Tomopop Review: Robin & Sogeking Portrait of Pirates Neo-5

2:22 AM on 07.23.2008   |   Pedro Cortes

Back in my first Go For Broke, I wrote about a long running set of One Piece figures called the Portrai of Pirates, produced by Megahouse.  The P.O.P. series takes each member of the Strawhat crew and places them in glorious 1/8 PVC form.  It's fifth set of figures was just released and in it are Nico Robin, the Strawhat Crew's Archaeologist and overall hottie, and Sogeking, the King of All Snipers and the alter ego to the crew's sniper Usopp.

Follow me after the jump to get a bunch of pics and more details about the latest additions to the P.O.P. family.

Let's take a look at the boxes for Sogeking and Robin, not that you'd want to keep them there for very long.

Both boxes feature Sogeking and Robin on the right and left sides, to inform you of what is in the current set.  It features a facsimile of their wanted posters and bounties, with a decent photo of the figure proper next to it.  Overall, not an impressive box that you'd want to keep, but it isn't an eyesore that'll make people shy away.

On to the figures, let us begin with the man from Sniper Island, the King of All Snipers, the mighty Sogeking (and his 'pal' Usopp)!

Out of the box you have Usopp in a long red cape, along with his Sogeking mask (both normal and hastily repaired), his bag of ammo, and his legendary weapon Kabuto.  He stands on a lime green stand that has his name on it and proclaims him a member of the Luffy Pirates.  When you place him on the stand, you really get an appreciation for the effort Megahouse puts into their PVC's.  Sogeking/Usopp is surprisingly sturdy, perhaps the sturdiest PVC I've felt in some time.  Unless you're incredibly abusive with your statues, you shouldn't have to worry about possibly damaging him.

If you want to place either mask onto Usopp's face, you'll have to remove the goggles that are on his face in the photo above.  Problem is, the goggles aren't connected and are very small, so if you aren't careful, you stand a good chance of losing them.  However, while Usopp looks quite the bad ass without the mask on, this figure IS called Sogeking, so it would be a bit wrong to not have him in the get up, now wouldn't it?  His weapon looks delicate, but with some care shouldn't be a major concern.  It fits snug in his right hand and will not move unless you want it to.

There were no problems what so ever with the paint job or the sculpt proper.  In fact, with all the folds in his clothing and cape, Megahouse had done a phenominal job with bring Sogeking and his 'friend' Usopp into three dimensions.  The colors pop out and the dramatic pose will make this a great addition to any One Piece fan's collection.

Next up we have Nico Robin, the lovely more mature lady of the One Piece crew.  At one time their foe, Nico Robin joined after their battle at Alabasta, where the clothing of this figure is based off of.  It's interesting to note that the sculpters at Megahouse have changed Robin from their first printing in order to stay concurrent with the art in the manga.   This is what Robin looked like during her first printing...

and this is what she looks like now.  The change is subtle, however it goes to show you the dedication that Megahouse has in keeping their figures looking fantastic.

Another change, though not quite so drastic, is the addition of a slight bit of ass crack for Ms. Robin, something she was lacking last time around.

Nothing big, but appreciated none the less.

Overall, this is a much simpler figure than Sogeking.  The only additional piece included is a white cowboy hat that Robin sported for quite a time.  Though the hat hasn't made an appearance in some time, it is quite the complementary piece for her get up.

The paint job on Robin is, in my slightly biased opinion, better than Sogeking's.  The delightful shadings that outline Robin's hips and stomach as well as the folds and curves of her pants really bring the statue to life.  Though the pose proper isn't out of this world sexy or impressive, her mysterious eyes and inviting smile more than make up for it.  Small details like the swirls on her top and the decoration on her left arm also make this more than just a simple figure of a hot lady.

My only complaint with Robin is that unlike Sogeking, she feels more delicate.  That isn't to say that it'll break apart in your hands, but by the nature of her design (long, tall, and busty, just the way that Oda likes them) she isn't very sturdy.  As long as you are gentle with her you shouldn't have any problems. 

Overall, I can say that these are Grade-A figures that will look great in anybody's collection, and fans of One Piece shouldn't have any trepidations about buying these instantly.  If you're interested in getting these lovelies, click the link to my Go For Broke article at the top of the page and you'll find links to several places that still got them.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

BTW, many thanks go out to my buddy Cristian for letting me use his figures for the review, as my figures have yet to arrive yet. Curse you SAL shipping!