Mykltron wrote:Whom are the good reviewers in your opinion?
To start off, and this may be strange to some, but I think barutazaru is a great Transformers reviewer. His reviews are highly entertaining but he manages to touch upon critical aspects of the figures. Not only that, he does so in usually a few(3-6) minutes. He's a combination of efficient reviewing
and entertaining humour. The only reason I say it may be strange to some is that most probably associate barutazaru with entertainment and not necessarily reviews.
Peaugh is a good reviewer too, though, I view him strictly as a "show the figure and remark on a few things" type of reviewer. He doesn't really do a lot of critical assessment of figures. He shows the alt and bot modes, transformers them, shows accessories but he at least gives people a good idea of what to expect generally from a figure. He has a good video set up too, with nice lighting, clear video and audio, and his videos aren't usually too long, usually around the 8 minute mark.
ExaggeratedElegy is another favourite of mine. He does have critical assessment but bear in mind that he often reviews older generation figures like G1 and Beast Wars/Machines. He has reviewed some more current lines like Classics. He's the only reviewer that I enjoy hearing character bios from. He has an interest in the arts and is a writer. He's very well spoken, which is a great attribute in a medium that often involves addressing the viewers. I find that his creative background helps his reviews in that he has a more unique appreciation for aesthetics than most reviewers I've seen. He also has a passion for Transformers and while he is critical at times, he doesn't "love to hate" like others out there.
Vange1us is a fellow Canadian so I feel compelled to support him. But even if he wasn't, I find that his reviews are very entertaining and informative. He's similar to barutazaru in that he combines critical reviewing with a fun way of presenting his reviews. He does tend to have longer reviews, often 8+ minutes, but I don't mind it since he keeps me thoroughly entertained and informed. His reviews also come from more of a "critical geek" view. He comes from a "geek's geek" angle and can critique based upon his experience as a toy collector. He'll balance that with "but if you're not a die hard fan of this figure" suggestions as well. He won't normally crush or gush a figure, he'll often make consideration for both the hardcore and average collectors.
Zipdisk01 is someone I really enjoy watching as well. He has more of a straight forward review style but also has a "geek's perspective". He also has a background in other Japanese pop culture interests like other anime/manga so he brings that to the table.
Hucklebubba is a newer reviewer and doesn't have many reviews yet but I really enjoy his stuff. He's highly entertaining and is a solid reviewer.
Hmm, even though I said I prefer critical reviewers, my top reviewers are all entertaining to me. What I'll say for sure is that the common attribute these reviewers have is that the all can critique a figure with objectivity for the most part. Everyone has personal bias but these folks can usually separate their own opinion for a moment and also say that "if you're not a big fan of such-and-such, you may not like it as much".
I am critical on reviewers who aren't efficient with their time and who can't seem to speak well(mumble) and/or have organized thoughts when reviewing. I'm not a reviewer but I understand it can be a challenge to do a solid review so it's not like I'm saying "Oh, it's sooooo easy, anyone can do it better!". I'd like to throw my hat into video reviewing at some point in the future but I don't have a video camera and I'm afraid my web camera sucks.