Pirated anime figures are a problem for several reasons, one of which is that they prevent the official product from being supported.

Fortunately, these infamous figures can be easy to spot, with imperfections and minor idiosyncrasies acting as warning signs. By carefully observing these telltale issues, it can be easy to avoid purchasing counterfeit anime merchandise.

10. Authenticity Sticker

An easy way to tell if an anime figure or collectible is the real deal is to look for a seal of authenticity.

Different franchises and companies will implement them directly on the box to note that a product is a legitimate part of a particular series or property.

In most cases, these seals will be a sticker that may or may not incorporate a specific brand emblem/symbol.

Since many of them are stickers, however, it's easy for them to perhaps be removed by children in stores or possibly lost in transit.

These quite understandable circumstances are legitimate reasons why a seal of authenticity might be missing.

Likewise, manufacturers themselves can be very inconsistent with these stickers. Fortunately, there are several ways to tell if a product is fake.

9. Logos and brand names

A common mistake smugglers make is half-heartedly copying a product's official logo – even if it goes so far.

If the logo and text on the packaging do not resemble what is typically seen on physical shelves or online through official retailers, the figure is most likely a fake.

This extends to company logos, which serve as a sort of seal of authenticity. The most egregious examples are when the logos are completely unrelated to the franchise the toys are supposed to represent.

Sometimes things look almost exactly the same as the actual toy packaging, with the only difference being misspellings and typos.

These are obvious signs that it is a counterfeit product, and it is very likely that this packaging was not even produced in a country where the intended language of the text is spoken.

8. Pirate packaging may be distorted, unsightly, or inaccurate.

This is another situation where it helps to be familiar with the appearance of the official product and its packaging.

Bootleg anime figures often come in tacky, garish, or otherwise dull packaging. In the former case, the images may be superimposed and lack stills from the official anime.

Similarly, drab-looking pirate packaging will typically replace official brand signature designs, layouts, and backgrounds with simple white, black, or otherwise non-fancy background fills.

Some may have little design or text work, simply featuring a photo of the toy itself and text that is likely in Chinese or some other foreign language.

Another problem can be images of unrelated parts of a franchise, such as young Goku from the original Dragon Ball seen in figures for Dragon Ball Z.

7. plastic bubbles

The plastic bubbles containing the figures may seem inconsequential, but they are a much-overlooked sign when identifying a pirate.

Some bootlegs aren't made to match their plastic blisters, requiring excessive tape to hold them together. Excess tape can also be used to disguise a damaged blister.

The plastic in pirate bubble wrap is also very fragile and sometimes brittle. This can result in chipping (sometimes severely) or unnatural bending.

Either way, it looks very unprofessional for what was probably supposed to be a commodity for a large property, signaling that it's a scam.

6. Badly made faces and heads

The figures themselves sometimes make it quite clear that they're cheap imitations, with faces and eyes being dead giveaways. If the character's facial features appear poorly sculpted or painted, it's definitely not an official product.

The paint quality may even be runny or caked, which is another indicator of a poor job.

Anime characters are known for their hair, and this can be another way to spot a fake.

For example, a figure of Raditz with blonde Super Saiyan hair is an obvious fake, as the character never achieved that form in Dragon Ball Z.

Likewise, if the hair is painted in such a way that it looks like it is being painted over something else, the figure may very well be a bootleg from another mold that is being recycled.

5. Loose or tight joints

Since anime figures can be used to recreate iconic poses, attacks, or intense battles from the anime, it's important that they can be moved and configured.

This isn't always easy with pirate toys, however, which have either very tight or very loose joints. The former can reach a point where achieving even the most basic movement with the toy can nearly break it.

On the other hand, if a joint is too loose, the arms, legs, or other parts of the figure may not be able to stay in a certain position.

This can make them impossible to display without supports. It's also particularly problematic if there are special or integral features that require a certain balance.

4. Weapons and Accessories

Part of the fun of anime figures is using the unique weapons, tools, and similar accessories that come with them, as they are often items associated with the character.

With pirated figures, however, these accessories may be completely absent. This is bad enough, but it's even worse when the toys are packaged with weapons that don't even work.

These defective accessories may be missing key parts or features. Similarly, due to poor sculpting and bootleg quality, these guns often don't fit as well in the hand or on the pegs as the official version.

So, a naruto figure making an attack or wrapped with a Kunai may not even be able to hold the item or connect with the figure's base.

Weapons can also be flimsy or dull, feeling more like cheap pieces of plastic than anything else. The same goes for larger RPG accessories and collectibles made for human hands.

3. Size

A definite area of concern is the size of the figure, especially for anime fans with large collections.

A collector of Sailor Moon You'll want figures of all the Sailor Scouts, but that look on your shelf won't work if the toys are completely different sizes.

Bootleg manufacturers are known for making oversized versions of anime figures and passing them off as larger, more “chunky” collectibles.

Typically, online listings for these won't have them next to another figure. Once listed by the real deal, however, it's obvious that these toys are incompatible and based on entirely different molds, waves, and perhaps even toy lines.

Boxes and packaging should be referenced again to note what size they should appear to house the correct figure.

2. Color scheme

This goes back to the importance of the figure's paint job. Sometimes, anime pirate figures try to look special by featuring characters in completely different outfits and/or color schemes.

What sounds like a potential selling point is actually an unmistakable sign that the product in question is fake.

Anime figures are generally made to represent only official forms, costumes, and color schemes, with random repaints being more of a concept used in Western franchises.

So, if a Goku figure is seen wearing what appears to be street clothes or a camo gi instead of his iconic orange and blue gi, it's definitely a fake.

1. Price

Starting an anime figure collection is definitely fun, but it's also incredibly expensive, especially for rarer pieces from older anime franchises. Therefore, many fans may want to save a few bucks and find an online retailer with the best deal on a figure. As tempting as it may be, this is an easy way to end up ordering a bootleg.

If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. For example, the Nendoroid figure line features toys for several iconic heroes, including characters from Kimetsu no Yaiba.

These typically range from R$ 150 at the absolute cheapest to over R$ 300, depending on the character and rarity. Needless to say, any site selling them for around R$ 70 or less is definitely selling pirated items, and counterfeit products should definitely be avoided.