The Life and Times of Steel A Jeeg

Alleged tokusatsu contributor, old man, wife guy. Kamen Rider and old school anime robots are woven into my DNA. Come for the toy pictures, stay for the (occasional) jokes and righteous indignation. He/Him - Black Lives Matter - Trans Rights are Human Rights

[steelajeeg]

Kamen Rider 1 and 2

- toyline SamSam Adventurer x Kamen Rider

- from Kamen Rider

- artist Kenny Wong

- by Paws Nova

I mentioned these all the way back in the SamSam Adventurer Ken the Eagle post - but these were my first exposure to Kenny Wong's work with Paws Nova. Although, at the time, I didn't know he was the artist on these. I just thought "oh nice, those look like Space Molly" - see the Ken the Eagle post for more on that.

But look at these two. Gorgeous colors on both toys - each in their first appearance colors. And they have such presence. They stand out in a display even if you have no connection to Kamen Rider. Crisp tampographic details, and the SamSam Adventurer sculpt lends itself so perfectly to the Rider anesthetic language.

These are the ideal licensed designer toy, in my opinion. Very reminiscent of the earlier days of the scene - back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Evocative without being literal. And that split between sincerity and irreverence is the foundation of good street art.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Giorno Giovanna

- toyline Jojo Q 02

- from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - The Animation

- by Bandai Gashapon

I love this little gashapon toy. I found this at Akiba House in Flushing, NY and immediately fell in love with the capsule design.

Each figure comes in a sculpted translucent orange capsule that can be converted into a base and background for each of the SD Jojo characters. Of course the capsule is also a backdrop for the toy - surrounding them with Hirohiko Araki's iconic effect lettering depicting the miasma of menace - ゴゴゴゴ

And it helps that Giorno is one of my favorite Jojo's. Call it Italian solidarity.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Kamen Rider V3

- toyline Shinkocchou Seihou S.H. Figuarts

- from Kamen Rider V3

- by Premium Bandai

Another gorgeous Shinkocchou Seihou figure.

I've had this sitting in storage since 2023 and only *just* finally opened it. And it's impressive as ever.

There's just something about V3's design that always looks fantastic in toy form. I do wonder what the Legendary Showa version of this sculpt will be like, though.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Son Goku - The Legendary Super Saiyan

- toyline S.H. Figuarts

- from Dragon Ball Z

- by Bandai

A test shot of of this gorgeous toy using the new lighting setup.

[Instagram Link]

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Reorganizing my work station and my photo area this weekend.

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Saiyan's Fury - Piccolo & Gohan

- toyline Dracap Dragon Capsule Neo

Return of Saiya

- from Dragon Ball Z

- by Megahouse

A gorgeous little mini diorama of a milestone moment in animation history. This figure has been in my collection for almost 20 years - and it still holds up against many modern figures of this scene.

It's a wonderful piece from Megahouse, from back during the peak of their Dracap series. It's such an impressive sculpt for such a small toy. Sharp, recognizable details. Expressive poses with a true sense of motion. And the colors just pop.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Little Anmoo - Dream Moments

- from Acoustic Wave Fission

- artist D.va吴林

- by T.N.T. - The New Toy

Another gorgeous trade wall find from Teso.

Beautiful colors, big robust sculpt, and look at that flocking on her hat. That use of texture is some of the best I've seen.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Chen Long Tatsu Gundam - C1

- toyline Ichiban Kuji China

- series Gundam Year of the Dragon

- by Bandai Namco

This was such a cool Book Off find.

Back in 2024, Bandai Namco did a series of Year of the Dragon Gundam prizes for Ichiban Kuji China. They had a full array of the standard Ichiban Kuji prizes - Large figures, cups, keychains, acrylic stands, and these beautiful little SD characters. Which were clearly the ones that caught my eye.

So I was very happy when this guy popped up my local Book Off.

He's holding an orb that says "辰" or "chen" - part the written name for the year of the dragon in the Chinese Zodiac that directly translates to "prosperity." Beautiful and crisp painted details over a sharp sculpt packed with small details. And he even has the classic Banpresto style eyes. A real sight for sore eyes - no pun intended.

He's a delight. And a toy that really stands out in a collection.

[Instagram Link 1] [Instagram Link 2]

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Another Casual Sunday post

Out and about in Brooklyn this weekend

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Time Slip

- from Mo I Know Me Series

- by Goho

I recently went into my local Teso for some necessities, and I say these gorgeous pearlescent figures on the trade wall. You actually might have seen pictures in my stories from when we first saw them.

If you haven't been to a Teso, they typically sell snacks, convenience grocery, cosmetics, toiletries, home good - and a small toy section. Some stores have bigger toy sections that feature a trade wall - a display of opened blind boxes that customers can trade in at the time of opening - as well as previous display pieces after they're taken down.

I would say I probably saw the entire "Mo I Know Me" line in that display. But this is the one that I feel in love with. The lighting is hiding how crisp and glossy that white paint is. And the chrome plastic really pops in the light. The plastic feels a little slight - especially compared to figures Pop Mart, 52 Toys, and T.N.T. - but I realize that's partly due to the chrome.

However, the design is just so unique that the construction doesn't really matter. It's a haunting little figure that makes you think about what the artist is saying - from the troubled expression towards the paper plane, to the hollowed out section of clockwork heart.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Mecha Freeza

- toyline S.H. Figuarts

- from Dragon Ball Z

- by Premium Bandai

What an absolutely stunning toy. It's such a beautifully sculpted rendition of one of my favorite designs in Dragon Ball. Beyond the articulation - which is substantial, and well engineered - this figure has such wonderful proportions. And I love the variation in textures between the organic sections of Freeza's body and the mechanical pieces - and the individual components within the mechanical sections. And we haven't even gotten into the accessories - but we'll save that for another gallery.

Freeza is one of my favorite character designs, so this was already a toy I planning on picking this up. But I was so happy with the finished product when it arrived. A true centerpiece.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Kamen Rider Faiz - Axel Form

- toyline Blokees Galaxy V2 Series

- from Kamen Rider 555

- by Blokees

It's far less easy to find the Kamen Rider Blokees here in the US than their other lines, so I was excited to see this at Book Off. Of course, that means I didn't get the experience of putting it together. But aside from that, and the missing energy kick effect, it was a really great find. I love the simple but effective sculpt, and the translucent detailing on the eye piece is very nice.

Maybe I'm lucky these are harder to get in my area, because I could definitely see myself buying way too many of these.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Kamen Rider Zero-One

- toyline Kamen Rider Mini-Q

- from Kamen Rider Zero-One

- by LDCX

Look at this little guy! He's adorable, he's looks kind of sad, and he's suspiciously hard to photograph with my lighting setup. (That neon yellow really picks up any blue light.) But it's such a well made piece, especially for an inexpensive blind box. And he's got so much character. Beautiful sculpted compound eyes, too.

I picked this guy up at All-in Anime in Brooklyn - they had an incredible selection of Kamen Rider toys from China and Japan that I rarely see in person. Everything from big statues to blind boxes - as well as a ton of other anime and designer toys. Definitely check them out of you're in the area.

[Instagram Link]

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Book Off Part 2 - More recent finds with some additional pictures from Tangram in Flushing, NY - and a few of the pickups that we brought home with us.

I am fully aware of how lucky I am to live in this area, surrounded by this much legitimately cool toy culture.

[Instagram Link]

[steelajeeg]

Book Off Part 1 - Some recent finds - thrift toys, gashapon, Kamen Rider and old school mecha anime. Book Off doesn't always have the best prices, but once in a while you can find some real hidden gems there.

[Instagram Link]

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I don't usually post selfies on here, but here I am with my boy Ultraman at Kinya Ramen - and a random mirror shot from my local Miniso.

[steelajeeg]

Fortune Teller

- from Suri Nine Spirits

- by Rolife

An older picture of a figure we've had for a while now, but this is such a beautiful little piece. I love how much motion is captured in the sculpt. It's a wonderful little toy, especially for a food court vending machine pull.

[Instagram Link]