Buffaloman EX version C by Romandoh
Buffaloman is a character from the Kinnikuman series who, like many villains in the series, started off quite evil and ended up being good. In America as part of the M.U.S.C.L.E. line, Buffaloman was one of only two named figures... Terribull. He was the leader of the Cosmic Crunchers I believe and a version of him came with the little joystick-style wrestling ring.
In Japan, Buffaloman was first introduced as the leader of the Seven Devil Choujin. He had some pretty cool cohorts such as:
-Atlantis, a fish man who was awesome fighting under water
-Springman, literally a giant spring man who would coil himself around opponents to crush them to pieces
-SteCasse King, a walking tape player who used sound waves to harm opponents
-Black Hole, a man with a giant hole in for a face who could swallow others into an alternate dimension
-Mr. Kamen, an Egyptian-themed fighter who would mummify his foes and drink their innards with a giant straw
-The Mountain, literally a giant rock who would just crush anyone he could
and of course Buffaloman who was the baddest of them all!
Buffaloman had made a deal with Satan that would have Buffaloman constantly fighting and defeating opponents, and everyone he defeated he would gain more power. He would absorb powers with his horns which could extend, but was defeated by Kinnikuman when he tried to absorb Kinnikuman's Burning Inner Strength power and simply could not control it.He later came back to help the heroes of the story in several different arcs, and in the newest Kinnikuman comic actually serves as a teacher for young, new heroes.
Well, onto the figure. I tried for quite awhile to find this particular figure. There was an older Buffaloman figure my Romandoh that I never really cared for, but now the company is releasing some very cool figures in the EX line with interchangeable heads, accessories, etc.
Packaging:
The packaging for the new EX figures is a definite step up from the old blister cards they have used previously. Everything inside is displayed nicely in this flat box, and the graphics on the outside, while still featuring no images really, are bold and eye catching. Someone could definitely display this in the package.
Sculpt (4.75 out of 5):
Very nice! Visually, this has become my favorite Romandoh figure. Sorry, Neptuneman. He is massive. Cool muscle definition and subtleties on the hair and trunks. The faces on the two heads provided have cool scowls, and this particular version has the broken horned head which is pretty cool.
Technically the figure is sculpted very well I think - nicely balanced and nice, smooth seams. It is solid and very hefty.
Small deduction for the posts where the hands and head attach... they come off very easily, and the head can actually fall off if the figure is turned over.
You remove the hands and feet to place on the armor which stays on nicely. The armor is even solid like the figure. Nothing cheap here! The armor slides over the pegs where the hands connect and the hands hold it on, The shin/calf armor is molded to the shape of each leg so it stays on by itself after the feet are reattached. The armor pieces are marked right and left because they are actually sculpted to the shape of each limb. Very cool.
And as for removing the feet, you have to pull them off the ball joints of the ankle to remove them. They fit very snugly, but you just have to trust that they will go back on afterwards.
No hairdryer is needed to change parts on this figure so big points for that!
Paint //5 out of 5//:
I really like the paint job on this figure. There are excellent airbrushed highlights to emphasize muscle tone and shade the armor and such. I like the glossy gloves and boots along with the matte flesh overall. I wish the ball joints at his hips were cast in a slightly darker plastic, or at least painted somewhat to better match his legs. Overall though I see no problems with the paint application. It only serves to better this figure.
Articulation //4.25 out of 5//:
For a figure this large and bulky, I think the articulation is spectacular. The ball joints at the shoulders, hips and ankles allow for a pretty wide range of movement. The muscles limit some movement of elbows and knees, and when the armor is placed on, the movement is further limited. Without the armor on, this figure is able to be posed many different ways.
Accessories //3.75 out of 5//:
Not a ton of stuff, but the removable armor and broken horn head that are included are just awesome.
Coolness //5 out of 5//:
This figure is bulky, has evil smirks, removable armor, sweet glossy hands, and he is so tall. He stands out anywhere you could find to put him I think and the poses you can put him in are great. One of the coolest in my opinion.
Value //2.75 out of 5//:
Very pricey - pricier than Neptuneman so I have to put the score down a little. After fees and shipping, the price really goes up. Would be a much better value for this price if I were able to pick the figure up in Japan.
Overall //4.75 out of 5//:
Good points – Bulky, tall, awesome paint, spikes, smirking faces, broken horn, poseability.
Negative points – Pricey after importing, ball joints at hips too light in color, feet tough to remove, head loose.
My new favorite Romandoh! If you find this guy in the 5,000 yen range, it is most definitely worth the price!
