Pages

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Sasuke Uchiha Megahouse G.E.M. Series Figurine Review




"I don't look to the future any more. Only the past."

Sasuke Uchiha: some people want to hug him, some people want to throw kunai at him. Regardless of where you stand, you’ve got to admit he makes a pretty striking figurine. Today, I’ll be looking in-depth at Megahouse’s latest Naruto Shippuden figurine from the G.E.M. series line.

Packaging
It does its job, if nothing else. The front of the box is nothing exceptionally flashy. It allows for a good, un-obscured view of the figure, but is otherwise undecorated aside from the necessary logos. The sides and back of the box provide helpful images of the figure, including the interchangeable parts. Overall, the packaging is dark and tinted in shadow. This is an accurate depiction of the character within, but it might not make for the most eye-catching packaging on the collector’s shelf. One creative bit I did appreciate, however, is the top of the box, which provides a transparent top-view of the figure via an embossed Uchiha fan.

  

Paint job
One of the things that most impressed me about this figure is the lack of paint drips and mis-colors. I searched hard and couldn’t find a single smudge where it shouldn’t be. Even the most error-prone areas—like Sasuke’s zipper—are painted with a fine, clean edge. Both small and large sections are colored with care and it makes the final piece marvelous.


Sculpt/Articulation
I have no complaints here. Everything from the color-scheme to the facial expression is tastefully done. Naruto fans will be pleased with the accuracy and subtle portrayal of the character. Sasuke doesn’t look evil—or even angry—with this scuplt, which I think a lot of fans will appreciate. Instead, he maintains a steady, prepared, almost wary gaze that allows onlookers to interpret his expression for themselves.

Sasuke has no articulation. He maintains a static pose. The loose pieces of his clothing are crafted from a softer, more flexible material than the rest of the figurine. It’s not something that makes an enormous visual difference, but definitely something you notice while handling him. It’s little details like these that demonstrate how much loving care went into crafting this figure.

Accessories
Sasuke comes with his chokutō—the Sword of Kusanagi—along with its scabbard. The blade can slip in and out of the scabbard only one way (yet another small detail that adds a lot of accuracy). The sheath slides through the purple rope at his lower back, which makes it look attached. The blade can be extended a bit from the sheath and set squarely in his right palm, making it look like Sasuke is preparing for a fight.


Sasuke comes with three, removable head/neck pieces, which are identical except for the eyes. One head bares his normal, dark eyes. One shows off his Sharingan eyes. And the third blazes with the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. The first two sets of eyes stare to the right, while the face with the Mangekyō Sharingan appears to be gazing straight ahead, into the distance—perhaps symbolic of the price of the Mangekyō Sharingan.


In order to exchange the faces, Sasuke’s hair comes apart in two, easy pieces—separating the bangs from the spikes on the back.


Sasuke also comes with a round, sturdy base, emblazed with the symbol of the Mangekyō Sharingan and his name. It’s a lovely stand, and it upgrades this guy from being a nice figurine to being a nice display piece.


The accessories are incredibly easy to place and remove. Having collected figurines for years, I was pleasantly surprised by how hassle-free this figurine was. The interchangeable heads come in and out smoothly and without struggle. Everything clicks and fits as it should and I never had to stress any accessory in order to get it to fit properly. Kudos to the designers!

Negatives
Honestly, there aren’t any that I would consider significant. The box is a bit drab, so if it may detract from the figurine if you plan to keep it in the box. The only other thing to note is that, when I received my figure, the head was not securely attached. Obviously, this was not a problem since the heads are removable, but it did leave me concerned that the loose head may have rolled around in the box and left paint smudges on the rest of the body. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, though it’s something to keep in mind when ordering the figure for yourself.

Final Rating
If you’ve read any of what I’ve written, you already know that this figurine passes my exam in flying, ninja colors.

Sasuke Uchiha is beautifully rendered here—from his sculpt to his accessories. Every part of him works as it’s supposed to, and the extra pieces fit without strain or hassle. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of Sasuke, this is a collector’s piece you can’t afford to pass up. Megahouse has again released a masterful figurine that you can be proud to add to the rest of your Naruto collection.

Megahouse’s G.E.M. series Sasuke Uchiha gets a solid 5 out of 5. That’s an S-rank in my book.


You may also like: 

No comments:

Post a Comment