My Alternity Bumble review

So far in these early-bird reviews for Seibertron.com, I've never had to take one for the team. Alternity Convoy, Megatron, DL Ravage...all of them great. But needless to say I was pretty worried about this figure.
As soon as I picked him up I was impressed by how small he is. And not in the most positive way. His car mode is small, around the size of RiD's X-Brawn. On the other hand, he is also cheaper than Convoy or Megatron, being closer to 3,200 yen than 4,000, though this may just be a quirk of the particular shop I bought it from. Unfortunately for importers, I don't know if this small discount is being passed along.
His box and instructions are the same palpable classiness seen in the other Alternitys. Nothing special to report.
His car mode, though small is...well...perfectly formed. Due to his light colour his transformation seams are slightly more visible than on Convoy or Megatron. Apart from that though, he's great. The distinctive Suzuki "S" is clearly visible on his grill and boot, and his headlights and side mirrors are very nicely detailed. All four doors open and reveal an interior that's pretty realistic, although there's a jointed beam reaching from the gearstick up to the roof as part of the transformation. His bonnet opens to show a small Suzuki detailed engine, and his boot opens, although opening it too far reveals Bee's face staring up at you. Thankfully his paint colour is consistant throughout, which is rare for a yellow TF.
The transformation is not too hard, although it involves my least favourite thing: pulling on a section with so much force that you're worried it'll snap in half. Essentially his front grille splits in two and his legs unfold from there. His arms are hidden behind the rear tyres and his boot and rear doors end up as back kibble. His head and legs slide down through his body like Universe Silverbolt while his windscreen and bonnet slide up into the car interior.
His robot mode...ah, his robot mode. I'll get straight to the nitty-gritty: his chest/belly. It looks bad. In person, it looks bad. Unless I'm mis-transforming him his chest juts out from under his armpits like a shelf. It's too wide, it's too sticky-out. It's impossible to defend, even if I'm feeling generous.
One thing I can defend is his back kibble. It doesn't look bad unless you're fundamentally opposed to kible. In fact, it looks a little like the Wave Crusher jetpack. Sadly, it limits his arm articulation, which is not that strong anyway. His shoulder pads are interestingly-shaped, with brakelights on the tips. His arms are pretty thin, and pose strangely. His legs are a little skinny, but well articulated. His feet are fairly movie-esque, being split up rather than blocky, with jutting heels.
This robot is not without merits. His headsculpt is really nice, looking thouroughly detailed without looking too cluttered or spoiling the G1 simplicity. His expression is neutral or determined. His light-piping is really subtle; I had to shield his head with my hand to see it. Charmingly, his horns need to be pulled out to the sides. I can't even explain why I like this, but I do. The other features I like most are his pistols. They fit onto the inside of his knees during car mode and if he's not holding them. The pistols are really small, like, barely bigger than his fists. This might annoy some fans but I have a soft spot for Transformers with little pistols rather than honking great cannons. Besides, they suit a stealthy scout type like Bumblebee or a tough-talking midget like Cliffjumper. Besides, I'm sure one of the third parties will make a foldable bazooka that can be stowed on the backseat.
The final verdict: This figure is not as huge a disaster as some (including me) feared. His car mode is great and his robot mode is passable. That said, I can't recommend him to importers. Unless you're a big Bumble/Cliff fan, you desperately want him for your Masterpiece/Alternator forces or to complete an Alternity collection, or he becomes way cheaper, he's not worth the outlay.
As usual, any particular questions or picture requests are welcomed.
EDIT: Oh, and his head is at the same height as Alternity Convoy's head. Ouch.
As soon as I picked him up I was impressed by how small he is. And not in the most positive way. His car mode is small, around the size of RiD's X-Brawn. On the other hand, he is also cheaper than Convoy or Megatron, being closer to 3,200 yen than 4,000, though this may just be a quirk of the particular shop I bought it from. Unfortunately for importers, I don't know if this small discount is being passed along.
His box and instructions are the same palpable classiness seen in the other Alternitys. Nothing special to report.
His car mode, though small is...well...perfectly formed. Due to his light colour his transformation seams are slightly more visible than on Convoy or Megatron. Apart from that though, he's great. The distinctive Suzuki "S" is clearly visible on his grill and boot, and his headlights and side mirrors are very nicely detailed. All four doors open and reveal an interior that's pretty realistic, although there's a jointed beam reaching from the gearstick up to the roof as part of the transformation. His bonnet opens to show a small Suzuki detailed engine, and his boot opens, although opening it too far reveals Bee's face staring up at you. Thankfully his paint colour is consistant throughout, which is rare for a yellow TF.
The transformation is not too hard, although it involves my least favourite thing: pulling on a section with so much force that you're worried it'll snap in half. Essentially his front grille splits in two and his legs unfold from there. His arms are hidden behind the rear tyres and his boot and rear doors end up as back kibble. His head and legs slide down through his body like Universe Silverbolt while his windscreen and bonnet slide up into the car interior.
His robot mode...ah, his robot mode. I'll get straight to the nitty-gritty: his chest/belly. It looks bad. In person, it looks bad. Unless I'm mis-transforming him his chest juts out from under his armpits like a shelf. It's too wide, it's too sticky-out. It's impossible to defend, even if I'm feeling generous.
One thing I can defend is his back kibble. It doesn't look bad unless you're fundamentally opposed to kible. In fact, it looks a little like the Wave Crusher jetpack. Sadly, it limits his arm articulation, which is not that strong anyway. His shoulder pads are interestingly-shaped, with brakelights on the tips. His arms are pretty thin, and pose strangely. His legs are a little skinny, but well articulated. His feet are fairly movie-esque, being split up rather than blocky, with jutting heels.
This robot is not without merits. His headsculpt is really nice, looking thouroughly detailed without looking too cluttered or spoiling the G1 simplicity. His expression is neutral or determined. His light-piping is really subtle; I had to shield his head with my hand to see it. Charmingly, his horns need to be pulled out to the sides. I can't even explain why I like this, but I do. The other features I like most are his pistols. They fit onto the inside of his knees during car mode and if he's not holding them. The pistols are really small, like, barely bigger than his fists. This might annoy some fans but I have a soft spot for Transformers with little pistols rather than honking great cannons. Besides, they suit a stealthy scout type like Bumblebee or a tough-talking midget like Cliffjumper. Besides, I'm sure one of the third parties will make a foldable bazooka that can be stowed on the backseat.
The final verdict: This figure is not as huge a disaster as some (including me) feared. His car mode is great and his robot mode is passable. That said, I can't recommend him to importers. Unless you're a big Bumble/Cliff fan, you desperately want him for your Masterpiece/Alternator forces or to complete an Alternity collection, or he becomes way cheaper, he's not worth the outlay.
As usual, any particular questions or picture requests are welcomed.
EDIT: Oh, and his head is at the same height as Alternity Convoy's head. Ouch.