Gai

Review by Ghost_XIII

Since this is one of the latest Makai Kado release, no surprise that this is an exclusive.

Gai’s box is practically the same as Zen except the colour and featured pictures.

Inside the box, everything is laid out on a single tray of plastic. You will be getting:

-Gai
-a bow(I’m not sure the official name for this weapon or does it even have any)
-an arrow
-a peg to be plugged in when you separate the bow
-splayed open hands(left & right)
-arrow holding hands(left & right)
-holding things hands(left & right)

and of course, instruction manual.

Out of the box, the figure is good to go.

I feel sorry for Dan because this is my NEW favourite armor design from Garo. In the show, its really hard(for me at least) to see how Gai is designed but having him in hand give me a very clear look and I love it. I love the asymmetrical ears and the pink cyclop-ish eye of his. Just one thing I dislike about his design is that thing in his mouth. Its weird but hey, its from Garo. Other than that, the details are great and paint apps are nicely applied.

Not really worth mentioning but its there so...the kneepads are diecast. That’s the only metal on the figure. The pink sash thingy at his skirts is soft rubber by the way.

In the articulation department, since it’s a figure from Garo, I really don’t expect much. Outward arm raise is of no issue thanks to the moveable shoulder pad but the leg split is severely hindered by the very design of his thigh and not the skirts. Having that said, the skirts itself is not that cooperative.

Forward arm raise is good but leg raise is severely hindered by his pelvic armor. Quite a sad thing as his knee can double-bend properly.

He can look up and down nicely but with such a high collar, sideways movement is again, severely limited.

Like all figure from the Garo series, he can open his mouth and don’t worry, that thing in his mouth will not fall out :p.

In the accessory department, Gai came with his signature bow.

I love the details on this weapon. It can be bend slightly probably to show when the arrow is fully drawn.

The blades can be deploy just like in the show when Gai used it for melee combat.

The arrow is nothing to shout about really. The body of the arrow is diecast by the way. The arrow holding hand actually has a hole where you can peg the end of the arrow in for a secure grip.

You need to separate the bow to allow the holding things hand to be threaded in. Notice the black peg used to connect the bow halves. When you separate it, one halve will have an exposed connection hole so this is where you can used the extra peg to cover it up and make it symmetrical. I don’t really mind but the option is there and that’s a good thing.

Making Gai holds his weapon is easy but posing him with them is a different story.

Its really finicky. First problem, you cant really make him draw the arrow way, way back like in real life when someone drawing an arrow. Second problem, due to his neck limited articulation, its really hard to make it looks like his aiming his shot. Despite the issues, he still looks awesome with his weapon.

Just like in the show, the bow can be used for melee combat. I’m not sure what this mode is called.

I thought melee mode will be easier but its just as finicky as ranged mode. You can adjust it but the show-accurate angle of the weapon is really awkward. This mode also made me wish Gai’s lower body a lot more articulated. I just cant get a good dynamic pose.

So, should you buy this?

How I hate myself for selling Zen. Oh well....

My opinion on this set is pretty much the same as Zen. Despite some minor but glaring limitation, I do enjoy Gai. I do wish he has better articulation but he looks so good just by standing still with his weapon so I guess that’s forgivable. Garo stuff is not known for articulation anyway. I got a great deal on mine but usually the season 3 trio would cost you about 80-100USD each. At that price, honestly I think Gai is BARELY worth it. Don’t get me wrong, all in all, it’s a great figure but there are other offering from Bandai which I think will give a lot more bang out of your hard-earned cash. I would only recommend this release to die-hard Garo fan or for people who really, REALLY like Gai’s design.

Comparing the trio, I think Gai is only second to Garo (that new Garo above) in term of monetary value. Unlike Zen, I felt Gai have a lot more going for him with his design and weapon but Garo certainly have a lot more. I’ll review Garo one day(God knows when :p).

With that, it’s the end of this review. I hope you enjoy reading it and as usual, any comments or critics(positive or negative) are always welcome to improve my review the next time around. This is Ghost_XIII, reporting out :).