Vash the Stampede (Sunglasses Version) (Diamond Import Version)
Company: Kaiyodo
Sculpted by: Maisaki Apsy
Designed by: Yasuhiro Nightow
Release Date: 1994(?)
Price: ¥3,200
Scale: non-scale (22cm)
Material: PVC/ABS
When I first heard about this Vash the Stampede figure & saw it on the net back in my high school years, I wanted it. However, it was very hard to find. Even my trip to Hong Kong didn't help with my search. When the reissues were announced in 2004, I brought my Vash from an online auction. The one I got is the sunglasses version which is the rare variation version. This is the Diamond Import version. I don't know if this is the reissue or original release version since I got it when the announcement was made.
Some of the pictures aren't clear & good. If I have time, I'll redo the bad ones & repost them.
Vash the Stampede Sunglasses Variation Version out of the package
Vash the Stampede has 17 points of articulations to pose him. Until you play around with him, it's not really a lot.
Included with Vash are 3 right hands, 2 left hands, a base, a wanted sign on a pole with a chain & cuff attached, Kuro Neko, a dented bucket, a large padlock for the wanted sign& a gun. This is really a lot of accessories for you to play with. The hand to hold the gun doesn't hold his gun properly if you don't put it in right.
Vash from different sides
The front part of Vash's coat is pretty good as it gives the effect of wind blowing on it. The bullet holes at the back of his coat at the bottom really gives the impression of the battles he has been. The material used for his coat is a soft-like rubber. I'm assuming it's ABS & it felts solid.
As mentioned there are 17 articulation points that Vash has. They come from his head & arms only. For the head, you can only move it up & down; no sideways action. For the arms, the shoulder, elbow & wrist joints only move. The legs are static.
The chain connected to Vash's left wrist is real chain. The cuff is PVC though. The accessories are mainly made of PVC as they are hard. Let's look at the details of some of the accessories.
The sign is well drawn with the letters being clear to read. No doubt that this is etched in. Problem with this sign though is the stand when connected to the base. It can move to the point where it feels like it will break.
The base is well designed & painted. The display of bullet shells really add a nice touch. Plus, there is hardly any signs of bleeding involved. It's painted dead on.
Kuro Neko is designed & painted well. This should be expected actually since he's all black & the eyes shouldn't be to hard to do.
On the packaging, it mentions Vash having a secret weapon. That weapon is the gun implanted on his left arm. It's nothing like the anime of how his left arm looks like when the gun is exposed. You pull down the left hand from the wrist & it hangs there. It doesn't look nice. It looked really strange.
A $60 million face
The facial expression of Vash is strict & it looks good on him. It really reflects on his character. In fact, this face is very close to the manga than the anime. The manga version are drawn a bit more realistic. Also, he has an earring on his left ear. Kaiyodo really nail this one down to the slightest details. The sunglasses are molded on & can't be taken off. This is why there are 2 versions Vash available. Back then, this version was very expensive as these are rare & little of them were made. With the reissues, I have seen a lot of these floating around so commonly. I assume Kaiyodo made an equal number of the 2 versions in the market or Diamond decided to do this.
Overall Conclusion
Vash the Stampede Sunglasses Variant Version is a pretty good action figure. It's quite stable & solidly made. If you are a Trigun fan, this is worth the investment to pick up. As of now, Vash has never been put back into his blister card. However, I have played around with him in changing his accessories at times.
Vash gets a 8/10 in my books. The design & quality of the materials were a major factor in the score. Plus the large number of accessories available is a welcome bonus in playing with Vash. The lost points came from the limited articulations & the body parts that allowed it. When you hear 17 points, you think it's a lot. But when you see where those points are & how limited it really is, it can be disappointing. I would like to display him in different poses that doesn't involve stand straight all the time.
With the reisusses out there, Vash shouldn't be too hard to find. Regardless of what version you are looking for, it should be a breeze. This applies to the Diamond versions however. For the Japanese versions, I don't really know. The Japanese did reissue Vash around the same time as Diamond, but I don't know if they are any floating around. With the sellers mixing the 2 versions together, it's hard to distinguish which version is which until you actually see or get the product in your hands. Either way, the price of this item shouldn't be as high when it first came out since there are many of them in the market now.
In terms of which version to get between Diamond & the Japanese one, I have no idea. I haven't seen the Japanese version before, so I don't know what the quality is. The Diamond version I have isn't too bad. However, the corners & other areas aren't sharp like other Japanese products that I have experienced. If you are using your budget wisely, get the Diamond version. If you want originality, get the Japanese one.
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Photos were taken using Sony DSC-F828 digital still camera.
Last updated on October 29, 2005
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