Friday, May 11, 2012

Banpresto Master Roshi (2008) Figure Review


Greetings to all raving viewers out there! For those who are in college, I wish you all good luck during your finals week. If you finished all of your exams/projects already, I hope you're enjoying the start of your summer. I'm taking a short break from reviewing Kaiju figures again to write about a figure I bought recently: Banpresto's Master Roshi.

Dragon Ball Z was my favorite anime since I was a kid. I also watched Dragon Ball episodes whenever they were available on Cartoon Network. Does anyone miss Toonami with Moltar like I do? Master Roshi was one of my favorite characters because if there's one thing anyone should learn from martial arts movies, is you never under estimate old martial arts masters. Those guys always surprise anyone who takes them lightly! You can view Master Roshi's complete profile here:  http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Master_Roshi

I don't know much about the background of this figure, except it was released by Banpresto in 2008. Master Roshi was one out of three characters to buy including Emeror Pilaf, Goku (kid ver.), and Puar. All four of these characters were individually released in blister packs as Banpresto's Dragon Ball: Collection Soft Vinyl Figure VOL. 3.

The Figure:  The whole toy is made from soft vinyl and I get the feel like I'm holding a doll, which is not a bad thing. Master Roshi does seem hollow, but he is not squishy or flimsy whatsoever, except the cane. The tip flexes a lot, so Master Roshi can fall sometimes as he leans forward.


I bought this figure already used, so I may be the only one with this problem. Master Roshi sports a very basic sculpt and I sense that he was molded as three to four pieces. He stands like a statue and the only point of articulation comes from the neck, which has limited rotation.


I like how Master Roshi is depicted like a frail old man, much true to the character, but the lack of poseability does make him seem dull and boring sometimes. However, I do appreciate some fine details on him, like the wrinkles on his suit, specific engravings in the cane, and the turtle shell's texture.


Master Roshi's paint job is also simple and basic, just like his sculpt. He wears a gray martial arts suit, a purple turlte shell, orange framed sunglasses with green tinted lenses, and a pair of black shoes. Again the colors are basic, but they're effective because I think Banpresto perfectly captured Master Roshi's simple and laid back lifestyle in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT.

Figure Specs:
  • Around 5 inches tall
  • Around 3.75 inches wide

Final Thoughts:  If you're expecting a lot from this figure, you will be disappointed.  Master Roshi is not the best figure to have if you're looking for poseability. However, the benefit is the animated appeal this figure portrays and the overall design is not that bad either. To me, the quality is okay and this figure is worth buying as long as you don't pay too much for it.

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