Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Party Set -The Straw Hat Crew-

Release Date: May 2026

RRP: 5280 yen

Arguably one of the most common criticisms of the S.H. Figuarts line is that there could always be more accessories. For the most part Bandai Tamashii Nations do a good job of providing all the essentials, but photographers and/or those with a larger display space quite often have to look elsewhere for generic scenario-based parts. Every so often Bandai throws out a surprise though, with the S.H. Figuarts Party Set -The Straw Hat Crew- being one such example. Now fans of the One Piece line can bring their figures to life on the deck of the Going Merry, with a number of diorama accessories to recreate their signature celebrations. The Party Set was a mass release item, coinciding with the release of Chopper -Drum Island-.

The S.H. Figuarts Party Set comes in a box featuring a similar design layout to the rest of the One Piece line, only much larger and with a windowless front. On that front you'll find a nice big image showing off how the Straw Hat crew (or at least the ones released so far) look alongside all of the pieces included here, with a proper breakdown of what's included to the side and a larger image of Luffy, Usopp and Zoro in the bottom corner. One side of the box features the name of the set alongside an picture of the original five members making their pledge, whilst the other side features close up images of the crew's new face plates (each against the signature colour of their respective packaging, which is a nice touch). On the back you'll find a new more breakdown images of the box's contents and how they look alongside the figures, and then inside everything is neatly laid out on a moulded plastic tray. All with the exception of the background card, which is instead bagged up behind the tray together with an instruction leaflet.

The accessories included in the set can be broken down into three distinct categories, the first of which are a group of pieces to be used with each of the six Straw Hats released in the line so far. Each member receives a new cheering face plate, a tankard of beer and an additional right hand to hold said tankard. Each of the hands has been labelled with a letter near the peg hole so you can tell which is which (you should be able to tell just by looking for the most part, though it can be a bit more confusing with Luffy, Zoro and Sanji's). Five of the tankards are identical, however the sixth has additional moulding on the handle so that it can peg into Chopper's hand (as his is too small to mould a proper gripping one). The accessories are all fairly self explanatory, but the faces themselves are great - even Luffy's huge grin stands out despite the wide assortment of other ones he has by this point. They're all perfectly designed for the theme of the set, but can also work for plenty of other poses as well. Swapping out Choppers hand feels like a bit of a risk at first simply because the wrist is so small, but even that is easy enough to do with a bit of care. The only real shame here is the timing of the set. There's still another three pre-time skip Straw Hats to be released, four if you want to add Jinbe to the mix as well. It seems unlikely that they'll each come with their own accessories to join the party (and it's a definite in Robin's case), so unless Bandai have a second one planned it's slightly limited to just the original six members. It doesn't exactly spoil the set, but it would have been nice for the others to have similar parts when they eventually get released.

The next section are slightly more generic accessories, including a crate, a large barrel, six bowls and a plate of chicken. The latter is probably one of the most forgettable pieces in the set, but makes a nice companion piece to the Sanji's soup plates and Luffy's meat on the bone. The bowls are all plain white, and can be displayed individually or stacked together. What are more substantial are the crate and barrel, both of which are hard plastic with great paintwork and wooden detailing. The crate is just a solid piece, but the barrel can be separated in order to be displayed split apart or without a lid - perfect for a Straw Hat to hide in and/or burst out of. Their inclusion also means you can recreate that iconic moment where the original five members each reaffirm their dream before journeying into the Grand Line. They're perhaps the most desirable aspect to the set, not only because they're the most substantial part (at least in terms of mass) but also being more generic parts that can work with other figures as well as the One Piece line. In that respect it might have been nice if it came with a few more crates as well, but then again it would have driven the price up as well.

Finally to round off the set is a cardboard diorama backdrop depicting the front of the Going Merry's cabin. It's 17.5" wide and 9" tall, with folded sections at 2" either side so that it can stand on its own. It is also comes folded straight down the middle so that it can fit into the box, but thankfully the fold isn't too noticeable once it's all straightened out. The print is very nice detailed and printed on glossy card, so has a somewhat premium feel to it even if it is technically just a fold-out diorama similar to the ones included with the Marvel Gamerverse figures. The much larger size however means its great for displaying all of the Straw Hat crew in front off, so it's not a case of having to pick your favourites for a display and then leaving the rest off to the side. Some might have preferred something more substantial with more physical pieces rather than just a print, but for the set's price it's feels fairly reasonable. However it certainly wouldn't have cost Bandai much more to have included a floorboard piece as well, especially given one appears in all the promo photos for the set. Granted the photos properly breaking down the accessories make it clear one isn't included, but it's hard to believe a second printed piece would have driven the price up that much. It's not also not that hard to make one yourself either, but that's beside the point.

The S.H. Figuarts Party Set -The Straw Hat Crew- is by no means an essential set, and as a One Piece add-on doesn't quite match up to the superior Gum Gum Parts Option Parts Set. But for collectors who want to get more out of their figures than just action poses, it's a fun assortment of pieces that deliver just that. It's great that it has something for everyone released so far, but unless Bandai are planning to release extra parts later down the line it's a shame that the remaining members of the crew (particularly Robin given that she would have been already in the pipeline) can't get in on the action in the same way. The lack of a floor piece also feels like a slight knock against it too, given the fact that it's both featured in the promo images and ultimately wouldn't have added all that much to the cost. It might not be a perfect set, but it is the kind of thing Bandai should keep cooking up.