Toy Review: SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Faiz Blaster

 

SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Faiz blaster form in a glance would delight any SH Figuarts collector. For a regular released figure, he packs quite a lot just like my awe to my Kamen Rider Ixa. It is surprising to know that Faiz  Blaster form was released first before SHF Axel. The reason for this move from Bandai is still a mystery because we know that Faiz Blaster is the protagonist's final form. 

The box design the reminiscent of the 2nd wave of SH Figuarts releases wherein the color is akin to its rider. Bold letters scream Faiz Blaster and at the back, a familiar roundabout of what is SH Figuarts, what to expect from the figure and photo ideas on how you can pose him - a must for toy photographers like me. 

Blaster form is a remold of the first Faiz release so basically every nook and cranny that you had with Faiz is visible with Blaster. The difference would be is that in this form, red is his primary paint. Silver accents were added just like its predecessor but his chest and shoulder plates have a mecha-like feel to it (lines of a basketball if you ask me). A detachable Faiz shot and pointer are already a default once you've taken this toy out of the plastic hard case. I could never ask for a more poseable figure like Faiz Blaster. Before, SHF the joints and hinges are there but these weren't on their fullest potential as some SHFs have hindrances because of either an extended costume design or just simply the huge shoulder pads. I find no fault in Faiz Blaster for this area. What I am most confused though is Bandai's strategy on the feet design as they brought back the what I call the "triple hinged foot architecture". OOO had prevalent ball joints in all OOO combos and I thought this will be the trend for all figures that will be released this year.

Aesthetically, I find Faiz Blaster disproportionate because the chest and legs are somewhat big for the toy. Ok to be frank, he looks fat. Maybe I didn't see that on the first Faiz release because it was hidden by black apps. See? Black makes you look thinner.

 

Accessories:

Like what I stated earlier - Faiz Blaster carries a vast array of accessories and replaceable parts. For the jet pack already latched at Blaster's back, there are two pairs of thrusters, one pair acts as idle "wings" and the other has a hinge-ball jointed system which you can swivel back and forth. The latter becomes his shoulder cannons aside from the flight mode look. 

Blaster isn't Blaster without the gun because this is his source of his tertiary and final power. It folds from a compact feature to a riffle and with a detachable nozzle, turns into a light sword. What's best is that the handle turns so that you can shift the weapon into different sections - a feature that I haven't seen from any SHF figure as of date. The highlight of it all is the effects part, I feel that this is the real draw in for Faiz Blaster. From my experience this is the first non-exclusive figure to have such add on (Note: I maybe wrong but I'll check again).   

Other than that, he includes an opened Faiz phone, another Faiz phone to place on top of the blaster, two changeable henshin belt and a partridge in a pear tree (too early for Christmas). Lastly, 4 hand which the other already holds the Faiz Shot. With this accessories a plenty, I am a bit (tiny to be exact) disappointed that because he has a lot of extra's we are left with 3 hands. I said 4 but the other is already indisposed because of the attached punch camera. 

I would still recommend my favorite rider but be warned of the lack of interchangeable hands and the aesthetics which I pointed out earlier. A must have for collectors because the number of parts compensates what he is worth.