Who's on the review schedule for today? How about some more Ninja Force? Target's exclusive sub-team this year is Ninja Force and their first exclusive,
Zartan, was quickly followed by a two-pack with Scarlett and
She Bangs T'jbang. Similar to last year's 2-pack of Slice & Dice, this set takes two vintage Ninja Force figures and tweaks them just enough to really make them work in the Classified Series, improving most faults from the vintage toys. Oh, and they also threw in some new alternate heads wearing crazy masks that just make these two must haves. I never owned the vintage versions of these two as a kid and while I liked the 1993 Street Fighter figures and the Hasbro produced Street Fighter movie line, I didn't really have many Ninja Force figures; just the Shadow Ninjas Bushido and Night Creeper. The Ninja Force line is really cooking, though, and I'm excited to check these two out. This set was kind of a pain to find and it's the only newly released set that I picked up on eBay this year. Ready to check out Scarlett and
Teabag T'jbang? Then stealthily join me after the break...
The Facts: Scarlett
Height: 5 7/8ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed drop down hips, balljointed waist, balljointed torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.
Accessories: 2 swappable heads, ponytail, 4 swappable hands, 2 kunai, small claw, 2 large claws, sword, sheath, and bandolier.
The Facts: T'jbang
Height: 6 3/8ths inches
Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed drop down hips, balljointed waist, hinged torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck base, and a barbell jointed head.
Accessories: 2 swappable heads, 4 swappable hands, 2 swords, 2 gauntlets, hook, and thigh pouch.
Non-Scalper Price: $60 dollars
The Positives:
* Let's start with Scarlett. While she's one of the Original 13, the Ninja Force version of Shana O'Hara was part of the second series of Ninja Force figures released in 1993. The colors just look better this time around and Scarlett is a far more appealing figure than the vintage release. I never owned the Ninja Force Scarlett, but I do still have my vintage Chun-Li who used the same body. There's a lot of detail here and most of the elements from the original figure are present (other than the cool pistol the vintage figure had in a holster on her left thigh). I really dig the color scheme as it just flows nicely here, especially those bronze shoulder pads. The black details nicely highlight the different parts of Scarlett's outfit, too, really making the brighter colors pop.
* This is a great portrait here. Scarlett looks fantastic and the printing on her eyes is incredible. Of course, she also looks pretty determined to defeat her opponents. I think this is the best Scarlett portrait we've received to date! Her hair is fantastic and the shade of red chosen for her really works, augmented by a dark wash that gives it some more depth.
* Here's a look at the back so you can see Scarlett's ponytail. It is articulated with a swivel joint so you can pose it a bit.
* Most of the Ninja Force figures have included alternate portraits with cool masks and Scarlett is no different. Her alternate head has a demon-like mask, maybe a take on a hannya mask? Those golden horns and green eyes are really cool. This is a pretty frightening mask and it looks so good on this figure. I love how Scarlett's hair is done differently here, too.
* Her shoulder armor is permanently attached but is made from three separate pieces, preventing the arms from being inhibited at all by it. It's really eye-catching and definitely completes the outfit.
* There's nothing to complain about with the articulation here, either; it's excellent! Scarlett can move easily, utilize her accessories well, and just stand around looking awesome. Nearly every Classified Series release is impressive and it's rare I'm ever unhappy with the articulation on these figures.
* The 1993 Ninja Force figures came with a sprue holding multiple different weapons. That mean you got a lot of weapons but there wasn't much individuality as most characters came with one of the same five or six sets. This version doesn't come with everything that the vintage figure had but her accessories aren't neon yellow, so that's nice! First up is a large sword with a somewhat curved handle. I love the look of this weapon and the paint really brings out the detail.
* There's a spot to store the sword on her belt (the small sheath is actually removable if you want to leave it off). It's connected to some plastic belt ends, something that on the original toy were actually soft goods.
* Next up are two kunai with rings on the end. These weren't included with the vintage Scarlett as accessories but they were sculpted on the back of her harness. Now you can actually pull them out and use them as separate weapons!
* The kunai can fit into two slots on the back for Scarlett's harness, allowing her to pull them out and hurl them at Cobra ninjas. Or just any Cobras, really.
* Scarlett also comes with a pair of claws. They don't snap on to her wrists, though; instead, they have handles that she holds. They're quite cool and look pretty nasty. How functional would they really be? I'm not sure. How awesome are they? Pretty darn awesome. The vintage figure came with a set of claws, too, so it's cool to see these included.
* Next up, let's check out
shabang T'jbang. Yes, T'jbang. That's an odd name, innit? It turns out it's a play on the word
chabang, the Indonesian name for the Malaysian
tekpi, a sai like weapon. So... T'jbang is a ninja from East Greenwich, Rhode Island who studied under the Japanese swordsmith Professor Onihashi, is named after the Indonesian name for a Malaysian weapon, and who carries the
Fu Tao, a Chinese hooked sword. This guy is all over the place! He's a second cousin to Storm Shadow, so I guess he's of Japanese decent? Who knows. He could just be related by marriage and he might have a Norwegian mother and a father who own a barbershop in South Africa. I never owned the vintage T'jbang and never was that interested in him but it's amazing what the larger scale and using actual separate pieces for the armor can do. That black and white Arashikage symbol on his chest armor is pretty cool.
* The portrait is really good and I like how his mask looks. The colors and design are kind of tiger inspired. They've even given Sam LaQuale (T'jbang's real name) some stubble, so there's even more going on here. He looks pretty chill, actually. He's a guy who has take a vow of silence, so maybe he just has less to worry about?
* From the back you can see not just the tails of his mask hanging down but also the drawstrings keeping it closed. It kind of reminds me of a luchador mask.
* What's his second mask? It's a tiger mask! A white tiger, to be exact. This looks really cool and definitely gives me some confidence that I was correct in my assumption that his standard mask is tiger themed.
* T'jbang's wearing some padded gauntlets to protect his wrists and forearm when things get heated. They are removable, but why take them off? I don't want to get hit in the wrist and Sam doesn't either. The yellow and black looks pretty nice here and matches with the rest of his armor.
* He's also sporting armored pads to protect his shins and kneepads. The little star details are kind of cool. I always thought the ones on the vintage figure were actual throwing stars he kept there, but these just look like decoration, which I guess makes more sense.
* There's a removable pouch on his left hip that I'm guessing carries some sort of grenades. Maybe smoke or flash grenades?
* It's broken record time: T'jbang moves wonderfully. He's really fun to pose and there isn't anything that gets in the way. The articulation is really good and tight and there aren't any spring-loaded ninja moves to interfere with the movement and posing.
* T'jbang's signature weapon is a pair of Fu Tao/ tiger head hooks that he forged himself. He has them attached together to make a rather unusual. Hey, tiger head hook swords; I guess that explains his tiger getup, right?
* The swords split apart, making them far more useful I would think. I love the dangerous looking handguard on these. Imagine getting punched in the face with that!
* What's this? It looks like some kind of small, hooked blade. Like a gutting hook. I imagine that T'jbang is proficient with this and uses it for far more than Candyman cosplay.
* What does Scarlett come with for extra hands? A pair of fists and a pair of trigger grips. Nothing too special but it is important for a martial artist to punch, so these are very welcome.
* T'jbang has the same two hands: a pair of trigger grips and a set of fists.
* Last up is this cool little claw. It's much smaller than the claws that Scarlett has, but it goes with her, right? Or is it T'jbang's?
The Negatives:
* So, the claw is cool but who is it for? It's too large for Scarlett and she can't really grip it. It doesn't really fit on T'jbang as it doesn't fit with his armguards attached. Kind of an odd choice here.
I really didn't expect to love the Ninja Force sets as much as I have so far (I already have Snake Eyes and Jinx, so a review is coming soon, too) but they've been nothing but excellent. This set looks great and is colorful without being garish, has some pretty fantastic accessories, and two incredible portraits. Yeah, I'm not loving the new higher price point, but at this point I'm still feeling like these are worth my cash. The lack of Marvel Legends, Street Fighter movie, and Star Wars Black Series reviews around these parts ought to show that I'm not feeling that way about most other Hasbro lines these days. This set is Epic, though. Or, how about T'jepic!
Looking for more of Scarlett/ Shana O'Hara? Then check out my review of the original G.I. Joe: Classified Series
Scarlett and the Retro Series
Scarlett.
This is the first figure of T'jbang that I've reviewed. For more G.I. Joe: Classified Series reviews check out the following:
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