GX-61 Saikyo Robot Daioja SOC Review by Gold

The following review was originally prepared by Gold on 6/3/12 on the Robot-Japan Forum:

 

Hi all, here's the review for the Soul of Chogokin Gx-61 Saikyo Robot Daioja.

Series Intro (please click on image to begin video playback)

Ace Redder launch! (we see this sequence only once in the entire show)

Ace Redder's second launch sequence.

Come on Aoider! Come On Cobalter

Cross Sword!

Come on Daioja!

Ace Redder (Piloted by Prince Edward Mito)

Ace Saber (scabbard appears and disappears, kind of like Bugs Bunny's mallet. )

Aoider (Piloted By Duke Skead)

Beam Gun

Spear Ax

Optional parts
Lock for preventing the legs from spreading.

Feet covers (sorry the covers are upside down in the first image)

Cobalter (Piloted by Baron Kaikusu)

Hammer Stick and shield (ejects from Cobalter's right shoulder)

Optional parts
Feet covers. They also add stability to the figure due to the "heels".

Daioja Team in action

Cross Triangle!!!!

Transformation key notes:

Ace Redder has 2 different chest plates, the bigger one is for "Daioja Mode" and has a rotating chest symbol.

Ace Redder's lower half can be removed.

Aoider's knees should be shafted down

Disconnecting Cobalter's halves is tricky. I recommend disconnecting from the top going down (see image, going from 1-5). As the hardest connection to pull apart for me was the waist area due to the larger peg there, along with the multiple slots on the skirt plates. Don't attempt to pull the halves apart in one motion, instead, try to "peel" it, like trying to form a letter "V", working your way downwards to the hip section last.

Likewise, reforming Cobalter is also a pain since it's tricky to align the skirt plate pegs.

Optional Anime-accurate parts

Also included are optional better proportioned shoulder parts.

It's better to remove Cobalter's feet. Leaving them on will make Daioja look awkward.

Warning note!!

Be mindful of this section when combining the wings.

The second and third sections should combine flawlessly, I was having trouble with it at first as I didn't realize that particular area was getting caught in the connection, as a result, there are now plastic stress marks on it. Had I forced the connection the wrong way, it would've snapped off entirely.

Also, be mindful that while Ace Redder and Aoider do lock together, I don't think the connection is strong enough to support the weight of the whole toy. So don't try to lift Daioja by the arms. Always lift him holding the torso or legs.

I'm not entirely sure but I didn't see any paint-chip-prone areas when combining the two.

With and without anime-accurate parts

Daioja!!

Daioja Weapons

Beam Bowgun

Daioja Javelin

Lol, it never occured to me while watching the show, the Javelin is made up of each individual robot's weapon. I only found out while assembling the toy.

Daioja Arm Missile

Daioja Grap
Even though this weapon is included, it is never seen in the in the Anime.

Daioja Shield

Triangle Beam!

Denkou Raimei Ken!!!

Feel the great blade of Justice!

Denkou Raimei Kuzushi!!!

Open-mouth face plate.

Replacing the faceplate is a piece of cake, popping off the head from the balljoint takes little effort.

Display stand - Transforms from backdrop into accessories rack.

Missing in action - The Cross Aider.

Later on in the series, the team get an upgrade of sorts, in the form of vehicles that give the robots the ability of sustained flight at high speeds. When the robots are ejected, the various leftover parts (Power Sky, Power Dart and Power Tank) combine to form the Cross Aider ship (piloted by Flora Shinobu, the Prince's bodyguard/love interest and only female member of the team).

I originally had hoped Bandai would include the Cross Aider but after looking at how big the Crusader would be, I guess it would've blown the price tag for this toy way out of proportion.

Missing in action - the Triple Missile and Daioja Cutter Weapons.

Hmm... maybe one day Bandai will roll out a SOC weapons pack for the missing weapons from their previous releases, including God Sigma's Spin Saucer and God Tomhawk. Sigh.

The Good
-Daioja stands about 10.5" tall (11.5" if you count the helmet horns)

-Weigh-in
---Ace Redder - 207 Grams
---Aoider - 284 Grams
---Cobalter - 379 Grams
-----Daioja - 832 Grams (Anime-accurate look parts added, Ace Redder lower half removed)

-Diecast parts
---Ace Redder
-------Sections of the torso and "clavicle area", internal joints

---Aoider
-------Almost entire torso, shoulders, internal joints

---Cobalter
-------Sections of the torso, lower legs, internal joints

-Excellent articulation. I was very impressed to see the complicated transformation and then have the toy still retain so much poseability in both combined and seperated modes. Certainly way better than the Zambot 3.

-Individually articulated fingers.

-HUGE SWORD!!! Seriously, I think Daioja has the biggest blade in the SOC line. Pretty cool too, as it reminds me of the Kirin Fang, Xiahou Dun's weapon from the Dynasty Warriors game

The Bad
-The lock on Cobalter's neck plate can't seem to lock in on mine. I would've preferred they just left it as a simple cover, instead of having a to lock it down.

-Paint bleeds on the display stand. Wasn't expecting to see something this bad.

-Missing weapons (see above)

-My Graps has a chip in the chrome.

The Ugly

The leg covers! Oh, those leg covers. I love that Bandai gave us the option to cover up the legs and give a better Anime-accurate look. But somehow something was lost in translation. The covers come off too easily. They hold in place good enough, but fall off with the slightest move to pose the legs. Especially the back cover of the left leg. I don't know if this is just an issue with my unit but it annoyed me a lot while I was taking pics.

In conclusion, this is a decent set, a bit pricey though. The engineering that went into designing the toy is incredibly impressive. I was so impressed with Cobalter's transformation that I had to stop for a moment to process how it went from one mode to another, going as far as capturing the look and transformation in the Anime.

Sadly, I didn't have enough time to do group shots, but Daioja will really stand out with the other big SOCs like Godmars and God Sigma. I strongly recommend getting this if you love big SOC combiners.

Funfact
The series is pretty episodic. Basically, there's no grand evil to fight, just adventures of Prince Edward and his crew on various planets. It's just coincidental that every planet they visit has one robot for the team to fight. That, and that every authoritative figure on each of the planets is a corrupt official. lol. What has the king been doing??

Funfact 2
The final episode's enemy bot resembles a villain from a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

Additional info on Daioja:
http://www.animevice.com/robot-king-daioja/11-4793/?page=2

http://rokettopanchii.blogspot.com/2011/07/saikyo-robo-daiohja.html

Closing Credits

Gold