Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Happy Chinese New Year (AGAIN) from TOY HAVEN and Revoltech Finding Nemo & Dory

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春節 (Pinyin: Chūnjié), since the spring season in Chinese calendar starts with lichun, the first solar term in a Chinese calendar year. Chinese New Year is also the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar.

One of the traditional Chinese phrase during Chinese New Year is "may there be surpluses every year" or "Have abundance every year" (simplified Chinese: 年年有余; traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; pinyin: niánnián yǒu yú) which also sounds the same as "may there be fish every year." Hence the phrase "Year Year have Fish / Year Year got Fish" is used so who better to wish everyone Happy Chinese New Year than Nemo and Dory from Disney Pixar's animated movie "Finding Nemo" ;p


We had celebrated the first day of Chinese New Year with the Bandai Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Deluxe Red Dragon Thunderzord (posted HERE) since this is the Year of the Dragon. Now we celebrate Chinese New Year with Nemo and Dory from Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 001 Nemo & Dory figures to reinforce the saying "Year Year got Fish" and to wish everyone abundance in everything GOOD ;)




This is the Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 001 Nemo & Dory figures carded set that was recently released i.e. end December 2011. It came out at the same time as the Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 002 - WALL•E robot figure (reviewed HERE)

Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy family drama film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) who, along with a regal tang called Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), searches for his abducted son Nemo (Alexander Gould). Along the way, Marlin learns to take risks and to let Nemo take care of himself.


Nemo (Alexander Gould) is a juvenile Clownfish and Marlin's (Albert Brooks) son and in the movie, is captured and put into a fish tank in a dentist's office on Sydney Harbour. Nemo's dad Marlin goes searching for Nemo with the help of Dory, a Pacific Regal Blue Tang played by Ellen DeGeneres.


So what's wrong with this picture? The pairing of the duo. Dory should be paired with Marlin and Nemo should be paired with Gill, a crafty and ambitious moorish idol who wants to break the "Tank Gang" out of the fish tank and back into the open sea. Gill is played by Willem Dafoe.


Since both Marlin and Nemo are Clownfish, how do we know that this particular Clownfish is Nemo and not Marlin?


We know that this is indeed Nemo and not Marlin because Nemo has a small right fin (due to a minor injury to his egg from the barracuda attack) which causes Marlin to not only worry over his swimming ability but also doubt his son’s general capabilities. This causes a rift in the father-son relationship which is resolved by the end of the film. Which Disney movie doesn't have a happy ending?


The other issue here is the scale / size. In the Disney Pixar animated film, Dory is actually larger than Marlin which means that she (since she is played by Ellen DeGeneres) would be even bigger than Nemo who is supposed to be a child but in this Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 001 Nemo & Dory figures carded set, Dory is much smaller in size. That's because Dory is only supposed to be an accessory, along with the coral reef base. Nemo's body is divided into three articulated sections with movable fins so that you can pose him. Nemo also has movable eyes that you can control and adjust if you remove the head. Dory only has movable fins.


Nemo also comes with an alternate angry head and movable eyes as well.


Other than the minor issues I pointed out, this Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 001 Nemo & Dory figures carded set is rather nice and I quite like the bright colors :)

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