The Sherlock Hound series is easily the most endearing take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic character ever put on screen, and I say that knowing full well that Benedict Cumberbatch is the current idol of the Internet.
Not that I am taking anything away from the future Dr. Strange, but anytime Hayao Miyazaki gives his take on *anything* it is difficult to best the charm and imagination he naturally pours into everything he touches. For the uninitiated (and if you are outside of Japan or Italy, you probably are), Sherlock Hound is a take on the famous Detective Holmes stories whereby all of the characters have been replaced with anthropomorphic animal counterparts, namely dogs. The result is a wonderful story style filled with humor and intrigue, but accessible to both children and adults.
Originally released in a standard episode format in the early 1980s, Hound has, of course, made its way to more Western audiences with dubbed tracks and expanded availability on DVD and YouTube (seriously, you can watch the entire series for free right now on YouTube). I originally discovered the show in my normal (and now, seemingly required) quest to consume anything Miyazaki even looked at, and it remains one of my favorite fancy-free adaptations, and I cannot wait to share it with my 4-year-old daughter.
The Hound himself, much like Lupin III before him, now gets a chance at being immortalized in plastic; this time it is thanks to Max Factory’s great figma execution, and let me tell you – they went all out on this release. If you have not watched any of the show yet (serious go NOW), it is still hard to deny how awesome this release is as everything I could possibly imagine being a part of a Sherlock Hound figure release is included, all the way up to his amazing motor coach that his dear Watson once referred to as a “work of art.” Well, it is great that the compliment can also apply to a plastic release, too, and I would not be surprised if a lot of collectors picked up this set primarily for the car.
But we will get to the car in just a moment since it is *technically* an accessory to Hound himself. I will admit that I don’t pick up as many figma releases as I do SH Figuarts, but those that I do have (Link, Samus, Pit) are all winners as far as I am concerned, and Sherlock Hound not only keeps that tradition alive, but I feel he actually improves on those previous releases and arrives as the best figma yet, at least in my collection. I wanted to take more action-oriented and fun pictures with this feature, but there is just so much to cover. By the time the basics were covered, it felt like I had already run a marathon.
If there is a single thing I love about Japanese toy makers, it is their attention to detail. That actually covers a lot of things from sculpt and paint detail, to accessory detail, to the ability to think of things I never knew I even needed with an action figure release. Sherlock Hound is a beautiful figure that captures the screen likeness and personality very well, and the figure comes with a trove of accessories from extra hands to a plastic bag to keep all of the parts you are not currently displaying safe and secure. Admittedly, I probably NEVER display all of the things included with this figure, but the ability to have a choice in the matter is something that is invaluable and more than justifies the 7300 Yen (about $70) price tag for this release. Between figma, Bandai, and MAFEX, I am now a very true believer in the “you get what you pay for” adage.
What you get when you pay for this is, well, a LOT, and I mean that in terms of quality and quantity. As if the freakin’ CAR wasn’t enough, Hound also comes with his pipe, smoke wisp, magnifying glass, revolver, four extra sets of hands, three different lower jacket formations to accommodate different posing, a set of “pocket” arms, and a posing stand. Oh, and the hat is removable if you want to count that, though the pin on top of his head will likely cause you to NOT pose him without his signature head piece. The pipe, glass, and gun are all what I would consider to be “required” in terms of accessories, and since this is a figma release, I would have even come to expect the different hands (those are fists, tight grip, trigger and open grip, and splayed). But as you can see, the love does not stop there.
The “pocket” arms and different lower jacket pieces are what really left me gaping because the thought behind all of them is great. So, Hound’s lower arms can be swapped out at the elbow to accommodate a second set of forearms, which, upon initial inspection, can seem a bit odd. They are literally forearms rounded off nubs for the hands. Since Hound is known to thoughtfully stand with his hands in his jacket pockets, these allow you to push the nubs to the top of the pockets for a very convincing “hands in pockets” look. This is so thoughtfully executed, it makes the design around the lower jacket seem trivial, but it is no less important. The three different jackets allow Hound to stand, run, or sit in proper form. Instead of rolling the dice with a soft material and hope for the best in terms how well he might run or sit, you just need to switch out the pieces and you are good to go.
The sculpt on Sherlock Hound himself is pretty much perfect as well, and the functionality of the figure, along with several of the extra accessories helps push him even further. Now, I will say the overlay portion of the jacket, while made of a fairly soft material, does inhibit some of the arm movement. For most his usual poses, this is not a big deal, but I wish he could hold his magnifying glass to his eye in a bit more of a convincing fashion. Hound is more of a thinker, but he does pop into action as quick as you like, so I wish the overlay was just a bit softer for better action poses.
Pabs does an articulation breakdown in his video review:
Past that, though, he is just awesome. The likeness is great and you can almost hear his dry proper British accent come though. The swappable eyes move into place by removing the hat and sliding off of the front of the face (the horror, the horror!), and while they do allow him to look in different direction, these are more slight variations, so the differences are subtle. Hound’s construction is great too, so getting him to hold most poses is very easy, but if you go to the extreme, the included stand has got your back.
Now, like I said, this release also includes his car, and as Dr. Watson once said, it is most definitely a masterpiece. I have not loved an “accessory” so much in a long time, and the throttle and steering handles are completely poseable, and the pedal was not forgotten either. The wheels move smoothly and the lantern-style head lamps are just so charming, I wish I had a J. Thaddeus Toad (from Disney’s take on Mr. Toad) to ride alongside the good detective. No detail is forgotten on this rig, so I hope they come through in the pictures because this is such a fun and well-executed piece that makes the list price totally worth it.
If you are unfamiliar with Sherlock Hound, please check it out, you won’t regret it, This figma release is so much fun, and he plays great with the aforementioned Lupin III figure, and just about any other approximately 1:12 figures you might have. Deadpool has already taken a joyride in the coach, so I am sure others will also go free-wheeling. Hopefully we will get Moriarity at some point since he could share a lot of these pieces, but the dear Dr. Watson is really needed as well. Heck, just give me all of the Miyazaki figures and I will be happy!
If you are interested in picking this set up, it is available at AmiAmi right now.