Toy Review: Transformers Generations Studio Series Bumblebee (ROTB) (Deluxe)

Review:  #769

Name:  Bumblebee

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Autobot

Line:  Generations - Studio Series

Year of Release:  2023

Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 19)
Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Rise of the Beasts Bumblebee is the 100th numbered figure in the Studio Series line, and a somewhat fitting one.

He transforms into a modified 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, and it looks ready to go offroad.

He's around average size for a Deluxe.

However, he is fairly well painted in this mode, since the rear has black paint with painted red taillights.  The robot gun pegs onto the back, while the other weapon actually stores beneath the vehicle.

This is a good mode, although if you looked from the side, you can see that his robot arms are very close to the ground and they just kind of hang there, so they can get in the way of rolling the vehicle.

Nevertheless, there aren't any major flaws in vehicle mode, which makes it quite decent.

TRANSFORMATION:

Bumblebee does things a little bit differently compared to previous Deluxe figures, and it's a fun transformation.  The general layout remains the same, that is, the rear splits to form the legs, the doors open and the arms unfold out.  The front becomes the torso.  The legs are simple yet works very well with just a few panels moving around.

ROBOT MODE:

The end result of the transformation is that we get a short but stocky robot mode and it is actually a fairly good look for Bumblebee.

As you'd expect though, he wears a fair number of panels from the vehicle mode on his back.

The head sculpt is also quite nice with the bright blue eyes and silver mouth pieces.

Unfortunately, he is small in robot mode, even smaller than the already somewhat short Siege Sideswipe.

As part of the Studio Series line, he comes with a cardboard stand.  As mentioned earlier, he is the 100th figure of the line and he's wave 19!  It's surprising that a single line of Transformers managed to go this many figures and years without some sort of packaging refresh.

Articulation is good, he has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.

He comes with two weapons, a gun and his stinger blade.

He holds the gun in his hand but the gun is shaped in such a way that it covers the fist to make it look as if his hand had morphed into the weapon.

While the blade just pegs outside his forearm.  Unfortunately, the blade itself is left unpainted and this is disappointing.  If only the designer could have used less black paint in vehicle mode to have enough budget for the silver paint that the blade desperately needs.

Both weapons can peg onto the door wings when not in use.

A benefit of being shorter than most Deluxes means that Bumblebee is quite solid and doesn't feel too flimsy.

This is a good robot mode, where the major flaw is just the unpainted blade.  Given that's an aesthetics thing, this means that the robot mode is pretty good.

OVERALL:

Surprisingly, despite the huge number of Bumblebee figures we've had over the years, ROTB Bumblebee still manages to pack in a few surprises.  The vehicle mode and robot mode is strong, and they're connected by a simple but fun, and a familiar but still different, transformation.

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Black Clover - Season 1 (2017-18)

Black Clover is an anime based upon the manga series. The first season is 51 episodes long. It is set in a world where magic is an important part of life. Everyone can use magic to a degree and it is used to make everyday tasks easier. Once a person comes of age, they are granted a grimoire, which helps boost their magic even further. The story follows Asta, a young boy who has absolutely no magic at all but he is determined to join the Magic Knights and eventually become the Wizard King. The Wizard King was originally a legendary figure that helped save the world from a demon, but is now a title and the leader of the Magic Knights, which are like the protective authority of the Clover Kingdom.

Asta is loud and brash. His voice and constant loudness can be annoying. He tends to punch first and never ask questions. To compensate for the fact that he has no magic, he had been doing extensive physical training, to the point where it can be said that he is peerless in physical strength. Asta’s childhood friend is Yuno, who is the complete opposite. Yuno is more reserved and is brimming with magic. Despite the pair being from a very rural village, Yuno is a magical prodigy. The anime follows the pair’s progress as they come of age and attempt to joint the Magic Knights, both in the hope of becoming the Wizard King.

Asta and Yuno are like the pair of protagonists, rather than just Asta alone, although as the season goes on, a bit more focus is on Asta himself. The anime is not too episodic in that each episode isn’t rigidly structured to have a beginning and ending of a story of the week kind of thing, so the season flows along better than you would expect of such a long running anime. The world itself isn’t too bad at first but the politics and in-world prejudice do come into play later on given that there is a hierarchy and nobility, especially within the ranks of the Magic Knights. However, there are always good apples and bad apples, and there are several characters who genuinely want to make the world a better place.

However, it is not all sunshine with the anime. Unfortunately, the plot developments are predictable. From the coming of age ceremony where Asta hopes to get a grimoire, to the trials to enter the Magic Knights. Every story beat has been done before and there are no attempts to betray your expectations. There is a lot of dialogue that’s cringy. A lot of the supporting characters are one-dimensional upon their introduction. They have one distinct element that dictates their behavior and when that one aspect keeps on being repeated and shown multiple times within the one scene, it’s grating and annoying.

The fight scenes are average although granted, they could have been a lot worse. For what it is, it is decent. It lacks fluidity but thankfully isn’t just a slideshow with a lot of yelling and background streak marks. There are some movements and spells usually have enough visual flair to help distract from the lower quality of the scene choreography. This is a typical feel good anime though, so no matter how bad things turn out, it will always work out. Asta and his values will always triumph but the problem is how quickly and easily his values win people over. His teammates will have doubts about him but then their comradeship just blossoms after one event. A little bit more time for development would not have hurt.

While Asta does not have any magical ability to start off with has him being the weakest of the weakest, once his abilities awaken, he’s swung to the other end. There are times where he feels too overpowered, especially against enemies who have no clue about his powers. Once the opponent gets a grasp on what Asta’s ability is, then he becomes disadvantaged again and it is up to him to break through that. Asta must learn and use new skills in unexpected ways in order to fulfil his potential. The same goes with Yuno, as he too has unique powers that set him apart.

Since this is one of the anime with a long season, there are undoubtedly several episodes of filler, as well as a recap episode, the most annoying of them all. The filler episodes are actually not that bad and they don’t show up too much in the second half. Naturally, there are the never-ending chain of enemies that escalate in power. In the second half of the season, villains with crazy amounts of power will show up. Each arc also takes the predictable approach of teaming Asta up with a fellow teammate, just so their backstories can be told.

The second half of the season is where the anime actually starts throwing off some of its baggage and becomes enjoyable. The anime is not going to win any awards for its storytelling or visuals, but it does enough to keep your interest. The characters end up being endearing, since every one of them is an underdog. When the team gets together and properly acts like a team for the first time, it is a good feeling. The final arc of the season is a strong finish as it is filled with emotion and some of the best fight scenes in the season. It was an exciting and engrossing arc to watch but weirdly, the season ends at the beginning of another arc, so it can feel truncated as a result.

Overall, Black Clover is surprisingly good and exceeds your expectations. The beginning and for most of the first half is kind of predictable with Asta being exceedingly annoying. The supporting characters lacks depth and are one-note as they are dominated by one certain quirk. However, as the season goes on and it starts to focus on each character, they become much more developed and fun as a character. The anime never gets too serious or lighthearted as it strikes a good balance between to two, and so it is enjoyable for a wide variety of audiences.

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A Memoir Blue (PC)

A Memoir Blue is a relaxing and simple game, like a visual novel, but without the text. There’s a minimum amount of interactions, as most of the enjoyment is provided by the music, and its type of visual storytelling. It follows a swimming athlete, Miriam. The game starts out with her sitting in her apartment, and after hearing a song, she is reminded of her childhood.

We can immediately tell that her childhood memories are painful ones, and it’s quite easy to see what happened. She and her mother were on great terms, but as she grew up, we can see that they were drifting apart, until one day, they were apart. Despite no dialogue or text at all, the story it tells is easily understandable. Most of the game is presented in 3D, while the childhood memories are in 2D.

While the game can be played with a mouse or controller, the former is definitely the superior option. The game’s interactive moments, since they cannot be called puzzles at all, basically has you clicking around until you find the interactable object that would progress the story. There’s no difficulty or thinking required, and while there were moments where it may not be obvious what you need to do, it’ll only take less than a minute until you stumble across it.

The game is extremely short, you can easily finish it within an hour and there’s nothing to do afterwards. The way the story is told can be weird at times, given that it takes on a fantastical view of Miriam swimming through a sea, recalling her memories. While it has a unique tone, and it does the mother daughter relationship well, it can be too abstract to be coherent, or to keep your attention.

Overall, A Memoir Blue is a nice short experience if you wanted something relaxing as a breather before starting a more involved game. The visuals are easy on the eyes, and progression is close enough to automatic that there won’t be any troubles or issues at all. The story it tells has potential, but its execution is flawed.

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Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic (2022)

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic is the third season, coming in at thirteen episodes long.  It follows Shirogane Miyuki and Shinomiya Kaguya, both of whom has affections for each other.  However, they are too proudful to be the first to confess.  Thus in their everyday interactions, they scheme to try and to get the other to confess first.  this leads to hilarious moments, especially when the pair has to fight against their emotions.  Joining the pair are the rest of the student council members, Fujiwara who is an airhead, Ishigami who likes to keep to himself, and Miko, who lives by the book.

Surprisingly, the beginning of the season touches upon the ridiculous and over the top ending of the previous season.  It’s nothing too clever, yet still a nice touch to reference that odd (and funny) moment.  Then it moves onto Shinomiya and her dismal knowledge of technology (given her sheltered upbringing).  She finally got her first smartphone, and it is funny when she learns about things that is common knowledge to everyone else.  The way that she applies her vast existing knowledge to this piece of technology is not a stretch or leap of logic, it’s just that technology has advanced so fast now that she’s just completely wrong.  So when the smartphone doesn’t behave to her expectations, it’s funny to see her get flustered and then try to find a way to cover up herself.

Most of the anime focuses on Shirogane and Shinomiya but the supporting characters gets their fair share of screentime.  The best parts of the anime are definitely where it focuses on the main student council members.  Fujiwara is always unpredictable, while Ishigami and Miko have their own charms.  It’s on when some of the supporting characters get their own focus, can it feel that the story arcs are weakened.  It’s a catch-22, since those supporting characters aren’t as fleshed out and developed so you don’t care about them nor do you want to watch them, but they can’t get fleshed out and developed unless time is spent on them.

One thing the anime does not shy away from is showing how times continues to move on.  It’s getting to the point where the opportunities for Shirogane and Shinomiya to be together are starting to decrease.  They are getting ever closer to being able to express their feelings, it’s not even just a matter of pride anymore.  Rather, it’s finding the courage and the right opportunity for them to come out and say it.  It’s endearing and fun to watch because with every small step of success, you feel happy for them.  The thing that makes it so funny is that the characters are fully self-aware of what they need to do, and they can give that same advice to others, but just cannot execute it themselves.

The pair is so infatuated with each other, they are ready to go and confess.  However, every single time, even when it seemed surefire that the confession would come out, something always comes up so that they fall short right before the pivotal moment.  Usually, this would be something that would disappoint the viewer, especially when constantly teased like this.  Yet somehow, these excuses don’t make you roll your eyes because the writing doesn’t feel cliched or lazy.

When the anime peaks, it really peaks, with some clever humor that just feels so matter of fact.  It helps that the voice acting is top notch.  They’re exaggerated yet filled with emotion and fits perfectly with those characters.  Nearly all of the scenarios are great, with some of them going on for longer than they have ever gone.  The animation quality is still on the iffier side, but it uses that to make it its own thing.  There are the streaking backgrounds to increase the exaggeration of a character when they’re speaking, or they deform the characters, lowering the quality of the character moments for comedic effect.  It works out well in the end.

The final arc of the season takes up most of the season and it is an important event, being the culture festival.  It’s surprising how quickly this event came up, so time is really flying for the characters.  It’s intense because now we not only have Shirogane and Shinomiya to root for, but also Ishigami.  There are heaps of misunderstandings, as well as heaps of heartwarming moments, especially with Fujiwara and Ishigami.  The former with her friendship and despite her questionable motives or actions, still helps out from the good of her heart.  The latter with Ishigami mustering up the courage to find his own happiness.

The sweeter moments come when we’re reminded of just how much Shinomiya had changed.  She had the moniker of ice queen before she had first joined the school, but now she is much more akin to a typical teenager with her first crush.  You can’t help but expect with all the build up to the culture festival, it will surely only end in disappointment… but it doesn’t!  It was a fantastic ending where it felt like all three seasons were leading up to this moment.  It was a satisfying turnout, yet also leaving enough in the open for things to continue.  You can’t help but smile and be happy for the characters.

Overall, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic is brilliant and fantastic.  While it may not have the same quantity of laughs than the second season, it is no slouch other with its own absolutely hilarious moments.  The key theme this season is developing the characters and providing progress on their character arcs.  Not only does the anime make us care about the main pair but Ishigami gets a lot of focus, in a good way.  It builds up to a stunner of an ending, which was beautiful and amazing.  The final scene truly bought back the feel that yes, these two protagonists are remarkably clever.

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Toy Review: Transformers Rise of the Beasts Airazor (Deluxe)

Review:  #768

Name:  Airazor

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Maximal

Line:  Rise of the Beasts

Year of Release:  2023

Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 1)

Mold Status:  new

BEAST MODE:

Based upon her appearance in the Rise of the Beasts movie, Airazor transforms into a techno-organic falcon.

Unlike the Studio Series version, this is a brand new mold that doesn't share any engineering at all with the Kingdom version.

In terms of size, she is fairly small, especially since she is compact in this mode.

This is actually a fairly good mode too, since there's just enough color to make her not too bland.

Unfortunately, articulation is pretty much a downer, she can only flap her wings up and down.  There are no other joints, so it's the whole wing or nothing.

Nevertheless, this is not too bad and for supposedly a more simple version compared to the Studio Series version, it's a good effort.

TRANSFORMATION:

Airazor brings with her a new transformation.  The legs actually form from the wings, which is something completely unexpected and works really well here.  Therefore each wing splits into two parts, as the remaining portion of it forms the robot's winglets.  Then the falcon legs form the robot arms.  There is also some nice movement of parts around the torso involving a few hinges that keeps things interesting too.

ROBOT MODE:

Airazor's robot mode, dare I say, may be better looking then the Studio Series version.  Why?  First one, the colors pop out more.  Second, she's also a bit more athletic looking and less dull as a result.

She carries part of the falcon's wings on her back as her signature silhouette, and the tail feathers as backpack kibble.

The head sculpt is okay, she does look a bit kiddish and cartoon-like in this version though.

In terms of size, she's a bit on the smaller side too, she's slim and small.

Next to Kingdom, you can see she is completely different in engineering.

Poseability is fine, with joints for her head, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

She comes with two weapons, small daggers or blades.

She can hold the weapon in her hand as you would expect.

If you don't want the weapons out, they can peg onto the back of her wings, where they were in falcon mode.

There are no other gimmicks but the transformation is so fun, the robot mode is so solid and action figure like, that you can't help but feel that she has a lot of play value.

This is a good looking robot mode and one that's fun to play with.

OVERALL:

This figure is such a huge contrast with the Studio Series figure.  It's like everything the Studio Series isn't but in many ways, a better figure.  She's got an interesting and transformation, a more varied color palette, and aesthetics that works well.  Airazor is a good figure in the main Rise of the Beasts line that's worthwhile to pick up for fun.

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