A Little Bit On The Low-Bit Akira Side: The iconic Akira movie poster gets a derezed pixel remix by Caleb Hystad.
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| I can just see myself in this dress with the socks and loafers and the German Nanny hairdo. |
Spider-Man! The Thing! Iron Man! None of these superheroes were present at Toy Fair, but action figures of them were. Hasbro was showing off their latest entries in their long-running Marvel Universe series. The company will be releasing a mix of both popular and obscure characters, so expect to see everyone from Hulk to Spider-Man to Puck and Nighthawk.
The biggest news though was the return of Marvel Legends, which is coming back after 3 year hiatus. There will be two lines released this year that include Arnim Zola and Terrax build-a-figures. Most exciting, for me anyway, is the release of the first ever action figure of Fantomex.
[Images via ASM]
Bandai's One Piece Kuttari Cushion series has been around for quite some time. They have had three waves of releases, and the latest one included the strong-as-an-ox Minotaurus. As soon as I saw him on pre-order, I knew he had to be mine. The other four plushes that I own from this line have all been of the very best quality, and I couldn't find a single thing to complain about with them.
Will Minotaurus carry on the line's quality, or will he break my record of great experiences with this series? Hit the jump to read the review!
Plush Name: One Piece Kuttari Cushion Minotaurus
Plush Maker: Bandai
Retail/List Price: ¥3,800
Available at: HobbyLink Japan
Meet Minotaurus. He's a big guy standing at 20.5 inches long (from hooves to horns). Minotaurus' body is made up of a variety of fabrics. The main white part of the body is a soft velour fabric. The black spots on his body feel like they are made of a kind of vinyl fabric. His manly six-pack and lips feel like polyester. His horns and hooves are a spongy, textured fabric that I am really quite fond of, and finally, his little drop of snot is felt.
Like all the tags in Bandai's One Piece Kuttari Cushion series, Minotaurus' tag is spectacular. It features a picture of the plush in a cartoon background on a glossy, thick paper. The tag is an impressive 5 inches long.
Minotaurus' face is amazingly detailed and very fun to look at. I love the ridges on the bridge of his nose, which give his face some structure. His eyes and nostrils are embroidered thickly and securely. Minotaurus' lips are hilarious, I think. They are slightly stuffed so they stick out a little from the face. As for the snot droplet, it seemed secure enough to me. I think it was glued on but it didn't detract from the appearance at all.
The muscles on Minotaurus's abdomen are embroidered in the same secure fashion as his facial features. No stray stands to be found. The belt buckle is painted felt. It is glued to the brown "belt" which is the same polyester material as the plush's stomach.
The plush's pants are part of the body, as opposed to on top of it. The bottoms of the pants stick out from Minotaurus's legs, which is a cute touch. The pants' red stripes are painted on. His legs are floppy, like a rag doll (his arms are, unfortunately, stuck in place, but it makes sense given their shape).
Here you can see Minotaurus' broad shoulders and slouching "neck." At the longest portion, his shoulders are about 18 inches wide. At the top of the shoulders is a hump and beyond that is where his head starts on the other side. His backside is also where the majority of his spots are located.
Bandai's One Piece Kuttari Cushion Minotaurus continues the trend of high quality plushes. With fun details, and a good mix of materials used, I am more than pleased with him. Whether you are a fan of the anime series or just enjoy a well-made and quirky plush, you'll find something to love in Minotaurus. I whole-heartedly recommend the purchase of this big guy.
[A big thank-you to HobbyLink Japan for sending us this review sample!]
