Background

When Japan-based designer toy shop Tomenosuke decided to celebrate their 4th anniversary, they did so in style. They released a number of exclusive variant figures from some of the most popular designers out there (Scarecrow, Visell, etc).

For this review, we're going to take a look at a figure that might not be that recognizable to collectors outside of Japan. Tomenosuke grabbed an exclusive glow-in-the-dark version of Mutineer Jun's Rebel Angel vinyl. You might have seen the Rebel Angel Tomenosuke Exclusive GID referred to as the RATEG.

The Facts



Rebel Angel Tomenosuke Exclusive GID
Artist: Mutineer Jun
Material: Rotocast Vinyl
Dimensions: 9” tall
Points of Articulation: 6 (shoulders, wrists and ankles)
Accessories: GID baseball bat, stickers, print
Edition Size: 50 pieces

Packaging

The Rebel Angel figure is packaged in a white box with black details. Those details include an illustrated version of the character on the front of the box and a label crest on the rear. There's Tomenosuke Exclusive screen printed in black on both sides. Inside, the figure is kept in place between two interlocking plastic trays.

Our Opinion

The Rebel Angel character looks like it jumped off of the pages of a tattoo book. If he actually was inspired by tattoo designs, it would make sense. Just look at all of the tattoos covering the figure (I counted 10 of them). All of the tattoos are pad printed, so they look really clean and detailed. There's very little paint on the figure (pants, shoes, gloves and hat) and I did find one small smudge near the D in Destroy.

The sculpting on the head is extremely impressive. You see a lot of sculpted skulls in vinyl toys, but this one is more stylized than super realistic. Staying in the same region, the mesh hat actually looks and feels like mesh. And while I like the sculpting work on the wings, I don't like that they touch/overlap each other.

The lone accessory is what appears to be a baseball bat. I don't know if it really adds anything to the figure. I'd actually display the piece without the bat – just a pair of fists.

Since the Tomenosuke Rebel Angel is glow-in-the-dark, I should probably mention how it looks after being all charged up. The RATEG glows a bright green color, with all of the pale yellow sections showing up. There have been several version of the Rebel Angel vinyl figure released, so if glow-in-the-dark isn't your thing...check out some of the painted versions out there.

Finally, each piece does include a pack of stickers as well as an art print. The box is individually numbered, and the bottom of the RATEG's foot is hand signed.

OVERALL: I think this figure will appeal to several different collecting groups – if you like skulls/skeletons; if you like traditional tattoo designs; if you like GID vinyl. I don't really fall in any of those categories, but I really like the sculpting work on this piece. And remember that the RATEG is a Tomenosuke exclusive, so European and American collectors will pay a slight premium to get their hands on one.

You can pick one up at the following:

Tomenosuke: ￥5,985 (with tax) (about $72 plus shipping)

Rebel Angel Tomenosuke Exclusive GID Grades

Figure Quality: 8/10
   Sculpt: 9/10
   Paint: 8/10
Accessories/Outfit: 7/10
Packaging: 8/10
Durability: 8/10
Fun Factor: 8/10
Value: 8/10

Overall: 8.4/10