So Ronery (S.I.C. Kiwami Tamashii Faiz and Autovajin)

Slowpoking I know, but i did promise a review. Anyway this will end up being two reviews in one post, with me writing about both Autovajin and doing a more detailed review of Faiz. 

First up--Autovajin.

Now even before watching the show I liked the concept of a transforming bike mecha. It sounds so metal hero-ish and yet Faiz pulls it off nicely (granted he is a technology based rider) and the way he--yes I'm referring to the bot as male now-- transformed was pretty clean, really. Just as well the show made me care enough about the emotionless, near incompetent (he kept shooting his rider) robot that I kinda felt sad after he got killed by...well go watch it. 

The bike itself is pretty cool looking, like a BMX except without any gaudy colors, and it even has a bit of weathering to boot, making it look all grimdark and stuff. 

The robot is hidden very well in the design it's solid with no wasted space, and the body has superb details by the way. Though it kills the functionality of steering which isn't all that bad but would have been fun to keep.  

which are brought out by a good division of colors, with the gunmetal, and worn silver colors of the engine and wheels standing out from the factory steel and red detailed color of the body.

Now seeing as this is a transforming bike of course there are parts that move around to make it happen, but the way it happens kinda irks me. particularly the way the front wheel section has to be taken apart and rearranged, and the need for separate hands. The original design wasn't a partsformer and the way it transformed makes sense--nothing needed to be split from the body to convert, meaning it was all a singular process. here though the entire head part needs some rearranging and the wheel too. It bugs me, but I can understand why they did it.

It makes for a more proportionate and Human-like robot mode. 

This is much closer to the Autovajin in the show than the original S.I.C. in that the S.I.C. kept the unified transformation but ended up looking more asymmetrical mecha. The Kiwami Tamashii though is more human-looking and proportionate, which isn't all that bad. 

Autovajin is pretty tall.

yep. 

the amount of detail we see in bike mode is not lost at all in bot mode, and in fact it gets more attention.

I really love that sculpted face with the clear parts, and the rear wheel/flight rotor.

Poseability-wise, he has a good range of movement though his arms tends to fall apart due to some of his joints being only friction pegs in holes with the said pegs being smooth and not having little craters/dents/holes on them for added grip, and with the transformation joints on the legs being incorporated into the transformation this makes them a little loose sometimes. 

overall, Autovajin is a must if you have Faiz and pretty fun as a standalone figure but a tad too expensive for his size (1,300 php or $30 more or less) and way too loose sometimes. Recommended only if again, you have Faiz and want him to ride.  or you could just get a 1/18 scale blue Scion xB and call it a day. 

Now we move onto Faiz ( his figure being one of my all time favorites in the line). I said only a few words about him before but I've got a lot more to say this time around. 

*flick*

Faiz. As a design he appealed to me, I really dig tech based riders and he was the first real one that got me interested in heisei or riders in general (though Kuuga was the first series I did finish). He just spews modern-- cellphone belt, sleek shape, rave party light-up mode. Too bad this one doesn't light up.

The stark black, silver and red lines really sold the old costume to me, and his S.I.C. redesign simply took it and added more mech greeble which is really really sweet. So much eye candy here. The only real complaint I have is how elongated the torso looks sometimes. 

He also comes with a lot of gear--but no suitcase to store them--which includes:  the Faiz Pointer, Faiz Shot (not holdable) , Faiz Edge, Faiz Phone (with blaster mode) and two extra open hands.  Most of them with the exception of the hands,  phone blaster and Faiz Edge can be stored on the figure's person. Or in the case of the Faiz Pointer: be put on his leg to simulate a rider kick. 

The weapon accessories are pretty detailed, I really like looking at the little buttons on the phone blaster, and the Faiz Edge is a beautiful looking piece of clear red plastic but it was warped in a way that makes it resemble a flaccid penis. 

Ready!

Can he strike a pose? He sure can! The figure has a decent range of motion with tight enough joints to maintain the poses you want. It even allows for his signature Exceed Charge pose before a kick, which i enjoy doing very much. Honestly, the pose below is what the open pair of hands are really for. 

Exceed charge!

That crimson smash and those closed fists are custom made, BTW.

Is he worth getting? Yes. Aside from Hibiki, Faiz is the only other rider figure I'd recommend based on looks, but he doesn't just have that. his paintjob and his articulation and accessories really make this figure fun! worth getting for kicks, and worth grabbing for 650-700 php (15-16 USD).