WS Studio’s Yamamoto was my second most anticipated Bleach statue arriving in 2021 with the first being Figurama’s Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra statue. Even though mine came with a couple of breakages, I’m still happy I purchased this statue because of how amazing it looks.
Before I get into the review, I want to let you guys know what pieces came broken. First, his captain’s haori came with the sleeve snapped off of it, but that was a clean break so this was easily glued back on. Second, Yamamoto himself came snapped in half at the waist, but this too was a clean break so I glued this one back together easily as well. And finally, the third and most difficult break to fix was the building in the back which was shattered in half and in many different pieces.
I was able to fix all of them with a glue I’ve seen individuals that repair resin statues for a living use, Loctite Ultra Gel Control Super Glue. If you are interested in checking it out, I picked it up on Amazon and it works really well.
I’ve included our YouTube unboxing and review below, so you can take a closer look at the statue and see the before and after as well.
WS Studio Yamamoto Unboxing
As always, I’ll be reviewing this statue in the following areas: Shipping and packaging, design and concept, and paint and sculpt.
WS Studio Yamamoto Specifications
Scale: 1/8 scale
Dimensions: Approximately H61 x W49 x D43cm or H24 x W19.3 x D16.9in
Shipping and Packaging
Let’s start with shipping. Everything came shipped in one art box, which has the WS Studio logo on top and artwork of Yamamoto on its side. This art box was shipped in another box, which is just your everyday, cardboard shipping box. Inside the art box, the pieces were housed in two different foam inserts which were stacked upon one another and held together with straps. Since they split up the pieces, it really helped prevent more damages from occurring but the way they made some pieces made it so that they were easily breakable during shipment, so this is an area they can definitely improve in.
For instance, the base is front heavy, so the way they had placed it in the foam insert made it so all of that weight was pushing down on a hollow building piece in the back. Because of that, I can see why it easily snapped during shipment. I really wish they would have made this a separate piece so that you could key it in to the base instead. I think this would have prevented this issue from happening. Shipping-wise, there’s still room for improvement. With that being said, I still love this piece and think that WS Studio do great work if they could figure out their shipping and breakage issues.
Design and Concept
As far as look and concept goes, WS Studio’s Yamamoto is one of my favorites so far. The way in which they added all of the flame pieces make them look as if they are swirling around him and this gives it a powerful presence. They did make some smart decisions in terms of what materials they used for some of the more delicate pieces, like his belt, which seems to be made of PVC, but the design of some of the other pieces as mentioned above made it so that they were easily breakable in shipment. How they were able to incorporate all of the flames though and how they are added to the statue, especially on his body sculpt, is incredibly well-thought-out.
This concept is the first I’ve seen of Yamamoto unleashing his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, and this is the moment I’ve been waiting to buy a statue of. WS Studio delivered and they created something that not only shows just how powerful he truly he is, but really does him justice.
Paint and Sculpt
The only areas of concern in regards to the paintwork on this statue are the edges where the rock and clouds meet. Some of the paintwork from the rocks overflow onto the clouds and vice-versa. This isn’t a huge issue, but with how incredible the rest of the paint looks on this statue, these areas stood out to me. But the rest of the base features amazing paintwork from the rocky Earth that Yamamoto just cracked open to the rooftops of the 1st Division Barracks that’s worn and damaged from battle.
The many clear resin flames, however, which are painted to look like fire and start inward with a deeper red color and as you get to the tops of them, they transition into oranges and yellows, look amazing. I’m so happy that they added variance in terms of color to these pieces because this gives them a more realistic, striking look. One flame piece in particular is unique because it has a skeleton or “corpse” residing within it. It’s so delicate and I’m amazed at how well they painted all of the small details and sculpted all of its bones, especially its ribs.
Yamamoto’s head sculpt is spot on in terms of likeness. It’s rather small yet they managed to get so much detail on his face. It looks just like him and the features are accurate down to the scars that cross on his head and that fierce expression in his eyes. Since he looks older, they could have overdone the wrinkles and aging of his face, but they did a great job on adding just enough to show those features. They also executed his mustache and his long white beard, which has this band criss-crossed down it, really well. It’s sculpted in a way that makes it look as if it’s flying in the wind, or by the force of those flames, as he approaches forward.
Yamamoto looks badass here, especially with his body sculpt. Despite his appearance, he is really muscular and extremely strong, which he really reveals when he gets serious in battle. They added the scar details on his body and the shading looks awesome and adds even more definition to his muscles. All in all, they did an incredible job in these two areas.
Final Thoughts
Despite the breakages I had, I still can’t believe how incredible this statue looks and how much of a statement it makes. While it is busy, it doesn’t come across as overdone in any way because of how well all of the pieces flow together and complement one another.
Despite their track record with shipping issues, it really says something that I continue to buy from them regardless. They do amazing work, especially when it comes to their Bleach statues, and I personally think this Yamamoto statue is their best work yet.
Right now, WS Studio Yamamoto is sold out on all of the sites I personally trust but I recommend checking out all of the other Bleach statues they have on preorder!
If you want to learn more about collecting anime resin statues, check out our Best Places to Buy Anime Statues From and a Few You Should Be Wary Of and Guide to Buying Unlicensed Anime Statues and subscribe to the Anime Collective YouTube channel for statue unboxings and more!
