Review – Cord Viper’s Zat

I’m back home but that doesn’t mean we’re finished staring at Japanese vinyl toys. Up next is the Zat by manufacturer/designer Cord Viper (see Lulubell Toys). These toy is drastically different from the other Japanese vinyl toys we’ve looked at over the last week, and is more like an action figure than any of the recently reviewed designs.

Makes Me Think of a Techno-Apocalypse Priest

At just over 4-inches tall, this toy design immediately makes me think of some dark character from a post-apocalyptic setting. The pointed hood and gas mask come together with the robes to make this a design that I would expect to see in any computer game set after the a nuclear war. It’s a cool design, and it was this mental connection that had me toss the toy into my order for the All Cover resin toy (review here). Surprisingly, the toy that was a “and I guess I’ll try this” actually turned out significantly more fun than the toy that was the main reason for placing the order.

Limited Articulation

Don’t expect anything fancy with this toy’s articulation. Simple swivels at the shoulders and waist, all three because it’s what the toy needed for manufacturing and not specifically for articulation, is all you get with this design. Still, that’s a lot more than we saw with the PopSoda Baron Finger Puppet (review here) or Chaos Q Bean (review here) so in terms of “action figure like qualities” this toy is closer than those other vinyl designs. It’s nowhere near enough for those of you who are into Marvel Universe or Masters of the Universe Classic action figures, but if you’re a fan of Japanese vinyl toys then this limited articulation won’t bother you at all.

Closing Thoughts

By now you’re either loving the recent round of Japanese vinyl toy reviews or you’re about to leap through the internet and slap me around until I get back to some mass-market action figures. The Zat is more collectible/shelf piece than it is a toy, and since I’m both a collector and a fan of playthings I’m happy enough setting this guy up for display. He’s not a pocket companion like a Glyos System (Onell Design) action figure, but he’s a cool design that’s going to look great in my collection.

Philip Reed promises that he’ll get an action figure review up in the next week or so. He’s got another trip later this week, but he’ll snap pics before taking off for Seattle.