Home | Articles | Toys
SH Figuarts Android 21

SH Figuarts Android 21

Posted on 02 Apr 2020

I'm not a keen collector the SH Figuarts range from Bandai Tamashii nations, though occasionally I'll pick up a figure if there's no other representations such the Ranma figures. Sadly Akane and Ryoga never made it to me as they sold out quickly and the aftermarket price is insane. Subsequently, I had an idea of what I'd be in for with this Android 21 figure, who is taken from the game Dragon Ball Fighters Z where she's the primary antagonist. An artificial life-form that possesses incredible power, her human form is a busty brunette who also happens to be a genius scientist, but her true form, represented here, is an amalgamation of other fighters she's defeated, namely Maijin Buu, Cell and Freiza

So what that gets us is a pink-skinned female with light pink hair, pointy ears and a thick tail. Her battle outfit comprises matching black tube top and arm sleeves, white flowing harem pants and accessorised with black/gold boots, gold waistband and golden hoops around her neck, wrists and ankles. It's a beautiful design that resembles a genie, and when in her "evil" mode, looks even more awesome with red irises and black sclera. 

The figure comes with nine hands, all of which are unique and allow for very expressive poses. Additionally she's packaged with four faces, one of which has normal eyes to represent her "good" form, and a doughnut to devour as that's the final form her victims take before she devours them. Personally I can't eat them without a coffee to go with, but to each their own!

She has all the articulation you'd expect from this type of figure - wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles and neck are all on joints that allow for a good range of motion, though her flowing hair limits the directions in which she can tilt her head. The cuts in the sculpt to accommodate movement are tolerable, but her trousers do look a bit of a mess in some poses.

I've always viewed SH Figuarts as being "sub-Figma" in quality, and nothing here really changes that view. Swapping out the faces is very easy - take away the front of her hair, pull off the face held in by pegs and replace. The hands are on little stalks that are incredibly tight, and you'll have a suitably Dragon Ball length fight to get them switched out. Her knee panels had a habit of dropping off if a knee is bent too far, and she can't stand upright without using her tail for balance. That last item highlights the main failing of this figure, as no stand is included in the package, which is miserly for a £50 figure of this size. The tail isn't much of a solution as she never had it touching the floor in any media I've seen, and ladies don't drag their tails anyway!

On the positive side, the finish on the figure is solid - Toriyama's designs err on the simple side, and that's reflected here. The few details we do have here are sharp, with a nice wash on the hair and trousers to add depth, with precisely applied paint adding interest via glossy black nails and metallic gold finishing on her jewellery. The sculpt on all four faces is lovely, with great expressions all suiting the character.

Pick up a display stand and things improve dramatically. Its worth the investment too, as freed from gravity all those expressive features are massively amplified to portray a character that's full of life and mischief. 

It's a big price tag for what's in the box, and given how many Dragon Ball characters this line has, I'm not sure how popular she'll be compared to the big names of the franchise. For me though, she's an adorable example of how Toriyama can produce powerful, expressive and seductive characters beyond the usual spikey-haired signature roster he's developed. If you like the character, this is a fine addition to your desk or shelf. Given her fate in the game I'm not sure how many more figures we'll see for Android 21, but given the universe she inhabits odds are good we'll see her again some day. 

As always, this figure is purchased out of my own pocket. This one came from Kapow Toys.

Follow A.I. on Twitter and Like us on Facebook to get all the latest site updates

Also Happening:

Gundam SEED Freedom Review
posted on 26 Mar 2024
Metallic Rouge First Thoughts
posted on 27 Feb 2024
Delicious in Dungeon First Thoughts
posted on 15 Feb 2024
Bang Brave Bang Bravern! First Thoughts
posted on 06 Feb 2024
The AI translation fascination
posted on 08 Jan 2024
Pluto First Thoughts
posted on 10 Nov 2023
Correcting clickbait articles comparing She Hulk and One Piece salaries
posted on 18 Sep 2023
Gallery