Skull Robot Change Robo

With Skull Robot, the CDX crew has completed our collection of the wondrous Magic/Change Robo, Maruka/Marca' s series of transforming monster heads.

I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the rest of the series:

02: Devil Robot (Dracula)
03: Horror Robot (Frankenstein)
04: Gorilla Robot (King Kong)

These figures elegantly capture the strange whimsy of Japanese toys. While these pieces are simplistic and cheap, their charm and originality transcend their humble origins. It's fun to remember a time when literally anything was fodder for a transforming toy.

Skull robot is, interestingly, the only generic character in the line. While the other entries are quasi-legal knockoffs of Universal monsters, this one is just a skull. It's pretty great.

The package is a typical colorful window box. The illustrations are exquisite. The Skull Robot paintings are easily the best of all the characters.

Inside, a simple styrofoam tray.

The skull is gobot-sized. The sculpt is surprisingly nuanced. The cranial sutures are a nice touch. I like how the eyes sockets are open, allowing for glimpses of mechanical detail beyond. The foil decal at the lower jaw really pops.

The head can extend upward, opening the mouth.

Transformation is dead simple. You part the face halves and fold out the shoulders.

Skull Robot is a lot more cohesive than the other Magic Robos. It's less abstract and better proportioned. Pain apps and decal details are subtle but effective.

His arms can kind of flap up and down, and of course there's a pull-back wheel mechanism.

Lovely, terrific. I'm a little sad that there are no more left to find.