Sorry for the delay on getting this online, but I’ve had a busy week. Here’s an in-depth review of Henkei Starscream that addresses its differences with Classics Starscream...
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The first time I saw a Starscream figure was his G2 incarnation - a repaint of G1 - in a Swiss store in the early nineties. Back then, I had just finished sharing the Transformers movie with a classmate, who seemed quite fond of Starscream’s design (and bizarre voice). So you can imagine how excited he must have been when he found his favourite Decepticon in store. After finally unwrapping and transforming the figure, we were greeted with a colossal disappointment. It was barely a shadow of Starscream’s cartoon appearance. The wings were too low, the ugly head was pointed at the back, but worst of all it was a
partsformer. Just looking at Starscream on screen, it was easy to visualize his transformation process. So I wondered aloud why it was necessary to take his jet mode apart and reassemble him into this crummy, inarticulate figure. Needless to say, I didn’t bother getting one for myself.
Fast forward fifteen years and I find myself cradling the new Henkei Starscream in my tender arms. This was first released in Hasbro’s Classics line with a very different colour scheme, but is currently available from Takara with more traditional G1 colours. There’s been a lot of debate in the community over which is better, so let’s have a closer look at the pros and cons of Takara’s release compared to Hasbro’s original...
Jet mode:
Starscream retains his good ol’ F-15 Eagle alt mode. Although most Transformers in this line have received updated designs of their alt mode, Starscream remains firmly rooted to his origins and is fantastically show-accurate. The detailing mainly consists of criss-crossing lines and air flaps - nothing outstanding really. For safety reasons, the nose of the plane is made of a soft, rubbery plastic in case your son decides to chuck it right at your face. Starscream comes with his signature null rays fitted with two spring-loaded missiles. He also has retractable landing gear that can be seen by flipping out the air vents on the robot’s chest, but they look rather silly as tiny bicycle wheels. Probably best ignored. My only complaint with the design is the hollow cavity underneath the jet where the cockpit folds down into Starscream’s chest, an unavoidable design drawback that was carried over to all Classics Seekers.
As for colours, there’s far less red in this mode compared to Classics Starscream. The jagged red pattern on his wings has been replaced by his original red and white stripes. Although this was seen in the cartoons, it should be noted that the G1 figure only had a single red stripe on the wings. Takara seems to have compromised by adding a red and white stripe on the top, and only a single red stripe on the bottom. A nice touch. Classics Starscream’s blue nose cone and central blue stripe that tapered towards the back is absent entirely. I remember one member describing this as giving the jet a rather ‘boring’ look, and to an extent I agree. However, it does have the advantage of unifying the base grey and giving the jet a more streamlined look. Besides, the blue is still present on Starscream’s tail fins, and he also has the addition of purple from the Decepticon symbols on his wings and nosecone. A special mention should go to Takara’s decision to colour the side of Starscream’s head and arms grey. This means that the arms flow more consistently with the colour scheme and the head is all but invisible in jet mode. That’s one thing Classics Starscream can’t claim.
In short, even though it seems that Takara has refrained from innovating the colour scheme, it’s clear that they’ve still put just as much thought into the layout as Hasbro. Sceptics might want to take a second look.
Robot mode:Transforming the jet to robot mode is child’s play and is a very nice update of the G1 figure, sans removable parts. In terms of design, Starscream is a dead ringer for his cartoon appearance. The proportions are excellent and the head sculpt will have fan girls screaming like... uh... fan girls. Part of me is inclined to believe he’s even
more accurate than last year’s Walmart Starscream - and that was a Mastepiece figure! In fact, when I was trying to squeeze his null rays onto his shoulders, Starscream ended up shooting me in the nuts. Now that’s ruthless.
The mold is not without its faults, as the ratcheted knees hinders Starscream’s posability. His nosecone also hangs conspicuously behind his head, preventing it from turning too much. But since Starscream wouldn’t be able to look past the intakes on his shoulders anyway, the nosecone does have the advantage of facilitating his head articulation. The biggest problem is the oversized null rays, which bump into the wings if Starscream tries to aim forward. The only solution is to tilt the wings back or place the null rays in his fists. Hardly ideal.
The colours in this mode also differentiate substantially from Classics Starscream. There’s a lot less yellow for one thing, since most of the air intakes are the same colour as his torso and his knees are painted blue. I find that the striped pattern helps define Starscream’s wings better than Hasbro’s general red, and he retains his characteristic upside-down Decepticon symbols on his wings in this mode. Don’t get too excited, though. The size of his null rays obscures them altogether, thereby removing the addition of purple to his colour scheme. Poo.
When stock photos of this figure first surfaced online, one thing that put me off were the white stripes on Screamer’s shoulders and hips. (I’m disappointed they didn’t at least retain the harmonious red stripes on the shoulders that visually extended his torso colours.) Considering Takara’s reputation for cartoon accuracy, it was a mystery why they should add decidedly
inaccurate paint apps. Perhaps it was meant as a visual connection with his wing stripes. Or perhaps Takara was attracted to the stripes on Classics Bumbleebee and decided to put them to ill use. I don’t mind the ones on his shoulders so much since white doesn’t stand out on grey, but the stripes on his hips are a noticeable distraction. The absence thereof on Classics Starscream is a better alternative -
and is more cartoon accurate.
The debate surrounding the use of chrome on the Henkei figures is ever present. I can’t rightly justify their existence on the null rays, but bear in mind that the chrome is merely limited to the weapons in this case. Many fans are switching them with the Classics null rays to solve this problem. On the plus side, the red is a deeper, richer colour than Classics Starscream, and the sides of his air intakes on his chest are painted to flow with the rest of the body. Takara even added dark grey those ‘bicycle wheels’ on his chest. To the lazy eye in poor light, they appear merely as ventilation holes, making the figure even
more cartoon accurate. But this figure’s greatest asset is without a doubt Starscream’s painted face. On Hasbro’s original release, it was merely left as the base grey. But Takara have darkened it to resemble Screamer’s trademark blackface. That alone probably warrants the purchase of this figure. Yes, suh!
So after all these comparisons, the real question on everyone’s mind is this: which is better, Classics or Henkei Starscream? The answer is neither. They both have their merits, and I think Classics Starscream possesses a superior alt mode while Henkei Starscream has the better robot mode. But don’t take my word for it. All you need to do is look at the photos and decide for yourself. I for one am happy with my purchase.
Design: 9 - Aside from the hollow cavity under the jet, this is a highly accomplished figure in both modes and a cheaper alternative to Masterpiece Starscream.
Transformation: 10 -
This is how I always depicted Starscream should transform. Banishes the memory of the G1 figure to a ghostly existence.
Articulation: 5 - The ratcheted legs are problematic and the null rays interfering with the wings are a real nuisance. Definitely Starscream’s weakness.
Fun: 8 - NYEEEEEEEEOOWWW!! *swoops jet in low*
Pow-pow-pow-pow-pow! Pathetic fools! There’s no escape!
Durability: 10 - One tough hombre. Even the wings don’t seem liable to break if dropped. Sure as hell more likely to survive intact than G1 Starscream.
Price: 7 - More expensive on import than your local Classics Starscream, but you won’t need to break your piggy bank for it. You get your money’s worth.
Overall: 9 - A near-perfect, pleasingly accurate, nut-shooting depiction of everyone’s favourite backstabber. Just about everything I could want from a G1 Starscream revamp. Now if only I can make him Decepticon leader...
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