The problem with most Ultraman figures is not the posability; it is the ability to make the flying pose without its head looking down at an angle. Our order for the Bandai Dynaction Shin Ultraman Figure arrived last week and yes, as promised, this is our review.
The Bandai Dynaction Shin Ultraman Figure is the third figure in the new Dynaction series following the Rebuild of Evangelion Evangelion Test Type-01 Figure (which we also reviewed) and Evangelion Unit-02. There is another recolored version of the EVA Unit-01, complete with Spear of Cassius, arriving in February 2022, if anyone’s interested.
Anyways, I spent an entire day putting the Bandai Dynaction Shin Ultraman Figure through various poses, and then I realized something that this character does not need.
Like the Evangelion figure, it is enormous, towering at 400 mm (15.7 inches). But the size may awe you momentarily before the lackluster in color becomes apparent. The silver paint job turns out fine but the red is all out flat. The red is very dead and lifeless.
The Color
It is nothing compared to the images of the new Ultraman that we will be seeing in 2022. Oh, the red is not painted. It appears to be molded red plastic. Anyone who knows a thing or two about toys will know how molded color plastic turns out. The color tends to be lifeless.
The Packaging
As with the previous Dynaction figure, it comes with a two-tier molded plastic blister inside a box that rocks some pretty artwork of the Shin Ultraman.
The upper tier contains the main figure with a transparent person figure, and three interchangeable hands (clenched fists, claw action hands, and chopping hands). The lower tier is where you find the clear figure stand with the Shin Ultraman branding.
As before, the box has an opening flap that lets you in on the content for those who can’t bear to rip it out of the package. But seriously, why would anyone buy a highly articulated figure and kept it caged? That’s not me. Besides, I gotta review it for you guys, don’t I?
The Articulation
Speaking of articulation, this little big guy has it all. Though not as much as the EVA-01 – which I will explain in a moment. It has double-jointed elbows, double-jointed knees, (very) tilting ankles, and it even has extendable shoulders to afford the very Ultraman poses like flying and making crossing the hands to fire the Spacium Beam.
But strangely, it has limited thigh movement. It can do a decent front kick, but it can’t push it back further than maybe 10-15-degree backward. In other words, it will not be able to do a split, if that’s what you are after.
The upper torso and the waist have independent articulation allowing for some serious waist swivel plus ab crunch.
The Joints
Because it is posable, it means it has many visible joints. It is a trade-off for being poseable. Until the day Phicen’s technology becomes available to every toymaker, I guess super awkward and visible joints are inevitable. But trust me, the overall look is pretty damn good that you will forget that it has all those ultra-ugly joints.
The joints are mostly, if not all, ball joints. I did give it a good shake and the joints did not hold up well (I may be a little violent here), but the figure isn’t heavy and so, the joints are snug enough to hold up most poses.
But there’s a thing about not being heavy. This figure is plagued by the same problem as any Ultraman figure. It has tiny feet that make standing a challenge. Not that it can’t stand on its own. It totally can, but any knock on the shelf or table may send it falling over.
This is where the stand is a must to ensure nothing of such tragedy should happen. Interchangeable hands are surprisingly easy to switch. It pops off easily while remaining snug enough for posing.
The Build
And that brings us to the build quality. The build quality is fine, however, I did not notice some imperfection in the molding process. At some sections, such as the double-jointed knees, you can see the seam of the mold just like we saw on the EVA Unit-01 we reviewed.
Not good, especially for something this expensive. I am a little disappointed given that this is the third figure in the line. I mean, you would have thought Bandai would have done something but they never did.
The plastic quality is, like before, not the best. The material felt very much like the plastic you will find with gunpla kits.
The Stand
As for the stand, it is the standard affair. You know, adjustable height and angles, and the requisite locking mechanism to ensure that it stays as it should. The same goes for the waist grapple thingy.
The (One And Only) Gimmick
Last but not the least, the figure has one light-up feature and it is his eyes. The attention to detail on the eyes is pretty up there. It has the hexagon design that gave it the uneven glow when lighted up, just like you would see in the new Ultraman. That, my friends, is attention to detail!
The Verdict
Here’s my verdict of the Bandai Dynaction Shin Ultraman Figure:
For:
• Sheer size
• Good posability
• Snug joints
• True flying pose!
• Light up eyes with hexagonal pattern
• Quality display stand
Against:
• Could use a little brighter red
• Mold lines! Ugh!
• Can’t do split!
I believe some stores already have this figure in stock. If not you can order it from Big Bad Toy Store (US$219.99) and on Amazon.com (US$210) for delivery this month (December). Meanwhile, here’s an unboxing video of the figure by our partner channel on YouTube, Because Toys:
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Images by Because Toys for Mikeshouts.
