Transformers Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19

Presenting the Transformers Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19 - depicted here combined with the Transformers Prime RID Voyager Class Optimus Prime.

Now if you follow the Transformers Prime animated series, you will see the mountain "Golems" made by Unicron that took on the unlikely tandem of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The real Unicron is actually at the center of the Earth. The original 13 Primes beat the crap out of Unicron and sent him into stasis out of the orbit of Cybertron. His mass was so big his natural gravity gathered debris around him and eventually he became the planet known as Earth..

Unicron is also known as the  "Chaos Bringer", the "Anti-Spark" and the source of all Dark Energon - Ironically he has the power to resurrect the dead and Earth is such a green place.

The Transformers Gaia Unicron AM-19 is from Takara so unsurprisingly his blister card is mostly in Japanese which I cannot read - sorry. 

Anyway, it probably says something about how evil Unicron is and how - because he's one with Earth he can produce a countless amount of "Golems" or Gaia  Unicrons to beat the crap out of both the Autobots and the Decepticons; and how he has a little micron friend "Bogu" who transforms into a claw for his left arm; and how - though it never appears in the cartoons, a Gaia Unicron can "partsform" into "Gaia Armor" that can be worn by either the Voyager class Optimus Prime, Megatron and the Takara AM-21 Optimus Prime (their upgraded version of the Weaponizer Prime - though in a pinch you can also force the Gaia Armor onto the Weaponizer Prime). He also comes with a loincloth with three embedded Arms Micron Energon Crystals. 

What's to like about the Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19?

One of the nicest things about the Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19 is how well it's sculptor was able to capture the cartoon appearance of Unicron. He may not be made of rock but is definitely rocky and has a molten feel about him! It even seems  like his "molten" parts are flowing as those parts glisten in the light.

It's a pretty apt and frightful depiction of one of Unicron's Golems.

Articulation is decent and expected for a Transformer. Naturally his arms, and legs are a tad hampered by all that armor plating and my particular version of Gaia Unicron has a bit of an issue with loose hip-ball joints but nothing that cannot be solved with simple after-market solutions.

Oh and you can "see" Unicron on his backside and ask "Is he coming or is he going?"

You can opt to remove the Arms Micron "Bogu" arm and split up Gaia Unicron AM-19's arms instead.

The Arms Micron Bogu transforms into a tiny little crawling crustacean tank. A little more detailing here in terms of color would have been nice, but then he's a micron:

Another thing that I love about the Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19 is what it transforms into: what can only be described as a horrendous evil heavily armored crustacean black-seafarer. Unicron is absolutely terrifying, and absolutely beautiful all at the same time:

Bogu can be attached to Gaia Unicron's front and his claw can be extended from there:

I am really a fan of how alien and foreboding he appears. I'd stay clear of something that ugly and armored if I encountered it in space. Here's the thing though: Land Gaia Unicron and you actually have the tip of a volcano, or the head of an even larger and more powerful figure that will hopefully be released in the future:



I prefer to think of it as a sign of great thing to come.

But the nicest thing about the Takara Unicron AM-19 is his ability to "partsform" into the Gaia Armor that can be donned by, as mentioned, the Voyager class Transformers Megatron, Optimus Prime or the Takara Weaponizer Prime version AKA AM-21 - not to be confused with the regular Weaponizer Prime.

There's a lot of fidgeting involved getting that armor on, but eventually you'll get it on. The Gaia Unicron comes with two sets of identifying stickers: Decepticon and Blendtron (Grotesque freaks of nature AKA the Heralds of Unicron) stickers. I applied the Blendtron heads:

What's NOT to like about the Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19?

Unfortunately, several things:

1. Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19's robot form could stand to have a bigger torso to match his long arms. He has a more "balanced" form in the cartoons that was not carried over into his toy form. 
2. The lack of hands. Unicron in the cartoons can opt to drop his "rocky" bludgeon/cannons in favor of actual hands for grasping or blasting. AM-19 does not have any such appendage extension. I see a 3rd Party product extension for Takara Unicron in this toy's future.
3. Some form of landing appendages would also have been appreciated for Takara Gaia Unicron in his ship mode - or at least a mount so he looks cooler. 
4. Bogu is boring. Nuff said.
5. But the biggest problem with the Transformers Takara Gaia Unicron AM-19 is that when it's transformed into the Gaia Armor, most of the armor actually just hangs uselessly on - whoever's wearing it's - back. It would have been nicer if the parts were more functional.
6. Speaking of functional, anyone notice how I didn't really pose Optimus Prime with the Gaia Armor on? That's because he can barely move. I oftentimes wonder if this is really "Gaia Armor" or a form of prison that Unicron uses for recalcitrant Transformers.  

Transformers Taka Gaia Unicron AM-19 is available on Amazon for a high of US$77 and a low of US$ 59.51 (Roughly between PhP 3,234 and PhP 2,499 plus shipping). This particular Takara Gaia Unicron was purchased for PhP 2,500 (Roughly US$ 59) in the black-market of Greenhills here in the Philippines. 

Now bow down to the king: