Ultraman Taro Warrior of Light (Hikari no Ultra Senshi) Review

With the new Ultraman television series, "Ultraman Ginga," there's no surprise that there is a flood of new merchandise. Besides Ultraman Ginga, I was surprised to find out that Ultraman Taro had a supporting role in the series (as a talking toy, don't ask) and was included in said landfill of new toys.

Ultraman Taro first had his own television series in 1973, but has made several appearances since then, namely 2006's "Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Borthers." He's been one of my favorite due to his unique design.


So, let's take a look at this 6" figure. There is a rubbery feel to Taro, not unlike the rubber suits that make up the Ultraman costumes. The legs feel solid and shouldn't warp over time.  Due to the electronics in its chest, the toy does have a bit of a heft to it.


Now there's virtually no articulation. Okay, the arms move up and down, but they feel a little wobbly, like I could just pull them out of their sockets if I wanted to. But what it lacks in articulation, it makes up in a very solid sculpt.


Taro has a very strong stance. The sculpt captures a lot of the details from the actual suit, including the boots, gloves, and the wrinkles in certain areas.  The head and chest look very "on-model." In other words, Taro is a great looking statue.


A great looking statue that lights up, of course. The whole concept behind the "Warrior of Light" series is that the Ultraman's eyes and color timer light up at a press of a button.  I would have preferred that it be a switch so that I could leave Taro on, but it's minor at best. My only other complaint is that the color timer seems really bright, laser pointer bright.

Overall, it's a great, but immobile, version of Taro. I'm so happy that they even cut out the area in Taro's fin. A lot of companies are too lazy to do that.

Playmates TMNT Stealth Tech Raph & Mikey Review

Okay, so my review for Leo turned into a kiss-up to Playmates.  That's why I've decided to review two more of the Stealth Tech line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Raphael and Michelangelo.  As stated before, both of the turtles have unique suit and headgear designs.  Playmates even kept the individual scaling the same with Mikey shorter than the others.

For the Stealth Tech line, each Turtle has their signature weapon along with an unique spy-themed device or weapon. Raph, true to his nature, comes with a battering ram to fit his raging temper, while Mikey has a portable listening device, which can hook into his belt. (Either that or Mikey's just listening to his favorite tunes...)

Mikey's design is a little plain with his front armor resembles stereo speakers.  On Raph's back is a portable generator-thingy, possibly for his night vision googles.  His sai(s) rest in his back strap, which is a little snug against the generator-thingy. I wish they'd take the time to list the accessories and give them wacky names like in the original toy line.  Then, at least, people would know what some items the figures came with actually were supposed to be. (I'm talking to you, Donny.)

The only accessory they all share is the zip line.  Clipping it to the back of the character, they can fulfill your darkest Mission: Impossible desires, or just zip them across sofas and other handy furniture. The articulation is close to the original ones, but their front shells aren't softened, so the forward leg movement is limited.

Mikey's design is a little lacking, in my opinion, but they are all fun toys that both adults and kids will enjoy.

Playmates TMNT Stealth Tech Leonardo Review

A lot of the toy companies have been tightening their belts in the last year or so, cutting down on paint apps and articulation.  Playmates, which has been cranking out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures since 1988, has been impressing collectors with its latest line of Ninja Turtles toys based on the recent animated show.

Each of the original, "generic" Turtle figures had their own unique body design and an impressive number of joints.  Unfortunately, the supporting characters suffer more from less articulation and plainer  paint apps to make up for this, but it is nevertheless still quite a feat.

Now, there are two sub-lines of Turtles, basically Turtles with a gimmick. Ooze Launchers and Stealth Tech.  The Ooze Launchers is pretty obvious, and the Stealth Tech series features the Turtles in spy gear. Even in these lines, Playmates goes the extra mile in making sure each Turtle has their own unique outfit and gear.  That brings us, at long last, to our buddy, Leo.

Oh, you're finally going to talk about me, eh?

Leo, like each Turtle in the line, is dressed in black with a harness cast in his specific color, which is blue, of course.  He also has a specific visor which can come up.  The face is based on the animated look and might be the only thing recycled from the previous line.

Leo comes with a new pair of katanas, their sheath, a crossbow with projectile, and a zip-line. All of the accessories are new, and Playmates can afford it, because they cut costs by casting it all in black along with most of Leo's body. Less people are going to complain, because it works aesthetically.



I picked Leo, because he's always my favorite Turtle, and his spy design was the best.  My only complaint is that the sheath piece doesn't fit as tight in the back as I'd like, but it's adequate.

Basically, I like seeing Playmates using their brains to get around these hurdles instead of just dumping quality out the window.

Oh, and this is a really fun toy, too.

Sleath Tech Ninja? Isn't that redundant?

12" Electronic Anakin to Darth Vader Review

I know that this figure isn't very popular among the collecting community so I'll try and make it brief.  This is a fitting figure for the new Darth Vader - lava series making its way to stores, since it is clearly inspired from "Revenge of the Sith," which features Vader and a whole lot of lava.

Arise, Lord Vader

First, let's get the bad part out of the way. Hasbro totally cheated when it came to the Anakin part of the  figure. Anakin has Vader's arms, legs, and skirt.  Even the lightsaber hilt sculpted in his right hand is Vader's. But let's face it, most fans would prefer a good figure of the titular villain than one of the whiny hero of the prequels.

The Bene Gesserit call him "the Abomination"

First off, the color changing gimmick is pretty cool and works very nicely.  The button is oddly located on the arm, and once the lightsaber "ignites", then you can press it again to hear additional voice and battle effects.

Luke, I am your..,um, naw forget it.

Once you place the chest and shoulder armor on, you are in for a treat.  As the outer helmet goes down into place, the toy makes a hissing sound, and Vader breathing commences.  It's a nice touch. The helmet itself looks great, not too big considering there's an Anakin head underneath with a full head of hair. From a couple angles, you can still see a little of the Anakin hair.

There's a little sculpting on the inside of the inner helmet that mirrors what we see in ROTS when the helmet goes down to Anakin's face. Some stickers or paint apps would have made this even more impressive.

Overall, it's a fun toy, but with limited articulation, it's not appealing to everyone.