This week ended better than it started
After checking the net on Monday I was worried that it would be a pretty weak week for new pre-orders. There had been a couple Ikki Tousen figures from Griffon and a really crappy Kyou from some company I’ve never heard of, but not much else. It looked so bad I was left wondering what I’d do about today’s post. But, as the week ended much better than it started, here are some more figures I’m excited about.
Another Hobby
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Fate T. Harlaown -True Sonic Form-
Series: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Company: Alter
Scale: 1/7
Price: $130 USD
Release: August 2009
Alter is continuing their run of 1/7th scale Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS figures in a strong way by bringing out the big guns with the flagship characters.
I missed out on some of the earlier MGLN figures from Alter because I hadn’t seen the show. This figure really makes me regret that. A sculpt that features fantastic coloring and detailing, per usual for Alter, this is one will be a definite buy. The hair is kinda wild the more and more I look at it, but it captures the design and feel of the show perfectly.
I am a little worried about the hair for another reason though. It’s likely made of a lighter plastic than the rest of the figure to keep from collapsing under it’s own weight. When this happens it’s sometimes harder to match colors with paint. I’m also not completely sold on the stand; it seems a little half-assed when you’re dropping $130.
Alter is also releasing (or re-releasing) the Vita PVC. There seems to be some confusion one what scale she’ll be at (Hobby Stock lists her as a 1/7th even though the original was an 1/8th) so she might even be a completely new model. Hopefully a 1/7th scale Nanoha isn’t too far behind.
More info.
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Kanade Yuki Apron Ver.
Series: Fortune Arterial
Company: Wave
Scale: 1/7
Price: $75 USD
Release: August 2009
Wave takes a break from Lucky Star figures and gives us something from the adult visual novel Fortune Arterial.
Ah, the childhood friend. So cliché, but also so familiar. After all, don’t we all remember that time our own childhood friend, with a recently matured bomb-shell body and a secret crush on us, dressed up almost naked save for an apron and underwear? Ah, the memories.
Sorry, couldn’t stop myself there. In all honesty I’ll probably end up passing on this one. I think Kanade is a solid figure with a great pose and what looks like an amazing paint job, but the particular ecchi-ness Kanade displays really isn’t my cup of tea. I included it mostly because I really liked the craftsmanship and I like to get the word about good figures even if I don’t get them.
More info.
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Tamaki Kousaka -Provocative-
Series: To Heart 2: Another Days
Company: Kotobukiya
Scale: 1/6
Price: $85 USD
Release: June 2009
A repaint of the same figure released just this month, here’s yet another To Heart 2 PVC to add to the millions already out there.
I almost pre-ordered the first release of Tamaki. I decided against buying her because: A) I couldn’t get past how weird her white lingerie made the color scheme look and B) it looked ridiculous having Tamaki hold her bra strap in her mouth. What a difference changing the color makes! This sculpt itself looks kinda spars on mold details (not that that’s unexpected) but the color scheme and provocativeness of the pose more than make up for that.
Kotobukiya tends to be average with their 1/8th scale figures, but with their 1/6th scale figures they excel in an uncanny way and that’s another reason to look forward to Tamaki. I still think the bra strap is still ridiculous: that didn’t change.
Being completely honest with myself, I can’t see actually pulling the trigger on this one so I’ll probably I pass on Tamaki. Unless someone out there can convince me otherwise. 
More info.
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Kyou Fujibayashi
Series: Clannad After Story
Company: Wave
Scale: 1/7
Price: $75 USD
Release: August 2009
Now here is a reason to get excited: and 1/7th scale Kyou Fujibayashi PVC in gym clothes? Yes please.
The moment I saw this Kyou figure it made my week (I’m simple to please, no?). Kyou looks to be a sculpt that uses subtle (but powerful) shading and coloring. I don’t own any Wave figures, but if their actual product looks as good as the images, then they just might be on their way to being the best in the industry. Kyou also has a simply captivating face.
I am a little worried at the lack of mold details; particularly because Kyou’s scale. Kyou does have a relatively straightforward design, but my concern is more practical. Wave has historically produced a lot of figures in the 1/10th and 1/12th scale range but they never seem to add the right amount of mold detail when they jump to larger scale figures. Kyou would look perfect at 1/10th scale, but I’m not so sure at 1/7th.
I’m still getting Kyou though. Actually, if I could only get one figure from today’s post I’d have a hard time. Alter’s Fate is better with mold detail and energy, but Wave’s Kyou is a contender because of price and the moe factor. Never discount a tsundere.
More info.
Note: All figure images from Hobby Search.
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I keep seeing that Tamaki figure everywhere… I can’t stand it! I am totally not a fan of her massive breasts.
Fate while definitely not a character I really care about either, looks much more interesting with her flowing hair and pose.
Kyou is win no matter what, but I do have to say I’m a bit bored with the gym clothes thanks to fanart I suppose. I’d prefer a figure of her in her casual clothes from After Story or something.
Am I too picky?
-Aka
Even if you are, there is nothing wrong with that. I wish I were “too picky” when I started collecting because DAMN do I have some crap figures in my collection.
I’m going to have to reconsider the Fate though. The site I usually order from just put Fate up for pre-order for an astounding $170. I guess I could try to order her from another venue, but now I’m questioning if even $130 would be reasonable. I mean, she doesn’t dance does she?
yeah I was considering the Alter Fate too…but I think at that price I can get Shoppingmall Japan to import both of Volk’s 1/7 Nanoha and Fate seen here http://www.volks.co.jp/jp/lyrical_nanoha/itemlist.html . Of course if I did it’d cost a little more than the Alter Fate but you get 2 figures that I think are just as nice if not better. But on second thought I’ve already bought Sakura Zensen’s redition of Fate in her Sonic Driver outfit http://sakuzensen.web.fc2.com/image.html?file=p076uHFR/IMG_0841.jpg …but I have to build that…I’m at a loss >< I want everything…so Alter Fate is like what? $170 and all 3 volks figures would be like $400+ after commission (gotta get the Vivio figure) soo if you add that all together it’d only cost like what? an arm, a leg and my first born child?
Also Allen REALLY wants that Tamaki figure for some reason and he doesn’t even like To Heart…
$170?! I could only justify such a cost if I liked the character a lot and the figure was really high quality. Especially with the difference in currencies between Canada and the US (and Japan). ($170 US = $210 CDN)
Then again, I paid $120 for a really crappy figure, though of a character I liked. Also the currency was better then.
And to be honest, I’m slowly paying more and more for figures and just accepting it. So perhaps one day I’ll think $170 for a figure is acceptable. I hope not though.
AAAAnime is he primary site I use. It’s a wholesale site, but since I order through a local anime shop directly, I can take advantage of them and I never have to worry about shipping costs, quality control, etc. But recently their mark-ups on figures have become a little too high. Fate is just one example.
I just checked my back-up site (soon to be primary if AAAAnime’s prices don’t fall) and I can get Fate for a much more reasonable $135 (but then I’d still have to pay shipping). This price makes me happy – a $40 mark-up is more like what you’d find on eBay. I’m sure other sites might have her for a more reasonable price too.
Zakenna:
That Sakura Zensen rendition is jaw droppingly awesome and I would drop even $170 on her in a heart beat. Why do garage kits get all the love?
Yeah I’ve been ordering pretty much all of my stuff off your back-up. Occassionally I’ve ordered elsewhere such as ebay and Play Asia. eBay for the hard to find, no longer made, or sold out items.
I’ve yet to find a good place in Canada, but I doubt I’d save anything anyway.
I was pretty staggered by the price of the Fate figure. $170 is just too too much. I’m wondering what market Alter is relying on with this one … It’s out of my price range, that’s for sure, and I’m not a shrinking-violet when it comes to paying out for figures.
Oh well, I’ll be interested in seeing how it sells.
Kyou, however, is on my buy list. I would say she’s a favorite character of mine from Clannad, but the reality is I love them all.
Aka:
Toys Logic is really good, they even got me a full set of the Lucky Star Petit Nendoroid 2nd Set when they didn’t think they could. Never tried Play Asia; how is their shipping?
Watanuki:
You love them all?
Oh, but I do love Sunohara!
Though, granted, not in the way that love Kyou and Tomoyo, and Kotomi (maybe Kotomi is my favorite, in a pinch … ur, what am I talking about, the best of the lot is magical girl Fuko!).
Anyway, without Sunohara, would there have been any excuse for Key or Kyoto to build Misae Sagara into the story?? I think not!
Q.E.D. — Sunohara rocks! He makes a great punching bag for Tomoyo too.
Sunohara is win, but only because he’s so so sooo lose. If that makes any sense at all haha.
Kotomi is my least favourite… she’s just so… slow!
Anyhoo, Play-Asia was alright, let me see what it cost me. Shipping was only $14.40 USD for a $99.90 USD figure. And arrived as if it went through portal technology. One minute it was in Japan, the next it was on my door step. Okay… not quite, but it did seem much faster than Toys Logic in that regard.
Looking back at that, it does make me wonder why I don’t use them more.
(Note: At the time, CDN vs USD was pretty close, total cost USD was $114.30, CDN was $116.96, this was May 8th, 2008. Now it would be much different, $114.30 USD would cost 142.83 CDN.)
Clicking around on their site real quick I remember why I don’t use Play Asia much. They don’t let me pre-order so far in advance as Toys Logic. And most of what I buy seems to be pre-order.
Yeah, I’ve seen the portal technology from Japan in action too; even eBayer’s on that side of the Pacific seem to have it! I remember ordering a figure on a Friday and it was at my door the next Monday!
Toys Logic? They give you a notice that says “should ship in 2-5 days” and even after that, still takes like 7 days to get here. What’s up with that? Anyway.
Thanks for sharing you experiences with Play Asia, Aka. I might try them out since there are a few I wasn’t able to get on pre-order.
BTW – Fuko is pure win. Pure.
My friend ordered the collectors edition of melty blood Ace Cadenza Ver B for the PC through play-asia and it basically came wrapped in paper…now normally I wouldn’t mind this but since it was the collector’s edition the box it self was very nice they should have put it in a box or something…
TBH I usually buy my figures from HLJ, it’s like my one stop shop. I buy my figures, modeling supplies and my megami magazine issues all at the same place. Shipping is an arm and a leg if I use EMS but if you do the math I would actually end up paying more if I ordered all that stuff from different websites anyway.
yeah Fuko is win, especially when she spaces out in those fantasies. But Kotomi is my favorite, I love her theme too “Etude pour les petit supercodes” I guess that translates into something like study for the small supercodes? either way that tune is catchy.