Triceratops (Animal Adventure/ANIA by Takara Tomy)

Triceratops is one of those dinosaurs too iconic for manufacturers to leave out of any toy line, yet it’s one of the genera that can easily fall victim to old stereotypes. This review covers Takara Tomy’s take on the classic three-horned face, which reflects some of these ups and downs of the dinosaur’s media depictions. Takara Tomy is known for a wide variety of toys and merchandise, among which is the Animal Adventure, or ANIA, line of small, lightly articulated figures representing animals both extant and extinct. Two of these figures – Tyrannosaurus (extinct no. 01) and Futabasaurus (extinct no. 09) – have been covered on the Dinosaur Toy Blog previously. Triceratops was released as extinct figure no. 02 in the line.

Takara Tomy’s take has its own ups and downs. At a glance, the figure is quite plain, due to the flat sandy brown color scheme it is stuck with. Only a few faint grey stripes and solid grey highlights to the toes, horns, etc., are otherwise present. It’s a shame Tomy didn’t give more effort into this aspect of the toy; even the artwork on the back of the figure’s box has some subtle patterning to its animals, and even a little more paint detail would go a long way to enhance the figure’s appeal.

Laments about color aside, the figure bears a certain resemblance to a design by someone named Stan Winston, which was seen in a certain film that may or may not have produced many toys of its own. However, the figure does accurately represent known fossil anatomy, aside from possible misalignment to the horns and frill. The figure is posed upright and active, covered in scaly skin and devoid of shrink-wrapping. The figure lacks the larger scutes known to adorn the animal’s back, but I believe this figure predates that particular discovery.

There is a single point of articulation in the neck, allowing the head to swing up-and-down or side-to-side, depending on how you manipulate the joint. It’s not much to work with, but it’s decent to play with, and the figure is solidly built otherwise. I think this figure could handle a high level of play in smaller hands.

The ANIA Triceratops isn’t a stand-out figure, but it’s made well enough for a smaller toy, and it makes a good compliment to the Tyrannosaurus and other dinosaurs in the line. If you’re inclined to get one yourself, you can check Tomy’s own website, HobbyLink Japan, or the usual stops at eBay and Amazon.