As far as Transformers collectibles go, Flame Toys’ Kuro Kara Kuri line of non-transforming, articulated figures are probably on the top of the high-end spectrum, partly because of the details in each release, and mostly because of how expensive they are. Besides the price, some collectors, including myself, prefer Transformers that actually transform since it’s part of their core play pattern and value proposition.
And such value proposition is being presented by third-party company Wangcai Toys or Wonderful-Trans as they’re releasing WT-02 Sky Atlas, which is essentially a Kuro Kara Kuri figure that can transform. They previously teased this back in December 2022 and the lack of updates in the months that followed led people to believe that the figure might have been cancelled. But Wonderful-Trans recently made updates over at their Weibo account, suggesting that Sky Atlas is very much in development.
Just to make it clear, while Wonderful-Trans did engineer the transformation scheme and mechanism, the original design is from Flame Toys, which is a stylized version for one of several Optimus Prime designs from the IDW run of Transformers comic books. I’m not sure if the transformation would be one the finger-numbing ones, but they’re able to produce robot and vehicle modes that look really amazing.
Not only does this figure look good, but it also poses good as you can see here. They were able to engineer the transformation without compromising the articulation. Heck, it might even be better articulated than the original figure. Wonderful-Trans’s Weibo post mentions that the figure has both plastic and die-cast components which should provide heft and stability to allow such poses.
I believe, based on a quick Google search, that as far as weapons and accessories go, Sky Atlas only shares the removable backpack and spoiler fin, and Ion Blaster with the original Flame Toys figure. The other accessories are specific to Sky Atlas.
Chief among them is this imposing Energon Axe that Sky Atlas has no problems holding. It also can double as a shield by fanning out the axe blades.
Sky Atlas also comes with a pair of forearm gauntlets with Wolverine-styled blades. Each forearm can also support missile launchers. And unlike the original Kuro Kara Kuri figure that comes with replacement hands for holding weapons and dynamic poses, Sky Atlas has hands with articulated fingers.
Lastly, an Optimus Prime figure will not be complete without the Matrix of Leadership, or at least a Matrix chamber as I don’t think the one seen here is removable. The original also had LED light up functions for both the Matrix and his optics though I can’t confirm the same for this figure.
To be honest, and while I already have a couple of third-party IDW-inspired Optimus Prime figures, I really like this stylized take from Flame Toys. And even made better by Wonderful-Trans by making it an actual transforming figure. That said, Sky Atlas clocks at 25cm or almost 10 inches tall, which is probably a little too big for my collection. So, I’ll probably skip this one, but I do believe this guy has been in the radar of several collectors since that December 2022 tease. And I bet those same folks are finally excited to get this figure in their hands as Sky Atlas will supposedly have a Winter 2023 release though no pricing information has been available.
Wangcai Toys/Wonderful-Trans WT-02 Sky Atlas (Optimus Prime, IDW/Kuro Kara Kuri)
Winter 2023 / TBD
