Gatchaman Minifigures by Yujin

[hellpop]

So I was at a collectibles show today (bought a Fear Itself set for $4, thanks for asking), and I picked up a Microman Gatchaman figure. I always liked the Gatchaman (AKA G-Force) costumes, and it made me want Gatchaman Minimates. Which seems pretty tough to pull off, since those helmets are so distinct, but while I was looking around I saw these:

I found a review that said that they weren't all that great, but my big question is about the helmets. Are they removable? I'm tempted to just buy the set and take my chances, but I thought I'd check here first and see if anyone has ever bought or seen these.

[karamazov80]

I bet BHM has them. . .

[MiniFiend UK]

I loved G-force as a kid even though it made no sense to me. They are cool.

had a quick google and it looks like the helmets are molded as part of the head but the visors are removed in some pics I've seen.

Edited September 14, 2013 by MiniFiend UK

[hellpop]

Hmmm...if the visors are removable, that might be reason enough to try it.

[Nervous Rex]

I've had my eye on those for years, wanting to do the same thing. These are such a big want for me, even as customs, but it's the helmets that always scared me off.

[hellpop]

I think the visors might work with the new SHIELD helmet, though. I dunno. Maybe this is something for a 3-D printer?

[Shanester]

I think the visor is most of the problem. There was a girl at last years C2E2 dressed as Princess and she had an incredibly detailed helmet. It was made from a 3/4 motorcycle helmet and she said the visor was the hardest part.

[hellpop]

Well, I had some eBay Bucks built up, so I went ahead and took the plunge. Set should be here today, I hope. At the very least, I figure that I'll have some semi-decent BotP minifigs, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use the visors, capes, and accessories to make some customs. I'm thinking (hoping) that the helmets that come with the fat heavy SHIELD guys will work well. If not, I'll figure something else out. Got my decals all ready!

[hellpop]

So here's an update on these, for the five of you hanging on my every word here...

First of all, these are much smaller then I expected. They are about the size of Lego figures; if you imagine Lego-sized Kubricks, you'll have a good idea of what these look like. They are not terrible figures, but they sure ain't great. The helmets are indeed sculpted as part of the head, but the visors are removable (and don't actually stay on very well). This is probably the best thing, though, as the helmet would probably be too small to fit on a Minimate head. The visor, though, can be used with a Minimate, with some effort.

These aren't really block figures, in that the parts aren't meant to be removed. I discovered this the hard way, when I pulled Mark's head off to see if the cape would fit over a Minimate neck, and discovered that the head wouldn't go back. Oh well. If they weren't fodder before, they sure were now. The cape fits just fine over the neck, but it's a little small. This isn't too bad with Mark, Jason and Tiny, but will be a problem with the Princess and (especially) Keyop, whom are both noticeably smaller then the others.

I ended up using the helmets that come with the Heavy SHIELD agent, and they work well enough. Because the visors are too curved to fit on the helmet properly, I used a hairdryer to heat them, with some success. Unfortunately, the hard plastic didn't bend without clouding up a bit, but not enough to bother me. I've finished Mark and Jason (well, Jason still needs helmet decals printed), and I'm working on the Princess and Zoltar, the bad guy. Tiny and Keyop are on the horizon, but I can't say I'm as excited to make them as the cool guys and the cute girl. But I do want the whole team....

Anyway, this is what you get, if you buy this set: visors, capes, and accessories. Which is worth it, I think, since this is the best you're going to do to capture the unique designs of G-Force until some enterprising soul *coughNervouscough* decides to try and 3-D model them.

Pictures soon!