My favorite yoyo in my collection is my Sengoku Shinobi.

Now, I am not a competitive player, nor do I have competitive aspirations, but I've never found myself so desperately wanting more out of a single yoyo-- and it's not because this yoyo underperforms.

To be clear, I think at the price point, the Tengu is a great way to experience an M-shape yoyo. But as familiar as I am with the shape from countless hours with my Shinobi, I am left with only one lingering thought after playing with the Tengu:

I wish the Tengu was bi/tri-metal.

Now, to cut the Tengu some slack, it is a 6061 mono-metal and I did not expect it to be a powerful long-spinning competitive beast. That being said, the spin time leaves a bit to be desired and I can't help but think that the rough textured finish plays a part in that. It's a fun yoyo with a wide catch zone and can certainly stand up to any trick that is thrown its way. It plays very uniquely do to it's size and width and feels quite solid.

It's an absolutely gorgeous yoyo (though the finish feels quite bad if I am being honest) and I am particularly fascinated with the large width. My biggest gripe with the Shinobi was that the effective catch range was about the same size as an undersized 888. The Tengu DOES NOT have this same issue and has nearly the same effective catch range as my Atmos Ekta.

If you want to try an M-shape yoyo, the Tengu is the most cost effective way to do so and I encourage you to fall in love with the shape as I have with the Shinobi.

If Sengoku is reading this, I am willing to give you both of my kidneys for a bi/tri-metal with this same shape and width.

The Tengu is the latest Sengoku throw, and the first monometal M-shaped yo-yo they have released. It also features a ”hyper-matte” finish that they claim delivers a “one-of-a-kind tactile experience.”

Well, it’s certainly one-of-a kind.

I tried hard to like the Tengu. I did. I loved the shape, the wide catch zone, and the weight. Overall, it seems like a great yo-yo. The problem for me is the ”hyper-matte” finish. It feels like a chalkboard in my hand, and my string kept snagging on the finish, causing the yo-yo to respond in the middle of tricks.

Some people may dig the finish. Some people may have more skill and can keep the yo-yo from snagging on the string as much as I did. Unfortunately, it was a real issue for me to the point where I can’t even stand to play it at all.

While the Tengu may not be for me, it’s gotten me interested in Sengoku’s other M-shaped yo-yos, the Samurai and the Shinobi. They’re a bit pricier, but they don’t have the skin-crawling “hyper-matte” finish.