Unboxing And Review Saigokin Gold Lightan & Scope Lightan Model Kits By Shohoriku

The Staff of Passion4Fun works hard every day, through this website and its social media channels, to inform its audience about the fantastic pop-nerd world with news, interviews, reports, advices, reviews, livestreams and more.
To help achieve these goals, today we are pleased to share with you our unboxing and review of some products by Shohoriku Limited, an incredibly promising newcomer to the collectibles scene that has already amazed the international public with the quality of its products.
In particular, the Staff of Passion4Fun had the opportunity to observe and judge firsthand the true value of Shohoriku’s work through the unboxing and review of the stunning Saigokin model kits of the Gold Lightan and Scope Lightan.

Gold Lightan The Golden Warrior

“Ōgon Senshi Gold Lightan” (Gold Lightan The Golden Warrior) is a 52-episode anime series produced in 1981 by Tatsunoko and it was a huge success in Japan and Hong Kong.
Gold Lightan is the mecha protagonist of the series, a golden lighter from the Mecha Dimension that can transform into a robot and vice versa, and can vary in size, becoming gigantic, reaching 30 meters in height.
Gold Lightan came to Earth to pursue King Ivalda, a being originally similar to a cancer cell who mutated into an extremely powerful robot following an anomaly, causing him to be expelled from the Mecha Dimension into the human world.
Having crash-landed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he built his base, the Mecha Palace, inside the crater of an underwater volcano.
There, he commands his three generals – Uyokka, Sayokka, and Mannaka – and his army of robots, aiming to dominate the world and subjugate the human race, which he considers inferior.
Gold Lightthan comes into contact with the young Hiro Taikai, whom he follows and protects, and his friends, with whom he creates the “Bratty Rangers” group.
Together with the various robots that form the “Lightthan Corps,” he defends Earth from the threat of King Ivalda’s Mecha Empire.

What Is Saigokin?

As Ken Kwok, Managing Director of Shohoriku Limited, told us in our exclusive interview, the “SAIGOKIN” (砌合金) line was born from the combination of the Chinese word “SAI,” meaning “to build” (砌), and the Japanese word “GOKIN” (合金), meaning metal alloy.
The Saigokin model kit line aims to offer consumers a dual experience: the joy of building their own model and the fun of playing with die-cast metal figures.
The resulting experience therefore satisfies the needs of both fans of model kits and fans of die-cast metal figures, all packaged in a product of exquisite workmanship, compact size, and reasonable price (each model was offered for pre-order at $30 / HK$238).

Gold Lightan & Scope Lightan

The Boxes

The boxes feature colorful, visually pleasing graphics and are made of high-quality, textured cardboard that’s particularly sturdy, helping to protect the contents from potential impacts.
As if to emphasize the product’s metal core, a cornerstone of the line, part of the packaging features a window design that allows you to see the main bodies of the die-cast robots inside.
Unlike the Scope Lightan box, the Gold Lightan box does not feature the “Saigokin” line logo, but only the generic wording “Model kit (with alloy parts).”
This is due to the fact that, when the model was released, despite the foundations of the line having already been established, a brand definition and logo had not yet been established.
However, every model kit dedicated to the “Gold Lightan” series belongs to the Saigokin line.

The Contents

Both models are composed of two types of parts: a set of ready-to-assemble pieces and another set of pieces housed in special runners.
The latter, as with most model kits, require the use of wire cutters to remove and prepare them for use.
The instructions, printed in color, are relatively easy to follow and present various instructions in both Chinese (traditional and simplified) and English, and explain the use of specific modeling tools.
There are essentially three steps to follow: how to assemble the models, how to transform them from robot to lighter and vice versa.
In the case of the Scope Lightan, specifications are also provided for magnetic activation of the LED lighting functions in both modes.

The Models

After a simple assembly, which takes just a few minutes for each model, we find ourselves faced with two compact but very well-crafted products with a bright, metallic color.
A touch of class is provided by the Shohoriku and Tatsunoko logos, imprinted on the opening doors of the two robots and clearly visible every time one of the transformations is performed.
The Gold Lightan measures 13.8 cm tall in robot form and 6.8 cm in lighter form, weighing 145 grams, while the Scope Lightan measures 15 cm tall in robot form and 8 cm in lighter form, weighing 129 grams.
The Gold Lightan features joints at the head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, thighs, knees, and ankles, while the Scope Lightan features arms that can rotate and bend, pincers that can rotate and open at will, and articulated legs and feet.
Overall, the posability is more than adequate, and despite their small size, they can still be displayed in a variety of poses that are faithful to the animated series.
As for extras, the Gold Lightan features two pairs of hands to choose from: one pair of closed fists and one pair of open, slashing hands, which can be stored inside the model.
The Scope Lightan, as mentioned previously, features a LED light function (powered by two AG1/SR621SW/364 button batteries, not included) activated by a magnetic switch.
In lighter mode, lifting the top part – just like a real Zippo – will reveal a flashlight that, when lit, will produce a blue light.
In robot mode, again placing the magnet against the chest will light up the robot’s eyes, replicating Scope Lightan’s ability in the series to use X-ray vision to pinpoint the weak points of enemy robots.
Placing the magnetic switch against its chest a second time will activate the flashing lighting sequence, adding a sense of realism to the Scope Lightan, which appears to be working at that very moment.
The switch is also an interesting gameplay element, modeled as an optional hand for Gold Lightan, who holds the energy core of enemy mecha, which he usually rips out and destroys with his “Gold Crush” attack that can be recreated with that accessory.

The Future Of The Line

The “Gold Lightan” anime series is especially popular abroad, and as mentioned, particularly in Hong Kong, so it’s no surprise that Shohoriku has ventured into creating the Lightan Corps.
The models are undoubtedly a success; both products are soldout on the company’s official website, while production continues with the I.C. Lightan (scheduled for release in May 2026) and the 65 cm Gold Lightan statue (scheduled for release in June 2026), which recreates his gigantic height in combat and features a chest compartment to hold the entire collection. Both models are already sold out for pre-order.

Unboxing, Assembling & Showcase

Completing our review of these two fantastic models are our dedicated videos in which we unbox, assemble, and pose the Gold Lightan and the Scope Lightan, highlighting their simplicity of assembly, their compact size, and the remarkable amount of fun in transforming and posing them.