hobbymonogatari
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Nadeko Sengoku

Series: Bakemonogatari
Company: Good Smile Company
Sculptor: Tokunaga Hironori
Scale: 1/8
Release: Jan 2011
Price: 116 USD // 9,800 Yen
Source: Link
More Pics: Link

The Short:
Cute girl in pink from a show I still haven’t seen is cute but is also costly.  Tokunaga Hironori has certainly grown as a sculptor.

The Long:
Despite not knowing who this character is – as evident by the fact that I completely ignored her from my Wonfes 2010 Summer post – I’m really digging what I see.  She’s cute and expressive which are both wonderfully accented by great detailing.  I really don’t know what’s going on with her outfit but like Hitagi I assume it’s a scene literally taken from the show.  Regardless though the combination of coat, blouse, and swimsuit is just quirky enough to be engaging.  It even looks like from the pictures that we get two faces/heads for Nadeko.  I could be wrong but I see a different expression when her hat came off.

Good Smile Co. went the extra miles with Nadeko in two big ways: first, of course, is the scenic base that’s included with the figure and second, more obviously, how you can display Nadeko in different ways.  Personally I would’ve preferred for GSC to forgo the two stances and just give us the one where she looks like she’s standing in the water, hopefully being able to shave a few bucks off her price tag in the process.  To me it’s just the better of the two poses and it works the best with the scene the base constructs.  Then again I also really like diversity in my collection and since I also don’t really have a connection to Nadeko I don’t mind the feeling of getting “half a figure” in the least.

I love her base but recent history has shown that GSC has absolutely no inhibitions about changing (ie. reducing) that aspect to their figures with no notice and, seemingly, no care.  All I’m saying is don’t be shocked if Nadeko’s bases doesn’t come out as advertised.

Rico’s Verdict:
Pending final decision.  Need to check the budget first.

Kyou Fujibayashi – Gym Uniform Ver.

Series: Clannad
Company: Kotobukiya
Sculptor: Fio
Scale: 1/6
Release: Dec 2010
Price: 105 USD // 8,800 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
Kotobukiya is taking us back to to 2007 by announcing their 1/6th scale gym uniform Kyou Fujibayashi.  The figure is fine and all but it’s just a shame to see such a good scene continually milked.  There was more to Kyou, you know.

The Long:
Aside from the fact that this is a Kotobukiya sculpt and that as such I find the final coloring to be highlight suspect there is something else about this Kyou that bugs me: her scale.  She just doesn’t seem like she has the necessary detail that something this large really needs.  Sure her pose and face are cute and carry a huge impact but her clothes seem no more detailed than your typical 1/10th scale Wave sculpt.  The best detailing (and coloring for that matter) on the sculpt are her bloomers.

Beyond her scale and my suspicion this sculpt will come out with a green tint I like this figure just fine.  As I said I think she has a cute face (the blush is a real nice touch) and her pose when combined with the vaulting box is somewhat unique.  Kyou isn’t a particularly stand-out figure (even among the rather depressing line up of Clannad figures out there) but she isn’t particularly bad either.  The only thing is that she’s about 10 bucks less than Nadeko but she should really be about 50 bucks less.

Rico’s Verdict:
Pass.  Nice, but pass.

Mio Akiyama – School Festival Ver.

Series: K-On!
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Nakayaman
Scale: 1/7
Release: Jan 2011
Price: 93 USD // 7,700 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
My seemingly endless wait for this sculpt is over.  Max Factory has finally put this sculpt up for order and she’ll be out in January of next year.  It’ll be a happy new year indeed.

The Long:
Actually it hasn’t been that long.  We’ve known about Mio since February of this year so it really only been like six months (conversely it’s been over a year plus some and we still haven’t seen any movement on GSC Kyrie – now there’s a long wait).  Still to me it felt like a long time because every since I set eyes on her I knew she was a nice figure.  In fact I couldn’t even cover any Mio figure out there without also comparing it to this Nakayaman/Max Factory sculpt.  As a reviewer it’s a little dangerous to set up a figure you don’t own and haven’t seen in detail as the measure for all similar figures but in Mio’s case here I simply couldn’t help myself: I’m just in love with this sculpt.

Her detailing, her coloring, her pose, her outfit, and they way all of those play off one another are all fantastic, in my opinion.  I love the way she holds herself because it’s both illustrative of what she does (play the bass) and of her shy personality and the two mix in a really endearing way.  This is where I think they strengths of Max Factory as a company come out in a big way: they are the ones always pushing personality into their sculpts.  As technically awesome and creative as  companies like Alter and GSC are, in my opinion, they don’t hit this quality near enough.  Sometimes it’s just easier to see in pictures so compare Max Factory Haruhi to Alter Haruhi, or Max Factory Tsuruya-san to Alter Tsuruya-san (wow, those are some old reviews).  I’m not trying to pick on Alter because I love them to death but there I feel there is a spark that they sometimes miss but Max Factory usually hits.  So bottom line: I like Max Factory Festival Mio more than I like Alter Festival Mio.

Of course there is also all the detailing of the figure that I can get into as well, but I need to save something to talk about when I review her.  The one thing I will mention that I found impressive was that Nakayaman/Max Factory managed to make black not such an overwhelming color and actually broke it up with some deep red shading.  It’s a trick that KyoAni could learn from.

Now as long as Max Factory doesn’t fail us on the shimapan then I’ll be happy.

Rico’s Verdict:
Oh so bought.

Rico’s Quick-liners

WAVE Asuka Langley Shikinami
I kind of have given up on Wave’s 1/10th scale figures since collecting a few of them.  They are nice and don’t cost much but they also usually don’t really add anything to my collection.  That said I do like this Asuka (for some reason I’m particularly drawn to her jeans) and now that I’ve finally seen 2.0 I totally get the scene where the figure comes from, lol.

KyotoAnimation Yui Hirasawa
Yui is kyoAni’s best figure from their K-On! line by far.  Visually she just balances better and they got creative about that by having Yui play with her outfit a little.  Yui is still plagued by flat coloring like the rest but she’s the most creative.  Yuki is still the best though.

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Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Summer
2. This week ended better than it started
3. Swimsuits, and plugsuits, and skirts! Oh, moe!

hobby 02~

Max Factory VN02 Miku Hatsune: Background

Mac Factory’s VN02 Miku Hatsune was released in June of this year retailed for ¥12800 (151 USD).  Sculpted by Shining Wizard @ Sawachika Miku is featured in an alternate design based in part on this image by Nagimiso which was featured in the Project Diva PSP game.  Apparently Nagimiso had a hand in the figure as well.

The one thing I’ve always wondered about is why the coloring changed so much between that piece and the figure.  But looking at some of Nagimiso’s own posts it seems to have been a change he made, or at least something he’s embraced.  Oh, and Nagimiso was also behind the design for Rin Kagamine.
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Main

No discussion of VN02 Miku can begin without talking about her design.  Her mecha derived inspiration and the alternate coloring scheme have been points of contention between fans.  Some, like me, simply love the new look and eat it up all while celebrating the diversity she brought to the franchise.  Others take one look at her and ask, “How is this supposed to be Miku again?” and feel like she’s lost some, if not all, of the elements they associate with Miku Hatsune.

To those who feel the latter I would argue that the Vocaloid franchise and Miku Hatsune have grown beyond their humble origins and if not for creative offshoots like VN02, The World is Mine, and certainly Black Rock Shooter the franchise would be dying out right now.  I mean why after 15 years are people still buying Evangelion figures?  It’s not just because of the popularity of the series (though that is part of it) but because sculptors have found ways to be creative beyond the origins of the show.  Contrast this with how the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, something which could’ve accomplished a similar feat, seems to have lost all it’s steam.  Bottom line: even if you don’t like VN02 Miku she’s good for the Vocaloid franchise on a whole.

The shear awesomeness of her design aside I feel like the production values on VN02 Miku are stellar as well.  Her pose is wonderful.  It’s simple yet it balances out with the preponderance of rich mecha-like detailing that adorns Miku.  At the same though her pose is dynamic and the way she throws herself forward and the way her pylons/wings and hair flow off that movement is wonderful.  She has a thick pin which attaches her right foot to the base and the armor on her left knee sits nicely in the flame (something which I didn’t realize happened until I put her together) so I’m not worried about her leaning forward.  I have read some people are having problems with her leaning sideways though.

I’m simply in love with VN02 Miku’s entire coloring scheme.  The combination of vibrant bright green, shinny black, and matte white is something that I can’t get enough of.  When you get an artist involved in a project like this you can really notice the difference: the use of that bright green as an accent and where it happens is perfect.  Miku has slightly pale skin tones but it’s not like they’re lacking in color at all.  Miku’s hair…I could almost write an entire review on Miku’s hair alone quite honestly: flow, color, and detail are all fantastic.  But to to give you the cliff notes the thing that I really love about her hair is the translucency, specifically the way it gradients.  It starts a really solid green near her hair and becomes more and more translucent as it travels to the tips of her hair.  To top it all off there are these little “pockets” where it’s translucent and not and it adds an incredible depth to her hair.  All in all the coloring is wonderful.  A little metallic sheen on the white parts of Miku would’ve been nice I think but then again that might’ve made the entire thing too busy.

As wonderful as the coloring is on Miku it’s the detailing which takes it to a whole other level.  Making a figure that’s mech inspired like this is a bold move.  It’s also usually difficult to pull off because, quite frankly, PVC figures aren’t usually known for their intricate detailing the same way which gunpla are.  Shining Wizard @ Sawachika pulls through in spades though.  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves but there are two things I want to highlight.  First is her pylons: I just like the mech like way they make wings.  It’s very Gundamy.  Second is the musical elements: Shining Wizard @ Sawachika/Nagimiso did a really fantastic hybrid-mech design by incorporating speakers, headphones, and other stage-like musical elements into the design which just gives VN02 Miku a very unique look.  So on the same figure you get both traditional and unique elements.  It’s so well done it’s really in a class of it’s own.

Then there is her face.  At first glance her face may seem a little plain by comparison to the rest of the sculpt in that Miku has no expression.  However I think her face is still quite nice.  It’s sharp and focused but what really makes her face for me is her eyes.  They’re very powerful and forward looking and I think that’s a great compliment to her entire pose.

All unparalleled awesomeness aside there is something about VN02 Miku that I don’t like.  That “flaw” isn’t in the design but in her execution.  Miku’s pylons and wings are exactly parallel to the ground, desk, or wherever you choose to display her.  However the official images and even the box she came in showed Miku with those wings titled downward at about a 15 degree angle following the flow of her body.  The difference between the two is no more than 10 degrees so it might not even be worth complaining about but I liked the as advertised better than the as produced in this regard.  I’m not sure how much variation exists between all the VN02s out there but I’ve talked to some friends who bought her and they noticed the same thing.  In fact they first clued me in to it.
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Final Thoughts

So what’s my favorite part about VN02 Miku?  Is it her pose, her coloring, or her detailing?  Well all the above are true but those are all things I expected to like.  There was one element to Miku that totally shocked me; something that I was not expecting at all but I ended up loving it nonetheless.  Those would be her panties.  They are this really fantastic dark translucent green which allow you to get the slightest of hints of what’s underneath.  It is hard to see it through the photos (the best picture of that I could get was this) but believe me when I say the effect is fantastic.

PS.  I’m all moved in and school starts in a week.  I should be back to my regular update schedule starting now.

out for now,
Rico-sama

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Miku’s Full Gallery

Related posts:

1. Good Smile Company 1/8 Miku Hatsune PVC: Vocaloid (Redux)
2. Good Smile Company 1/8 Miku Hatsune PVC: Vocaloid
3. Model Majick: Hatsune Miku WIP/ Completed and Eye Tutorial

The good news is that this weekend wasn’t completely lost as I was able to hammer out no less than six photo shoots. The significance of that? With those six shoots I completed the last of the figure shoots I needed to be able to continue doing reviews during my first semester. Since I’m not taking my collection with me I needed to build up a reserve and that’s all done now. So for better or worse I’ll still be around and sharing my nonsensical ramblings and figure reviews with you even while I’m at school. Just give me the next two weeks so I can get situated to the new environment.

stay tuned,
Rico-sama

Related posts:

1. No review today – Redux
2. New to Polyvinylcrush.com

hobbynoid interface
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Yuki Nagato

Series: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Company: Kyoto Animation
Sculptor: Takaku & Takeshi
Scale: 1/8
Release: Feb 2011
Price: 94 USD // 8,000 Yen
Notes: KyoAni shop exclusive
Source: Link

The Short:
Kyoto Animation finally realize they can dip into a second cash cow with the Haruhi franchise instead of always milking K-On!.  The end result being one of the best figure offerings KyoAni has brought to market.

The Long:
Out of the four figures that KyoAni currently has their name behind (the first three being Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi respectively) Yuki, in my opinion, is the hands down best of the bunch.  She has the best pose, the best coloring and shading, the best detailing, the best face, and, perhaps most importantly, the best all around composition.  My biggest complaints about KyoAni’s K-On! girls is that they picked designs for them that worked well in the anime but don’t transition well into figures (I mean come on, an all black outfit for Ritsu?  Seriously?).  With Yuki I feel they made a far better choice and actually gave us something rather dynamic at the same time.

But the uncertainty I had with the K-On! girls still remains with Yuki and that lay squarely with KyoAni being new to the figure scene.  I mean they do great anime (provided they aren’t trolling their fans) but figures?  I’m not sure.  They might be great but even in these shots I get the sense that the overall finishing isn’t too strong.

Then there is her face.  I said it’s the best of the four and I believe that but, honestly, I’m not digging the design.  It’s got too much of that K-ONification that happened to S2 of The Melancholy and not enough of the true S1 design that I came to know and love.

Rico’s Verdict:
Pass.  Don’t feel like jumping through the proxy hoops for her.

Rico’s Quick-liners

What were some of the others that I didn’t want to get in depth with but still had thoughts about?  Look no further than below.

Ex_resinya! Nanoha Takamachi
For some reason I liked the Ex_resinya/Cospa Fate a lot better than I do their Nanoha.  This despite the fact the Nanoha looks a lot more fun.

Chara-ani Kotonoha Katsura
Two versions of this figure but I like the one with the less constipated face.  They are nice but for now I’ll stick with Kotobukiya’s offering.

Griffon Enterprises Tsukasa Bullet Kolnova Claris
I just love this super stylish, hyper-sexualized design.  Reminds me of the gritty and fun science fiction of decades past.  Not getting it though as I don’t trust Griffon.

Related posts:

1. More realities being alter[ed]
2. The Disappearance of Rico’s Money
3. Parallel Strike || Combat Witches

The hobby of memories

Alter Harumi Kouno: Background

Alter’s 1/8th scale Harumi was released in April of 2010 and retailed for ¥6800 (80 USD).  The figure is sculpted by Mumei and features Harumi in her school uniform.  Mumei doesn’t appear to have many sculpts to his name so I assume Mumei is relatively new to the scene.

To Heart 2 Another Days was a sequel to game maker Leaf’s To Heart 2; with To Heart 2 itself a sequel to To Heart.  The To Heart 2 Another Days saw two OVA adaptations in To Heart 2 ad and To Heart 2 asplus, neither of which I’ve seen.  I gather though that To Heart 2 Another Days featured stories about side characters from To Heart 2 (ala Clannad After Story) and that Harumi was one of those side characters.
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Another Day

The To Heart franchise enjoys popularity in Japan that boggles the imagination.  In terms of scaled PVC figures alone the To Heart franchise actually surpasses the Ikki Tousen franchise and comes awfully close dethroning even Evangelion.  Now Evangelion (which really should exist in it’s own category) leaves both in the dust when you start to factor in total merchandise (like models, GKs, action figures, etc) but for a simple romantic visual novel dethrone a juggernaut featuring buxom beauties battling with blades really says something to me.

Personally I own a grand total of three To Heart figures.  In all honesty the franchise just isn’t that appealing to me.  I haven’t seen any of the anime or played any of the games, so I don’t really know the characters and I don’t particularly find the character designs to be all that engaging.  Still, a good figure is a good figure, so from time to time I’ll grab one that strikes my fancy, just as Harumi here did.

All in all I really like Harumi but in several areas she feels unfinished.  While I love her pose, for example, it seems to not have the proper level of energy the figure really needed.  Her skirt and shirt bustle with the exciting pose she strikes and it comes close to achieving a really dynamic moment but, mostly because of the disconnect between her face and pose, she comes up short.  There is also this really weird illusion where it looks like her torso/hips are twisting a different direction than her head; like her bangs should be pointing the other way, shouldn’t they?

I think the coloring in Harumi is pretty phenomenal (pink hair FTW!).  She has warm, solid colors and nice shading throughout.  While with an Alter sculpt that’s usually to be expected they’ve occasionally had minor issues in the past.  One thing that I don’t like – and I don’t know whether to blame this on Mumei/Alter for the execution or on Leaf for the design – is how little contrast there is in the sculpt.  Everything is reds and pinks and beige; colors which all are very similar.  It actually makes some of the detailing harder to see.

Makes some of the detailing harder to see, not all.  I think detailing is really where this sculpt shines.  There is tones there: the laces in her shoes, the strands in her hair and the tie to her panties but it’s Harumi’s clothing that really shines.  Her shirt and skirt are full of detailing that I love to see; the kind that hints at materiality.  The way they flow, become taught, fold, and billow at various moments in the sculpt is really great and the play of all those factors reveal the curves of Harumi’s body in a way that a normal school outfit wouldn’t.  I also love that exposed midriff.  :3

I know I’ve gone on the record as saying that I normally don’t care much for shimapan (with notable exceptions being Miku Hastune and Mio Akiyama) but I think they were a fitting element for Harumi as well.  I’m not sure if they were part of her character design originally or not but I think they work well with the rest of the figure.
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Final Thoughts

I mentioned early in the review that Mumei might be new to the sculptor scene as he only has a handful of figures under his belt and, to boot, they are all recent.  I mentioned this because I feel that Harumi is a little rough around the edges, particularly with the pose.  She just feels a little unpolished when compared to the work of more veteran sculptors.  Like I detailed above Harumi gets all the big moves right but when it came to the finer, more subtle details she kind of fell flat.

Now I can’t say that this has been characteristic of all Mumei’s work because he is the same made genius behind Yuki and Mugi but with Harumi at least it feels like he didn’t have the inspiration to give us a really finished sculpt.

out for now,
Rico-sama

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Harumi’s Full Gallery

Related posts:

1. Kotobukiya 1/8 Lucy Maria Misora PVC: To Heart 2
2. I saw her face and my heart went boom
3. Otoboku PVC: Alter Takako Itsukushima

Hobby - Tony Ver.
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Ruiko Saten

Series: A Certain Scientific Railgun
Company: Alter
Sculptor: Mumei
Scale: 1/8
Release: Dec 2010
Price: 83 USD // 7,140 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
Alter made an interesting choice for their first A Certain Scientific Railgun by going with one of the second tier characters instead of Mikoto.  Either way though she Ruiko turned out well.

The Long:
Like I said I think it’s interesting to start with Ruiko instead of either Mikoto or Kuroko.  I agree with Aka’s musings that they might be trying to get ahead of others and release the mains later.  At the very least it looks like they may have plans for a Kazari.  Regardless though I think Ruiko turned out amazingly.  Mumei managed to breath a little inspiration into an otherwise standard design by having her strike a dynamic, if not believable, pose.  I love the play between the way her skirt flows overall and the straight and regular folds the exist in the skirt naturally.  Then there is her face.  I know some of you won’t agree with me on it but I’m just in love with it.  Oh, and I also love the exposed midriff.  :3

Despite my initial excitement from Wonfes though I’m not sure if I’ll get Ruiko.  She is well done and I have no doubt that Alter will make this yet another wonderful release but at the same time though I find myself hesitating because I don’t know a lot about the character.  I’ve always said that not knowing a character shouldn’t matter – that a quality figure is a quality figure regardless – but for me Ruiko sits on the threshold of “great” and “just ok” and knowing the character could have swung me over in this case.

Rico’s Verdict:
Pending.  I guess it really depends on my mood when she does go up.

Asuka Langley Shikinami

Series: Rebuild of Evangelion
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Asai (APSY) Masaki
Scale: Non
Release: Dec 2010
Price: 37 USD // 3,200 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
Even knowing about this Asuka figma for a while and even knowing how big a Evangelion fan I am I was still shocked at how badly I wanted this test plug suit version of her.  Test plug suits FTMFW!

The Long:
At this last Otakon balalaika_ism and I decided to go to the Gainax fan panel called Gainax: Bouncing Through the Years.  Apparently it was based on this video (possible spoilers).  A very misleading title for a panel.  Anyway the reason I bring that up is because the panelist said something that really intrigued me.  The panelist said you could track the spike and popularity of anime figures to Evangelion.  I forget the numbers the panelist used but basically Eva made the number of figures produced increased tenfold the year after it premiered.  The panelist, of course, attributed it to Rei but when I see an Asuka like this I have to think she made an impact as well.  Seems like a suspect claim but in my mind but it would explain some of the longevity Eva has enjoyed in the figure market since.

So thanks, Gainax!  I guess I owe my massive collection all to you.

Oh, and the reason I was shocked at how badly I wanted Asuka?  I think it had a little something to do with this image here.

Rico’s Verdict:
Rico get!

Nendoroid Hinagiku Katsura

Series: Hayate the Combat Butler
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Ageta Yukiwo
Scale: Non
Release: Nov 2010
Price: 44 USD // 3,800 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
Max Factory is set to release this amazingly cute Hinagiku nendoroid late this year.  I like her and all but there is a part of me that wishes they had released a full scale figure instead.

The Long:
Sometimes a single image is all it takes.  I love Hayate the Combat Butler but I rarely talk about PVCs from this series because, frankly, the majority of them have been forgettable.  Not this Hinagiku here and it’s all because of this one image.  The face she makes is wonderful.  But I think I have to pass on Hinagiku anyway.  I love her but I just don’t think I should buy her.  Soon to be a graduate school student and all.  Plus there are others I want more.

Rico’s Verdict:
I’ll probably regret this, but I’m passing.  For now.

Ritsu Tainaka

Series: K-On!
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Nakayaman
Scale: 1/7
Release: Dec 2010
Price: 79 USD // 6,800 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
Max Factory’s line of K-On! figures gets off to an interesting start with Ristu.  Due out in December of this year Ritsu is feature in…I’m not sure what she’s featured in.  Is that her gym outfit top?

The Long:
So my embarrassing revelation that I don’t know what she’s wearing aside (from which you can probably gather that I still haven’t seen K-On!) but I hope you believe me when I say I love this figure.  Yeah, sure I’m a huge Max Factory fanboi but Ristu strikes me as unique and on multiple levels.  First is her face as it’s an expression of “surprise” with a little “disbelief” mixed in.  It’s quite unusual and I’ve never seen something quite so similar in all my collecting.  That face is in turn accentuated by a great pose which somehow manages to capture a candid moment without the ecchi context sometimes associated with it.  Finally, even though I can’t quite nail what her outfit is supposed to be, it strikes me as something decidedly more casual and I’m all for casual.

I also like Ritsu because of what she represents in Max Factory’s K-On! line.  Rather than go Alter’s route and try to link “girl” with “instrument” I feel like instead they opted to try and capture moments that were more signature, more “in character” with each of the girls.  As a collector I wholeheartedly endorse this line of thinking.

Big words for someone who hasn’t seen the show I know but, at the same time, K-On! isn’t exactly popular for it’s deep, real, and/or engaging characters: it’s popular because those characters are moe.  Because of that I think I have the personalities of all the girls down, just from the screen caps and art I’ve seen.

Rico’s Verdict:
I shouldn’t but I’m weak.  Rico get!

Yuki Nagato – Disappearance Ver.

Series: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Company: Good Smile Company
Sculptor: Ageta Yukiwo
Scale: Non
Release: Nov 2010
Price: 41 USD // 3,500 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
GSC will be releasing this amazingly cute Yuki Nendoroid from The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya in the fall of this year.  Unlike Hinagiku above I feel like nendoroid was the perfect route to go for Yuki.

The Long:
A part of me wishes that I didn’t look at this figure because now I feel somewhat spoiled.  Granted this first image is nothing we didn’t see from the official teaser images for the movie and, at the same time, I can get a little sensitive as to what I consider a spoiler (Yuki wears a scarf and trenchcoat!?! OMG! Spoiler!!11oneone) but when a character that showed exactly zero external emotions throughout two seasons of the anime suddenly shows even the most basic of emotions I can’t help but feel a little spoiled.  I don’t know the context, however, so maybe this is like knowing a plot point and not a major story twist.

Regardless of all that Yuki is damn cute.  Damn, DAMN cute.  At the end of the day that’s enough for me.

Bandai can’t get their release for the movie out soon enough.

Rico’s Verdict:
Rico get!

Miku Hatsune – Tony Ver.

Franchise: Vocaloid 2
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Chieri
Scale: 1/7
Release: Jan 2011
Price: 102 USD // 8,800 Yen
Source: Link

The Short:
What happens when you take one of the best anime artists in the world with one of the best PVC figure sculptors in the world and one of the best PVC figure makers in the world and one of the most popular internet idols?

The Long:
Ah, the Taka Tony version of Miku Hastune: the figure I knew I wanted before I knew it existed.  I had Tony’s Miku as a wallpaper for the longest time and thought it would make a nice figure but because most of Tony’s recent works had been taken up by Native (a company known for it’s more ero figures) I honestly didn’t expect it to happen.  Seeing her at this Miku at the most recent Wonder Festival was therefore a real treat.

I love just about everything with this figure: shape, pose, color, detailing, sheen, face, energy and design.  Miku’s expression is great.  A little on the standard side, sure, but for me it’s also signature of her personality.  Her pose just demands attention and gives off a fantastic energy.  Detailing in Miku’s outfit is great too and looks to be even better than Max Factory’s last attempt.  I particularly like the sheen in her outfit.  I know that’s a weird thing to mention but if these pictures aren’t just shopped well then it can and will catch the color of her hair, which is a nice touch.  Oh, I also love the semi-translucent coloring to her hair.

The things I don’t like?  There are only two: 1) that stupid little plastic peg and 2) no shimapan.

I had wanted an Tony version Asuka, but this will do (for now).

Rico’s Verdict:
Rico get!

Rico’s Quick-liners

Still more figures to talk about, albeit briefly.

Alter Yuri Lowell
I like the coloring, design, and the pose but I don’t like the fact that he is a he.

Alter Hideyoshi Kinoshita
I like the coloring, design, and the pose and this time I love the fact that he is a he.  I just don’t think I’ll be able to afford him with everything else I have coming in around the same time.

figma Mikuru Asahina – Adult Ver.
I love the concept and the fact that she comes with props for the original Mikuru but unlike other figmas I feel there is no real difference between the figma and the full scale figure made by the same company.

Kotobukiya Kanata Sorami
I got turned on to this one from Aka’s Wonfes coverage and, I have to say, Kanata’s a lot better than I originally gave her credit for.  She is incredibly cute but I just don’t think I want another Kotobukiya figure in my collection for a while.

Related posts:

1. Rico’s Best of 2009
2. Swimsuits, and plugsuits, and skirts! Oh, moe!
3. The Doubt of Rico-sama

I love anime!~
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The Haul

So here’s the full list of everything I snagged:

• Tony’s Artworks for Shining World
• KOTOKO Anime’s Compilation Best
• K-On!: OP Single – GO! GO! MANIAC!
• K-On!: ED Single – Listen!!
• Angel Beats OP/ED Signle – My Soul, Your Beats!
• Girls Dead Monster (Angel Beats) Single – Crow Song
• Girls Dead Monster (Angel Beats) Album – Keep the Beats!
• Exit Tunes feat. Miku Hatsune – Vocalostar
• Exit Tunes feat. Miku Hatsune – Vocarhythm
• Gundam Unicorn Blu-ray

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Not quite as much as I snagged last year but a nice haul nonetheless.  I’m particularly excited about the Angel Beats/Girl Demo CDs I bought; especially since the Keep the Beats album has Yui’s version of the opening (which I always liked better than the real singer).  I had wanted to grab some artwork this go around too but, honestly, nothing really jumped out at me from Artist Alley.

I didn’t get there until Friday afternoon so I missed the Funimation panel (something I’m really kicking myself over missing).  I heard that they licensed something big.  I don’t know all the details but whatever they got apparently involves giants robots and a “2.0″.

For me the highlight of the convention was getting to watch Gundam Unicorn on the big HD screen.  I don’t know if it was the US premiere or not but watching it made me feel like a kid again, and I haven’t even seen the original Gundam.  We watched it dub and it was actually a very well polished script with fluid dialogue.  Now that I’m buying it I don’t think I’ll ever watch the dub again but it’s nice to know this is a quality release all around.  I also really support what Bandai is trying to do with this simultaneous release in the US/Japan with the caveat that it making it an HD only release doesn’t make much sense to me.

out for now
Rico-sama

Related posts:

1. Rico’s Otakon 2009 Haul
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Summer
3. Absolutely no regrets about this haul

Wonderful Hobby Life for You
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Saber Alter

Company: Good Smile Company
Series: Fate/stay night

With all the money GSC seems to be sinking into the Fate/stay night franchise this last year I guess it’s no surprise that they are going to make a Saber Alter as well.  I’ve personally never been much of a fan of the full armor design but I have to say that in this case I’m really liking what I see here.  I’m still not totally convinced about the color scheme but I really like the pose a lot.  Totally different than how original Saber strikes down from above this Saber cuts down low from below.  The constrast of which really hints at the difference between the two personalities nicely.  I also like the base but if it’s not done right it could become cartoonish really quickly.
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Yuri Nakamura & Tenshi

Company: Good Smile Company
Series: Angel Beats

These two are a lot hard to judge.  While I’m sure that Yurippe and Tenshi (or Angel, if you prefer) will turn out nicely because of the fact that GSC is making them but I really want to see these two painted before I get to excited.  For whatever reason Key’s designs seem to be difficult to transition to 3-dimensions and so few companies get it right.  Beyond that I can only make out big movements in the pose since the translucence materials make the finer details harder to see.  But from the poses alone I’d have to say Yuripee’s pose seems more fitting for her character than Tenshi’s – I just don’t remember Tenshi being quite so, I dunno, girly?
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Black ★ Gold Saw – Anime Ver.

Company: Good Smile Company
Series: Black Rock Shooter

*Sigh*.  Speaking of franchises that GSC sinks money into none can beat out the Black Rock Shooter franchise.  Hell I’d bet you that by now GSC had put more into the Black Rock Shooter franchise than Alter has put into the MGLN StrikerS franchise.  So I should’ve seen this coming.  Why simply milk two characters when you can milk five?  Despite all that I’m really not complaining because Black ★ Gold Saw looks fantastic.  Her design is really kind of this nice blend between BRS and Dead Master and it’s just all kinds of good.  This is being billed as the “Anime Ver.” and, since we have yet to see an “Original Ver.”, we might have finally broken the “two versions per girl” cycle GSC was on earlier.
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Drossel

Company: Akiyamakobo
Series: Fireball

I know of someone that might be jumping for joy aftering seeing this.  “Might” being the opportune word there because I’m about to make a whole lot of assumptions here but Akiyamakobo, known for making and selling full-sized anime figures, had a full-sized Drossel “prototype” on display for Wonfed.  Now I don’t know if this was a one-time deal and they never really planned on making this for retail.  Even if they are planning to release her at retailed I’m sure she will be expensive as hell considering the Rei I liked to has a going price of 409,524 Yen (or over 4,000 USD).  Either way though I just think this is awesome.  Drossel is definitely the best full-sized figure ever.
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Fate Testarossa – Plain Clothes Ver.

Company: Alter
Series: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

This one falls more into the “cute” department than anything but Alter has a “plain clothes” version of Fate Testarossa coming out sometime soon.  I think Fate is done very well, has good detailing and painting, and has a face that’s way better than Alter’s most recent entry but none of that is why I’m highlighting her.  I’m highlighting her for one simple reason: casual clothes rock.  School outfits are standard, cosplay is cute, and swimsuits have their place but casual clothes offer an intrinsic warmth, a familiarity, by their vary nature.  Too few figures ever go this route but I love it when it happens.  Had I not already gotten enough Fate figures I’d be buying this one in a heartbeat.
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Hitagi Senjougahara

Company: Alter
Series: Bakemonogatari

Like Yuripee and Tenshi above it’s difficult to tell how well Hitagi will turn out without paint but at least with this prototype they’ve chosen an opaque color which makes seeing the details much easier.  About the only thing that feels off with Hitagi is her face.  More specifically the way her hair is framing her face.  My guess is there is supposed to be a breeze here which is tousling her hair but as it a result her rather signature look is altered in the process.  I mean points to Alter for trying something but as is I need to see the painted product before I can get too excited.  The pose is really nice though and I like the backdrop she sits on so the figure has some strengths.  Anyone else feel the upcoming GSC sculpt is already superior to this?.
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Lina Inverse GK

Company: Volks
Series: Slayers

I’m torn between calling this the “New Lina Figure! OMGWANT!!!11″ and reacting to the dire realization that this is a GK.  Right now the dire realization is totally winning out. Slayers always had a special place in my heart – so much so it was the only show I ever felt like reviewing. I’ve wanted a decent Lina (and Amelia. And Gourry. And Zelgadis. And Xellos.) figure for so long and she was even on my wishlist!  I thought with the advent of Slayers Revolution I’d finally get my wish.  But alas this is a GK.  Furthermore this is a GK done by Volks and they rarely go back and turn their kits into PVCs.  So I’m stuck.  Stuck in a dire strait where a figure I’ve longed for for so long is just out of my reach because it I have no skills at GKs.
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Mari Illustrious Makinami

Company: Max Factory
Series: Rebuild of Evangelion

I know that Mari was first showcased at Wonder Festival 2010 Winter so that doesn’t exactly make her a new entry for this event.  I also know that a lot of you don’t particularly care for this figure.  That’s fine, but I still think she’s remarkable.  She’s got a beautifully serene pose that perfectly matches the vibe and feel of Evangelion (probably because it was lifted straight out of Sadamoto’s artwork) and detailing and coloring that a company like Max Factory can execute easily.  My only real gripe is that she was showcased at Wonfes 2010 Winter, which was over five months ago, and we haven’t heard a peep about her released date since.
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Miku Hatsune – Append Ver.

Company: Max Factory
Series: Vocaloid

I was at a lost for words when I first saw Miku Append Version.  Usually when we’re talking about  a new sculpt that brings Max Factory and Miku Hatsune together the loss of words is a good thing since I become so amazed by what’s presented.  Not this time.  This time after the haze had cleared and I realized what I was looking at was indeed Miku Hastune my first thought was “well I guess that’s why all those teaser images never showed her face because it’s utter crap”.  Maybe it’s just the angles I’ve seen and her face isn’t that bad.  Maybe it’s just the prototype and the final version will be better but for now DO NOT WANT.  Which is an unbelievable shame because I just love the design and pose.
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But wait!  There’s still more!  Hit the links below to check out more figures.

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter
2. Figures I’m Excited About ~WONFES 2009 Ver.~
3. Girls who leap through space find unlimited darkness

Don’t say hobby~

UpLark Mio Akiyama: Background

UpLark’s 1/8th scale Mio Akiyama School Festival Ver. PVC figure was released in March of 2010 and retailed for ¥7800 (89 USD).  Mio is featured in her School Festival attire.  MFC doesn’t credit a sculptor to Mio so I’m a little in the dark on what other work this mystery sculptor may have done.

UpLark’s Mio is an interesting figure to me.  She’s interesting because she’s like a patch work of really phenomenal moments overlayed on top of an otherwise unassuming figure.  I have some issues with the sculpt in general but the good moments the figure does have enough impact to them that still makes the figure quite enjoyable.
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Girl in Black

You can’t talk about K-On! without somehow talking about the show’s music or, since music doesn’t really apply to PVC figures, the instruments the girls play.  Mio’s bass, therefore, is a particular treat.  I’ll admit I don’t know the first thing about the bass or what make/model it is but I will say, from my amateurs’ perspective, it appears to be a great reproduction.  It’s lush with details (the markers are a particular favorite) and the gloss on the wood makes the bass the center piece for the entire figure.

Another element I love is Mio’s second face.  I don’t love it because I find it fitting for the sculpt (in fact I don’t think it fits well with Mio’s pose) but I love it because of what it represents for figure making on a whole.  This is one of the best, if not the best, attempts at making blush work on a figure that I’ve ever seen.  Could it have gone further?  Sure.  But Mio proves that blush can be done and be done in a way on figures that doesn’t feel out of place.  I wish others had taken a page from Mio.  *cough*Sora*cough*

The last element I really like is Mio’s skirt; the sculptor chose an interesting layering of translucent plastic to add depth to it.  My only real issue with it is that it’s almost completely hidden from view so you have to get down low and peer under her skirt to get the full effect.  Which, in the presence of polite company, might draw a few stares.

My biggest problem with this Mio sculpt is that her outfit is almost completely devoid of details.  Oh it flows and has a few ripples here and there but overall it feels like she decided to wear an uninspiring black drape instead of clothes.  A color like black makes it hard to do good shadows and highlights (an other issue I have with the sculpt) so you really need to make up for it with rich detailing and the sculptor just didn’t deliver.  I think the detailing in her hair and head piece is fine but her outfit, one of the largest moments in the figure, just is done poorly.  This really knocks the figure down a few pegs in my book.

What could’ve helped the detailing immensely, of course, was the pose but that’s also an area where I feel the figure lacks.  It doesn’t tell me anything about the character, the scene, or the show and it certainly doesn’t have any measurable amount of impact, depth, or meaning.  It’s just kind of a generic pose.  Almost like you could pop the head off any other figure and glue it on Mio’s shoulders and it would work just as well.

The rest of the figure falls squarely into the “good” category, meaning that while I don’t love it as much as, say, her bass I also don’t hate it as much as her outfit.  Mio’s face is good and is fitting for the character and falls in the middle of greats like Alter’s and poors like Movic’s.  The coloring to her skin is warm but could’ve used a wee bit more shading.
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Final Thoughts

I’m still not entirely sure why I purchased Mio because while she she is strong in a few areas all around I don’t really think she’s entirely memorable.  At the time I think I was so caught up in K-On! fever that I ignored what in hindsight are some of the obvious flaws in the figure, namely the lack of detailing and depth in her outfit.  If I could’ve grabbed her at around 20-30 bucks less I think I’d have less of a problem with her but at $90 I expected more.

What’s really making me have second thoughts about this Mio is Max Factory’s upcoming sculpt.  I don’t even have that one in front of me and I can already tell it completely runs circles around the UpLark sculpt.

out for now,
Rico-sama

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Mio’s Full Gallery

Related posts:

1. School Rumble PVC: Good Smile Company Eri Sawachika
2. Alter 1/8 Yuki Nagato PVC – School Uniform Ver: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
3. Wonder Festival 2010 Summer

Supperhobby
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figma Dead Master

Series: Black ★ Rock Shooter
Company: Max Factory
Sculptor: Asai (APSY) Masaki
Scale: Non
Release: Oct 2010
Price: 34 USD // 3,000 Yen
Source: Link
More Pics: Link

The Short:
Following close in the vein of figma Black Rock Shooter comes well crafted figma for Dead Master.  But unlike my reaction to BRS I’m genuinely excited by Dead Master.

The Long:
So what do I mean bu that?  I knew I would be ordering figma Black Rock Shooter because she had “figma” in her name and I have a weakness for figmas and, while I’m sure I’ll like figma BRS, honestly she didn’t grab me in any particular way.  Looking back on it I was stretching to even come up with things to say to fill her section.  Not so with Dead Master here.  Why?  On word: attitude.

Dead Master simply has more of an outward characterization – more spunk – than BRS did and just it works for me; especially in a format that could be described as an “action figure”.  It’s really her alternate face that does it for me.  The way she sticks out her tongue and the face she makes it just priceless.  She doesn’t win the title for “figma with the most attitude” (a title still held by Middle School Haruhi) but she comes in at a close second.

Rico’s Verdict:
Oh so bought.

Rico’s Quick-liners

I maintain it was an exceptionally light week for exiting PVCs but two more caught my attention, if not for any good reason.

actsta Nanoha Takamachi
I want to support the actstas because they look like a solidly produced line but I’m getting a little weary of the the Nanoha figures; especially when I’ve already bought all the figmas.  Get me a Rin Tohsaka and then we’ll talk.

Orchid Seed Kyoko Kaneda (NSFW)
I’m torn between loving this one and hating it.  Kyoko is apparently from a short lived and essentially h-manga series so that explains her rather indiscreet pose and features.  For some reason though I think I prefer the clothed version.

Related posts:

1. Dead never looked so good
2. Two guilty pleasures: figma & Eva
3. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter