Action Figure Review: Usopp (Romance Dawn) from S.H. Figuarts: One Piece by Bandai/ Tamashi Nations

 

   

   Who is ready for a review of the brave captain Usopp? Then let's get to it! Bandai/ Tamashi Nations is really doing a nice job with their One Piece S.H. Figuarts line lately and they've been steadily covering the main crew pre-time skip. Sanji is shipping soon, too, but as of right now Usopp is the newest widely available member of the Straw Hat Pirates. I received him back in February from Nin-Nin Game but he's now available in the United States at most retailers who sell S.H. Figuarts release. There is a version based on Jacob Gibson's portrayal of Usopp from the live action show scheduled for release later this year as well, though while I love the live action show and the casting, I prefer to collect the figures inspired by the manga and anime. Ready to set sail with the brave captain Usopp, clearly the greatest and most inspiring action figure to ever grace your shelf? Probably an action figure that has already defeated Darth Vader, Cobra Commander, Skeletor, and Thanos single handedly, no doubt. Then let's check out this brave warrior of the sea (who has absolutely no connection to Sniper King/ Sogeking) after the break....

The Facts:

Height: 5 7/8ths inches

Articulation: Toe hinges, double swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, balljointed thighs, swivel/ hinge hips, swivel belt end, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, barbell jointed shoulders w/ vertical butterfly hinges, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, double swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head. 

Accessories: 5 swappable Usopp faceplates, 1 Luffy faceplate, 12 swappable hands, satchel, hammer, slingshot, sling, 2 pair of goggles, and bandanna headpiece. 

Non-Scalper Price: $43-$75 dollars

The Positives:

* Usopp fills a lot of roles for the Star Hats, especially early in the series; he's the sniper/ marksman, mechanic, inventor, repairman, and often strategist. Despite not having a lot of confidence in himself at the beginning of his journey, he is a man of many talents. Usopp's wearing a pretty basic outfit of some brown overalls with a gray belt and a wrist band on his left wrist. It's simple but the figure looks excellent, especially as the upper part of Usopp's overalls are a separate piece from his torso, giving him a layered appearance while everything still stays in place. There's not a ton of paint work here but everything is sharp and clean.

* While most characters in One Piece are wonderfully expressive, Usopp is especially given to exaggerated facial expressions. Five swappable faceplates are included and they're pretty easy to swap: Just pop off the bandanna piece from Usopp's head and the faceplates are easily removed. This portrait feels like the standard portrait and shows Usopp with a huge grin. His eyes are wide open and, of course, he has his signature overly long nose. 

* Next up is faceplate showing Usopp getting rather angry at something. It could be something serious, like learning about what the Black Cat Pirates are planning to do to Kaya, or it could be something rather silly, like Luffy or Zoro making some goofy comment that he doesn't approve of. I love the way he's looking sideways with his teeth bared. 

* Here Usopp's pretty pleased with himself. Maybe he's laughing at a joke he cracked, or he's just pleased with the way things are going. The Straw Hats are all so lovable and it's fun to have expressions like this just to make them a joyful presence on your shelf. 

* The fourth portrait definitely shows Usopp surprised and a bit enraged. It's another great look at feels very spot-on for Usopp. The likenesses to the animation are fantastic and really do a great job of capturing a two dimensional character in a three dimensional medium, something that's not always easy to do. 

* Last up is Usopp absolutely enraged. What did Luffy, Sanji, or Zoro do now? Usopp is really driven by his emotions and I'm sure you can find a lot of uses for this portrait. The exaggerated sharp teeth, the curled tongue, and the extended eyeballs are hilarious. 

* Here's a shot of the back of Usopp's head so you can see the impressive sculpt on his curly hair and the solid linework on his bandanna. 

* Usopp doesn't come with his sniper goggles that he picks up on Loguetown but he does come with his original standard goggles. Two pair, actually. The first pair are designed to fit around the top of his headband for when he's not actively wearing them. They fit quite well and complete his look nicely.

* The second pair of goggles don't have a band that goes all the way around his head. Instead, they're designed to fit over his ears and near his temples for when he's wearing them. The lenses are transparent so you can see his eyes through them.

* Like the rest of the S.H. Figuarts line of One Piece figures, Usopp also comes with an additional portrait for Monkey D. Luffy. Check out this crazy expression on Luffy! His draw has literally dropped! Is he laughing maniacally at something? Or maybe he just stubbed his toe or something. It's a great portrait with a lot of options and it's pretty hilarious. 

* Usopp has an unusual point of articulation on his belt; the end of his belt is a separate piece that can rotate, allowing you to move the piece so it hangs correctly when you're poising him. 

* Usopp has excellent articulation. Besides being able to move around in almost any pose you can imagine, he also can really nicely interact with his slingshot and sling. Sometimes accessories like slingshots and bows are tough to have action figures utilize, but Usopp can do so with ease. He's just a fun, wonderfully expressive action figure and his articulation despite being plentiful, nicely flows with the sculpt of the figure. He is a lot of fun to mess around with, especially with so many great faceplate expressions and extra hands. 

* Speaking of hands, Usopp comes with ten swappable hands. Ten! That's a bunch! He has a pair of slightly cupped hands for putting his hands on his hips or crossing his shoulders, an open fingered left hand, a pair of fists, a right hand for "pulling back" the sling of his slingshot, a pair of grips, a pair of flat hands, and a pair of thumbs for giving a thumbs up or using the primitive sling. It's a great assortment and the hands all swap easily. 

* Usopp's satchel carries all of his tools, gadgets, and ammo pellets. The satchel doesn't open but it does feet easily around his torso and looks great. 

* Usopp's primary weapon in the series is the ginga pachinko, or galaxy slingshot. It's a green slingshot with a curved design that's pretty slick looking. The elastic band is a solid piece but it is hinged so you can rotate it upside down. One of Usopp's shooting star projectiles is even sculpted inside the leather pouch pocket for ammo. 

* Need just a simple sling that Usopp can use over one of his spare thumbs? That's included too. Again, it's super basic but it does give you another option for displaying your figure.

* Last, but not least, a mallet is included. Why is that? Because sometimes you just need to use a melee attack, and what better melee attack than "Usopp Hammer" when you need to deliver a powerful blow to your foes. Yes, this figure can defeat all of the villains on your shelf with his mighty Usopp Hammer!

   Usopp turned out really well and it's great to finally have an Usopp in S.H. Figuarts. I know the price on these can vary based on whether you're buying them in the US (or another country), importing them yourself, paying tariffs, or actually buying them in Japan, but the quality of the figure is really impressive. I'm absolutely loving Usopp and he's an Epic figure from this line, particularly due to all of the swappable faceplates and hands. He's just a fantastically fun figure to put in crazy poses using all of his extras. Everything works well here and you're getting some quality design. 





This is the first figure of Usopp I've reviewed on the site. For more S.H. Figuarts: One Piece reviews check out the following:

Dracule Mihawk (Hawkeye)

Monkey D. Luffy (Future Island Egghead)
Monkey D. Luffy (The Raid on Onigashima)
Monkey D. Luffy (Romance Dawn) Gum-Gum Options Parts Set

Portgas D. Ace (Fire Fist)

Roronoa Zoro (Romance Dawn)

Tony Tony Chopper (Future Island Egghead)