Toy Review: ArtStorm Pose Plus (Pose+) Metal P-02 Baxinger

Action Toys does it again with Pose+ numero dos Baxinger!

Producer: Action Toys

Price: Approx. $300 USD

Release Date: Dec. 2019

Item Height: 10.5″

Item Weight: N/A

Batteries: N/A

WHERE TO BUY: AmiAmi

Over the past year, the renowned Action Toys started yet another line of diecast robot figures labeled Pose+ (Pose Plus) Metal. Using the also renowned Awaken Studios as their design team, its goal is also its namesake in delivering larger-scaled, diecast pieces with the ability to have advanced articulation while keeping a very slavish aesthetic homage to the anime. Their first release, Gold Lightan was very well received and for their second they went with a full-on, combining robot with Baxinger from “Galactic Gale Baxinger.” They really managed to nail it here with delivering a piece with a phenomenally clean look, solid build, and good amount of articulation. Check out this breakdown and let me know what you think of it in the comments.

Presentation: The box is a strong cardboard with awesome, retro styled art throughout. Inside, Baxinger is pre-transformed into its combined mode but the torso and limbs are separated into different areas within the styrofoam shell with a retro graphic sheet on top of it. The accessories are also well packed in a separate, plastic clamshell which sets on top of the styrofoam one. Action Toys in general always seems to really knock out the packaging.

Build: Pose+ Baxinger is a diecast piece featuring the material on both the inner frame as well as parts of the outer aesthetic “shell” of the bikes. The fit and finish on it is fantastic with flawless, well-finished paint throughout and a mixture of strategically placed ratcheting joints on its combined mode to make sure that this piece can not only support its own weight but do it for the long haul. There are a number of little touches that are nice to see like a matte “frost’ on the underside of the bike windows to cover up hollow points underneath and a very noticeable absence of exposed screws. This piece is honestly so clean that it can pass for a statue which is outstanding considering the amount of engineering behind it.

Accessories: Here’s a list of the accessories taken from the product listing;

– missile
– Bakusodo
– New Buck Sword
– Boomerang
– Various types of hands (open hands, fingers, handles, handles)

The accessories are well made and painted. I do like the alternate handles for the swords that let Baxinger hold it using both hands. Not listed on this are the “anime accurate” optional pieces for the lower back and calves in its combined mode that take an already clean aesthetic and give it even more of a boost.

Articulation: The articulation is really good but there are areas to where it could be a bit better like the elbows bending past 90 degrees and butterflying joints on the shoulders. There are also a few areas where the articulation has a wide range but the build/aesthetic of the figure limits the range like the outward shoulder swing and backwards hip swing. Even looking at it here in hand I can see that some of this is contributed to not breaking the aesthetic integrity of the figure but limitations are still limitations and need to be noted as such. With that, between the video above and gallery below you can see that it still pulls off quite a number of more advanced poses. This isn’t a matter of things that would take a figure from poor to acceptable but good to fantastic.

Overall Score: 8.0/10 – Action Toys really knocked it out with this one. While the Pose+ Baxinger isn’t “perfect” it’s one of those pieces to where the lowest a given area can be rated is “good” and the highest is “holy shit.” It’s an absolutely beautiful and well-built piece that would benefit from a bit more articulation but even as-is is one of my favorite pieces of the year.