Wednesday 30 April 2014

Green Ranger: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (S.H.Figuarts)

S.H.Figuarts Green Ranger
I am a fan of all that Super Sentai stuff! A different brand of superheroes known for their colourful spandex, stylish motorcycle helmets and acrobatic kung fu moves. Originated in Japan, this is the genre that brought you the Kamen Riders and Ultramen, and those countless teams of Sentai superheroes (i.e. Bioman, Machine Man, Jetman) which were then adopted by American T.V. shows now rebranded as the Power Rangers. They're the childhood superheroes even before I got introduced to the X-Men and the Avengers.














To kick things up for my Super Sentai action figures, I would like to present the S.H.Figuarts Green Rangers. S.H.Figuarts by Bandai Tamashii Nations undoubtedly delivers better quality of Sentai figures than any other brands. Having been released a year ago, this figure came with a collector friendly windowed box that showcases the Green Ranger and his accessories along with his artwork and the Power Ranger logo.


Though not my favourite Ranger out of the seven, the Green Ranger still looks amazing with that chest armour of his that made him a little different from the team. This triangular chest piece is ornamented with designs that follows that from the T.V. show. Much to my surprise, Green Ranger's chest armour is not removable but Bandai did a good job of making it look like a separate piece. He is considerably a lanky fella like the rest of his male co-workers but the only difference this body mold has is a golden band around each of his shoulder and a jewel on his forehead. A very special Ranger indeed he is.


As with most Japanese Imports, there are no colour shadings or paint washes seen on this S.H.Figuarts figure. The figure is vibrant with green, gold, and white. Some variations may be noticeable as you can see that the Green Ranger's helmet is glossier than his suit. His golden chest armour literally shines as you expose it against a light.


The Green Ranger has some ample amount of accessories and I'd like to dig right through his weapons! First, his Dragon Dagger. Even with a small length of 2cm, this Dragon Dagger is complete with all its features. The ornaments around the blade are there, the valves are there... nothing seems to be missing out, and you can snug this dagger inside its sheath for storage. And if you're somewhat a fan of the Evil Green Ranger, then you have that option of turning him into his initial stage by just having him hold the Sword of Darkness! Again, there is a tremendous amount of detail on this weapon and it got this gem-like stone which kinda looks cool.


Now let's talk about the interchangeable parts. The Green Rangers has five (5) pairs of hands posed differently. He's got a pair of hands designed for his Dragon Dagger when plays it like a flute... with his lip covered (and this is the main reason why he's my less favourite because of this funny thing he does). He got a pair of gripping hands for his Dragon Dagger and a pair for his Sword of Darkness; specifically designed for each weapon. Last but not the least, his "kung fu move" hands!


One of the many things I like about S.H.Figuarts is articulation and it has always been consistent with every action figure they release. The head move side to side and rotates with its double ball-jointed neck. He got an armpit joint that lets his arms move forward as well as ball-jointed shoulders. He got double-jointed elbows and a ball-jointed wrist. It's like everything here is ball-jointed! The Green Ranger has diaphragm and waist swivel that rotates and lets him lean side to side. Again, another ball-joint found at the hips! He got double-jointed knees. No swivel at the boot cut however, but he got ball-hinged ankles with the ankle rocker... plus toe articulation.


Like I said, S.H.Figuart's rendition of the Green Ranger is the best there is. This figure is more attuned to an adult collector type than a children's toy. As I have hoped, my completion of the team will happen this year that is if Bandai doesn't screw things around. I believe the S.H.Figuarts version is the best choice for an avid Power Rangers fan.


2 comments:

  1. If i were to get any Power Ranger action figure it would most likely be the Green Ranger and the one shown here looks to be top of the line!

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    1. i probably wouldn't ask for any version of than this one from S.H.Figuarts.

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