– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Hey there, and welcome back to the lookout !

this in-depth guide will serve as a reference

for both new and experienced collectors of the S.H. figuarts line

pertaining specifically to those of the Dragonball franchises

I've provided timestamps in the description so that you can jump to the most relevant section for your purchase

without having to fast forward or rewind to locate segments

we're going to be covering as many aspects as possible

such as in-person and online purchases

seller red flags and warnings

as well as buying sealed versus loose figures

I’ve also included a segment covering what to do if you find yourself as the victim of a bootleg scam

and in the description you'll find a link to a document with trusted stores that sell legitimate product

which I can personally vouch for

Without further ado let's begin with in-person purchases

when you come across a figure in person you want to make sure

to take that opportunity to get a closer look at the packaging

and the figure that's inside

oftentimes you'll be able to get a few key indicators of authenticity

from just a quick inspection

so let's cover the main points that I use most often

for the purposes of this video we'll be using a legitimate S.H. figurarts Goku Black

right here on the left

we'll be comparing him to a counterfeit, bootleg, or imitation whichever term you prefer

at first glance you'll notice that the bootleg box bears a striking resemblance to the original

right down to the logos for the Bandai collector's shop

Dragonball Super

as well as Tamashii nations

this is your first line of defense as

any product claiming to be a legitimate S.H. Figuarts

but lacking these logos, is a bootleg and a fake

this bootleg however, despite an admirable attempt at recreation

is missing some very important indicators of authenticity

right here you'll notice both a Funimation sticker as well as a Toei animation sticker

both of which are missing on the bootleg

these stickers serve as one of your best indicators that the figure is legitimate

the Toei sticker does have several official variants

so if you find yourself with a white slash gold Toei sticker

or if your sticker features red lettering as opposed to purple

don't count it out as a bootleg just yet

if you don't see a Toei animation sticker at all

that serves as a clear sign that what you're looking at is likely a bootleg figure

the funimation sticker is another great indicator of authenticity

though not all regions have it

in this case a funimation sticker helps identify authentic figures, however it is not something you should solely rely on

if you live in the United States or if you're purchasing from a US-based seller

you have the added benefit of being able to check for a bluefin distribution sticker

which only authentic figures will have

on the more recent releases those which have come out in the past two to three years

you'll find a holographic tamashii nation seal of quality approval

which Goku here will do us the favor of displaying

if you’ve checked for the Toei animation sticker, and your package features a bluefin or funimation sticker, or both

then you can likely rest easy knowing you've purchased something legitimate

however if you're still confused, say you do have a toei sticker

but it's a gold japan variant, or has different color lettering

there are other ways to help you authenticate your figure

make sure that the print quality on the box is of a high standard

taking a look at the bootleg right here, you'll notice that the colors seem muddied

and more importantly ,that the colors are faded

and the images are in a significantly lower quality

one of the best parts about the sh figuarts line is that their packaging features a display window

providing you with a chance to take a good look at the paintwork and sculpting of the figure

if we take a look at the official goku black

we're able to see the quality and paint application

and the detail on the faces and hair sculpt, you can see that right inside that packaging

comparing him to his bootleg counterpart however, you can immediately see the difference

with the face looking significantly worse, his accessories looking much cheaper

and plastic defects visible upon closer inspection

To wrap up the in person segment, let's talk about some seller red flags

or warnings and indicators that something is up

which you should watch out for

if a seller adamantly refuses to let you inspect the packaging in detail

or even give you a closer look, don't buy that product

if the seller seems in a rush to simply get the money and leave, don't give in to that pressure

always remember, you are buying the product

you can inspect as much as you'd like before the money leaves your hands

sealed product is your friend, as most times it has not been tampered with

but there is nothing wrong with buying used or displayed product

so long as you make sure to inspect the figure itself before purchasing

moving on to online purchases, you can usually rely on the same methods as in person to some degree

such as checking for stickers as well as getting an idea of the quality of a figure

a warning though : just because you see a figure on amazon or on walmart's website

does not by any means guarantee that a figure is legitimate

many sites including big brand retailers allow third-party sellers to sell their product through their website

and as such you are still at risk of receiving a bootleg figure

always make sure to read the description carefully, and take a good look at the photos provided

if you're not buying from a website with an authenticity guarantee

make sure that you're provided with pictures of the actual product

as opposed to simply the promotional shots

these photos are used by companies to show you the product you're buying

however some individual scammers will use the very same photos

in order to avoid showing you the bootleg they're attempting to sell you

a good rule of thumb is if the price seems far too good to be true

whether it be incredibly cheap or even at a seemingly unreasonable discount

then it most likely is

never be afraid to ask for more pictures and ask questions to the seller

if the seller truly wants to sell their product they'll be more than happy to answer those questions or send you those photos

the more verification you have that a figure is legitimate

the more likely it is that you'll receive a product you'll be happy with, and satisfied

occasionally you may come across a figure without its packaging

and it's being sold as a loose figure

now most of the time the seller has simply either damaged the packaging,or they've lost it

however this is a tactic that can be used by some scammers

selling you a loose figure so it's not to show you the box

which might not be a good recreation or might be obviously a fake

or missing some key indicators of authenticity

now i have the two goku blacks out here displayed

I have the official one on the left again and I have the bootleg one on the right

we're actually gonna take a quick look at their accessories

and you can see that the official goku black's ki-blade

it is done extremely well, you can see the shading, there's different shades of the coloration

meanwhile on the bootleg it is an oversaturated sort of magenta color

it's a very ugly piece

we're also going to look at the little kamehameha ball that he comes with

and you can definitely see that the vibrant purple on the official release

is much better than the sort of faded, looking almost foggy purple on the bootleg

let's take a look at the super saiyan rose hair sculpts

and we'll notice that the official one does have a matte finish to it

the faces are done very nicely

while the bootleg one is significantly more glossy

and the faces seem to have a lot of red paint work on there for some reason

now i'm going to bring the two figures closer to the camera

so we can look at their joints

oftentimes, bootleggers will not be able to recreate the fighting body

however this one's a bit of an exception because this is a bootleg that was clearly… put effort into

if we look at the arms you'll notice that there are visible joints on the bootleg

you can see that bright silver right there, and that doesn't look good at all

If i go ahead and show you from the top down

you'll notice his arms keep flopping back and forth

and that is because they are very loose figures

on an official figures you will have no problem ,you will have tight joints ,everything will work great

so if you are buying online

you can't test for loose joints but make sure that you do ask for pictures

you do ask for as much information as possible

now i'm going to go ahead and show you guys something really quick

you'll notice the paint applications right here under the hips you can see that it was done rushed

you can see that it's really cheap quality plastic

and if you look at the hair again

the official one does have a matte finish while

the bootleg does have another glossy finish

so when you're buying a loose figure it's very easy to tell if you're buying a real or a fake in-person

and online take good look at those accessories, those are usually your tell

now I want to cover what to do if you've been scammed

if you've unfortunately been the victim of a scam

if you've received a bootleg figure despite being guaranteed that it was authentic

there are ways that you can receive help

always make sure you take photos of the packaging

make sure you get photos that clearly show that this figure is not legitimate

and start typing up a little description of how you can tell for sure

then reach out to the customer service team of wherever you purchased your product

if you purchased it online, if it's amazon or walmart and you purchase through a third-party seller

reach out to amazon or walmart themselves and ask them 'hey I purchased this product and it was a fake"

and they'll help you they'll walk you through getting a refund

if you purchased a figure in person, you are facing a little bit more of a difficult dilemma

seeing as the person is likely long gone

now you can circumvent this by instead of paying in cash

you can do a paypal transaction

or you can say hey i'd like to buy this through some means with buyer protection

because you don't want to be in a situation where you pay

somebody 200 cash for say a goku black

and they disappear the next day and you find out the figure is a fake

always try to use some sort of goods and services something like that on paypal

which really helps you out because you'll be able to have buyer protection

I do emphasize that if you're buying a figure in person it is your best chance at verifying that is legitimate

so make sure you go through the list that i included in this video of making sure you look for those stickers

look at the paintwork, look at the box, and look at the sculpting of the figure inside

so remember if you've been scammed online

there are plenty of ways to get your money back, you want to make sure that you have evidence

take photos upon receiving it, reach out to the customer service team

you are not alone, many people have been scammed so don't be afraid to reach out for help

that's going to go ahead and conclude this video on real versus bootleg figures

I do appreciate you guys sticking around, if you guys have any further questions please feel free to leave a comment

and i'll respond to it as quick as I can

you can also reach out to me on my instagram, it is linked

and you can ask hey is this very legitimate or is this figure fake, and i'd be more than happy to look at any online listings

as well as anything you might just want to send a picture that's already in your collection

thank you again for stopping by The Lookout

and i will see you this Friday as we crack open Majin Vegeta

See ya

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
packaging /ˈpækɪdʒɪŋ/ B1	noun - the materials used to wrap or protect goods
figure /ˈfɪɡər/ A2	noun - a shape or form noun - a collectible toy
authentic /ɔːˈθɛntɪk/ B2	adjective - genuine; real
sticker /ˈstɪkər/ A2	noun - a small piece of paper with adhesive on one side
quality /ˈkwɑːləti/ B1	noun - the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind
inspection /ɪnˈspɛkʃən/ B2	noun - a careful examination
counterfeit /ˈkaʊntərfiːt/ C1	adjective - made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or defraud
sculpting /ˈskʌlptɪŋ/ B2	noun - the art of creating three-dimensional forms
defect /ˈdiːfɛkt/ B1	noun - a fault or imperfection
verify /ˈvɛrɪfaɪ/ B2	verb - to make sure or demonstrate that something is true, accurate, or justified
accessories /ækˈsɛsəriz/ B1	noun - items that can be added to something else to make it more useful or attractive
loose /luːs/ A2	adjective - not firmly or tightly fixed in place
joints /dʒɔɪnts/ B1	noun - a point where two things are joined
application /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃən/ B2	noun - the action or process of putting something into effect
matte /mæt/ B2	adjective - not shiny
glossy /ˈɡlɒsi/ B2	adjective - shiny

Key Grammar Structures

• this in-depth guide will serve as a reference for both new and experienced collectors of the S.H. figuarts line

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement

  ➔ The verb 'will serve' agrees with the singular subject 'guide'.

• I've provided timestamps in the description so that you can jump to the most relevant section for your purchase

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction

  ➔ The subordinating conjunction 'so that' introduces a purpose clause.

• we're going to be covering as many aspects as possible, such as in-person and online purchases

  ➔ Comma Usage

  ➔ The comma after 'possible' separates the main clause from the non-essential information that follows.

• if you find yourself as the victim of a bootleg scam, and in the description you'll find a link to a document with trusted stores

  ➔ Conditional Sentence

  ➔ The sentence 'if you find yourself... scam' is a conditional sentence expressing a hypothetical situation.

• Without further ado let's begin with in-person purchases

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ 'Without further ado' is an idiomatic expression meaning to start something immediately without delay.

• this bootleg however, despite an admirable attempt at recreation, is missing some very important indicators of authenticity

  ➔ Concessive Clause

  ➔ The clause 'despite an admirable attempt...' is a concessive clause that contrasts with the main idea.

• if you're still confused, say you do have a toei sticker but it's a gold japan variant, or has different color lettering

  ➔ Direct Speech

  ➔ 'say you do have a toei sticker' is an example of direct speech used to illustrate a point.

• always remember, you are buying the product, you can inspect as much as you'd like before the money leaves your hands

  ➔ Parallel Structure

  ➔ The sentences 'you are buying the product' and 'you can inspect...' are parallel in structure, emphasizing related ideas.

• if the seller truly wants to sell their product they'll be more than happy to answer those questions or send you those photos

  ➔ Future Construction with 'will'

  ➔ 'they'll be more than happy' uses 'will' to indicate a future action based on a present condition.