So after spending so lengthy on a single firm, reviewing in-depth each determine by Reproduction Toy Fish…why not work on a (practically) complete collection from a special firm!? This time, I’m going to work by means of the marine figures produced by Italian firm Panini. I will likely be approaching it otherwise–the figures are very small, and really stylized, so a comparatively temporary overview will likely be extra acceptable, moderately than stepping into depth. Given the figures, identifications will vary from doubtless species to perhaps Class if I can get that shut…(SIDE NOTE: this complete collection was initially accomplished in September 2025…the month misplaced to time and a community error. So I’m attempting to remodel all of them. That is the one one which was partially round).
I additionally want to interrupt the collection up into a number of elements, since there are too many too fairly evaluate even when I hold them brief. The complete set is 40 figures, in a spread of fashions representing a fairly broad vary of marine fauna. I solely have 39 although…I don’t have the monkfish, because the eBay vendor bought that one alone to a member of the Animal Toy Discussion board. However it did carry the price of the remainder of this retired collection down a bit, so adequate for me! Do I nonetheless assume I spent an excessive amount of? I suppose we’ll see…(in all probability, sure)
Given the vary, I’m at the moment planning to interrupt them up into 6 separate posts that I’ll break down over time. As they go up I’ll insert hyperlinks, and I’ll carry the listing in every submit for straightforward reference. The teams are thematic/taxonomic, so some can have extra included figures than others, and I wanted to arbitrarily break up the bony fish. Lots of the assumed species have been lined on the weblog so I can gloss that over for many of them.
- Group One: Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) 6 species, 7 figures
- Group Two: Marine carnivorans (bears, weasels, and pinnipeds), penguin, and sea turtle 7 species
- Group Three: Invertebrates (starfish, jellyfish, mollusks, and arthropods) 8 species
- Group 4: Bony fish which are in all probability identifiable (pufferfish, clownfish, wrasse, grouper, butterflyfish, seahorse) 6 species
- Group 5: Bony fish which are…much less identifiable (porcupinefish, eel, sabertooth fish, lyretail angelfish, and butterflyfish) 5 species
- Group Six: The ‘other fish’ Lamprey and Chondrichthyans (sharks and rays) 6 species
And now the figures. This group is the varied cetaceans. Total they’re…okay. Or much less so. A few of them a minimum of appeared to have tried, whereas others not nice. As with the remainder of the gathering, the scales are in every single place. Let’s check out them. All of them signify species which were reviewed on the weblog, so I gained’t be going into nice element, simply mentioning notable components.
Bottlenose Dolphin grownup and child Tursiops truncatus
Unsure why I’d begin with this pair, perhaps as a result of it’s superficially identifiable however not all that good. It’s clearly a pair of dolphins, an grownup and a child, and given the form it has usually been recognized as a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus. The color although…I imply, if we take a look at totally different species, they type of have the color sample of a Cephalorhynchus species of dolphin. The darkish fins and snout are particularly unusual–however that genus of dolphins don’t have the pronounced beak. And naturally, I can’t consider any dolphin species that has these bizarre eyes. Particularly the grownup…it’s eyes are under the jawline!? After all, the grownup additionally has type of a ridiculously giant head melon. And the juvenile appears like it is rather shocked.
Once more, not nice. They’re dolphins, with pronounced beak and melons. So, in all probability modeled after the preferred species like a bottlenose, however received actually inventive with the paint scheme. So let’s simply go together with the bottlenose identification. Provided that, the bigger grownup mannequin is about 5.6cm lengthy (2.2 inches) for an animal that averages 4 metres lengthy, giving a scale of 1:71. The small ‘baby’ determine is 2.8 cm (about 1 inch), so given the identical 1:71 scale it could scale as much as about 2 metres lengthy. It ought to go with out saying, there are loads of bottlenose dolphin figures…and most are means higher than this. Even if you wish to be actually beneficiant and faux they signify a species of Cephalorhynchus, there are a couple of of these on the market and so they’d all be higher too.
Narwhal Monodon monoceros
Look, one other favorite cetacean, a narwhal Monodon monoceros. This one is fairly definitive as a result of actually nothing else appears like that–a whale with a single snout ‘horn’. As with most of those, it’s stylized however in some methods has a minimum of tried to get a number of the colors proper, with the gray again and white stomach with mottled spots. The top sadly appears to have that cartoon look typically given to narwhals, with the large spherical head and underslung mouth. The tooth comes straight out of the entrance of the top in an unnatural means. And the attention is only a bizarre black spot.
Once more, not an exhilarating determine. It’s fairly apparent what it could be, however there’s received to be higher ones. Sure, certainly, there are higher narwhal figures. For very small dioramas or what have you ever, it would type of match. It’s fairly small, about 3.4cm (1.3 inches) lengthy, so it could be about 1:150 scale. However a minimum of it truly appears sufficient like the appropriate animal.
Beluga Delphinapterus leucas (juvenile)
Subsequent up is the opposite Arctic toothed whale, a beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas. Once more, not many different animals seem like this, with the lumpy physique and massive, spherical melon for a head. The mouth has that small rounded beak of a mouth with only a tiny smile. The attention actually stands out although…that big white eye with a black pupil is so bizarre.
It’s a reasonably small determine, about 5.5cm (2.1 inches), giving a scale of 1:76 for an grownup. Which is what I measured for the size. However as is apparent, the color will not be the everyday all white physique–the stomach is white, however the again is gray, which type of displays a child or juvenile beluga. During which case, the size might be bigger. One once more, it’s a satisfactory determine, perhaps good for small scenes however, because the frequent chorus, I wager there are higher beluga whale figures.
Orca Orcinus orca
The final of the toothed whales within the set, the enduring orca, Orcinus orca. The color is a minimum of recognizable, and the final form is fairly clear. No goofy eyes a minimum of…simply the large white eye patch. The mouth is fairly unusual–even in hand, it seems to be an open mouth with the faint trace of big enamel. However it’s largely only a white blob. The fins are additionally pretty small, particularly the dorsal fin.
As at all times, it’s fairly small, round 5.2cm ((2 inches) giving a tough scale of 1:167 for a big particular person. At these sizes, we’re speaking architectural model-scales. And whereas in figures that small it’s common to take some liberties intimately, it’s nonetheless fairly tough. As with the opposite fashions there’s positively numerous higher orca figures presumably even near this in dimension.
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Now we’re into the baleen whales, first with a traditional favourite, the humpback whale Maegaptera novaeangeliae. It’s a bit extra gray than the acquainted darker blue we often see. However the lengthy flippers with the tough entrance edge and small however pronounced dorsal fin are clearly meant to mirror a humpback. The general form, once more, is usually effective, and just like the orca it seems to have been sculpted with an open mouth. Possibly the heavy white infill is meant to signify baleen, however as soon as extra it appears extra like only a blob. The eyes are an enchancment on the earlier figures, in a means. The attention seems sculpted properly, however is painted as an off-centre blob.
There are some good touches, just like the barnacles on the top and fins. However provided that the determine is about 6.2cm (2.4 inches), giving a scale of round 1:208…these are some large barnacles! At only a couple millimetres they’d be big shells round 20cm (nearly 8 inches) throughout. However it does give some texture to the determine, and makes it identifiable. Possibly it’s the least unhealthy of an underwhelming bunch? There are in fact different humpback whale figures, and a few might also be close to this dimension.
Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus
The ultimate whale, one other baleen whale, and it’s the large one, a blue whale Balaenoptera musculus. Once more, not an ideal consultant…for one factor, it is rather compressed antero-posteriorly. We often consider blue whales have very lengthy and nearly tubular our bodies, however this one appears type of flattened and broad, relative to the size. The color is fairly plain, a lightweight gray, with the mouth white. After all it’s open and a bit blobby, however the opening could be very slight. The determine could have one of the best eyes of any…not solely are they sculpted, however the black dots are nearly centered. The blowhole can also be properly sculpted, a pleasant contact.
One very unusual factor is that this determine is smaller than the humpback, nearly on par with the orca and beluga. Unsure why they might try this. It’s about 5.7cm (2.2 inches) lengthy, which provides a scale of about 1:526 for an enormous particular person. It goes with out saying, there are positively higher blue whale figures, even in or round this dimension vary, however actually blue whales must be bigger figures basically!
I’ll admit, discussing these 6 figures was a tricky one…and perhaps not an incredible intro to the collection. These fashions are comparatively identifiable and marginally competent representing well-known species, ones which are made often. That mentioned, we have to give fairly a little bit of leeway on the interpretations, as a result of some are type of unhealthy and a few are near horrible. Regardless of the small general sizes, these figures are nonetheless among the many largest within the full set–a few of these will begin to get nearly ludicrously tiny! I’m not likely certain how these had been introduced or bought (every was in its personal cellophane wrapper) so it appears unlikely that they’d have been blind baggage with only one determine–some have a 5 or 6cm whale or shark, others have 2cm inverts or barely perceptible fish, that’s simply imply. Anyway, over the subsequent few posts, we’ll see how they do with different teams.
