Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Simple upper body

Cute face

Extremely simple legs, as expected

Rock Man Rock Man - The face-swapping system is the same as the Hoi Hoi-san series. You can swap between 3 different expressi

The face-swapping system is the same as the Hoi Hoi-san series.
You can swap between 3 different expressions,
and while it may look like there are 2 different sets of eyes, they're actually the same shape — you just swap them depending on the face type.

For painters, a plain white face and waterslide decals are also included.

Special effect weapons

Hands are a simple 2 sets..

Articulation is so-so..

Rock Man Rock Man - The range of motion is increased by using a structure where each hip joint slides down separately beneath

By using a structure where each hip joint slides down separately beneath the pelvis,
the range of motion is increased.

Despite the big head, the neck has a pretty wide range of forward and backward motion.

Rock Man Rock Man - Default expression + holding the energy pack (1/3)

Default expression + holding the energy pack

Rock Man Rock Man - Smiling expression with the arm swapped out for the Rock Buster (1/3)

Smiling expression with the arm swapped out for the Rock Buster

The smiling face is adorable.
The "E" mark needs to be applied with a waterslide decal.

Rock Man Rock Man - Rock Buster, fire~! (1/4)

Rock Man Rock Man - Rock Buster, fire~! (2/4)

Rock Buster, fire~!

Rock Man Rock Man - Firing the Rock Buster in a kneeling pose. The effect parts come in both yellow and blue so you can choos

Firing the Rock Buster in a kneeling pose.
The effect parts come in both yellow and blue so you can choose which to use,
and while only one Rock Buster forearm is included, it can be attached to either arm.

Rock Man Rock Man - Sliding pose recreation (1/4)

Rock Man Rock Man - Sliding pose recreation (2/4)

Sliding pose recreation

Rock Man Rock Man - I am Rock Man! (1/4)

Rock Man Rock Man - I am Rock Man! (2/4)

I am Rock Man!

Kotobukiya, who keeps pumping out all kinds of lineups, has now released Rock Man as an injection kit. The overall concept is very similar to Hoi Hoi-san, and the face-swapping system is identical.

As you can see, the design goes for an extremely simple style — which makes sense, since rather than going for flashy detail, they seem to have aimed to stay faithful to the original classic game character. (And honestly, it's easier to develop that way too...;) True to Kotobukiya kit form, the finished look is quite impressive, and with so few parts, assembly goes by really fast. Overall, the snap-fit quality is high, so you can put it together without glue — that's definitely a plus.

The articulation isn't exceptional, but by making use of the Rock Buster, effect parts, and accessories like the energy pack, you can pull off quite a few convincing poses. Overall joint strength is solid, but the individually articulated hip joint connections feel a little weak. If you get the pose wrong, the body can tip forward or backward at the hips — you'll probably want to apply a thin coat of super glue to the hip joints to tighten them up.

As you probably know, Rock Man is a classic legendary game that brings back nostalgia for the pixel art era. In other words, it's a kit aimed at adults who have fond memories of classic games — but even just as a snap-together action figure in its own right, it's a charming and adorable little kit.

That said, the contents feel way too sparse for the price, and I imagine a lot of people will be disappointed when they open the box. The volume is HG-level, but the price is MG-level — so in terms of value for money, this might be one of the worst among Kotobukiya kits. It's not a kit that was ever going to sell in huge numbers, so the fact that it exists at all is kind of remarkable in itself. :-)

Rock Man | 2010. 10 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.