Am I the only one who does this?

[IIIzoeIII]

so I see a new Retaliation figure or promo and I'm like cool! then see this horrible little thing just forced into the picture

what's that? it's a ninja sword or a hexagram tattoo uughh!!
good way to alienate the core fans and confuse the new ones..wtf is going on? it's no different than making the ninja turtles all about guns it's just gross and lacks good taste.

remember the old joe art where you'd see all these army dudes and one mysterious black figure with a mask amongst them? yeah it was awesome and that element has been removed.SE was the original american ninja.I think me starting this thread says an awful lot cause I think I am just about the only Joe fan on here that almost doesn't even care about the army side much...I'm team ninja to the bitter end but even I see it has it's place.You can't just boom make everyone a ninja cause it's the best thing about GI Joe...that is ludicrous.If everyone was a ninja SE and SS would instantly lose their impact and purpose.

who else thinks this is portraying Joe in the wrong light?

[Snow Wolf]

I agree....we are witnessing a over ninjafication of the product line. There should only be a couple of ninjas (SE & SS), the rest should be regular troops. Proper ninja training would take YEARS to master, not months or weeks.

[Venomfang]

Yeah, but that's okay. Those pieces that don't belong go to a figure that deserves them. The figures that are completely irrelevant to the line and have no redeeming value whatsoever are auto-skipped.

[Venomfang]

Also, Blind Master is not Japanese

Ninjitsu is a Japanese assassination art.

And I'm pretty sure SS and SE trained in Asia. I mean, didn't ROC show a whole scene about that?

So... What's going on here.

[the odinson]

if a figure you like comes with a ninja type weapon that you don't like just leave it off- boom, not a ninja.


the only ninja i care about in my joeverse is white storm shadow- so i don't buy the other ones. after seeing the TONS of stuff that we'll hopefully be getting next year, a couple of goofy ninjas don't bother me at all. there's more than enough other stuff to keep me happy.

[Zarana]

I wish more figures came with pirate stuff.

[ucsf]

Because of the helmet, this looks like a Blue Ninja to me (if it had been stated, then I apologize). And the primary weapon should be a sword. The figure looks cool to me. After all, Retaliation is going to have some gems in the next few waves.

[rglass2]

I wish more figures came with pirate stuff.

Yeah Shipwreck just really needs his own rouges gallery!

[Storm]

Also, Blind Master is not Japanese

Ninjitsu is a Japanese assassination art.

And I'm pretty sure SS and SE trained in Asia. I mean, didn't ROC show a whole scene about that?

So... What's going on here.

Blind Master is Afro-american, marvel comic.

[IIIzoeIII]

I understand ditching the weapon I mean who isn't gunna toss it right???
but the initial reaction to me is eww lol I was just wondering if I'm alone by thinking this...cause honestly a lot of joe collectors seem to be customizers and a sword might be like a little bonus to someone who just wants a variety of things..so that's not really the issue.

[fireflyguy]

I'm sick of the whole ninja thing. And they have that stupid arishakage tatoo in every picture. I'll get that ninja you have pictured above, but he's ginna be a trooper and not a ninja.

[PhantomStranger]

I have a similar reaction to some degree.

I'm just use to it from seeing this done other toy lines (especially movie lines) over the years. Toybiz had a ton of Ninja Wolverine figures back in the day that came with katanas, Kenner had Batman figures with ziplines and katanas etc.

I suppose most kids enjoy the launchers, light up features and zip lines, even as I kid I never liked them with the exception of some of the Batman zip lines, but then again I was an odd kid that enjoyed reading history books while others looked at pictures.

The line will eventually return to what I and many others consider the core line, Marvel returns to Marvel legends/universe, Transformers returns to Generations, Joe will eventually turn into a new line without the ninja overkill. I suppose this is why I'm more tolerable of the retaliation line than others, I expected this for months. In the meantime I will pick and choose what to buy, thankfully the Cobra Trooper doesn't seem to have suffered so bad since he only has one ninja accessory.

[TTT]

I want ninja zombies.

[TTT]

Sorry, I want zombie ninjas.

[Xenos]

Also, Blind Master is not Japanese

Ninjitsu is a Japanese assassination art.

And I'm pretty sure SS and SE trained in Asia. I mean, didn't ROC show a whole scene about that?

So... What's going on here.

Blind Master is Afro-american, marvel comic.

I don't know if either of you noticed or not, but RZA isn't Japanese.


As for the other stuff, it doesn't bother me at all if a Cobra trooper has a katana. It will go right into the extras pile, and that will be the end of it. It will be annoying if the movie has Roadblock as a ninja master*, but as far as the toys go, I don't really care if they throw in an extra accessory that I don't like. Worst case scenario, I either get a new gun from Marauder, or I use one of the thousand extra guns I have.




* It won't bother me however if they show SE training Roadblock/Flint/Lady Jaye, seeing as though SE's secondary specialty is hand to hand combat instructor.

[ROC Solid Snake]

Yes, you're the only one who does that, you filthy boy. Gods going to punish you.

[W.O. leroy]

The Blind Master is African-American but he trained in Japan with the Arashikage clan for years. Firefly was a member of the Koga Ninja clan and an honorary member of the Arashikage clan according to the Marvel comic. I agree that Roadblock shouldn't have the hexagram tattoo, he might train with SE but only full fledged Arashikage should have it.

[GI Guppy the third]

When I first noticed RB on the packaging holding a katana like he's General fucking Custer it did get on my nerves. But then I threw the packaging away.

As far as I know there isn't a single media connection that reinforces this. While the movie is ninja heavy, they keep it separate from the regular combat (so far in the clips).

In the real world, there are a lot of martial art posers who have the cheap knock off Knife Show swords and Chinese character tattoos that mean "douchebag", so I guess Retaliation is about those guys taking over the world.

I will say that I would prefer a special force clad ninja to the feudal ninja but since Bro's made a half dozen pajama ninjas, why do something different?

[mordengard]

Reading some of the movie prequel comics it seems that Roadblock had anger issues and in order to keep on the Joe team Snake Eyes had the Blind Master train him. I don't know if he is a full blown ninja but is supposed to be trained by the Arashikage which allows him the tattoo. I'm not sure if that makes 100% sense or is completely accurate but that's what I took from what I read.

I think that there is an over saturation of ninjas. They will lose their appeal if used too much. I hope that doesn't happen.

[bossprime]

I voted for go ninja because I love that song.

[IIIzoeIII]

good points with all due respect though
wolverine in the comics did go to japan and is skilled with a sword
and batman is also a ninja I can't really knock any toy company for wanting to let a little hang out on that end but RB is a heavy machine gunner and a cobra officer a soldier it just feels forced/unfaithful

[Obi-Shinobi]

When I first noticed RB on the packaging holding a katana like he's General fucking Custer it did get on my nerves. But then I threw the packaging away.

BOOM... there it is.

Don't like it? Don't use it. Could some of these figs come with better, or more appropriate gear?

BOOM... there it is again.

[IIIzoeIII]

When I first noticed RB on the packaging holding a katana like he's General fucking Custer it did get on my nerves. But then I threw the packaging away.

As far as I know there isn't a single media connection that reinforces this. While the movie is ninja heavy, they keep it separate from the regular combat (so far in the clips).

In the real world, there are a lot of martial art posers who have the cheap knock off Knife Show swords and Chinese character tattoos that mean "douchebag", so I guess Retaliation is about those guys taking over the world.

lmao

[IIIzoeIII]

I voted for go ninja because I love that song.

I will not count that vote then :)

[IIIzoeIII]

Chu really blew this up...and since he's an Asian director that turned GI Joe into a ninja movie I can just imagine all the racist stereotypes that will be flung at him for this...it's sad.
I remember when Brandon Lee went out for the crow and everyone was like oh great now it's gunna be a kung fu movie..well that just kinda happened here only this is true.

[CrimsonGuard101]

i dunno...but I love that Invasion Cobra trooper...

[manicmotive]

Everyone should be a ninja.

But seriously, I'm all for ninja army builders like the red ninja.

Hell, make green, blue, yellow, and purple ninja army builders.

Aside from generic ninjas though, only SE and SS should be ninjas.

[PhantomStranger]

That's true, and I do agree that it feels forced in the Joe line.


I can see why people feel so icky about the line, I remember having a similar experience in the 90s when everyone was adding shoulder pads and Armor to characters and toys of those characters. I have a Superman with a rocket launcher and battle armor powered by Kryptonite.


Superman with a freaking weapon and armor powered by one of the few things that can kill him. It wasn't even like the armor protected him from kryptonite by absorbing it or anything.

I guess its the same thing here only with Ninjas, but I still think Joe has been through far worse, not that it makes this ninja thing any less horrid.

[IIIzoeIII]

That's true, and I do agree that it feels forced in the Joe line.
I can see why people feel so icky about the line, I remember having a similar experience in the 90s when everyone was adding shoulder pads and Armor to characters and toys of those characters. I have a Superman with a rocket launcher and battle armor powered by Kryptonite.
Superman with a freaking weapon and armor powered by one of the few things that can kill him. It wasn't even like the armor protected him from kryptonite by absorbing it or anything.
I guess its the same thing here only with Ninjas, but I still think Joe has been through far worse, not that it makes this ninja thing any less horrid.

ha very well said...I owned a batman,flash,and robin that had that crazy stuff...I never used the armor either it was just there to be thrown away.well just by the poll and hearing from the only people that matter the costumers/fans I must conclude that this is NOT cool with any of us..the one's who aren't voicing their opinion are pretty much just manning up and dealing with the jagged pill.I don't even think this is as fun or interesting as the DEF or ECO stuff from the old days...I guess cause it doesn't make any sense..to fight a ninja you don't need to be a ninja you can still blow em away with a shotty lol but bio terror does require a change of everything the ECO stuff made sense and the DEF stuff was always there they had characters like law and shockwave that were police and swat DEF just added more characters and placed the existing ones in their lot..it was smart.

[Xenos]

good points with all due respect though
wolverine in the comics did go to japan and is skilled with a sword
and batman is also a ninja I can't really knock any toy company for wanting to let a little hang out on that end but RB is a heavy machine gunner and a cobra officer a soldier it just feels forced/unfaithful

For what it's worth, I always felt that the whole "Batman is a ninja" thing was extremely forced.

[Kungfuguy]

Ninjas mean the movie's going to the be GRRREAAT! Sign of excellence. All movies should have ninjas.

[UMAN]

I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.

I kid. I agree with the OP.

[Stl_Brgd_PFC_Ramar]

Yup, yup.....way too much Ninja. We've got vehicles that have Ninja marks so I'm like WTF - did that Awe Striker or street bike train with SE and SS all those years! I like the OP thoughts on Joe was awesome with the near future military with a small element of secretive Ninja clans. Not sure why Joe headed this route.....I'm guessing its because the decision makers listened to some marketing presentation that pointed towards Oriental fighting arts having a strong influence towards sales....

Didn't read the whole thread so apologies to anyone whose thoughts I regurgitated :)

[PhantomStranger]

I always loved the DEF stuff, I used them to team up with M.A.S.K. to take down localized threats from Cobra/V.e.n.o.m.

Despite my distaste for over usage of neon, some of the Eco force play sets such as the Toxolab were awesome.

I hope that after retaliation Hasbro would figure out what they wanted to do with Joe story wise in terms of a toy line and cartoon. I always had it in my head since I was a kid that every aspect of G.I. Joe, Transformers and M.A.S.K. could be done together in a cartoon/toy line, hell even as a kid I thought up a story that would work.

[CobraOfficer999]

SE is one of the characters I would say was waaay overdone. Too many versions out allready.

[Dropkick]

I'll be de-ninjafying those figures that don't need the ninja skills in my Joe-verse. Like the soldier you showed on the first page. No need for ninja skills in my opinion. He's awesome as just a Cobra soldier.

[zedhatch]

I actually have always loved the Ninja aspect to GI Joe, but of late I feel it is overdone in the Retalation line. It feels like it did in the 90's with weird and oddball Ninjas coming otu of the woodwork and everyone having a ninja background. Just because one aspect is cool doesn't mean it takes center stage, sometimes less is more (as with Ninjas and GI Joe).

[Sithcobra]

i agree..but the cobra troop in the pic i like becuz its the actually troop from the movie one of the main ones i want next to duke-ultimate-what??cool outfit matches joe trooper which i made him awhile back but the more swords they come with the better been workin on a dio that i need as much swords as possible but ultimately i agree 100% with you..roc=too much ninja down play,ret=way too much ninja goin on

[Sithcobra]

another fact imo-i believe since the whole millitary aspect is workin to build the big fan base they wanted and everyone loves ninja's esp lil kids i know my kids do they tryin to use the ninja thing to make sells ramp up thats my opinion

[Storm]

Also, Blind Master is not Japanese

Ninjitsu is a Japanese assassination art.

And I'm pretty sure SS and SE trained in Asia. I mean, didn't ROC show a whole scene about that?

So... What's going on here.

Blind Master is Afro-american, marvel comic.

I don't know if either of you noticed or not, but RZA isn't Japanese.


I dont know if you read what i wrote... :D I didn't say he is Japanese...

[solid.wii]

Late Night - All Videos : Newest - Videos - NBC.com (http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/Ew-with-Emma-Stone-(8/11/11)/1346719)

[EvilMonkeyPrime]

I can't think of anyone I'd rather see as bilind master. I bet rza's love of kung fu movies translates. Maybe forest witiker (sp?) but why blow that much $$$ on him. Kimbo slice or mark Henry would be terrible choices. Oh ninjas rule.

[cobratrooperlui]

I like ninjas just as much as the next guy but no, I don't like that Roadblock is now a ninja too.