Daidenjin got his American release in 1984 as part of the second series of Godaikin. The 6" toy was one of six 'Standard' Godaikin issued to reverse poor sales from the large, expensive first series of figures.

Daidenjin (which apparently translates to Giant Electric Man...) actually originates from one of Toei's Super Sentai series - the long-running live-action tokusatsu ('special effects') show. The Super Sentai programmes would form the basis of Power Rangers - eventually, anyway. Daidenjin was the large mech used by the heroes of Denshi Sentai Denjiman, which was screened in Japan between 1980 and 1981. The series was also shown in Italy. Daidenjin - as was the regular deal for the Sentai series of the time - was represented by a model for when in Denji Fighter mode and transforming, and by a bloke in a giant suit for the fight scenes. This is possibly the greatest thing ever. To be fair, it actually works a Hell of a lot better than it should from the brief clips I managed to find on YouTube that don't revolve around Denji Pink (the rather average-looking Akira Koizumi) in some stage of undress. Oh, and the theme song is set to the same tune as Rawhide . You can't buy drugs this good...

The toy version of Daidenjin was released in 1980, coded GB-15 in Popy's Chogokin range. Only this DX version was made - as with Daitetsujin 17, at the time the transformation feature was considered enough to automatically rate Daidenjin as a Deluxe figure, despite the toy being about the same size as most 'Standard' Chogokin. The 1984 Godaikin release, however, was classified as a 'Standard' figure to distinguish it from the 10-14" figures that made up the bulk of releases.

The Godaikin packaging is rather nice, in an austere sort of way. There's something ever so serious about it, a toy seemingly marketed at collectors about a decade too early. It certainly looks more like some sort of scientific model than an action figure.

The back of the box handily shows simplified instructions (there is some paperwork as well, though - the later Godaikin having disappointing plain leaflets, as opposed to the beautiful glossy photographed booklets that came with the first series) and a contents list, which enables me to tell that mine's missing the Denjin Sword, the Denjin Boomerang, all four Missiles and, from the picture, the end of the Denjin Ball. Such is life =)

[Click here to see the original toy commercial]

DAIDENJIN

Seeing as the toy is basically a scaled-down version of the TV show model, the accuracy can't be faulted - even the transformation sequence is identical. It's quite good fun really (the leg movement is strongly reminiscent of that for Takara's Transformers RobotMasters Star Saber, oddly enough - not the only parallel to be found...), and I do love the way the sides fold up to form the chest armour - a nice touch.

The robot is beautifully designed, with the deep blue primary scheme working gloriously with the red and yellow detailing. The moulding is first class, from the detailed head design all the way down, and this thing looks almost exactly like the robot from the show. The stickering and detail are at just the right level, adding to the look without overcomplicating it. Articulation is limited to the shoulders, though the head does move a little and there are rollers on the feet. The accessories probably add a little to the robot mode, though he displays nicely without them.

The antennae on the head are fragile (as you can see, my example lost one somewhere), but otherwise Daidenjin is remarkably solid. The spaceship parts all fold away neatly, with only the nose section (looking like a backpack) and the wings (which add nicely to the sides of the legs) visible.

DENJIN SPACEPORT

Like several Chogokin designs, Daidenjin is a robot foremost, and the transformation is really just an extra feature. The design isn't too bad, to be fair, a nice-looking futuristic spaceship (referred to on the Godaikin box as the Denjin Spaceport, but in the show it's called the Denji Fighter) pretty close to the variable model from the series.

The back half does look a lot like a folded-up robot, but then it would be a little while until Takatoku kick-started the 'perfectly transforming' revolution, and in the context of the series no real effort was made to hide Daidenjin's abilities. It's more a convenient way to move the mecha and the Denjimen themselves around. The ship does look like a little bit of a mess in places, with the diecast thighs of the robot clearly visible, while the side panels barely hide the arms. From underneath the back of the head is visible, as is the detailing on the front of the thighs.

Still, the colour scheme works really well, and the centre fuselage is diecast, giving the toy a nice heft. There's a missile launcher under the cockpit , though as mentioned I don't have any missiles for him =( I suspect they can do through walls, though. Also, points for making it so the fists can remain on in this mode. It's just a shame there's nowhere to stash any of the other accessories.

Daidenjin isn't a classic figure, to be honest. He's neat and entertaining, though, with a fair amount of features on a relatively small figure. The design and craftsmanship are both interesting for those into early-1980s Japanese robots, and as Godaikin figures go he's common and cheap (around £25-30), and a good starting point for those not ready to spend a fortune on the range. However, don't expect a complex transformation or the same raft of features as on the larger figures.