The Chou Gekisen – Extra Battle – Figuarts ZERO is a figure line that takes on the hopes to provide “The Coolest Moment of Character” in anime figure form. So does the figure itself live up to the hype of Future Trunk’s iconic moment?

Unboxing / Assembly / Review

Figure Review

SSJ Future Trunks/ Mecha Freezer Dragon Ball Z info

Otaku Sinh’s collection

I bought it here!

Price

$128.99 (Figure) + $18.69 (Ship) + $2.58 (Insurance) = $150.26

Timeline

Paid on Tues 12/20/2022
Shipped on Tues 12/20/2022
Arrived on Wed 12/21/2022

Right Stuf Anime

Check out my previous experiences with Right Stuf Anime here!

Shipping

The shipping box came in a 14x14x14in box. Right Stuf Anime packed the box pretty tight with paper packing material, along with some extra cardboard to secure the figure box in place. (See the YouTube video for the packing.)

Figuarts ZERO Figure Box

Rather than the typical smooth and the glossy feel of Figuarts ZERO boxes, this figure box has the the look of a typical scale figure box.

Assembly

This figure is unarticulated, meaning it comes in one piece. There may be some cases where there are swappable face plates like the Rengoku figure here.

Aesthetics

The Chou Gekisen figure line of Figuarts ZERO is one with big ambitions, as it tries to recreate the biggest moments for iconic characters in anime figure form. Unfortunately, this Future Trunks/ Mecha Freezer figure comes in subpar quality, even by Figuarts ZERO quality standards.

Design

Any Dragon Ball Z fan remembers the moment when Future Trunks arrived onto the scene and turned Super Saiyan out of nowhere. Then, he turned Frieza to “mincemeat” and blew him to bits like he was some side character. That epic cliffhanger of a slash when Trunks slashed Frieza in half has to be THE ICONIC Future Trunks moment.

With that in mind, this choice of pose is the number 1 choice to pick. One little added component to this figure is that they actually added in a rock base, purple special effects to the figure and an added special effect to the slash. As an anime figure, it does make it all the more appealing to look at as it adds more depth to the figure.

For the overall design and what this figure tries to accomplish, I love it!

Complaints?

This is where everything starts to go downhill. When you buy anime figures, many of us collectors rely heavily on the manufacturer pictures or prototype pictures to make a decision. Most of the time, it might be wiser to wait until the official release. With enough due diligence, you should be able to snag one after its release for most scenarios.

With these two images below, which one is better?

To me, Mecha Frieza is clearly the secondary part of this figure and the better looking part of the figure; which is a bummer because if the roles were reversed, I would have been okay with a subpar looking Frieza. It is also the easier looking figure to get right as a head sculpt SSJ Future Trunks. Besides the little lines that are prevalent throughout the figure, it’s safe to say that Frieza actually looks like Frieza.

Notable Errors

When it comes to Figuarts ZERO figures, there are a number of very little defects that come with the territory of getting one of their figures. Once again, Figuarts ZERO is about the sum of the whole, rather than the individual parts. So, it becomes a trade off between quality, design and price.

Below, you’ll find some paint defects and some scuff marks on the figure. Those are the kind of mistakes you’ll see on anime figures, especially Figuarts ZERO figures. However, the face and hair sculpt looks to be the most egregious error.

Pictures

Last Thoughts

If you value the face and the hair sculpt of an anime figure, unfortunately this figure quite simply, ain’t it. One of the hardest components to get right about an anime figure is the face. Also, it is what most people look at first to help make a transactional decision.

The prototype pictures sported a clean and lighter shaded hair sculpt.

What I received was clumpy, clunky and had paint chippings.

In regards to the face, the prototype pictures once again looked pretty darn accurate to what Future Trunks actually looks like in the anime.

What I actually received was a darker shaded scrunched up face.

The one last egregious error is the sculpting of the ears.

It looks a lot more defined and realistic in the prototype pictures than the actual version. It just looks too unnecessarily massive, along wit the odd looking sculpt.

This may be the first figure I don’t feel that great about recommending this figure. To boil it down simply, it comes to Future Trunk’s head and face sculpt. That would be my determining factor for whether or not I would purchase this figure. In the end, I love what the Chou Gekisen -Extra Battle- figures are trying to do. However, executing something iconic means better quality, which this figure is lacking too much of.