"Banzai"
1/35th Figure Set No. WA35549
Review by Terry Ashley
The figures are cast in the usual light cream resin with just the casting blocks and some minor casting seams to be removed before assembly. The figures are cast with all their personal equipment included with the only extras being the weapons and each is split up with the body in one piece with separate arms and heads.
The weapons are in the form of two ‘Meiji Carbine 38th Year Type’ rifles fitted with bayonets which came into service in 1905 and were used throughout WWII and come with the soldier’s hands included in the casting for more precise location and an Officer with samurai sword.
The scale size of the figures represents the typical Japanese soldier of WWII and has nicely animated poses with good crisp uniform details, fabric folds and facial features with one of the figures recoiling after being hit with the Officer having the sword in striking pose and the two riflemen holding their rifles in typical bayonet charge poses.
The fit of the parts was quite good but as the separate hands join the exposed arms you will have to completely eliminate the join seam while some minor filler was needed on a couple of the arm joins but nothing excessive.
Also included is a square base of bare terrain such as on Iwo Jima to pose the figures on as well as a sheet of thin lead foil and a self adhesive mask for painting the large Japanese flag carried by the hit soldier.
Conclusion:
A nicely detailed set of figures to make an animated yet unusual vignette for
something a bit different from the usual and could be used on it’s
own or as part of a larger diorama with any of the available US Marine figure
sets.
Recommended
The figure set is available in the US from VLS and in Australia from Firestorm Models.
Page created 10 October 2004