Hero Review: [Play Arts Kai] Kazuya Mishima - Tekken Tag Tournament 2

When I started this hobby, my goal was to make my action figure collection hero-exclusive (good guys only). And I've been getting the game/anime heroes until this badass from the Tekken series showed up. Originally the protagonist of the first Tekken game, this guy went running around being the bad guy after exacting revenge on his father. This figure is Kazuya's rendition for the latest Tekken installment: Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

I'm glad Square Enix got the franchise for two of the most awesome fighting games in their latest versions: Street Fighter (Super Street Fighter IV) and Tekken (Tekken Tag Tournament 2). As someone who had played a lot of fighting games (since 90s), I've always wanted to pose action figures of the fighters either doing their trademark stances or just simply kicking ass.

Packaging and Included Accessories

Kazuya is packed in the latest Play Arts Kai boxes - the one with the cover flap showcasing the figure inside along with a brief write-up. However, the box is larger than the previous PAK releases to accomodate Kazuya since he is a large figure (scaling to come later). Inside the box is a black plastic mold holding Kazuya and two of his most precious accessories.

Sad to say, this is the part where Kazuya (and Jun, i.e. the first Tekken PAKs) disappoints a bit. He comes with just two extra open hands for his 'accessories' - that and nothing else. Super Street Fighter IV at least comes with an alternate rage-face and attack effects like hadouken and sonic boom. As for the Tekken figures, well, hands. 

The figure also comes with the standard stand for the new Play Arts Kai figures. But as with PAK Lara Croft, I didn't like the way the stand and its fixtures are packed in a plastic casing which is glued to the inside frame of the box.

Sculpt, Paint, and Articulation

If Kazuya disappointed me with his accessories, or lack thereof, he recovered his score in his sculpt and general look. The figure looks impressive. No questions about the consistency of the build, it is perfectly rendered as per the game Kazuya's look.

I'll give top marks for Kazuya in terms of paint and details: the scars on his body are reflected, the cloud and flame designs on his gi pants are well-painted, and shading was considered in the figure for its overall paint job. 

However, if you are still planning to get Kazuya, please note that some of the figures circulating may have minor issues on paint. I have seen one wherein Kazuya's chest area has a different shade of paint compared to his torso (probably mixed up in assembling) so choose your figures carefully.

Yup, did I forget to mention how perfectly rendered his face is?

For the sculpt,  I particularly like the way his gi pants were made solid because it adds weight to the figure making it more sturdy. I also like how the hand joints and pegs were made big for the replacement hands. This allows easy replacement and prevents the breaking of the ball joint which was common for the small PAK figures like Lightning and Lara Croft.

All in all, the sculpt is pretty neat with the exception of two things. First is the gaping gap between his shoulders and arms attributed to those bulging biceps. The second one is the obvious connection between his torso and chest (see AC Batman TDKR skin), which was made more obvious due to the fact that he's not wearing any top. This is a minor thing though because it is quite unnoticeable in most positions and the paint is blended well.

As for articulation, he can do a variety of poses and action stances very well. But his bulk limits his articulation in most ways. For example, he has limited arm swivel because his big biceps are getting in the way. His leg movements are also limited so doing most of his kicking movements might be a little risky. More importantly, some of his joints like the swinging joint in the arms tend to become loose quickly.

Scale and Playability

Roughly 10 inches in height, Kazuya is best in-scale with the larger Play Arts Kai figures, particularly the Metal Gear Solid and Batman Arkham City line. Street Fighter X Tekken? No, the figure is not in-scale with the Super Street Fighter IV series. But with a little bit of creativity, they can still be made compatible.

I can guarantee a lot of playtime with this figure, especially if you are a fan of the Tekken Series and you are familiar with Kazuya's moves! (Not to mention pwn noobs with this guy).

Summary

For all the Tekken/fighting game fans like me, Kazuya is definitely a must-get. The figure has minimal issues but its details and sculpt compensates for that. To sum up, get Kazuya if:

     (1) you're a hardcore Tekken fan and you kick ass with Kazuya

     (2) you want an impressive and intimidating anti-hero in your collection

     (3) you want to beat up most of your heroes

Packaging: 4.5/5

Accessories: 2/5

Sculpt and Paint: 4.5/5

Articulation: 3.5/5

Playability: 4/5

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Check out my friend Jeri Reyes' take on Play Arts Kai Kazuya here.