The Outer Space Men, LLC Outer Space Men Sofubi Glow in the Dark Orbitron Action Figure The Outer Space Men, LLC, 2019
Day #2,131: October 3, 2019
Sofubi Glow in the Dark Orbitron The 12-Inch Tall Man from Uranus
Outer Space Men Action Figures
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:The Outer Space Men Includes:Ray gun, star Action Feature:Glows in the dark Retail:$120.00 Availability: ca. May 2019 Other: Really Big, Really Bright
Note: This figure has soft ankle swivel joints. I recommend using a metal doll stand to keep him up - time and gravity have caused my sample to constantly tumble forward.
After over a hundred small figures at increasing prices, I dragged my feet on Sofubi Glow in the Dark Orbitron - obviously I want a glow guy, but I held off until it was in stock. I was given the opportunity to preview it during Toy Fair (thanks Gary and Mel!) and what we have here is pretty close to what I saw there - but it's a little shinier, and the joints are a little looser. It's not as solid as the Colossus Rex [FOTD #2,131] and it's also a bit taller than the "giant," with looser joints. I'm not loving that. The accessories are gorgeous, with a much more three-dimensional star accessory. When I got him, I set him up on a shelf - and he was missing when I came home. The leg joints are loose enough that gravity pulled him down and he was hanging from a shelf by his star, for dear life, for at least a little while. He's got a strong grip. Orbitron's claws may be the most perfect hands to grip any action figure accessory in quite some time.
The glowing vinyl figure has everything that his tiny Glyos counterpart included, except articulation has been reduced. The head does not swivel, but the shoulders, hips, and ankles all move for a total of 6 joints. The figure itself is cleanly sculpted with no particularly notable tangible texture - I have a lot of soft vinyl toys that usually have a non-reflective feel. This shines like the dickens, even before you factor in glow-in-the-dark elements.
The arms are a bit small relative to the shoulders, and there's a large visible gap between the body and the shoulder piece. You can see gravity subtly tugging the arm out of its socket, and the same thing is happening at the figure's ankles - which is probably where your real problem is. Hip joints are only part of it, but given there are now two places where the toy's mass can affect its balance, I would recommend exercising caution - and some sort of restraints - when displaying the big Orbitron toys on your shelves. I don't know much about vinyl figure manufacturing, but perhaps a thicker, stronger material like on Colossus Rex might help.
There's no paint, but the big size helps make things like the sculpted scales easier to see. It's not as impressive as the fully-painted smaller figure, but it's still sharp. (The club, in particular.) The open claws and mace are closer to the configuration of the original bendy figure from 50 years ago, but that one had no neck. So the neck is a nice bonus.
The original 1960s Orbitron only had the blaster, but not the star - so why include it here? I have no idea. It looks cool, sure, but it probably also added to the cost and the figure could have used a tiny bit more time in the oven.
While I consider Colossus Rex expensive, he's bulky and has a wonderful texture, with decent enough joints - I feel I got my money's worth when it came to the Man from Jupiter. There's an equal amount of plastic on Orbitron, but extra ankle articulation can't make up for weak arm and leg joints. The arms pop right out, and the legs can't help him stay upright for long without assistance. I don't like the glossy finish quite as much, but I can't deny the oddball appeal of a giant glowing alien even with these flaws. Rex feels great - Orbitron feels more like a copy with some generation loss. Still, recommended through gritted teeth. Especially if it happens to be on sale.
...also I am ridiculously excited to see how Astro-Nautilus turns out.
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