Review #58: Choro-Q Optimus Prime
Choro-Q is a line of toy cars with pull-back motors that is put out by the same company that owns Transformers in Japan. In 2001, three Transformers characters got to cross over into the Choro-Q line! One was Rodimus Prime. Another was Megatron, who got to keep his gun alt-mode. The third, which is the only one I personally own, is the one featured here: Optimus Prime! (Or, as this is a Japanese toy... Convoy!)
Optimus in this line was released in two different decos: a "TV Version" featuring a more show-accurate deco, and the "Metalic Version," featured in this review, and sporting a more G1 toy inspired deco. This is one short and stubby truck, fitting well within the "Super Deformed" aesthetic that the Choro-Q line is known for. The Choro-Q Transformers did retain the ability to transform, as may be obvious from the fact that the truck cab (which tapers down towards what would be the robot's waist) very much resembles a chest. Normally, I consider such a thing a strike against an Optimus toy, but here it seems to fit in well with the SD design. |
Optimus does come with his gun, which can be stored in his vehicle mode via a small peg hole on the back of his trailer. Interestingly, the gun must have been molded with his red parts, as it is made of red plastic then painted black. (This is most viable if you were to see the gun's handle, which is unpainted.) Other then a tiny speck of red on the back (which appears to be on a tiny bit of mold flashing) the painting on the gun is very well done. If not for the red handle having made it obvious, you could be forgiven for thinking if it was indeed cast in black plastic.
Overall, the deco on this figure is very well done. There is one flaw, although it may be unique to my figure. As seen in the photo to the left, the blue stripe on one side is painted incorrectly. I suspect what happened is that the parts are painted before assembly, and when this one was assembled two of the same center hinge pieces were used with one flipped upside down to try and match with the stripe.
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It isn't the end of the world, and not terribly noticeable if you don't look too closely. But it is unfortunate. Hopefully, as I said, this is unique to my figure. (Although one might presume that there is at least one other figure out there with the opposite problem!)
Meanwhile, as mentioned in the beginning of this review, the Choro-Q line of toys is known for having pull-back motors. This is true even with these Transformers ones! It is hard to demonstrate this in text, alas. Thus, I have prepared a short video demonstrating this feature, which you may have noticed above and to the right. Along a hard, smooth surface, you may get a good three or so feet out of him as he zooms along.
(Remember I said that the Megatron in this line retained his gun alt-mode? Yes, he still featured this pull-back motor gimmick! So apparently he is a little SD gun with wheels on one side, that you can pull back to make him zoom across the floor. Honestly, as much of a G1 nut as I can be sometimes, even I'd say that might have been one time it would have been better to make Megatron a tank! But I digress, this is not a review of that toy. So back to Optimus Prime!)
Meanwhile, as mentioned in the beginning of this review, the Choro-Q line of toys is known for having pull-back motors. This is true even with these Transformers ones! It is hard to demonstrate this in text, alas. Thus, I have prepared a short video demonstrating this feature, which you may have noticed above and to the right. Along a hard, smooth surface, you may get a good three or so feet out of him as he zooms along.
(Remember I said that the Megatron in this line retained his gun alt-mode? Yes, he still featured this pull-back motor gimmick! So apparently he is a little SD gun with wheels on one side, that you can pull back to make him zoom across the floor. Honestly, as much of a G1 nut as I can be sometimes, even I'd say that might have been one time it would have been better to make Megatron a tank! But I digress, this is not a review of that toy. So back to Optimus Prime!)
Onto robot mode! He features an all-in-one transformation, where rather then removing his trailer it collapses flat onto his back. He can hold his gun in either hand. He's painted well, and overall makes for a very nice looking short and stubby Optimus Prime, well in keeping with the Super Deformed aesthetic.
He is quite small, his height being rather close to that of the Smallest Transforming Transformers version. (Of course, since this one is a lot more stocky, that other one is not in danger of his toy line's name being a misnomer!) He only features two points or articulation, one in each shoulder. The shoulders can spin around 360°, although moving them backwards will bump them into the trailer bits on his back. The lack of any other articulation would normally be seen as a negative, but it does not come across as such a thing on this figure. Really, all this SD Optimus needs to do is be able to stand there, point his gun forward, and look cute. And that, he accomplishes with ease! |
Despite having a folded up trailer on his back, he is a relatively clean looking figure. He wears the trailer well, and it does not come off as obnoxious kibble.
To the left is this figure compared with a standard sized DVD case. See, I told you he was small! (And before you ask, the facial hair was not added in post production in Paint, like what I did to Sailor Moon in my Wreck-Gar review... The facial hair and the glasses were doodled onto Shinji, in an effort to make him look more grown up and like his dad, by none other then Shinji's English dub voice actor, Spike Spencer.)
Overall, this is a fun, quirky little Optimus Prime and I am glad to have him in my collection! Does he have a place in yours? Well, he is a figure that was released only in Japan, and well over a decade ago. So it isn't like you can walk into your neighborhood toy store and pick one up for five or ten bucks. (As of this writing, the asking price on e-Bay seems to be in the $30.00 - $40.00 range.) So for casual Transformers fans, I suspect not. But if you do like quirky, and / or if you are a fan of Optimus Prime and like collecting different versions of him, I cannot recommend this figure highly enough! He's cute, he's fun, and he stands out on the shelf as something different when compared to other G1 or G1-inspired Optimus Prime toys. Review added 25 July 2014 by Yotsuya. Comments are welcomed! |