TAKARA MP-47 HOUND (KO) > REVIEW

I kind of made the decision that I would be passing on MP-47 when it was released. However somewhere in the back of my mind lurked the intention to maybe try pick up the KO when it finally surfaced. Surface it did but still I felt no great urgency to acquire it, especially as it was retailing at a price higher than I personally felt that a KO should do. Time passed and I moved on and my attentions were elsewhere… then one came available at a sensible price. That lurking intention swiftly made itself known, and so here we are.

Packaging & Accessories

A direct copy of the official box and inner clam, with the quality just slightly off. It does the job however and sat on the shelf, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. The instruction sheet and collector card are present, again identical but with the same slightly off quality.

Moving onto the accessories they include: Hand Gun, Jeep Mounted Gun, Holo Projector Effect, Spare Wheel, Jerry Can, Cage Key, Jeep Soft Top, Two Alt Face Sculpts, Spike Witwicky Figure, Holo Driver

Accessory choices are fine but I don’t see the soft top getting much use. Stand out for me is the Spike figure. The scale is good, not just for Hound but also some of the other Masterpieces too. My Spike figure had an issue with the left leg, which I’ve now been able to correct.

Vehicle Mode

The Willys MB Jeep is an iconic vehicle and you’d be hard pushed to see a war film that does not feature one in some capacity. Takara have done a great job in presenting it’s likeness here, the cartoon aesthetic not really effecting the overall look. Of course this is the KO version but I’m surprised with the tolerances and the way panels come together tightly with little to no gaps or mis-alignments. My only gripe would be the looseness of the wheels on the pins, these could have done with being just a little tighter.

Supplied accessories attach to add features to this mode, with the addition of an opening bonnet (hood for those in the US), movable steering wheel and headrests, although the latter two are part of the transformation sequence so not technically a feature.

Transformation

I was expecting a troubled transformation, mainly with respects to a difficulty level and hesitancy with regards quality of materials, but once I got started both those fears swiftly abated.

One or two joints are on the looser side but once in place this minor issue is resolved, with a sequence not over complex or time consuming.

Robot Mode

I’m not sure, it could just be me but I get a feeling that the arms maybe a little on the short side. Or it could just be a perspective thing, what with the upper torso and shoulders being a tad on the bulky side. Regardless, the robot mode is quite nice, a good likeness to his cartoon counterpart and aside from my uncertainty about the arms, the rest of the proportions are spot on. Articulation is amazing, and quite complex poses are accessible without the need for extra support. Sadly, the KO nature begins to shine through here as the shoulder on the right arm is loose and needed a blob of blu-tack to maintain one or two of the photographed poses. No die-cast parts here so he feels very light in hand, I wonder if this applies to the official one also? Or does the paint application add a little more heft to it. I’d appreciate if someone could inform me.

Final Thoughts

I’m no purist and felt no hesitation in picking up this KO figure, I have others and not once felt guilt or remorse in doing so. I personally feel they are a tolerable entity, a means to an end in that it brings a figure into the reaches of those that may not be able to afford the ‘official’ product. And I would say don’t let anyone tell you any different or berate you for how you spend the money you've earned. That said, I am surprised in the fact that having handled this KO Hound it has stirred the desire in me to source an official one. Fans Toys Willis has been my preferred version of Hound since it’s release, but now he’s circling the ‘to sell’ pile as MP-47 has usurped him. Sure, the Fans Toys figure does feel of better quality, a certain reassured presence but it also now feels dated. The overall design is, dare I say, clunky and lacking in articulation. A triumph of it’s time to be sure but with improving technologies and designs it’s getting pushed to the back. That’s not to say it is ready to be cast out, no as it still has a place I feel in a collection, just being mindful its being outshone.

However, back to MP-47 KO. It’s a well done figure overall and not far off in terms of quality, but just far enough for you to know that it feels like it could be done better. And that better is the official version, I assume! For those on a budget then it’s a good buy, or a serious contender bearing in mind the reports of QC issues from the official version. Again, I’m happy to hear from collectors and their experiences with the figure.

I’m glad I picked him up and have enjoyed playing around with it and on it’s own merits has earned a place in my collection, if for no other reason as to be a stepping stone onto the official version….. so, anyone want to buy a Fans Toys Willis?

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