MiniForce: Super Dino Power 2 - LINA!

MiniForce: Super Dinosaur Power 2 - Armorbot Series - Lina - Toytron 2021

MiniForce is a long-running Korean animated series from SAMG (nine seasons between 2014 and now) that is notable for merging genre styles in a kid-oriented format. The show features a team of cute anthropomorphic animals who can turn into human-like Agents or Rangers (in a Super Sentai aesthetic). Then these rangers can pilot various mecha or robots (in a Transformers or Robotech aesthetic), and again back to Sentai when in season 6 and 7, the mecha would transform into dinosaurs (akin to Zords). for the majority of the series, there was only one token female, a pink fox named Lucy. But in the 6th Season (Super Dinosaur Power 2 - 2020-2021), a new white bunny character named Lina was introduced (sometimes translated as Rina) who turned into an orange ranger and piloted the Stegosaurus Armorbot. (Note that one of the core characters, Max, is a yellow beaver who is often represented with an orange hue. When Lina joined, he consistently appeared more yellow and her more orange).

Power Rangers - BEAST MORPHERS YELLOW!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - Beast Morphers Yellow - Hasbro 2023

Power Rangers Beast Morphers is the 26th and 27th seasons of the US Power Rangers franchise from 2019 and based on the 36th Super Sentai series Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters from 2012. The series is notable for being produced by Hasbro's own production studio (Allspark) as well as having all the toys produced by Hasbro (as opposed to Hasbro distributing Bandai product). The series is also apparently a direct sequel to Power Rangers RPM (2009), neither series of which I have watched. But I've purchased lots of figures from both series, mainly because I love when a series has an animal theme. Beast Morpher Yellow is a little amusing because at first glance her costume looks like a (serious) Kamen Rider design with riding leathers and goggles. But then you notice the cartoonish bunny on her forehead and it gets very lighthearted. Zoey's animal motif is a Jackrabbit which enable her to jump very high (and conversely fatigue fast). She's a fun Ranger. Let's check out Zoey below!

Sonic - CREAM THE RABBIT!

Sonic the Hedgehog - 4" Series Wave 13 - Cream the Rabbit - Jakks Pacific 2023

There's something really special about the Sonic Universe. It's hard to pinpoint what makes them standout from other anthropomorphic properties, but I think it's the blend of a consistent style guide and the fact that the characters all have unique abilities (usually tied to their animal characteristics). In the case of Cream the Rabbit, she can flap her ears and fly. The character design is what really draws me in though, you can see any Sonic character and know the franchise it belongs to. Other big video game properties like Mario Bros and Pokemon started out like this, but over time they've morphed and evolved. That's not saying Sonic is stale, rather consistent and classic. The recent run of offerings from Jakks Pacific has been amazing. They have yet to give us any never-before-in-plastic ladies, but I think that will be remedied sooner than we think. This Cream figure is amazing and Blaze was recently announced for the next wave. Can't wait to see what is next! Let's check out Cream below!

Space Jam - LOLA as WONDER WOMAN!

Space Jam: A New Legacy - On Screen Team-Up - Lola Bunny - Moose Toys 2021

I recently watched Space Jam: A New Legacy just to see a scene where Lola Bunny became Wonder Woman. I've been seeing images of a lot of Looney Tunes Characters in DC Hero costumes: Daffy Duck as Superman, Bugs Bunny as Batman, etc. And as I watched the movie, I predictably saw these mashups happen on screen. But as far as I can tell, Lola was never dressed as Wonder Woman in the entire movie. Sure, there was a scene where she was on Themyscira alongside Diana taking part in an Amazon training challenge. But Lola was in gray and brown armor. Even throughout the little credits vignettes I expected to see her in costume, but alas, I never did. But I still really enjoy this action figure. And it coincidentally reminds me of a Looney Tunes variant cover for Justice League #46 back in 2015 that showed Lola in the Wonder Woman costume. This toy looks a lot better than her first release in a basketball jersey and will definitely get a more prominent display in my collection. Let's check out Lola below!

Space Jam - LOLA BUNNY!

Space Jam: A New Legacy - On Court Rivals - Lola Bunny - Moose Toys 2021

Lola Bunny was first introduced in the 1996 Space Jam movie as Bugs Bunny's girlfriend. At the time I thought she was the first (adult) female rabbit in the Looney Tunes (I was well aware of young Babs Bunny from Tiny Toon Adventures of course). But in the years since I've learned that she is essentially a redesigned version of Honey Bunny, who in the 1960-70s was a regular love interest for Bugs in Looney Tunes comics from Gold Key. When it came time to re-introduce her in Space Jam, the designers felt she looked too young to be a romantic partner to Bugs, so they redeveloped her into the mature (and sexualized) Lola Bunny. I only mention that she was sexualized because these traits were so unlike anything in the Looney Tunes universe up until then. But, in essence, she presented as a mature female bunny and formidable basketball player, which was exactly the point. I've wanted her in my collection for a while and the new movie finally granted me that wish. Let's check out Lola below!

Five Nights at Freddy's - VANNY!

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach - Wave 01 - Vanny - Funko 2020

I've always been intrigued by the Funko Five Nights at Freddy's action figures. They're always bright, colorful, quirky, and creepy. It's a really intriguing mix of design traits that always catch my eye, but overall the boxy-jaw and buggy eyes aesthetic always kept me from ever making a purchase. But then I saw this Vanny figure for the upcoming "Security Breach" (I put in in quotes because apparently the game is actually going to be called PizzaPlex) game and I knew she would be my first purchase. Not only does she have a unique design to her head (with no boxy jaw, chiclet teeth, or buggy eyes), but she's a rabbit. Lately I've had a thing for anthropomorphic rabbits and foxes and I'm always excited to add a new one to my collection. She also has a distinctly feminine looking body unlike earlier androgynous characters (like Chica). This whole wave actually looks really cool, Glamrock Chica and Roxanne Wolf will very likely be my next two purchases. Let's check out Vanny below!

Beast Morphers - YELLOW RANGER!

Power Rangers Beast Morphers 9.5" Basic Series - Yellow Ranger - Hasbro 2019

As much as I love Limited Articulation Figures, I must admit I had almost zero interest in this Beast Morpher Yellow figure.  But then I got the Captain Marvel figure and had a ridiculous panic that I didn't have any other 9.5" figures to display her with. I swear the only aspect of life where I have a Fear-of-Missing-Out complex is with toy collecting. Because I've found that once you miss one of these bargain-line figures and they disappear from the shelves, they can be some of the hardest collectibles to find in the secondary market. The reason I didn't originally like her is purely because of the unnatural pose. Her semi-squat leg stance and her awkward cocked-arm pose were just off-putting. I'm also not the hugest fan of the Power Rangers Beast Morphers theme, but the fact that her helmet has a bunny face on it with slicked back ears just gets me every time. I just hope future figures like this have a more standard pose like the Marvel ones or all the various 6" bargain lines. Let's check her out below!

Marvel Legends - WHITE RABBIT!

Spider-Man Legends - (Demogoblin BaF Wave) - White Rabbit - Hasbro 2019

There's something about Alice in Wonderland that has inspired a ton of comic book villains. The interesting thing is that ones from DC tend to be more threatening like Alice from Batwoman, Cheshire from Teen Titans, and Mad Hatter and Tweedledee & Tweedledum from Batman. On the flipside, Marvel likes to steer their Alice-themed characters toward the absurd. The Crazy Gang, Walrus, and White Rabbit are all silly. They are inept at their schemes and usually seem nothing more than comic relief distractions wedged in between more serious adventures. But that doesn't stop me from loving them. White Rabbit is especially nostalgic for me. One early morning when I was young I was delivering newspapers on my paper route and one of my houses was setting up a yard sale. They had a stack of comics on their porch and they gave me Marvel Team-Up #131 which was the first appearance of the White Rabbit. It was actually my first superhero comic (G.I.Joe comics were my jam) and I treasured it for years.

Beast Morphers - 12" YELLOW RANGER!

Power Rangers Beast Morphers - 12" Action Figure - Yellow Ranger - Hasbro 2019

I was nervous when word hit that Hasbro had usurped the Power Rangers license from Bandai. I don't doubt Hasbro's ability to create quality product, but I had become accustomed to the various figure lines Bandai would roll out with each new Power Rangers team. And we had only just started getting 12" figures with Dino Charge so I was afraid the torch wouldn't be carried. But sure enough, Hasbro knows the marketability of this scale with the success of their Marvel Titan Hero Series and we saw 12" Ranger and villain figures right away. My big hope now is that they show a little more commitment to the female characters than Bandai did. There aren't many marketable characters in Beast Morphers, so it will be an interesting test to see if they produce the second female, Cybervillain Roxy. So far she seems like the only one missing. Despite my feelings about the designs of the Beast Morphers Rangers (I think they look boring), I am really happy to have this 12" Yellow Ranger. I think it's a good sign of things to come.

Beast Morphers - YELLOW RANGER & ROXY!

Power Ranger Beast Morphers - Yellow Ranger & Cybervillain Roxy - Hasbro 2019

Power Rangers Beast Morphers is the 26th iteration of the American Power Rangers franchise, but interestingly, it is based of the 36th iteration of the Japanese Super Sentai series from back in 2012. This is the first year that the US series is using a previously-skipped chapter from the Japanese show.  The themes are a mix of animal heroes and computer virus villains. At first glance, I was unimpressed with the designs of the Rangers. The Yellow Ranger, Zoey, is an avatar of a Jackrabbit. But I personally think the costumes lack imagination, and I really dislike the "sunglasses" features on all the characters. However, as soon as I saw the main female villain, Roxy, I was hooked. Cybervillain Roxy has one of the best Sentai villain designs I've ever seen. And learning that she was the first attempt at a Yellow Ranger that was essentially corrupted by a computer virus makes me like the main Yellow Ranger a lot more. (Now I really how we get a 12" Roxy figure as well). Let's check them out below!

Sonic the Hedgehog's CREAM THE RABBIT!

Sonic the Hedgehog: SonicX - Cream and Cheese - Toy Island 2005

This action figure makes me a little sad because it represents the last Sonic girl on my list of must-haves.  There are some alternate versions of some characters I don't technically have, but for the most part this is it.  I now own all the Toy Island, Jazwares, and Tomy ladies.  Cream the Rabbit was no easy girl to catch either.  I've been hunting her down for years and I rarely see her under $80.  Luckily I recently acquired her cheaply, albeit loose and without her companion Cheese.  Cream is a young 6-yo rabbit in the Sonic Universe.  She is known to everyone as the daughter of Vanilla the Rabbit but has an interesting creation history.  Cream was originally intended to be a young fox relative of Tails, then later she was designed as a squirrel.  We only ever saw the final version though when she made her debut in 2003's Sonic Heroes.  Cream is a (flying) sidekick for playable characters like Amy Rose and Blaze the Cat.  Let's check out the rare figure in detail below!

Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack - MIMEENA!

Metal Hero Series: Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack - Mimeena - Bandai 1998

I was trying to think a good Easter review when I remembered this goofy little beauty.  Toei's Metal Heroes Series ran from 1982 through 1998 with a variety of (mostly) kid-oriented television programs.  The most popular ones for US audiences were VR Troopers from 1994 and the Big Bad Beetleborgs from 1996.  The Robotack series is the newest, but never made it to US Television.  Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack is a sequel series to B-Robo Kabutack (from which I reviewed Tentorina last year) and was the 17th and final installement of the Metal Heroes Series.  Mimeena is a bunny-themed robot who is in love with Kamerock, a turtle-themed robot and one of the two main characters.  Their relationship is a Tortoise and Hare motif.  Bandai released these figures in 1998 in Japan so they can be a bit diffiuclt to find in other countries.  But if you can hunt them down, they make great quirky additions to any fembot collection.  Let's check out Mimeena below!