One of the biggest reveals at New York ToyFair 2017 by Playmates Toys was the return of Usagi Yojimbo, a classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character that will be making his debut in an upcoming storyline on the current Nickelodeon series. Along with Usagi Yojimbo, the Turtles are being offered in their Samurai Warrior armor, which was first introduced in 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, when the turtles go back through time. It’s unclear at the moment if the current animated series will take the Turtles back through time as the movie did, but one thing is for sure, this final season is going to be memorable.
Thanks to The Sewer Den, we learned that as of June 2017 there is going to be a limited supply of the case assortment that includes Usagi Yojimbo and the Samurai Ninja Turtles (along with the TMNT WWE wave 2 figures), with the full shipment being released in the Summer. At the moment, Samurai Donatello is not included in the current case assortment, and instead was replaced by some new repainted as well as older figures. It’s possible that Samurai Donatello will be seeing a release later this Summer, and we will update once we know more.
Availability: June 2017; Summer 2017
The Samurai Turtles consisting of Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo (Donatello wasn’t available in this case assortment) are based on an upcoming storyline seen on the current Nickelodeon series. The Turtles are animated inspired, and features Samurai armor covering their chest, shell armor, wrists, ankles, and a removable helmet and face mask. The armor includes both textured and smooth surfaces, with several different textures on the front chest of the armor. The armor is incredibly detailed that goes above and beyond expectations. The armor covering the arms has a the Turtles iconic color (blue, red, orange, or purple depending on the character) shoulder guard with detailed carvings and textures, along with a silver one on the forearm with similar patterns. The shoulder and wrist armor looks to be one piece that is separated by a green wrist band. The armor covering the upper parts of the legs are made of soft plastic, and are divided into six pieces covering the front, sides, and back. The shell is protected by armor that appears to be made of two pieces that snap together at the center. This piece is a custom piece designed for the Turtles as if they went back to ancient Japan. Around the sides of the shell armor are some carved lines that gives it some definition. The legs are protected by knee guards (in the Turtles iconic color), and the ankles are protected in armor painted in silver, compared to the grey deco covering the upper body armor. The toes are in sandals, that are painted in tan and have some sculpted texture around the sides and the back of them.
Sculpted over the armor is a belt in the Turtles iconic color (blue, red, orange, or purple). The helmet and face mask is removable, and has some detailed sculpting around the sides, top, and especially the piece sticking up that is painted to match the character. The face mask is slides into two grooves on the sides of the helmet, and fits nicely and securely. The mask represents the face of a dragon, with the long nose and eyes (which in this case are cut out so the Turtle can see through the mask).
Included with the Turtles are different takes of their iconic accessories, including a Katana for Leonardo, Sais for Raphael, and Daggers with a spiked ball and chain for Michelangelo. These appear to be based on ancient Japanese weapons as opposed to a more modern look.
Usagi Yojimbo is beautiful, and there is no better term to describe this figures sculpt. Playmates Toys have truly impressed us with Usagi Yojimbo, the Samurai Turtles, and others, and the line has come a long way since its re-launch back in 2012. Usagi Yojimbo is based on the current Nickelodeon series, and depicts the likeness of a mutated bunny wearing a ninja masters robes and pants. The head sculpt is incredible, and includes facial details that are painted including the eyes, nose and mouth, as well as whiskers that are painted with black dots on the cheeks. Most of the head is smooth, including the long ears that are bent backwards, but there are some sculpted hairs on the backside of the head, as well as the center of the back of the head. The ears are tied together on the top of the head that is left white, as opposed to painting the scrunchie. The robe is painted in a light blue, with white trim on the edges, and white circles with black dots on the upper parts of the chest. There is also a white belt sculpted and painted around his waist, with a separate tied piece made of soft plastic with two parts of the belt hanging downward. The dark blue pants are sculpted thin on top, and spread out as they go down to the feet, and have some sculpted bevels around them. The feet are in sandals that are painted in orange, and the ankles are ball jointed making it easy to create some dynamic poses. Sculpted to his waist is a non-removable sheath for his swords, which can fit in nicely. The sheath is painted in dark blue, and has some sculpted textures on the upper part, with the rest of it being smooth. Included are two katana’s painted in grey.
Usagi Yojimbo includes a ball jointed neck, swivel-hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged hips, swivel wrists, swivel-hinged knees, and ball jointed ankles.
Overall, these are excellent figures by Playmates Toys and we cannot express how awesome Usagi Yojimbo and the Samurai Turtles came out. Fans will love these.
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