One of the last pieces of TFCon swag.. man I'm slow. Yeah, you're not seeing things. This really isn't a Transformer, or even something that is Transformer adjacent. If you're unfamiliar, who you're seeing here is a legendary anime character from the 80s - the one, the only, KINNIKUMAN!
Battle based anime aren't a new concept, and they're certainly popular - just look at Baki the Brawler. But in the 80s, Pro Wrestling was the shizznit, and naturally someone created a series based on that, except way, way, WAY more insane, with Kinnikuman doing battle to prove his worthiness to become King of his planet, and other wrestlers coming from all over the world with some pretty nutso backstories. The series was titled M.U.S.C.L.E. in the United States, and spawned those tiny rubber figures that are still around - I'm not sure the anime actually got syndication here. The sequel series, Ultimate Muscle, did get a dub,.
Being a wrestling figure, the set doesn't come with much, consisting of the body, three total faces and 4 total hands. including a pair of articulated grappling hands. Of course, MSRP wasn't exactly crazy either, being 4,500 Yen back in 2015. This was also one of the earliest adopters of the then new Fighting Body, which allowed for pretty good articulation with a bulky build like this.
To me, the body is a tad scrawny, specifically the arms and legs, but the head for certain is way too small. That's supposed to be a Luchador mask over a head. Expressions are on point, though.
Otherwise, aesthetically I feel the sculptors nailed the character, which is kind of important given the prestige the series carries in Japan. Now, I can't really say the musculature is specific to Kinnikuman because it's all kind of generic IMHO, though I think it's a bit simplified compared to their WWE figures.
As expected, you can get some pretty good poses out of the figure, even by modern standards. In place of bicep swivels, the double jointed elbow rotates, so certain poses can look funny, but ultimately you can accomplish them. Knees are also double jointed, and the rest of it is pretty much standard for modern Figuarts, including butterfly shoulders. The only real point of articulation that is lacking would be an ab crunch, though I would have liked to see the head socket allow for more tilt.
As usual for the line, Paint Application isn't bad, just limited. Still, what's there has nice sharp edges, with a layer of topcoat that makes the entire figure look cohesive. Build Quality wise, there's really nothing to complain about, as the usual expected Figuarts quality is present, so every pose will hold with any concern for parts falling off or joints becoming loose.
Ultimately, Kinnikuman is a very solidly built figure, but that's something that really shouldn't surprise Figuarts collectors. Engineering is solid, as are the finishing touches. The figure is also not exactly expensive. It really comes down to whether or not you're a fan of the character, as looks wise, well, he looks like comic relief rather than the hero.
But if you know your manga history, you'll know what a true legend this guy really is.
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