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The Review
Originally published May 19, 2017. This article preserves One Sixth Society’s original reporting and images; product availability, pricing, and opinions reflect the original publication period.
I was super excited for this release of the Future Quest Mazinger Z figure as I am a huge fan of Japanese Super Robots. Mazinger Z is one of my all-time favorite characters so I was ecstatic to add this figure by Future Quest to my collection. There is plenty to say about the figure so let’s get into our Review.
This figure is a significant investment in both money and display space. Future Quest is less familiar to many collectors than Bandai. We experienced several issues with this figure and attempted to contact Future Quest for help. Sadly, it has been a week now with no response. Neither the customer-service email nor the Facebook page had responded at the time of the original review.
Future Quest Mazinger Z Size and Price
Starting off, the scale of the figure is quite impressive in its own right. It stands around 16 inches tall and the Scrander measures out to about 15 inches wide. When compared to something like The Soul of Chogokin Voltron GX-71, the Future Quest Mazinger Z towers over him! It also carries a price tag of nearly $400 which is quite high. The other thing immediately noticeable is the vibrancy of the paintwork on the figure. The colors pop beautifully and are very reminiscent of its animated history. The figure has an absolutely commanding presence on the shelf.
The many swappable parts and extensive articulation provide a wide range of posing options, especially for a figure this large.
The Faceplate was Chipped and The Arms Kept Falling off
Now, the figure does have some issues, the majority of which appear to be design or quality related. Mazinger Z has interchangeable forearms, which use a plug system for swapping arms. Unfortunately, the plugs do not hold the pegs securely, so the arms can slip out of the plugs without much effort. Additionally, the cutter blade arm attachment had the blade just fall off which is a pretty big oversight from the quality control department.
The face paint was sloppy on our sample, with chips visible at the tip of the nose. Our distributor reported similar chipped faceplates, but we could not establish how many figures were affected. Future Quest had not replied to our request for help when the original review was published. At nearly $400, these faults were hard to accept.
Don’t Expect This Figure to Be Diecast
The figure box mentions that it was made with both ABS plastic, as well as diecast metal. The only diecast parts on the figure are the knee and arm joints, while everything else is plastic. Again, for a lower-priced collectible this would not be a huge deal, but for $400 the usage of materials is quite important. Not to mention this figure is heavily advertised as diecast despite its largely plastic construction.
As such a big fan of Mazinger Z, it really is disappointing that there are so many glaring issues with the figure. A substantially lower price would make its compromises easier to accept. At the reviewed price, we cannot recommend it. The figure is extremely overpriced for what you get, and while it looks nice on the shelf it is not a good buy by any stretch.
Watch the accompanying Future Quest Mazinger Z Video Review.
