:: Mizumi: Shubi

The Mizumi: Shubi is the smallest of the Mizumi water blaster line released by Stadlbauer Inc. in 2008. As noted on the overview website for the line, MIZUMI is Japanese for ‘body of water’ or ‘lake’. The Mizumi line is a Japanese Anime / Manga styled series of water blasters that are based on a Manga series: Manga Water World. Presently, we, at iSoaker.com, have not actually seen any copies of this purported Manga series, but the water blaster line is available for purchase in North America.

The Blaster ::

Nozzle ::

The Shubi features a small, yet effective single nozzle. Powered by its pressurized reservoir, the nozzle is capable of producing a decent, smooth, solid stream. Due to the general shape and balance of the Shubi, the stream's power feels somewhat lower than other water blasters of similar size, but this may also be due to its high degree of lamination. Output is respectable for a blaster this size.

Pump ::

Unlike most air-pressure-based pistol-sized blasters, the pump on the Shubi is located on its top. The pump, itself, feels quite sturdy, being semi-tracked. However, its top-mounted position makes pumping more difficult since one's pumping hand must then also be positioned upside-down to hold the pump grip. Pumping seems to require more force than other similarly-sized blasters, but this is likely also due in part to its positioning.

Trigger / Grip ::

The grip on the Shubi is smooth, but easy to hold securely thanks to the extended shape at the base of the grip. While the bottom protrusion does stabilize holding the blaster to some degree, it also means that space along the grip is limited, potentially causing problems for those with larger hands. The trigger, itself, pulls smoothly and feels quite durable. However, trigger response does seems to lag just a touch.

The Reservoir ::

The reservoir of the Shubi holds a good amount of water for a water blaster of its size. It likely gains the added volume since the Shubi is somewhat stocky in its build. The reservoir cap is mounted at the bottom and is externally tethered, requiring a more-than-usual number of turns to fasten it on. Interestingly, the intake tube from the reservoir to the nozzle can be seen right in the opening of the reservoir which makes sense since the cap region is also the lowest part of the reservoir when the blaster is held horizontally. Because of this, the Shubi is able to make use of the majority of its payload.

The Shield ::

The Shubi comes with a detachable shield. Unfortunately for left-handed users, the shield can only be mounted on the Shubi's right side. The shield, itself, snaps into place and can be removed when not desired; the clips that hold the shield in place is not particularly strong, thus the shield may also be knocked off if hit somewhat forcefully at certain angles. The area the shield covers is not significantly more than the blaster could block, itself, thus making its utility somewhat questionable. However, it does add to the aesthetics of this blaster, offering just that little bit of extra protection.

Overall ::

As a whole, the Mizumi Shubi is a sturdy, Manga-styled water blaster with respectable pressurized-reservoir performance. The side-mounted shield offers a little bit of added defensive protection, but its small size limits its usefulness. In the end, though, the Mizumi Shubi produced a good, solid stream for a blaster of its size, making for a good, albeit somewhat larger back-up blaster. Of course, as a pistol-class water blaster, one must remain weary of pretty much any larger air-pressure or elastic/CPS-based blaster.

Pros

Simple styling, clean lines, and good solid feel to the soaker. Shield offers some added protection

Cons

Top-mounted pump more awkward to use. Detachable shield mounts only on one side and may come off when not desired. With shield attached, blaster not as easy to carry as a back-up.

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