Bandai continue to frustrate collectors with the ongoing repaints and retools in the Star Wars Movie Realization series. This Daimyo version of Boba Fett is no different, but I couldn't resist getting this since I'm such a sucker for repaints and trying to get every main figure in this series.
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Box and packaging are pretty much stock standard as with previous figures, so collectors know what they're going to get. Accessories are mostly rehashes from the previous figures, but at least they have the new Tuskan Raider gaffi stick and swap out gauntlet weapons.
The figure itself has a few points of difference in the armour, but obviously borrows a lot from the previous figures too. I do like the darker green paint on the armour, rather than the aqua green of the original. But in the end, it's really just another Boba figure, much like the various Mandalorian releases.
I find it difficult now to get excited about these figures, and probably won't be getting any more of the repaints. I really do wish they would at least release some new molds and characters in amongst the repaints. There were amazing prototypes displayed at past conventions, and concept art too, covering characters like Admiral Ackbar, Artoo, Gamorrean Guard, IG-88, and Yoda. It's extremely disappointing that they haven't released those from the original trilogy, but continue with Boba and Mandalorian repaints.
In the end, this might well be the last figure that I'll add to the Movie Realization series, unless Bandai really show something new.
The Bandai Movie Realization series of Samurai-based Star Wars characters has been a bit of a slow burn of late. Not many new molds are being released, and it was really a given that they were going to release another Mandalorian figure.
But this time with Grogu to pay homage to the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series, this release has turned out pretty great! Click the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and stay tuned for more upcoming reviews! Scroll on down for more written thoughts and photos.
The set comes with a decent array of accessories, with my favourite definitely being the little Grogu himself. The cute little man bun hair do is just awesome! The figure articulates a little bit, but the joints are pretty tight so be careful. It also fits easily within the egg shaped baby carrier, that then also fits nicely in the wooden styled pram.
The pram is really nicely detailed, with the bamboo and wood having a pretty realistic mold and paint application. The wheels also move, and Mando himself has a couple of swap out hands that can hold the handles of the pram. Together, it really does make a great homage to the manga series.
Rounding out the accessories with his pistol, long rifle, wakizashi, and jet pack, it's a pretty complete set that goes great with his new beskar armour style.
For this beskar release, there are some aspects that are new and unique to this figure, but of course there are aspects of reuse from the previous Mandalorian and Fett figures. But the beskar armour paint application is nicely down, with some good weathering and black wash to bring out the sculpted details in the armour.
Articulation wise, it's pretty consistent with previous figures in the series. However, I do hate the new big ball joints in the elbows, that stick out badly when compared to the previous designs. I think they started using the ball joints at the elbow with the release of the First Order Stormtrooper, and it really is a step back from the original elbow design. I have no idea why they would make this sort of design change.
Compared with the previous Mandalorian figure, it's still a solid figure. Both look great in their own right, but I do have to say the original one does suit this Samurai style better. The previous figure also has the original elbow design, so I would say I prefer that figure.
But the new figure looks great, especially with the little Grogu and pram. I think fans of the show and the Mandalorian style will love either figure. It's pretty pricey at the moment, but I'd get in quickly now before it sells out and prices start to skyrocket.
I have the previous Boba Fett variants in this Star Wars Movie Realization series, so could not pass up the Mandalorian variant. Prices were certainly crazy on Ebay, and the official US Bandai retailer doesn't ship outside continental USA, which is damn ridiculous. But at least I managed to get the figure from Big Bad Toy Store, despite the markup. It was still far cheaper than Ebay, and I'm glad I managed to add it to the collection.
Click the link below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and give the videos a thumbs up too 😀
Packaging and contents are pretty much what's standard for this series now. The array of hands is nice, and the weapons are beautifully done too. Of course the main weapon is the long rifle that is prominent in the TV show, and Bandai did a great interpretation of it here.
The pistol looks nice too, and the shorter sword is on par with most of the other figures that also included it. Apart from these accessories, of course the main incentive to get this figure is for the Season 1 Mandalorian armour.
There is obviously a lot of reuse in the armour and figure in general, being mainly a Boba Fett variant. But there are also quite a few unique differences of note. The soft goods cape is definitely something to watch out for. It doesn't really hang naturally due to its material, and the rifle has to be attached to his back under the cape which is not show accurate.
Therefore I made a mod to the cape by making a small hole where the peg on the long rifle can use to attach to his back over the top of the cape. It looks much better that way and is something that Bandai should've done themselves!
The chest and torso armour pieces, and aspects of the gauntlets, kama, and shin armour have unique molds or variations. And of course the helmet itself is unique. The paint application is a great representation of the Season 1 armour, with lots of great weathering and black wash to really bring out the sculpted detail.
I heard that Bandai gave an interview where they stated more Mandalorian armour variants are planned, so I assume a beskar armour variant from Season 2 is coming. Not sure how much that is going to end up looking like Jango, but at least for now these four variants do look pretty damn awesome together. If you're a fan of this series, it's definitely a figure to add, especially since they're so slow in releasing anything new in the series! Hopefully you can get it for a decent price!
They timed the release of this Kylo Ren pretty well with the release of the Rise of Skywalker. The figure overall looks pretty nice and fits in well with the others in the series. There are a few annoying aspects to the figure though.
Check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel below.
Contents out of the box are the standard fare, with just a small selection of swap out hands and his broad sword. The style of the sword isn't really Japanese, being more medieval Europe in design, but I think it still looks pretty nice.
The mask is quite nicely done, with decent protruding spikes to give it that menacing style. It would've been interesting if they had made the eyes somewhat visible, but they went with an inset look that doesn't reveal anything underneath. That works better for Vader I think.
The main issues for me with the figure are around the cape, the elbows, and the kama. The cape really hinders the shoulder articulation and can't really be moved out of the way. It's all one big hard molded piece.
The elbows are the new style of massive single hinged ball joints that really break the design of the arms. The previous elbow designs for the likes of Vader, Boba Fett, and the troopers is a far better design. This new design for the sequel trilogy is a step backwards in aesthetics, and I hope they don't continue this with any original trilogy figures they have planned.
The kama I thought was on ball joints like the Phasma figure, but it actually seems to be glued together at the top of the waist with the other floating piece. It just feels really difficult to move around due to its length. The weathering is a little heavy handed, but the patterning is pretty good.
All in all, the figure does pose well, with nice ankle articulation. I wish the arms could get just a bit higher to reach some of the poses I'd prefer for Kylo. But posed together with Phasma and the First Order Trooper, they do make for a nice addition to the series.
Just recently reviewed the Movie Realization Captain Phasma, and got this First Order Stormtrooper to go with it. Overall has the same issues as the Phasma figure, with the addition of a somewhat deformed helmet.
It looks decent displayed with Phasma, but I think the original trilogy Stormtroopers are a far superior design. Click through below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Usual packaging style. Figure comes with the shorter sword this time, and the smaller blaster. All up nothing surprising or noteworthy.
Figure looks decent apart from a strange deformation in the helmet. The Phasma helmet looks more natural and wider, whereas the FO Stormtrooper here seems to have his helmet pushed in from the sides. This gives the helmet a strange elongated look that is a little off-putting.
As with Phasma, it has the crappy new big elbow joints and weird ball joints for the side kama pieces. I hope it's only with these figures, and anything new from the OT uses the previous design.
All up, these two First Order buddies look pretty good displayed together. I have Kylo Ren coming soon, and that will probably be enough for me from the Sequel Trilogy. Hopefully they hurry up and announce IG-88 officially, and more OT figures to come. I'd hate for them to concentrate on Sequel Trilogy figures from this point on.
It's a shame that Bandai haven't released any more Star Wars Original Trilogy figures, and decided to announce Sequel Trilogy figures instead. But at least this Captain Phasma certainly looks pretty nice, despite me absolutely hating the character in the movies!
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
Packaging is consistent with everything else we've received from this series. It's all classily packaged with some nice artwork. It doesn't come with too many accessories, but what you get looks pretty nice. The scabbard is a nice glossy black with gold highlights. The katana is a longer sword this time which looks great. The rifle is also a larger style that suits the weapon she had in the movie. The range of swap out hands is suitable to hold all the weapons, and as always be careful when swapping out.
The figure itself is a bit of a hit and miss affair. The glossy silver paint app is decent, but mine did come with some annoying paint scratches. I fixed most of them with metallic silver Sharpie, so they're not too noticeable now.
The most annoying thing for me is the use of softer plastic for the shoulder pauldron that deforms as you move it. It just feels like the quality dropped in that area. The decision to use ball joints to attach the side kama skirt pieces is also bloody annoying.
I have no idea why they did that, because it doesn't seem to add any articulation. It just makes adjusting them difficult because they don't align symmetrically with the other parts of the kama. I tried adjusting them and it's too much of a pain in the arse to bother anymore!
The large cape at the rear and on the left shoulder are also a little annoying. The rear is pegged into place with a hole in the back, but at least the shoulder piece can be rotated out of the way. However the part that goes in front of the chin piece hinder articulation of the neck which is also annoying.
Something I didn't really notice until another collector pointed it out to me is that Bandai also changed the elbow joint for these Sequel Trilogy figures. They now have large ball joints that are essentially single jointed elbows, instead of the previous double jointed design. The balls now stick out a lot more and break up the sculpt, which is not good.
In the end, the figure looks pretty good on display, but some of the design changes really are a step back for this series. I hope this is something they do only for the Sequel Trilogy characters. If they announce any more OT figures, I hope they return to the previous design.
I've loved the Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization series right from the start, and I'm glad they're still releasing figures. They are definitely taking their sweet time between releases so, but this C-3PO was definitely worth the wait!
Click through to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a thumbs-up and to subscribe too! :)
The box art is the usual style, and the contents aren't that plentiful this time. I think the key focus for this release was more the unique mold and features of the figure, but more on that later. Accessories wise you get a couple of swap out pairs of hands, and his fanciful oriental styled fan.
The Japanese name is quite appropriate, meaning something along the lines of a "puppet interpreter". Coupled with the known mannerisms of Threepio, the fan goes beautifully with the more effeminate characteristics of Threepio. Everything swaps out easily enough with no delicate parts to worry about when doing the swap.
The figure itself has many new unique parts which makes it stand out from the rest of the collection. The overall gold metallic paint app is fantastic. The face sculpt is very nice too, with moveable eyes and mouth. You can get him into all sorts of derpy faces!
The articulation in the neck joint and lower neck piece allow quite a lot of motion for more expressive poses. The shoulders work well, but it's the elbows that need a bit of care. As always with Threepio figures, the pistons are an area of concern. The ones on the inside of the elbow aren't too delicate, but if you try to bend the elbows close to 90 degrees, the piston will flex. So I wouldn't push them too far in case they snap.
The rest of the articulation is on par with the previous figures. There is torso and hip movement, and the legs, knees, and ankles all work well. I love that they painted his right lower leg silver in keeping with the movie. The unique sculpting details in the feet, shins, and through the arms are a highlight.
I love the red drinking gourd, but have no idea what the key is meant to represent. If anyone knows, please let me know via Facebook message! Would love to know if that means something from feudal Japanese days!
Overall, this is another fantastic release by Bandai in this series. I have seen the IG-88 prototype figure shown at some toy fairs. I really hope they show a prototype of the Gamorrean Guard one day! Hopefully they keep this series going for a few years yet with some more original trilogy characters.
If it's been slow for me with 1/6th scale figures this year, it's been even slower on the Transformers front! G1 related Masterpiece releases have been very slow this year, so I have picked up a few 1/12th scale figures in the meantime, amongst a few other things too.
Click through below to check out the collection update video over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel to see all my upcoming videos :)
I love Street Fighter, and there have been some nice 1/12th scale releases from Bandai and Storm Collectibles this year. I decided to go with the slimmer style from Bandai in their S.H.Figuarts series. Together the figures look great and have some nice articulation. I especially like the new Sakura.
My kids have loved Super Mario ever since we got the WiiU with games like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and Mario Party making them love the characters. So I also decided to get some of the S.H.Figuarts Super Mario figures and accessory sets during the recent Big Bad Toy Store sale.
Despite Bowser being far too small in scale compared to the other characters, they do look amazing posed up together. My son loves having these on his own shelf!
For me, I love the 1/12th scale Star Wars Movie Realization series. The latest release of the Snowtrooper is an incredible set and I think a must-have for fans of The Empire Strikes Back! I have pretty much all the figures released in this series, and it continues to be a unique stylised representation of the characters that drives a lot of discussion when friends come over to see the collection.
With the MP releases being so slow, I have tried out some manula camera settings recently with some of the Decepticon figures I have. Can't wait to get the repaints of Megatron and Shockwave later this year. I should get the repaints of Prowl and Sunstreaker by the end of October, so stay tuned for more review and pics then!
These coneheads certainly had issues during release. Luckily mine turned out mostly OK, I think they are the most cartoon accurate versions of the coneheads released by any company.
And I still love MP-36 Megatron. Based on what I've seen of the cartoon recently, the extra height on Megatron is actually quite accurate to the cartoon, where there were many scenes showing his standing taller than Soundwave.
Hopefully next year when the new Optimus Prime releases we can have the two leaders standing next to each other with the perfect cartoon aesthetic. With Hound also coming next year and a repaint of Wheeljack, it should be a decent year. I'm still hoping for a couple more announcements that will take the year to another level!
Bandai seem to be taking it very slow in their Star Wars Movie Realization series. I really wish they would speed things up and just release the figures from their concept art, but they seem determined to drag things out for collectors.
Luckily when a figure is released, it's normally worth the wait. And for these new Snowtroopers, the wait was most definitely worth it! I'm glad I preordered two! Click through below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel - make sure to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe too! 😃
Usually the troopers come with a larger variety of hands. But this time, Bandai has put those hands aside and given us an amazing rendition of the E-Web cannon. I for one am totally OK with that because this thing is beautiful!
The cannon comes in separate pieces, with the main barrel, three legs, and central join all needing to be assembled together. It all clips or slides into place easily and firmly without ever feeling like something will break.
I especially love the cannon handles that are on little ball joints so that they can have a bit of movement. This really helps when placing the provided gripping hands onto the handles. You should definitely heat up the hands in some hot water to make them more flexible.
The design itself is perfectly in keeping with the samurai aesthetic of this series. I love the little pointy tips on the feet, and the massive style of the cannon is reminiscent of the massive rifle of the Sandtrooper. The cannon can tilt up and down, and also rotates on top of the join.
The silver paint application is nice and metallic. There is also a fairly consistent rusty paint wash over most surfaces to give it a nice weathered appearance. Connected together on the tripod with a Snowtrooper at the helm, this E-Web just makes for an awesome interpretation of the attack on Hoth.
The Snowtrooper itself is mainly a reuse of various parts from previous figures. The only major differences of note are of course the head sculpt and the chest/torso piece. I love that they provided the option of having the face cowl on or off, with nice details on both.
I decided to use the cowl for the Snowtrooper handling the cannon, and having it off for the sword wielding Snowtrooper to show off the uncowled details. I do like the black stripes on the face that contrast the stark white of the rest of the costume.
The chest plate is nicely detailed, and the paint app is very sharp. I particularly like the bright red spots as highlights and the silver centre section. I'm not sure how closely that matches the actual Snowtrooper chest plate, but it's a nice variation from the standard Stormtrooper chest plate.
The figure also has a pouch on the side that's nicely weathered and textured. It comes with a unique backpack that has the same silver metallic paint app as the E-Web. The rusty wash is also applied, but it seems only to the main top part of the backpack. It would've been nicer if it was evenly distributed to the curved surfaces to the bottom and sides, but that's really a pretty small nit to pick.
I think all other parts of the figure, from the shoulder and forearm armour, to the kama and longer skirt, are all taken from previous figures such as the Royal Guard and Sandtrooper. I think the boots may be a slight variation, but overall the figure keeps with the consistent style whilst having enough differences to be interesting.
Posed up, these Snowtroopers are incredible to look at, and are a welcome variation to the Movie Realization series. The E-Web cannon is a standout feature, and fans of The Empire Strikes Back should jump on board to get this set ASAP!
With Threepio coming early 2019, I really hope Bandai announce more characters from the original trilogy. We still haven't seen anything regarding a Scout Trooper yet, so that would be the next logical choice for a trooper variant. If they decide to do that and announce some sort of horse as a mount, that would absolutely blow my mind! One can only hope Bandai get their act together! 😃
Bandai have been pretty slow in releasing figures in their Star Wars Movie Realization series. Most of been variants of Stormtroopers, and this latest is no different. Luckily they're still keeping the series going with the upcoming Snowtrooper and Threepio.
But for now, click through below to check out my full review of this Yari Ashigaru over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel too :)
Box art and array of accessories are nothing really new in this series. All done nicely and with little fuss.
The only major issue I had was the looseness in the wait joint where it popped out very easily. After a bit of a closer look at the joint, and some discussion on the Sideshow Freaks Forum, the cause was identified. The waist joint is on a double hinge, and the lower was actually bent lower than normal. This meant the torso wasnt attached properly and was easy to pop off.
You just have to reach in there and move the very tight lower joint straighter so that the ball peg sticks up higher. Then the torso will attach nicely and it won't pop off easily.
The new Spearman fits in beautifully with the rest of the Stormtrooper gang. It shares much of the style and accessories as the previous drummer and archer. Whilst a nice figure, these Stormtrooper variants are getting a bit boring. It's great that a new look with the Snowtrooper is coming to change things up a bit.
I really hope more new molds are coming. Threepio has been teased, but even a feudal Japanese version of Yoda or the Emperor would be fantastic!
I've loved this series of Star Wars figures by Bandai because they are such unique representations of the classic characters. I am getting a little tired of the various troopers though, but caved in getting the recent Shadowtrooper variant.
Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure if give the video a like and subscribe to the channel :)
Packaging is the usual style in this series, with some nice cover art photography. The "onmitsu" designation refers to the highly trained ninja used as secret agents or spies in feudal Japan, which is an appropriate designation for this character. It comes with the usual array of accessories, and I particularly like the black blaster with silver and blue highlights.
I was actually expecting a black body overall, but they've given the armour accents using a bit of white wash to highlight the grooved and details in the mask and body. It works fairly well, but the white wash scratches away very easily so be careful where you rub your fingers.
I thought the mask was identical to the regular Stormtrooper, but similarly with the body armour, there are some minor differences. These changes make the mask appear more skull-like, and the torso armour loses the nipples from the trooper. Either variant looks pretty good.
Displayed together as an army, this series of figures simply looks amazing. The variants give enough differences to the troops to still be interesting. The next figure to come will be the Yari spearman, but it looks very similar to the previous flag bearer and archer.
I'm glad they've teased the new Snowtrooper with E-Web cannon. There are enough changes there to make it a great variant to add to the army. I really hope they do something amazing such as a new Scout Trooper on a horse. That would definitely take this series to another level! Hope to see more announcement soon in this series!
I was impressed with the Prototype Boba Fett paint application, but it turned out I was less impressed with this Jango Fett repaint! Overall still a nice addition to the Star Wars Samurai collection, but not a must-have.
Click through below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give it a like and subscribe too :)
Box art and contents are pretty standard with the previous Boba Fett figures. The double pistols are nicely done, but putting them in the holsters looks awkward. Much better to simply have him holding them!
Posed with the other Boba Fetts, these all look incredible together. The variant paint app across the three really pops on display. Will probably be it for me with this particular Boba Fett mold. Hopefully more focus on new characters for 2018!
I've collected at least one of each previous character from this awesome Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization series. When they announced that they were going to release a Prototype Boba Fett version at SDCC this year, I figured I could do without another repaint.
But they are taking so long to release figures that I ended up caving and getting this from BBTS. The price was certainly high for this exclusive, but once I had it in hand, I was glad I got it! Check out my thoughts in the video below over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. More pics and thoughts below too :)
I thought the repaint would be a pretty bland white job, but man the variations in the paint are awesome! The sculpt of course is essentially the same as the previous Boba Fett, but the use of shades of white, silver, grey, and black actually really pop.
The accessories to go on his shins were more difficult to put on this time, so definitely put the legs into some hot water to soften up the plastic before putting the little knives and gadgets on. All the other aspects of the figure, from the sword, blaster, shoulder pads, and cape are as per the previous version, obviously with a different paint app. Everything is cleanly done and to a high quality by Bandai here.
The paint app on the original Boba Fett had a green that was bordering on aqua. I would have preferred a darker shade of green, but they were probably going for the lighter Empire Strikes Back look rather than Return of the Jedi. Either way, the paint app on both are nice, and the stark difference between them on display looks great too.
In the end, this thing looks so great I'm not regretting the higher price at all. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Jango Fett repaint compares to these two. I'm definitely looking forward to the new Darth Maul figure too, which will be the first unique figure for quite some time in this series. Hopefully they continue to make more of the characters from the concept art shown before.
I've loved this Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization series ever since it started. This new Archer addition is another great trooper to add to the Imperial army!
Click through below for my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! And check out further below for more pics.
It's just a shame the bow doesn't come with a string! That's something I never even realised from the promotional photos. Would've been a nice little bit of detail if they had added that.
Together with the rest of the army, this series of Japanese inspired designs really makes for a great Star Wars collection! I'm really looking forward to more figures in this series!
Here's my crude attempt at a music video showcasing some of the awesome detail of the Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization figures. Set to the soundtrack of my favourite game, Ultra Street Fighter 4, this time using the Fei Long theme :)
I've loved all the previous figures in this incredible Star Wars Movie Realization line by Bandai. The unique Japanese feudal designs and great build quality make this one of my favourite figure lines. It took a while for the Taikoyaku Stormtrooper to release, but it was definitely worth the wait!
Click the link below to head over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel and check out my full video review :)
The box art is the usual classy design similar to the previous figures. The figure and accessories are all packed in a very collector-friendly way.
The accessories are pretty nice with this set, including the drum chest piece, flag and connector for the back, drum beaters, sea shell horn, and array of hands. The overall detailing and paint application is the usual high standard in this line (and expected for this price range and scale!)
My video review shows how to set everything up on the figure, and goes through the articulation as well. Overall, this is another beautiful and uniquely designed Star Wars figure. It reminds me of the classic Stormtrooper design, but with a gorgeous Japanese style that I think will truly stand the test of time!
The Yumi Stormtrooper (Archer) is up next April 2017, and that looks amazing too. I really hope they continue this line for many years to come, and release the characters they teased at SDCC. I highly recommend these to any Star Wars fan!
