[Den-O]

Shuriken Gattai!

TokuNation has been pumping you up for it, and now the year of the ninja is here! And what better way to kick it off than with a brand new gallery of a brand new toy? That's right today we're taking a look at the first mecha from Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, the DX Shurikenjin!

This gallery contains over 100 images! So that means it's split across the first 3 posts of this thread.

Pacakging
For starters I have to note that the DX Shurikenjin used for this review is the 1st run release. As such the packaging is a bit different. Not only is there a silver foil sticker denoting the included 1st run bonuses, but lovely gold trim has been added to the box on it's outer edges and around the Japanese characters for Shurikenjin. It really is very nice and makes the 1st release feel just a bit more premium. The box itself is very busy in it's presentation, as DX sentai robos tend to be. But this one is more so because it fully shows off the 2 alternate main combos of Shurikenjin, which we'll get into below.

Otomo Shinobi AKA Companion Ninjas
Shinobimaru - a fantastic little red ninja themed humanoid. While very simplistic, this figure is sculpted magnificently. He can't move like his on show counterpart but there's a Sentai Artisan version of the toy coming that can for the most part. As is this figure is quite nice and forms the core of Shurikenjin. Alternatively it can also form an arm for when one of the upcoming Otomo Shinobi releases is in the pilot seat. Oddly enough his head reminds me of Akiba Red. The head is also on a pretty nice swivel joint, though it's meant for transformation you can also get a little use out of it for pictures.

Dragonmaru - The rarely seen sentai dragon robo. The last time we had a dragon was Gokaiger's version of Magi Dragon, and while that figure was meant more as an add on, this one is a full fledged figure in it's own right. Though it's a bit of parts-former it can convincingly become a dragon, be used as an arm with shield and sword for Shurikenjin, or take on the pilot duties from Shinobimaru to form Shurikenjin Drago.

Dumpmaru - the trusty dump truck! Though not as rare as a dragon there are a few dump trucks scattered through out sentai history. This one is most similar to GoGo Dump from Boukenger. In both style and the way it forms the central components of the robo. The most appealing and complex figure in this set, Dumpmaru forms the torso/cockpit of Shurikenjin as well as the right arm. For some reason it has a hinged bumper that doesn't really serve much of a purpose. Funnily enough you actually can have Shinobimaru ride in Dump in the same manner he does during the combination sequence on the show.

Byunmaru - another train? Why yes after the last year of trains with ToQger Bandai have come around with one again. And unlike ToQger DX's, this one is far better. Byunmaru is a long train, technically 2 components in one. There are several combination tabs on the outer sides of each end of the train that hint at the future. Nicely enough locking trigger mechanisms in the ankles have been applied in a similar manner to ToQ oh to keep the feet solid. By the way this thing makes up ALL of the lower torso, hips, legs etc. It's one giant piece of a robot disguised as a train. And it still manages to be a better than any of the ones we saw last year.The forward pink half represents the main part of the machine. A second half, connected by the Shurikenjin waist piece, is sort of like a dummy train with storage for Wanmaru as well.

Wanmaru - the most diminutive and least complex of the bunch. Wanmaru is as the name implies a dog. Weirdly enough dogs aren't very common at all with sentai mecha. Lot's of wolves, but the only dog that springs to mind is Murphy from Dekaranger. Though there have been a couple Metal Hero dogs at least. Wanmaru is a companion to Byunmaru in design. You can place Wanmaru in the train as though it's riding along like it does in the show, but the real reason it can fit in that compartment is to form Shurikenjin's other leg. The figure itself is very bland & simple with an opening mouth, moveable legs & neck.

Included Accessories
Nin Shuriken
Included with this set is a Shurikenjin Shuriken. This electronic item is what forms the head and face of Shurikenjin. It isn't stored with or on any of the 5 machines which irritates me, but it is a fun gimmick and I see how Bandai will be making their money this year. A pair of triggers on this piece detect when it's combined to form either of the two Shurikenjin forms and play out the appropriate phrases when done. When not connected pressing the physical button on top will cycle through the names of each individual machine.

When adding one of the Nin Shuriken discs to this base component you slide them on at an angle, lining up the side tabs. When it's all the way down, turn it to the right to lock it in place. A release trigger can be held down to ensure you don't damage the very rubbery plastic of the disc when it's removed later. Speaking pf the 1st release bonus of Shurkenjin is indeed the other 3 Ninningers Nin Shurikens! Though Aka & Ao's Shurikens are intended for specific combinations of Shurikenjin the other 3 are not, and they don't feature any paint apps on them like the primary two either. Suggesting that there won't be other official combos where the other 3 components take center stage the same way Drago does. But the bonus of these Shurikens is indeed welcome. They even come packed in their own little box!

Combinations
Shurikenjin
When combined together the five machines create the mighty Shurikenjin! This behemoth robo is definitely a change from last years simplistic ToQ Oh. Where it was a very boxy plain affair, Shurikenjin is big chunky & ornate. And despite being made up of 5 VERY different pieces the final robot is very cohesive. Each of the 5 machines has detailing that syncs up with the other to help pull off the cohesion. The red & gold accents go a long way to making this set look uniform.

Many people scoffed at the idea that a smaller robot would ride in it's chest to pilot it. That this would somehow be unpleasing to the eye. I really can't say that I feel it does. Looking at the profile of Shurikenjin, Shinobimaru's feet really don't stick that far out at all. There's not that much more depth to this figures' midsection than any others' really. And did I mention the legs?! Shurikenjin has the most dynamic legs on a sentai robo ever. Though they are most certainly just transformation joints Shurikenjin has knees and hips that can both move forward and out at 45 degree increments. This thing is glorious.

Shurikenjin Drago
The afformentioned articulation in the legs primarily serves to facilitate the Shurikenjin Drago combination. When Shinobimaru becomes an arm and Dragomaru takes his place on the throne, this is formed. The figure leans forward, Dragonmarus' wings and tail take new positions on the main robot and the included Shuriken is instead attached to Drago's head on a pair of gold clips, which nicely enough have release triggers built in. This bugs me though as the Drago combo clearly has another dragon's head as it's neck. It's a little weird to look at.

When the Aoninger Shuriken is used in place of Aka, rather than just getting some head decoration, we instead more or less get the Shurikenjin Drago face. Though you need to fold up the standard Shurikenjin face on the shuriken, it becomes the lower jaw of Drago. And it doesn't stay that well hidden. And while this form is definitely cool, nothing compares to the first sentai dragon combiner, the original Magi Dragon. Though this dragon manages to properly incorporate all 5 machines, it isn't really the main gimmick or combination so it suffers a bit from that.

Final Thoughts
Honestly this is a fantastic first outing for Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. Though the 1st episode of the show had some pacing issues I wasn't altogether pleased with, the toys have far exceeded my expectations. Last year was a bit of a disappointment on the DX front in terms of complexity, I'm happy to report that this year has bounced back tremendously with a very fun and unique toy in DX Shurikenjin. Bring on the elephants, UFO's, surfers, & bisons!