Everyone has her.
Words are so many mayflies.
Tier should shut up now.
As tempting as it is to leave this review at that, I suppose I ought to write a bit more. Saber hardly needs an introduction, as no doubt the large majority of those who are looking at this page already know who she is. I am also hardly the most qualified person to explain her character since I am not very familiar with Fate/stay night. This particular incarnation of Saber comes from the Playstation 2 and PSP fighting game Fate/Unlimited Codes.
Saber Lily comes courtesy of Good Smile Company and is built in 1/7 scale. She stands about 19 centimeters tall (not counting the sprightly sprig of hair sprouting from her head) and her feet are also set about 19 centimeters apart, making her fairly large for her scale size. She comes with two swords, a sheath for Excalibur, and an alternate left gauntlet which has a clear pylon to mount that sheath.
Saber is one of the most anticipated anime figures in the history of human civilization and for good reason, as the character is wildly popular and GSC’s craftsmanship is readily apparent. She strikes an assertive, dynamic pose, sword arm ready to swing. Admittedly, a cynic might point out that her wideset stance probably isn’t very good for her balance and her outstretched arms practically beg an adversary to stab her right through her guts, but why should we let mundane reality intrude on our shameless adoration?
Paint and sculpting are generally solid, no surprise there. I particularly like the metallic look to her armor. Skin tone is a bit pale, I suppose. Overall the paint job is more pastel than vibrant, which lets the pose stand out as the figure’s most appealing feature. My particular Saber has an odd protrusion coming from her armpit; some sort of manufacturing defect, I guess. I might see if I can remove it with some tweezers or something.
Saber Lily wears her hair in a ponytail, which I like a lot. I really do like this particular character design, although I’m not sure which version of Saber I like best. I wonder why nobody’s made a definitive Saber Alter figure yet?
I waffled for a while as to whether I should get her, and I don’t think I would have if she had come out in the early summer. I have this curious tendency to eschew anything that is popular, but now that she’s here I’m pretty happy to have her. She’s a superb figure, but everyone knew that already.
Additional reviews are available at foo-bar-baz and WAWAWA wasuremono. For such a popular figure, I haven’t seen a lot of reviews of her. Maybe I don’t follow enough blogs.
I’ve written before that I’m not a super big fan of Saber, but I do have one more Saber figure on order: Daiki Kougyou’s colossal 1/4 scale Saber. We’ll be going from the most anticipated Saber figure to the most controversial. Stay tuned!
I’d hardly be fulfilling my duties as a figure reviewer if I didn’t include this lecherous pantyshot, would I? Saber’s choice of drawers is disappointingly conservative.
Oh my god. Your pictures are amazing, with a great light, and a nice decoration. I love thue ultimate picture ! My favorite ! Congratulation !
it’s amazing how lighting can change the entire feel of the review. then of course you take it to the next level with intricate backdrops 😛 love the columns and nice shots! ^^
you’re getting that 1/4 daiki kougyou?! interested to see how that turns out ^^
Writing a review about this Saber is hard indeed since everybody and their grandmas knows about Saber and the quality of the figure.
Mine is still in Japan…I oaid the EMS package like mid-last week and HLJ doesnt seem to be in a hurry to send it over ^^
I do know atleast one other Person who owns Daikis Saber: Toonleap. You are not alone Son
There are many reviews of her. Endless amount of them. There’d be double the amount, but some people’s figures are still in transit 😉
Such an amazing figure. Still considering what to do to obtain it without mortgaging my kidneys.
And yes, the lighting, even in the darker setting, is much improved!
>> Leonia
Thanks! A figure like Saber Lily deserves a little extra effort when setting up the photo shoot XD
>> meronpan
Indeed! The downside is that it takes some time to build the props (particularly since I spent all last Saturday playing Sengoku Rance and then all of Sunday watching football). I’m liking the results better than the old cloth backdrop I used to use, though.
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to get the DK Saber but the more people hated on it, the more appealing it became to me. I’m really looking forward to getting her now.
>> Blowfish
I’ve got one HLJ package (Yamato’s Iroha) that’s been being prepped for shipping since last Friday. I wonder what the holdup is? Maybe their shipping department is saturated from the free shipping promotion they just ran.
Ah yeah, I remember seeing Toonleap’s review while googling for more information. His Saber is E2046’s prepainted kit, which I am envious of since it definitely is castoff-able whereas I’m still unsure as to whether DK’s PVC version is.
>> Guy
I must have missed all of them. That’s what I get for spending all of the last week playing video games, monitoring my fantasy football team (3-1 now!), and trying to build these columns.
Can you sell blood plasma? XD It sucks that it costs so much to buy hobby stuff in Israel. It makes my own struggles with the US Postal Service look pretty insignificant. (Saber was supposed to be delivered on Saturday, but I overslept and missed the deliveryman. I went to the post office yesterday to pick her up, but then I found out that they had redelivered her.)
Lovely review, I like your props, really give a different feel to the photos. Mine is in transit now, I hope to have her in my hands by Saturday. Then I am going to pit the Gathering against GSC, I know which one is going to win, but still.
Indeed, the lighting of your photos give a real atmosphere and decor make this figure in context. Congratulations for this review.
It is true that there are already lots of pictures and reviews of this figure. One of the best-selling figures at the end of the year.
Nice set building! 🙂
I haven’t seen that many reviews either. I thought there’d be more by now. I guess maybe next week more will start popping up.^^;
>> Wolfheinrich
Thanks! I have the feeling that’s going to be no contest. I like E2046’s black-painted Saber Lily though.
>> Lylibellule
I should probably google for reviews before I publish my post; I found a few more that way. Seems like everyone likes to photograph her on black backgrounds!
>> super rats
I started thinking about what sort of props I wanted to build a couple months ago since I knew I’d be lazy and wouldn’t actually build them till the last minute, and also because I built the columns using cans of Pringles and I needed that long to eat all the chips. I actually had something a bit more elaborate planned but I guess that’s what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men and all that.
I guess maybe not too many people spring for EMS shipping; I don’t pay a lot of attention to shipping costs but the exchange rate is making it harder to justify the faster shipping.
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LOL.
No, in Israel you sell blood to get a “blood insurance” for a year, or something.
I must choose between her and Saber Alter Maid, and then decide how to get them. Heh.
Not nearly enough dough for both.
Oh wow, you actually built the columns up. I’m too lazy to do something like that. I always pay EMS shipping. I’ve had Saber for over a week at this point and still have her in the box. I sometimes wonder why I use EMS when on average I keep the figure in the box 2-3 weeks before opening them.
>> Guy
I’m still waffling on Saber maid. I’d get her for sure if she were wearing lingerie instead of a dress.
>> super rats
I would’ve bought pre-made props if I could have. It’s a good thing I like Pringles because I had to eat a lot of chips over the last month.
I always roll with EMS and lately, I’m thinking that I’m probably going to use Japanese retailers for all my preorders too. I ordered Alter’s Yoko figure from an American store and I’m still wondering where the heck she is, months after everyone else got her.
Very nice photoshoot of Saber Lily… I like your backdrop … it adds a lot to the photgraphy … good work. 🙂
Thanks! Wish I had a bigger desk so that the backdrop doesn’t end quite so abruptly.
Agreed, and agreed. I think she should choose something more frilly/lacy to match her garters and thigh highs.
Yeah, anything would’ve been better than granny panties. I think Kyou’s bloomers are cut higher than these.
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Hey! Have you seen Canaan??? She’s like Saber… the same warrior spirit.
I have not yet, which is sort of strange, since I’m a big fan of girls with guns shows, and I’m an even bigger fan of lesbian girls with guns. I probably should make some time to check it out, I bet that I’d like it.
No doubt. Today I just saw the last episode of Canaan. God! I almost wept!
Just saw two figures of Canaan: the protagonist (Canaan) and Alphard.
Although … hehe … other characters made me fall in love XD. Hakko and Yuri Natsume. Yuri is the source of information using of Canaan. She has red lips … mmmm
she is my imaginary girlfriend now.
Are there any annoying dudes in that show? I stopped watching Fate/stay night because I can’t stand Shiro. I can’t stand weak spineless misogynistic male leads in general. If there aren’t any annoying dudes in Canaan, that makes that show much, much more appealing to me.
No. The main characters are two: Maria (she´s the common anime girl: silly, friendly…) and Canaan. There are so few man. Canaan’s soul is very similar to Saber’s, the difference is that Canaan has no master. Maybe you should watch the first episode, if you like it… continue. ^^
Ah, that’s good, maybe I’ll do just that. If an anime has girls with guns and no goofy, annoying males to slow them down, I’m inclined to like it right from the start.
I’ve recently ordered Saber Lily Golden Caliburn from KirinHobby since I can’t find this one (Saber Lily ~ Distant Avalon). Do you know if KirinHobby is a legit store? Been searching for it, but could not find any info. Hopefully, I don’t get a bootleg. This figure is SO beautiful!
I have never ordered from them and to be honest, I only vaguely know of them, but checking with the shop review club on Tsuki-board, people report having good experiences. They say that their products are legit and that they offer quality service. I took a look at their site and their prices look pretty much in line with most US retailers, and I’ve seen at least one other store that has that version of Saber Lily in stock (albeit at an astonishingly high price). I think you’ll be alright. I really like that figure too, by the way; it trades some of the more martial aspects of the original figure for a more elegant, feminine look, and I think that’s a fair exchange.