Pig Demon from the Past
Written: Sep 03 '02
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Pros: Big bulky demon samurai figure! Nicely detailed and heavy
Cons: Articulation & Accessories are lacking
The Bottom Line: I'm tempted to give this guy more than 3 stars, because he really is very cool, but he's still lacking with the accessories and articulation. Still a great figure, though.
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| shocka's Full Review: McFarlane Toys Dark Ages Spawn The Samurai Wars Do... |
With the arrival of McFarlane Toy's Spawn: Series 22 - Viking Spawn on the scene, what better way to start off our new site as Online Action Figure Evaluators's by reviewing a year old figure. Such is the way with the one with empty pockets.
After the failure of McToy's Spawn Classics line, Todds Toys headed in a new direction with their Spawn series. This direction was Samurai Spawn, an ultra-kewl line with the detail of the Classics, but with upped-articulation and accessories. This was a great set, with wonderful new characters and impressive articulation for a company known for it's "statue figures".
From this line, I'm looking at Dojo, the enormous demon from the depths who, inside his torturing-souls-skin, hides his real form, the horrible three headed dragon Jyaaku. McToys have made a beautiful figure out of this character, standing 6" tall from his hoofs to his helmet (or 7" to his horns) covered in thick green skin underneath the plentiful and nicely detailed samurai armor. It's hard to determine what Dojo is - he resembles a kind of pig combined with a demon, with cloven feet and large horns protruding from all over his body. His body is a sight to behold, with excellent paint and detailing all over, as expected with the McToy's Seal of Quality.
Admiring the detail, he has many great and creepy highlights which make him stand out from other demon figures; first off is his chest, from which the heads of tortured souls incased in his fat belly can be seen, all detailed and screaming in agony. Apparently this concept was stolen from another toy, but it looks great here, especially surrounded with all the neat samurai insignea. Another great detail is the evil face of Dojo, hidden underneath his mask; it's a creepy apparition with a particularly mean look on it's face. Combined with the gold mask and pieces surrounding, which include a strange bone structure resembling a scorpion, a dragon headpiece and a helmet with horn-protruding, it looks excellent. Turning Dojo around, he has a nice long sharp tail, which is articulated in two places so that Dojo can stand on it as a third leg. It's covered with horns and looks great, completing the demonic look that Dojo possesses. Overall, the detail on this toy is some of the best ever on a McToy, and it's a sight to behold.
Articulation is where Dojo is lacking, with hindered shoulder, wrist and leg joints, as well as two joints in his tail. He can't be posed much, and isn't very playable, which is just as well considering all of his spikes. Being so heavy, Dojo is really just a display piece to sit there and taunt your Samurai Spawn; though he works well enough like this, and MOC collectors will be pleased. Dojo also lacks accessories, including only a dragon-headed, spiked club, which he can hold and attack with, and a strange set of shrunken heads, which don't really fit anywhere on him and are easily lost. Although the picture above depicts Dojo with more, he doesn't include these extra accessories as they were included in a special Collector's Club accessories pack. Being in Australia, this pack was very, very expensive, and thus I'm taking a star off Dojo as I will never have the entire figure without parting with a lot of cash which I can simply not afford.
Overall, Dojo is a great figure and definately a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in Spawn or demon figures. As the Samurai equivalent of Spawn's Clown, Dojo is best for collectors, as he's not playable despite his heavy durability. As he is now a year old, you may find him quite cheaply; for anything less than $6, he's a bargain and definately worth the purchase. I wish I could give this underrated guy more stars, as he really is cool, but without the accessories and articulation, he doesn't deserve it. Still, a fat, ugly fine toy. Recommended.
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BONUS!!!
OAFE has finally been unveiled. Go run and check it out!!
http://www.oafe.com/
I've reviewed previous figures in this line back in my pre-OAFE days. Check them out here:
Samurai Spawn -
http://www.epinions.com/content_48348434052
Jyaaku - http://www.epinions.com/content_46402080388
Want to see the company behind this figure, as well as all the new Spawn figures just released? Check out Spawn.com!
http://www.spawn.com
Suggested For: Collectors
Bang for the Buck: 5 - Don't pay more than retail
Best Feature: Sculpt/Likeness
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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Epinions.com ID:
shocka
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