Pop Culture Shock Collectibles Ryu Ansatsuken Exclusive 1/4 scale statue

I still remember the preorder time like it was yesterday! I love Street Fighter and Ryu, so once I saw the teaser pics of this Ryu 1/4 scale statue, I knew I had to have it! Being my first PCS statue, I was warned that the preorder frenzy could be very stressful, with website drop outs and cancelled orders etc. Being in Australia, the preorder open was in the middle of the night, so I stayed up until the time it started.

It was a heart-stopping 4-5 minutes trying to enter all the information and push through the payment via PayPal. Luckily for me the timestamp on the order was within 10 mins, as that was essentially the cutoff to get an approved order for the Ansatsuken exclusive version that had a smaller edition size.

I was so happy to secure the preorder, and pretty much sat back for about 21 months for this to finally be released! I had no idea that it would take this long to release, but since the AUD dropped significantly in that period, I was actually lucky to have paid upfront with the upfront discount and much higher AUD!

So was it worth the wait? Click through below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel and find out! :) Or scroll down further below for more pics and thoughts :)

The packaging itself was simple, yet protected the statue well inside with sturdy foam.

Immediate out of the box still in the foam, it was immediately obvious that the costume (the gi) was a very weathered yellow colour that had been the source of much complaint. Still in the plastic wrapping, I got a sense of what the other collectors were debating, but I hoped for the best when taking it all out for full display.

Before I go further on the yellowing, I must say that I love the underlying sculpt and paint application of the statue. My photos tend to make the statue seem a bit too shiny, but it's definitely not like that in hand. I think it's more to do with my bright cold white LED lighting that gives that effect.

The three head sculpts included with the Ansatsuken exclusive are all pretty fantastic, with my favourite definitely being the angry snarling face. The skin texture perhaps doesn't have that ultra realistic freckling like Hot Toys figures, but it certainly has some texture that looks great up close.

The paint app on the arms in particular is outstanding, with the faint blue of the veins and all the shadowing that accentuates the musculature of the sculpt. Overall I'm really happy with the pose and proportions of the statue.

For the mixed media, I love the fabric head band, and the costume itself is made of a great canvas type material that isn't overly delicate. The intentional fraying around the shoulders and ankles looks quite realistic and is nicely done.

The belt is also a nice material with clear gold kanji on the front. The gloves, although not fabric or leather like, still have a nice paint app that accentuates the detail in the fist and knuckles.

Of course not everything is perfect. I have to agree with many collectors who are complaining about the degree of yellowing in the costume. The prototype pictures certainly show that there is some weathering, but it is much more subtle that was is on the final production costume.

As I show in my video review, the biggest problem I think is that the weathering is not consistently applied throughout. This makes for some jarring transitions between yellow and bright white areas of the costume that give it an incomplete or messy job.

I think that if the weathering was more subtly applied, or at least more consistently applied, then it wouldn't look off in those areas. For what it is, it does come across a bit like Ryu has spilled some coffee on himself. Luckily in most natural lighting, the yellowing effect isn't too distracting.

The costume also have wiring across the front stitching and neck area, so you can futz around with it to give it a looser appearance and show off the great musculature of the torso area a bit more.

In the end, as my first PCS statue, I'm pretty happy with it. The pose is iconic Ryu for sure, and the quality of the paint app is great. The mixed media is also really nice material that is not overly delicate to adjust. With the three head sculpts to give some variety in the display cabinet, I think it's certainly worth the preorder price that I paid. Aside from the yellowing, the only other complaint I have is that now I want the Gouken statue as well lol!! :)

BigBoysToysHK TNC-03 Chun-Li

I'm a big Street Fighter fan, and loved the two previous releases in this line with Ryu and Ken. This new Chun-Li is every bit as good, and I love the sound and lightup effects!

Click through the link below to see my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Having these all together looks and sounds fantastic! :)

The box art is beautiful as always with this line!

The backdrop is the iconic Street Fighter 2 stage for Chun-Li. What would've taken it to the next level would've been the guy on the bicycle as a separate display piece like the barrel on Ken's stage! :)

Love that these things just look awesome from every angle!

The lightup effect that follows the sequence of her leg kick is just amazing. I just love mashing that button for the sounds and lights! :)

The paint and sculpting is again outstanding from BigBoysToysHK. They've really been doing a great job with these little statues in this super-deformed style.

Together with Ryu and Ken really show off how amazing these look. They have teased Guile as the next one out, and have promised to do the entire Street Fighter 2 World Warrior roster. Here's hoping that holds true and make this a Street Fighter collector line to remember!

Fans Toys FT-13 Mercenary (aka Shrapnel)

If there's one company out there that can compete with Takara in terms of build quality and G1 aesthetics, it has to be Fans Toys. I think the company is based in China, and have been releasing very high quality figures for a few years now, including their much-loved Quakewave and Dinobot range.

I jumped onboard with their first Insecticon release with Grenadier (aka Bombshell),which was a fantastic figure. This new Mercenary (aka Shrapnel) follows that trend with another awesome release. In terms of build quality, I'd have to say these perhaps even exceed official Takara figures, with great use of diecast to add strategic weight and a premium feel.

Click through the link below to check out my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

I love the way Fans Toys package their figures with the nice foam. This package comes with a decent set of accessories, including the more cartoon accurate insect legs that you can swap out.

The chroming on the pincers is very nicely done. The joints at the base of the head, and around the limbs too, are pretty tight at first, so definitely go slow to prevent any breakage.

The initial transformation to alt mode was tricky for me, especially in moving the bot legs into position on the insect back. You'll see in my video that I almost took some skin off pushing them into place lol!! :)

Posed together with Grenadier gives you an idea on how awesome these figures look. With FT-14 Forager (aka Kickback) coming out hopefully in March/April, the complete original Insecticon team will look fantastic! All I need now is to get some Decepticon logos for their chest plates and I'm good to go!

Definitely recommended, especially since Takara seems a little slow in announcing any further Decepticons this year in the official MP line.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-27 Ironhide

When I first saw the prototype photos for the new Transformers Masterpiece Ironhide, I totally hated the hip panels. Something just looked wrong with them!

But now that I have the figure in hand, the overall awesomeness of this new mold by Takara makes the hip panels seem like only a minor nitpick! This figure is just fantastic, with some great transformation sequences that are great "Masterpiece Moments" for me!

Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

This is one release that Takara has absolutely stacked with accessories! It's great that the figure itself is an all-in-one transformation, but they pay homage to the odd G1 cartoon scene and toy with the separate weapons platform too.

The alt mode itself is just a perfect representation of the official car, and look so good! Love that they included the homage to the G1 toy face through the windscreen!

Once into bot mode, the size/scale of the figure really shines, with the bulk sitting nicely between that of Optimus and the other smaller Autobot cars like Prowl and Sideswipe. So it makes for an awesome and fairly accurate display straight out of the G1 cartoon!

The head sculpt was another concern from initial prototype pics, where it looked a little skinny. But the final production version seems perfect to me, and the swap out face allows you to recreate his final scene at the hands of Megatron.

Aside from the hip panels, I would say this is as perfect a G1 Ironhide as you could have. The hip panels don't annoy me as much as I thought, but it still would've been nice if they had designed a way in which they could be folded away.

But aside from that, this is definitely another must-have addition to the Masterpiece Autobot ranks! Bring on the new Hot Rod and Shockwave!! :)

Hot Toys MMS320 Kylo Ren

I got the Hot Toys Kylo Ren 1/6th scale figure recently despite being a little disappointed it didn't come with too many accessories. An unmasked head sculpt would've been a great way to add some value for money for this figure.

But on its own, it's still a solid release by Hot Toys. Check out my full video review linked below on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Scroll further down for a few pics and extra thoughts.

The packaging with this Star Wars line has been pretty nice from Hot Toys, especially the cardboard inserts. The artwork is great and shows off the figure and Stormtroopers nicely.

As I mentioned above, it doesn't come with too many accessories. The light up feature is something a lot of collectors seem to want, but I for one hate electronic features and never use them in my display. The light up saber looks pretty nice, but again the swap out is too much effort for me to bother doing it! I've heard the zip on the arm is delicate, so be careful you don't break it when swapping out the forearms.

The stand out feature of the figure is definitely the costume. There is a plethora of different material used and various layers of clothing, all adding a lot to the realism of the figure. When I saw initial photos, I actually thought the pattern on the main cloak looked a little toyish, but in hand it's actually very nice.

None of the costume hinders articulation too much, except perhaps the pants where wide action poses might stretch the crotch area too much. But overall, the poseability of this figure is pretty awesome. The attention to detail in the mask and gloves, with shades of weathering, is also nicely done.

If you're a fan of The Force Awakens, this figure is pretty much a must-have to go along with the Stormtrooper releases. There's probably a battle damaged unmasked version on its way, so be prepared to fork out more for another Kylo Ren figure. But in the mean time, this is another solid release by Hot Toys that looks great on display.

Sideshow Collectibles R5-D4 1/6th scale figure

Here's my look at the recent Sideshow Collectibles R5-D4 1/6th scale figure. Check out the review at the link below to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel :)

It came in definitely the smallest box I've received from Sideshow. I guess that's understandable since there really isn't too much to the figure.

The most disappointing aspect for me is the fact mine arrived with the centre leg assembled in reverse. But local retailer Popcultcha Supastore sorted me out with a replacement hassle free, so can't complain too much,

It would've been nice if the final production weathering paint app was more similar to the great look on the prototype. The final paint app is very clearly handbrushed on in some areas, especially on the dome.

But on display with Artoo and Hot Toys Luke, and definitely with the Jawa set coming soon, it'll look great and be a worthy addition to the Star Wars collection.

Kotobukiya Marvel Bishoujo Lady Deadpool

I've been loving the Bishoujo line of late, and this new Lady Deadpool is just another awesome addition to this beautiful line of statues. I tried staying away from the comic related statues in this line, but once I got Wonder Woman and Black Widow, I couldn't resist preordering this when I saw it teased by Kotobukiya. Definitely glad I jumped on the Deadpool bandwagon for this! :)

Here's my full video review below on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can check it out! Further down are some more photos of this gorgeous statue.

It comes with a swap out head and hand, but I love the head sculpts on these statues so will definitely display unmasked.

Paint app and sculpting are exceptional as always from Kotobukiya. The facial skin texture is beautiful, and the overall sexiness of the pose really comes through too.

Looks great from pretty much any angle!

If you're a Marvel fan even remotely interested in Deadpool, I'd highly recommend this fairly unique take on the Deadpool character. It's definitely up there with the best of Kotobukiya's Marvel Bishoujo statues.

Inflames Toys x Newsoul Toys Journey to the West Sha Wujing (Sandy)

I was previously most impressed with the Inflames Toys Sun Wukong (Monkey) 1/6th scale figure in their new Journey to the West line. The build quality was exceptional, and right up there with the best of Hot Toys and Sideshow.

So when they announced the other characters in this troupe, starting with Sha Wujing (Sandy), I preordered straight away. And it certainly does not disappoint. In fact, I'd say it's a better release than Sun Wukong is almost every way!

Here's my full review of this amazing figure over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

The packaging has the sort of beautiful artwork and foam protection that you see with the very best Hot Toys DX figures. And the huge array of accessories puts to shame pretty much most of what the other 1/6th scale companies put out these days, especially for the price point!

The attention to detail in the accessories is incredible. Beautiful use of materials, patterns, and paint application really showcase what a little effort can produce in this scale. They all fit perfectly to take this figure to the next level in terms of accuracy to the TV show and its original ancient source material.

The paint app on the head sculpt does not have the realism of Hot Toys, but is certainly a step above the flat and overly dark paint apps on Sideshow figures. The sculpt itself is very accurate to the TV show actor from the 1970s/80s iconic Chinese series.

The costume, as it was with Sun Wukong, is another higlight. So many layers, and beautiful use of realistic materials that just makes the figure really have some presence on display. The cloth outfit flows nicely, and certain areas and ties are aided by wires for poseability. The detailing overall is second to none, right down to the little laces on the shoes.

Together with Sun Wukong, this new Sha Wujing figure simply looks incredible. Now that Inflames Toys have teased the rest of the troupe with Zhu Bajie and Tang Sanzang coming later this year (and with the White Dragon Horse no less!), this will be an amazing troupe to display for any fan of Chinese mythology and literature. I for one could not be happier that these are being released in such high quality. Highly recommended!

Sideshow Collectibles C-3PO 1/6th scale figure

Well in mid-January 2016 the Sideshow Threepio was finally released to complement their previous R2-D2 figure. I was looking forward to getting the figure since I really did want a weathered version to go with his droid friend.

But as you'll see in the video review below, I had a few issues with some paint defects that ultimately meant I got a refund from Sideshow since they wouldn't send me a replacement.

Main issues on mine were the paint marks/scratches that were not the intentional weathering effects, and also the left arm that was stuck at the joints. There were many other reports in the forums and groups regarding broken pistons.

Hopefully one day I can get this at a sale price, but for now, my Tamashii Nations version will do the job nicely :)

Some pics of the figure below. Overall it looks pretty good, especially next to Artoo. But build quality issues are what ruined it for me. I ended up having to destroy the figure and get a full refund from Sideshow.

Overall in terms of build quality, the Bandai Tamashii Nations Threepio still beats the Sideshow by a wide margin. If only Bandai actually produced the diecast Artoo that they teased along with their Threepio!

Worst defect, that annoyed the crap out of me because of how prominent it looked on display, was this weird paint scratch on his chest. At first I thought it was some weird residue, but it couldnt be rubbed off.

Paint scratches on the hip that affected the gold paint.

Not sure what the hell that weird protrusion is on the back of his head.

I hate it when I see fingerprints in paint applications on figures, especially at this high price point! Sideshow's QC and factory production process should be better than this.

In the end, a bit of a disappointment for me, especially after such a long wait. But I'll check out the sales towards the end of the year and see if I can get it at a discount cheap price.

Hot Toys MMS279 Darth Vader comparison with Sideshow Darth Vader Deluxe

Catching up on posting summaries on the website!

I got the new Hot Toys Darth Vader from A New Hope recently, and decided to do a full decomposition comparison with the previous Sideshow Darth Vader from Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi. Normally that sort of thing scares the crap out of me, but this time I was pretty much forced down that path since the elbow on my Sideshow seemed to be stuck. So I had to undress the figure to access the underlying body to force the elbow to bend properly.

In the end, I'm glad I did this anyway since it was a great way to learn about the base bodies of both figures, and really see what the pros and cons of both figures are. Click the link below for the full comparison video over on the channel :)

And here are some pics. Overall, I have to say I prefer the new Hot Toys figure over the older Sideshow, but as you can see from the video, there are definitely design elements that I prefer on the older one too.

It's actually pretty amazing how they've been able to lay out the accessories and cram so much into such a small space! Luckily no damage problems like the old Sideshow had when it was first released with lots of reports of damaged helmets.

The overall package that comes with the figure is sweet indeed! The only negative I can say about the accessories is the larger clamshell plastic base of the Interrogator Droid. That was definitely an afterthought by Hot Toys, with terrible quality on the base.

And here is a pic of the two figures (Sideshow on the left, Hot Toys on the right) fully decomposed into their parts. Definitely a lot of fun comparing the two! I think for Star Wars fans, you'd be happy with either figure, so pick which one you want based on the movie you prefer.