The hardest thing about reviewing Princess of Power figures is still my limited knowledge of the cartoon in which many of them appeared. I keep meaning to get around to watching it, but I have such limited time for the television – I can’t imagine having to binge watch a 100-episode cartoon series, no matter how much I want to. Maybe after I retire from IAT, I’ll have time for all those wonderful cartoons.
I feel that lack of knowledge really came into perspective on Flutterina here. I really didn’t know much about her whatsoever. Her Mattel bio, while seemingly interesting, focused more on her time during Toy Guru’s “modern” era where she meets & falls in love with Clamp Champ and made up something called the “Beautifly Council”. So I cheated a little and read up, and her Filmation origin is actually interesting (a slave girl who is hurt saving She-Ra and given new life by Light Hope as Flutterina). I’m not sure why the bio couldn’t use that, but hey, we got the “Beautifly Council”, likely next year’s Subscription Faction sticker sheet.
Much like Madame Razz, Flutterina proves that Mattel can take a 4H sculpt and nail it with “modern toy technology”. In other words, she ain’t no Rio Blast. A lot of the awesome details from the prototype are captured here. The figure’s got new boots, bracers, the dress, upper torso, and the head sculpt. The head sculpt is one my favorite – it’s still decidedly a 4H/Treadaway sculpt, but it retained a lot of their hand-painted style. It can’t look as good with production being what it is, but the curled mascara and basic paint make for a pretty figure.
Below that are some great sculpted details throughout the figure. Some of the elements look to be a hybrid of the figure & the cartoon with some originality thrown in and it all comes together really nicely. The real attraction here though is the wings, of course. Now some folks don’t like em, I know, but I think they’re awesome.
I love the simple layering technique to give the depth and clear paint lines. There’s definitely an inadvertent 70s game show throwback, but they look amazing all the same. Normally, I look for ways to get rid of the bulk on figures like these (the display is getting crowded), Octavia’s tentacles or Slushhead’s robot arms come to mind. But I can’t strip Flutterina of these wings. They’re just too darn cool. Continue to Page 2…
Great review, pics, and comics. As per.
This is largely a nicely-done figure, but I’m just not a huge fan of the wings. They’re a bit too bulky thanks to the multi-tiered patterns, and in order to have her on-model, you have to put the wings on inside-out. (Butterfly wings put the pretty pattern on the dorsal side, and the underside is the plain one. I’m a biologist. This matters to me.)
Great take on that. I will try it out!
Thanks! Maybe Etherian Butterflies are different? 😉
I kinda wish they’d gone for the four blue dots on the reverse for her animated look as an alternative, but I prefer the toy wings.
After a string of “so-so” figures, I really liked this one.
I didn’t love the preview pictures, so this was an added bonus 😀
But I’m not a fan of her accessories (like with most POP figures’), so I plan on getting her these from
(And, as always, great review!)
Aaaaaand botched the link, great 🙁
I meant to write “Evil Mike’s Customs” …
Thanks! Mike does great work, doesn’t he!
Holy crap, those are awesome!! thank the maker for evil mike!
man, this figure is so close to awesome for me, i like her a lot better than i did scorpia, who i wanted to love, but don’t… but the hair and is entangles the wings makes me mad. all we had to do was tie back the hair a little and there’d have been no restrictions. the girls of eternia have never heard of a scrunci?
Why do all the female figures have the same basic face sculpt?
To save money on new molds….but yeah it would be nice if there was more variety.
They all have unique head sculpts! No cost saving there. They did largely have similar animation faces and Treadaway has a certain style too, but when you have the figures collected on your shelf they look plenty varied despite the similarities.
I understand that they are sticking to the animation but a bit of variety would be nice compared to all the super model looking cheeks and large lips.
Regardless though I enjoyed you review and pics.
Final Pic made my sides hurt.
I dislike the wings. They look more like bad Arts and Crafts No-Budget Flutterina Cosplay than her wings. I just wish they looked more like real Butterfly wings.
Thanks!
I’ve been looking at pics of the original. I wouldn’t have wanted then to go off-model and I wouldn’t want them flat either. It’s tough.
I like POP quite a bit but Flutterina definitely wasn’t one of my most anticipated figures. That being said, she really surprised me. I really enjoy just how fun and colorful she is and the fact that she comes with a sword. I know it’s just a repaint, but darn is it nice to have an actual weapon for a POP gal.
Good review, Noisy!
This is not meant to be a knock, but at this point in the MOTUC line it’s rare to be surprised by anything, but occasionally a figure comes along and really impresses.
Flutterina is not one of those figures, but I like her. What I’m essentially trying to say is that like a good police procedural drama on network television (insert any CSI, NCIS, Law & Order,et al. shows here), you’re pretty much gauranteed to be entertained — I’ll liken figures like Flutterina to a procedural: there’s nothing surprising going on here but she’s satisfying.
I like the wings and can appreciate the “layered” effect going on. I’m glad they’re not just paint apps. I took Flutterina right out of the box and hooked her up with a flight stand!
She looks good, sculpt-wise.
I’m not crazy for those wings (“blank” side is screaming for more paint!), and that center swipe in her hair looks like an unpainted comb/headdress thingymabob. Kinda like Zatanna’s bug head comb.
She’s beautiful……very beautiful. A butterfly ready for combat lol! Lucky Clamp Champ.
Between this post and the comment on her wings looking like they come from a 1970s game show background, I just had a Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In flashback:
This compilation, a tribute to Henry Gibson’s poetry, contains “The Beautiful Butterfly,” but gets interrupted by Sammy Davis, Jr. Also, witness John Wayne’s stirring poetry rendition:
Great review, pics, and comics. (That poor horde trooper) Was late to get but yep on my list to buy. (Blame is on this guy from the 70s, aka something) Though know will be looking, web and hopefully next years toy show.
In line with your not expecting much and being surprised I actually really like her. I think that for what ever reason she has a warrior vibe about her, and I really like her skin tone I don’t know if she’s meant to be Black, Latino or just well tanned but it really works well.
Chicha bow wow Clamp Champ! Great review…