- Tang Sanzang and White Dragon Horse
- Zhu Baijie (Pigsy)
- Sha Wujing (Sandy)
Those were and still are some of the best figures in my collection, rivaling anything from the top manufacturers like Hot Toys, Blitzway, and Sideshow. Their figures have certainly some of the best costume tailoring and attention to detail in the accessories.
When I saw their announcement for the classic Jet Li character Wong Fei Hung from the HK kung fu classic Once Upon a Time in China, it was an immediate must-have. The Deluxe Edition looked to be an incredible set, and now that I have it, it was well worth the wait!
Click through below to see my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to subscribe and give the video a like too! :)
The packaging is fairly nondescript, with a shot of the figure replicating a movie promotional photo I believe. The Deluxe Edition lion head is boxed separately in a small black box. So the packaging itself doesn't really even give a hint of the awesomeness within!
It's when you complete the unboxing and gaze upon everything that is included, and the high standard of quality that the contents, that the amazing job by Inflames and Newsoul becomes evident. The array of accessories is impressive, particularly with the parts that make up the flag.
The main fabric part of the flag is printed beautifully with the tiniest of details. The flag post itself is metal, which adds some needed weight and stability. The tip connects to the red tassels, and then the mid-section is made up of cardboard with patterned and glued ornaments. Everything is then tied to the flag post via fabric straps. The assembly instructions are quite easy to follow and the result looks amazing.
The Deluxe lion head is also incredibly detailed. The end coat with its patterned finish and fur edging is just beautiful. The head itself has all the typical features of a classic Chinese lion, with the fur-surrounded eyes and ears, and the mouth that can open and close. The ears were a bit fiddly to insert, and I had to widen the holes with some thick needles. Other than that, it was fairly easy to assemble and tie the red floral bow to its head around the ears.
Other accessories include the gold medal and a swap out costume. I didn't bother swapping out the clothes, as all the details in the little buttons and straps around the ankles looked too time-consuming to do. I remember how long and frustrating it was just to swap out the costume on the old Hot Toys DX04 Bruce Lee, and I just didn't have the patience to do it with this figure.
Luckily the base costume still looks amazing, and still reflects the character's iconic Chinese Kung Fu Master style. The long outer cloak has a great wire at the bottom edge so you can pose it as you like. The flow of the arms works well in most poses, and the underlying pants and shirt don't restrict the articulation.
With the assortment of hands and fan accessory, you can get him into pretty much any iconic pose from the movie. I just wish they had included sunglasses, a hat, and umbrella to give the option for the other classic costume he had.
Perhaps the only area of the figure to be careful of is the rooted hair. It's beautifully tied tightly back into a long braid, but stray strands may appear if you touch it too much. I had a few loose strands that I used some pomade to style back. It worked well, and the rooted hair and braid gives a lot of realism to the figure.
I think the head sculpt likeness is great, and matches well against Jet Li's youthful look in the movie. The paint application is pretty nice too, with some realism that Inflames did not have in their more flat paint application of the Journey to the West figures.
Overall, with the costuming, fantastic underlying body, rooted hair and great facial paint app, this ranks right up there with the best 1/6th scale figures in my collection. Displayed with the other Inflames figures, they really do show off the superior tailoring that Inflames are now rightfully praised in the collecting community. They have found and established their niche with characters from Chinese classical mythology and movies, and they do it so well.
Their upcoming figures demonstrate how they are also pushing the limits in terms of 1/6th scale muscular seamless bodies and paint application. Inflames and Newsoul Toys are definitely a collaboration to watch out for!
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