S.H. Figuarts was primarily an Asian market line for a while, focusing on Japanese centric lines like anime series. Recently they’ve branched out into US superhero properties expanding their reach, but they still pump out great items for lines less recognized in the States. One of those lines is Naruto, which does have some exposure here but isn’t quite at the level of DC/Marvel or even Dragonball Z. Today we’ll take a look at two recent releases from the line, Gaara and Uchiha Madara. Read on to check some quick thoughts and shots!
S.H. Figuarts Naruto Gaara and Uchiha Madara
Overall:
I have to preface this with the understanding that I am not really big into Naruto. I’ve seen a couple eps here and there and did some refreshing for this shoot, but otherwise it’s not a major for me. That being said, I do like a clean well produced figure. Both of these do that. They are visually sharp, representing the characters well. Accessories are well done on both. Articulation is there, but – their range is limited. On Gaara, his skirt limits full leg posing. On Uchiha the upper armor basically removes sideways movement of the torso. It’s technically possible, but requires effort. His shoulder armor also limits head movement. S.H. Figuarts is known for great articulation, and it’s technically there, but execution of the layered parts of the clothing/armor restrict it here. In the balance of range and aesthetics the visuals won. If you’re planning on getting them in a slightly dynamic pose and popping them on the shelf, they’ll work for you. If you want to constantly get them in crazy action poses, will be an a pain.
The bottom line right now is whether or not Naruto fans need or want these figures. There will most likely be none with a better combo of visuals and articulation, but it comes at a cost. I’ll leave that decision to the true fans, check out what they can do below!
Dislaimer: Bluefin Brands provided these figures for review purposes.
CompaniesTamashii NationsBandaiBluefin
CharactersUchiha MadaraGaara
Scale6 Inch
Sub-LineSH Figuarts