#1066 TEDI/HAPTIME - UNNAMED NINJAS AND SAMURAIS (2024)

 
I never purchase modern toys. I resisted the temptation of buying the 25th anniversary G.I. Joes, any Masters of the Universe which were not the original line or any other reissue so far, but when I saw these ninjas and samurais in 3.75 inches size at TEDI, I had to get a complete set of them.

They were released in all TEDI stores in Europe in April 2024, and they were very scarce. I saw two boxes in the store in which I most usually visit. The next day, there were only a few figures left. One week later there was a third box for sale, and then, they were never seen again. I had to visit a second store to get a few figures that were not available in the first one.

 

It is maybe too early to say that, but there has been no reissues, and I am not sure if there will ever be another one. I guess these went undetected by most collectors, so, if somebody in the future finds them and would like to have them, they will be impossible to find. I wanted to get the box as well, but I didn´t dare to ask of "steal" the cardboard box that included all 12 figures. I now regret that, because they would have surely given me the cardboard box for free. Still, I have some pictures of the box, that I took to share the "find" with other collector friends.

 

The twelve ninjas are made out of 6 different casts. That is, there are 6 figures in two versions each. Some of them are divided in two groups: red and blue, but others figures are very similar to their variants or use other colours, so I am not sure what is the intention behind that or if somebody though a background story for them. I guess no, they are just a series of figures with randomly chosen colours (among the available ones).

 

The best of this collection is the selection of the characters plus the use of weapons. But let´s start with the figures. They have 6 articulation points: waist, shoulders, wrists and neck. The articulation on the wrists is specially important, as it allows to pose the figures with the weapons on many "combat positions" that would be impossible without them.

Among the characters we could count the classic masked ninja, a bald martial artist in kimono (very similar to the first one), a kabuki-masked samurai (I would say this should be the leader), a second samurai with the traditional dress (armour, skirt, helmet, shoulder pads...), another masked ninja with much broader shoulders (looks like the typical American action hero) and a third masked ninja with kneepads and chest that looks a bit like a soldier (especially in its green version).

I got all twelve. On a first attempt, I bought only three, and opened the boxes to check its quality and to see if I really liked them or not, and then I bought the other nine. That is why only three of my boxes are open, and the rest are not. I didn´t want to open the rest of the boxes, even though they are only closed with several strips of sellotape. I assume the golden paint is very sensitive, so I didn´t manipulate the figure very much, just to take the pictures.

The figures are unmarked, but they came with a TEDI sticker on the back. This includes some manufacturer indications and the TEDI logo. The box included a small piece of paper with a sketch of a ninja (in a rather cartoonish style, which does not match the style of the figure) and safety instructions on the back part. These instructions are written in a very small font as it has to cover all languages in which the product was available. The box also carries a sticker with the price in every market. It costed 2 euros in most European countries, or some equivalent quantity of money in other countries whose currency is not the euro.

 

Back to the accessories, each figure included one, two or even three pieces each, all of them, classic and well known martial art´s weapons. Katanas, bo, nunchuks, claws, sais... the accessory that I like most is the Asian hut (I associate it most with Vietnam), that the unmasked warrior includes. These were always the same for each model, independently of the color, so there are six sets of weapons. The "strong" ninja comes with one claw. I was a bit disappointed that they didn´t include two, but maybe I am not aware of the usage of this particular weapon. Some characters also include a non-practicable scabbard, that can be attached to the ninja´s back.  Nice details for a budget line. It reminds me of the old bootleg toys we bought in street markets, but designed and made with more modern techniques.

UPDATE: After writing the article, but before publishing it, I discovered the same figures for sale in some Asian sites (like amazon.in) under the Haptime brand. Interestingly, they were sold in several other colour variants which are different from the European ones, and highlighting some specific features which were not clear to me. I collected the pictures and will comment them here as an addition to this article.

The figures can serve as cake toppers. I usually see cake toppers more like plastic figures (no action figures), but, of course, why not?

The figures are articulated, yes, but also detachable. This is great to play that one ninja cuts the arm or the throat or whatever to the other, but it is also a risk for children. 3 and up seems a bit too young for me.

The figures are realistic, but I wouldn't give them to a toddler. The weapons are small, and the figures can be separated into smaller parts. Maybe this is hte reason why they are not for sale anymore at TEDI or in the equivalent European sites of Amazon.in. 

Unlike at TEDI, in some sites, they are sold by half-dozens, in a plastic bag containing 6 different figures. If you buy two bags, you complete your collection of twelve. The ninjas were sold under the name Ninja Warring States

These two are nice computer illustrations of the figures, showing the three white members, which are unreleased in Europe (we got three blck ones instead)

Here, again, two of the white members, unreleased in Europe.

Ninja Warrior Team is another name by which these figures are for sale. These seems to came in the same box than the TEDI models, although the graphics in the inlay paper are much cooler.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: UNNAMED NINJAS AND SAMURAIS
• Toy Line: (no name) / NINJA WARRING STATES / NINJA WARRIOR TEAM
• Year: 2024
• Company: TEDI (Germany / China) / Haptime (Chna)
• Size of the figures: 10 cm approx.