Japanimation 3-D

Manufacturer
MacFarlane Toys
Year
2000
Materials
Plastic
Height
6.5 inches

Japanimation wave 1: Tetsuo

By otaku_kei
14th Nov 04

Height: 6 1/8 inches
Points of articulation: 5
Mold: Plastic; soft molded cloak
Accessories: interchangable arms - mechanical & psychic spawn

When MacFarlane announced the Japanimation range this was the only figure out of the range that I wanted to pick up. Amongst the first range were Kaneda (standing), and Kaneda's bike, as well as Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo, but without a doubt the pick of the first wave was everybodies favorite psychically powered sociopath - Tetsuo!

This was the first of the Japanimation range that I picked up and it was out of its packaging within minutes. I know that probably makes the collectors amongst you think I'm some form of toy violator. And I am, more than you will ever know. But that's a story for another day.

As a fan of both the anime and manga versions of Akira Tetsuo is one of my favorite anime villains. This could be due to his phenomenal power, his fantastic cyberpunk design, or just because he is one of the most well-rounded villains who is not evil, but merely misunderstood and out of control. This creates a very human character that people can identify with, and empathise with even as he destroys everything and everyone around him.

The Tetsuo design is a great representation of this character, staging the design after he had lost his natural arm and replaced it with the mechanical construct was also a piece of genius. This leaves the sculpters open to designing the mechanical arm and the malformed/spawned arm from when Tetsuo's powers start to run out of control. This creates two different dynamics for display purposes. I know not by much but they are there. Trust me.

But the sculpt of the face is possibly the best thing about this figure. MacFarlane's team have captured a classic look of horror on Tetsuo's face. It screams about the pain that Tetsuo is going through internally, and the horror he feels about what his power is turning him into. This goes especially when you connect the psychic spawn arm to the figure. This is a great recreation of Tetsuo's look during the Olympic stadium scene when Tetsuo's powers first begin to run wild and distort his body in disgustingly freakish ways. Very few points of articulation for this figure though, making this more of a statue than action figure. The soft mold cape is also a great recreation of Tetsuo's design from the anime when he drapes it around him reminiscent of some royal robes on his way to Akira's resting-place.

This is a great sculpt from a consistently high-quality producing studio. It looks fantastic on display on my shelves. Now all of you, worship him before he explodes you head!

-- otaku_kei 14th Nov 04