Thursday, August 6, 2015

TF Spotlight: Animated Prowl!

08.06.2015 – “Transformers: Animated” is considered one of the well-known franchise for the Transformers Brand to produced innovative action figures based from the aesthetics of the cartoon.

It’s also remarkable how this is challenging for Takara Tomy engineers to translate the designs done by Cartoon Network and Hasbro in toy form. This is one of those toylines that defined how Hasbro is making toys moving forward and at the same time had a short lived animated series.

The toyline’s gimmick is simply the transformation and its highly articulated figures just like Prowl


Prowl is an Autobot part of the space bridge maintenance crew that crashed to Earth in Detroit’s Lake Eerie. The character is voiced by Jeff Glen Bennet and dubbed in Japanese by Kōji Yusa. He’s considered a well-skilled Cyber-Ninja that transforms into a Police “superbike” of made-up model.

Even though he’s part of the team Optimus Prime is extremely frustrated that this Autobot is a loner with a deep affinity to Earth’s environment. This is for the reason his room in the Autobot secret base doesn’t have a roof, since there’s a tree in place where he observes the birds. Prowl is a well-skilled with Cybertronian martial arts of Circuit-Su and Metallikato.

For those haven’t had the chance to see Prowl in action you might consider him as a favourite for being the stealthy cyber-ninja that he is. Besides being well-armed with “mecha-stars” he can project holograms and possibly the only Autobot to fly in short distance due to his jet-pack.







Most Articulated Autobot

Prowl is part of the first wave of Deluxe Class figures produced by Hasbro for the Transformers Animated line. There have been variation of this figure and also the Legend Class scale version, but for those who haven’t seen this version you’ll probably like this being the most articulated in the Deluxe Class.

Though some of them are being released having paint issues nobody would notice it due to the character’s popularity. For a Deluxe Class figure he’s taller than Bumblebee where he supposed to be smaller due to his vehicle mode.

Just like his animated counterpart this figure can do “high kick test” he can balance due to having ball-jointed waist and double-jointed knees. In robot mode due to his lithe appearance this explains how the transformation from ‘superbike” to robot mode is well-engineered to have some dexterity.









Well-Armed Cyber-Ninja

Prowl might appear a little underrated when it comes to accessories, but don’t fool yourself for passing up this figure when it first came out in 2008. This Autobot is armed with two bladed mecha-stars, which is hidden as its wheel hubcaps. These three-bladed “mecha-stars” can reconfigure from a harmless hubcap to his throwing weapons, which he can hold on both hands.

The mecha-stars have s pseudo-automorph feature; pulling out on one blade simultaneously opens the other two. He also comes with a traffic light “chain” weapon featured in one episode, which can’t be stored in vehicle mode.

He is also armed with “flash blasters” located in the rear superbike as advertised at the back of the card back packaging that can flip forward as sort of a non-firing projectile weapon. Diminutive in appearance this figure is as impressive as the character being portrayed in the series.









Stillness Knows Where to Strike

Overall Prowl is one impressive figure even though minor issues with paint and some have loose joints its still one of the favourite characters in the series. This also translate in the toy form for those who really like robotic ninjas Prowl is that figure.

There has been a follow-up figure for this one, but those who have seen the series this basic iteration of Prowl would be impressive even though its off-scale from the rest of the Deluxe Class figures.

Unless you have the Legend Class scale version but if not this ones good enough to be too cool to have.

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