I see we think alike as I look thru these Daiei designs you did. This looks like I might have drawn it. You've done a great job keeping the likeness just deleting the stiffness and fake-ness of the suit. Now he looks like he could fight!
i try to find a balance between the two; i appreciate the stiff man-in-suit look (since their whole design is created around the human form) from the films but i also like them being "real" creatures, so somewhere in between is good, i think.
yeah, I totally agree. There's something about the stiffness and limited maneuverability that adds to their charm. It made them seem so powerful and grounded. At least that's what I thought when I was a kid watching in awe.