Hasbro IDW Windblade. for fans, by fans or is it?
Price: 16.99 USD (Starting) Takara 29.99 USD
Released: 2014
Where to buy: TFSource (sold as set of 4, Pricing may vary)
Let’s start with a question; Are fembots (Female Robots) as to what the TF masses call them, really appropriate to a world overrun by mechanized musculinity? Do we really need fembots in our collection? Why do they exist? My answer is yes. There is a saying that “behind every successful man (or malebot, manbot, metroplex…err), there is a strong, courageous, hardworking, (samurai wielding) woman (or fembot) :) .” Statistics also states that majority of assassins in the world of espionage are women (move over James Bond!). Why not right? Women are also as dangerous as men and sometimes twice as much. So how could robots get inspired and fall in love with the opposite mechanized gender? They don’t even have emotions at all! Are you out of your mind? That what makes Transformers Continuity so special to all fans out there. Don’t make me start a “Transformer Genesis” thing or it will make this review probably more than 3000 words and I still need to get my mind refreshed from all the new storyline that’s been going on with IDW.
Speaking of which, IDW, a comic publishing company, together with Hasbro agreed to keep the figures and characters coincide with the story. They come up with an idea to ask fans about what they want and how they want it. This is were Windblade comes in. A significant character in a new IDW Transformers comic series called “Combiner Wars.” As we all know, Windblade was made by fans, for fans by Hasbro’s “Fan Built Bot” program. It was a worldwide poll with dozens of existing characters options within the comic book . There was unanimous vote for female vs male bots for the TF continuity and Windblade landed the top spot. Fans were delighted, amazed, and excited for it. But, did Hasbro deliver considering they have a knack for “messing up” toy figures? Well, some of them though but this is were I come in… Well, every fellow reviewer did. At first the packaging is “Mint in Sealed Box” (MISB it’s just how they call it in Collectors lingual). There ‘s a big difference between a North American version packaging vs US version and I like the US version merely because of a free comic book (Canadians don’t deserve a comic book Hasbro?). Then the figure itself peaking through that transparent packaging that would make you teary eyed and disappointed not having a free comic book (Its a big deal for me!). She is by the way included in the Anniversary line called “Thrilling 30” by Hasbro.
The way she looks is more like a “Geisha” or a “Kabuki” due to the face paint scheme and similar to the comic looking like she went out straight from an 16th Century Japan Era. Her role as a mediator for Metroplex called “Cityspeaker” by the Cybertronian masses is quite a strong character. Providing communication and translator for the injured titan. Not only that, she also is a good swordsman or swordswoman so to speak. So she’s that good? But how about the figure itself? Not quite. It isn’t that bad of a figure itself but some of the articulations (mostly the waist and leg joints) are a bit obstructed so posing those thighs forward are limited . It can stand and balance on its own knowing that excess kibble and the sheathe can be placed at the back. The “Coca Cola” figure (literally a “Coke” because of her color combination) showing Hasbro’s feminine touch to it (Ngarrrr! Cheetor down!). Weapons include the “Stormfall Sword” with a sheathe/scabbard that looks like a tail rotor for transfomation and also a Tessen (Warrior Blade Fan) at the back of her head. There is however that hole on the figure’s side core (very common to CHUG figures) which is so annoying when doing a side view poses. The alt mode is pretty much unique in a sense that she’s a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) jet kind of a Harrier looking with wingblades for take off. Some Fans felt ecstatic about the alt mode. It was a playable jet mode due to the design but less connections to make it more rigid. To tell you the truth, those two wingblade placements caught my eye. It looks sleek and very innovative but there is that “hollowness” in the mid section of the plane regardless you connect the sheathe/scabbard underneath the alt mode’s peghole. As to what I’ve seen so far, not a disappointing figure to have on your collection but there’s room for improvement (custom people!). How about the paint? Detail is absolutely gorgeous, It can stand out in a detolf full of overgrown mass of men gendered robots (especially the Takara version). As a collector figure you can tell the “delicateness” of Windblade’s looks from the organized chaos of every grown man’s (and woman’s) collection (equality is a right of all sentient collectors!).
Too many questions for just one figure, we have rights! After all we asked, they made it happen. Regardless of what Hasbro does, at least they listened to what we really look for in their toyline and that’s a big deal. Whether there might be flaws or not, It can still be as good as what we expect. Just satisfy your crave and get one. After all, what is a fan made figure if the fans won’t recognize their opinionated rendering into reality and for those who voted and hated it, as what my Values Education Professor (God bless his soul) would say, shame on you!
Score: 7/10
