SH MONSTERARTS GODZILLA (1989) | Figure Review

BioGoji, the 1989 Godzilla design has had an interesting history in the SH MonsterArts figure line. It first appeared in a display next to the upcoming SH MonsterArts Biollante figure in 2013, but BioGoji wouldn't get an official SHMA release until 2016 where it was the first and so far only figure under the Kou Kyou Kyoku label.  
It was a great figure, but it didn't have the correct scale when compared to Godzilla's opponents. Now with the release of the new Special Color Version of Biollante, the collectors started clamoring for a new BioGoji figure in the proper scale to compliment her. Well, Bandai has granted our wishes and released such a figure. 
And I have....certain opinions about it...

Look!
Listen!
OK? Just hear me out, please...

Appearance-wise, this figure nails the look of the 1989 suit without a doubt, looking just as great as he did when he emerged from Mount Mihara. The sculpt, detail and textures are all masterfully done and whether or not this is just a shrunken version of the Kou Kyou Kyoku figure is kind of up for debate, but if you look at them side by side there are a few subtle differences. 

The scale should be obvious. However, this figure is just barely under the standard 6 inch scale that the other Godzilla's in the line are. He isn't as short as the SHMA 1964 figure,  though I feel like there should have been like an extra centimeter added to the legs because whenever I look at them, they feel shorter than they actually are. Or is that just me?

At this point with SHMA Godzilla's, you'd have to actually TRY and screw up his skin color. It's in the finer details of the body where the most care should be taken. 

Luckily, the eyes look amazing and are perfectly aligned. 
The teeth seem to be the area where the most QC issues with this figure come from. Mine are painted decently.

The claws on the hand are pretty good, the feet are a bit questionable.

As for the dorsal fins, I think the patches on them should match the color of Godzilla's skin as opposed to being all brightly colored.  

Godzilla 1989's articulation is as follows:

Godzilla's head can look slightly up and with the neck joints can look straight down. The head can also turn to look to the left and the right, but doing this will expose a gap in the sculpt of the neck pieces. Finally, the head and neck can tilt side to side. Also the lower jaw is on a ball joint which can cause it to be misaligned at times.
Pro tip: don't try moving the tongue. Trust me on this.

The arms can move in and out and make a full rotation at the shoulders, there's rotation at the biceps, the elbows bend and twist, and the hands can rotate and swivel.

Legs can move forward, backward and can even move out at the hip, bend at the knee with some rotation and the feet can rotate and pivot. The hips also include an extra piece to hide any potential gaps in the articulation.

The tail has a great range of movement. Much like the Kou Kyou Kyoku figure, the tail segments like to twist and look awkward, but if ya work it just right they'll stay in place.

You may have noticed I didn't mention the body articulation, why? Well, because it's the part of the articulation that I have the most to say about. 
The past few Godzilla releases have come with a separate belly joint that helps expand the movement of the figure. This 1989 figure however has no such joint, limiting it's articulation to only a slight forward and side to side lean. 
Separate belly joints should be the gold standard for SHMA Godzilla figures going forward, in fact, that may also help improve the height of this figure. 

This $90+ Godzilla figure comes with no accessories, you're gonna have to get creative, like me.

If the point of this figure was to make it in scale with their Biollante figure, then Bandai did a pretty good job. It also scales well with the Heisei King Ghidorah figure. 

With all the criticisms I've made, let me make this crystal clear: I love this figure. It's probably one of the better 1989 figures out there, all my issues can be seen as minor at best but still worth pointing out. 

I am more than comfortable giving this figure a high recommendation. 

Alright, time to go back to waiting for that 2004 Godzilla to never be revealed...
That Hedorah figure looks sweet though. 

Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon

and thank you for joining me here in my lair.

So long...

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