Kool Kollectibles content

25 May 2016

Transformers Masterpiece MP-30 Ratchet

Once they made Ironhide, it was a given that Ratchet would be made. And Takara have made Ratchet an even better looking figure! Love this MP line :)

Here's the full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can check it out :)



Here are some pics of the packaging and contents.





Asmus Toys 1/6th scale Lord of the Rings Merry and Pippin

After I got the Asmus Toys Aragorn figure recently, I knew I'd have to get the rest of the Fellowship if they were to release them all. With their latest release with Merry and Pippin, I'm not as impressed as I was with Aragorn. But overall, still happy to have these in the collection.

Here's the full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can check it out! :)


Some pics of the packaging and figures.




The head sculpt likenesses could've been a bit better, but the tailoring and material of the outfits is awesome. Looking forward to seeing more releases in this line!

13 May 2016

Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel trailers

Have missed my usual quarterly YouTube channel trailer videos showing some of the photos I've taken during 3 months periods. So figured I'd play catchup with three trailer videos covering the quarters from July 2015 to March 2016. Hope you can check the out at the links below :)


July 2015 - September 2015




October 2015 - December 2015




January 2016 - March 2016



8 May 2016

Hot Toys MMS298 Princess Leia

I've been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a kid growing up in the 80s. Ever since I starting collecting 1/6th scale figures, the dream has always been to get the core Star Wars cast from the original movie. I could've gone back to get some of the older versions, but being spoiled by Hot Toys quality, I decided to wait.

And now that Hot Toys have finally completed the core cast of heroes from A New Hope, I can definitely say that they have made the dream come true! These figures are overall pretty damn fantastic, and this release of Princess Leia tops it off with perhaps the best head sculpt of them all!

Click through below for my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!



The packaging art is the usual classy style, with nice editing on the cardboard insert. Unfortunately they've still gone with the Death Star 2 from Return of the Jedi instead of the first from A New Hope! Minor detail, but something they should've known lol

I got the exclusive version with the backdrop of the scene where she hands over the plans to Artoo. It's a pretty flimsy kind of cardboard, so definitely not the quality of the backdrops we used to get in the DX releases. So if you missed out and just got the regular, I don't think it's a big deal at all.



Accessories-wise she's pretty barebones, with some hands and the two blasters that she used in the movie. The big selling point of course is the head sculpt itself. Initial prototype photos looked amazing, and thankfully they haven't really changed too much for this final production version.

The sculpt and paint application is beautifully done. Some figures only have a good likeness from certain angles, whereas this sculpt looks pretty spot on from every angle. The hair is also nicely done, and I'm definitely glad they went with sculpted hair and not rooted hair on this! The buns look great!

Some people have said the facial expression is a little bland. It's a neutral expression for sure, but I think it conveys her natural beauty really nicely. To me, it doesn't have that blank zombie stare like some other Hot Toys female sculpts have had in the past.



The iconic white Death Star outfit has its pros and cons for sure. The overall look for me is great, although the length at the ankles could have been more to reflect the way the movie costume dragged on the floor.

Hot Toys used a very thin material, but luckily it doesn't feel too delicate to touch or move. I think they went with such a sheer material to try and replicate that see-through texture that it had in the movie. But that removes any weight from the costume so it is difficult to get it to hang right on the body.

To prevent the material from ballooning out at the waist and thighs, they actually designed it with some garter belt type straps around her thighs that are then sewn to attach to the outfit itself. I worry that over time that area might get damaged or degrade, so something to watch out for.

The hood is wired, but in the end that is almost its downfall too because it is extremely difficult to get it to lie flat along her back when the hood is down. I haven't bother trying to cover her head with it, so left the wires folded the way they were out of the box. It sat against the back fairly well, but any slight movement will make it start bending away from the body, which ruins a bit of the realism that a nice heavier material would have. The pic below is the best that I could do, so that will be the way it stays!

The boots are nicely done though, with a good leather look to them. The best thing is that they don't have the collapsed ankle issue that plagues the Han Solo figure. I'm not sure if they added extra padding there, or simply that the ankle pegs are not as long to have a gap. Either way, it articulates well without having a bad unrealistic bend in the ankle.



Despite the issues with the costume, overall I think it looks fantastic. As a representation of Princess Leia in her Death Star outfit, this is certainly the best figure ever done for that look. Together with the other figures from the core cast, they all look incredible together. It's taken a while for this setup to finally be possible in my collection. But Hot Toys have definitely made it worth the wait!



1 May 2016

Bandai Tamashii Nations S.H.Figuarts Bruce Lee

As soon as I saw teaser pics of the Bandai Tamashii Nations Bruce Lee figure, I knew I had to have it! It was released in Japan a month or two ago, and only recently came into stock at Big Bad Toy Store. So I finally got my first S.H.Figuarts figure, and I must say I am most impressed!

Click through below for my video review of the figure on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!



Love the very collector friendly packaging, and definitely love the array of accessories that is included! Comes with all the weapons you'd expect from Enter The Dragon, and with 4 different face plates you'll have all the iconic expressions and poses covered!



The stand out feature for me is definitely the poseability, with a fantastic range of articulation throughout the body. The way it can hold it's balance without the need for a stand is amazing!

If this is the standard by which their Star Wars S.H.Figuarts line is made, then I now totally understand why so many collectors are getting away from Hasbro and jumping onto Bandai! The quality is awesome, and totally justifies the increased cost over Hasbro Black Series figures!



You can certainly get this guy into all sorts of poses, and the fun factor is just through the roof! I had so much fun playing around with the different face plates, choice of hands, and the weapons. If you're a Bruce Lee fan, then I would say this figure is a must-have! It might be small, but puts many larger figures to shame! Highly recommended!



Click the link below to head on over to BBTS and pick up this awesome figure for yourself! :)

BBTS - Bandai Tamashii Nations Bruce Lee

Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization Teppo Ashigaru Sandtrooper

I've loved every single figure release so far in this Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars line. Based on the Japanese feudal costumes that originally inspired the iconic Star Wars designs, these figures have a fantastically unique look to them, and have great build quality to boot.

The most recent release is the Sandtrooper, which shares much of the same design as the original Stormtrooper, but with some nice little unique changes.

Click through below for my full video review of the Sandtrooper over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe too! :)



The packaging is the same classy, very collector-friendly style of the earlier releases. Bandai simply know how to sell these with great artwork and photos on the box. All the accessories are packaged nicely, and have some great touches.

It comes with two large rifles to mimic the large rifles carried by Sandtroopers in the movie. It also comes with the standard katana and sheath that you attach to the belt. And then of course there is the amazingly detailed and painted backpack. The assortment of swap out hands all cater for holding the accessories and other poses, so all around a nice package.



The figure itself has some nice modifications specific to the Sandtrooper. The yellow pauldron replaces the right shoulder armour and is nicely painted. The armour, as with the other figures, is adjustable to support a wide range of articulation. The neck area also has some additional paint detail in the plastic strings that tie the armour pieces together.



The left armour is also slightly modified from the standard Stormtrooper, with a more rounded design. And of course there's the obligatory leather pouch across the front of the shoulder too. It's molded plastic, but looks nice with the molded detail and paint.



The backpack fits onto the body via a peg that slides in fairly easily and allows for a bit of rotation to align the backpack how you like. I really love the molded detail and dirty metal paint app on this piece. It's instantly recognisable as the Sandtrooper backpack, but has a great unique quality to it.




All posed up, the Sandtrooper looks amazing. I was going to get two, as I already have two Stormtroopers and have two Royal Guards on the way. But with other Stormtrooper variants on the way, I figures I'd save the money and get at least one of each trooper variant.



Here's the Sandtrooper side by side with the Stormtrooper. The larger of the two rifles does look slightly ridiculous being so damn big, but it's a comical effect that I don't really mind lol!! For a more realistic look, you can always go with the thinner rifle that is more aligned with the traditional smaller blaster. For me just for some pop on display and interesting conversation, I'll be sticking with the bloody big rifle :)




Together with the other figures, it really shows how unique this line of Star Wars figures really is! I get more questions on these figures than most others in my collection when friends and family come over to check it out. I love the designs, and can't wait to get my hands on the Royal Guards that are hopefully coming out in May! Stay tuned for that review :)




I get mine from Big Bad Toy Store, since many of these are Tamashii Store exclusives in Japan that are harder to get. Click the links below for all the BBTS order details! :)

Teppo Ashigaru Sandtrooper

Akazonae Royal Guard

Taikoyaku Stormtrooper

Samurai Taisho Darth Vader (Death Star Armor)

Ronin Boba Fett

Ashigaru Stormtrooper