Since American toymakers tended to have (and still have) an allergy to really cheap toys, Tanglin Pangolin came out as part of an eight-pack. In the USA, series 3 was sold only in boxes of eight while the other series were two-packs or packaged with vehicles. This is one I didn't have as a kid and tracked down a few years ago. I didn't even really know what a pangolin was, but I dug armadillos and penguins and other creatures so why the heck not? These are tree-dwelling insect-eating armored mammals, and they're endangered which means kids of the 1980s probably were super into them. (I was a manatee fanatic myself.)
Molded in brown plastic, the figure has the same hurdles to overcome that we saw on Hardtop Tortoise. The dark skin pokes through the light pink/peach armor, and if you play with it I assume it could get nasty fast. His eyes and claws are yellow, plus there are some red bits on his chest. The sculpting is quite good, similar to the rest of the line with simple armored skin and nifty techie armor bits. He's rubbery but sturdy, unlikely to topple over despite only have jointed arms. His center of gravity does him well. Also present is the famous heat-sensitive sticker which reveals a symbol for fire, wood, or water. Some (but not all) later figures had full-color illustrations while the earlier ones had "mood ring" colors that changed based on the level of heat. As you can see, Tanglin' Pangolin has wood.
Speaking of having wood, the weapon is a Living Stone Spear. Based on its shape, you should be aware that it does not have a flared base and as such is inappropriate for use by adventurous couples. The top of it has three conical ridged shapes, while the bottom has a pointy bit that looks like it's poking out of a tumbler. Really all I can do here is get myself in trouble, so let's just say it fits in his right fist just fine and seems like a formidable tool.
If you had this figure as a kid, you probably had a soft spot for it. If you didn't, it's hard to deny the handiwork of Takara's 1980s sculptors. Subtle wrinkles, robotic eyes, and the squat sculpting you love are all here. If you're in to these figures, it's worth getting what you can find - they're all good, they all stand, they all hold their weapons. Really the only variables to worry about are picking your favorites, and your budget - they're very much worthwhile. They have fun little details, like teeny tiny pangolin ears.
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