Continuing with the Evangelion kick, let’s take a look at Asuka as a motorcycle racer. There is a peculiar dearth of Asuka figures out there, although Alter and Kotobukiya each recently unveiled figures of her in her recent motion picture form. When I try to think of a definitive Asuka figure, my mind draws a blank, and so it doesn’t bother me when I see any of the Eva girls dolled up in a manner incongruent with their anime presentation. Heck, they’ve been used to pitch canned coffee and instructional typing software, among other things, making them perhaps the most protean anime characters around.
This figure is a prepainted recast from E2046, with the original sculpt being done by Vispo. It’s done in 1/6 scale, with Asuka and her bike measuring an impressive 24 centimeters in length and 23 centimeters in height. It appears that Asuka has given up a career as a mecha pilot to become a sport speedster instead. We’ll disregard the triviality that she isn’t yet old enough to operate a motor vehicle; if a girl can drive a robot the size of an apartment building to war, she’s old enough to drive a bike.
Asuka is both (outwardly) confident in her self-image and accustomed to wearing tight clothing and so she’s naturally sheathed in a racing suit with the front unzipped, showing the world that she understands what it takes to succeed as a sportswoman. In case anyone’s forgotten her name, it’s imprinted on her rear, giving it a second reason to command the attention of admiring onlookers. Hilariously, the perverts at E2046 decided to cut out the crotch of her suit, but only the crotch. I’m not entirely certain why they did that … okay, I know exactly why they did it, but I’m not certain what the thought process was that led them to that decision. Regardless, it does add to her sex appeal (or sluttiness). Hey, being demure and reserved is all well and good, but it doesn’t get a racer girl any GoDaddy endorsements, you know?
As good as Asuka looks – and she looks damn good – one could make a strong argument that the bike should take top billing here. I’m not a big fan of motorcycles – I think they’re deathtraps, personally – but this one looks very realistic, with all the chains and gears and levers seemingly in their correct places. It’s painted in Asuka’s characteristic cherry red and festooned with logos. I really can’t say enough about how detailed it is – even individual screws are present, and an instrument panel is provided, though generally hidden from view by Asuka’s helmet.
The expression that Asuka wears is the Asuka I know, looking cocky and sexy. Off the top of my head again, I don’t remember too many figures of her that depict her that way; Alter’s old one casts her with a worried expression, their upcoming one and Kotobukiya’s 1/6 scale one both give her a contented, good-natured smile, and Kotobukiya’s figure of her in a test suit looks rather passive. I much prefer to imagine Asuka as a spunky, aggressive fireball than a victim, though I suppose that’s what she ended up as.
E2046 gives a big blocky base to stand her on, though she doesn’t really need it. I didn’t use it for most of these pictures, being that my acrylic sheet probably can’t take its weight. I really need to clean that sheet one of these days.
Yeah, I know that her shades look out of place with the black background, but when you’re as cool as Asuka is, the sun shines on you all the time, right?
The paintwork and assembly are excellent, as usual. This figure doesn’t have many loose parts – just the figure, the bike and its stand, and her glasses and helmet. It’s quite straightforward to put together.
I don’t think I have anything to complain about regarding this figure. It’s a stunning rendition of Asuka, superbly detailed and exquisitely sculpted. She looks perfect as a bike racer, and I’m quite happy with how both the figure and the motorcycle turned out.
Nice! Excellent rear shot. I am assuming that clothing design is for… convenience. 🙂
I quite like this version. The one I got was version 2 from e2046. That one has much more revealing T&A, with a very naughty mischievous smile.
Do check it out and compare!
http://radiantdreamer.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/asuka-langley-on-motorcycle/
Wow she looks good with the motorbike.
The new Valentino Rossi,..girl version XD
>> radiant
It could be, zipping down a full bodysuit has to be a pain when you’ve got to go. Or when you’re offering access.
I’ve got that one ordered (the black one) and I remember seeing your shots … in fact, that review is how I first visited your site. I like that version better (for obvious reasons) but I didn’t know that E2046 was going to do another run of that figure so I preordered this one first. I’ve also got E2046’s Misato figure preordered, which I am guessing may incite some howls of indignation at the liberties taken with her design.
>> Fabrice
Yeah she does, the Eva girls look really good on motorcycles in bike suits. Maybe I should’ve gotten the Rei that went along with this one, too.
You have gotten it finally! I have never tried to do a review of these Asuka on bikes perhaps I should since I have both versions~ Oh btw, you might be interested in some of the recent blog posts I wrote, do check them out 😛
Wow, a cut-out crotch? She’s just asking to have her junk cooked like a sunny-side up.
It’s very ironic how there aren’t definitive figures of the EVA girls for the longest time, given the popularity and longevity of the franchise. I suppose this may be attributed to EVA’s age, which is rooted in the garage kit days rather than the mass-produced figure boom.
Still, though this Asuka is probably too absurd to be the definitive Asuka in my heart, it’s definitely one of the best I’ve seen of her. In addition to the many reasons you mentioned, I also find the goofy angry Asuka decal on her bike and helmet hilarious and adorable.
Nice biker girl.
But I don’t think it’s normal to wear a bikini under the motor cycle outfit. But who cares.
cool pictures like always =)
I’m no real fan of motorcycles but with Asuka on it I don’t mind, she looks really cool and sexy.
I know there was another version of Asuka on a bike which was a bit less modest XD
but I prefer the face of this one here
I’ve always loved this figure. I love sexy girls in my racing, be it cars or motorcycles. Motorcycles are best suited because not only do you get the tight leathers, but your whole body is visible, unlike a race car. I love Asuka’s pose on the bike, and her ass, I think that’s my favourite part in fact.
I don’t like the cutout crotch though, to me that cheapens the figure. I would have preferred they didn’t cut it out… That makes me happy I never ordered her though, I considered so many times, but if I’d received that cutout crotch I’d have been really disappointed.
I really don’t like the Rei one though, her bike seems too small as well.
Oh yeah… age has nothing to do with racing. There are plenty of 14 year olds racing cars they’d otherwise never be allowed to drive on the road, same with bikes.
>> Wolfheinrich
I did! It took a while, she kept getting bumped back over and over. Definitely doesn’t help with balancing the budget. I will go over and take a look.
>> Chag
I’d agree with that; there are a lot of garage kits (like this one) that look amazing, but I suppose time has sort of passed the characters by; movies aside, they mostly seem to be mascots for various products now. I wonder if Max Factory’s is planning to do a 1/6 scale Asuka; if they do, I really hope they put her in her normal plugsuit and not the test suit, I think they would have a chance to create a definitive Asuka figure if they do that.
>> GREW
It probably is not. Asuka is not one to follow rules or norms, I guess.
>> Fabienne
I think that was the one radiant linked … “a bit less modest” is a good way to describe it XD
>> Aka
I’ve got a thing for girls in tight suits, so I’m a big fan of racer girls. I think there’s also an edginess to motorcycles that gives biker girls a lot of appeal (and is also why I tend to think they’re deathtraps in real life).
I like the crotch cutout, being a pervert and all, but it does look rather out of place. It’s not actually all that easy to notice, and I didn’t even spot it when I was looking through E2046’s own photos, which makes it even more of a curious inclusion.
Really? You learn something new every day. It’s never too early to start thinning out the gene pool, I always say.
Really! I watch the Ginetta Junior series from the UK quite often, as they’re a supporting racing series with the British Touring Cars. The Ginetta Junior series gives teenagers aged 14-17 an 1850 lb Rear-Wheel Drive 150 hp car capable of 140 mph. 150 hp may not seem like a lot, but in a car that weighs so little it’s quite quick. Makes it around 162 hp per tonne. My car which is rather fast I think weighs 3400 lbs and has 281 hp, which of course means it only has 165 hp per tonne.
Another series is the Formula BMW racing series. These cars are open wheel and powered by a 1.2L BMW motorcycle engine developing around 140 hp. The cars weigh 455 kg and have working aero kit such as wings for high cornering speeds. They stick 15-18 year olds in these cars.
And moving up the ladder to the absolute top, Formula 1, you now see 19 year olds racing in this series, and 21 year olds winning world championships. So they need to learn some how, and they often all start with go-karts at a very young age, like 6 years old.
I almost got into this when I was 9 years old, but my parents didn’t like all the arguements happening with other parents about who did what to whos child in which corner etc… So in the end I only got field go-kart for some offroad fun and no competition.
I could go on… but I think that’s enough racing talk for one comment.
The crotch cutout… I would like to see Asuka in a pure set of racing leathers, as I find them sexy. They don’t need to be made further sexy by cutting out the crotch, that actually deminishes their sexiness for me and she might as well just be in a boring bikini (what? did I just say that?).
I’ve been considering selling my current car, buying something reasonable on gas, and getting a motorcycle…
Absolute beauty!
I like Vispo’s statues. Years ago I saw Fate Stay Night Rider… like Asuka, she has a motorcycle. I think I saw Rei too… but I’m not sure… mmmm
>> Aka
I shall take your word for it! In comparison, my car is a ten-year old Civic that could put out just over 100 horsepower when it was fresh from the factory. It’s basically stock besides the stereo and all the damage that I’ve done to it over the years (which is considerable).
If I ever have a kid who wants to race, I’m gonna tell him or her to ram the other kids off the road. No ram, no allowance.
You are not going to like my next Asuka on a motorcycle figure, I am thinking.
Part of the reason why I dislike motorcycles is that I drive around 80 miles per day, and I see a lot of cyclists around here doing some really crazy stuff, like driving in between cars on 55 MPH roads. All it takes is one dude changing lanes to put an end to the biker. Not that I’d mind that at all, assuming my own commute isn’t impacted.
>> twina.loba
Indeed they have a Rider and Rei, too. They both look pretty good. Rider more than Rei, I think; Rei looks good but not really great; she looks kinda tired or drunk or stoned to me, actually.
Googling, your car weighs something like 1100 kg, which puts it at 87 hp/tonne. Bit slow for my tastes.
Ramming other vehicles gets you penalties, continual ramming gets your license revoked.
No I definitely don’t like the other Asuka I think you’re talking about. On top of the exposed skin, her bike appears too small. I definitely prefer this one and would hope I could ask E2046 to paint her covered up down below instead.
I like motorcycles because they’re quick, cheap, and easy. You can get a 280-340 km/h vehicle for pennies compared to a car, and it’ll get better fuel economy. I also like the ability to skip between cars, or fit into smaller spaces in traffic. But not in the same way some guys do it, rather dangerous. Friend at work recently dropped his bike in an intersection due to an idiot on the road forcing him to take evasive action. Bike was a write off, he was fine though.
Personally though, I think I would honestly kill myself on a motorcycle. One of the things I do when I get a new vehicle is after getting used to driving it, bury the speedometer. Fortunately the fastest car I’ve driven only did 240 km/h, and my current car tops out at 230 km/h I believe due to gearing. If I got a bike I think I’d have to convince myself to only due such things on a trackday with a closed circuit. (Consquently, that’s where I blew up the first engine in my old car, too many rpms and not enough oil pressure)
@Tier: Cool! I can’t wait to see the black version! I was VERY tempted to order this one when I saw they were re-releasing another wave of this one, but damn I already have one and it’s been on display for a very long time, so no space! 🙁
>> Aka
It is all good, one only needs a license to race, not to ram.
I intend to drive my car until it dies and when it does, I think I’ll get another Civic or a similar vehicle. There was a time when I wanted an M3 but nowadays, I dislike cars and driving, and every asshole in this area has a BMW anyway. All I want in a car are easily removable panels and trim so that running wire isn’t a pain in the ass.
>> radiant
I can’t wait either XD I was actually on the verge of cancelling this one when E2046 opened up preorders for the one you have, but I’m glad I didn’t, since they both look great and you can’t really have too many Asuka on a motorbike figures.
I like this version better than the previous one. The face on that one was too sharp, kinda looks witchy in a not good way.
And also, that is not how you ride a bike. lol.
I think the cutout is for easy access? Not in the sexual way, but you can think it that way anyway.:P
The same reason biker use those chaps things, I think.
Again, not in the sexual way, though they do look like mens garters..
She is in my boyfriend collection, and she is really amazing and beautiful ! Nice review !
I’m very new to this hobby and would like to ask some super lame questions if you don’t mind. What exactly is E2046? I noticed a link to it on the right side of the blog, it looks like some kind of online store but can I get a little more specific information from anyone?
Also, is this E2046 place the only location I can purchase one of these from, assuming they’re still in stock? Any information on a Rei Ayanami Motorcycle version coming up?
Great shots by the way, loving the detail on this.
I like my friends BMW, he has the M3 except not. It’s got all the M3 stuff minus the actual M3 engine. It’s a nice car and very fun to drive, but I think I personally would buy an Audi if I could. I’m pretty sold on the AWD cars, I’ve had 2 now and love ’em in the winter.
No license, no racing, no ramming. You’ll have to teach him to be creative and make it all look like it was the other guys fault. Then he can keep at it.
>> DaSaru
Yeah, it looks like you could pry open a bottle of beer with her chin on the other one. That’s one of the big reasons I kept my preorder for this one, even though I like the outfit on the other figure better.
When it comes to figures, that is the only way I think. Plus I guess when you’re competing in sport, you need something to stand out from the crowd, some sort of style. NFL players have their touchdown celebrations, NBA players have their dunks, and Asuka has her crotch cutout.
>> Leonia
Thanks! I liked how this figure looked in E2046’s promo pictures, but looking up close at it in person really shows how detailed the motorcycle is.
>> Mustafa
Not lame at all, I know I was sort of confused when I first saw their site, since the name E2046 doesn’t really tell you anything about the company. Basically they’re an online retailer based out of Hong Kong that sells figures and hobby supplies (paint, glue, kit building tools, etc.). In addition to selling normal PVC figures, they also sell a variety of recast resin kits and prebuilt resin figures. These model kits usually are sold only at hobby conventions or through websites in Japan and generally aren’t available on the mass market. Note that all of those kits and figures are recasts, meaning that they took the original kit and made their own molds to mass-produce the model pieces; that presents an ethical decision as to whether one is comfortable with that, as the original kit sculptor isn’t compensated for that.
The other big recast retailer is Hobbyfan, and I believe both of them have versions of this figure. It looks like E2046 still has preorders open for this figure and the other version. There is a corresponding Rei, though E2046 isn’t taking preorders for it right now. If you’re interested in that one, you can make an account on their site and add it to your wishlist; they generally do additional production runs of popular figures, and I believe that one of the factors they consider is how many people have a particular figure wishlisted.
>> Aka
I am not expecting to see another snowmageddon here for a while, and I’m thinking that I’ll be wanting more flexible telecommuting options for the next job I look for, so I will be sticking with cheap FWD cars that get good mileage. It took me two hours to drive home today since there was a ten mile traffic backup near the airport and another backup near where I live because a ton of traffic lights went out. God I hate driving.
I’ll keep that in mind if I do have a kid who takes an interest in motorsport; I’ll express my distaste for other drivers through his underhandedness.
Reading from the comments..I wouldn’t mind a drunk or stoned Rei passed out on the floor with a can or bottle of..water.
That would at least fit her no emo face. I saw a figure of her doing tricks on a bike and she had the blah face on..does not work. Nice enough figure though.
Since the helmet on this Asuka is detached (like Rei’s emotional state) can it fit other same scale figure?
Can we assume you’ll be getting the Sweet Body Rider? 😀
>> Tier
I remember reading that most resin kits need to be assembled by the buyer, is it normally just a couple of simple parts like this Asuka statue or do they usually come with many more parts to assemble?
Also, do resin kits come pre-painted most of the time? I remember reading that garage kits usually need to be assembled/painted and I’m assuming resin kits and garage kits are the same thing.
So re-casts are basically the figurine industry’s version of piracy I take it. Well, if you can’t find the original in stock, then buying a re-cast seems like the only choice left for consumers.
Now this is a blast from the past!! I have the same version but I did a post about her over a year ago!! Heck, even a load of our shots are similar!!
I kept asuka with her base since it’s made to look a little like a roadside. kinda fitting for a bike!
@Mustafa: In general, resin kits do need painting and assembly before you can display them. And this Asuka is very complicated!! Even my simplest kit has over a dozen parts to it. Remember that the bike will have an insane number of parts to them. This one is only a few parts because it was built and painted before delivery.
Vispo kits are also very expensive if you try to buy original, but good luck finding one of these. one may surface eventually but they are pretty rare due to their age. And yes, recasts do allow for the chance to find some very old kits which are no longer in circulation (which can be good) but the problem is that many people buy recasts of the most recent kits and the sell more because they are recent.
I really liked this Asuka when I saw it on E2046’s site – was tempted to order one, but I wanted the yellow and black version, which they weren’t making anymore. =( How long did it take for you to get this one from the time of order? Sometimes it takes ages to get a figure from E2046…. lol
I like this Asuka’s face compared to that other version where her ass is sticking up in the air – that face is sculpted too sharply for my taste. =)
And excellent pics as usual!
I noticed Hobbyfan’s pictures of that Asuka figure don’t have the cutout crotch.
Slightly cheaper price as well, $10 or so? But wow, as much as I’d like the figure, $290 sounds like a lot….
>> DaSaru
If I ever learn to draw, I will make a doujinshi depicting such a situation.
I remember that figure, I really liked the artwork it was based off of, but I think the figure was in some weird tiny scale so I didn’t get it.
Unfortunately the helmet can’t be used by a figure, since the head hole is really small. And you can safely make that assumption, I’ve been looking forward to that figure ever since Comiket XD
>> Mustafa
Model kits always need painting and assembly, and generally the amount of effort and expense to do a decent job (you need some skill at painting, and you probably need an airbrush and a variety of other specialized tools and equipment) is a major deterrent when it comes to trying to build one yourself. E2046 has a line of products called “Gathering” which comprises all their pre-assembled, prepainted figures; they do the painting and assembly in a workshop out in Hong Kong, with very minimal assembly needed by the customer. (They also have a section called “GK Figures” on their site which contains all of the unbuilt kits that they sell; it can be easy to confuse the unassembled kits with the corresponding prepainted, prebuilt figure.)
Yeah, I’m not going to mince words, that’s the correct way to put it. One could make an argument that the original sculptor isn’t compensated regardless, since I have never heard of any sculptor selling their kits outside of Japan, but you could just as easily make an argument that that doesn’t justify piracy.
>> gundamjehutykai
I think I remember seeing that, going through your archives. I was surprised that E2046 did another run of this figure since it’s so old; they seem busy doing more recent kits as well as their ORI stuff (which is getting to be quite a large lineup).
>> VF
Months and months … I think I put my preorder in last September and didn’t get it until early May, so around eight months in total. It got kicked back over and over; not too surprising I guess, given the complexity of the figure, and all the other figures that they’re producing.
Yeah, I know what you mean, she’s got that pointy chin that the Hyper Nurses have, too. That ass, though … it’s spectacular XD
>> Aka
Pricey indeed! However, cash comes and goes but regrets last forever. And $290 is like, three other figures … I think Asuka is better than most any three other figures.
You know for a moment i actually thought you bought the original and not the recast knowing that youre crazy.
Im kinda relieved that its the E2046 one “only”
Im no Asuka fan but I always liked this version for her.I just never liked this Version enough to warrant all that cash they want for her ^^;
I actually had to zoom in that crotch pic to determine if shes “riding” her bike or just riding it
>> Tier
I’m not the greatest at painting, this I know from my Warhammer miniatures. I didn’t know there were places you can buy pre-painted and mostly assembled garage kits, this is pretty cool news to me. Going to bookmark E2046 and check out their ‘Gathering’ line at some point.
Do you think starting out with basic Gundam model kits is a good way to learn and improve my building/painting?
>> Blowfish
I don’t think there’s a prepainted original version; as far as I know, Vispo’s stuff is only available as model kits.
I’m more of a Rei guy, but Asuka looks right on a motorbike, while Rei looks sort of out of place on one. I wouldn’t mind it at all if there were a Rei with an outfit similar to the other Vispo Asuka figure, though.
>> Mustafa
Honestly, I don’t know; I’ve never built a figure kit before (although I’d like to try sometime, so I’ve done some research on what it entails) and I’ve never looked at Gundam stuff. My guess is that they are fairly similar, although there’s probably a few things about building machines that won’t apply to building figures (like detailing panel lines or softening decals). You might find gundamjehutykai’s site to be helpful; he builds Gundams and figures and he’d know more.
Interesting outfit Asuka has on. A outfit with a hole on her crotch. Very nice one.
Would like to purchase one for myself.She looks hot.