Over the last months, I've accumulated a queue of things to review, including new or newish bodies. After a slow start,
my last review got quite a good feedback, so I'm encouraged to review again. So, do share your thoughts.
We've been encountering these listings for a while, but it was only relatively recently that I saw one in stock for a version I was willing to try out. I got it at Big Bad Toy Store for $35. It is
Version C.
The disassembled (or unassembled)
body comes very compactly packed inside a square metal box about 11.5 x 5.5 cm in size.
I'm not sure why, but that strikes me as very neat. Although, it can look like a lot of severed
body parts in a cooler...
The larger pieces are bagged individually, smaller ones are grouped.
Here is everything that comes in the box, unbagged. Note that the stand has a magnet on the base, which allows it to attach pretty securely to most metal surfaces, including the box inside which the product arrived. There are four interchangeable pairs of hands (fist, knife grip, gun grip, and relaxed), two interchangeble neck pegs, a pair of ankle extenders, an alternative lower neck adapter, and things that I cannot identify. Everything is a single color, not too shiny, and the match between the different plastic materials is excellent. I imagine one is meant to paint in any desired features, like the eyes, brows, lips, etc.
Note that it is possible to take things apart even more -- for example to separate the lower from the upper arm, as I discovered when pulling it off the
body during a costume change. There are no instructions, but putting it all together is quite intuitive and not difficult. Remember to press the larger pegs on the upper legs and arms into the corresponding parts of the torso until they pop. I would say it was a fun experience to assemble the
body, perhaps bringing back fond memories of Bandai models and Lego sets.
The
body is slim and perhaps intended as average, and looks pretty good to me overall, for a harder-plastic
body with visible joints. The upper torso is a softer plastic shell, and the hands are relatively soft too, allowing for easier placement of items in them. I'm not sure it comes across in the photos, but despite the relatively simple and somewhat stylized design (only the lower arms have a significant attempt at greater realistic detail like the veins), the production quality is flawless throughout.
As a very basic test, the assembled
body has no problem sitting even on the high ledge of the upright box.
Here is a minimal dress up, with one of those DAM Russian striped wifebeaters, shorts that would never fit on a seamless
body, and some strange Chinese sandals that matched in color -- the feet have separate big toes, allowing them to fit without modification. An outfit like this allows a relatively unimpeded range of motion, but of course allows us to see far too many joints.
The double-jointed elbows and knees work very well, the ankle articulation is virtually unrestricted, the wrists allow a decent amount of movement. Because of the design of the waist, one is restricted to raising the upper leg forward and up to 90 degrees to the torso. Despite two articulation points for it, the torso's crunch is somewhat limited.
That said, the movement is reasonably smooth, while the
body holds its poses and achieves balance pretty easily. Which is as it should be. It is not as flexible as TBLeague (and some Jiaou) seamless bodies, but it would make do for most things.
As a visible-jointed
body, this is of course best covered up as much as possible. I tried it with a recent partly reconstituted outfit from DiD's WWII US Air Force Pilot Rafe set. While some of the items are a bit oversized (especially the cap, which was intended for a head with molded hair), the
body works reasonably well in it. Of course, tighter clothes would work even better on this relatively slender and not overly tall
body. The feet might be too wide for some of the footwear intended to accommodate a sixth-scale foot and might need to be swapped with alternatives (here I used shoes from somewhere else instead of the DiD boots).
Some comparison photos added below. I'm no longer positive there are multiple neck pegs, as the longer pieces have ball joints that won't fit the provided neck. Perhaps they can be used with a different product's neck, if they are neck pegs at all. The figure's height (29 cm as I assembled it) can be increased by interposing the ankle extenders between the lower leg and the feet (which would add 1 cm, producing a height of 30 cm).
The Maha modular
body is fun to put together and use, and compares reasonably well to
other bodies of this type. At $35, it is not particularly expensive, and the quality of what you get -- even if you have to (or get to) put it together yourself -- seems very high, I would say probably superior to most. Then again, it is not aiming at visual realism, unless covered up by clothing and equipment. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I won't be army building with it, necessarily, but I already ordered one more, in a different color.
As always, what do you think?
Previous reviews on this site include:
White Men Can Jump! (Enterbay's Luka Dončić)Hot Toys Star Wars Cobb Vanth ReviewHot Toys Star Wars Luke Skywalker Bespin Review and FunHot Toys Star Wars Return of the Jedi Scout Trooper and Speeder BikeHot Toys Star Wars Rogue One Assault Tank CommanderHot Toys Star Wars Rogue One Director KrennicHasbro Star Wars Jabba's CourtHomelander on a Budget (review of Toys Works' The Republican and comparisons to the others)TBLeague Female Seamles Bodies S24A-S27BJiaou Doll Male BodiesKamisoul MAF Extreme Seamless Body with Jiaou and TBleague comparisonWorld Box AT030 BodySix New-ish Bodies comparisonHH Model & Haoyu Toys Dragon Banner BearerPremier Toys PT0001 Wasteland GladiatorToys Headquarters Vol 003 FighterTBLeague Ramesses the GreatFigure Masters Vamp LouLDDoll Seamless Figure BodyJohn Constantine (Thunder Toys Hell Detective)SooSoo Toys Frozen ManSooSoo Toys Mr ButcherSideshow and Hot Toys Star Wars Scout Troopers (comparison)Thunder Toys Hell DetectiveHot Toys Star Wars Emperor PalpatineTBLeague Barbarian SoulHot Toys Star Wars Return of the Jedi StormtrooperADD Toys War Wolves Back (muscle version)World Box AT027 bodyHot Toys Star Wars Solo MudtrooperSideshow Star Wars TIE Fighter PilotWoo Toys WO-004 Fat ThorHH HY Rome InfantryHH HY Rome CenturionMr Toys Barbarian Set B (He-Man)Mr Toys Barbarian Set B (Conan the Barbarian)Dragon and TBLeague Alexander the Great (comparison)Kautic Plastik Roman Infantry 2019JX Toys Peggy CarterTBLeague 1:12 seamless male bodiesHasbro Star Wars Rogue One Imperial Combat Assault TankHasbro Star Wars imperials 2019Hasbro Star Wars Jabba's Tatooine SkiffCC Toys Unexplored Nate (summer version)Jiaou Doll Boss ChairHot Toys Star Wars Solo Patrol TrooperChina Toys Teutonic KnightStar Ace 300 Queen GorgoBlack Box Toys Spectre Girl (Madeleine Swann)Hot Toys Star Wars Royal GuardVS Toys BathroomCoomodel Vikings Vanquisher Viking ShipCoomodel Vikings Vanquisher Valhalla (double set)TBLeague M36 bodyChinese wooden chairs and table sets A and BHY Toys ArmchairTBLeague M35 bodySideshow Jack BurtonDisney Star Wars Director Orson KrennicTBLeague Spartan Goddess of WarAR Toys HellmanDragon Men in Black 3 Agent K 1969#review #maha #body #male