Kamakura (2012 Ninja Dojo)

Snake Eyes’ apprentice seems to be quite popular when it comes to movie lines. His Rise of Cobra figure was one of my favorites of that line, and made for an excellent substitute for the lack of a modern styled version of the character.

This one, from a Retaliation three pack, is a true mash-up of parts that is only partially successful. It combines body parts of both one of the greatest as well as one of the most lackluster of recent figures. The torso and upper legs have been reused from the amazing Renegades Storm Shadow, a great base upon which to build any ninja figure. The arms and lower legs however come from Tornado Kick Snake Eyes, the maligned action feature figure from the Pursuit of Cobra series. I understand why those parts were chosen, as Kamakura was in the past portrayed in the comics with the sort of arm and shin guards seen here. It’s a good choice in theory, but the parts just don’t seem to quite match up well.

The head and hood are an interesting departure for the character, as I remember Kamakura usually wearing a simple tight fitting mask, without a separate hood over it. The hood here fits well if positioned right, but it does move around quite a bit. Speaking of masks, I wonder if there’s a chance for a running change in paint to make him more closely resemble the Action Attack version? Who wouldn’t want a yellow masked ninja?

The web gear, weapons and especially the backpack impress me the most. Like other three pack figures, the weapon count is high. I’m a little disappointed that there’s no knife for his hip scabbard. The backpack sheaths are also an interesting new take with the sideways position of the swords.

Kamakura is not a figure without flaws, and to me it doesn’t instantly read as the character I remember from the 2000’s, mostly because I recall his brighter green pajamas. All in all, Kamakura is at least a ninja with a distinctive look. That’s a good thing in a line that seems to be shaping up as being heavy on ninja figures.

11 comments

  • This is very rough figure. Just doesn’t capture the concept of Kamakura. Worse than the RoadRock figure from the same set? Maybe.

  • The yellow-mask figure wasn’t the first Kamakura. Look back to the 2003 Spy Troops version, which had a black mask.

  • umm theres a knife in my set it’s with all of beachheads stuff though.

  • Wade Collins’s kid, Sean? Not a fan, sorry. I’d like to see Wade in his army outfit from around the Snake Eyes Trilogy era when he returned to help his old buddies from ‘Nam.

  • I agree, Clutch. I’m SO TIRED OF FREAKING NINJAS! Make a seperate line if you have to, Hasbro.I’m sure Larry Hama never intended for ninjas to dominate the Joe mythos as much as it has. I know that Hasbro tried to capitalise on the whole Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze( which started as black and white comic book parody of Frank Miller’s Daredevil and X-Men), but I don’t understand the revelance today.

    • There’s no relevance–it’s a bunch of execs with dollar signs in their eyes 24/7.

    • Larry knew what he was doing when he wrote the ninja stuff – the second he made it the origin of the most popular characters in the comics, it was always going to be a focal point.

  • As someone above said, there is a knife, but it’s not near Kamakura in the box. That happened a couple of times.

    I like this guy much more than everyone else, it seems. The colour scheme’s unique on the shelf, the accessories are fun, and it just looks like Kamakura should – a cross between the more commando and ninja elements of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

    Also, I’m glad to see someone else has displayed the backpack the right way. 🙂

  • Even though this version doesn’t come together, I’m really glad he no longer looks like the Action Attack version. Yuck!

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