TMNT Puzzle Erasers - Leo & Raph

I recently found these at my local Target.  I didn't notice that they were erasers, or I probably wouldn't have got them. Available in little poly bags, these are not so much puzzles as they are just rubber models that need assembled.  Each bag is labelled so you know which figure you are buying.

I bought Leo and Raph.  Each figure has their own stance, and their weapons are made of plastic not rubber. So, if you really did use them as erasers, then you'd have their weapons leftover to remember them by. Leo and Raph also have different skin tones, similar to what Playmates does with the regular figures.






Now for the bad.  The overall detailing and paint are pretty generic.  There is a separate piece for Leo's scabbards, so they're not totally lacking.  The paint, though, is pretty sloppy and look like they were applied by, well, me.

But these are erasers after all, and only $2 a piece. For what they are, they aren't bad. I certainly had fun putting them together.

Ultra Hero 500 Series Ultraman Nexus Anphans Mode Review

I was very happy to see Ultraman return to television, albeit briefly, in the form of Ultraman Ginga.  A follow-up series is already on the way, along with yet another new Ultraman. Ginga introduced the toyetic gimmick of Spark Dolls, basically all the Ultramen and Ultra Monsters have been turned into action figures that you can collect. The Ultra Hero and Ultra Kaiju series are Spark Dolls that you can buy.

Before we begin, there are a few things you need to know about the Ultra Hero 500 series:

1. It's made in a 5" scale, smaller than the previous 6" scale that Bandai's been using since, well, ever.

2. This is an economical series, possibly one of the reasons for the scale down, and painting apps are sparse. In Japan, you can buy one of these for the equivalent of $5.00, half of what the 6" figures would cost.  In USA, they are sold up to $12.99, but I won't recommend spending that much unless you're really desperate.

3.  There have been a lot of different Ultramen and Ultra Kaijus released, and despite the scale difference, it's a cheap and easy way to fill in the gaps in your collection.

That being said, we are looking at the new Ultra Hero series version of Ultraman Nexus (Anphanis Mode). Looking at the sculpt, there are a lot of details here.  It's possible that it is actually the older, larger model from 2003, but scaled down. Unfortunately, there is a lot of paint missing to bring out those details. To go over all the missing paint would take much too long, so the pictures are all comparison shots to the older vinyl figure.



The one thing I like about this figure over the old one is that Bandai used a wonderful metallic red paint for Nexus's v-shaped color timer. It looks so beautiful, and my picture did not do it justice.

You can move the arms and the waist, just enough articulation to keep the five-year-old who's playing with it happy. There's isn't much else to talk about.

So, in review, if you're looking for a smaller inexpensive version of Nexus, here it is. If you're wanting a larger, better painted figure, search eBay for the 6" version. If you want one with articulation, contact your local Bandai representative and tell them that their Ultra-Act series needs to get their, er, act together.