Everybody loves Ninjas and Samurais. Really, how couldn't you? Like America's cowboys and gunslingers and Europe's knights and musketeers, these guys tap into something very noble, very powerful and very visceral. But unfortunately, cool ninjas and samurais are pretty much missing from the toy landscape.

Mezco is doing what they can to change that. They're producing a series of Mez-itz, their version of a mini-figure, based on these great warriors. The overall series is called Defenders of the Dragons, and debuts with two three packs - one set of Ninjas, and one set of Samurai.

The three ninjas are Stealth Ninja (dressed all in black), Master Ninja (wearing his cool hat) and Ice Ninja (decked out in blue with fur to take on Santa Claus). The three Samurai include the Royal Samurai (the one that looks like he has a bit of a Kabuki thing going on), Warrior Samurai (in the most traditional outfit with a two piece mask) and Guardian Samurai (with the 'horny' mask). Each two pack costs $16 each, and is only available through Mezco's own site right now.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

Packaging - ***
Mezco is known for some truly amazing and beautiful packaging. While the card art here is good, it doesn't quite rattle my saber the way the packaging for their Mez-itz Pirates did, but it's still above average. Obviously, being bubble/cardback style packaging, you'll have to destroy it getting the figures out, but the upside is you won't need any major power tools to do it, unlike clamshells.

Sculpting - ****
Little Mez-itz, you've come a long way! There are a ton of mini-figures on the market (although to be honest, many are currently flatlining, or at least on life support), but the hook that Mez-itz always had was the detailed sculpting. Oh sure, it's on the cartoony side, to fit in with the small size and goofy style of figure, but that makes complete sense. But being cartoony doesn't mean 'lack of detail', oh no! All six of these figures show just how detailed and intricate the sculpting work on a Mez-itz can truly be.

 

 

The two sets of three do a nice job of covering a variety of looks, yet none seem too out there or odd. Okay, perhaps the Ice Ninja is a little different, but the rest all fall into pretty stereotypical depictions of these characters. And is it just my imagination, or does that Warrior Samurai look like Tom Cruise? Yea, it's just my imagination.

Everyone is going to have their favorite, but mine are easy - the Royal Samurai (just look at all the costume detail and that great hair!) and the Stealth Ninja. Hey, isn't that what ninjas are all about?

 

 

Paint - ***1/2
The paint style here is on the rough side, but largely intentional. The fine details that need a careful hand have gotten it, but some of the bolder colors are washed and brushed and thrown about with some extravagance. That seems to work here, although it's not recommended to try it if you aren't a professional, and don't have the proper protective gear.

Just like the sculpting, the paint operations on your average Mez-itz have come a long way from the beginning of the line. There's quite a bit more small detail work here than in the early days, with a bigger color palette and more difficult operations. They've also done a great job developing six very different color schemes and paint jobs, so that all of them will stand out on the shelf, and you'll never confuse one for another. They are distinctly different, both in sculpt and paint, and that's a huge plus.

Articulation - ***
Mez-itz aren't the most articulated of the mini-figures out there, but they aren't the least either. They hit a happy medium, with a ball jointed neck, ball jointed hips and shoulders, cut wrists and cut waist. Some parts can be popped off and on pretty easily, making it possible to mix and match your own set of figures as well.

I didn't have any problems with loose joints, and the quality is extremely good. There's been very few reports of any sort of breakage or long term issues with Mez-itz in the past, and I don't see anything here that would indicate that's changed.

 

Accessories - ***1/2
These figures come with a nice healty batch of accessories, largely made of weapons. What did you expect - daisies?

There are swords and broadswords, sais and nunchukas, a staff and a kama blade - all the goodies any self respecting Japanese warrior would carry. Five of the six also have removable masks, with the Ice Ninja being the only exception. Of course, the removable masks means that some of them have rather funky, flat head sculpts. This is due to making them look best with the mask, but that means making the shape of the covered head a little off at times.

Fun Factor - ****
Collector's who collect toys will love these, as will any kid. Collector's who collect pop culture won't get it, and stuff like this isn't really for them.

My four year old son loved these, and he's a pretty average kid. They can be good guys or bad, and leave a lot to the child's imagination, yet they provide plenty of articulation, accessories and good lucks to attract them in the first place.

Value - **
Sixteen bucks for three of them. Ouch. That's a lot of cabbage, especially for a non-licensed in house property. Then again, you have to balance this off against what is sure to be extremely low production numbers on these early sets. Mezco has plans to get these lines into mainstream retailers in 2006, and if that should happen, I'm sure we'll see prices drop.

Things to Watch Out For
Since ordering these online is your only hope right now, you won't be able to watch out for much anyway. It's a good thing then that there isn't much to worry about, as the paint and quality seems fairly consistent. Once you pop them open, you won't have many worries over breakage or assembly either, which means these are pretty much good to go.

Overall - ***1/2
Now, if you're a regular reader at my site, you'll know that the Pirates got the exact same scores in each of the categories - but ended up with a half star higher rating overall. Ah yes, it's that inexplicable X factor, that certain something that is unique for each individual that makes his bread rise. For me, it's Pirates, so they ended up getting that slightly extra personal favoritism boost. While I like ninjas and samurais, they can't quite compete with the uber-cool that is pirates.

 

Still, these are fantastic little figures. They remind us what action figures are supposed to be about in the first place - fun. Are they super realistic? No. Are they hyper-articulated? No. But they can tap into that child inside if you let them, something that few action figures seem capable of these days.

Where to Buy -
Mezco's site is the only place to get these right now, and they'll be shipping in December.