Another piece of clearance goodness I got from BBTS was the Mafex Avengers Endgame Captain Marvel figure. Yeah, I know, not the most popular character, which is probably why it went on clearance to 60 USD. Not exactly cheap, but cheap enough that I'd get one for shits and giggles, and see how it stacks up against the Figuarts version.
So I know that the the typical BBTS price is.. elevated t say the least, but even in Japan the MSRP on Mafex sets is around 12,000 Yen, which would be about $85 USD before shipping, so ultimately I was still ahead getting this one. Compare this to the I think it was 9,000 Yen for the Figaurts version, which has an elevated price due to being an Web Exclusive.
Now, unless it's some fancy set, in general you get more accessories with a Mafex than you do with a Figuarts. So the higher price tag isn't exactly a surprise:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 2 x Head Sculpt (Focused, Smiling)
- 12 x Posing Hands
- 4 x Energy Effect Hands
- 8 x Body Energy Effects
- 1 x Base/Stand
Captain Marvel overall still looks like.... Captain Marvel. Same suit as the i version, which is kind of expected. In comparing the Mafex (L) against the Figuarts (R) there are some immediate cosmetic differences in both colours and sculpt, with the Mafex featuring a darker blue (which, going by the Hot Toy, is more accurate). There are also some smaller paint application differences, which appear to be mostly focused on the gold paint, though the blue stripes also appear to be more prominent on the Mafex release.
Both figures are pretty much the same height, but you'll see there are some proportional differences (more evident from the back view) on the body. If you're being super pick, you'll notice the sash is sculpted differently as well.
Now, with regards to head sculpts, well, lets face it, neither of them look particularly great. But, the Mafex version does look more like Brie Larson and less like Ed Sheeran. Yeah, I said it.
The more relaxed face isn't bad, but it certainly loses some of that facial accuracy.
The better heads thing was something that happened when the first Wonder Woman Figuarts was announced, though to be fair by that time Mafex was up to their third kick at the can. (that first Figuarts one was terrible). I don't think the '84 offerings were as good, though.
Articulation wise, the two figures share some pretty much all the same points of articulation, so you'd think they would be capable of the more or less the same things. Well, that is not the case. The supper body is definitely similar, with the Figuart slightly edging out Mafex due to its back arch capabilities and better designed butterfly joint shoulders, though admittedly the more bulky shoulders on the Mafex do look better, giving Captain Marvel a more bulked up look. Ab crunch on both figures is... OK at best.
The lower body, however, is a completely different story. the Mafex is terrible in comparison to the Figuarts., though to be fair it's more about the lateral range of motion rather than the front and back. This isn't an exaggerated photo - this is literally as far as the legs on the Mafex will spread.
Effects parts are definitely winner here. The Figuarts version didn't come with much, and even the ones that did come with the set weren't great. Here, they're pretty good in terms of visuals, though the ones on the body do like to come off. The energy fists and blasts are fairly well implemented, and remind me quite a bit of the ones from the Hot Toys release.
With regards to Paint and Build, well I don't exactly have too many Mafex figures to do a comparison with. My most recent addition would be Butcher, but he's definitely not as complicated in terms of paint requirements. Overall, I'd say she's not bad. There's some errors that keep this from reaching Figuarts of Figma levels of paint work, such as the small gold paint apps on the boots, but overall still quite solid. It doesn't look like Mafex used digital painting for the eyes, which would explain why their eyes pop out that much more in comparison. Build Quality, on the other hand, Mafex doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation for the fundamentals such as having joints that don't break upon first use and QC issues regarding limb length and all that. Fortunately, this particular figure doesn't seem to have those traditional Mafex flaws, and holds together perfectly.
Its kind of hard to recommend the Mafex version of the Figuarts. Yeah, it comes with more parts, but at the same time you're a paying a good chunk of change for those parts. and said parts have somewhat limited use, nice as they are. Having a display stand is nice, but it's not like that is particularly expensive to buy, even aftermarket. Articulation, as demonstrated, is inferior overall though you may never actually use that particular range of motion. It's really down to the heads. If that's your game, and you're after an import at this size, then clearly the Mafex is the one for you... though you should probably search for a deal anway.
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