The Mandalorian Has Been Reimagined As A Samurai Warrior
Human creativity is just the best.
The Mandalorian has been the most popular show in recent years, and it's the first bit of Star Wars media that pretty much everyone can agree that they love in a long time. It combines the familiar Star Wars aesthetic with the feel of old western films of the earlier days of Hollywood. Din Djarin could easily fit in the same category of classic western heroes such as Shane from Shane, Will Kane from High Noon, and the Man with No Name played by Clint Eastwood in various films.
There is also a noted connection between the western genre and the samurai films from directors like Kirosawa. Heroes protecting the innocent, evil bandits trying to take over towns, the stoic warrior, it's all very similar. Thus, it's no surprise that we've gotten a samurai warrior Mandalorian figurine.
Now, samurai imagery is nothing new for Star Wars. Darth Vader's iconic helmet is very reminiscent of old samurai helmets.
But now Din Djarin is getting the samurai treatment himself. Meisho Movie Realization is a company that recreates popular characters into feudal era Japanese samurai. They've done characters like Captain America, Wolverine, and Kylo Ren. The creative minds behind Samurai Din Djarin are Julian Oreska, product developer of Bandai Spirits Collector’s Division, and Takayuki Takeya, a sculptor and artist for the Meisho Movie Realization series. In an interview with Starwars.com, they detailed their thought processes and inspirations for the new figurine. Said Julian:
"We looked at photos of the armor as we discussed how best to interpret it in the Meisho style; and at that point in time, we had also seen the first and second episodes of the series, so we wanted to make certain the figure could [emulate the Mandalorian and] mount his rifle on his back, for example."
They certainly succeeded. They managed to perfectly mix the style of the Mandalorian armor with the look of the feudal samurai. It would have been easy to make the mistake of just making the armor a different color and adding the helmet and sword like a kid playing with a few of his action figures and sticking a helmet on his Boba Fett toy, but they managed to seamlessly combine the two, making it look like how you would imagine what kind of look he'd have if he was sent back in time on Earth and had to adapt his look to fit into the time period, taking a small child under his wing to protect while defeating the latest evil warlord looking to pillage the crops of an innocent village, dispensing justice with his blasters and katana alike.
Which, by the way, is something that needs to be made. Maybe in 2056, once Disney finishes up the current slate of minseries and TV shows they have planned, they can work on that.
The level of detail is astounding. You can tell that this was a passion project for them, and it comes across in every crease and piece of armor. On top of all of that, this isn't even the only one they have planned. According to Julian:
"I think the unique thing about the Meisho series Mandalorian figure is that this character will be one of the few to have multiple armor interpretations in this line. That way, you can have a display in your collection showing the evolution of his armor."
After seeing what they came up with for just the initial figurine, there's a lot to be excited about with that idea. Sure, this is something that you'd never let your kid get within twenty feet of, but it would definitely be a cool thing to have. Given what the other figurines they've made cost, it would only set you back... uh...
Well, see for yourself.
Source(s): StarWars.com