Godzilla 1989 65th Anniversary Figure vs. High Grade Diorama Comparison

Godzilla fans are pumped for the release of NECA's Godzilla 1989 from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Distinguished by it's suit name, Bio Goji is one of my favorite Godzilla designs and is underrated compared to other designs in the Heisei era. For those who missed out on S. H. Monsterarts version, NECA has you covered for another articulated and detailed representation of Godzilla '89 (which will be dubbed Bio Goji for the rest of the post). While Godzilla enthusiasts (myself included) eagerly wait for its arrival, Bandai gave us a couple of figures last year. Allow me to introduce Bandai Japan's 65th Anniversary Bio Goji and High Grade Diorama Plus Bio Goji!

65th Anniversary Bio Goji

Overview:
The first item is from the lineup of 3.5 inch Godzilla figures. These figures come in a small box, which shows the figure you are getting. The back of the box will show the figure in a cool backdrop and the sides show other Kaiju figures you can collect. Aside from the figure, you get a small little piece of gum candy. As for the figure itself, it's a neat figure. It reminds me of a minimized version of the standard 6 inch figure. Similar to that, you can move the arms and legs. Unlike the deluxe figures, you can fit this guy in your pocket or keep him on shelf without taking too much space.

Left to Right: 65th Anniversary and HG D+

 In comparison to the gashapon figure, the 65th figure is taller, but lacks some features (see PROS and CONS below). Also, he's easy to find since the picture of the figure is on the box. What I like about this figure the most is its simplicity. It doesn't look detailed compared to the High Grade, but you can tell this is a Godzilla figure, and a cool one at that. So if you want a figure that's easy to handle, easy to find, and more detailed, the 65th Anniversary is the right Goji for you!

"He's staring right at us, isn't he?"

PROS:

• Decent amount of articulation
• Eyeball paint
• Decent detail on the sculpt 
• Sculpt made of nice vinyl plastic

CONS:

• No paint on the fingernails
• Paint is less detailed on sculpt
• No articulation on the head or tail

HG D+ Bio Goji

Overview:

"Behold! Bio Goji!"

After I obtained the 65th Anniversary figure, I received news that there was going to be another form of Bio Goji in the newest lineup of High Grade figures. After seeing the initial sculpts, I was hooked on the Gashapon craze, in the hopes of getting him. After two attempts at a local Japanese toy store, I was lucky to find him. The capsule has a distinct sculpt of a sphere with Godzilla's skin/scale patterns that does not reveal the contents of the capsule, so prepare for some difficulty finding this figure. Aside from the difficulty of finding the figure due to the security of the capsule, the content is worth the challenge.

For a small figure, I love the painting and detail. When putting the two figures against pictures of the original suit, the High Grade better represents the Bio Goji suit than the 65th Anniversary figure. While the figure has some faults (see PROS and CONS below), it can be fixed with the accessories. A part of the packaging becomes the base for the diorama (hence the D in the HG D+), representing the ruins of Tokyo, a byproduct of Godzilla's rampage of course. Another advantage to the figure is that the figure can be modified to fit in other dioramas (i.e. Biollante's water effect and Hedorah's sludge plate) as if Godzilla was rising. Despite it's limited availability, if you can get your hands on one, it will be a nice addition to your Godzilla collection.

High Grade Accessories (1x Building Piece and 1x Base plate)

PROS:

"Drake, where are Godzilla's eyes?"

• Great detail on sculpt (especially the scales)
• Paint accurate to the suit model
• Open mouth and paint is exceptional
• Diorama based with building debris accessories 
• Diorama can be switched with other capsules and figures

CONS:

• No articulation
• No eye paint or detail
• Some assembly is required (only for those who expected a full figure) 
• Difficult to find since it's a Gashapon and rarely imported

Overall:

As a Kaiju enthusiast, it is rare to come upon Godzilla merchandise. Some stores might have them, but lack variety besides NECA figures and Diamond Select Toys statues. Unless someone found a way to keep Godzilla Fest going beyond 3 days (see Top 5 Chicago Conventions post), these figures offer a nice alternative for collectibles. Until the NECA Bio Goji arrives, either of these figures are worth the relatively cheap price. Both are detailed, well painted, and offer cool features that stand out from their respective lineups. You can find these figures better online through import, Walgreens, comic book stores, and Japanese toy stores.

Another size comparison (side view)

"This town is big enough for the both of us!"

When the figure arrives, I'll be sure to post it on the blog. But until then, thanks for stopping by and tune in for more posts by Christian's Corner!