Transformers Studio Series Core Class Noah Diaz/Novakane/Frenzy review

We're going to reach the last of the Core Class releases for 2023, and as expected, it's a new mold mixed with two reused figures. While Novakane and Frenzy are basically existing molds in different colors (well the latter at least, the former has a slightly different head), Noah Diaz, aka Sonic, is the new guy we should put our attention towards. That man knows how to make for an impressive character in the movies, what with him being more like a mix between Sam's younger spirit with the more protective and technical side of Cade, and having been a former military soldier only to get back in with G.I.Joe makes him the most versatile human ally the Autobots have. Not to diss the others, but Noah is a pretty cool guy, and the fact that he wears the skin of Mirage, only human-sized, was a big surprise. I thought I was going to laugh at it in the same way I mock recent capeshit CGI, but I honestly thought the end result was kind of adorable, almost like he was cosplaying as Mirage. But let's cover these three for today's review!

Here we have Noah in his nonexistent jet mode. Of course, he never transformed into a little jet in the movie, but this was done solely for the sake of making him easier to sell as a Core Class figure. Said jet mode looks like it's of a made-up model, but it is decently painted. The gray and blue do match Mirage, so that much is consistent. From the bottom, it's an exosuit folded in.

See what I mean? All you do for transformation is folding the back and front of the jet while the arms and legs untab from the backpack. Noah's exosuit looks pretty good and is faithful to the on-screen design, but apart from that giant backpack of a jet, the colors are missing a lot of blue while the visor is a blue Y instead of having his human face visible. This was done either because Hasbro didn't have the likeness to Anthony Ramos, the scale was far too small, or it was based on concept art. If anything, it manages to give off a different look than usual, though I could see this being the kind of suit that the G.I.Joes would wear if they decided to reverse-engineer the exosuit while Noah's better resembled Mirage...wait why did I just bring back the stupid ass Rise of Cobra armors with that comment? Oh yeah, and while the blaster is removable, the blade is permanently attached to him. I will at least criticize the mismatch between the lighter gray shoulders, hips, and feet compared to the gunmetal gray head, torso, forearms, and lower legs.

With the plane kibble removed, the articulation consists of ball joints all throughout, as seen for the neck, shoulders, elbows, torso, hips, knees, and ankles. With his skinnier body frame, he has a lot more to offer with flexibility than the average Core Class Transformer. Also have to say the gun being painted orange from the inside gives a nice glow to the gun mode. Here we have a size comparison between himself and the man who gave him the exosuit. And for those wondering, you can flip down a 5mm peg to have Mirage hold the jet kibble like it was a Micromaster weapon. Overall, Noah Diaz is a great figure for the line, being able to make for a badass action figure that treats the jet mode like it was a bonus. This guy not only has better proportions than any of Mirage's toys, but his design reminds me so much of the Mega Construx Halo figures, and that is a win in my opinion compared to being left as a static minifig.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now let's quickly cover the repaints for the other Core Class characters. We get a surprise addition of another Sweep known as Novakane. But who is who? Well, Freezer is on the left, with Novakane getting a lighter gray base body, more gunmetal gray biceps and legs, and paint apps that are a little more bronze than a orangey shade.

The robot modes are where the big difference between the two stands out more. Freezer's head is intact and symmetrical while Novakane is the one that has an asymmetrical head with battle damage. I do feel Freezer's colors blend in better than Novakane's, but otherwise the reuse shares the same strengths and weaknesses present in Freezer.

Now let's cover Frenzy, who is red in this line but otherwise, who cares. Paint operations are the same between them. Anything that is lavender is now black while everything that is baby blue is now red.

Robot modes practically function the same Same articulation, same play features, same use of justification on using the accessories and paint for the asking price. Both can fit in Soundwave's chest.