{"id":9942,"date":"2018-12-30T16:48:01","date_gmt":"2018-12-30T16:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=9942"},"modified":"2018-12-30T17:18:15","modified_gmt":"2018-12-30T17:18:15","slug":"bandai-s-h-figuarts-macross-delta-figures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=9942","title":{"rendered":"Bandai S.H.Figuarts Macross Figures"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Review: Mikumo, Freija, and Sheryl<\/p>\n

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Packaging & Extras:<\/strong> (3.5\/5)
\nOutside of some Votoms pilots figures, I usually don’t collect anything that looks like a person so I can’t make the most informed judgment about how these SHFiguarts figures compare to other Figuarts or Figma releases. The boxes are busy with pictures of the toys dynamically posed. Mikumo’s box is roughly twice as thick as Freyja’s (12cm deep vs 6cm), primarily due to her huge hair. Sheryl’s box is slightly thinner\u00a0 at 5.5cm and has a matte finish rather than the glossy finish of the Macross Delta releases. Sheryl’s box is also the only one to ditch artwork of the character in lieu of only having photos of the figure.<\/p>\n

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Packaged with the Mikumo figure you’ll receive:
\n1) Microphone
\n2) Display stand (base, arm, and claw)
\n3) 2x faces with alternate expressions
\n4) Fixed posed hands:
\nMikumo: 5x pairs (5L, 5R): ‘W’, fists, open, pointing, microphone grasping, knife-hand style hands are installed
\nFreyja: 5x pairs (5L, 5R): ‘W’, ‘V’, open, pointing, microphone grasping, fists are installed
\nSheryl: (4L, 5R): Pairs of ‘V’, open, pointing, microphone grasping with pinky out, and one R “I love you” sign language gesture
\n5) Instructions
\nThe instructions are tucked back behind the tray. The toy comes with plenty of plastic jammed into its joints so you’ll need to disassemble it to free them. Mikumo’s toy also adds:
\n6) Blue dress extension<\/p>\n

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Freyja’s toy adds:
\n6) Alternate hair with rune erection
\n7) 2x bracelets (1 pink, 1 red)<\/p>\n

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Sheryl’s toy adds:
\n6) Alternate hair that looks the same but adds a hat attachment point
\n7) Hat<\/p>\n

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Charm & Collectability:<\/strong> (2\/5)
\nThese days, it seems like most Macross releases are sold out during a very brief preorder window but not so with these Figuarts figures. These toys are still widely available indicating that they haven’t performed quite as well as many other Macross toys or that Bandai makes a lot more figures than they do mechanical toys. Releases so far:
\nMikumo Guynemer, June 2017, 5,500\u00a5
\nFreyja Wion, July 2017, 5,500\u00a5
\nSheryl Nome, January 2018, 5,800\u00a5<\/p>\n

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Sculpt, Detail, & Paint:<\/strong> (8.5\/10)
\nOn a toy like this, the trick for the manufacturer is to make the joints as inconspicuous as possible. Bandai has done a reasonable job. Mikumo’s is wearing boots that partially cross the knee joint which clearly presented a problem. The ball underneath is flesh-toned so, when posing her, you will likely cause ‘breaks’ in her boots.<\/p>\n

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While Mikumo has hair that covers one shoulder, Freyja’s shoulders are left out in the open and are a bit odd. The other joints do a better job at following their natural contours and it’s easy to find poses that minimize the awkwardness of the shoulders. The display stand base has some nice Walkure art without drawing too much attention to the stand. Freyja has a red stand, Mikumo’s is purple.<\/p>\n

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Sheryl comes in a white outfit with a pearl effect that helps make the figure pop and the gold trim work on mine is flawless and impressive.\u00a0 The paint work on the hair also does a nice job transitioning blonde to\u00a0 pink. The face sculpt is pretty good which is no surprise given the immense quantity of Sheryl merchandise that has been produced (though I think most of that is pumped out by Banpresto rather than Bandai). I felt that this toy did the best job concealing the joints despite the challenge that these pantaloons must have created. Sheryl comes with unique ‘anniversary’ art on her display stand.<\/p>\n

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Design:<\/strong> (8\/10)
\nWhile articulation is obviously a part of design, in this section I’m focusing on how well-thought-out the ability to swap parts was and how well everything comes together. The focus on articulation throughout the figures means that tiny ball joints are the primary means of attaching the various bits. In my handling, these tiny ball joints performed admirably allowing for easy interchange of parts and secure connections.<\/p>\n

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On Mikumo’s figure, I found the connection of the dress piece to be a real weakness. The ball joint provides very limited movement while simultaneously offering the weakest connection. Coupled with Mikumo’s flowing hair, handling her can be a little awkward. Some folks may find that Freyja’s bracelets being separate bits is nice for the options it allows but it’s also irritating in that they are tiny pieces that can easily be lost.<\/p>\n

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The face replacement on all toys is easy to manage and secure.<\/p>\n

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While these toys can stand on their own, it will be precarious and you should use the attached display stand which really enhances the value of the figures while remaining quite simple. On the Mikumo and Freyja figures, the stands can attach to the back of the figure via a peg allowing for great standing on one leg\/jumping\/flying poses. You do get a more traditional doll stand claw which I have come to realize is very helpful for flying poses.<\/p>\n

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Sheryl drops the ability to attach her to the display stand via a peg into a hole in her back. This means there’s no giant holes in the figure but it also means your figure will always have a big plastic claw grabbing her. It seems like this may have been a good figure for the old slot in the foot, peg in the display stand base trick but you won’t find that here.
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