S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Astra

The next Showa Ultraman to be released in the S.H. Figuarts line is the brother of Leo, Astra. Just like his sibling, he came with a decent amount of extras and good quality.

Astra is similar in appearance to Leo, with the exception of the head, with his crest being smaller. The symbol on his torso is also different, resembling an A. And finally, around his left leg is the magmatic chain, a remnant of the time he was a prisoner of Alien Magma, before being freed by Ultraman King. The figure has an actual chain hanging from the clamp. The accessories include the Ultra Key, 6 pairs of hands, alternate color timer, alternate harness that allows the arms to be held up closer, and a pair of hands with the Ultra Double Flasher beam that he shoots with the help of his brother. The beam is a dark, translucent red that’s attached to 2 flat hands that can be pegged onto Astra’s wrists. The large key is a solid gold color and can be held like a gun by 2 hands molded specifically for that. Both of his harnesses are easy to remove as well, pegging into two holes in his back and one on his chest. The color timers are also interchangeable within the harness. The extras that he comes with are representative of Astra and his role in the show.

His articulation is the same as Leo and just about all the other Showa Ultras. He won’t move as well as the new generation figures, but his engineering is good enough for a wide variety of poses, including kneeling, crouching, kicking and one legged stands.

S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Astra is a fine figure from Tamashii Nations. I’m happy that they haven’t forgotten about the Showa ultras and that they get released with a good amount of accessories to make them worth getting. I still wish they’d give us more kaiju, but at least the Showa Ultramen are getting respectable releases.

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