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The Godzilla Series continues with its second box set as we anticipate the release of Godzilla vs. Kong later this month. My personal favorite of the three box sets also happens to be the one with no severely altered figures, such as Mothra, keeping to the classic Minimate style while still being part of a unique series. This set brings us more classic monsters while still being true to the wild Godzilla aesthetic, including his allies and enemies that all made their first appearances in the Showa era of films, so let’s get started!

The Packaging

Once feared by humanity, Godzilla has proven himself to be a defender of Earth, against threats from outer space, other dimensions and even Earth itself. The robotic imposter Mechagodzilla and the pollution-loving spores that became Hedorah, the Smog Monster, both had their origins off-planet. Now, when Godzilla needs help, humanity stands ready to assist, with tanks, scientists, and even the size-changing robot Jet Jaguar.

As was the last Godzilla set, this packaging is of the bubble on cardboard variety. There is once again a burning city in the background which gives you a free backdrop for displaying these figures if you wish. Once again, there is a protrusion in the plastic in order to keep one of the larger figures encased, giving this box that Godzilla style bizarre look. On the back of the box, there are depictions of the figures and a tagline about the first and only actual Godzilla Minimate accessory. Also, on the top right, you can find the Toho stamps unique to each monster. On film releases, these stamps would be on cover art or posters of the films labeling which kaiju would be present in the films. It’s a small detail, but it just adds to the set as a whole. If you want to check it out for yourself, check it out here.

The Figures

Atomic Godzilla

You gotta start with Godzilla! This figure doesn’t differ much from the previous Godzilla figure. Most of his paint and molding is exactly the same, sporting a classic Godzilla look, claws on his hands and feet, great paint apps on his arms and legs and a perfectly molded torso piece. The differing aspect with this figure is that he’s atomic! What that means for the figure is that the molded piece of his dorsal fins is now a translucent blue, depicting his fins’ appearance when he breathes his atomic breath. Also, we have, as previously mentioned, the only Godzilla accessory: a “removable atomic ray” as said on the box. This is where that hole inside Godzilla’s mouth that is present in all three of his figures comes in. The piece has a thin peg at the end that can be inserted into his mouth to display him with the beam coming out of his mouth. Of the colors they could have gone with, I think blue works the best. Godzilla has had white, blue, orange and, more recently, purple beams, but of all those options, this translucent blue really fits the series’ design, keeping up with that cool color consistency in this set. This piece matches with the translucent blue fins on his back, finishing off the full atomic look.

While there’s not much of a better way to do this effect to scale, I always thought the piece was a bit short, giving the impression that Godzilla was smoking a giant nuclear cigar. Nevertheless, when set up, the figure looks fantastic. The translucent colors make this a more colorful Godzilla while still staying true to his look. I do wish we had some more variation from the last Godzilla, seeing as that the blue parts are the only real change, but that’s fine. The only real difference I found is that the eye paint apps seem a bit better with this figure than the last. Also, for some reason, the fins on his tail piece kept that tan color from the previous figure. I understand that the molded piece only went so far down his back, but what would be the problem with painting those lower fins blue? Outside of that, this figure is yet another awesome Godzilla representation that perfectly portrays his trademark takedown technique.

MMC Score — 8 out of 10

Mechagodzilla

When you think Godzilla antagonist, it’s either one multi-headed golden dragon that comes to mind or it’s this guy. Mechagodzilla first appeared in this portrayed incarnation in 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, fittingly. He was an alien weapon disguised in a skin suit to look like Godzilla as the aliens used him to wreak havoc on the world. Since then, Mechagodzilla has been rebuilt, remade and even become a sort of hero in other films. As for this figure, I am glad to say that they again stuck with the Showa era styling, keeping that consistent along all three sets. Mechagodzilla’s paint apps don’t go any farther than his arms, but that’s all we needed. The rest of the figure is covered in glorious chrome molded parts that depict each detail of the monster perfectly. The hands are always ready for a karate chop, it seems, but that’s exactly how they looked in the film. They also add to the robotic element of Mechagodzilla, showing the stagnant nature of a machine versus a living organism.

His arms have a wide range of motion and his neck joint works well to turn his head in any direction. The legs are pretty well stuck under a low hanging torso piece, but this Mechagodzilla wasn’t known for moving around much, so that’s acceptable. What we get in mobility’s place is some amazing molded feet pieces and an awesome tail that protrudes from the torso piece. The detailing on these pieces are both accurate and incredible. Spikes and divots of these parts are all blended seamlessly, and the head mold may be my personal favorite of the entire Godzilla series. The light amount of paint apps done on his head and chest mix up the color just enough without detracting from the chrome base. Overall, he’s a fantastic figure and a great depiction of a classic kaiju.

MMC Score —  10 out of 10

Jet Jaguar

Jet Jaguar was a fitting choice for Minimate adaptation due to him essentially being person shaped, but similarly to Titanosaurus from the previous set, he has had just one appearance ever in the Godzilla films. Jet’s singular appearance was in the 1973 film, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and he was sort of the focus of the film. While Megalon’s origins and Godzilla were both taking up a lot of screen time, Jet’s inventors and he himself were the main characters of the movie. He is a size-changing android that ends up helping Godzilla against Megalon as well as Gigan in the film’s finale. He was a perfect candidate for a Minimate and came out looking the most normal out of the entire Godzilla series. Jet only has two newly molded pieces: his half torso piece and his head. The torso piece only goes halfway down his chest, so mobility isn’t limited at all. His head pretty much had to be molded since he has that massive point on the top but even the head looks more normal than the other figures.

Jet is absolutely covered in paint apps. His molded head has great detailing depicting his very excited looking face. His torso detailing blends into his hip piece with the same coloring. His arms and legs all have that striped robot look. Even his feet and the back of the knees have paint apps that really just show the attention to detail given in this figure. Overall, Jet isn’t someone I would have put on my Minimate Godzilla list right off the bat, but similarly to Titanosaurus once again, I’m glad he’s here. His human shaping and bright colors add to the series as a whole by being a fun and unique figure that stands out amongst a series already full of variety.

MMC Score —  8 out of 10

Hedorah

Still staying in the Showa era, Hedorah the Smog Monster was the Godzilla-style attempt to discuss environmentalism by having Godzilla literally fighting a creature fueled by the smog made by man in the 1971 film, Godzilla vs. Hedorah. Hedorah changed and grew over time in the film, and this figure depicts his final “perfect” stage. Hedorah, even outside of the context of the already wild Godzilla lineup, is a bizarre specimen. He lacks any articulation in the head, neck or waist areas due to the massive torso piece that makes up all three sections on its own. His appearance is grossly accurate to the film as he is a dripping mass of filth that seems to accumulate at his base. The dripping details are all well done on the torso, and the feet and tail all have a sort of splatter effect against the ground that work both aesthetically and as a base. Due to this, Hedorah is one of the few Godzilla figures that can stand up on his own. The part with the best drip effect has to be his “hands.” They are at an angle that works in any position as long as you point the drips downward. These pieces are what cause the protrusion in the packaging, since them against his already large torso is just too wide to be flat.

There are some paint apps on the arms and legs that continue that effect perfectly despite being flat designs. Also, the lack of any arm or leg pieces gives him just a little bit of mobility despite his massive size. The apps on the torso piece are simple but effective. Hedorah never had much color to begin with other than grey, so the bright, crooked eyes and green splotch on the top give him just enough detail to differentiate him from just a plan grey piece of plastic. With the consistent downward motion of the molding and the simplistic yet detailed design, Hedorah makes for a spectacle even amongst the oddities that the Godzilla series already has given us. His massive scale against lighter figures like Jet Jaguar gives us a change in scaling pace that, despite his droll color scheme, keeps the set as a whole vibrant and wild.

MMC Score —  8 out of 10

Conclusion

This is my personal favorite set of the three Godzilla line partly due to the character choice and partly due to a consistent aesthetic. There’s consistent cool colors amongst all four figures that really add to the visual aspect of this set. All of these figures are full of new, well-molded parts and all depict their character fantastically. Overall, I couldn’t ask for a better Godzilla set than this.

The final Godzilla review will be Series 3 as we count down to the release of Godzilla vs. Kong. I’ve got a feeling that this matchup will be one for the ages…for the second time.

Agree? Disagree? Why not vote for yourself below, or comment further over at the Minimate Multiverse MMC Review Forum.

Review and pictures by Dash Hauenstein.

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