Go Figure Felix world of miniature figure modelling : Yoshii Toranaga VS Samurai (Part 1)

Here is my two in one review of Yoshii Toranaga a 1/9 3D figure by Kuton Figurines printed and offered by El Greco VS DF Military Figures a 230 mm Samurai.

Detail of the releases:

Title: Yoshii Toranaga from the FX Shogun TV Mini series

3D Printable STL file: Kuton Figurines

Scale: 1/9 full figure standard variant, there is also a battle damage variant and a bust available.

Printed by: El Greco under license from Kuton Figurines

Material & no. of pieces: 18 dark grey blue resin

Order from: El Greco

Fresh off the FX Shogun TV miniseries, Lord Yoshii Toranaga character figure was 3D sculpted by Kuton Figurines and printed by El Greco.

The kit comes in a white cardboard box with parts housed in two separate sturdy brown boxes inside and sandwiched with foam packing peanuts for protection. It consists of 18 dark grey resin printed parts which include a choice of two heads: Head x 2, Helmet, Torso, Arms x 2, Sword, Waist, Legs x 2, Base x 2 and Arrows x 6. He is wearing the tosei-gusoku (modern armour), carrying which looks like a Tachi or a katana and wakizashi. He is ready for battle with the two-handed grip of his sword.

Title: Samurai

Manufacturer: DF Military Figures

Scale: 230mm full figure, there is also a bust available.

Sculptor: Hand sculpted by Richard Bailey

Material & no. of pieces: 19 greyish white resin

The DF Military Figures Samurai kit comes in a white cardboard box with parts housed in three plastic bags inside and sandwiched with brown kraft paper for protection. It consists of 19 light grey resin parts.

A figure model finely sculpted by Richard Bailey of a 230 mm Samurai warrior figure kit. He is wearing the tosei-gusoku (modern armour), carrying a Chokuto (straight blade sword) and a Gunbai Uchiwa (war fan) to signal orders in the battlefield or to direct troop movements.

Here are the printed/cast parts.

Parts View

Head, Body, Legs and Arms View

Kabuto, Tachi (Katana), Chokuto, Arrows and Gunbai Uchiwa View

Base View

Final thoughts:

On Kuton Figurines’s Lord Yoshii Toranaga.

The 3D figure by Kuton is finely sculpted with great detail and likeness of Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada from FX Shogun TV miniseries. Although the figure is finely sculpted there are a few inaccuracies.

1. At first glance the figure armour looks like the one from the show. But there is a big difference when compare with the Toranaga’s armour from the show. There are some parts missing. It looks like the figure armour is a trimmed down simplify version or lack of research by the sculptor. Please check out the actual armour wore by actor Hiroyuki Sanada in the reference section of my review.

2. The term "鍬形 Kuwagata" refers to a type of decoration on a samurai helmet, specifically a type of maedate (front decoration). It was used from the mid-Heian period to the Edo period. From the Kamakura Period to the Northern and Southern Dynasties Period, it grew to an exaggerated size. Long, narrow kuwagata are called nagakuwagata, and wide kuwagata are called okuwagata. The Kuwagata/Maedate the decorate fitting mounted on the kabuto helmet is usually made out of brass, bronze or some of them in wood, leather or even paper. The one from the show is of brass or bronze and the figure kit one is way too thick when compare with a real one.

3. It looks like the sculptor is confused or lack of knowledge between a katana, a wakizashi, a tachi and a tanto. When Samurai in battlefield in their armour, they would only carry tachi and not the daisho. The figure is holding a Tachi and his second sword looks like a wakizashi and not a tanto. The kit’s sword blade curvature for a Tachi or a katana is wrong and the habaki (鎺) sword fitting looks weird and out of scale so as with the sword scabbard. If the figure is holding a tachi, the sword scabbard should have the sharp blade facing down. If the scabbard is for a katana and wakizashi they should be facing up.

4. Samurai swordsmanship Kenjutsu hold the sword with the left hand at the bottom and right hand at the top no matter which is your dominant hand but the figure hands are in reverse and the stance is questionable.

5. Ya(矢, samurai arrow) commonly refer to the arrows used by Samurai during the Feudal era of Japan. For Japanese arrows the arrow fletching should have three or four feathers and up to six rather than just two as came with the kit. Samurai Yanone/Yajiri (arrowhead) were made in all different shapes, sizes, lengths and designs according to their intended use in war, the hunt, or target practice. Arrowheads made for use on the battlefield incorporated different designs intended for specialized purposes such as the piercing of armour or to cause maximum damage to horses and unarmoured personnel. The ones came with the kit were generic common arrow heads.

Regardless of the few inaccuracies, the figure is excellent printed by El Greco. The parts are sharp, smooth, crisp and clean and are perfectly snug fit together and no printing lines to clean. This 3D printed figure kit with most of the parts are hollow printed with small parts printed in solid. Since it is hollow the figure is light in weigh and feels like a styrene plastic kit. They are more brittle and fragile than casting parts. My kit arrived with a broken braided cord. Overall a beautiful good looking kit. You can order the kit directly from El Greco.

On DF Military Figures Samurai

A fine piece from sculptor Richard Bailey. The sculpt is great except for a few parts which are historical inaccurate and questionable.

1. Looks like the armour is a mix and match from Japan different periods especially for the kabuto helmet. The style of the Hachi helmet bowl and Shikoro neck guard looks odd and wrong so as with the thigh protection, shin guards and the waraji (straw sandals). Various parts of the armour have been omitted or simplify due to improper research?

2. The kind of sword the samurai is holding is called chokuto. The chokutō (直刀, "straight sword") is a straight, single-edged Japanese sword that was mainly produced prior to the 9th century. Its basic style is likely derived from similar swords of ancient China. Since the 10th century, they disappeared as weapons and came to be made only as offerings to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

Despite some of these swords still being used and produced after that century it was mainly used for ceremonial with fashionable mounting.

3. Another questionable mistake is with the kit’s blade. It is almost the same width as the saya/scabbard. The sword was supposedly worn with the blade sharp edge facing down just like the Tachi. But when I test mounted the saya onto the armour, I noticed the space/hole inside the saya for the blade sharp edge is facing up rather than down.

4. The way the hand holding the sword seemed odd that his hand was halfway down the hilt of the sword rather than up against the guard which would make the unbalanced in the hand. The hand should up again the guard. It is an easy fix. Just cut out a small piece and butt up the hand to the guard.

5. The second short sword the samurai is carrying also has a straight blade. Is it a wakizashi, a tanto or something else???

6. Oversize twisted wires were used to represent different braided cords throughout the armour and simplify rings to represent elaborate decorate metal fittings on the armour. The term kanamono, which literally translates to "gold items," refers to all of the ornamental components that embellish samurai armour.

So this kit represents a daimyo wearing 16th century armour with a 9th century Chokuto and holding a Gunbai Uchiwa (war fan) commanding the troops. Despite with all the mistakes it is still a finely sculpt by the sculptor.

Conclusion:

The two figure kits are finely sculpted and printed/cast. Unfortunately both figures have suffered the same mistakes on the armour and on the samurai sword. Samurai is not an easy subject to tackle and most sculptors are lack of knowledge especially on the armour. Japan different periods had different style of armour and the sculptor needed extensive research to get it correct.

Despite of the inaccuracies, both figures look impressive when painted. If you like the figures buy it and enjoy your painting.

My Rating Summary:

For Kuton Figurines Yoshii Toranaga