REVIEW: X-Transbots MX-17T Taiho (part 2)

We’re back for the second part of our look at X-Transbots’ recent Taiho release, presenting an original character in the world of Transformers in what could be considered a bit of a mash-up with a Japanese manga and anime series. Last time we concluded the car mode not only did a good job at portraying the source but looked as cute as a button in the process! 

So yes, as mentioned, this is a homage to You’re Under Arrest, and whilst some of the finer details may vary a little, it’s clearly a strong love letter in that regard. However, we’re now moving into more familiar territory for Transformers fans as it’s time to get Taiho converted up to robot form. 

This being a retool of XTB’s Savant mould, the transformation may well be familiar to some of you already but either way, there’s really not much to cause any stress here. In terms of the Masterpiece arena, I’d say it ends up around the same level of complexity as stuff like MP-17 Prowl (and actually fairly reminiscent in some regards, such as how the arms pop out and the wing mirrors fold under the bonnet chest) and should be doable in around five minutes or so once you know what you’re doing.

Anyway, it won’t be long before you have Taiho looking ready for action in his robot mode, where you might immediately notice those good looks carry over from the car form, too. This is definitely a bit of an original spin by XTB and I for one am here for such a thing.

After all, we’re now living at a time when so much of Transformers is rather slavishly looking to the past for inspiration and whilst that’s generally fine, I must admit I do find enjoyment in the increasingly rare pockets of original design we see from time to time, even if it is sometimes unofficial in origin. XTB has a lot of this kind of stuff on their slate at the moment and so in that regard, Taiho feels almost like a proof of concept – a sign they can create a wholly original character out of something familiar and have it immediately make an impact when you get it in hand.

Anyway, not to get ahead of myself but the point is XTB have dared to step outside of the norm a bit here (especially when there were plenty of other repaint opportunities for this mould already) and it works. It may not be ‘traditional’ Transformers but that’s kind of fun sometimes, right?

Besides, there’s still plenty to enjoy here for G1 diehards, in my opinion, especially as the body type and general style of this thing should feel instantly recognisable in a lot of ways. An original character with a newly-invented head design this might be but you can still clock the classic Skids look to everything below the neck, after all.

That’s most evident in the signature door wings and the way the windshield folds down behind the head, although really everything here is directly lifted off the Savant design to the extent it’s never that far from your mind. It’s hardly a problem though as the head and the police-themed colour scheme all do wonders in allowing Taiho to feel fresh, despite his obvious repaint status.

The newly-moulded noggin itself is very attractive and manages to feel instantly like classic G1 despite its unofficial origin. It has all the right hallmarks of that era, with big, bold eyes, a spot-on head crest design, jutting chin and unmistakably ’80s earmuffs. Everything adds up to have Taiho feel like he could be based on a toy from back in the day despite being entirely new.

That said I do wish XTB had dialled up the saturation on the eyes a smidge and allowed them to really stand out against the white face. Yellow was a neat choice but the contrast between the two colours doesn’t make the features instantly discernible here. I did also find my copy has a couple of noticeable paint chips around the nose so that’s incredibly annoying.

I can’t also help but feel Taiho’s neck is just a little too long as well, making his head sit awkwardly on top of the bonnet chest area. I found a similar phenomenon on Herald, the other Savant retool currently in XTB’s catalogue, although I equally haven’t seen many people levelling this as a complaint so perhaps it’s just me!

Otherwise, the whole chest area looks pretty magnificent, carrying over the front of the car nicely and cutting a fine silhouette with those door wings in place. Again, it’s a well-worn trope of Transformers design but that doesn’t stop it from working wonders for Taiho, especially with the eye-catching kanji writing on the sides.

What works less well for me is the design of the shoulder sections, which have a flap folded over the wheels to be connected at the top of the arm. However, this quite simply will not stay tabbed, meaning that as soon as you articulate the joint, the whole thing becomes disconnected and moves out of place. It’s something that hasn’t changed since the first iteration of this mould and I suppose it might be there come the next but still, a little irritating.

Turning our attention to the bottom half of the robot mode, I’m not sure the legs are quite as sleek as the upper body although I do have to give props to the simplicity of design here at least. XTB often get grief for their complicated transformations yet there’s some surprisingly straightforward stuff going on and it even allows for a fantastic range of articulation, so that’s good.

I just can’t help but find the screws on the inside of the thighs a little unsightly though, to say nothing of how far back the bottom part of the leg juts out behind the knee. It’s not bad by any means but there is a slight air of finesse lacking in the lower half perhaps, as evidenced on elements such as the all-too-visible pins in the hip skirts.

Still, there’s no denying the movement it all affords you, with the top half also proving quite poseable in spite of those weird shoulders. The joints are all nice and tight too, so no concerns when it comes to stability of any kind. In fact, I find Taiho to be tremendous fun to just pick up and pose!

A big part of that is his weapons, which both clip onto his forearms very snugly and look fantastic when in place. My favourite is by far the double-barrelled arm-mounted blaster but the smaller pistol is neat too, and together they ably complete the look for this law-enforcing lad.

Again, the guns are another obvious carry-over from their Savant design and do rather scream ‘Skids’ when you look at them, but I think overall the appearance and general vibe of this figure work well enough that you stop seeing it as any kind of facsimile pretty quickly.

If anything, the fun and simplicity inherent in this mould are enough to allow another attempt to feel worthy and particularly when it’s as fresh and original as this. There may be another *checks notes* three(!) recolours of the mould on the way before too long but somehow I have a feeling Taiho will manage to hold his own in that crowd, given how unique he already feels.

And with the new Masterpiece Skids now out, at least you’re pretty much guaranteed this will be the one paint job TakaraTomy are unlikely to consider for their take on the design, eh? Well, never say never, I suppose, but I think you’re safe.

Whilst there’s no doubt for me the official Masterpiece has the sleeker and more polished design, at least Taiho is a potential option where no choices need be made – you can have him peacefully co-existing on a shelf next to MP-53 and it works well enough in robot mode, in my opinion.

As for where else Taiho might find a home, why not imagine he was always there amongst the Ark crew from the very beginning, eh? Except maybe he was in a seat somewhere near the back or just like hiding in a closet or whatever, I dunno. Either way, he looks quite swish next to your classic Masterpiece-styled ‘bots.

Perhaps there’s no better fit for him than in our burgeoning police-themed Masterpiece line-up though, as he looks undeniably awesome alongside stuff like MP-17+ Prowl, MP-42 Cordon or whichever other such paint jobs we’ve had thus far, both official and otherwise.

In that regard, Taiho slots into my own collection way more than I could have imagined, meaning he’s quickly gone from being a bit of a random curio based on a Japanese manga to a design I would actually love to see done on a version of the G1 Skids toy now! Just as with characters such as Bulkhead, he has entirely the right vibe for feeling like he could have been there since the very beginning.

So, it’s a good show from X-Transbots as they’ve managed to take something obscure and make it wholly worthwhile. That bodes well for their future output then.

WHAT’S HOT? Cute car mode with a great homage to a cult classic series, a relatively smooth transformation and an attractive, poseable robot form.

WHAT’S NOT? My copy has some paint scuffs on the face, which is probably the most annoying part.

TTFN