Being an Optimus Prime collector in 2024 means you must have a tracker of something to keep track of each Optimus Prime figure released, no small thanks to the Transformers’ 40th anniversary this year. One of these is the already-leaked reissue of the original G1 Optimus Prime figure, which will just be a vanilla reissue and not anything crazy like the Missing Link version. Except that it will come in cartoon-accurate colors, or as Takara Tomy would call it, an anime edition.
Compared to the 2019 reissue which was a standard reproduction of the original toy, minus the trailer, this 40th anniversary reissue is more similar to the Missing Link Anime edition in terms of deco, except that the chrome is also stripped out in favor of even more accurate white and silver parts. It’s quite unusual to see the truck cab with a white bumper below the silver grill, but at least the smoke stacks are not trimmed.
Being cartoon-accurate apparently also means there will be no stickers, at least none were applied to these product photos. And while I’m not a fan of the internal trailer stickers, seeing them completely bare is a sight to get used to. On that note, the trailer does come with Roller in silver, and the repair drone.
Going into vehicle more, we see even more sparse color treatment as the silver stripe of the cab abruptly disappears at the rear section. And while the trailer does have paint for its iconic stripe and Autobot insignia, the lack of stickers meant that the screw holes are completely visible. So, your mileage may vary for your preference of details seen.
The packaging mimics the original design, albeit with the front illustration also being cartoon-accurate. While the rear contains a much shorter cut-out bio, complete with a shorter tech spec graph.
Earlier this year, I got both the Missing Link (Anime Edition) and 35th anniversary version of G1 Optimus Prime. Add the Music Label version and I was already set. That said, I never got the trailer and while I don’t really care for this box of plastic, the 40th anniversary reissue makes me want to reconsider, especially the cartoon-accurate deco which should look great along with my Missing Link version. Now add to that the upcoming Legacy: United G1 Universe Optimus Prime and you should have all the Generation 1 appreciation you may ever want.
