Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Roronoa Zoro -Romance Dawn-

Release Date: February 2025

RRP: 7700 yen

The return of One Piece S.H. Figuarts might have been a momentous occasion for fans, but it certainly hasn’t been without its problems. And if you ask collectors, perhaps the biggest of all was the Roronoa Zoro -Raid on Onigashima- figure. With woeful articulation stemming from both poor engineering choices and the use of soft plastic robes, it’s widely considered to be a bit of a disaster. However with Bandai Tamashii Nations returning to the show’s origins in celebration of its 25th anniversary, they’ve got a chance to make up for those mistakes with S.H. Figuarts Roronoa Zoro -Romance Dawn-. A retail release figure, Zoro is the third of the Straw Hats’ original lineup to be released in the line (following on from Luffy and Nami).

These white boxes will be all too familiar to those collecting the One Piece line by now, but if it isn’t broken don’t fix it. Zoro’s mixes things up by adding green as a secondary colour, which naturally works perfectly for the release as it matches his hair colour. On the front of the box is a nice big image of the figure alongside all the usual name cards and logos, as well as a big window section to show off the figure itself. One side of the box features another image alongside the character name again, whereas the other is a nice bookend-style display featuring close-up shots of all the different faceplates. On the back you’ll find a nice array of images showing the figure off in various poses (as well as highlighting the bonus accessory included for Luffy), and then inside both the figure and accessories can be found on their moulded tray. Instructions on how to use the accessories are printed on the inside flaps on each side of the box.

As with the previous "Romance Dawn" figures (and as per the subtitle itself), this Zoro is based on his earliest appearance in the anime - specifically prior to his defeat against Mihawk as it includes the two basic katana that were destroyed during the fight. That little detail aside though it's the ideal pre-time skip Zoro as it depicts his most iconic look, and that look is something Bandai have done particularly well with here. The figure captures the look of the character brilliantly - from the trademark scowl on the (default) faceplate to the colouring and detail of the clothing. Even though his outfit might all be solid blocks of colour, it's all been moulded with raised parts to give the impression of billowing fabric. Even the texture of the hair is great, as well as having that perfect shade of minty green you immediately associate with Zoro. While the trousers and boots may look black at first, on closer inspection you'll see that they actually have a slightly green tint to them which is a nice little detail. The only area where the sculpt might draw a little criticism is that it perhaps isn't the most seamless in the torso area. That said, even with the joint cuts around the shoulders it isn't hard to pose the figure in a way that works. Besides, if you're buying S.H. Figuarts surely you want to get a well-articulated release that might have some more obvious engineering rather than something that looks solid but poses like a statue?

Those obvious joint cuts in the torso do serve a purpose though, with Bandai trying out a new style of shoulder articulation on this release that definitely works in the figure's favour. But before diving into that area in more detail let's take a look at what Zoro has altogether, which includes;

- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, waist and wrists

- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Double hinge elbows

- Single hinge knees

- Bicep, thigh and boot swivels

So first let's take a look at those shoulder joints. Rather than the standard configuration for butterfly movement, here the ball joints that connect the arms to the torso are embedded just above the rib cage area - which is then connect to a ball hinge joint with long pegs at either side. These long pegs are then covered up by the shoulder joint and forearm to complete the limb. It looks and feels a little odd at first, but the end result are shoulders that have some frankly incredible movement - particularly when it comes to rotating the shoulder pieces around so that the arms can either lift up or move backwards. They take a little time to get used to, and one thing to definitely look out for immediately is any squeaking/tightness in the joints - if you feel/hear anything be sure to lubricate them up with some shock oil to avoid any accidental breakage. But while the figure definitely surpasses expectations in the shoulders and arms, other areas are perhaps a little more lacklustre. While the upper torso ball joint is pretty good, the waist is almost completely neutered by the thick plastic sash around it. Which is a shame, because given Zoro's poses he could really benefit from a good ab crunch. Single hinge knees also prove to be a point of contention amongst some collectors too, but while of course Zoro would benefit from more articulation I don't think what he is capable of is all that bad either. The great hip articulation, together with the thigh and (surprise) boot swivels, does a lot to balance it out. Whether it be one, two or three sword style - this Zoro can pull off some pretty fantastic poses. Turns out a lot of it is in the shoulders, and even with some waist and knee limitations this kind of arm articulation is exactly what was needed.

Zoro is also very well catered for when it comes to accessories. Altogether he comes with an alternate bandana-clad head, four alternate faces (two standard ones and then two to go with the bandana head), three additional pairs of hands, his three swords (the white-hilted Wado Ichimonji and then two standard black-hilted katana) and finally the three swords sheathed as a single piece. The sheathed swords can be plugged into the side of the figure via a simple socket, and all three hilts can be removed for accuracy depending on how many swords you’re displaying him wielding. The standard alternate heads include laughing and angry faces, with the latter being done in that over-the-top anime style the same as Nami’s. Meanwhile the two faces to be used with the alternate head piece are a sly smiling face and an open-mouthed one for Wado Ichimonji to slot into. Despite it only having shallow tabs on the hilt to latch onto the teeth, the sword fits into the mouth rather well. The two face plates for the alternate head have elongated foreheads for the bandana to slip over, so sadly are incompatible with the standard head (and vice versa). While you can see the design logic, it is a shame that the faces don’t work across both head sculpts as certain ones would have worked nicely with both. When using the alternate head, the tied bandana around the left arm can also be removed for accuracy. The hand selection includes open and weapon-holding ones to go alongside the default closed fists, as well as ones with a slightly looser grip so that he can be posed popping the sword(s) out of their sheath. Not a particularly expansive selection, but definitely covering all the necessary bases. The swords themselves though look fantastic – admittedly not overly complex but with all the correct moulding and detailing. Whether it’s in one, two or three sword style the figure is so much fun to pose and display – undoubtedly having the most shelf presence of any One Piece S.H. Figuarts release without the need for effect parts (be they included or otherwise).

And of course it wouldn’t be complete without the 18th (as denoted by the letter printed on the back) Luffy face, one of which has been included with every One Piece Figuarts release since the line came back. For this one we’re back in exaggerated anime face territory, giving Luffy a comical shouting face complete with wide open mouth and completely white eyes. While perhaps not quite as exciting as some of the ones included in previous releases, it adds a nice bit of humour to the figure and goes quite nicely with Zoro and Nami’s silly shouting faces. As usual, the faceplate is compatible with both the Romance Dawn and Raid on Onigashima Luffy figures.

After the previous Zoro release it isn't surprising that some fans were apprehensive about S.H. Figuarts Roronoa Zoro -Romance Dawn-, but once again Bandai have come out swinging with a release worthy of a revitalised One Piece line. On top of a great sculpt that goes perfectly alongside the other members of the Straw Hat crew, Zoro is a good example of when Bandai's experimentation with articulation/engineering goes right - the figure offering some incredible shoulder articulation to pull off the kind of poses you'd expect from the moss-headed swordsman. While there are still some issues, such as the limited torso articulation and the face sculpts not being compatible across both heads, they seem relatively minor in the face of what is otherwise a wonderful release. Now all that's left to do is hope that Usopp and Santi's release dates aren't too far away, so that at least one iteration of the Straw Hats crew can be complete.