Review: D-Arts Charizard

Introduction:  Charizard is quite the popular Pokemon, and is the second Pokemon to be released in the D-Arts line. Coming hot off the trails of Mewtwo, does this figure stand up to the standards that Tamashii Nations is known for? Read on and find out!

Box(4/5): Charizard's box is great, looking similar to the other boxes, with the holographic effect. However, the box is very large for a figure of this size, which almost seems unneeded.

Sculpt (4/5): Much like the other Pokemon D-Arts, it would be hard to get Charizard wrong... though, somehow, Charizard's jaw look not so great from particular angles, and when the mouth is closed. Other than that, the sculpt is spot on.  However, due to the fact the articulation is ever present, the sculpt is a bit shopped up in places, and looks a bit unsightly to some. There are some great idea implemented in Charizard, though; for example, a nice touch given to Charizard's tail is that of a translucent fire effect at the tip.

Paint (4/5): Charizard has similar paint to the other Pokemon D-Arts, what with it being a bit chalky. However, Charizard is mostly painted in a fine way, with little to no chunks being present.The shading on the wings and forehead can be a bit much, though, and unfortunately do not photograph too well for this reviewer.

Articulation (4/5):  Charizard has a LOT going for it in terms of articulation; ball jointed neck, tail, hips, knees, hands, and wing bases, hinged jaw, wings, and mouth, and a bicep swivel. Mostly, this is everything a collector could ask for. However, due to the design of the figure, Charizard's true potential for any pose imaginable is not truly reached.

Some really great poses can be achieved, though, and as one can see here, Chariazard does have a series range of movement.

Accessories (3/5) Charizard's accessories are very basic. It comes with a fire effects part, a Pokeball base, an arm, and a claw to help with flight support. The claw given here does not really help Charizard to achieve a flying post, and the fire effect... What is it supposed to be? Ember?A bit disappointing, considering Blastoise comes with what looks like Hydro Pump, and Mewtwo comes with Shadow Ball. A Flamethrower or Fire Blast effects part would have suited Charizard better. Regardless, though, the fireball that comes with Charizard is sculpted well.

Watch Out!: Nothing really to watch out for with Charizard! Just be careful with the wings, as they may loosen quickly over time, and Charizard's tail like to pop off at random spots for next to no reason.

Overall (4/5): Charizard is by no means a perfect figure, but it is well done. The articulation is fine, as is the paint, but both could use more work in their areas. The accessories feel as if they are just filler to ship Charizard with something,  though the fireball is well done. Fans of this Pocket Monster will like this figure a whole lot!

Now it looks like Charizard is about to face a long standing rival...

Review: D-Arts Mewtwo

Introduction: Power.Wrath. Calamity. 

Mewtwo is the 150st Pokemon, and one of this reviewer's personal favorites. For those that played Pokemon Red and Blue, this was the Pokemon to have, and it was the most powerful. After six generations and countless endgame Pokemon, Mewtwo reigns supreme as the first Pokemon to get the D-Arts treatment. Is this genetic beast one to enter into YOUR collection? Read on and find out!

Box (5/5): Very space consensus and flashy, Mewtwo has a fantastic box. It is small enough to fit almost anywhere, yet it still looks fantastic, like other large boxes.

Sculpt (5/5):  Realistically, Mewtwo has a simple design., and the sculpt is very hard to mess up. It looks like Mewtwo! The body is made of hard plastic, though the tube on Mewtwo's head that connects to his back is made of a soft,  bendable plastic/rubber of some kind. It has a lot of give.

Paint(3/5): Mewtwo's paint is one of the aspects that hinders this figure in an attempt at being perfect. The paint looks chalky for the most part, and it tends to clump in some areas, such as the tail shown here. Not horrible, but could be done much better, considering Mewtwo's basic color scheme.

Articulation (4/5): Mewtwo's articulation is, surprisingly, great for a figure of this design. The head and neck are on ball joints, as are its fingers, wrists, shoulders, hips, and every tail segment.  Mewtwo also sports nifty bicep swivels and ankle swivels. Finally, elbow and knee hinges round off the joints. Unfortunately, though, due to the figure's design, it can be difficult to articulate great poses, though, luckily, an accessory helps fix this slight issue. Not perfect,but the articulation is fine.Read on in the Watch Out! section for the downside to some of the joints. 

Accessories (4/5): Mewtwo's accessories are just fine. It comes with a Pokeball base, two support arms, one claw, a Shadow Ball effects piece, an extra hand to support the Shadow Ball effects piece (which does not always work well enough), and a first production bonus of Mew! While everything here helps improve Mewtwo, the Shadow Ball included feels a tad lacking in appearance, being mostly flat, and Mew will not be included in future production runs of this figure. Luckily, the stand helps to balance Mewtwo and counteracts its horrible balancing issues.

WATCH OUT!: Mewtwo's hands like to pop out of their sockets. A lot. It can be difficult to get the right pose due to this, and what doesn't help is that its fingers like to pop out of their joints, too. Also, the tail suffers the same fate. 

In addition to this, Mewtwo also suffers from balancing issues that almost always require another method of support, either through the arm and claw supplied, or Mewtwo's tail. Given the design, though, this should be expected.

Overall (4/5): At the end of the day, Mewtwo is worth adding into one's collection if one likes the character. The paint issues are a bit bothersome at times, and the balancing issue can be bugging, but Mewtwo is still enjoyable.

It's face off time!

SDCC Round Up - Preview Night - S.H. MonsterArts AvP Alien versus Predator, S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball Z, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and more!

Well, here's everything from Tamashii Nations that has been all over the internet!

Review: D-Arts Blastoise

Introduction: Blastoise is the 9th Pokemon in the National Pokedex, but to many of us, it was one of the first Pokemon to be by our side as we journeyed across the Kanto region to collect badges and take on the Elite Four for the first time. Years later, Tamashii Nations introduces Blastoise into their D-Arts line, and many became excited. Does Blastoise hold up to our fond memories? read on and find out!

Box (5/5):  Blastoise's box looks great, and features a holographic effect on it reminiscent of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Also, the box is small, making it space sufficient. Overall, it is a great box.

Sculpt (5/5):  Blastoise has a very simple sculpt to it. In general, it looks just as good as a Blastoise can be. The shell detail is great,the face looks spot on, not complaints from this reviewer!

Paint (1/5) : The paint on Blastoise is bad. Really, really bad. The paint looks very chalky and is clumpy in spots, especially on the nails. Also, it looks as if some parts on Blastoise have.... hair stuck to them in spots, and the mold lines on Blastoise are brought out in a very, VERY ugly way. In addition to this, the left cannon on this reviewer's Blastoise has scratch marks on the inside from one of the extras. Finally, there is paint transfer present on the inner thighs of Blastoise from its shell, though nothing is present on the shell.

If this one is a dud, then wow, this is an example of how to not paint a figure.

And, of course, it doesn't like to show up in photographs well.

Articulation (3/5): Blastoise's articulation is very standard for a turtle like this. Ball joint shoulders, thighs, feet (only slight movement), nails, head,  shell plates for the cannons, and tail, with swivels at the biceps, and hinges at the elbows, shell cannons, and the mouth. Overall, this seems to be a winning combination, but Blastoise can't move too much, due to the design of the Pokemon. Overall, though, it works for the figure, but one cannot help to feel more could have been done to it.

Accessories (5/5): Blastoise has some pretty solid accessories. It comes with a Pokeball base, a support arm and claw, and two Hydro Pump effects part. Very simple, very basic. The only gripe would be the tips of the effects parts seem a bit bland with what Tamashii Nations has done with other parts. Not too much to complain about!

 Watch out!: Not too much to be careful of with this figure. Just be careful of the effects parts scraping the inside of the cannons (they are both labelled on the bottom which cannon they go in), and also be cautious of leaving them in without support. 

Overall (3/5): Blastoise is not the best figure on the market today, but it is not absolutely horrible. If one is a fan of the character, one should not hesitate to pick this figure up; it is a great representation of of Blastoise, despite the paint and articulation shortcomings.

We now return you to the typical turtle shenanigans.

We hope you're enjoying D-Arts week so far! More to come!