Philip Lee's Top Toys of 2023
CLASSICBOT-creator Philip Lee returns to our annual TOP TEN TOYS with a brand new list looking back at 2023! Scroll thru for images and his words, as well click on links listed below for his past choices!
#TOPTENTOYSOF2021
TOP TEN TOYS OF 2020
#TOPTENTOYSOF2019
#TOPTENTOYSOF2018
PHILIP LEE: It is an honor to be invited to share my favorite toys from last year. Andy informed me this time there is no need to list ten; listing any number will suffice as long as I love the toys. This is quite a relief because I restrained myself from buying too many toys last year.
Since my move to the UK, I started feeling the burden of all my physical possessions. I gave away many books and other objects, and also sold and donated some of my less-loved toys. I will always love and collect toys, but I am at a stage where I feel I need to keep things in check. Therefore, I only acquire a new toy if I truly love it. Without further ado, here is my list.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #6: 1/144 Real Grade Nu Gundam by Bandai
PHILIP LEE: Real Grade is an advanced plastic model line of Gundam models. It was inevitable for me to build this one as Nu is my favorite Gundam. Designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, who also designed robots in the popular anime franchise Patlabor, the engineering on this model kit is amazing. It features intricate details, and some mechanical parts undergo a two-time injection molding process, resulting in joints that are pre-made on the spruce.
I did not spend too much time building it; the paint job was simple. I did not paint the white parts as the color of the plastic looked decent enough. I just applied a flat clear coat to give it a better finish. I used metallic colors here and there, and polished some of the dark blue plastic to a mirror finish to provide a bit of variety without having to paint every part.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #5: 1/35 Votoms BrutishDog by Maxfactory
PHILIP LEE: Votoms was an anime series that originated in the 80s during the height of the "realistic robot" anime boom at that time. Although I never watched the show as it was not aired in Hong Kong, I always loved the mechas.
Designed by the father of Gundam, Kunio Okawara, it is pure mecha goodness. I believe the design brief was to design a tank that can walk, and the design sure has the aesthetics of a tank.
Votoms is also Okawara Sensei’s proudest achievement, as confirmed in various interviews. The design is just amazing, from the rotating scopes to the little handrails and footsteps that allow the pilot to climb into the cockpit.
This model by Maxfactory is highly detailed, and it comes with a complete cockpit. I think it is a better-looking kit than the latest Votoms kit Bandai made recently. A bonus is the cover art drawn by Okawara Sensei himself.
He is my hero, and I lined up at the Hong Kong Comic Con a decade ago to get his signature. Not only did I get his signature, but he also drew me a little Gundam head. You can see the cover of the kit, the drawing, and the signature in the attached picture. It is my most treasured possession.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #4: Evangelion Asuka Langley Shikinami Ver.RADIO EVA Part.2 by Hobby Max Japan
PHILIP LEE: The Evangelion Rebuild movie series has rekindled my love for the franchise. I love the Rebuild and think it is a great ode for fans regardless of some inconsistency.
This Radio Eva figure series is a popular line based on illustrations by Mai Yoneyama. Although he is not the original manga artist or character designer of Evangelion (who is Yoshiyuki Sadamoto), Yoneyama is praised for capturing the uniqueness of the characters.
These illustrations are also crossover projects with fashion brands. This Asuka figure is simply stunning. I love all the details on the clothes. It is so cool; as kids in the UK would say: she's got some serious drip going on!
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #3: Robot Damashii Psycommu System Zaku P-Bandai Exclusive
PHILIP LEE: This is not the first time I've shared some toys from the Robot Damashii toy line. Same as before, it is also from the original Gundam MSV design. MSV stands for Mobile Suit Variation. The first series Gundam model was a huge success, and Bandai asked Okawara to design some new variants based on the existing models. Okawara-san brought out some of the coolest designs ever. MSV are usually more military-looking with more subdued and realistic color combinations.
This Psycommu System Zaku is supposed to be the precursor of the final boss in the show, the Zeong. It truly is my favorite MSV design; I always wanted to build a model, but the kits are antique and it would take a lot of time to modify and modernize them. Luckily, Bandai made this toy in the Robot Damashii line.
It is a P-Bandai exclusive, which means the number produced will be limited and only sold on the official site. In the end, I managed to get one from the aftermarket at a slightly higher price, but it was truly worth it.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #2: Yueji Mingke (Illustration Revelation) by Good Smile Company
PHILIP LEE: Good Smile Company has become a toy giant with many popular lines like Figma and anime figure lines like Freeing. This new Illustration Revelation line is their way to explore figures that are based on Illustrations and not manga and anime. This Yueji Mingke is the first from the series. The illustrator is Tuyi from China.
This figure is just stunning. I came across it in an anime shop in Camden Market, London. It was fairly expensive, but I loved it so much I had to have it. So I checked online and to my surprise, this figure was considered a flop.
Not being an anime character and not having a full body seems to deter collectors, and it was selling at a huge discount on Amiami (a great online store for all things anime). I am so happy to have gotten this. She is perfect in production. Her outfit is more revealing than most of the anime figures I collected, but it is done in quite an artistic way.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #1: Metropolis Plastic Model Kit 1/8 Maschinenmensch Maria Silver Screen Edition by X-Plus
PHILIP LEE: Here is my favorite toy of 2023. I have always been fascinated by the classic film Metropolis by Fritz Lang. I watched it during my college years thanks to the wonderful video tape rental store near where I lived. It was a small store with a fantastic collection. The film was made in 1927, but it held up really well. The art direction and design were timeless. This model kit depicts the famous “Maria” robot in the movie. It is a robot controlled by the upper-class villain, impersonating the heroine, Maria, who is a rebel leader from the lower class. The robot only appears on screen for a few minutes before it transforms into Maria. But the design was stunning and it appears in all the posters and promotional art; it became a film icon.
Obviously, C-3PO from Star Wars was inspired by it. I always wanted to get a toy of the robot, but I am not aware of any. So when I saw this, I had to have it. X-plus is a relatively new company; I never built any of their kits. In fact, I never heard of them before. But I am glad to say the model is nice and can
Philip Lee
Designer, Founder of playsometoys
Creator of CLASSICBOT
playsometoys.com
classicbot.com
instagram.com/classicbot_toy
facebook.com/classicbot
Classicbot Collector Facebook Group
twitter.com/Classicbot_toy
CLASSICBOT on TOYSREVIL
TOP TEN TOYS OF 2020
#TOPTENTOYSOF2019
#TOPTENTOYSOF2018
PHILIP LEE: It is an honor to be invited to share my favorite toys from last year. Andy informed me this time there is no need to list ten; listing any number will suffice as long as I love the toys. This is quite a relief because I restrained myself from buying too many toys last year.
Since my move to the UK, I started feeling the burden of all my physical possessions. I gave away many books and other objects, and also sold and donated some of my less-loved toys. I will always love and collect toys, but I am at a stage where I feel I need to keep things in check. Therefore, I only acquire a new toy if I truly love it. Without further ado, here is my list.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #6: 1/144 Real Grade Nu Gundam by Bandai
PHILIP LEE: Real Grade is an advanced plastic model line of Gundam models. It was inevitable for me to build this one as Nu is my favorite Gundam. Designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, who also designed robots in the popular anime franchise Patlabor, the engineering on this model kit is amazing. It features intricate details, and some mechanical parts undergo a two-time injection molding process, resulting in joints that are pre-made on the spruce.
I did not spend too much time building it; the paint job was simple. I did not paint the white parts as the color of the plastic looked decent enough. I just applied a flat clear coat to give it a better finish. I used metallic colors here and there, and polished some of the dark blue plastic to a mirror finish to provide a bit of variety without having to paint every part.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #5: 1/35 Votoms BrutishDog by Maxfactory
PHILIP LEE: Votoms was an anime series that originated in the 80s during the height of the "realistic robot" anime boom at that time. Although I never watched the show as it was not aired in Hong Kong, I always loved the mechas.
Designed by the father of Gundam, Kunio Okawara, it is pure mecha goodness. I believe the design brief was to design a tank that can walk, and the design sure has the aesthetics of a tank.
Votoms is also Okawara Sensei’s proudest achievement, as confirmed in various interviews. The design is just amazing, from the rotating scopes to the little handrails and footsteps that allow the pilot to climb into the cockpit.
This model by Maxfactory is highly detailed, and it comes with a complete cockpit. I think it is a better-looking kit than the latest Votoms kit Bandai made recently. A bonus is the cover art drawn by Okawara Sensei himself.
He is my hero, and I lined up at the Hong Kong Comic Con a decade ago to get his signature. Not only did I get his signature, but he also drew me a little Gundam head. You can see the cover of the kit, the drawing, and the signature in the attached picture. It is my most treasured possession.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #4: Evangelion Asuka Langley Shikinami Ver.RADIO EVA Part.2 by Hobby Max Japan
PHILIP LEE: The Evangelion Rebuild movie series has rekindled my love for the franchise. I love the Rebuild and think it is a great ode for fans regardless of some inconsistency.
This Radio Eva figure series is a popular line based on illustrations by Mai Yoneyama. Although he is not the original manga artist or character designer of Evangelion (who is Yoshiyuki Sadamoto), Yoneyama is praised for capturing the uniqueness of the characters.
These illustrations are also crossover projects with fashion brands. This Asuka figure is simply stunning. I love all the details on the clothes. It is so cool; as kids in the UK would say: she's got some serious drip going on!
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #3: Robot Damashii Psycommu System Zaku P-Bandai Exclusive
PHILIP LEE: This is not the first time I've shared some toys from the Robot Damashii toy line. Same as before, it is also from the original Gundam MSV design. MSV stands for Mobile Suit Variation. The first series Gundam model was a huge success, and Bandai asked Okawara to design some new variants based on the existing models. Okawara-san brought out some of the coolest designs ever. MSV are usually more military-looking with more subdued and realistic color combinations.
This Psycommu System Zaku is supposed to be the precursor of the final boss in the show, the Zeong. It truly is my favorite MSV design; I always wanted to build a model, but the kits are antique and it would take a lot of time to modify and modernize them. Luckily, Bandai made this toy in the Robot Damashii line.
It is a P-Bandai exclusive, which means the number produced will be limited and only sold on the official site. In the end, I managed to get one from the aftermarket at a slightly higher price, but it was truly worth it.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #2: Yueji Mingke (Illustration Revelation) by Good Smile Company
PHILIP LEE: Good Smile Company has become a toy giant with many popular lines like Figma and anime figure lines like Freeing. This new Illustration Revelation line is their way to explore figures that are based on Illustrations and not manga and anime. This Yueji Mingke is the first from the series. The illustrator is Tuyi from China.
This figure is just stunning. I came across it in an anime shop in Camden Market, London. It was fairly expensive, but I loved it so much I had to have it. So I checked online and to my surprise, this figure was considered a flop.
Not being an anime character and not having a full body seems to deter collectors, and it was selling at a huge discount on Amiami (a great online store for all things anime). I am so happy to have gotten this. She is perfect in production. Her outfit is more revealing than most of the anime figures I collected, but it is done in quite an artistic way.
TOP TOY OF 2023 - #1: Metropolis Plastic Model Kit 1/8 Maschinenmensch Maria Silver Screen Edition by X-Plus
PHILIP LEE: Here is my favorite toy of 2023. I have always been fascinated by the classic film Metropolis by Fritz Lang. I watched it during my college years thanks to the wonderful video tape rental store near where I lived. It was a small store with a fantastic collection. The film was made in 1927, but it held up really well. The art direction and design were timeless. This model kit depicts the famous “Maria” robot in the movie. It is a robot controlled by the upper-class villain, impersonating the heroine, Maria, who is a rebel leader from the lower class. The robot only appears on screen for a few minutes before it transforms into Maria. But the design was stunning and it appears in all the posters and promotional art; it became a film icon.
Obviously, C-3PO from Star Wars was inspired by it. I always wanted to get a toy of the robot, but I am not aware of any. So when I saw this, I had to have it. X-plus is a relatively new company; I never built any of their kits. In fact, I never heard of them before. But I am glad to say the model is nice and can
Philip Lee
Designer, Founder of playsometoys
Creator of CLASSICBOT
classicbot.com
instagram.com/classicbot_toy
facebook.com/classicbot
Classicbot Collector Facebook Group
twitter.com/Classicbot_toy
CLASSICBOT on TOYSREVIL
