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Manufacturer: Sideshow Toy, Inc. (www.sideshowtoy.com) |
HOME...REVIEWS...TOYS...BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
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Sideshow Toy currently has an ongoing 12-inch Buffy the Vampire Slayer line. But what line of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("BtVS") toys would be complete without the title heroine? Why, none, of course!
Since she's the main character of BtVS, you'd probably have to be living under a rock to not know who Buffy Summer is. The lucky Slayer now has a scaled replica toy, completely with Slayer accessories and trendy fashions! The figure also features a licensed likeness of Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress who plays Buffy on the television show.
Packaging:
Buffy comes in packaged in a front-flap box, the flap held in place with a
Velcro fastener. The entire box has a blue background color. The front
features a photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, while the left and right
sides of the box display a photo of the upper body of the Buffy figure
holding an axe and a stake. The back of the box features a mini bio for
Gellar, including her performances in film and television. Below this
biography are various shots from the BtVS show, as well as a shot of
the Sideshow Toys Angel figure holding the Buffy figure.
Upon opening the Velcro flap, the box opens up to reveal the Buffy figure! The Buffy figure, fully visible via a plastic window in the packaging, comes in a plastic tray and is held fast by a few twist ties and plastic bands. On the opposite side of the flap is information on Buffy the character, including background information on her that occurred before the start of the show. Also depicted are more pictures from the show, including Buffy when she ran away and assumed the false name of Anne and a shot of the Sunnydale High 1999 Year Book from the episode "Graduation Day".
The packaging is quite slick looking and really shows off the figure -- and everything connected to it -- well.
Sculpting and Paint:
The face on the Buffy figure is very important, as this figure is based on
the TV incarnation of the character (Kristy Swanson portrayed Buffy in an
ill-received feature film in 1992). The face is sculpted rather well,
capturing Gellar's features and likeness. The eyebrows, eyes and lips are
all painted well, and the sculpt contains extra details such as blush on
the cheeks and multiple piercings in Buffy's ears, just like in the show.
While the sculpt manages to capture the look of the actress, the expression on the face itself seems just a bit more serious then Buffy was usually on the show. I suppose Sideshow is trying to depict Buffy in some of the more serious and traumatic episodes, especially the season finales.
Like the face, the hands for the figure are exquisitely sculpted. Each of the nails on the hand is painted in a color to match Buffy's lipstick. The left hand also has a ring on it, complete with molded gemstone. Buffy can easily hold her weapons, whether using one or both hands.
Articulation:
Buffy's figure features the excellent articulation that is standard for Sideshow Toy's products. Because of this, Buffy can assume all the various fighting stances, flips, high kicks and other poses that she did on the show. With the stand included with the figure, Buffy an even be posed like she is in the middle of a cartwheel.
Costume:
Buffy wore various outfits in the long run of the BtVS show, so
Sideshow Toys had numerous options to choose from. For this figure, Buffy
is wearing one of her patrol outfits, which is functional yet stylish. The
clothes that come with the figure include pants, a shirt and Buffy's
brick-red colored overcoat.
The coat is fully removable from the figure and is made of a synthetic leather material. What makes the coat especially neat is that it also includes two small buttons on it so you can close the coat if you wish. The shirt is pretty basic, just black material with elastic bands for the sleeves and neckline, but it gets the job done.
Buffy's pants are well made out of black synthetic leather and again show great detail; they even include little rings for a belt holder. Despite being somewhat form fitting, the pants have enough leeway so Buffy can assume numerous poses.
Buffy's shoes are molded onto her feet. Black in color, they have all the details a real piece of footwear would have, from the heel to a complete sole.
Accessories:
Now what slayer would be complete without an arsenal of weapons to use in the
fight against darkness and evil? Well, certainly not Buffy, that's for sure.
Buffy comes with two stakes, each individually molded and unique. The
first stake is a pretty simple shaft of wood, but the second one is a bit
more fancy. It has ridges so as to look like it was made quickly from a
chair or table leg.
Stakes are not the only weapons at this Slayer's disposal though, as Buffy also comes with an axe. The molded weapon has wonderful detailing, from the open holes in the axe head, to the detail on the handle. It really looks like it came right out of Giles' weapon closet. One or two hands can handle this axe.
But that's not all! Buffy also comes packaged with the Hunga-Munga throwing
knife she used in the Season 3 episode "Anne". While Buffy only used this
weapon once, it was made rather famous by being featured in the show's
opener for a season. The Hunga-Munga packaged with the figure is an exact
copy of the blade from the show, down to the twine-like handle.
The last accessory that comes with Buffy is a stand to help display her. Like everything else in the set, this stand is something special. Painted on the base is the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" logo. While the Buffy figure can stand on it's on without the stand, it is a nice bonus to have if you want to have Buffy displayed in some her fighting positions.
Overall:
As you can probably tell by now, I am a big fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show. This figure from Sideshow is a great representation of the character and a good buy if you are a fan of the show. The extra care put into the product really paid off.
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