Toybox REVIEW: Meisho Movie Realization Daimyo Boba Fett

Release Date: January 2023

RRP: $124.99

Among all of Bandai Tamashii Nations' toy lines, the current state of the Meisho Movie Realization line is perhaps the thing that confuses me the most. After years of both retail and Tamashii web exclusive releases in Japan, this rather unique take on the Star Wars universe seems to no longer be a thing in the company's home territory - with the handful of releases since 2021 seemingly exclusive to the US and Europe. Nevertheless as Star Wars continues to grow on Disney+ so does the line itself, with a brand new Meisho Movie Realization Daimyo Boba Fett figure released on the former bounty hunter's title role in The Book of Boba Fett. While the Movie Realization line usually has to bestow a title upon its figures, here the work had already been done for them - with Boba Fett taking up the role of Mos Espa's "daimyo" in the series itself.

Although it's been around for several years now, the Movie Realization line has remained incredible consistent - especially when it comes to packaging. Daimyo Boba Fett comes in the same two-piece style packaging that's been seen across the line, with no major changes to layout or language even though the figures don't seem to actually come out in Japan any more. The black top half of the box features a nice big image of Boba's new look alongside the Star Wars, Movie Realization and various Bandai Tamashii Nations logos. The character name is then featured along one side of the box, whilst the other features a close up image of that iconic helmet. On the white bottom piece you'll find the usual array of images showing the figure and accessories off in various poses, while the pieces themselves are stored neatly inside on a black plastic tray. One touch I'm glad to see hasn't been lost over the years is printing "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." on the inside of the box's top half. It isn't much, but it's just one of those little touches that make you smile every time you see it.

Daimyo Boba Fett is a brand new take on the iconic bounty hunter based on his look in The Book of Boba Fett, which in turn is a slight revision of his newly repainted armour from The Mandalorian season two. The figure features a new olive green colour scheme which is a fairly close match to how Boba looks in the show. with a black undersuit and tattered skirt section at the back. The brown gauntlets feature all new weaponry not present on the line's previous Boba Fett figure - a clawed grappling hook on the right wrist and an elaborate rocket launcher on the left. Both have been done in the Movie Realization style, and while they certainly aren't authentic period Japanese weapons they certainly fit the aesthetic. Which is exactly the thing this figure does best, with plenty of little details across the design to appreciate - such as the ropes holding the wrist gauntlets together or the traditional style sandals. Not to mention the paintwork on the figure which is also immaculate, with bright yellow to compliment the green and black as well as silver highlights and a black wash where appropriate to give the armour a scuffed, battle-worn feel.

In fact a side by side comparison with the Ronin Boba Fett figure shows how this is far more than simply a new colour scheme. Daimyo Boba Fett sports completely new arms and legs, while the torso has also had some extensive modifications like losing the battle damage and adding an all-new belt mould. In the place of the original's shoulder cape is the modern iteration's skirt piece, and even the jet pack has been slightly altered to feature the repair work to fix the damage it sustained in Return of the Jedi. Under the hood of the figure there's even surprising changes to the engineering as well, but that'll be covered a little further down in the review. Even though the head sculpt might seem like the only identical piece but even that has been slightly revised - moving the iconic dent to its correct placement on the top of the head rather than on the forehead. This is a whole different beast to the Ronin version, fully embracing Boba's new look with the line's clever mix of screen-accuracy and historical stylisation. 

So what about that slightly revised engineering? Fundamentally the articulation remains exactly the same as it always has in the Movie Realization line, it's just the way it goes about it in certain places that's changed. Altogether Daimyo Boba Fett features; 

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

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Swivel hinge shoulders, elbows and ankles

- Double hinge knees

- Single hinge toe sections

The biggest difference is the loss of both double hinged elbows and a bicep swivel, replacing it instead with a thick ball hinge that can swivel both above and below the elbow. In most circumstances this would seem like a downgrade in articulation, but when it's a bulky figure like this the difference is barely noticeable. Another big change is the move from the thick flat discs the wrist ball joints sit on to the standard ball construction you see on the S.H. Figuarts line. While I'm not convinced this is quite as sturdy has how they used to be, nothing has broken as of yet and there is a slight improvement in range. Other little bits of articulation not previously mentioned include the moveable range finder, ball jointed shoulder pads and rotatable holsters. The less cluttered look of the Daimyo armour also results in much better articulation in the shoulders and hips compared to the Ronin version, allowing you to take full advantage of the butterfly and ball joints in those respective areas. While this line is never going to have S.H. Figuarts levels of poseability simply by the nature of the designs, it still doesn't feel that far off.

Daimyo Boba Fett also has a hell of a lot going for it when it comes to accessories as well. Altogether the set includes his jetpack, two additional accessory-holding pairs of hands, a wakizashi sidearm, stylised versions of his small blaster pistol and EE-3 Carbine Rifle, extended grappling hook and finally of course his Gaffi Stick. What this edition of Boba Fett lacks in alternate hands (only included three pairs in total compared to the original's five), it certainly makes up for in weapons. Once again nothing here is a complete reuse from the previous figure, with even the wakizashi sporting a new guard piece on the hilt and a different coloured saya/scabbard. Even the rifle is an all-new mould, with a darker wood colouring and gunmetal grey pieces as well as a longer stock. All three weapons fit comfortably in the figure's hands, although the guns have been specifically designed to be held right-handed. When not in use, the smaller pistol can be stored in the holster on Boba's right-hand side whilst his wakizashi (in its saya) can be clipped onto the left side. Perhaps the strangest accessory in the range is the grappling hook, which is connected to a long metal chain. It's a fun little accessory (and surprisingly easy to switch in and out given how small it is), but difficult to pose well because of how long it is. Even if you use display stands to support it, the chain doesn't really stand out because of how thin it is. Undoubtedly the coolest accessory among the bunch though is the Gaffi stick, which didn't need any alteration from how it looked in the show to fit in with the rest of the ensemble. But at the slightly larger scale Movie Realization works in its sized appropriately enough to get some simple wood detailing on it, as well as the moulded detailing on the spiked end section. Whether you like your Boba packing the big guns or mixing it up with melee weapons, there's more than enough here to satisfy any collector.

While the new release structure for this line continues to confuse me (did they not do all that well in Japan?), Meisho Movie Realization Daimyo Boba Fett is more than enough to prove that it hasn't lost any of its quality in the process. It would have been so easy for Bandai to have released a less extensive retool of the Ronin Boba Fett in a new paint job and call it a day, but they really went all out in making this a completely new figure with its own unique detailing and charm as well as a tonne of weaponry to make him worthy of the title Daimyo. Though it's a little frustrating that these figures have become a little trickier/more costly to get these days, it's a wholly unique line within the Bandai Tamashii Nations catalogue that never seems to disappoint.