CHRIS CLIFFORD appraises Bandai’s rendition of ‘Piccolo’ from the world-famous Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball.
It’s a sad coincidence that we received our sample of this kit a day before the death of Dragon Ball’s creator hit the news. Akira Toriyama, who passed away on March 1, debuted his original Dragon Ball manga comic in 1984. It relayed the story of a boy named Son Goku, who collects so-called magical Dragon Balls in his bid to protect earth from alien humanoids known as Saiyans. The anime episodes and films have been shown in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Above: Purple-coloured components form a fair part of the build. Note the ball joints to ensure articulation.
Dragon Ball (including its successor Dragon Ball Z and other spin-offs) is arguably the most influential manga/anime franchise. One of its major characters is Piccolo, arch-enemy of one of the Saiyans, and known for his Special Beam Cannon move. Bandai’s rendition, part of its Figure-riseStandard range, is an involved item comprising styrene and ABS plastic parts, moulded in vivid colours to emulate Piccolo’s skin and clothing shades. There are green, white, pink, red, purple, brown and clear runners, plus a clear-orange frame…
