#dragonball z funko advent calendar

It’s been quite a ride, and as promised, here are the final group shots. Fortunately most of these guys were easier to stand when I removed the backdrop. Some were still a challenge, though.

We’ll start with the full group:

Now from above:

An extra Puar managed to sneak in there. We’ll pretend one of them is Oolong is disguise.

Now, we’ll break it down by demographic:

- Saiyans

- Humans

They seem a much less dynamic group, with their hands at their sides, arms crossed, or flashing peace signs. Except for Chiaotzu. He’s excitable.

- Womens

- Animal-type Characters

- Colorful Characters

- The Bald Brigade

And finally, the Bald Brigade with their senior members:

Merry Christmas, everyone, and have a safe and happy 2021.

*Special Bonus Post Coming Tomorrow! Don’t miss it!*

And so we arrive at the final day of Advent and the final figure of the Funko Dragonball Z Advent Calendar. Any final guesses as to whom it might be?

Go ahead, I’ll wait…

*rips open the packaging*

Oh, wow.

I know I’ve given Funko a hard time for this calendar. Retreading the same figure seven times, giving us repeats when we could have gotten extra characters (no Yajirobe, Korin, Kame, Mr. Popo, or even Bulma—heck, I’d have taken the HFIL twins or Princess Snake), the poor craftsmanship and problematic paint apps—and those criticisms still stand—but this figure makes the whole set worthwhile. Gather the seven dragonballs and behold in all his glory, mighty lord Shenron!

This Pocket Pop is amazing. The green is vibrant, the expression whimsical, and the antlers make him look like a reindeer—perfect for Christmas.

Yes, there’s some misalignment of the assembled pieces, most noticeable around back, but the figure makes me smile. It feels solid with the exception of the whiskers, which are somewhat flexible.

And the trademark info is on the bottom of the base, where it should be.

Thanks, Funko, for ending this set in a way that leaves a great impression!

As I mentioned previously, and is now apparent, this set limited itself to characters introduced in the Saiyan Saga. Though it left out a few key players I’m sure many of us wanted to see, there’s room for further DBZ Advent Calendars in the future. That said, it Funko releases one next year, I hope it isn’t limited to the Namek Saga. I want my mini-Android 18. It would probably be the closest we get to a Marron figure in the near future, since those are so few and far between.

Tomorrow, I’ll try to pull off a group shot, though getting all these figures to stand may be nigh impossible. Come back then, and Merry Christmas.

Bonus Images

Make your wish.

He’s smaller than I imagined.

Could you take the the explosives out of the androids’ bodies?…I want her to be truly happy.  

I’ve been lying to you this whole time. I implied this guy—

—wasn’t part of the set. But, apparently he is:

Check him out:

The Puar of the Advent Calendar is nearly identical to the Puar that came with the full-sized Yamcha Pop. That being the case, he is the only Pocket Pop of this set with articulation. His head turns a disturbingly full 360 degrees. Here it is at 180:

The differences are minor. The trademark information is stamped in white beneath his chin and the back of his head, while the original’s much shorter version is mostly blue and limited to the back of the head only.

The coloring on the ears, face, torso, and tip of tail is also different. The newer figure’s color contains more yellow.

Is Puar a fine addition to this set? Undoubtedly. He’s been the standard by which I judge Pocket Pops for this entire series. And for good reason. He’s a pleasant, well-balanced figure, and truth be told, I purchased my full-sized Yamcha primarily because Puar came with him. I only wish as much care had gone into the other figures in this set as this one. But I fear that if a Puar had not already existed, and they had to make him fresh, we would have gotten a small chunk of immovable vinyl.

Bonus Images

The dream team (note the color difference between the two Puars)

Let’s practice your shapeshifting, buddy.

Okay, Yamcha. What do you think?

Hmm…needs more hair.