Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper - Meisho Movie Realization

It’s no secret that the Meisho Movie Realization line appeals to a particular facet of Star Wars collectors. And when it comes to these high-end collectibles, licensees have to reuse or tweak existing sculpts to keep the line affordable. In the beginning, it feels like collectors get one new release after another, but then after a while, the repeating begins. Bandai has been pretty good by not oversaturating the market with basic retools and repaints of figures. More specifically, the Meisho Movie Realization line has had an obligatory repaint/retool of course, but for the most part, the line has remained new and fresh. The latest release is the Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper, which we suppose is the equivalent of a Snowtrooper in the real Star Wars universe. In Japanese culture, there are characters in the lore, and Meisho Movie Realization translated them into Star Wars characters. They’ve taken this concept and applied it to the Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper. It’s a great-looking figure. Fans are going to love it.

In a line that is Japanese-inspired, sometimes the figure can start looking redundant next to each other. But the Meisho Movie Realization has proven that they can keep high-end collectibles like this fresh and new. The Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper is a beautiful action figure. It’s loaded with articulation, weaponry and has exquisite armor that is artful in and of itself. As you’re probably aware, the Meisho Movie Realization line is a larger scale than the 6” figure line by both Hasbro and S.H. Figuarts. Based on Japanese inspired warriors, the Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper captures all of the detail that the Ashigaru Stormtrooper brought to the line, but with plenty of differences too. The helmet, upper body, shoulder armor and cod section/belt are all newly updated with revised tooling. There is so much newness here that it might be fair to consider this release an all-new figure. The figure is primarily cast in an off-white/eggshell colored plastic, but there are some other details too which bring the piece to life beautifully too.

The Yari Ashigaru Stormtrooper comes with three total sets of hand attachments, so two pairs are extra here. Certain attachments are required to accommodate the diverse weaponry included with the figure. Each hand attachment has been expertly crafted to allow for the optimal grip with the included accessories. The weapons divinely tooled too. Our favorite accessory is the staff. It attaches to a handle for extra length. It looks like this character could wreak havoc on whomever he comes in contact. The figure also comes with a sword and sheath. (The sheath also can be placed in a holster on the left side of his waist.) His most interesting accessory is an Imperial flag. He can hold it well as long as you utilize the proper hand attachment. We had a blast configuring the figure in a variety of ways. What makes this even better is that the figure has great balance. He will hold his poses well and looks fabulous doing so. Retailing for $89.99, the Meisho Movie Realization line isn’t for everyone, but those who do buy them are rarely disappointed.