Sinoceratops baby A-QI (PNSO)

Hello blog readers! This would be my 60th review, and to mark the occasion, I decided to go cute! Well, not me, but the figure I’m reviewing today! When it comes to baby dinosaur toy figures, I’m not typically excited about them. I have nothing against them really, in fact we really need more of them, at least good ones. What I have issues with is how baby dinosaurs are usually depicted in toy form.

Historically, baby dinosaurs are depicted as either a shrunken caricature of an adult or too cartoony that they look like straight out of Land Before Time,  neither one appeals to me. It’s the reason I don’t have many baby dinosaurs in my collection anymore.

Times are changing, and today we have enough good fossils of baby dinosaurs to know that they don’t look like just a shrunken version of an adults or cartoony. Like all animals, baby dinosaur, too, went through various stages of growth. Like I said, times are changing, and some toy manufacturers are starting to catch up in how they depict baby dinosaurs.

Leading the way are brands like Collecta and Kaiyodo who in the last few years have released baby dinosaurs that are revolutionary and different.Today, PNSO joins them with two of their brand-new release for this year, one of them, the baby Sinoceratops is the subject of our review today.

Sinoceratops is a genus of ceratopsian from the late Cretaceous of what is now China.It is a fairly recent discovery and was significant since it was the first ceratopsid dinosaur found in Asia. Sinoceratops zhuchengensis meaning “Chinese horned face from Zhucheng”, was a medium size ceratopsian that is estimated to have grown up to 19″feet in length and with a height around 6″foot.

Besides its significance as being the first large ceratopsian found in Asia, it is also one of the largest centrosaurine. Its fame would skyrocket after it made an appearance in the last JP franchise JWFK. Since then, the genus had appeared in toy form from Japan, and of course most recently from Mattel and Nanmu.

So, how does this little thing hold up? For starters, it is super cute! When I first opened the box, I found myself smiling and “aww-ing”. Baby animals are designed to look “cute”; this is by nature a way to elicit caring or “maternal/paternal” instinct from adults to care for and dote on the little one. PNSO really captured this, successfully striking a balance of being adorable without being too cartoony.

The figure is part of PNSO’s medium size range, so it is a larger figure and not just a shrunken version. This larger scale allowed the artist to really add a lot of fantastic details, more on that later.Like all PNSO figures, it too came with a nice white box with the image printed on the front. The figure inside is protected by a plastic cover which is nice since it really prevents the figure from any damage (like mine, the box came crushed!), and a small fold-out booklet is also included with a little story and introduction written in Chinese and English. And in the PNSO tradition, this little one also is given a name A-QI and she is # 27 in the series (Note:although gender is not given, I decided to make my figure a female).

This figure is very well sculpted and full of wonderful details that we have come to expect from PNSO. The head is beautifully sculpted and really captures the essence of a young animal.

As you would expect, some of the distinctive features seen in adults are not yet present or fully formed in juveniles. This is true of this figure. The frill is not yet fully developed and is more rounded than what you would see in an adult. The frill is adorned by tiny little hornlets that are just starting to emerge. The distinctive series of forward-curving hornlets are not yet fully formed, but the unique row of inner hornlets/knobs are there making it easily identifiable as Sinoceratops. In addition, there are two hornlets on the lower frill that are longer that the rest.

There are lots of small scales and knobby details of varying sizes on the head and frill that truly adds a lot of texture on the head. The small nose horn has emerged and is surprisingly sharp even in this size.The cheek protuberance is formed but the horn is still just a little pointy knob, while the length is covered in scales of various sizes. You can see the ear holes in the corner between where the frill starts the cheek protuberance. The nostrils and beak are also very well defined and sculpted.

The eyes are something else. Its big and very expressive! I don’t think its painted on, it looks like it’s some type of printed sticker that fits precisely on the eye area and looks very really, almost like those eye ball used in taxidermy. The head is slightly tilted as if the animal is looking up and the eyes follow this upward direction. To me, it feels like the expression is that of a shy baby or just being coy. This ultra-real looking eye is one of the most striking features of this figure, they just look so real.

The figure is posed in a curled-up position as if the animal is trying to get up or in the process of laying down. This pose is unique, you don’t see dinosaurs posed this way often. this pose also is flexible in that you can lay it on it sides in a laying position, on its behind in a more upright and sitting position, or on its back like a playful puppy waiting for tummy-rubs!

Its tiny little legs are chubby! Skin folds as well as various sized scales and knobs abound in the legs.The feet look correct and does not have extra painted nails. The nails are painted in multi-hues with a grayish tone being the dominant color and looks very pleasing. One of its front legs is completely under, while the second one is tingly held on its side and is sculpted attached to the side. One of the back legs is also fully under but sticking straight out, while the second is hanging above, barely touching the ground. Again, these legs are chubby and the pose really emphasizes them and looks almost funny. The nails on the back feet are also nicely done with lots of delicate textures and details.

The tail is fat and curl upwards in a nice active way. The overall body proportions are pretty much what you would expect from a baby animal: big and often exaggerated.Despite being a juvenile, PNSO did not skimp on details, and they were successful in giving it details that are more rounded and appropriate for a young animal. 

The color, at first glance could look rather simple. Sure, the dominant color of green and light reddish/rust brown is what pops out the most, but look closer and you will find subtle yet rich layers of colors. Viewed head on, the color is light tan with some hints of pinkish tone. This is due to the pose, and what you see in this view is really the colors seen on the figures belly area. But as it travels up towards the back, one can see transitions of colors start to emerge with some light brown, yellow, and orange making appearance. The frill is colorful with a mix of orange, green, brown, yellow, cream, all layered to create a rich tapestry of colors.

Once you reach the back, you see a dark green patch dominate the back with various lighter shades of it on the fringes. This dark green is broken by patches of brown that in some areas on the back starts to form stripes. Mixed in with these are all the other colors and shades seen on the rest of the body. 

The result is really nice and very effective and appropriate for a young animal that needs to blend in with its surroundings especially if not guarded by an adult. I can image the baby hiding among foliage on the forest floor where its green colors match the plants around it conceal it from marauding predators.

In closing, I highly recommend this baby Sinoceratops figure to anyone wanting something cute yet natural-looking. PNSO have really done an amazing job in sculpting this little one. Despite being a young animal, it does not come short in the detail department, in fact in exceeds in capturing the essence of a young animal without being over the top.

Lastly, I can guarantee you that this little figure will capture your heart and make you smile, something we could all use a little especially in this troubled times. I hope that you enjoyed this review, thanks for reading.

Until the next time, please Saty safe and healthy! Cheers!