MP-21 Bumblebee

It was bound to happen but also it was rumoured to not even be possible. A masterpiece version of the classic G1 character Bumblebee seemed to be on the cards as soon as the Transformers Masterpiece line started to focus on the season one cast of the G1 cartoon when MP-10 Convoy was released.

When other season one characters were announced, and then later released, the wheels seemed to be set in motion for Takara to make as many of the cast as possible. With the Lamborghinis Lambor, Alert, Tigertrack and G2 Lambor as well as the Datsuns Prowl, Streak, Smokescreen and Silverstreak released, fans started to expect more of the original characters to be announced.


Bumblebee, always a fan favourite, has recently become something of a star in the Transformers world. The Michael Bay films have popularised the character for a new generation of Transformers fans and the little yellow guy looks to be the focus of the upcoming Robots in Disguise show to be aired in 2015. For Takara to release a masterpiece Bumblebee seems to be an obvious choice to satisfy both old and new fans of Transformers.


However, there had yet to have been an accurate Volkswagen Beetle version of the character released. The original G1 verison of Bumblebee was a penny racer/super deformed type of VW Beetle and the Pretender version was a stylised VW Beetle but due to rumoured problems that Volkswagen had with war toys, Bumblebee had never really been a realistic VW Beetle.


So imagine the surprise when a masterpiece version of Bumblebee was announced and when it was revealed to be a licensed VW Beetle.


I do like the character and decided that I should grab a copy of the figure as soon as possible. So what do I think of it?

Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
Well it certainly makes for a very nice VW Beetle. The panel lines on the doors are not too bad and certainly understandable given the transformation. This copy of the figure has paint colour differences in a number of places which, in my opinion, isn't really acceptable on a masterpiece figure.

Something else which I find wrong with the figure is the general colour used. For me, it should be coloured the same as the original G1 Bumblebee figure. In the pictures below you can see a G1 Bumblebee, Pretender Bumblebee and the Masterpiece Bumblebee side by side. This clearly shows how orange the masterpiece has turned out to be. The pretender version, for me, is a little too yellow but the G1 version is just about right.

G1, Pretender and Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
G1, Pretender and Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
G1, Pretender and Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
The bot mode is pretty spectacular with plenty of articulation in all the right places and an interesting transformation. The faces that come with the figure are, for me, both a little wrong. It's hard to say exactly why they are weird but they just are. The Amazon limited battle mask face is much more acceptable. But seriously, for such a tiny little figure, Bumblebee is chock full of Transformers goodness.
Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
Masterpiece Bumblebee by Pete Slater
Overall this is not a bad figure at all. For me, the colour and the faces kill some of the excitement I had for it but it is certainly a masterpiece and will look great in any season one collection.
Masterpiece Wheeljack and Bumblebee by Pete Slater

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