[Den-O]

UFO Wasshoi! UFO Wasshoi!

Shuriken Sentai Ninninger's all-star toyline continues with the addition of another Otomonin upgrade mecha! The DX UFOmaru! In the show, following the introduction of Paonmaru, UFOmaru is the 2nd additional machine for the team and is the one which the Last Ninja based the technology of the Ninningers on! But we're here to talk the toy of this unusual machine, so read on below!

Packaging
DX UFOmaru comes in the same type of small cardboard box as Paonmaru. It's pretty basic stuff for sentai lines honestly. Once one additional mecha comes out they almost all follow the same formula for packaging with each successive release. Some basic stock photography of the figure as well as shots of it's combined forms. the gigantic "UFO" on it however is funny to me for some reason. Otherwise it's all business as usual.

Main Figure
A bit of an odd one, the main body of UFOmaru is composed of two parts. The base saucer, and the UFOmaru Launcher weapon. When combined these two parts make up the bulk of the UFO mode. The included Shuriken parts finish off the look but we'll get to those in a second. While the UFO itself is pretty damn interesting, and it's actually the first mecha ever of that nature for Super Sentai, the robot mode is the more interesting bit to me.

The basic robot mode for UFOmaru can be achieved without the Launcher or shuriken bits. By way of contorting the legs back down into proper position and flipping out the massive clown shoe feet that he has, you get a cute little dumpy robot. About a head shorter than Shinobimaru, UFOmaru is a little bit thicker, and has fewer paint apps. Since he's primarily grey anyway only the chest needed much, but it looks great. The 2 actually share some basic design elements to help unify them and lend credit to the notion that UFOmaru is the basis for all the other Otomonin. Looking back at Paonmaru's robot mode as well, the three really gel well. Oddly his arms rotate up much more easily than Shinobimaru whose soft gummy arms feels like they could rip off the joint at any time. Plugging the UFOmaru Launcher on his back completes his basic humanoid look while adding a bit more height to his overall profile. We'll get into his combination with Shurikenjin below.

Accessories
It's hard to classify accessories with something like this as it's harder to distinguish between those items which are included for use with the figure optinally, or those things that are integral to it's basic structure.

Nin Shuriken Base & Disc. This electronic item is what forms the head and face of Shurikenjin UFO. It's normally stored on UFOmaru's vehicle mode plugged onto the Launcher. It's odd to me that so far both Paon & UFO can store these items, but Shinobimaru has no such storage options for the Shurikenjin Nin Shuriken when not in use. A pair of triggers on this piece detect when it's combined to form Shurikenjin UFO and plays out the appropriate phrase & music when done. When not connected pressing the physical button on top will cycle through three sound bytes "UFOger" "UFOmaru" & "Otomonin Shuriken". Funnily enough the "blades" on UFO's SHuriken disc are molded like solar panels on a satellite.

Shurikenjin UFO
To get Shurikenjin ready for this combination you need to remove and rearrange a few things. Start by removing the standard Shurikenjin Shuriken and leaving that to the side, it won't be used. Remove Shinobimaru from the throne all together, and then remove the right arm made from Dumpmaru. People often question why a third shoulder peg exists on the back of the figure and it's for this, to store the arm you just removed! So plug the Dumpmaru arm there and transform Shinobimaru into the new right arm and plug him on. Now remove the Launcher weapon from UFOmaru and fold his legs up to seat him in the throne. It should be noted that his legs are comically longer than Shinobimaru so they do jut out noticeably from the combined figure's abdomen.

Now Plug the UFOmaru Launcher into the right hand on Shinobimaru to give Shurikenjin a 3 barreled blaster of doom. Make sure you lock the Shuriken disc onto the UFO Shuriken, fold out the faceplate, and plug it on top! And there you have it, Shurikenjin UFO is formed! As a side not the new faceplate is awesomely that of an astronaut.

This form manages to incorporate most everything from the standard Shurikenjin mode aside from the Shuriken. But actually if you look at my pictures below you'll see that you can indeed store or use the Drago Shield & Sword and the Shurikenjin Shuriken if you so please. Actually I found a way to simultaneously use UFOmaru & Paonmaru with the entire combination sans the original Shurikenjin shurikenjin. Either way Shurikenjin UFO is pretty rad. The silver, gray, & metallic blue that UFOmaru brings to the table really help break up the otherwise uniform color scheme of Shurikenjin and mixes it up a bit. It's so far my absolute favorite combination of the bunch.

Final Thoughts
As this line continues I continue to be very pleased. The Otomonin series of additional mecha is so far a pretty damn fun one. While it's likely these many upgrades won't be incorporated into any sort of final combination robot, they each have a unique charm that I love. DX UFOmaru is another great addition to this line that once again gives it a pretty great variety of design. Shuriken Sentai Ninninger continues to be a winner in my book, at least for the toys.

We'll be back next time with a review of DX Bison Buggy & Rodeomaru!