Transformers: Masterpiece Sideswipe

Sideswipe is the first of the entries in what could be considered the “modern era” of Masterpiece figures, identified as MP-12. The previous two figures numerically are MP-10 Optimus Prime, a smaller and slightly reengineered MP-01 Optimus Prime, and MP-11 Starscream, a slightly reengineered MP-03 Starscream. Sideswipe is the first in the now-long line of new and unique molds, and would usher in the official brave new Masterpiece world. Like many Masterpiece figures since Sideswipe, this had been on the shopping list for quite a while, but for a variety of reasons both financial and of personal motivation, was never actively sought after. The early 2018 release of Sunstreaker solidified the need for Sideswipe, and a TFSource Summer Sale deal made for a great chance to cross Sideswipe off that list.

It is kind of outstanding that a new Masterpiece like Sunstreaker and an older Masterpiece like Sideswipe work so well together, and don’t look like they are not from the same series or era of that series or even the same design team. The roster of Takara designers is beyond my personal knowledge, but the Lambo Brothers look like they may have been designed by the same people and more or less at the same time. A figure from the 2012 relaunch of the line and one from 2017 that  are so compatible with each other is an indicator of the planning and foresight of the engineers and designers working on said line. Certainly the original millennium Masterpieces aren’t going to work next to these newer designs, as they sometimes don’t really even work amongst each other: the MP-03 Seeker repaints look vastly different from the MP-11 Conehead repaints, and the MP-03 Seeker variants look odd next to MP-05 Megatron, who looks strange next to MP-08 Grimlock and so on.

Robot mode is pretty great, but also pretty gappy. The legs in particular are just empty plastic, which can be seen from certain angles, even in pictures. They are realized by folding various panels from the rear section of the car downwards, more or less revealing the thighs, and then pegged to the outer panel of the rear of the car. The lower legs are solid and secure, and getting to them is pretty neat, maybe the “wow” moment of this particular figure that all Masterpiece toys are required to contain, but once they are finished converting, you’re left with hollow lower legs that are very visible, and that feels like a letdown once in a while. All of the requisite panels are thin but sturdy, and are attached via hinges, and so there is a slight feeling of trepidation that overuse or rough handling could cause them to stress or break, but this figure has been out for a very long time now, and reports of this misfortune are practically nonexistent. As is common with Masterpiece Autobot cars, the window and roof of the car basically just fold up on Sideswipe’s back, and while it’s somewhat unsightly, it’s not anything that is overtly visible or gets in the way. Maybe if you belong to that apparently real group of collectors who display their figures with their backs facing the audience, this would be a problem, but the backside of figures is sort of made to hide things, and goodness knows plenty of Transformers over the decades have taken full advantage of this. True, the window and roof just sorta fold up behind Sideswipe, but they aren’t visible from the front view, and that’s probably the most important view the figure has, so it’s all good.

Sideswipe is generally as poseable as any other Masterpiece figure is, with the standard shoulders-elbows-wrists-waist-hips-knees-ankles joint allotment, with nothing to really get in the way of movement. Not any surprise there, as that array of joints has been the line standard pretty much since its inception. The plastic all around does have that thinner feeling, something that collectors are very, very accustomed to at this point in time, but there seem to be memories of Sideswipes’ initial release and the plastic being something of a point of contention: the argument being that for the price, and with the label of “masterpiece,” the figure should feel like a masterpiece and not just a fancy-looking version of a retail figure’s tactile profile.

As for accessories, Sideswipe comes with his blaster and shoulder weapon, as well as a pair of pile drivers that take the place of his robot hands. The blaster is very, very similar to that of Masterpiece Sunstreaker, this older version actually being better sculpted and more detailed, which is a slight surprise. Not that figures who are brothers would have the same weapon, but that the older version would be better rendered than the much more recent one. The shoulder cannon is actually wonderfully detailed, which is completely lost in the monolithic white of the plastic, and it plugs into the shoulder via a square peg. The two weapons can be combined and mounted on the roof of the car mode for reasons unclear, perhaps it’s a nod to the G1 cartoon or something, but it maintains the “battlemode” theme for Masterpiece Autobot cars that pretty much all of the others have had. The pile driver parts are neat, and most certainly is a reference to the G1 cartoon, where Autobots occasionally would retract their hands and deploy some tool or apparatus that was needed in the immediate situation and Sideswipe did that once and had a pile driver. These parts are just fine, not worth getting excited over, but a nice touch that the Masterpiece line has almost always taken the time to include, as there has always been some piece included that was a reference to something minor but gave an added burst of character to the figure.

Car mode is fantastic, and if memory serves, Sideswipe here was the first of the officially licensed Masterpiece figures. Takara went to lengths to obtain the rights to use the vehicle likenesses for the second version of the Masterpiece line, so Sideswipe is able to transform into an actual Lamborghini Countach, and not a Lamborghini Countach-esque vehicle. This helps to add realism and such to the alt mode, if you are a collector who really values that. The overall result of this license-getting is that Masterpiece cars are more true to the real-world car they represent, and also that the general price tags for such figures are higher, since those licenses cost money that is then built in to the cost of the figure. Or, one of the biggest appeals of the old Alternators line came to the Masterpiece line. (cue a vague and non-committal nostalgia for the Alternators line, I guess. –mr) Unlike future Autobot cars, Sideswipe’s doors don’t open, and the car mode doesn’t have any added bells or whistles, but it is an excellently realized car mode with a big, crisp Autobot logo tampo’d on the hood.

This is the original Masterpiece Sideswipe, not the “anime color” rerelease of a year or so ago. With the new iteration of the Masterpiece line apparently set to launch with ANOTHER Optimus Prime and Hound, a few of the Autobot cars have gotten recolor rereleases, and it stands to reason that the third form of the line will be focusing more on cartoon accuracy, even moreso than this second wave did. With Sunstreaker being one of the last G1 cars to get the MP treatment, and being much more cartoony than some of his team mates, it’s interesting to note that this first release of Sideswipe looks just right standing next to Sunstreaker, and next to plainer Autobots like Bluestreak. Sideswipe seems to work with everyone, at least mold-wise. A theory behind this “anime accurate” slate of Masterpiece reissues (including Prowl, which will be the Coffin’s Masterpiece Prowl when it is released, the character not being represented on these shelves. –mr) is that they are intended to serve as the Masterpiece versions of these characters in the new, third form of the series, so that an MP Sideswipe 2.0 is unnecessary and the line doesn’t use a slot to develop and release one. That’d be cool if true, and doesn’t seem crazy, as earlier MPs seem to be more about looks than cartoon appearance, while some of the mid and later line ones like Ironhide and Shockwave seem to be moving more in the direction of the television screen.

 

Masterpiece Sideswipe is a really great figure, and a quality reminder of what you get from the Masterpiece series. There has been no shortage of time or opportunity to add him to your collection, and personally, this figure really embodies the idea of it being better late than never. As such, he can’t be a portent of what was to come in this line, but is a solid reminder of what the line is and how well and consistently it delivers on its premise and expectation. A truly excellent figure.