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S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Zett Alpha Edge


The last release of 2020 I ordered just arrived a few days ago, the Alpha Edge form of Ultraman Z (aka Zett). I always feel tempted to pronounce it Alpher Edge since that's the way it sounded every time it was announced when he would use that form. I always got a kick out of that, as well as the way the voice pronounced Atrocious every time he used that medal (Atraaaa-cious!). But anyway.....






This is the first figure Tamashii have given us from Ultraman Z, and it's a barebones release. All he comes with are 4 pairs of hands (fists, open and 2 different flat ones) and an alternate color timer. No Zestium Beam, no Z Riser, no Z Lance Arrow. It looks like the new release of Jugglus will include his Z Riser, as well as a holding hand for it. Pretty shady way of getting buyers to also purchase the new Juggler, which is also a web exclusive and more $$$. Alpha Edge is pretty nice, though he strongly resembles an upgraded version of Ultraman Zero, his mentor.


One cool thing about having the figure in hand is that it allowed me to see small details in the suit that I had never noticed before. The light blue lines in his chest, thigh, back and shoulder armor, as well as small blue spots on his feet, and the various splashes of black throughout the body. Tamashii Nations did a commendable job bringing his detailed sculpt to life.





His articulation is pretty good for the most part, though there are some limitations. His upper torso and waist ball joints are limited, not allowing him to crunch forward or to the sides too much. His thighs can drop down a notch to allow the legs to move out to the sides and kick out forward and backwards. You have to be careful, though, as you don't want to risk rubbing the paint off the sculpt. There is an upper thigh cut, but it's range isn't as much as other figures. His arms are great, sporting ball jointed, hinged shoulders with butterfly joint that can move out far, and the shoulder pads are on small ball joints that can be articulated so as not to get in the way. Figuarts seems to have finally mastered shoulder pads that aren't a hindrance, as seen in past releases of  Momotaros and Ultraman Geed Magnificent, and i'm glad that Alpha Edge got that same engineering as well.






For the most part, Alpha Edge is a decent release. Yes, they could've included more accessories, but on the other hand, the price was not high, so you can't complain too much. Especially when you know that if he came with a bunch of extras, he would've ended up a much more expensive web exclusive. While this wasn't my favorite of his forms, it eventually grew on me as I watched the series.







Ultraman Z is a show that I really enjoyed, so I'm happy to own him. I already own a Jugglus Juggler, I've pre-ordered the Sevengar, and will definitely be getting the original form and Beta Smash if they release one. This figure is decent, though not a must if you're not too big a fan of this design. I just hope that Tamashii Nations give us more Ultra kaiju in the near future. We shall have to wait and see....






 

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