Review: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger - Gashapon Otomonin (Shinobimaru, Dragonmaru, Dumpmaru, Byunmaru, Wanmaru)

Since I've been reviewing a lot of Ninja Steel stuff, and I've been really into the Ninninger stuff as well (I didn't watch it when it came out, I just finished it last summer) and I really like the designs. I like the Mecha, the suits and the show. Since the Otomonin where a big part of the show, I wanted to get a better representation of it to display. I also have a couple more Ninninger stuff on the way. When I saw images of these I thought it was way too late to get them. There were listings for $40 for the 5 otomonin but I found one for $20 from Hong Kong. I was skeptical but thankfully, they were legit, or at least they look and feel legit. I am glad I got them. These are Gashapon figures which are sold in Japan. They're in capsules that you get from the Gashapon machine! But they're so nice! These didn't come with the capsule but it's not like I needed it anyway... B-baka!

Otomonin Shinobimaru (オトモ忍シノビマル)

When you receive him, you'll get him in 3 pieces, it's all connected via ball joints. All you do is plug the legs in, the arms can come off and the head is also on a ball joint, although I wouldn't pull it out. It's made out of soft plastic, so don't tug on him too hard, I'm afraid of breaking it so I put a wee bit of oil on the joints, especially on the hips.

The detail overall, is really, really good. It does look like the character. The detail is there all over, especially for such a small figure that's about 3" tall. Shinobimaru is molded in red soft plastic with details painted on. The legs and body are painted white and gold. The head has silver and a nice metallic blue for the eyes.

Again, for such a small figure, this thing is very nicely detailed, there are few parts that aren't painted and it doesn't matter as much. If you think about it too much, maybe it could be a downside but it's okay. The knees are molded awkwardly because of articulation.

The articulation is pretty good, the hips, shoulders, ankles, and neck are on a ball joint. The elbows and knees are on a really basic hinge joint that allows it to move pretty well. He can even kneel! The downside is... that the hips don't really open, they can kind of open in a very awkward way. He can't side kick or do the splits...

 Otomonin Dragonmaru (オトモ忍ドラゴマル)

Dragonmaru comes in 4 segments. The wings clip on fairly easily, the hips attach to the upper torso in an awkward manner but once you get in right, it won't come off.

The figure is detailed really well! It's not perfect though, some of the proportions are off. The hands are tiny, the neck has an odd cut for articulation, the wings don't hinge at the made. He is molded in blue plastic, painted gold, silver, black, and red around the body. Some parts of the figure aren't painted but it's forgivable.

The articulation is good. Legs, arms, and head are on a ball joint with good range. The wings are on a hinge joint but not at the base, which is unfortunate. No knees or elbows...

He can pose well, doesn't look awkward but the scaling is off, and the tiny arms still bother me...

 Otomonin Dumpmaru (オトモ忍ダンプマル )

Probably, the most basic figure out of the lot, it comes in one piece in a bag.

The detail is pretty good, however, the thing it lacks the most are the paint on details like the Shuriken emblem, and other gold parts throughout the vehicle.

It's almost like your run-of-the-mill toy car, almost identical but has a cheap plastic feel. It's not soft like the others. The footrests are molded into Dumpmaru so they aren't articulated and the "bucket" isn't very deep. The last complaint... it's off scale. The pegs are nice, it's neat that they kept them since they're on the prop that's used on the show and the hole on the back of Shinobimaru will fit.

 Otomonin Wanmaru (オトモ忍ワンマル)

Wanmaru is also in one piece, in a single plastic bag. Simple and easy.

Unlike Dumpmaru, it's not simple, not at all. This was one of the figures I wanted the most since it had articulated legs and head but no jaw... Either way, the detail on this figure is outstanding, the head is very nicely painted and that's about it. All the detail that needs to be there is there.

The legs and neck are on a ball joint, and it's also wayyy off scale, Wanmaru can't even stand inside Byunmaru which is fine, but still. It's half of Shinobimaru's height and the joints allow it to pose it in a sitting position, which I wouldn't recommend since you would be stressing the joint. This one is made out of a soft plastic.

It's still very nice and cute, between Shinobimaru, Dragonmaru, and Wanmaru, this one is the second best articulated one. Still, no jaw articulation is a let down but it is a really small figure so I'm not sure it would have been possible.

 Otomonin Byunmaru (オトモ忍ビュンマル)

Byunmaru is in 3 pieces in a plastic bag. They peg in but they don't pivot.

Like all the others, detail is good, however, the Shuriken on this one is barely visible and it's also very tiny, there isn't much to talk about this one. Some gold and white details are missing.

It has a couple wheels on the bottom, but it's also too small to sit Wanmaru up on top.

Together they look fantastic! It's nice to have a slightly more articulation of Shinobimaru, Dragonmaru, and Wanmaru, as well as a smaller (but too small) Byunmaru. Unfortunately, since they're Gashapon figures they are very small in size and will be off scale with any of the 5" Ninja Steel stuff.

I was hoping they would be closer to a 4" scale but even if they are small they kind of fit in.
In dynamic poses, they look better. Standing tall next to the 5" figures, they look really small...

Even Shinobimaru is better detailed and articulated than the figure than the one that came with the Legacy T-Rex Zord. It's also about the size of the Super Megaforce Ranger Keys and slightly smaller than the Japanese keys.

A nice addition to the collection if you manage to find them for a decent price whether you like Ninninger or Ninja Steel. Again, the main downside is that they won't really fit in scale with anything from either line... Well, maybe the Fighting Action Robo or the Minipla Shurikenjin but I don't have those... yet!