The Hyuga clan is one of the most powerful ninja clans in the Naruto world after the Senju and Uchiha. Their family members can use and awaken the byakugan, an eye jutsu that allows them to see the chakra networks of other living things, target those points, and disable or kill with pinpoint accuracy. They are always depicted as pupilless eyes, but once they lock in, they can see incredible distances through objects. The start of the original series shows that the Hyuga were split into two separate clans: the Main family and the Branch family. The main family are the leader and decision makers, while the related branch families are protectors of the main family. Being protectors, they have a cursed bird cage mark placed on their foreheads so that if they are struck down in battle, no one can steal the power of their eyes. Hinata is a Hyuga of the main family, and there is an interesting conflict with her first cousin, Neji Hyuga. He is a branch member whose father was killed, sacrificing himself to help retrieve a kidnapped Hinata. It built a strong backstory that made both characters really interesting!
Sadly, in Shippuden, the sheer power of the Hyuga is very underutilized, given how hyped up their abilities are in the series as a whole. Even worse, in Boruto, she becomes a housewife who doesn't really get to show off her awesome abilities. I blame this on how little the writers involve female characters in important moments in the show, placing a lot of emphasis on Naruto and Sasuke instead. That said, this is a really cool version of Hinata from Shippuden! She has her standard hooded zipper jacket and cut-off pants look here with the long hair. It's my favourite look of hers, so kudos to Tamashii Nations for making this figure!
The figure has great posing and balance, good sculpt and paint, and enough accessories to recreate the battle scene where she helps Naruto defeat Pain.
Sculpt & Paint: 3/3 The paint here is clean and accurate to the character (though maybe the blue of the pants is a little lighter than what I'm used to in the show). Incorporating the new articulation into the jacket splits it into three large parts that break the look more than some others, but the range more than makes up for it. They've added small slits into the sides of the jacket and mid-lapel of the hoodie part to allow better movement. Nice!
Articulation: 3/3: This figure features a slim, sculpted build around the legs and arms, allowing for a high range of motion at the end joints. The ab and diaphragm articulation bend really well despite the jacket sculpt, but the thigh and splits motion are impeded a bit more than I thought they'd be, given the slits they put into the bottom hem of the jacket. They've also put in a mid-calf swivel and a higher ankle ball joint which allows a bit more freedom in the leg dynamics!
Accessories: 1/1 Unlike Pain, this features 4 extra face plates (hopeful smile, determined look, shouting, and concerned) as well as a bloodshot eyes despairing look faceplate for Naruto sage mode for when he gets schooled by Pain's Deva path! I really, really love it when they do this, because it makes the collection not only better, but makes me want to buy all figures that have the extras for others, even if I didn't originally want them (who am I kidding, I'd buy any figure in the Naruto line). She also comes with various hands to either grab, use the gentle fist style, lion fist hands, and I think grasping hands to pull out the chakra rods from Naruto! She has alternate hair parts to create a sweeping dynamic look (which also helps a lot with her head articulation up and down) AND her Gentle twin lion fist parts (which replace the hands on the pegs like Sasuke's chidori, rather than clip onto a hand alternate). The twin lion fist parts also have another joint in them so you can move the heads around too. The ONLY suggestion I have for another piece would be an embarrassed head plate piece! Either way, Awesome!
Fun Factor: 3/3 The creation of this figure and the specific parts allow for the full Pain Arc fight scene in Naruto Shippuden, and I am HERE for it. The figure looks great among the others, and adds a different splash of colour to the otherwise reds, oranges and blacks that dominate the Naruto collection. This figure poses well and is easy to balance, and I had a lot of fun taking pictures!
Verdict: 10/10 This is probably the only and best Hinata figure SH Figuarts will make. It's really well done, and anchoring the parts to a specific set of scenes in Naruto really helps bring out all the options. Amazing!
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| Really good job on the eyes and line work here! |
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| They've put the instructions for part switching on paper again, I thought for some reason they'd keep putting on the side flap of the box? |
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| A really nice range of accessories. For some reason on the box, they feature her using some kunai, then say you have to buy the Sage mode Naruto for that...which is fine I guess, but as far as I remember, she doesn't use kunai in really any major fight in Naruto Shippuden |
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| Good split range, but it does take a bit of finagling to get it right. |
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| Articulated hair piece! Clips in and out pretty solidly |
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| I found these hands way more interesting to pose than her actual gentle fist palm hands |
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| The wind effects kinda work! I should try to get good at photoshopping at some point |
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| "....Naruto kun...." |
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| These are just awesome! |
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| Really cool details. These are a little more feasome than the ones in the show, which are a bit more like the lion faces you see on Asian temples |
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| I liked that in the anime, this fight was extended a bit, showing Hinata nearly landing some pretty good blows, despite being outmatched by Pain. |
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| This is some advanced acupuncture! |
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| He's feelin' that! |
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| How Hinata became Akatsuki |
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| "NARUTO!!" |
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| The Uzumaki/Hyuga clan! Say what you will, but I personally really enjoy the Boruto anime and the Blue Vortex manga, despite the anime's execution. I wonder if they'll ever dive into Boruto figures again? Seems like they'll just stick with the more popular series, but I'd love to have a redone Boruto (karma option mode), Sarada Uchiha and Mitsuki. |
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