Review: Sci-Fi Revoltech 003 Kaiju Booska! Whatever That Means!

WAIT! STOP! DON’T YOU DARE SCROLL PAST!

Don’t dismiss this fascinating, well-written, culturally significant article just because you’re some Western dummy that doesn’t know what a Kaiju Booska is. I don’t know what one is either, but goddamn am I determined to find out, and I want you with me, tightly holding my hand. There’s safety in numbers!

But what I DO know is, who can resist a face like this?

I happened upon Booska after recently reviewing the super-articulated Revoltech Iron Mark VII. I was browsing further Revoltech items and was filled with a heady mixture of joy and trepidation when the startling visage of giraffe/bear/baby Booska loomed alluring on the screen. At just $20 shipped, how could I resist? I couldn’t! And now I have to write an article about it to try to justify my purchase.

But if you love Japan and/or you love monsters and/or you’re really bored, then take my hand and join me... after the jump!


Firstly, can we agree that that has to be the busiest package design ever? Seriously, I’ve read entire novels that have far less happening than this box. And it doesn’t stop at the front! Rest assured that the back is equally confusing with all manner of instructions, diagrams, blueprints, warnings, haiku, short stories, commandments, and holiday snaps. 

But the good news is, that if we open up the front flap (HURR) then we finally get to learn exactly who Booska actually is!

Look! His whole life story is written here, plain as day, revealing everything we need to know...

We’re screwed.

Luckily we can turn to acclaimed academic resource, Wikipedia, who authoritatively tells me that Kaiju Booska was a Japanese sitcom aimed at children, airing from 1966 - 67. And he was initially an iguana who mutated into a giraffe/bear/baby who occasionally rode a tricycle. That’s an origin story that rivals Batman’s, and definitely earns the unlikely Booska a place on my shelf.

There’s still more plenty more craziness, however...

Currency! It’s a plastic coin worth 10 Revoltech points! Now I can’t exactly read the terms and conditions here, but I assume that if I take this to Japan I will be able to legally trade it for all the dumplings I can carry.

Or perhaps I forgo the dumplings and choose something from this fascinating catalogue (secreted in the back of the box) showing off the multitude of licenses that our pals at Revoltech have their paws on...

Batman! Alien! A T-Rex! Oh my! But we're saddled with Booska for now so let's take a closer look at him...

Okay, so even though the box is as big as the Iron Man Revoltech, the figure itself is considerably smaller - my guess is five or six inches. But, as you can no doubt see with your own two capable/wandering eyes, Booska comes with a lot of stuff, including an alternate head, four alternate hands, an alternate tail, a bowl of soup or noodles or something, and, funnily enough, a tool that makes his eyes wander.

Now, I didn't figure this out before I took the photos, but that white tool with the hook can be put inside the hollow of his head to manoeuvre levers that operate his eyes, allowing you to put them in any desired direction. You know, just in case Booska isn't already looking goofy enough. But it took me a long time to arrive at this conclusion, even though this feature is illustrated on the back of the box. I guess I was distracted by all the flashing lights and colours. JAPAN! JAPAN! JAPAN!!

Let's delicately get that giraffe/bear/baby out of there...

Hehehehehe. Doesn't that make you laugh just looking at him? Seriously? Doesn't that wacky mutant mug make you inexplicably happy? Isn't that worth the price of admission alone? YOU ASK TOO MUCH OF BOOSKA!

Revoltech is known for their insane amount of articulation and he certainly has a lot of cleverly designed cuts, EXCEPT they don't move too much. He's just too awkward a shape for any of the joints to be much use, especially his knees and elbows which both have a limited range because he's such a fatso. That said, what would you need him to do though? He was a poor disenfranchised actor in a giant, floppy fabric mascot suit, not an Olympic gymnast! Booska is lucky he could even walk. They could have just as easily made this figure a hollow rubber squeaky toy.

Some of the extras are cool though. Look at the sneaky addition to his second tail (not a euphemism)....

HAHAHAHAHA! HE DONE GOT BITTEN BY A TURTLEZ! HAHAHAHAHA! STUPID TURTLE! BOOSKA IS NOT FOODZ. Actually maybe he is. I don't know anything about this stuff.

Odder though is the extra head, which must have taken some time and resources to sculpt and add, and yet it's barely different to the other head. The mouth is closed, but the other mouth has the ability to close. And the ears are in a slightly different position. Oh well, I guess this inclusion was important enough to someone. If you can pick the difference then you're sharper than I am. And I doubt that, mister.

But here's my absolute favourite part of the figure by far. He comes with chopsticks and a bowl of noodles. That's a selling point for me. Best accessory since the lightsaber. Check it...

Did Iron Mark VII come with a bowl of noodles? No he didn't. So Booska may well be the better figure.

Oh shit. You know, I really hope that jerk Iron Man doesn't come along and steal Booska's noodles. That could be very bad. WAIT... WHAT'S THAT...

OH YOU SON OF A BITCH! Give that back! Tony Stark could buy anything in the world and yet he stoops to stealing a giraffe/bear/baby's noodles.

Oh, it's OK. They've made nice...

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

You can get your Boosk on at Big Bad Toy Store. Yes. He's on clearance. Although I cannot fathom why.