HG Series: Difference between revisions

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*[[SpaceGodzilla]]
*[[SpaceGodzilla]]
*[[MogeGoji|Godzilla (1994)]]
*[[MogeGoji|Godzilla (1994)]]
*Two more figures to be announced
*[[MOGUERA]]
*[[Godzilla Junior|LittleGodzilla]]
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
HG D+ Godzilla 04 SpaceGodzilla.jpg|SpaceGodzilla
HG D+ Godzilla 04 SpaceGodzilla.jpg|SpaceGodzilla
HG D+ Godzilla 04 Godzilla 1994.jpg|Godzilla (1994)
HG D+ Godzilla 04 Godzilla 1994.jpg|Godzilla (1994)
HG D+ Godzilla 04 MOGUERA 1994.jpg|MOGUERA (1994)
HG D+ Godzilla 04 LittleGodzilla 1994.jpg|LittleGodzilla (1994)
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Bootlegs==
==Bootlegs==

Revision as of 10:59, 4 June 2020

HG Series logo.jpg

Godzilla: High Grade (HG (エイチジー) シリーズ,   Eichijī Shirīzu, lit. H.G. Series) is a line of two-inch tall collectible gashapon figures produced by Bandai. These figures are released in waves that usually coincide with the newest Godzilla film. They are typically sold in vending machines and all require at least minor assembly.

Waves

Godzilla 1

Bandai HG Set 1.jpg

The first wave was released in 1994 in conjunction with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.[1] It includes the following figures:


Godzilla 2

Bandai HG Set 2.jpg

The second wave was released in 1995 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.[2] It includes:


Godzilla 3

Bandai HG Set 3.jpg

Wave 3 was released in 1997 to coincide with Rebirth of Mothra II.[3] It includes:


Godzilla 4

Bandai HG Set 4.jpg

The fourth wave was released in 1998 to coincide with GODZILLA (1998).[4] Figures included in this wave are:


Godzilla 5

Bandai HG Set 5.jpg

Wave 5 was released in 1998 to commemorate the release of Rebirth of Mothra III.[5] It includes the following figures:


EX

Bandai HG EX.jpg

In 1998, Bandai re-released the figures from wave 1 under the name "Godzilla: High Grade EX." These figures featured slightly different paint jobs than wave 1, and were sold exclusively at 7-11 stores instead of in vending machines.[6] Just like wave 1, Godzilla: High Grade EX features the following figures:


Godzilla 6

Bandai HG Set 6.jpg

In 1999, in anticipation of Godzilla 2000: Millennium, Bandai released a sixth wave of High Grade figures.[7] There is also a clear version of this set, which can be seen on the display and insert sheets, that was given away via mail-in raffle to 100 winners. The set includes:


Godzilla 7

Bandai HG Set 7.jpg

Wave 7 was released in 2000 in conjunction with Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.[8] It includes the following figures:


Godzilla 8

Bandai HG Set 8.jpg

Wave 8 was released in 2001 to coincide with the release of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.[9] It includes the four monsters featured in the film, plus two classic monsters.


Godzilla 9

Bandai HG Set 9.jpg

The ninth wave was released in 2002 to coincide with the release of the film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.[10] It includes:


Godzilla 10

Bandai HG Set 10.jpg

Wave 10 was released in 2003 along with the film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.. All six of the figures in this wave are new molds, but all except Ebirah are based on monsters that have already received High Grade figures.[11] The figures in this wave are:


Godzilla 11

Bandai HG Set 11.jpg

In 2004, to celebrate both the release of Godzilla: Final Wars and Godzilla's 50th anniversary, Bandai released a 12th wave of High Grade figures.[12] All of the figures in this wave are of monsters featured in Godzilla: Final Wars, and include:


Godzilla 2014

HG Godzilla 2014.jpg

In 2014, Bandai released the first new High Grade wave since 2004, not counting the Godzilla Chronicle reissue sets, in commemoration of the 2014 American film. From this point onward, the waves abandoned their previous numbering. It features four figures:


Shin Godzilla

Bandai HG Shin Godzilla Set.jpg

To coincide with the upcoming film Shin Godzilla, Bandai released a new wave of High Grade Figures in August 2016. The wave includes:


Shin Godzilla 2

BANDA2017G16.jpg

Following the release of Shin Godzilla, Bandai announced a second wave of High Grade figures based on the film. It includes all four forms of Shin Godzilla:

  • Godzilla 2016 (1st Form)
  • Godzilla 2016 (2nd Form)
  • Godzilla 2016 (3rd Form)
  • Godzilla 2016 (4th Form) - includes interchangeable mouth parts to simulate Godzilla firing atomic breath


Shin Godzilla Climax

Shin Godzilla high grade set 2 variants.JPG

In 2017, Bandai released another wave of Shin Godzilla figures, all of which were repaints of the figures from the previous wave. Figures in this wave are:

  • Godzilla 2016 2nd Form Model Color Ver.
  • Godzilla 2016 4th Form Model Color Ver. - includes interchangeable mouth parts to simulate Godzilla firing atomic breath
  • Godzilla 2016 4th Form Frozen Ver.
  • Godzilla 2016 4th Form Daytime Ver. - includes interchangeable mouth parts to simulate Godzilla firing atomic breath


Godzilla 2017

Bandai HG Godzilla 2017 set IM.JPG

Bandai announced a wave of High Grade figures for release in the third week of January 2018 to commemorate GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters. Figures in this wave are:


D+ Godzilla 01

HG D+ Godzilla 01 final.jpg

In the fourth week of May 2019, to accompany the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bandai released the first "D+" wave of Godzilla: High Grade figures. These figures come in round shells bearing the texture of Godzilla's skin that can be opened into miniature dioramas, complete with effect parts. The first D+ wave includes the following four figures:

D+ EX01

HG D+ EX 01.jpg

Premium Bandai released a set of "D+ EX" figures in November 2019. Unlike the previous D+ Godzilla 01 wave, these figures come as a box set with only half of the capsule shell which is used as a base for the dioramas. The set includes three figures:

D+ Godzilla 02

HG D+ Godzilla 02 final.jpg

Bandai released the second standard wave of D+ Godzilla figures in November 2019. Figures in this wave are:

D+ Godzilla 03

HG D+ Godzilla 03 final.jpg

Bandai released the third standard wave of D+ Godzilla figures in April 2020. The Godzilla 2016 (2nd Form) and (4th Form) are reissues of the sculpts from the Shin Godzilla 2 set. Figures in this wave are:


D+ Godzilla 04

Bandai announced the fourth standard wave of D+ Godzilla figures in April 2020. Figures in this wave are:

Bootlegs

Bootleg markings (top), Actual Bandai markings (bottom)

Starting in summer of 2000, bootlegs of the wave 4 figures began appearing on the internet, and remain common on sites such as eBay and Amazon to this day. Though at first glance it may be difficult to spot the differences between the real figures and the bootlegs, there are some notable differences. The bootleg figures are generally smaller and feature sloppier paint jobs. They also lack the marking on their tails that lists the copyright date and "BANDAI CHINA," instead simply listing the word "CHINA."[13] Below are pictures comparing the actual figures and their bootlegs.

Trivia

References

This is a list of references for HG Series. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

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