Chemical Attack is just-plain showing other Transformers companies how it’s done with their iteration of Drift!
Producer: Flame Toys (Designed by Chemical Attack)
Price: Approx. $300 USD
Release Date: Dec. 2017
Item Height: Approx. 7.5″
Item Weight: N/A
Batteries: x10 LR626 cell (included.)
WHERE TO BUY: D4Toys, TFSource
There’s always going to be a debate from those not open to non-transforming homages to Transformers characters that those toys are somehow not Transformers products. However, those people are really closing themselves off to some great products and the latest is Flame Toys’ first forray into homages for the brand with their interpretation of Drift. This is the first entry into the “Kuro Kara Kuri” line of non-transforming Transformers pieces that focus heavily on presentation and engineering. While the video above goes over it in-depth and in-motion, in this written portion I’ll go over the key aspects of the figure and at the end, give my thoughts. Of course, there are games such as x-transformer and 5 lions slot develop from the toys preference,there’s the gallery as well and I hope that you enjoy this read/watch as well as leaving your thoughts on this piece in the comments section below.
Presentation: The packaging is very well done. It’s a relatively “thick” box with the “Generations” style of layout and writing that uses a fold-over styling with magnets holding it in place when closed (This is especially nice because you don’t have to worry about taking off any “tape” that can potentially mar the packaging.) Everything is packed in well and really feels like there’s no way possible of anything falling out of place. The layout is also nice in that you can open the box and see the majority of what’s included without unboxing for those who choose to keep them that way.
The figure itself is absolutely gorgeous with extremely well-done detailing like panel lines and paint applications so perfect that it comes off meticulous. And that’s not just for the figure itself, but the weapons as well. The solid, gloss finish throughout and even cold feel of the diecast in the lower body really feel “high end” and the multiple lights throughout really make Drift feel like a culmination of previous design elements in Chemical attack’s offerings. There’s never a time where you look at this and are anything less than impressed by the work put into the fit and finish of a single part of this piece and although it’s entirely subjective, this is the best design of Drift on a figure or statue that I’ve seen,
period.
The one thing I really find myself disliking on this piece is the cape. Even though the pieces are well put together and the wires are literally the best I’ve had the opportunity of utilizing on any figure ever, the material used for it and coloring are blatantly different than what was on both the promotional pictures as well as the instructions.
Build: This piece is a mixture of strong plastics and diecast with tight joints that really hold well in the extreme poses that it’s able to pull off. Although there are pieces that are naturally more thin or small than others, there isn’t a single piece on Drift that feel’s like it’s necessarily fragile (but of course treat this like a more high-end, collectible piece and refrain from “ham fisting” or working overly harsh/heavily with it.) I’d posted a video on my youtube channel of some of the engineering under the hood and it’s really impressive what all goes into providing a figure this level of articulation. It’s really neat to see some of that engineering blend to the outer aesthetic of the figure in things like panels that slide on the tights as the kneeds are bent. The accessories are more than sturdy as well. Whether it’s the look or make, nothing about this piece feels like an afterthoughts in any way.
Accessories: The accessories for Drift are encompassed by additional faces, hands, weapons, and a stand. The preorder that I purchased from D4Toys also included a bonus battle mask. As stated above the accessories are all well made and the paint applications are done especially well. The part that I found the most cool of all of the accessories is the hilt gimmick on Drift’s larger sword where you push the handle in and the hilt expands while changing the color of the orb in the center (shown in the video portion.) The stand is very much similar to the MasterGrade 1/100 scaled stands for Gundam models and holds Drift up extremely well. I think that these are accessories that even people who aren’t very much into posing their figures extravagantly will check out a few times because everything’s so incredibly easy to swap out, hold, etc..
Articulation: Is there a pose this piece can’t do? As much as I try to write in a way that gives you a vision of what these products are about, I really have to advise to just check out the articulation portion of the video to see this thing in action. It’s just incredible. Literally from head to actual TOES there’s advanced enineering throughout.
Overall Score: 9.9/10 – As stated above, I have a very strong bias towards non-transforming homages that focus on look, build, and articulation like this piece does, so take that as you will. However, regardless of your preference on whether or not Transformers toys need to “transform,” there’s no denying that this Drift piece not only delivers but absolutely excels in what it aims to do. Flame Toys not only gave themselves a big, extravagant introduction into the world of Transformers collectibles but gave consumers an amazing piece to close out the year with.
Check out the gallery below and if you fancy one of your own, check out D4Toys and order yours.
