Revoltech - Dix-Neuf

The first Revoltech featured on Getter Newtype is Dix-Neuf from the Gainax OVA Diebuster! The 19th created Buster Machine in service, Dix-Neuf (French for 19) is also the oldest, said to be thousands of years old. Because of this, the biomechanical warrior has accumulated hundreds of lifetimes worth of battle experience. He can fight ably on his own, but his true power is unlocked when controlled by one of the Earth's few specially powered pilots, the Topless. Hit the jump to learn about gangster-inspired mecha!

Diebuster is a 6 episode OVA from Gainax, noted creators of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Tengen Toppen Gurren Lagann amongst other things. Diebuster is more like TTGL in theme and style and was created as a sequel series to the original Gunbuster. The main characters, Nono, a simple country girl, and Lal'c, the skilled Topless pilot of Dix-Neuf show that any obstacle can be overcome with guts and effort! The robots, or Buster Machines in the show were actually cyborgs according to their description. Although 90 of them were made, only 32 were ever "awakened". Each Buster Machine was unique and when the OVA does show the different Buster machines, they are a wild bunch of disparate looks and styles. 

Here's a close-up of one of the two heads provided with the toy. Literally the only difference between the two is that one has his eye open (above) and one with it closed. Dix-Neuf is interesting visually to me because he carries the scars of hundreds of battles. The metal guard around his jaw is evocative of an alligator's jaw. Alternatively, if you are a big Venture Bros. fan, the comparison to Baron Underbheit is obvious.

If you look closer you'll see that Dix-Neuf is missing his right eye, instead the horn of an old foe is run straight through his head! This did not affect the Buster Machine's fighting ability, but it did close off the main cockpit. In the show, the scientists are hesitant to remove the horn in the fear that it would kill Dix-Neuf if removed. Instead, they built a lower cockpit into his chest, but that locked away cockpit would become very important later again.

Like most Revoltech figures, Dix-Neuf isn't going to stand up on his own without a lot of patience. Luckily, Kaiyodo, the makers of Revoltech, provide their handy-dandy Revoltech stand with all their releases. Dix-Neuf is supposedly inspired by the dress of the Japanese bosozoku, gangs centered around cars and motorcycles.

Seriously?!

Dix-Neuf's jacket is made to look like a sleeveless trenchcoat and one of my favorite features is on the inside. There are places on either side to hide his two included weapons, a spiked baseball bat, and a double saw-bladed knuckleduster called the Buster Gator. His arms are different, with a prosthetic left arm to replace one torn off in battle.

The bottom of Dix-Neuf's coat has built in rocket thrusters, a nice, if silly, touch.

While the Revoltech line is known for its use of the revolver joint, the design of Dix-Neuf's knees are revolver joint free. Since his legs are meant to look like the baggy pants of Japanese bikers, Kaiyodo went with a big ratcheting joint painted to look as seamless as possible when posed.

What I really like about this figure is when the trenchcoat comes off. Dix-Neuf is a lot sleeker than he appears at first and looks pretty badass. In place of his trenchcoat, he has an alternate back piece that pops into place. There are clear plastic "horns" that represent energy being radiated by Dix-Neuf in this form. Just wait until you see what his back looks like...

BOOM!

 Yep, big old demon face on his back. Really, really awesome touch I think. The energy coming from his shoulders looks like horns.

http://youtu.be/V46ciduAzwo Dix-Neuf in action!

PROS

It's a Revoltech and that usually means two things. Poseable and cheap compared to other Japanese toys. That isn't to say they are bad, just priced less than most import toys, unless you get to rarer releases where the aftermarket is ridiculous. Like most Revoltechs, the details and paint apps are sharp for a toy of this size (5 inches tall). They basically give you a quick toy fix and provide some decent hand candy to fiddle around with while you wait for your next big chunk of shiny diecast. I own 8 Revoltechs personally and I like the line which is over 100 figures strong now.

CONS

He can't stand, but that comes with the Revoltech territory. When posing him, his chest will usually show a gap between his chest and belly where the revolver joint is and you have to crank him forward to a hunchback looking position to cover it. His design includes Pop-eye like forearms that are connected to his upper arms. The pegs could be a lot longer because the forearms pop off during handling. Because Revoltech's are supposed to be dynamic looking, it's hard to get them into a normal stance. Let's just say there's a lot of crotch thrusting. Finally, if you watched the video, you see that Dix-Neuf removed the horn impaled through his eye to allow his pilot, Lal'c, access to his real cockpit. When this happens his true power is unlocked and the metal clamp around his face burst off revealing a humanoid face underneath. That would have been an awesome and show accurate accessory to include, but instead they basically made the same head with the eye closed or open.

VERDICT

Despite the gripes I may have, I like this toy. Dix-Neuf is very different from most other robots and I think his unique look is a plus. Revoltechs are plastic toys and sometimes they can feel cheap, but not here. The materials used a top notch, even if his arms fall off. Besides, you can grab this guy off the internet for around $6-7 bucks which is an absolute steal in my book. Diebuster was a minor show and so doesn't have the brand recognition of a Mazinger or Gundam, but I think if you give Dix-Neuf a shot, he'll win you over with guts and effort!