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Assessment and pictures by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972

Comfortable Shark Week! In the present day we shall be looking without delay once more, one other mannequin of the good white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). It’s among the many most iconic marine species and it’s no shock that there isn’t a scarcity of toys and fashions representing the species. In the present day, we’ll be looking on the mannequin produced by Animal Heavenly Physique for his or her Melody Of Life collection.

The Melody of Life collection by Animal Heavenly is a minor sub-series that takes inspiration from the Ikimon Nature Techni Color collection with the blind field component of Popmart. It is among the few examples of realistically-proportioned animals, with lots of their earlier figures all being chubby stylized figures. Sequence 1 focuses on the polar and ocean areas and comprises 7 figures with 1 secret: nice white shark, bowhead whale with calf, polar bear with cub, beluga whale, sperm whale, and an orca with calf. The key within the set is a beluga in a impartial place. Every determine is offered in a diorama fashion, most with separated bases, mounted on a picket base with the Chinese language title and the scientific title of the animal. There was initially going to be a Sequence 2 that includes animals from the African savanna, I recall seeing a caracal and a hyena work in progress from their outdated Instagram put up, but it surely by no means got here to fruition. It might have been canceled or shelved as a result of poor gross sales and certain competitors with the return of Ikimon’s figures.

In regards to the determine: measuring alongside the curve, the shark measures 11 cm. The determine is sculpted with claspers, making it a male, placing it on the 1:36 scale. The determine is mounted on a wave base, depicting the shark breaching to hunt it’s prey, a pinniped.

The shark is sculpted with it’s head down and mouth open, in all probability splashing again down into the water beneath. The tail is curved to the left facet, including a way of realism that it’s in an energetic pose. The shark itself is appropriately cumbersome, a lot so greater than how different corporations make theirs. It jogs my memory of each the latest Schleich and the Papo fashions, with this one having higher fin proportions than the latter regardless of the majority. Correct sculptural particulars just like the distinguished lateral keel and tall gill slits are current. The suitable pectoral fin is pointing downwards. Even the claspers are sculpted transferring alongst the determine. The tooth are finely sculpted with the second row each on the highest and backside jaw being barely seen, accounting for the miniscule scale of the determine. There are noticeable seams on the decrease jaw and dorsal, pelvic, and pectoral fins; nonetheless, regardless of this the determine not requiring any meeting.

The paint scheme is a bit more complicated than most nice whites regardless of the smaller stature: a bluish-grey most important physique with some faint gray mottling across the physique. It’s seen however not overly distracting. The underbelly is white for countershading. The eyes are black dots. The inside of the mouth is a pinkish coloration and on mine there’s a white spot within the center. The tooth aren’t painted as they match the white of the physique. There’s no gums painted because of the determine’s small measurement and the black recommendations on the pectoral fins are absent as effectively.

The bottom is a translucent blue wave piece with hints of white sea foam. It connects to the shark by a peg on the facet of the determine nearly seamlessly.

Now onto the prey: it’s somewhat pinniped pup. For it’s identification, it’s arduous because of the small measurement of the determine but it surely’s probably a California sea lion or a Cape fur seal, because of the truth these are amongst their common prey objects seen in documentaries. The determine is brown with black eyes and, regardless of it’s small measurement, the inside of the mouth is painted a pinkish coloration. It’s sculpted in a fairly dynamic pose, trying prefer it’s been shocked by the shark ramming into it, but it surely manages to flee the jaws. However its escape could also be brief lived as we all know how breaching shark hunts often finish. Good factor the shark isn’t being mobbed by a gang of them!

General, this can be a fabulous little mannequin that can go nice in a mini gallery or on a desk high. The dynamic posing and diorama presentation restricts playability so it’s only a show piece. Evaluating it to the same Ikimon figures, it’s bigger and it’s on par, though I really feel Ikimon is extra refined and cheaper. Some Ikimon figures have seen seams however they requires meeting and also you’re getting extra determine for a cheaper price. Thus, it might be why I really feel this line failed to achieve a broader buyer base and that Animal Heavenly Physique’s most important focus is on stylized fashions.

This determine is retired and has been unlisted from most on-line platforms even all through it’s native vary, making it primarily misplaced media. Your finest wager is thru second-hand Chinese language shops like XianYu or Rednote in case you’re fortunate. This isn’t the primary searching nice white mannequin, as Kaiyodo launched one and that mannequin is loopy costly now. If you happen to’re itching for an incredible white shark mannequin (pun meant), your present finest choices are the Toymany determine, the 2016 Safari Ltd. determine, each latest Schleich fashions, or the very uncommon Colorata Museum Mannequin determine. I’d like to see an correct 1/30 scale mannequin of 1 quickly (possibly Papo might remake theirs) however there’s different elasmobranchs that might use a determine, just like the Greenland shark or the enormous guitarfish, however hate to confess that whites are my biased as they’re my favourite.

With that, I’ll shut off the Shark week critiques of 2026!