Broly: Dragon Ball Z (S.H.Figuarts)

Just forget about the things I said about the Super Saiyan Son Gokou. This is the one true guy you don't wanna mess with. An angry evil blonde dude with an uncontrollable temper and appetite for destroying an entire planet. The first 4 letters of his name rhymes with "brawl" that hearing it leaves everyone assume that he loves to fight,... and he does love to fight! Broly fights with all those huge arms and oversized pecs which make him terrifying even for the Hulk. And this is what I would like a Broly action figure to appear like- looking as deadly and terrifying as with his animated counterpart.

S.H.Figuarts Broly

With a hairdo looking so sharp and pointy, it is advisable to handle this action figure with caution even though it's made of somewhat close to being a soft material. Broly has 3 interchangeable faces which are fastened by his hair bangs. You got a face painted with his stern look, one that has his aggressive look and another one that has his smirk probably telling you that he owns you.

Like any S.H.Figuarts, he got interchangeable hands in which there are also 3 of them (in pairs). He got 3 of these green translucent orbs embodying his signature attack. The orbs can sit securely on top of his palms without even worrying about it rolling off. However and sadly, Broly has no way of grasping these orbs around his fingers because he doesn't have the hands to do it for which I wished Bandai had provided.

But Bandai gave him with great amounts of articulation. I was a little worried at first that the articulation might get affected because of Broly's size. He roughly stands at about 8 inches tall- bigger and taller than your average-sized S.H.Figuarts DBZ figure yet the manufacturers managed to incorporate all the articulations that the average has. In addition, that crimson "cloth" around his thighs and loins are poseable. His big fat knees are double-jointed and moves without any unusual limits. The torso got rotation at the diaphragm as well as at the waist. Overall, the articulation is amazing and I'm glad they didn't deduce or change anything.

Sculpt and paint job are also done right. I like how his golden bracers and shin guards has that reflective finish making it metallic-looking along with those blue gems studded over some parts of his outfit. Broly got this necklace that gives us the illusion that it's dangling around his neck but as a matter of fact, separated by his neck and pectoral muscles. And speaking of muscles, he got lots of them evenly sculpted without any deformity. One thing I don't like are these oversized shoulders- too big that it kinda veer away from being animé-accurate. It's not this swollen as far as I could remember.

Even with his tiny bit of issue, this is a solid figure that earns recommendation. I believe this is the best Broly figure we got today that closely resemble the character. Moreover, this figure comes with a standard S.H.Figuarts clear stand that can be useful for anyone who likes to get their figures execute some dynamic pose. But for me, I'm glad Bandai has finally unleashed one of DBZ's fearsome foes into joints and plastics.

Super Saiyan Son Gokou: Dragon Ball Z (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts S.S. Son Gokou

You don't wanna mess with this guy! He's one angry blonde dude ready to blow up everything on his path. This is the Son Gokou we saw the first time he changed the colour of his hair and turned super, which was one of the beautiful moments in Dragon Ball history. With Bandai-Tamashii Nations' mastery in making all these articulated and well-detailed action figures, it's incredible to see our favourite DBZ characters somewhat come to life but on a 6-inch scale especially Son Gokou. We need to see more of their good work but for now let's take a closer look at the S.H.Figuarts Super Saiyan Son Gokou!














Right off the bat, you can see that the rendition is pinpoint accurate. The shape and appearance on his hair, and the expression on his face looked just like what we saw in the animated series. However, there is a bit of splotch right at the tip of his hair which may probably ruin his flawlessness but it's not a big deal.

If you've been collecting these S.H.Figuarts DBZ figures, then you'll immediately realize that the body mold of this figure is the same as with our last year's Son Gokou. It's also important to mention that the Super Saiyan version of Gokou was the one that got released first before we got the Son Gokou in his "de-powered" version.

Though they may have the same body mold, the colours are different. Obviously, Super Saiyan Gokou got that brushed-up yellow hair while Son Gokou's is just black and "normal". You can see that Super Saiyan Gokou's suit has the brighter orange while Son Gokou is red just like in the animated T.V. Series. Everything else is the same except for a couple of features.

The accessories are mostly composed of interchangeable parts that probably couldn't compete with our Marvel Legends Iron Fist. There only 3 pairs of swappable hands and plus the one hand holding two fingers for his "Instant Transmission Technique". He got two swappable faces in which neither one of them is on a good mood. There's unfortunately no "kamehameha blast effect" that might possibly make him twice more awesome.

The articulation is standard S.H.Figuarts with 32-points of movement. There are no changes or anything added to the figure. The only thing that's needless to mention is that Super Saiyan Gokou is as moveable and poseable as those Dragon Ball Z figures in this toyline.

Not recommending this figure to a DBZ collector is like telling you not to add water when making a soup. Gokou's Super Saiyan form is one of the most recognizable version of him that fans would never forget and this is why this action figure is a must-get. It is a likeable figure by S.H.Figuarts. Despite the lack of very essential accessories, it's still up there at the high end.

Android No.18: Dragon Ball Z (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Android 18

Dr. Gero is not only a scientist, he's also an artist who creates synthetically engineered half-bio half-mech people that are breathtakingly gorgeous. Although he made a lot of terrible things, ...like almost destroying the entire planet as one of them. But if there is one good deed I'd like to shake the scientist's hand with, that would be giving a midget-sized "nose-less" guy a chance to date a fine blonde chick like Android 18. This ala-TX Terminator hottie is no ordinary chick- she's fast and got stinging kicks due to those lovely legs. No wonder why it's hard for our love-stuck Romeo to snap out of it and face the truth that... she... is a machine!














But can this S.H.Figuarts Android No.18 by Bandai lives to that level of expectation of the evil-genius, Dr. Gero? We'll definitely find out as I'm starting to feel like Krilyn must be pervert for hitting on a pre-teenage girl. From the looks of this figure, she's definitely not 18 (in both feature and age).

I hope it's obvious to everyone that 18's boobs are lacking in size. In fact, it's too shy that it feels not there at all! Based from what I've seen from the animated TV series, this chick has quite some shape on her chest but this figure is not accurate. You may or may not remove her "denim vest" but if you do, it will definitely shake your head in disbelief. Minus the vest, the entire torso just look unappealing and so it's advisable to keep it on. For the rest of the sculpt, I got no complain; they are done right and excellent.

The figure is mostly a beautiful and vibrant palette of colours. She's clean and straight without some paint issues. 18's orange boots have the reflective finish while the rest of the figures are matted but all painted consistently from part to part.

All these accessories she brings make it easy to recreate those moments from the show as well as some fun and random poses. Android 18 comes with 4 pairs of alternate hands and 4 alternate faces. In addition, she got 2 alternate hairs and hair bangs- each one has the windswept effect type and the drop dead straight type. Like his twin brother, she also comes with a crossed-arms as seen in my Android 17 review. She also got a few interesting accessories that are not for her to wear, but for the previously released Klilyn from the same toyline that's perfect for recreating the "The 18 kissed Krillin-Scene". We got Klilyn's head having that nervous look and Android 18 having her lips protruding, ...and it's all up to you put them together. You will also get an additional left hand designed to hold the Self-Destruct Switch for Klilyn which is also included in this package.

The articulation, for the most part, is the same with our S.H.Figuarts Android 17 but has the added swivel around the biceps. The only problem with her movement, as you might have already guessed, is on half of her legs. There is no way she can do the splits with that skirt, but what can you do. She gotta have that skirt! But the articulation is well-engineered which gives this figure that nice organic look.

Should I need to say more for recommendations? The S.H.Figuarts Android 18 definitely deserves a recommendation to any DBZ action figure collectors out there. Despite the flaw, you can never find a good-looking Android 18 with some great amount of articulation than this one from Bandai.

Android No.17: Dragon Ball Z (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Android 17

A smug little prick that is, if I want to give him a name! Android 17 is one of those anime/cartoon characters that gets into your nerves and I love how DBZ made his personality the way it is. But taking that aside, it's interesting how Goku and his buddies never gave these androids actual names even after the Cell Saga and the following seasons. I would definitely feel awkward and funny if I still call my wife Android 18 and my brother-in-law, Android 17... or just "18", "17" for short. I guess we'll never know what's going on inside Klilyn's round-perfect head.















One thing I know for sure is that 17 is 18's twin brother and you can't just get an Android 18 action figure without getting Mr. Smug Little Prick here. For a character that played a slight big role in the animated show, this action figure is considered a must-have for collectors.

First,... the accessories. It's plenty but sadly and annoyingly some of them are not necessary! He got two interchangeable holsters- one has a gun in place and the other one has none. Why can't we just have one holster for one removable gun that holds and keeps it?- that way Bandai could make some room inside his box for accessories that might be important. Also, he got two interchangeable belts- one has the holster hanging while the other has none... again, this could have been better if it's removable. The only accessories that made sense to me are his two scarfs that you need to interchange for that crossed-arms you might want to attach on 17.

He got a total of 5 pairs of interchangeable hands plus one for holding his gun, but what truly impressed me are the interchangeable hairs, especially the one that is windswept and kinda like it's moving that has a nice sculpt. Along with it, comes 3 different faces of Android 17- normal, mad and angry.

Now for the sculpt. I hate to say that the sculpt of this figure is a bit ruined because of one single mistake Bandai did to his shoulders. They didn't do a good job of gluing 17's "shoulder pads" thus every time you raise his arms sideways, you see these pointy flaps hanging underneath his armpits. Also, he got these gapping crotchpits that are too obvious but not as angular as the ones from DCUC. The overall sculpt is not that perfect nor too horrid.

There is nothing much to say about the paint application except for those bright perky colours on his shoes and socks, and that a few colour shading over his scarf. The rest of the body parts are painted solidly and mostly with blacks and blues. Paint smudges and scuff marks?- none of that exist with S.H.Figuarts action figures like this one.

As usual for S.H.Figuarts figures, you got tons of poseability options. His head is on a ball-joint that allows him to move his head at any directions except for having him "look up" because of that long straight hair. The shoulders are on a double-ball peg, elbows are on double-joints and the wrists are on ball-hinges. He got a diaphragm swivel plus a waist swivel on his torso. 17's hips are on T-joints with double-ball pegs in it. He got rotation to the thighs, double-joints at the knees, ankle hinges and pivots, and toe joints.

If there are things I want to complain about S.H.Figuarts figures it would be its poor execution and the unnecessary accessories and this Android 17 is a perfect example of an action figure having those flaws. Nevertheless, this is probably the best Android 17 action figure out there (if there are any other) being well-rendered and very much articulated. Standing at 5.5 inches tall, he's in perfect scale with the rest of the DBZ figures. For the sake of completing a collection, I recommend this figure.

Klilyn: Dragon Ball Z (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Klilyn

Klilyn or Krillin or however you say his name, we all know who we're talking here. He is that midget-sized baldie who's ever "nose-less" since he was born. To be in his shoes, it's probably like having an eternity of a bad cold but without the headache. You will notice that the guy sounds as if there's something stuffed in there every time he talks. This guy has been around fighting alongside with Son Gokou since the very first season of Dragon Ball; longer than any character who is part of the show! Being BFF's with the Saiyan guy, it's no surprise that his character remained essential... although not 'til DBZ GT where their enemies had gotten a lot more powerful. Sorry Klilyn, this is now a real Super Saiyan show!












When you buy him at probably between 50 to 60 dollars, you get this standard box that has been utilized in every S.H.Figuarts and S.H.MonsterArts action figures with the artwork as the only thing that is different. We got his name written on the side and a pixelated form of his face at the other. The back of the box shows what action poses you might want to try with this Klilyn figure, but I always like to pull something of my own.

Inside the box, Klilyn got a shitload of accessories- most of them are interchangeable parts. He got 7 pairs of hands in total and an extra hand (that pegs into his right wrist) for the infamous Destructo Disk- Klilyn's signature technique! In addition, he got three heads; each has different facial expressions. I know one of these heads can be used when he does the "Solar Flare" technique. The other ones are just his happy-smiley look (with the grin) and his angry look.

The Destructo Disk measures at nearly 4-inches in diameter and could cover almost his whole body since Klilyn stands at only 4.6 inches tall. It also comes with this clear plastic tube that joins this yellow disk together with his palm which imitates those moments when Klilyn was about to serve that oversized buzzsaw of death as it's being suspended, ...spinning and hovering above his fingers.

I came to an assumption that Klilyn and Son Gokou would bare the same colour scheme since that's what they appeared to look like in the animated TV series, but upon comparing the two figures, Klilyn's suit appeared to be brighter than Gokou's. Furthermore, he got the Master Roshi's kanji painted over his back and the left side of his chest. I am once again impressed with how clean and even the paints are applied on an S.H.Figuarts figure.

The body mold could easily be mistaken as Son Gohan's but Klilyn is unique. He kind of looked like a downsized Son Gokou with all the wrinkles around his suit looking all the same. The face sculpt and its rendition is accurate; holding a feature that only Klilyn has- the six little impression on his forehead. Overall, the sculpt is perfect.

The articulation, even with the downsizing, is the same as with our S.H.Figuarts Son Gokou. Same joints- same fun! Dismally, Klilyn's head can't move all the way up to make a good flying pose but he got a ball-peg at the top part of his neck plus another one at the other end between his clavicles. He got double-ball joints at the shoulders, double-jointed elbows and ball-pegs at the wrists. Waist rotation, double-ball jointed hips, double-jointed knees and ball-pegged ankles are incorporated.

If you've purchased any of the S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball action figures, then this figure shouldn't be something you're not eager to get. The rendition and poseability is beyond my expectation, and he's probably one of the best Japanese import toys I had this year along with Son Gokou. Not getting him would be a crime especially if you're a DBZ action figure collector since he's one of the main characters in this universe.

Piccolo: Dragon Ball (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Piccolo

This next Dragon Ball Z character is not your typical little green dude on a flying saucer coming from outer space. Meet Piccolo, a kung fu-trained BA with a name of a flute-like instrument from another planet notable for his insect-like feature and eastern Indian dress code. He is one of my top favourite characters up there with Gokou and Vegeta in the Dragon Ball universe. I finally got me my own Piccolo figure from S.H.Figuarts and I am very pleased that they reissued such a prominent character for DBZ collectors like me.















Now to the figure! This is yet another amazing work by Bandai Tamashii Nations. Although I'd say the paint application is not that perfectly done unlike the Son Gokou figure. Notice that the shade of purple on Piccolo's torso is not the same as the ones on his legs. Apparently, it is not that obvious once this figure is on a display shelf, but on a still camera, the mistakes are visible. The rest of the paint job otherwise, is nicely done. I am fairly satisfied with the choice of colours even with its simplistic application.

The selling point with this figure to me is the sculpt and body mold. No large looking hands or oddly long or short extremities; he is anatomically proportionate. Also, I like how the wrinkles over his clothing are sculpted; forming like waves crumpling together around the edges and corners. Piccolo's insect-like arms are nicely done with all these grooves swerving and almost looking like fingerprints alongside with these yellow thingies sticking out from it. The one thing that surprised me though is that Piccolo suppose to have pointy white fingernails. The ones you've seen here are short with black nail polish, which is I believe not accurate. You might think that I'm nitpicking but this is not what Piccolo-fingers look like.

If the S.H.Figuarts Son Gokou got the kamehameha effects, Piccolo's unique accessory is his... folded arms. As simple as it is, Piccolo's crisscrossed/folded arms is one of his signature pose. Installing this accessory/interchangeable part is a pain in the neck, like you have to keep both shoulders aligned once you replace his regular arms into this one solid piece of plastic. Along with it, comes this "half-bib" that latches unto his folded arms, which completes this entire gimmick. Also, Piccolo has four (3) interchangeable hands: fisting hands, high five hands, grabbing hands, and one (1) two-finger pointing hand.

And furthermore, Piccolo has 3 interchangeable heads: the turbaned head, the regular head (without the turban but with the highly pliable soft plastic antennae), and the angry-faced head (with veins popping, no turban and so forth). Last but not his least accessory is his white cape that has that flowing effect and kind of windswept to the right to make that more dynamic pose.

The articulation on the S.H.Figuarts Piccolo is the same as with our Son Gokou figure. The neck is on a ball-joint that lets his head lean at different angles and rotate. Shoulders are on ball-joints that work like armpit pivots along with hinges that allows his arms to move laterally. He has rotation at the biceps, double-joints at the elbows, ball-jointed wrists, double ball-jointed waist, double ball-jointed hips, swivel at the upper-thighs, double-jointed knees, hinged ankles with an ankle pivot and toe articulation.

So we finally get to see Piccolo size-compared to Gokou. Without counting the hair, Piccolo stands just a little bit taller than him. Despite the issue with the paint and source material, this figure is still must-have especially if you're a Dragon Ball Z fan because of the overall looks and design. You probably couldn't ask for a better Piccolo figure other than this one.

Son Gokou: Dragon Ball (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Son Gokou

It really took me awhile to decide whether to get these S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z figures or not, mainly because I was still looking for a space in my room to accommodate this "family". Now I finally decided and got a lot of catching up to do. The first and coolest Saiyan-dude that I'd like to introduce from this family is Son Gokou, and since everyone knows this character then... why not start with him! He's notable for his colour and size changing hair, and his destructive kamehameha which can obliterate almost anything in its path. Gokou is the iconic superhero from Japan who always gets pitted against Superman that most DBZ fanatics believe he can bring the Man of Steel to his knees... and this is where I enter the debate and piss them off! Though inferior to Supes limitless strength, Gokou is an instant favourite of mine because of his characterization and his unique powers and abilities just can't be rivalled by any other superheroes.









S.H.Figuarts Kamen Riders, Sentai Rangers, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z figures got one thing in common and that's the packaging. All these Japanese imports are the same with the entire figure showcased inside this windowed box. The only difference are the artwork and design in which in this box, you can see a screen-toned portrait of Gokou at the side of the box and a Dragon Ball Z label at the bottom.

Out from the package, you can see a clean cut accurate rendition of Gokou based off from the anime series. You probably all know that this is not the Super Saiyan version of Gokou with the golden yellow hair but the first Gokou we saw in DBZ Season 1. And this... is like coming straight from the cartoon show where it highlights all that bright solid colours on Gokou's classic suit. Also, there are a few noticeable colour shading that's shaping the muscles over his arms. Again, this is a show of how Bandai S.H.Figuarts is using simple paint applications effectively.

"...spirit bomb."

The figure is a spot-on representation of the character. All the wrinkles on his clothes, his hairstyle and the definition of his muscles are sculpted nicely and designed well to hide the joints a little bit. That being said, this action figure may give you that illusion of being a statue, and that's a good thing!

This Gokou is loaded with accessories; just by looking through the windowed box alone would tell you that. However, I really wish this figure has that kamehameha blast/shooting effect and not just this one (like in this photo) where it made him like he's about to throw his signature move. Still it is a decent accessory that create for those moments, and it's fun to use while you try to get him in that pose.

Surprisingly to me, Gokou's interchangeable parts are the ones I had fun with the most. He's got a total of five (5) different facial expressions also creating those moments with the most common one (of course)- the stern look. He has the angry face with readable lips ("kamehameha"), two (smiling faces), and a face which looks as though he's in trouble (Gokou in trouble? How??). Also, he got five (5) different pairs of hands- a pair of fisting hands, finger-spreaded hands, flying/saluting hands, the "kung fu-move" hands, and lastly, his gripping hands that can hold his maturing kamehameha. Plus, there's a bonus- he got the one hand that do his teleportation move! The amount of accessories is just mind blowing!

clear stand not included

Articulation-wise, the amount of joints is a lot and mirrors that to the amount of accessories this figure has. Gokou's neck is on a ball-joint which lets his head to rotate and pivot side to side. Sadly, his head can't look up very well. He's got another joint at the lower part of the neck that allows his head to move forward. His shoulders are on double ball-joints with an articulated shoulder pads for extensive movements. There are swivel at the biceps, double-jointed elbows and ball-jointed wrists on his arms.

Moving on to his torso, Gokou got this double ball-jointed waist made special for these S.H.Figuarts DBZ figures that allows him to lean at any angle and rotate 360 degrees. With his belt suspended around his waist, it doesn't hinder articulation. Just like the waist, his hips are on a double ball-joints. He has swivel at the upper thighs, double-jointed knees, rotation plus pivot around the ankles and hinged toes. The only articulation that I want this figure to have is a bootcut rotation which would have been useful.

To the tip of his hair, Son Gokou stands 6.3 inches tall and unfortunately not ideally in scale with some of the Marvel Legends figures. If there is one word I'd like to describe this Son Gokou action figure, that word would be AWESOME! Right now, this is the best Son Gokou figure out there that can't probably be beaten. If you're a fan of the anime and want to start your Dragon Ball collection, you may wanna include the S.H.Figuarts Son Gokou by Bandai for it's something you might wanna love.