Here we have Optimus fully assembled and stickered up. I should mention that I got this second hand, so it may have some things you wouldn't immediately get. First thing I want to mention is that one of the fog light stickers is left with the white instead of having the yellow circle where it's supposed to be. It might be a quality control error on Flame Toys' part, and sadly the previous owner couldn't get it replaced. That said, thanks to the dynamic style of the show combined with the lack of transformation, this is the closest Optimus has ever looked to being show accurate. Some may argue that the proportions are a little more exaggerated than they were in the control art, but that's likely to be expected from being based on an easier to draw & animate character design rather than a deliberate choice made by Flame Toys. I guess the articulation could explain why he may not be entirely 1:1 with some, but it's nothing like the more "vanilla" G1 releases where they deviate from the old character models. Even the colors are accurate to the show; the red is sweet and cherry like while the blue is somewhat indigo, with the yellow even complimenting the deco without overpowering the rest of the colors. I also appreciate that the grey is matte so as to not make the figure appear cheap for the grille and thighs. The only oddity I'm thinking about would have to be how much the toes point upwards more than normal. Other than that, it's a beautiful recreation of the TFA artstyle. We even get a stylized Autobot insignia for the left shoulder instead of the traditional look, though I'm surprised a normal sigil isn't an option. As for the ports on his forearms, we will get to those in a moment.
Head sculpt is pretty good as well. I think I once said that the mask less look of the Legacy United captures this version of Optimus the best, and now I believe this does an even better stab. I wish the yellow stripes were painted on, though; these stickers aren't the best quality for a somewhat pricey model kit. As for the articulation, he has two ball joints at the neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement at two hinges, butterfly joints for moving forward yet no backwards range oddly enough. The biceps rotate, the elbows double bend at two points, the forearms rotate, and the hands are on ball joints. The midriff is on a double ball joint system for the waist and diaphragm, hips are on swivels for moving front and back as well as hinging in and out, thighs rotate somewhat, knees bend at two points, ankles are on double ball joints, and the toes are on a hinge. That last joint mentioned is tighter than the rest of the figure, which is great if you have Optimus by himself, though it may be a concern when attaching his armaments.
I should mention that while he comes with the battle mask as an option, though the previous owner lost the chin piece for it prior to listing it on eBay. At the very least, he has his signature battle axe, which could use an effect part or at least compatibility like with the Legacy United figure, but it thankfully doesn't swing around at the head, and yes, he can hold it with both hands. And as you can surprise, other than fully clenched fists, he has splayed open hands, and hands meant for said axe.
Normally, that would be it for the original release of this character, because from here, we get new forearm pieces, a whole jetpack, and two shoulder cannons meant for the Wingblade version! I love it! Makes me wish Optimus Prime had Super Modes in modern TF media, but the writers of every show we got since 2020 (as well as Skybound and TFOne) would rather have Optimus act like either a mopey guy who can't lead others competently or a stupid himbo to appeal to the Predditors and Groomblrs. That being said, the wings are loose on the backpack, which makes me wonder if it's possible to tighten the hinges.
In fact, combining the weight of the jetpack with the Magnus Hammer (which looks great and makes me want to get the old Leader Class Ultra Magnus), and I kind of noticed that the joints are a little looser than I'd like. I'm sure you can use clear nail or floor polish if you'd like, and maybe super glue provided it won't damage the plastic. On a positive note, attaching them onto the figure is seamless, especially with the forearms.
For a Flame Toys comparison, here he is with Windblade. Funny how we have a one letter difference between the form Optimus takes and the name of the first ever fan vote winner. While nearly eye level with each other, Windblade is slightly taller than Optimus. Then again, Animated's version wasn't known for being that tall. Not a bad thing, because he can still kick ass without being written as a joke compared to most versions in the 2020s.
Case in point with scale, this is how I'd imaging Animated Optimus to look next to his TFP and Movie counterparts. As for comparing him to Blokees or Yolopark, I'd say that the Action Editions seem mostly fair to use as a comparison from the former due to the proper model kit aspect as well as reasonably close price points being a factor depending on the retailer. With Yolopark, they work differently from the other two due to them being less like Gunpla models, especially when die-cast and premium paint is used.
That said, is it fair to compare him to the regular AMKs, like Optimus Primal? Keep in mind that prices vary for these items depending on if you get them from their direct sites or on BigBadToyStore. The AMK usually goes for $30-35, while the Flame Toys kit averages around $45. It's a $10 difference give or take, but TFA Optimus is a smaller build than Primal, who is not assembled like traditional model kits and comes with an extra face, spring loaded arm and shoulder cannons, and lacks stickers. I can only assume the price from Flame Toys is due to how they operate differently from Yolopark, though I know some will mention how one may be more affected by tariffs than the other. Regardless, Primal has more value for money than.this Prime, at least the vanilla version.
And here he is with his Legacy United figure for a more contemporary comparison. I know many weren't happy with how much Hasbro changed the design to fit in with the Generations toys better, and while I thought he turned out better than Prowl, he was kind of missing that certain something that gave him his identity. There is a KO from Black Mamba with the old Voyager's head and a retooled torso in addition to the DNA Design upgrade kit that I would like to get. Hell, I'd also get the original Takara Wingblade Voyager because I love this take on a young, inexperienced Optimus. As for this figure, while the price has increase somewhat than originally intended, I still think this model kit is worth picking up; that said, I wish the stickers were better quality, and the same goes for the joint tolerances. Maybe my copy has this issue specifically and yours would be fine, but I kind of want to test that by getting the vanilla set without the Wingblade set. Until then, I hope that either the rest of the main Autobots or their universe's Megatron are in the pipeline. Other kits I would like to get are their Shattered Glass designs, Tarn, and their takes on Power Rangers Megazords.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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