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

 

   Ready for coolness personified in the One Piece universe? Well, the S.H. Figuarts Romance Dawn version of Tony Tony Chopper isn't out yet but I do have the newly released Sanji, so let's check him out today. I actually really like Sanji and he might be my third favorite of the Straw Hats. He's an interesting character; so often cool, composed, and chivalrous, yet he often totally loses it and lays it on too thick around women. A solid fighter with a kind heart and a chef who will never deny anyone a meal. I didn't import Sanji, so he's available right now in the US, though some places seem to be sold out of him already. Bandai has really been delivering the S.H. Figuarts One Piece releases lately and it's nice to see how quickly we're assembling a cohesive team of Straw Hats. I believe Jinbei has been leaked, but who do you think will be the next pre-time skip member of the crew? It surely has to be Nico Robin, right? I wouldn't be surprised to see Nefertari Vivi soon, either, especially with her prominence in season 2 of the live action show. Sanji definitely wants more ladies on the shelf! If you're only a fan of the live action show and don't care for the anime and manga designs, there's a version based on Taz Skylar's Sanji coming out later this year, but I think most folks probably prefer the anime and manga depictions, right? Let's take a look at Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat pirates. Join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Toe hinges, double swivel/hinge ankles, hinged knees, balljointed thighs, swivel/ hinge hips, swivel belt end, barbell jointed waist, balljointed pec joints, swivel/ hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, swivel/hinge elbows, double swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head. 

Accessories: 5 swappable Sanji faceplates, 1 Luffy faceplate, 7 swappable hands, 2 pocket hands, and 2 soup bowls. 

Non-Scalper Price: $49-$75 dollars

Comparison:

* Just for fun, here's a shot of the S.H. Figuarts Sanji (Romance Dawn) on the left and the Bandai Anime Heroes Sanji on the right. The Anime Heroes Sanji is a later/ post- time skip version of the character but he's been my stand in for a year or or so. Obviously the Figuarts version is much better, but I figured I'd just show them off for fun. 

The Positives:

* Sanji looks excellent in his crisp, tailored suit. It fits him really well. Well, it's sculpted o look excellent. The S.H. Figuarts releases are really each designed so the articulation and sculpt really suit the character and Sanji has a clean look that definitely does its best to make his suit lines look sharp. The blue shirt is excellent and the paint on the gold buttons is clean and stands out. Sanji is a bit taller than some of the Straw Hats at 6 1/8ths inches and he's noticeably thin. Apparently Eiichiro Oda based parts of the character on Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs. I imagine that Sanji, with his respect for the foks who prepare and serve good, is a pretty good tipper, though. 

* Sanji's faceplates swap easily. You just remove the front half of his hair and then pop off the faceplate. Everything stays on well and looks great. Sanji's hair does have a bit of orange highlight on the bottom which is different than the anime but I think it really helps to add some depth for a three dimensional figure. The first faceplate shows Sanji with a great grin and those classic Vinsmoke eyebrows (though Sanjis. There's even a bit of a goatee there, too. 

* The second portrait has Sanji looking straight ahead. His grin is a bit smaller but that's to be expected as he has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. There's nothing cool about secondhand smoke or lung cancer, but Sanji does look pretty slick walking around with a cigarette mouth. It makes him seem a bit more dangerous. His favorite brands? DEATH and King Ground.

* Next up is a very happy Sanji with his eyes closed, a big grin, and a cigarette just hanging out of the left side of his mouth. I feel like he's probably trying to suck up to Nami here, or one of the many other gorgeous women he meets along the Grand Line. I do wish he had come with a portrait with heart eyes, though. That always cracks me up. 

* Here's Sanji looking a bit pissed. He's really clenching his jaw and holding that cigarette between his teeth here. Someone has insulted a fellow chef, a lady, or one of his friends, and Sanji is not going to take it. 

* If that previous Sanji was pissed, this one is absolutely outraged. What is making him so angry? It just has to be something Luffy did. He probably just ate the entire meal Sanji prepared in one bite. He could also be mad at some remark that Zoro made. 

* As seems to be the tradition for the S.H. Figuarts line, an alternate Luffy portrait is also included. This one has Luffy looking absolutely excited. Perhaps he's just tried some delicious new recipe? This is a wonderfully fun and silly look for Luffy and it fits him so well. He looks like he's really enjoying himself. 

* Pinstripes can be tough to nail down on a smaller figure but Sanji's look excellent. They're neat and clean on both his visible collar and shirt as well as on the cuffs of his shirt visible by his wrists. 

* I mentioned above that Tamashi Nations does a great job of designing an articulation scheme that goes with each figure. Sanji has some joints that might seem limited, like his shoulders, elbows, and knees, but they're actually crafted to preserve the outline of his suit while still giving him a crazy range of motion, especially in his hips. Hey, kicking is his thing. The shoulder joints are limited, but the pectoral/ butterfly joints are ball joints that really allow for some extreme motion and make up for it. The bottom of his jacket also nicely conceals an amazing barbell jointed waist that really allows for some impressive kicks and spins. 

* Sanji comes with nine swappable hands, though only six are "standard" hands. There is a pair of flat hands, a pair of fists, and a pair of flat palms with the fingers splayed so Sanji can carry dishes. Everything swaps easily and you do get a few nice options. 

* The seventh hand is a relaxed right hand with an attached cigarette. This one goes great with the faceplates without a cigarette in the math and really allows for some cool posing. 

* The final two hands are in this picture, but you can see them. Well, they're kind of hands. They're actually swappable "hip" pieces that you put on to make it look like Sanji's hands are in his pockets. They're kind of hidden by the bottom of his suit jacket, but that makes perfect sense. The pocket slit has a bit of Sanji's hand visible on both sides and a swivel/hinge joint that allows you to attach his wrist. It's a very cool effect and it works really well. You actually pop his leg off to swap on the new pockets but that wasn't difficult at all.  

* Last up are two bowls of soup, or perhaps consommé. Sanji's an expert chef and it's neat that he has some sort of dish with him to serve to the crew. 

   I really like Sanji and this is an excellent action figure of him. The articulation is incredible and the sculpt still captures his put together appearance even with all of those joints. The alternate hands and faceplates are great, too. I just wish he had a faceplate with heart eyes and maybe a few more food options with him. He's about the same price as Usopp and other members of the Straw Hats but he feels a bit lighter. At this price point a swappable torso without his coat might have been nice, too. Still, I really like him and he's fun to mess around with for sure. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and is sure to sate your appetite for a Sanji action figure.



This is the first figure of Sanji that 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)

Usopp (Romance Dawn)