The Ori-Fig’s shoulders and waist are both recessed like a bowl.  Structurally this gives a place for extra design elements to set, like Zhang’s shoulder pads/scarf and loin cloth.  These extra elements are made form a soft plastic and hang down like natural clothing, while their extreme flexibility keeps the figures movement from being hindered.  Something I found really interesting is that any beard-like facial hair is also sculpted out of this flexible material, but it’s a separate piece and can be pivoted around the figure’s shoulders to match the facial angle.

One of the reasons I really love these figures is the perfect mixture of the stylized vinyl look with the super articulation that I crave out of my action figures.  The Ori-Fig body uses a majority of swivel hinge joints, similar to what you’d find on a Figma or Revoltech.  These swivel/hinges are placed at the shoulders, waist, hips, and ankles.

The knee joints of the figure are basic hinges, but they are given a huge range from the high cut of the thigh.

The arms have two swivel joints: one just below the shoulders and the other at the elbow.  The elbow joint is a bit unique in that you don’t see diagonally cut swivels that often.  It took me a while to get used to it, but that actually allows the arm to be positioned straight or bent without needing the traditional hinged elbow.  Because the Ori-Fig has such a simplistic design, the arms look perfectly natural either way.

Because it’s so unique, the last body part/joint I want to cover is the head.  Ori-Fig heads are actually hollow in the middle and stay on the body by fitting over a cylindrical core.  This allows the head to easily swivel or be removed to change faces.  The core itself attaches to the body with a ball joint, adding a huge range of movement and some really fantastic expressions to the figures.  I personally love the sulking look you can give the figures by hiding their mouths below their collar line.

Accessory wise, Zhang Liao comes with the standard four face plates.  Each has a different expression: normal, happy, angry/fighting, and silly.  I really love the unique silly face that each figure gets.  It really adds to the fun factor.  Zhang also comes with two sets of hands, one open and one closed.

Aside from his base, Zhang’s only other accessory is a light gray spear with a yellow decoration.  The spear’s body is the same as Guan Yu’s weapon, just with a different head.  But the spear is significantly shorter than Guan’s massive blade.

From the caricatured looks to the super articulated posing, I really enjoy the Ori-Fig design.  I’d like to thank Mo at Ori-Toys for making these reviews possible.  Come back tomorrow for a review of two more Ori-Figs, and if you’re interested in seeing what else they’ve got in the works then check out their website here.

-Vault