While I absolutely love just about everything the Japanese have made for
Star Wars over the last 30 years, I have to say that the Yoshitoku Company's Samurai Darth Vader scaled armor from last year just knocked my socks off. I loved the fact that it was handmade by artisans who work for a company that's 300 years old, and that this was the first licensed piece the company has ever done. When it's all set up it looks like a shrine -- and it is: a tribute to the Samurai of yore, to the great Ralph McQuarrie for coming up with the incredible design, to Yoshitoku for adapting it -- and to George Lucas for a creation that continues to excite and astound. --
Steve Sansweet
