SSSS.DYNAZENON Max Combine DX Dynazenon
I don’t know how I’ve ended up with so much Gridman merch. I’ve somehow got two different Full Power Gridman, a tiny Gridknight, a tiny “episode 1 color scheme” Gridman, and now this guy. And here’s the thing: up until this release they’ve typically been a bit overpriced and ok at best, yet I’ve kept buying them. Glad this one turned better than the rest...or maybe not because it might convince me to buy more...
The Good: I hinted at it, but this is a significant step up in comparison to the previous SSSS toys, especially Good Smile’s FP Gridman which was its direct predecessor. Dyna Soldier is just about as posable as Gridman, having most of the same joints, though lacking a waist. Dyna Wing’s wings are very articulate, able to ratchet into a lot of different positions. Dyna Striker and Diver don’t have any real articulation as vehicles, but Diver has this great gimmick where all of its missile ports spring motor release in order like an actual submarine. It’s really cool to see, and not intrusive at all. BTW, most of the major joints on this release are ratcheted.
Then it has all it’s combinations: 5 instructed, 1 double combo, and 2 secret ones. Soldier can combine with Wing, Striker, or Diver individually (or Wing and Striker together), and all four can come together to form either Dynazenon or DynaRex. Dynazenon is also quite posable. Not as posable as a typical figure, but has good range in the arms, hips, knees, and head to achieve a large number of poses. DynaRex isn’t as so, but has a lot of range in the arms, and enough in the legs, jaw, and tail to change it up.
Oh, and, yes, that is what Dyna Soldier Diver Combine looks like.
Then there’re the two secret combos. As I was swapping between modes, I noticed a few odd pieces on Wing and Diver that weren’t used for any of the modes, even after combing through the instructions:
At first I thought they might be for a future Gridknight release so he could don the armor as well, but as I was messing with FP Gridman, I noticed how some of the screw-holes in the back lined up to match the pegs on Diver, so I tried plugging Striker into him like Max, and, well...
Max Combine’s Gridman is fully compatible with Dynazenon in place of Dyna Soldier (apart from the helmet). His arms aren’t as solid as Soldier’s since they don’t slide into Wing, but he can still pose fairly well. In fact, it was around this time I noticed a few things about Dyna Soldier on its own, like how its forehead gem ends up right inside the dragon’s throat, or how its tail it shaped like a handle with a trigger, so just like in the original Gridman, he can be wielded like the Dragonic Cannon (though I’m unsure of what it would canonically look like; I just went with a pose that kept his claws away from any paint):
The way it handles its accessories is also an improvement. FP had a standard stand and all its accessories and adapters were loose. Dynazenon’s stand is much sturdier, with a ton of ports to accommodate a lot of poses, plus all of its accessories, optional hands, and stand parts have storage points either on the back edge of the stand, or underneath it.
The Bad: Biggest flaw is the waist connection. Dyna Soldier and Diver hold together perfectly fine when standing still or in any pose, but if you go to pick it up, they will immediately separate. This can be annoying when you’re putting Dynazenon or DynaRex together, too. While I think the missiles are awesome, they can be hard to close without significant force, especially the second to bottom ports. On the side of posability, while I don’t mind it lacking certain joints, like a waist, the fact that the shoulders bump into the wings frequently is a bit disappointing, and I wish there was a bit of rotation up in the hips so it could achieve a more natural A-stance as its legs are always pointed forward.
Overall, this release is probably actually worth your money. It’s significantly large, better built, better posing, and just more fun. If you were holding out on getting this one because you were disappointed in Full Power Gridman, or if you think it looks cool, then I’d say check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
