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Figure Build Close-up: 2016 S.H. Figuarts Naruto & Sasuke

Anime News Network's merchandise coverage sponsored by Tokyo Otaku Mode.

Figures are provided courtesy of Bluefin Distributors

Naruto and Sasuke may not be real, but to call their latest figures anything less than “lifelike” wouldn't be doing them justice. With soft poseable plastic and a variety of expressions, hands, and accessories, this pair can reenact any Naruto Shippūden scene in your living room.

These 2016 S.H. Figuarts models are among Bandai's latest. The boxes are pretty standard for the Figuarts series, each suggesting a helpful pose which I used later for my models. Other than that, they're nothing to write home about compared to the figures themselves.

Naruto comes with three different expressions, and two are in Sage Mode. He also comes with two kunai knives, a Rasengan, and a Rasen-Shuriken. The action base is more for the Rasen-Shuriken than Naruto himself, who can easily stand on his own.

Here's Naruto in the pose on the front of the box. (Pro-tip from me: if you want your figures to look lifelike, start by putting them in the pose included on the box!) The plastic is soft and almost a bit rubbery, making him very flexible and articulate.

Naruto has a special Rasengan hand with a peg in it to keep the energy ball attached. But if that's not big enough, here's his Rasen-Shuriken. You can tell this is a high quality figure because the accessory has its own base.

There is a lot less variety in Sasuke's facial expressions, so I guess you could say that this figure of him is pretty accurate to the show.

Sasuke comes with a detailed sword that can be sheathed. However, I had a harder time posing Sasuke as easier as Naruto because of his drapey clothing.

Sasuke has a specific hand just for Chidori. You attach the hand to Sasuke, and then connect the two halves of the Chidori accessory around it. That way you can see his hand through the semi-clear accessory, making it more realistic and great for figure photography.

Together, these are a pair of figures that pack a punch. The colors are bright and don't bleed into each other. It's hard to believe these were factory-made and not handcrafted, because they don't have any of the plastic nubs that indicate time on the assembly line. At US$50 a pop, I'd expect this kind of quality, and that's what I got.