This year at San Diego Comic-Con 2017, Playmates Toys and Nickelodeon offered a limited edition Deluxe Usagi Yojimbo Figure. The set comes packed with two new head sculpts (one behatted), his pet Tokage lizard, a flag with Usagi’s signature emblem, and two reprinted comic books. These include 1987’s “Leonardo Meets Usagi Yojimbo in Turtle Soup and Rabbit Stew,” and the 1989’s “The Treaty.”
During San Diego Comic-Con, the Nickelodeon booth was packed with fans attempting to purchase this highly sought after set, which was one of the most popular exclusives on the showroom floor this year. Due to the limited amount produced, this box set is now going for upwards of $300 on the secondary market, as evidence to the Amazon and eBay links below.
Usagi Yojimbo makes his triumphant return to television this year in an upcoming story arc on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This new story is a three part story arc that began on July 23rd, 2017. This reunites the Turtles with an old ally, Usagi Yojimbo. In this series, this is the first time that the characters meet, and must join forces to stop evil in ancient Japan when the Turtles travel into an alternate dimension.
Thank you to Playmates Toys for providing their San Diego Comic-Con 2017 exclusive Deluxe Usagi Yojimbo Figure set for review.
Availability: July 19th-23rd at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 – Extremely Limited
The Usagi Yojimbo box set is beautiful, and there is no better term to describe this figure sculpt, accessories, and especially the packaging. Playmates Toys have truly impressed us with Usagi Yojimbo.
The packaging is enclosed in a white mailer box, and inside this white box is a window box with a flap that has velcro keeping it closed. The outside of the packaging is extremely nicely done with and features beautiful artwork of Usagi Yojimbo. The front, back, and sides include artwork and Japanese writing. The inside flap is where the exclusive comics are stored, and to remove it would mean to break apart the plastic protector from the box and the velcro connected to it. This would mean that the box would no longer be able to stay closed. The window box includes a plastic tray holding Usagi Yojimbo and all of his accessories securely inside.
Usagi Yojimbo is based on the current Nickelodeon series, and depicts the likeness of a bunny wearing a ninja masters robes and pants. The head sculpts are 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. Two of the head sculpts are similar to each other, with differences in the mouth being painted, as well as how the bunny ears are sculpted. 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 other head sculpt has a Japanese hat with blue straps on his head to keep the hat from blowing away. All of the facial details are there, and the ears are shorter in the back compared to the other two head sculpts. The hat itself has a pattern to it that is nicely done.
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.
The two katana’s have blue and gold handles, as opposed to the retailer release being left grey. The new deco is extremely nicely done and the attention to detail is just superb. The flag with Usagi’s signature emblem is made of soft plastic, with the handles that are sculpted to look like wood, and the flag resembles cloth. The emblem is on one side only, and the other side if left blank.
Usagi Yojimbo has a good amount of articulation, which includes a ball jointed neck, swivel-hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged hips, swivel wrists, swivel-hinged knees, and ball jointed ankles.
The pet Tokage lizard has the appearance of a dinosaur, and is non-articulated. He is painted in a bright green, with dark blue spots on his back, and black dots for his eyes. The lizard is made of hard plastic, including the long neck and tail. There are even skin folds on the upper back and where the tail begins. The figure also has some texture where the blue spots are on his back, and the hands and feet are nicely sculpted.
Overall, these are excellent figures by Playmates Toys and we cannot express how awesome Usagi Yojimbo and the rest of this set came out. Fans will love this set. If you were not able to obtain one, you can purchase the retail release, as well as the Samurai armor figures (both single pack and two pack with the Samurai horse) as an alternative to this one.
Purchase:
