SH Figuarts Kid Goku & vs GT Goku review

Dragon Ball Daima, as many knew, was the last bit of work created by legendary creator Akira Toriyama; it was meant to be a throwback to the old days of the franchise, from when it was less of an action-adventure series with a small dose of sci-fi elements and more of a martial arts comedy with bits of adventure here and there. Daima managed to blend both elements while also making sure it didn't clash with the Super events, though it does have fans wondering where GT fits in the equation beyond the three-child Gokus meeting and the return of the SSJ4 form. A producer of the series did admit that it was meant to be a tribute to GT, but whether or not both series can fit with one another remains to be seen. That being said, I'd argue it's easier for both to co-exist than TCW with the CWMMP. Before I look into the price decreases on Daima's kid versions of Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo (after finding Chibi-Moon not worth the full price), let's determine which version of Kid Kakarot is better than the other. I'm not referring to character or series quality, but instead action figure quality.

Here we have original recipe Kid Goku in hand, and he represents more or less the last few years of him being a child before he ages up as a teen or young adult during the Piccolo Jr Saga. While he isn't as stumpy as he once was, he still retains that youthful look to his character before he got a height increase and later became the Goku we know today. As we transition from the softer, somewhat blobby artstyle of classic into Z's sharper, more angular artstyle, we can see the character gain a more serious look to him as he starts becoming less happy-go-lucky when the threats become bigger and dangerous. It also goes well with Goku's dedication to stopping King Piccolo after the deaths of his friends. As for the aesthetics, Kid Goku looks mostly solid, but the arms do look more bulbous than they normally would be due to the articulation cuts and the shape of the shoulders and elbows. Also, he has a hole in his butt that is thankfully for his monkey tail and not for any concerning reasons. Yeah, sometimes I forget about Goku and Saiyans in general having tails due to me being more used to Z specifically where they started being phased out.

His accessories include three alternate face plates, an alternate hair piece representing it being blown in the wind or whenever he charges in battle, his staff, a holder for it, a monkey tail, and six alternate hands. Thankfully, the harness meant to hold the staff is easy to put on him, and the same goes for his face plates due to his bigger head.

While he lacks some of the smiling and more child-like expressions, I still like how Tamashii made the ones for this version of Kid Goku specifically. As mentioned before, he's getting more mature despite still retaining some of his goofy moments, and while the tail is sculpted to stay curved without a bendy wire, having it poseable in a ball joint is reasonable enough to me. 

In terms of other versions for Kid Goku, you have the original version that goes for even higher in the aftermarket (to the point bootlegs are common). Meanwhile, a convention exclusive gives him a blue outfit that stands out from the usual orange associated with him. My version is the Tamashii Nations store exclusive, and the figure itself is still as good even without any option to put a smile on that face. Certainly a good way to show him go from classic to Z as we finish both Piccolo Sagas.

As for his GT counterpart, we get an artstyle shift more influenced by Z's sharper aesthetics opposed to the simpler approach DB classic had. Taking a bit of an influence from how young Gohan and Goten were drawn, we get a less pudgy Goku and unlike classic Kid Goku, this version has a blue shirt to go over the orange pants usually seen with his gi. The white belt and black martial arts shoes are also new for this version of the character, and the pink wrist bands weirdly compliment him, too. Admittedly, the way he looks as if he has a skirt on likely could attribute either from the way it was designed or just being too big in him. Hell, his clothes being somewhat baggy could be from him being de-aged. 

I should also mention that the sleeves can be rolled up, but doing so reveals that his arms are the only reused parts from Kid Goku. Much like his predecessor, he has three alternate angry faces as well as an alternate hair piece for when it's sweeping in the wind. However, he gains two extra pairs of hands, an alternate skirt piece, and a charged up kamehameha blast that comes in 5 pieces.

With articulation being the same as original recipe Kid Goku, I appreciate the need to make a second skirt so he can pose better. It could be due to the rigid materials used, and the lack of flexibility at the size he's in helps in making his poses easier to achieve. The charge effect pieces is concerning with durability concerns, but at least it's painted at the base with the white paint fading into clear blue plastic. Overall, I think I like GT Goku a bit more, but the effect piece will knock a few points off due to fragility concerns with the ball joints. Makes me want to get the rest of the GT characters we got so far, and even if you aren't a fan, he can be customized into a Goten.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for both)