It’s nostalgia time! With the news that there will be a reboot/sequel/prequel/whatever-quel of the Might Morphin’ Power Rangers hitting the big screen in the near future, I though it was a good opportunity to take a look at the best Power Rangers figures ever; the Ban Dai/Bluefin SH Figuarts line. Behold, The Green Ranger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Green Ranger is packed in a solid box that features an oversized photo of the figure on the front. The reverse sees a few character action shots as well as the included weapons. I really like the use of actual photos of the figures instead of art shot on the packaging. It shows off how great the figure actually looks and the options when it comes to displaying it. Plus, it’s great to see the MMPR logo on the front!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The articulation is what these figures from Ban Dai are all about. There’s over 20 points articulation on this and each of them is incredible. The standouts are the shoulder and hip joints. The almost double socketed nature of these joints allows them to “float” and achieve a wide variety of posing options. Add those to the double knee and elbow joints and you’ve got one hell of a possible figure. I spent over 45 minutes trying to get the figure into the final pose I wanted and while doing so, was able to create a few classic poses from the show. The vast amount of articulation really helps reproduce the abilities of the character represented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The paint is FLAWLESS. That is all. OK, a little bit more. Flawless is the best way to describe that paint apps though. Every painted detail on this figure is damn near perfect. From the gem on the helmet down to the gold on the boots, each application of paint is where it should be and doesn’t wander off the mark. Despite the bulk of the figure being solid green (obviously) the details are where the figure shines. The teeth on the helmet are all perfectly aligned; the gold trim features absolutely no bleeding, the blacks and whites are all super bright, and the morpher is painted spot on perfect. The Green Rangers morpher could have easily been a sore spot on the figure. With such a tiny area to work in and with a detailed sculpt featuring multiple paint applications; this was a recipe for trouble. All these issues are moot point. The morpher is perfect. There’s another amazing example of paint application, but we’ll get to that a little bit later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once more, damn near flawless. While there isn’t an overabundance of sculpting on this piece, what is there is excellent. The helmet is packed with the finest details of the whole figure.

 

 

 

 

 

The dragon like eyes, the teeth around the mouth/visor, and the character’s mouth piece are expertly sculpted. The gold details at the gloves, boots, and forearm, are all additional pieces that further separate this figure from the other Power Ranger figures. The biggest difference between this and his multi-coloured friends of course, is the armour. The linebacker style armour was always set Tommy apart and it’s re-created perfectly here. All the sculpted lines on the shoulders and the diamond chest piece all look help sell the “jumped out of the TV” look of this figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like other S.H Figuarts pieces, the Green Ranger comes packed with a few really nice accessories. A whopping 10 hands are included in this release!!!! That is amazing!!!! All those extra hands can be used in various combinations to re-create some cool martial art poses. You could even go back through the show and find poses to copy for your display. I was a little disappointed that this piece didn’t come packed with one of the great display stands that are included with the DBZ figures. Having the ability to have the Green Ranger delivering a flying kick or punch would have been a nice option. I used a spare stand from my DBZ Frieza figure to set-up the one shot here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned earlier, the figure does come with a pair of accessories that excel in both sculpt and paint. I refer to the Dragon Dagger and the Sword of Darkness. The long curved blade of Sword of Darkness is very imposing. All the details in the handle and hilt are reproduced nicely and the gem at the top of handle adds a nice touch of colour (along with the tassel at the end). The solid plastic tassel, while good, would probably been better off as an actual fabric piece. Either cloth or rope would have gone that extra step in recreating the Sword of Darkness. The other iconic weapon, the Dragon Dagger, is perfect. The size of the dagger is spot on, not too big, not too small. The amount of detail on this weapon is staggering. All the finger holes and other musical aspects of the Dragon Flute part are here. The Dragon Coin in the center is accurate and almost looks like it’s painted a slightly brighter gold colour to help it pop. All the paint applications are impressive too. From the green highlights on the blade, to the gold inlays on the flat side, nothing is out of place. How so much accuracy in both sculpt and paint was achieved in such a small piece is a testament to skill of the sculptors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can probably guess from the review my opinion on this figure…..it’s OK. HA, I’m just kidding. This is a spectacular figure. With a character accurate sculpt, great paint, tremendous articulation, and some of the coolest weapons ever, the Green Ranger is outstanding. The price tag of $45 is a little steep when compared to other figures in this scale, but compare that with what you’re getting, this figure is vastly superior. I would like to have seen an included base and perhaps a touch of shading on the paint, although that might have a negative impact with recreating the look of spandex. If you’re a Power Rangers fan, an martial arts figure fan, or a nostalgia collector, the Green Ranger would make a perfect addition. In the coming months the rest of the figures will be released to finish off the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers team. No word yet on if a box set of the original five will be made available. This is the main reason I haven’t grabbed the other Rangers yet. If I have the chance to get all five in one go (and at even a slight discount) I’ll take it.