Zhuchengtyrannus vs Sinoceratops (Favorite Co. Ltd)

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Review and photos by Triceratops83, edited by Suspsy

The Favorite Zhuchengtyrannus and Sinoceratops come packaged in a boxed set for the Fukui Dinosaur Museum in Japan. They are sculpted by Favorite’s premiere artist, Kazunari Araki. Both of these dinosaurs are only known from fragmentary remains, so the scale is a bit iffy, but they fit in well enough with other 1:40 figures (or possibly slightly smaller).

We’ll start off by taking a closer look at Sinoceratops zhuchengensis, the only known large centrosaurine from Asia. Its remains consist of two partial skulls that show a nasal horn and upward curving epoccipitals(hornlets) on the back of the frill. Its size is estimated to be around five metres in length.

This is the second figure of this genus after the Takara Tomy version. The Favorite Sinoceratops is 10.5 cm long and posed in an active mid-stride. The proportions are typical for a centrosaurine, with a rounded back and a medium length tail. The hind feet each have four toes, the hands each have five fingers, and the correct number of hooves are painted on with a dark grey. The figure is too small to show fine details like scales, but the skin is nicely textured with wrinkles. The head shows the known details of the fossils, including the Centrosaurus-like nasal norn and the curving epoccipitals at the top of the frill. The mouth is slightly open, as though it was out of breath from its’running pose. The feet are slotted into a sandy base, but it stands perfectly well on its own. The paintjob is nothing imaginative: a brown upper body over a grey underside, but the contrast actually suits the toy quite well.

Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, which is known only from pieces of its upper and lower jaws, was found in the same fossil beds as Sinoceratops. It was one of the largest tyrannosaurs, perhaps even surpassing Tarbosaurus in size. Like Sinoceratops, Zhuchengtyrannus has been previously portrayed in toy form by Takara Tomy.

The Favorite Zhuchengtyrannus is 19.5 cm long and is captured in mid-stride with mouth agape, no doubt lunging towards its Sinoceratops prey. As can be expected, there’s little to distinguish this from other tyrannosaur figures. The hide consists of scaly leathery skin with no sign of feathers. As is usual for Araki’s sculpts, there is some shrink-wrapping present in the skull. The face, when viewed from the front, shows binocular vision. The arms are oriented correctly with the palms facing each other. The paintjob is simple, but suits the figure nicely with white stripes against a sandy golden back, which fades to a dull yellow underside. The paint application gets a little sloppy in the mouth though, with pink on the teeth and white bleeding onto the lips. The only major drawback, as with most Favorite theropods, is the issue of balance (in my experience, at least). It comes with a base that pegs into one of the feet, but it is still prone to occasionally toppling over.

Overall, this Zhuchengtyrannus vs Sinoceratops box set has no major flaws and is a great collector’s piece. As for availability, unless you can get to the Fukui Museum in Japan, it can be picked up on eBay, although it may be harder to get as time goes on. I recommend this set, particularly for the wonderful Sinoceratops, and is a must-have for fans of Favorite dinosaurs.