>>11398692On the Japanese side we have a very nice assortment, notably a flamethrower trooper that is a first for plastic Japanese forces that I've ever seen. The mortar guy is reminiscent of the one in the Taliban army of other sets but I couldn't say if one inspired the other or if it's mere coincidence. Rising Sun banners are always on prominent display in Pacific War movies and shows so I always appreciate when plastic armies include one, easily making that guy my favourite of the lot.
Unfortunately for those who demand historical accuracy in their men, a trio of the poses come to us from a war still to be fought (relative to the rest anyway). The machinegunner and prone rifleman are close copies of poses from the famous Timmee Vietnam War set, though some effort was made to make the soldiers themselves more WW2 Japanese. It is in the weapons where we readily identify their future origins, particularly the still-recognizable M16 of the prone guy. In fairness to the machinegunner, the prototype Stoner 63 of his Vietnam War source pose could be mistaken for a Type 96 by laymen. Less easily explainable is the other M16-equipped infantryman just in front of the officer figure, though his origins do not link back to Timmee.
