Review of Teppo Ashigaru Sandtrooper
Star Wars Movie Realization Action Figure

Introduction

One of my favorite booths at SDCC every year is Tamashii Nations. As the umbrella label for the Bandai collector lines, they always have some of the coolest new action figures, including the Figurarts stuff. I've had to use every ounce of my will power to avoid going down that road, especially related to Batman.

The various figures always pop up on the ballot for the Poppies as well, and one of the more popular Bandai collector lines is their 'Meisho Movie Realization' series for Star Wars. Based on the unique designs of Takeyuki Takeya, they have a lot of Samurai influence with a little Steampunk thrown in, and this unusual direction for the Star Wars license has proved very popular with collectors and fans.

I'm finally checking one out tonight, thanks to Entertainment Earth. This is the "Teppo Ashigaru" version of the Sandtrooper (I've also seen him called the "Gun Ashigaru" as well), and there's also a web store exclusive with a different color pauldron. This figure will run you about $90 here in the U.S. and is shipping now.

Packaging - ***1/2
The slim box is very sturdy, made from heavy card stock. Inside is a single plastic tray, somewhat similar to what you get with sixth scale figures. The figure and all the accessories are held in place simply by the snap down lid, making the entire package very collector friendly and easy to work with. They could up the ante with the graphics, but overall it's a nice job.

Sculpting - ****
The Meisho Movie Realization designs are really cool - no doubt about it. This samurai take on the Star Wars armored characters looks terrific, and is a creative combination of two very cool concepts. That's a very rare situation - too often, someone thinks "Hey, kids love X, kids love Y, they'll love XY!" and they couldn't be more wrong. That sort of thinking is how we ended up with Darth Vader on a motorcycle.

But this is a unicorn, that rare almost unheard of situation where combining two cool things actually resulted in a new cool thing. It's all in the execution of course, and these designs have translated into plastic beautifully.

There's a ton of detail in the armor, more than we often see in much larger versions. These are in an approximate 7" scale, larger than the Star Wars Black series. The texture and detail work on the helmet and armor is impressive, but it's not over done or too busy visually. It captures that feel of the Trooper, while incorporating plenty of new elements.

As I said, these are roughly 7" scale, with this Sandtrooper coming in just a hair over 7 inches tall.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint details are well done, with plenty of small sculpted pieces highlighted with proper paint operations.

They've also accentuated many of the sculpted areas with darker lines and edges, adding depth and detail. The colors - and off white armor - give him his 'sandy' look, but like the sculpt, they didn't go overboard or get too excessive.

There is a little slop here and there, particularly on the smaller silver details, but overall it's truly impressive paint work.

Articulation - ***
The one area where I was a bit disappointed was the joints - they were more frustrating than I expected. This line is known for it's articulation, and my problems with it came as a surprise.

The ball jointed neck works great, and the little flap of throat armor is articulated at the chin to allow for plenty of head poses without restriction. The rotating hinge shoulders also have a cut bicep, and the slightly unique design on the elbows and wrists allow for normal hinge movement, as well as some rotation. I had no problem working with the arms to get good fighting poses, and a natural hang to the arms in upright stances. The shoulder armor is also articulated, allowing the arms to move more freely.

The waist is also a ball joint, and you can get decent lean and tilt movement, even with the waist and hip armor.  The knees and ankles, like the arms, will allow for plenty of leg poses. I wish the ankles were a little less restricted, particularly in the side to side or rocker direction, but it's a minor nit.

I already mentioned that swapping the hands is more difficult than normal. You'll need a heat source, at least the first few times. Still, like the ankles, this is a fairly minor nit.

My big issue is with the hips. Thanks to the thick armor, moving the legs can cause them to pop off the ball joint at the hip.  Popping them back on isn't too difficult, but when you do it over, and over, and over, it starts to get old. The right leg fell off if I looked at it sideways, making posing him a lot more frustrating and annoying than it should be.

Accessories - ****
There's a nice assortment of extras here, and you should have no trouble finding good poses to use most of them.

He comes with 3 extra sets of hands to go with the pair of fists he comes wearing. These are all various grips, and work extremely well with the weapons. Swapping them is difficult, and you'll probably need to heat them up with a hair dryer, at least for the first few swaps.

A warrior like this would never go without his sword, and this one comes with a scabbard as well. The scabbard is rather plain and box-y, but fits neatly in a holder on the belt of the figure. The sword itself slips cleanly inside, and has a much more detailed sculpt and paint job.

There are two, old school, blunderbuss style rifles. While the sculpts and paint detail are a little weaker here than on the figure, they do sport very Japanese designs in the stocks and filigree. He can hold them both relatively well in a number of good shooting poses, which is always a plus.

Finally, there's his pack. Here you see more ancient Japanese and steampunk influences, and the details look terrific. There's a stiff plastic post that attaches the pack to his back, and the fit is tight and sturdy. The pack is hollow and lightweight, so it won't cause issues with the center of gravity on the figure when posing.

Fun Factor - ***
My issues with the hips causes this category to take a hit as well. It's a lot less fun working with the figure when you're constantly re-attaching the leg.  This is the sort of toy you want to pose and re-pose over and over, but with the legs falling off, I was much less inclined to try.

Value - *1/2
This is a 7" action figure, completely sculpted in plastic, and it will cost you around $80 - $90 in the United States.  That's a pretty big step up from the $20 - $30 most collector lines cost right now, and even a jump up from the usual $70 - $75 for a Mezco One:12 Collective figure.

A large chunk of this is import costs of course. All Japanese toys end up costing us more - it's the reality of the situation. And some of the figures under the Tamashii Nations banner are in the more affordable $60 range. Still, these are not cheap by any means, and collecting them will require deeper pockets than something like the Black series.

Things to Watch Out For -
If you are fortunate enough to get a figure with a tighter fit at the hips, you should be good to go. I was never concerned about breakage or damage, and the figure is well made and sturdy.

Overall - ***1/2
Did you know Bandai was the fourth largest toy company in the world, after only Mattel, Hasbro, and Lego? I had no idea. They're reach is growing as well, as more American retailers and buyers are noticing their broad range of products.

Rather than try to compete straight up on something like Star Wars, they are smart enough to find a new angle, something unique and creative that will pull collectors in, and make their higher quality figures attractive even at the higher price point.

My only real nit was with the hips, and I'm hopeful that's a one off situation, due to a loose fit on the ball joint. Even with that issue, these are some amazing action figures, and my will power is weakening when it comes to the S.H. Figurarts DC stuff. Damn you, Bandai!

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $90, plus free shipping.

Related Links -
As I said, this is the first of the Movie Realization figures I've reviewed. If you'd like more info on the relationship between Bandai, S.H. Figurarts, and Tamashii Nation, check out this excellent article on Forbes. You should also check out the official Tamashii Nations site for upcoming releases.

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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