Transformers Animated Blackout

Well after almost a year of waiting after watching the review for this figure, it is in my hands muwhahahahahaha. It's been a worthwhile wait as the figure is so awesome and just by having it makes it even more so. The version I got is the Takara/Tomy Blackout where there are some slight color changes then the original Hasbro version. Hasbro has a more matte finish where the Takara version has more bright colors, almost chrome like. This is my first Takara/Tomy animated figure and it does not disappoint at all.

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More shots of the box:

Now we can explore the contents inside:

After removing the twist ties and the plastic protecting the blades we have Blackout in helicopter mode:

The paint job on this is fantastic.

Now we finally have him in robot mode:

The hulk look does not detract at all from the figure and gives him a nice menacing look.

Now we have him with his weapon which is the back rotor of the helicopter:

Overall, a great figure to own for anyone who is an animated fan. There has been talk that it may be possible Hasbro will release it in the states at a lower price than what I paid for. Remember this is only speculation as Hasbro's focus is more on the new waves coming out such as Generations, The hunt for decepticons, and Core combiners. With all these series having Hasbro's attention, I can only wonder if Hasbro will restart the animated line again. We did get Arcee and Ratchet, but that was only a Toysrus exclusive. If Toysrus decides to do it again and bring it over then sure there might be a chance Blackout will come along with Rodimus. I ended up paying around 50 bucks, but that included priority mail from Tfsource so I got my goods fast. So now people might ask themselves should they wait for the cheaper Hasbro, or go for the Takara version. The only thing I can say is if you like the paint apps on the Takara version go for it. Otherwise hope Hasbro will bring it to stateside and get it. If you're impatient (like me) and want it now then get the Takara version. You won't regret the purchase. I know I didn't. In the end I'd recommend any fan of animated to pick this up.