A random figure that I came across on Facebook Marketplace, the S.H. Figuarts Street Fighter V - Sagat. It wasn't complete (no box/inserts/paperwork) but the actual parts to the figure were all there and the price was right, so I bit. Coming from within Canada meant that it arrived here very quickly.
We jump right to the unboxing pictures because there really isn't anything to photograph. Even from a general contents perspective, Sagat really didn't come with much:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 2 x Head Sculpt (Neutral, Gritted Teeth)
- 4 x Posing Hands (Fists, Open Palm)
- 1 x Tiger Shot Effect
- 1 x Base/Stand for Effect (Low and High Positions)
That's pretty much it... there's nothing else to the package.
The sculpting isn't too bad. Much like the rest of the SFV lineup, Sagat is this interesting combination of game accurate and anime styled simplicity. There's some great muscle definition, and while the face isn't exactly game accurate, it's still nicely done. The issue is that compared to its competitor, the Storm Collectibles SSF2U Sagat, this figure lacks the accurate body proportions and has a really odd complexion are compared to that of the Storm figure. There's also a size difference and more heads/hands, and while the Storm does cost more, it does feel like a better value proposition as compared to this figure.
The most obvious example of the the differing art styles would be the head sculpts. As mentioned, they're clearly not the realistic style of the games, but instead have this anime inspired aesthetic. I don't mind them per se, but I've heard some collectors were turned off by this type of thing, and went fully Storm collectibles.
Articulation is both great and bad. What do I mean? So, lets start with the fact that Sagat doesn't have any less articulation than everything I've looked at from this line. Shoulders may not look that great, but you get decent range of motion (weaker on arms crossing, but dedicated butterfly to raise shoulders). Elbows that feature a swivel. Even the thigh swivel on the figure has a bit more play to it, as they're mounted on ball joints.
The issue is the kneeling/crouching game. The short version is that the figure lacks the necessary flexibility to accurately pull off any of Sagat's low moves, most notably being the Tiger Shot, which doesn't even bother to come with a stand for the appropriate height, as the figure could never achieve that pose anyway.
That really is the weak point of this figure. Otherwise, Paint and Build Quality are the usual level of excellent expected from Figuarts. Joints hold tightly, no poor finishes were observed. Some of the joints could have been hidden better, but that's a design thing. It looks like that the flesh tones are actually painted on, and there's some airbrushing to bring out the muscles a bit more.
The choice is between Storm and S.H. Figuarts for this line generally, for most people, comes down to size. But in this instance, the Storm package is definitely the better buy, even if it costs more. You get more accessories, a more normal skin tone, and if memory serves me correctly, a better crouching game. To be honest, if this wasn't at such a low price, I probably would have skipped it as well.
Now if I could only find a R. Mika for cheap...
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