Review of Hoshi Sato - Enterprise
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

While it's been something of a popular idea for recent Star Trek to create story lines and shows that precede the Original Series, it was Enterprise that first really went down that road. Set a century before Kirk explored the universe, the Enterprise was helmed by Captain Archer, and included the usual diverse crew.

EXO-6 is doing its best to cover all the many shows and movies, and have already given us Archer, T'Pol, and Shran from the show. Next up - Ensign Hoshi Sato! She has just started shipping, and will run you around $200 or so depending on the retailer. If you're a big fan of the show, I wouldn't sleep on this one, as I expect the production run to be quite low.

Packaging - ***1/2
It's the usual box, with the usual graphics, but lets not forget the newly designed outer shipping box. These things are really, really sturdy, the sort of box you'll save just to use for something else. Yea, it's that good of a box.

The art box includes the graphics from the show and figure, and has a double stack plastic tray to create even more strength. Inside, the figure and accessories are all packed in a collector friendly way, and you should not be keeping these in their plastic prisons.

You'll notice some weird colors in the photo below, thanks to the reflective surface of the figure photo on the cover. This combination of matte and glossy surfaces adds additional pop to the overall black box.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is a beautiful sculpt, and I say that owning every EXO-6 so far. It is perhaps the best female sculpt they've done...although it's a toss up thanks to the work on a couple of the previous releases. So why the half star off perfect? I'll explain in a minute...

The sculpt itself is both accurate and life-like. The finely sculpted hair has an appropriate amount of detail for the scale, and matches the on screen look. The sculpt is accurate to both the character and the actress, and the expression is slightly wry, emoting a witty personality. This is supported by the high arched eyebrows and very slight grin, creating an expression that works very well for the character.

The skin texture is just about perfect too. Old, scraggly, rough looking characters lend themselves to heavy skin texture, but younger characters can be tricky. They still need texture to get a realistic non-doll look, but too much and they look aged. They hit the perfect balance here.

She is short and slim, which might throw some people at first. The figure is 10 1/2" tall, which translates to a 5' 3" tall person. Along with being shorter, the figure has to be smaller overall, otherwise it would look stumpy.

And guess what? Linda Park, the actress that plays Hoshi is 5' 6". That means that yes, you're eyes aren't lying - the figure is about 1/2" too short. The issue is exacerbated by T'Pol. The actress that plays her is 5'7", just a bit taller than Park. And the T'Pol figure is the correct 11" tall.

I've included shots with both Archer and T'Pol, and you can clearly see Hoshi is too small, especially when she should be very close to T'Pol in size. Fortunately, they've sized the portrait for this smaller body, since otherwise she'd look like a bobblehead.

The second issue I have in this category is the separate head and neck. Having this joint along the jawline does mean better articulation, but it also means the neck is smaller and thinner than it should be, especially around the jaw line. This isn't an extreme issue for me, but it will be something folks will notice.

I'm betting both these issues are because of the low production run on Sato. This isn't a character a lot of collectors pre-ordered, which meant to get it out around $200 they had to find cost savings. And one way to find those cost savings is to use a standard body already on the market. While that saves money, it also means they are forced to use what's available rather than the perfect match.

Paint - ****
While I'm really, really impressed with the head sculpt, the paint work is what sets it above some of the others. They really outdid themselves on this one.

The skin tone is even and clear, but has that slightly soft depth to it that makes it all the more realistic. There's some really nice shading here too, giving the nose, mouth, and eyes more definition.  The hairline is feathered at the edge, and the eyebrows have a fuzzy, soft appearance that looks extremely realistic in hand.

The make up around the eyes and mouth is just about perfect, and the eyes are sharp, clear, and glossy. This really is one of their most impressive paint jobs.

Articulation - ***1/2
While the body is a bit short, it's still articulated they way you expect with any high end sixth scale figure.

There's the two joints at the neck, thanks to the two piece head/neck design. This allows for good tilt and lean, adding some additional personalty to most poses.

The boots take away some of the ankle articulation, so getting the feet flat on the ground in deeper stances isn't going to happen, but while she was an Aikido expert, it's unlikely you'll try to reflect that on the shelf. She can take very natural short and medium stances, looking quite good next to her fellow Starfleet members.

The hands swap easily enough, and remained in place while I was posing her, but the wrist peg post going into the arm is looser than the post entering the hands, so you'll end up pulling out the wrist peg first each time you swap.

Accessories - ***
She doesn't have a ton, but all the key extras are here.

There's extra hands of course, including a set of fists and a gripping set to offset the relaxed pair she comes wearing. For those of you that got the basic release of Saavik and were disappointed there wasn't a Vulcan salute, you get one here that you can swap in.

There's also the phaser and holster from the show, as well as the tricorder and communicator. The tricorder has two different attachments so it can appear opened or closed, and there's an early universal translater than can be attached to the communicator. OF course, the communicator also flips open. Fun Fact - Hoshi Sato is credited as being a key contributor to the development of the universal translator in later shows.

As with all the figures, there's the standard transporter style base with two covers and crotch support rod. She also has the autograph card included, designed for you to take to a convention and get signed.

Outfit - ***1/2
It's a pretty basic outfit, as were all the Starfleet uniforms on Enterprise. The blue jumper is well made, with quality materials and very high quality stitching, and includes pockets and loops where appropriate. Zippers, buttons, etc are all scaled correctly. There's a spot to put the holster for the phaser as well.

Underneath is a black shirt, and of course there's the standard issue boots. Again, not a super complicated costume, but EXO-6 always does there homework and produces the most screen accurate outfits.

I do wish the tailoring on the jumpsuit was a smidge better, as the final fit is a bit baggy around the crotch and legs, but I chalk this up to the use of a third party body as well.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Now with four Enterprise figures, your display is starting to get fleshed out. While Hoshi looks a bit small, once I had them together on the shelf I found it less distracting. You can see them together in my last CIOPCC Acquisition Report.

Value - ***
With the price of high end sixth scale action figures reaching astronomical levels, it's nice to still get a line where each release is down around $200. This particular character is also not one with a huge production run, so those fixed costs did not have a lot of units to get spread out across, making the price tag even more appreciated.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Nothing was easily broken, and nothing seemed fragile or weak.

Overall - ***1/2
While I have a couple nits with this figure, I have to say I'm thrilled to add Hoshi to the Enterprise set. This is a show that has never gotten any real collectible love, and for EXO-6 to take the time and resources to ensure it is represented means a lot.

This figure is small, I'll give you that, but the other aspects of the sculpt, paint, and outfit are outstanding. We should see Crusher very soon, and I can't wait to see the level of paint and sculpt reflected on that character.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
You can pick her up directly from EXO-6 for $205 plus shipping. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the pre-order at $205, but is sold out. However, when they come in, there are often cancellations, so keep an eye on it. And don't forget, use my link and get an additional 10% off, plus free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent EXO-6 Trek figures include Dr. McCoy, Captain Picard, and Saavik. And don't forget about Captain Archer!

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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