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My Impressions of Lowfool vs Lowfool – Inner Conflict

oday we’re going to be exploring the internal battle Fools Paradise ’s Lowfool character has with himself. Exemplified in this Alan Ng designed Lowfool vs Lowfool : Inner Conflict sculpture set (2016), this piece has the muscular character donning attire similar to a certain Man of Steel… But before we get to the new Super Lowfool interpretation, let’s examine the other pieces inside this massive box.

Directly mimicking the look of the classic Street Fighter 2 arcade machines, this Fools Fighter 2 piece displays a game currently underway. Both the current score of each player and their health levels are exactly identical, meaning these combatants are truly evenly matched. Which they should be, as they are indeed two representations of the same person.



Editions of Lowfool vs Lowfool [show]

Editions of Lowfool vs Lowfool [hide]

Detailing a battle between Lowfool as both Player 1 and Player 2, one attired in the likeness of Superman and the other Batman. Yes, it’s the introduction of Super Lowfool and the return of Bat Lowfool, who we’d seen in the I won’t be a hero, Tim set.Now this piece is cast in vinyl and does have some give to it. This is only worth noting as I fear, in the long run, these sticker decorations will lose their adhesion quicker than they would on a solid plastic form. In fact, if you look close, you can already see bubbles and strain lines on the stickers, which is unfortunate. But I don’t know a different way that Ng could’ve packed the same full color, detailed imagery on this form.In contrast, the block seat has the decoration painted on, which is much more durable. Announcing the Fools Fighter 2 title on the top as well as notation that it is from the Fools Paradise released Vinyl Collection, this piece does have one less obvious aspect. There are two Chinese characters on it, which translate to Life (生) and Death (死). Two simple words that reflect the attitude a lot of parents expressed in the early ‘90s when these games were coming out; that being, it’s only a game, not a matter of life and death.But, for Super Lowfool, maybe it is a matter of life and death. If he loses the game, does Bat Lowfool take control of Lowfool’s body? For those not familiar with Ng’s Lowfool character, he was originally introduced as part of the Handmade12 line, which included more realistic renditions of characters that would later be stylized under the Fools Paradise guise. Coming out in late 2011, Lowfool was a massive and muscular man, one that evolved the following year into Da Lowfool, an anthropomorphic tiger representation of the character.Lowfool returned in 2015 as part of the I won’t be a Hero, Tim set ( see review here ), donning a cape and cowl reminiscent of Batman. Named Bat Lowfool, that version had a very similar sitting stance to this Super Lowfool interpretation. And they are both immediately recognizable renditions of the superheroes created through the most minimal of associations.If you look closely, this figure lacks the iconic chest insignia of the Man of Steel. It’s the coloration and stylization that makes the connection. Even Super Lowfool’s eyes, a bright red, immediately make one think of Superman’s heat vision. Though, in this instance, it conveys more of an angry feel, especially in relation to the deep concentration denoted by the brow line. And, of course, Super Lowfool has the kiss curl of hair that everyone associates with Superman.Uncharacteristic of the superhero’s depiction, this piece does include a mustache adorning his lip. A similar aspect appeared on the Bat Lowfool piece from the I won’t be a Hero, Tim set, making the connection between them stronger. And, like with that Bat Lowfool, this is an immaculately composed piece with one slight imperfection: the underside of the cape has a ghastly seam, which thankfully can only be seen from underneath.Limited to 398 sets, these Super Lowfool pieces were all sold out during their initial pre-order period, but there is a matching Bat Lowfool version forthcoming. Displayed together they will complete the concept of an inner conflict, but each of these Lowfool vs Lowfool dioramas can certainly be shown individually.

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