Robot Damashii Vifam (Twin Mover) – Available From HobbyLink Japan
By Cacophanus from Mecha Damashii
Following the unboxing, here is the full review of the updated Robot Damashii Vifam re-release from the classic anime series Round Vernian Vifam. This is definitely one of the most special figures in the line and Bandai has done an amazing job here.
The design itself is a testament to clean ’80s real robot mecha and Bandai has kept very close to that. That said, they haven’t shied away from including numerous features from the anime and the result is very impressive, especially when you consider the toy’s very reasonable price point.
A fair few years back, CM’s released their own Vifam toy. I bought that at the time and it was a comprehensive piece, though it did have a tendency to fall apart.
This new figure, though, is something else entirely and is probably one of the nicest toys released in the Robot Damashii line.
The figure is quite compact, but even then its sculpt and detailing are spot on. The latter is especially impressive as the panel lines and verniers are very fine — though the really amazing parts of this version of the Vifam are its articulation and gimmicks.
In the anime, the Vifam is meant to be a super maneuverable unit and as such has verniers across its body. These are all posable on the figure and the even the shoulder verniers can slide around. The joints are also surprisingly complex, with the shoulders, elbows, and knees having multi-hinged parts for greater mobility.
Compared to other Robot Damashii figures this alone is a major step up but the gimmicks and accessories are also very comprehensive.
The pod can be inserted at the rear and the cockpit hatch can then open at the front. The Sling Pannier slides on over the top and the wings can open out as well. The new Twin Mover part also affixes to the back pack. You even get a beam gun and shield.
In a nice touch, you can also choose which number to affix to the cockpit. In this review I left that off to just show the figure as it comes out of the box.
If you are a fan of Vifam, then this is an essential purchase, but as a toy this is something anyone who likes the Robot Damashii would be proud to have. I can only hope more figures get this kind of treatment in the future; for the price, this version of Vifam is an amazing piece.
