It's the light at the end of the tunnel... finally. So I got around to opening these two - Android 17 and 18, specifically from their Universe Survival Saga appearance, where we learned who the real MVP of the Universe was. P. Bandai web exclusives as always, because if they made it easy to get, well then nobody would buy them... yeah, that's it.
Fancy brown box, art boxes both good to go.
The two sets effectively have the same contents, with the exception that 17 has an energy fist instead of the "hands in pocket: piece that 18 has:
- 1 x Main Figure.
- 1 x Alternate "Dynamic" Hair.
- 12 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 4 x Faces.
- 1 x Ki Ball Effect.
- 1 x Aforementioned Part
So while there are some obvious aesthetic differences between 17 and 18, you shoudl be able to tell that generally speaking, you're going to have the same play experience, no matter which figure you're talking about. This is mostly due to the fact the outfits are effectively the same, unlike the DBZ versions, and that the joints on the lower body are basically the same.
Appearance wise, it's not like the DBZ versions were off compared to their on screen counterparts, and their bodies weren't as clunky looking as most of the other characters. Naturally, being modern Figuarts means these figures enjoy many features the original ones lack, but that's to be expected.
Powered by Figuarts, the available points of articulation allow for posing in a wide variety of dynamic ways, though much like with Kefla, 17 and 18 cannot kick straight back, which can make lunging poses a bit of a headache - I guess only the cool characters can pull off the diaper that allows for a full range of leg movement.
While I can't really pick the better figure between the two, I can definitely say that this is my favourite face amongst them all. There's just something about how annoyed she looks that just gets me right in the soft spot. With regards to worst, I can't decide if it's the open mouth ones, or the ones with the gritted teeth, which, to be fair, generally suck no matter what figure you're talking about.
Otherwise, the figures follow the tried and true "paint it only if you have to" formula that seems to be the case for most mainstream figures. For the most part things line up with the animated counterparts, though I don't understand why neither the DBZ or this version can seem to get 17's skin tone more accurately. Decals are well applied, and as usual, your mileage will vary when it comes to the more fine details, but it's still pretty good overall.
Finally, Build wise, nothing noteworthy to report. Things fit together and separate nicely. Mould lines are generally OK, though it's pretty obvious they're on the figure. Overall, a set of solidly built figures with tried and tested materials. For complete disclosure, however, the knee fell off my 18 and needed to be reglued, so maybe rough handling?
So there you have it - everyone's favourite killer cyborg siblings, turned human, turned allies. Well made figures that will of course, fit in the with rest of the your modern Dragonball Super releases, made THAT much more annoying to actually get because they're P. Bandai exclusives... I honestly don't understand the logic behind picking exclusives,. You'd think that there's enough of a fanbase for the pair they wouldn't have to worry about it not selling - it's not like they would have made it any cheaper if they were general releases. Maybe they have some sort of arrangement with US based online stores or something. So with that out of the way, there's just one more P Bandai exclusive to look at - the Event Exclusive Goku.
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