Prepare for trouble and make it DOUBLE. Yep, Team Rocket is blasting off again (Ash, too), and this time it is as new entrants in Bandai’s S.H. Figuarts line.
There is no denying the cultural impact Pokémon has had on a good portion of the planet, and even though I do not have quite the same attachment to it as the old NES library, I am still a fan. To be honest, I am surprised it has taken this long to get figures of some of the trainers in the Bandai line, even with getting some Pokémon figures several years ago. Cartoon protagonist Ash Ketchum (Satoshi), as well as primary antagonists Jesse (Musashi) and James (Kojiro) of Team Rocket are perfect first offerings from this expansive universe, and overall, they make for some great toys.
While the countless games about cockfighting with imaginary, magical animals are what continue to keep Pokémon fresh and original, it was the cartoon that really made the big impression in terms of the characters. Ash stepped in for Red, who was joined by his aspiring trainer pals, and they were constantly set upon by now-named Team Rocket flunkies Jessie and James, who wanted to nab Ash’s favorite little Pikachu. These figures are great takes on the character designs from that show, and as Figuarts go, these actually have some beauty in their relative simplicity.
Our hero, Ash Ketchum, has been rendered faithfully here, and he is the embodiment of that simplicity I just spoke about. Like (nearly) all S.H. Figuarts offerings, Ash has detailed sculpting, functional and well-designed articulation, and very high production value in terms of materials, paints, and engineering. However, his MSRP is a bit less than a standard SHF, and that is mostly reflected in being somewhat “slimmed down.” What I mean is, SHF is a (relatively) expensive impression to collect, and it is not a line that is aimed at children, or even inexperienced collectors. There is a bit of inherent fragility to many of the figures, and the delicate likenesses, often complicated articulation schemes, and copious amount of interchangeable parts and accessories can be a LOT to take in.
Don’t mistake me, all of that stuff is what makes SHF my favorite thing going right now, but Ash (and Team Rocket) has more traditional articulation, paint applications, and his accessories are more about the essentials, rather than unlimited options. At first glance, that might seem like “less bang for your buck,” but as I said, he is about $15 USD cheaper than your average SHF, and there is something nice about being able to open this figure, and be ready to pose and play right out of the package. Generally, with these, I take everything out carefully, organize it, and even read through the instructions before I get into it. Not so with Ash, I got to the last step right away, and you know, it was kind of liberating.
Does that sound weird? It is not meant to be a detractor, or an evaluative statement against the traditional SHF that I know I love, but it is different and quite enjoyable in its own way. The Ash figure has a great sculpt and likeness to the animated source material, and he includes a removable hat, a swappable alternate face plate, hair, two fists, a pointing hand, and a hand holding a Pokéball. Oh, and he comes with his best pal Pikachu as well, but we will get to that in a moment. So, while he is certainly not a slouch in terms of included accessories, the options are streamlined and really focused on iconic play and posing. I like that.
The color’s that make up Ash’s outfit are bright and appropriate for an animated origin, but they also all work together well. The clean lines have been retained for a kid wearing jeans a vest, and his logoed ball cap is the highlight, especially since you can turn it around so he can wear it backwards. His articulation is the opposite of “fidgety,” but it is not limited and you can have him strike just about any appropriate pose you want. His hands help facilitate that, and while the fists are fine, I find myself torn between his “I choose you, Pikachu” point and the Pokéball hand, as both are great. The figure also includes two swappable face plates, one with Ash’s iconic and jovial smile, the other is more determined, like he is in mid-battle. Both of these serve their intended purpose well, but I would be a liar if I didn’t say I would be using the smiling head in my display.
Finally, Ash comes with his best pal, Pikachu, and a little clip to help attach him to Ash’s back/arm. Personally, I find Pikachu to be a MANDATORY inclusion with this figure, but, oddly enough, it turns out that he is my least favorite part of the set. It is not that it is a bad piece. Heck, I have never had an articulated Pikachu that is in scale with Ash, but I just do not care for the pre-posed outstretched arms. I get it, this helps facilitate holding onto Ash, as well as in a running or attack pose, but I wish you could move the arms into a more neutral position. I know that is me being nitpicky, and I have a perfectly good Tomy figure that can stand in place for a neutral pose, but it makes Pikachu feel like a bit of an afterthought.
Released alongside Ash are his foes from Team Rocket: Jessie, James, and Meowth. These three have been logically put together in a set, and they complement Ash well. Each figure (including Meowth) includes an alternate face place (for when they go “Blasting off again!”), and Jessie and James also have two sets of hands. Like Ash, that makes these two streamlined in terms of options, but the important stuff, like James’s rose and Jessie’s point, are all included. While these two remain bumblers, their Team Rocket uniforms look crisp, and the sculpt is not hampered by the articulation. Their points are essentially the same as what Ash brings, but due to his design, I find James to work the best out of the group.
Speaking of James, the figure captures the spoiled rich kid personality well. His face (on the non-blasting-off plate) might be *slightly* too feminine, even for him, as I find his nose and jaw not pronounced quite enough. Of course, his look is sold by the fact that he has a rose-holding hand included, so his iconic “nose to the rose pose” is easily accomplished. He comes packaged with two fists, but you also get open hands, too. I will admit, the “Blasting Off Again” face for James is pretty hilarious, if not very specific, but I love Bandai’s attention to detail in having the right eye tear that complements Jessie’s on the left. He is constantly looking in one direction (and Jessie in the other) and while I understand why they did that, I kind of wish they were both looking forward, but that is a pretty slight nit on an overall great figure.
Jessie was the figure I was the most worried about out of the three, and when I saw that Bandai included a stand with the Rocket set, I figured my fears had been realized. See, I REALLY hate when you have to have assistance from a stand to pose a figure in a neutral stance. Since Bandai does not generally include stands for action posing, I thought for sure Jessie’s long hair would throw her out of whack and she would not be able to balance on her own. Well, as it turns out, I was WRONG, and I could not be happier about it! I am glad to say that, even with that wild pink hair, Jessie stands up just fine on her own in neutral poses, but I am glad to have the stand as it will be needed for most action stances.
Now that that is cleared up, I still have to say, of the three, Jessie is probably my least favorite in figure form, and that is a shame because I like her the best in terms of Team Rocket members. She isn’t a bad figure per se, just not as strong as the other two. First, her likeness is pretty nondescript and rather milquetoast for a character with such a strong personality. If you just showed me the face plate, I would have trouble telling you who she is or set her apart from thousands of other anime characters. Additionally, her hair does not move, but it is made up of two separate pieces that have been fused together and there is giant seam line at that point. Now, I am used to that kind of thing on action figures, but in the SHF line, so it is pretty jarring.
The rest of the figure is constructed well, though, and her articulation works as smoothly as the other two. Her costume is instantly more of a challenge, but I appreciate the soft plastic used on the top and skirt. Like James, she gets her alternate face plate along with additional hands. Her pointed figure was definitely required, but it seems to me that it should have been for her left to stand properly next to James, but I might be remembering that incorrectly. Either way, on my shelf, I will have them standing together with rose and point ready to go, and they will look great with…
Meowth! Now, as much as Pikachu from this group leaves me cold, I really love this Meowth figure. He has a more neutral pose than Pikachu, but his head, arms, and tail are all articulated so he can have a lot more variety in terms of posing. He is considerably larger than Pikachu (accurate), and like his Team Rocket mates, he has his alternate face plate, complete with spiraled eyes. While I do have a good alternate Pikachu, I have never had a good Meowth figurine, so this combines a great sculpt with articulation, so I take that as a complete win. Plus, there is no way your animated Team Rocket would be complete without him!
While it seems odd it took so long to get Figuarts of Ash and Team Rocket, waiting for the 20th anniversary of Pokémon is as good of a reason as any to finally add them to the collection. While I wish Pikachu could have been a bit better and that Ash would have come with Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander as well, I have great Tomy pieces to fill that void. I am very happy to add all of these to the Nintendo shelf, and I REALLY hope we might be able to get Brock and Misty at least as well to round out what I consider to be the main cast. I highly suggest you pick up Ash and Team Rocket if you are a Pokéfan, and BBTS has both of them for sale now!
