuhirow Nightow, who wrote and illustrated the original manga before it was adapted for TV. Focusing on the story of a man known as "Vash The Stampede", Trigun follows the fellow's adventures, as he evades danger and save lives at the same time. However, his presence alone inadvertedly causes so much destruction and chaos, and one particular incident in his past left an entire city in ruins. As a result, Vash now has a big bounty placed on his head, leaving him constantly on the run from the law and the badguys who want to kill him! I could go on and on about how silly, cool and exciting this series is, but I'd best leave that for curious eyes to see for themselves. Just check out the intro to this classic and see what I mean.

Trigun Intro
Now that I've talked about the show, it's time to get to the heart of this post - a review on the newest toy based on Vash and out for the collectible to buy and share with the world. I'm talking about none other than Revoltech Yamaguchi's Vash The Stampede action figure, and by golly, it's an amazing toy that is a must have for the definite Trigun fan! Why do I say this? Because this baby packs several swappable parts and interchangeable pieces, not to mention a body full of poseability, articulation, and action! Take a look!

Ok, now that I've squealed and ranted about the figure in a positive light, I'll move on to a detailed review of it now.At first glance, The Revoltech Yamaguchi Vash (designated "Series No. 091") can look deceptively small, especially with the way it's positioned inside the box. True, no one knows exactly how a figure's gonna fare out to them unless they open it, but in this case, many may make the mistake of immediately passing on what is already proven to be a top-selling figure. I picked this cool dude up a week ago, and I'm still in disbelief that it's going hot like donuts.

Vash is packaged inside a white box with a see through plastic screen that exposes the toy and its numerous parts inside. The figure itself is positioned in the center, with its legs spread out and the upper body hunched to make it fit inside the packaging. Like I said, it makes the figure look smaller than it should be. That's a matter of perception though, and anyone who needs their doubts dispelled can easily check the various poses pictured at the back of the packaging to get an idea just how articulated and tall this figure can be.

Once I opened this baby, I could very well see how much the Revoltech line has grown considerably since its early iterations all those years ago. Articulation and detail have been the prevailing points for the Yamaguchi line of figures, and no expense was spared in crafting a fine and well sculpted Vash The Stampede, based on his appearance on the recent Trigun movie: Badlands Rumble, which debuted in Japan last end of April. This particular look of Mr. Humanoid Typhoon looks more like a hybrid of his Manga and Anime appearance, with more emphasis on the former for the extra details he gets on his suit. That's probably a good thing, and getting the best of both worlds is great for me.

I took the guy out of the plastic and started fiddling with the various joints and accessories. Keep in mind, Revoltech prides itself in interchangeability and variation, so there's A LOT of ways to play and make Vash look extremely cool. The only gripe I have is that his .45 is stuck in the one right hand accessory it is attached to, meaning he can't use the gun on the left one. A minor quirk, yes, but I would have loved to switch and play with his main gun accessory.

The left arm is actually a prosthetic that conceals a machine gun inside, which can be interchanged again with the one left hand exposing and using said gun. Fancy stuff to play around with different concepts here, but I prefer Vash holding and posing with his .45 while seated on a damaged concrete surface.

Ok, now that I've pointed out the main stuff, all that's left to critique is the paint. I choose well and hard over two other pieces of this figure, and being mass produced, paint is an issue that must be carefully addressed before picking up a Revoltech figure. Some of the other Vashs has paint chips and smears, but I got lucky plucking out a good one. Also, with the numerous pegs and accessories coming along with this figure, it's easy to lose track or misplace these items, so Revoltech was nice enough to include a small mini orange box just to store said items, only with the used ones, plastic stands, and explosive peripherals unaccounted for. Be sure to handle the figure with care, as the tight joints may loosen over time or with excessive play and use.

Bottomline, while I already have a Vash figure with the McFarlene release, I love this rendition a lot more and am very pleased with having it. As a big fan of the character and Trigun, I couldn't pass this guy up when I saw it out at my local hobby shop. As I mentioned earlier, this figure is going fast, and there's no doubt why that's so. He's just too cool to be missed, and even if he's a pacifist gunslinger who advocates no killing, he has a heart of gold and a mission of love and peace, which makes him an awesome hero in my book.

Rating - 5/5