Toy-Review: GARDEN(PALM)ER by Michael Lau x How2Work
Produced by Hong Kong's How2Work, featuring the character designs of Michael Lau, the 1/12th-scaled GARDEN(PALM)ER series is a scaled-down reproduction of ML's iconic 1/6 GARDENGALA figures. The average height is 7 inches tall, with 'Box B' slightly shorter (which I frankly appreciate the variety, really haha).
To be released in a total of 13 sets, each set/series/season includes 10 figures (9 x previously seen characters + 1 x bonus character per season), making a total of 130 collectible figures when the season "ends"! Check out the full product deets HERE in my previous post.
Season 1 was released November 2013, with most retailers selling an entire set rather than separate single pieces (not counting online auctions, which I refused to check for LOL) … Last blogged, the Suggested Retail Price was pegged at approx US$487 to US$520 = folks need to check in with their fav retailers for actual pricing. And while I could not own the set, thanks to Hadrian Ng, I managed to now pick up "Young Maxx" and "Box B"!
Season 2 has since been solicited. And while I may be "late to the game", this is my personal review of both pieces :)
First off, permit me to contextualize this product. As mentioned above, this series is an adaptation of Michael Lau's oft revered figures since his early days of exhibiting the characters via his solo shows, but not really producing them for "mass" sales, until the recent couple of years - like Black Tattoo in 1/6 for Korea, and the recent BB Orange and Black - and this is the first time his original series is being manufactured mass and made available for folks and fans worldwide to access to, with no quantity limitation mentioned (that I know of).
And the importance of this product and accessibility is not taken lightly, at least for me. And while the likelihood of seeing them in 1/6 made mass remains a dream still, having them in a smaller scale is yet another "dream" made real, IMHO.
The "genius" of the piece, is in the figure's "packaging". Each figure is housed in a literal metal spray can, with printed surfaces, and a red plastic top - like a regular spray can - which pops open to reveal the "head" of the figure within, sticking out the top where the nozzle is meant to be! (FYI: Not all figures are like this, figures like "Box" had a flat surface instead). Quite ingenious, this! And this is where the "cleverness" of the product ends, unfortunately …
I'll talk about the "positives" first.
The fabric tailored clothes, are pretty impressive, in that, nothing is just as it looks on the surface. Underneath Young Maxx's hoodie-sweater is another sewn tee! And underneath both figure's shorts, are sewn boxer shorts. The belt(s) might be ill fitting visually, but they exist! The chains are of metal-make and are not plastic pieces. If the shoes these guys are wearing were hand-made ones, I would've flipped! But no, they are painted plastic moulded haha
I remember "playing dress up" with my "man-dollies" - whispered in the same breath as "Barbie dolls" - back in the day of 12" figures (somehow "Military" themed figures do not get as much flak LOL), and fondly remember being on a toy-forum aptly titled "Man With Dolls" … and fast forward to the "now", which I am unsure if the stigma still holds these days, I personally am now not given to have two hoots about what others think LOL … I like me some "playing dress up my man-dollies" MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA :)
Loving Young Maxx's headsculpt, which to me epitomizes THAT Michael Lau design. Details such as the ear-ring was much appreciated too! Box B's molded plastic box head was utilitarian in comparison tho. Nothing earth shattering here.
I'd be frank, if not for the headsculpts featuring ML's iconic character design, I would feel hard-pressed to identify the body as a ML-product … maybe the proportion of the size of shoes to body would provide the hint, but clothes itself, could simply be likened to a
Now let's get into the articulated bodies, for which complaints were/are aplenty online too! A lot of collectors' grief seemed to do with the "quality" of the joints:
"My biggest problem with these guys are the Revoltech joints they comprise of - those are really fragile when they're that small (as demonstrated by a couple breaking on me already)" -shared Kev Hill.That said, it is the joints themselves, which provide this piece with the playability, and uniqueness to the figures' feature, IMHO. And while I've not stripped down the boy's clothes (a look at "Tattoo" would provide an idea- which parallel's Michael Lau's 12" figures' = awesome), here are some snaps of the elbow and wrist joints for Box, and exposed leg/knee joint for Maxx. You can't argue effort was not put into providing articulation, especially for a figure of this size, IMHO.
As impressive as the range the articulation provides, it too is not the most "compliant" of joints which makes it harder than 'usual' to pose these guys AND to hold that pose. So far my guys have yet to be able to stand up alone by themselves (needing to be propped against something instead), and Box has been nothing less than a challenge to have his poses remain such for long (which suspect has to do more with the thicken layering of clothes instead).
The irony would be, I would have even be simply happy to own Michael Lau in 1/12th-scale with less the multiple articulation. One line of similar scale has been pretty "successful" so far for me (which means nothing has broken) is the Action Portable / WWRp series from 3A Toys. If How2Works' Garden(Palm)er line's body integrity could match 3A's? Hooo-boy, collectors would be in for a real treat!
In short, the integrity of the articulation would have made this a spectacular series to PLAY with, but it is because of such, I personally would not be gagging to procure any further pieces in this series, or the next. Unless things change for the better in the second series to come? And frankly, the price point deters my own personal decision to continue collecting, as much as I adore Michael Lau's characters, it is simply just not within my financial efforts to forgo the flaws to accept the positives.
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
