Background
The fourth Uglydoll of 2010 is none other than Ninja Batty Shogun. If my memory serves me correctly, this might be the first ninja Ugly released by Sun-Min and David. Although...I guess the Secret Mission Uglydolls were actually ninjas, but they didn't have the esteemed rank of Shogun.
So, what's Ninja Batty Shogun's story? I'm glad you asked:
Batty Shogun always wondered why toys having nothing to do with Ninjas would add ninja costumes to their line up. Just to look cool? Because Ninjas are rad? Well, Batty Shogun thinks that’s kinda “meh”. See, when Batty Shogun flies around at night with his best pal Ice-Bat, he does up the real dealio in an actual Ninja costume. No red flames, stripes or other crazy decorations. No spelling Ninja with a “Z” at the end. Just straight up stealth mode, that’s how he rolls. No sword though...those are sharp!
The Facts
Ninja Batty Shogun
Series: Uglydolls
Manufacturer: Pretty Ugly
Artist: David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim
Material: Plush
Dimensions: 2 Foot (24"); Classic (12"); Little Ugly (7"); Keychain (3")
Tag
In addition to having the above reprinted mini bio on the inside of the green tag, Ninja Batty Shogun has an illustrated version of the character on the front (and inside) of the four panel tag. (He looks a little plump in the illustration)
Our Opinion
If you've ever read David Horvath's blog, you probably know that he's a big fan of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. So - of course - it wouldn't surprise you to see a shogun warrior Uglydoll that looks a little bit like those Sentai robots.
If you look at the Ninja Shogun Batty Ugly's ears, they resemble the horns on a Shogun Warrior's helmet. The character looks a little like Ice-Bat, but pretty much any Uglydoll with wings will be compared to the original (and possibly most popular) flying Ugly.
Shogun Batty features a gray, straight-line Uglydoll mouth. There are three triangular yellow teeth pointing downward. The character has a red oval nose and a pair of sky blue eyes. All of this sets pretty well against the black background. But, as you can probably see from the close-up shot, there's a little bit of black space between the teeth and the mouth. That's accentuated because of the very different colors used on the face.
Overall, I like the design. While it's not an entirely new look (he could be a second cousin of Poe and Ice-Bat), he'll go well with your collection of Secret Mission Uglydolls.
You can pick one up at the following:
Uglydolls.com: $6 to $50
Ninja Batty Shogun Grades
Plush Quality: 9/10
Stitching: 8/10
Material: 9/10
Softness: 9/10
Packaging/Tag: 7/10
Cuteness: 8/10
Fun Factor: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Overall: 9.0/10
