Sentinel’s Giant Gorg is undeniably one of the greatest Gokin (diecast) toys ever made!
Producer: Sen-ti-nel
Price: Approx. $350 USD
Release Date: Aor, 2014
Item Height: Approx. 13″
Item Weight: 2.0 lbs
WHERE TO BUY: AmiAmi – Item is long-since sold out. Please don’t bother with inquiries on where to purchase.
In 2014, Sen-ti-nel (Sentinel) released Giant Gorg; a direct homage to the antagonist Super Robot in the series of the same name. For me, even though I’d seen the series, the general design of the mecha as well as Manon’s Gaurdian (which Sen-ti-nel also released a collectible of that I own and hope to review soon) never much appealed to me. I got into collecting Gokin (diecast) figures around 2013 and throughout the years there was one person on a particular message board that kept going on and on about this figure to me, particularly as I became more enamored with Sen-ti-nel’s products, but I brushed it off as the figure just looked pretty plain-jane in the promotional pictures I’d seen. I was on military assignment this past winter though and had quite a bit of extra money (anyone military reading this will definitely know how that goes,) got a lock on Giant Gorg and Manon new for under retail and decided to bite the bullet. Needless to say when I got home and opened this thing up, my mind was blown.
Right out of the box, the size of it stands out. It’s taller than a lot of Bandai Soul of Chogokin pieces, but really stands out among other Sen-ti-nel line mecha which it’s made more to-scale with. Another thing is the choice of matte finish for it. Regardless of manufacturer, gloss-type finishes are almost synonymous with Gokin (diecast) collectibles, and for the most part it works really well in giving the products even more of a high-end feel. However, the choice of matte on Giant Gorg really works because it looks the blue especially REALLY pop. Also, being a more simplistic type of character model, it’s nice to see the accents and panel lines so plainly as well. Not a single detail on this piece is visually missed. It’s just beautiful.
The articulation, especially for such a large piece is out of this world. Giant Gorg literally has the articulation of the Re: Edit Iron Man products and then some with the addition of fully-articulated hands (a pair of closed fists and open hands are included but these hands can easily emulate those fixed poses while looking much better.) The incredibly strong joints and the fact that it’s engineered to work around its articulation are absolutely superb and make you WANT to take Giant Gorg out off of a shelf and play with it like it’s a desk-toy. Things like movable shoulder and hip armor on top of a “breakaway” crotch/hip area that allows the hips to swing under the armor for more dynamic swing range (shown in the video review) really are pieces of engineering that’ll keep Giant Gorg up-to-date engineering-wise for the foreseeable future.
Lastly, the accessories and gimmicks are just awesome. The LED-lit eyes are not only a popping, fuscia color but extremely bright and the button is on top of the helmet giving it no visible switch from most angles. The chest halves open up to reveal the cockpits with a static Zenon molded into one of the seats. Accessories-wise, The big-freaking-cannon was to be expected but the little nuances of it like an insertable string of missiles and separate missiles that can actually be inserted and fired from the spring-loaded trigger (which I don’t suggest utilizing outside of a very small, controlled space for reasons explained/shown in the video.) I also enjoy that the holsters for the back-cannons have optional covers for when the back-cannons aren’t attached to have the option of displaying its look without since Giant Gorg did not have them at the beginning of the series.
Sentinel (and T-Rex as a designer) knocked this one out of the park. Please take a moment to check out the video above as well as the gallery below and let me know what you think of this one as well. I absolutely adore this piece and I’m sure my writing shows.
Overall Score: 10.5/10 – Even though Mazinkaiser (deservedly) gets the majority of hype, Giant Gorg is what I feel is easily Sen-ti-nel’s best product whether it be home branded or partner-produced. Between the build, gimmicks, articulation, and accessories this is just one of those pieces that’s a real gem even in a sea of standout figures. At this point in my collecting hobby, Giant Gorg is the type of product that I would go above and beyond to obtain and is by far one of my favorite pieces in my collection. It’s a must have in my opinion and just plain perfection.
Check out the gallery below, and even though this one’s long sold out with a fairly high secondary-market price I hope that another re release of this is considered for the future.
