Transformers: Adventures (Robots in Disguise Japan) Optimus Prime (TAV21)
Japan has finally given us an honest to god Leader Class Robots in Disguise toy! This is probably the best RID toy we will see considering Hasbro’s utter failure to make this line anything more than a joke.
Optimus Prime comes with a bunch of weapons. They are meant to be able to be used by Warrior Class toys, though he can wield them also due to an interesting design feature. They are softer plastic than I like, but that’s what we get these days even from Japan.
Vehicle Mode: Optimus Prime looks amazing in vehicle mode. He’s got great paint apps. I especially like the blue outlines on the wheels. He has numerous ports for weapons, more than the number of weapons he comes with. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the gray plastic section at the lower back of the cab, but that’s a minor thing.
Robot Mode: He looks fantastic in robot mode. You’ll note that on his left shoulder there is a black wheel that can be turned to change from a standard Autobot insignia to the one in the circle. It is different from the USA RID symbol. You’ll note that he has awful hands without ports. There are gray buttons on his arms. When pressed, they swing out ports into his hands. It’s an interesting bit of engineering, but I would prefer real Transformers fists.
Overall: This will almost certainly be the best RID toy. Hasbro certainly isn’t giving us anything this detailed. Someone over at Hasbro needs to get their head out of their ass and realize that many collectors are interested in having good toys from this series. Unfortunately, this seems to be beyond anyone at Hasbro’s comprehension.
Thanks for reading!