Another month, another list of preorders to think about. Figures are coming out fast and furious and since my Junko pictures came out junk, let’s take a look at some of the things I’ve ordered and am thinking about ordering.
August
Tia Harribel from Bleach
August is a peculiar month in that there are three figures I am interested in from series that I know absolutely nothing about. First up is Tia Harribel from the popular long-running manga Bleach. I know nothing about Bleach but Tia’s character design is instantly captivating, with the classic bleached hair/dark skin look and the skull mask. And while I’m not familiar with the series, I do know a bit about Tia, enough to say that I hope to have the opportunity to learn more about her in the future, if you understand my meaning. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ordering her.
Nessa from Fractale
Good Smile Company offers this figure of Nessa, which has all the look of a classic GSC figure: a petite girl, flowers, a winning expression, and a cute and elegant outfit. What appeals to me the most, however, is her drug-addled look, with her pupils reduced to pinpoints and her mouth stretched in a broad leer. Okay, maybe it’s just me who thinks that way, but I can’t help it. I’ll freely admit that that’s a terrible reason to buy a figure, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be ordering Nessa, but if she gets a price drop after release, I’ll think twice.
Triela from Gunslinger Girl
Gunslinger Girl seems like the sort of show I ought to have watched, given that I like shows with action girls, but somehow I get the sense that it’s not really the kind of action show I would expect. My main reason for not watching it, though, was the blocky and boxy character designs. GSC stays away from that, giving Triela a very appealing sculpt. Her outfit is severe and muted, which directs attention to the sharp hue of her eyes. It’s an extremely nice looking figure, quite a bit better-looking than the two Canaan figures they released a while back, and I’m certainly going to preorder this one.
September
Asuka Langley Shikinami from Neon Genesis Evangelion
September is a packed with scheduled releases, and something is going to have to give. While I like Kotobukiya’s rendition of Asuka here, there’s a good chance it will get squeezed out of the numbers game. I’ll admit she looks good, and she’s in her original plugsuit, which is a big plus in my eyes. On the other hand, this is yet another figure of her sitting down, and she’s smiling again, like most of my other Asuka figures. I’m also curious as to what Max Factory’s Asuka will look like, since their Mari figure turned out nicely (check out reviews at Makigumo and Tailgrab). Doubtless she’ll be in her test suit, but hopefully it will be distinctive.
Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke from Strike Witches
Alter continues their parade of Strike Witches figure, and while I’ve preordered Charlotte, I’m not sure I’m going to preorder Minna. If I get a Nazi in my collection, it’ll probably be Gertrude, hopefully dual-wielding machine guns. Minna is definitely cute, though, and I like her black panties, but the animal ears are just killing me. As much as I like mecha musume and girls with guns and girls in military uniforms, I really don’t like animal ears, and Charlotte and maybe Trude will probably be the only Strike Witches figures I get.
Nanoha Takamachi from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
In the wake of Phantom Minds Fate comes this re-release of the White Devil Magician Girl. She carries a very reasonable price tag and should make for a great shelf partner for Fate. Meronpan’s review makes me want this figure, so I might order it, but I dunno; I’m more of a Fate guy than a Nanoha guy. I might just allocate the funds to buy another Fate figure instead. Maybe Cospa’s overpriced figure will get a price cut by then.
Siggy from Queen’s Blade Rebellion
MegaHouse continues their relentless pissing upon my hopes of ever seeing an Irma figure with this, their second figure of the nun Siggy. There’s some consolation in that Siggy looks fantastic, with her thong and pasties, and I’m going to order this figure. The only question is whether I want the white one or the black one; I’m leaning towards the white one now, because it’s her main color.
Strength from Black Rock Shooter
The proliferation of BRS figures is as certain a thing as death and taxes and Strength is perhaps the most distinctive one yet. However, while her hands are certainly unique I don’t really like them much. When I see her, I’m kinda reminded of Fisto. I dunno. She’s pretty cute though, and the hoodie and short dress ensemble is neat. On the other hand, the BRS figures always get big price cuts, so I think I may hold off on Strength.
Sylvia Christel from No More Heroes
Yamato is threatening to eclipse Daiki Kougyou as the most eclectic figure maker in the industry. Sylvia is done by longtime Yamato collaborator REFLECT and is in a mighty 1/5 scale. The problem is that she has a price to match and I’m not familiar at all with No More Heroes, being that I don’t own a Wii and will likely never own a Wii. The game is supposed to be hitting the PS3 in the United States, but I don’t own a PS3 either. Call this one a maybe, with a slight lean towards no.
Trunk Girl from Native’s Creator Collection
The trunk girl is finally available for preorder after such a long wait. Unfortunately she’s another exclusive. Fortunately, a few American retailers have her listed, including Entertainment Earth, which is where I might order her since that’s where I got GSC’s famous dark elf female figure.
Urayukihime from Shining Hearts
No preorder list is complete without another character from the Shining series, and Kotobukiya has listed this figure, which looks suspiciously like Blanc Neige. Her outfit appears to be removable, given the large seams on her skirt and down her back. I dunno though, I’m pretty tired of seeing Tony Taka-designed figures. I love his art but I don’t think I need many more Shining figures, unless they go back to Shining Force and Shining the Holy Ark.
Yui Takamura from Muv-Luv Alternative – Total Eclipse
Another Total Eclipse character gets a figure, much to my delight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t squeeze the lieutenant into her piloting suit. Instead, it’s based off of artwork by Sou Miyata. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers, so this one is preordered.
October
Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur 4
I’ve whined that not enough fighter girls get figures but this year has been relatively decent, with two of my favorite fighting girls – Mai Shiranui and Dizzy – getting exceptional figures. Isabella Valentine will be getting a figure as well, this one based on her Queen’s Gate appearance. Ivy is also one of my favorite fighting girls, though mostly for her appearance as I mainly play as Seung Mina in Soul Calibur. Unfortunately, this is yet another exclusive, but I’ve already paid for it so I guess I don’t have to worry about it. There’s a cute wallpaper of moe Ivy up on the Hobby Japan website, if anybody is interested.
November
Nao Aizawa from Comic Aun
Orchid Seed follows up their Lala Poplip Pipiruno Pipiru Paparemmo figure with Nao Aizawa, a girl with a much shorter name and slightly more clothing. I’m liking the way she looks, though the way her breasts are squished together looks a bit odd. Not too mention very uncomfortable. Oh well, she doesn’t seem to be feeling any discomfort, judging by her smile. I’m pretty sure I’ll order this one, though I’d like to see more preview pictures before I make up my mind.
Haha, I always find myself looking forward to your preorder outlooks!
I’m definitely preorder the Blanc Neige-looking girl and Nao Aizawa… I think. 😆
You’ve definitely got time to make up your mind XD Though I’m hoping Nao makes her release date, it’d be kinda silly to get a pumpkin-themed figure right after New Year’s or in February.
Haha, defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
I’d really like that Sylvia figure as well. I’ve played No More Heroes before (though greatly censored here in Australia) and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Â¥11,000 is a bit much for me… 😆 Same thing happened with Dizzy. She looked beautiful and I really did like to have her. Guess what my final decision was? 😆
Yeah, 10k yen or more is quite a bit for a figure, and particularly so for a 1/8 scale one, even when it looks as good as Dizzy. It’s particularly rough since the exchange rate is so bad, too, though last time I checked the Australian dollar was quite a bit stronger than the US dollar. I tend to buy without any restraint or common sense but if the US/JPY exchange rate keeps going the wrong way, even I’m going to have to start thinking twice about what I order.
My pre-order list is getting pretty absurd. Completely different from 2010 where I had less than five pre-orders for the whole year. One figure on my list is Yamato’s Sylvia. I LOVE No More Heroes and I love REFLECT. I am a bit wary seeing as Yamato can be really hit-or-miss when it comes to quality. I’m praying that Sylvia turns out well.
And considering her size, I think 11,000 yen is a steal for her. (I mean, we’ve been seeing so many 9800 yen 1/8 scaled figures lately) I figured Sylvia was 1/7 or non-scale. But 1/5! She’ll be one of the largest in my collection.
I’ve pretty much given up any pretense of effecting fiduciary restraint. I don’t have the discipline to do so and besides, I like figures, they make me happy.
I really want to play No More Heroes, since I’ve heard great things about it. But man, I wish it had been ported over earlier, and I wish the 360 port had gotten a US localization. I’m not a console fanboy, but …. okay, that’s a straight-up lie, I’m definitely a console fanboy, though that’s just because I haven’t gotten around to picking up a PS3 yet.
That is true indeed … heck, I paid 8,000 yen for the Nanoha actsta and that was rather a waste of money (though I see it’s going for under 4,000 yen on Amazon JP now, which is a much more reasonable price). Looking at Sylvia, she looks a bit on the tall and skinny side, but I thought the exact same thing about their Kiriko Hattori figure and that’s one of my favorite figures now. I have the sense she’ll turn out okay; Yamato’s got some ugly-looking figures in the pipeline (like their Fate Testarossa … why oh why did they not go after Bubba’s sculpt …) but REFLECT’s stuff always seems to come out pretty well in PVC form.
By the end of this month my preorder list should return to normal levels again, then I don’t have to feel bad anymore and can start with preordering new stuff XD
First time I’ve heard that this Nessa figure looks drug addicted,but it’s true. In the anime she behaved like she consumed to many mushrooms XD
Im wondering if Triela is able to use the shotgun, without beeing send flying from the repulsion. She looks good with her expressive pose and the latino tan looks interesting.
As long as Alter makes no Lucchini, Strike Witch Charlotte will be my only SW figure, I guess.
Even though I just noticed a few weeks ago how nice and well made Alter’s Yoshika is :p
I wasn’t able to get this Nanoha figure on the first release, so Im glad about her re-release, but Im still a little bit lukewarm because of her strange looking mouth. The rest of her looks very good though.
Haha, does she? That’s pretty cool, that’s a good point in her favor. Nessa looks better and better, the more I see her picture.
Triela does look frail, but somehow she also looks quite strong. Much stronger than me, for sure; I remember back when I was in Boy Scouts I had a chance to get a shotgun shooting merit badge and I declined because I was terrified of the recoil.
I’m trying to see if Nanoha has a huge head; everyone pointed out how big Phantom Mind Fate’s head is and I named her “Fate with the huge-ass head.” Hmm, I suppose it’s not that big, that’s a good thing. And who knows, if I don’t get it, maybe she’ll get a big price cut like Fate did.
I’ve got some pre-ordered from your list as well and some I had some debate on. I’m really trying to cut back on the figure collection this year to only ones I find more special (at least more meaningful to me). I think I went on too much of a spree last year just collecting whatever I thought “oh, hey that looks kinda cool”. LOL
That said, I was thinking of pre-ordering Minna as well, but I got really turned off by the tail and the fox/cat ears. I don’t know why, but for me, that just felt out of place. And since I didn’t get Charlotte, I think I’ll be skipping on this one as well.
I debated on Strength for a while and ended up pre-ordering her. Something about BRS figures from GSC just gets to me, and I think the figure is more interesting than the average figure design out there.
I was waiting for Trunk Girl for a long time, but I can’t say I’m all that excited about this end product. The prototype had black guns, I’m not sure what the production will be, black or white. Initially I think what interested me was the MP5K, LOL But also, something about Trunk Girl’s eyes, they look dead and out of place to me.
I had Urayukihime pre-ordered but cancelled it, I didn’t want to fall into the same trap as last year again. She looked nice, reminiscent of Momohime, but doesn’t come close to it. I have a feeling she’ll end up like most of my Kotobukiya Shining figures, just looking “nice” but nothing really outstanding.
Lastly, I’m really interested in Ivy, hate the fact she’s another exclusive, but ah well, it’s about time they have a good Ivy. Pre-ordered. lol
I don’t know why I don’t like animal ears much, either, but for whatever reason it’s just something I really cannot stand. The funny thing is, it’s okay if the character is more like an anthropomorphic animal; I’m fine with something like the Thundercats but if it’s just an anime character with animal ears sprouting from its head, that’s something I really do not like. I dunno why that is. Admittedly, there are many other things I don’t like that I can’t explain why.
Strength does have a level of appeal that I don’t get from the other BRS figures. If I lost or sold either of my BRS figures, I wouldn’t be too bothered, but I do like how Strength looks. I’ve got this general level of apathy towards the BRS franchise though, and it’s threatening to overflow into disdain. Even so, cute is cute.
I’m pretty sure Trunk Girl’s production figure will have white guns since the artwork colors them that way. I don’t know why that is. Yeah, I think I feel the same way; I like her, I like Nishieda’s art, but I think there are other pieces of art that might’ve made for a better figure.
I kinda got that vibe from the snow princess, too, that she resembles Momohime. I’ll probably wait and see what she looks like without clothes, if they are indeed removable. And I also feel the same way about the Shining figures; I really like MF’s old Kureha figure but the more recent ones, like MF’s swimsuit line, I’m not hugely thrilled about. Man, I gotta ask myself why I spend all this money on these things when I can’t even get excited about some of these anymore.
Nessa?!?
Haha oh geez Tier…Even if your not really going to order her that was a rather large surprise to see! :p
The only questionable one on the list that you said you might order to me would be Nao…I dunno something about the skin tones, the face, and like you mentioned her breasts just doesn’t gel with me…Looks far too sub-par quality wise to me.
But then I might turn out to be wrong!
Yes, Nessa! She’s a cutey, no doubt. Though I guess maybe I ought to learn something about her character and the show she comes from.
Yeah, I’m getting that feeling about Nao, too. The shading seems a bit too heavy-handed, the skin tone seems, I dunno, off. Like a spray-on tan or something. Something doesn’t look right there. And since this is Orchid Seed, I think there’s a decent chance that something won’t look right about the production figure. I’ll be waiting for more promo photos before I make my call; I don’t think this is the sort of figure that’s going to have preorders closed down early.
Tia Harribel… I thought she was a man when I first saw the figure, I didn’t notice the breasts and figured ‘he’ was a bit feminine. Definitely no interest in this figure. I think I have no interest in any figure from Bleach, as I have no interest in the franchise at all.
Nessa’s cute but there’s something wrong with her, I don’t see the drugg-addled look you do, but there’s something about her that I don’t quite like. As such she’s a non-starter from me as well. Despite having talked about wanting her in the past.
Triela’s a bit strange too me. I look at her and think “The spice must flow” and I also feel that her hair colour and skin colour have been swapped. Adding to the strangeness is that jacket of hers and the gun, reminds me of columbine. Despite all that she’s kind of cute.
I’ve got this Asuka on order because I didn’t want 1/7th Rei to be all alone in her scale. That’s kind of the only reason. I was really hoping for a more serious expression on her to match up better with Rei, this happy playful expression is in start contrast to Rei’s.
Alter needs to skip all these big breasted Strike Witches girls and do the fun ones. Though I suppose they’re being fair, two small breasted figures (Sanya and Miyafuji) and now two large breasted figures. Apparently they have Mio and Eila on the way though. I’d prefer Erica Hartmann, Francesca Lucchini and Perrine H Clostermann. Maybe others I’m not aware of from the second season.
Fate can gtfo as far as I’m concern. As pervaisive as BRS she is.
Siggy’s breasts are the size of her head, that’s wholey unatractive, and the pasties tend to be unwelcome in my books.
Uguu~ More BRS shit. Those enormous hands of hers look retarded. That thing around her neck either makes her head look too big for her torso or perhaps it’s just the contrast between enormous hands, tiny torso and a big head. Whatever, she’s not as unattractive as Siggy but she’s not for me despite her chest.
Sylvia is rather sexy. I’m not a fan of her heels or black painted toe-nails, but overall she’s got a rather sexy vibe to her. I think her rib-cage is a bit over pronounced though, there’s far too solid a line there and makes her look like she’s in dire need of nurtrition.
Trunk girl is strange and sexy and I’ve of course ordered her.
Blanc Neige (w/e) is quite nice, I’d like to order her but I have so many figures from these Shining franchises that I’ve never known anything about it’s hard to justify buying more. Even if she happens to look like one of Kotobukiya’s better efforts on a figure.
Skip, skip, skip to the end….
You’re not alone, I thought Tia was a guy too (not familiar with Bleach). /shudders
Yeah, Triela’s got a Trenchcoat Mafia sort of look to her. Not that I endorse that sort of thing but I think it’s cute.
That’s another reason I don’t think I want to get Asuka, if I do I’ll feel compelled to get Rei since they look great together. I’ve resisted the temptation to get their 1/6 scale Rei (though I did get Mari, and I’m thinking she’s inferior to Rei). I agree about her face; I really would’ve liked something sterner or more serious, at least. I mean, they’re teenage combatants, the last line of humanity’s defense. Or at least, that’s what they were in the TV series. They ought to look like the weight of the world is crushing them down.
Part of me really wants to dismiss Strength out of hand, and I think that part may win out in the end. While I don’t dislike Strength’s character design, I’ll freely admit that if the BRS franchise completely went away, I would not feel any regrets at all.
Yeah, I think I’m reaching a saturation point with these Shining figures. The recent swimsuit figures aren’t anything to get excited about, the new ones kinda blend together in my mind (though Maxima and Houmei look nice), and I’m sorta tired of seeing Tony Taka-derived figures. I never thought I’d say that but I am.
I’d forgotten about Houmei, or rather, forgotten she’s part of this group of figures. I don’t think I classify her as such though, she’s so much better and more interesting than I think any Shining whatever series character out there today. So she’ll definitely stay on my pre-order list.
For once we have very different pre-orders at the moment. Did deliberate over Yui for a while but decided against her in the end for the simple reason that I don’t like the look of her hair arch thingies.
Whilst I do kinda like the look of Siggy, I did pick up Megahouse’s last version from the bargain bins – she’s alright but not great (and she had a ridiculous number of those annoying pegs securing her outfit), so she wasn’t a great hit with me. Fully intend to pass on her.
Harribel… there is some very cute art of her… but that figure does not look good imo.
Did look up No More Heroes a week or two back – had never even heard of it… pretty cute figure but… who knows?
Then there is… compare and contrast:
http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=FIG-MOE-2638&template=default/product/e_display.html
http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=FIG-MOE-2569&template=default/product/e_display.html
How the hell can you claim that they are not the same character? Seriously Shining Hearts and Shining Wind appear interchangeable sometimes – cute figures though!
Still debating on Ivy – not sure I like her face and not much chance of cast-off in that outfit (unless there are interchangeable parts)… Moeyo didn’t have her when I looked up.
Just for info, my recent preorders are:
Penguin Parade’s Yagyu Jubei – don’t have any figures of her and it looks pretty good (just better turn out better than Vocaloid Lily though!) Don’t really want to cough up full price for what I consider to be the cutest figure of her though: http://www.moeyo.com/2009/10/review_hobbyjapan_hyakka-ryoran_yagyu-jubei.html
Naruga X from E2046 (some of those Monster Hunter girls are really cute – still looking for a good Kirin!)
Oh and Shimei Ryomou (maid) from E2046… looked a lot better than the previous Daiki version from the promos
Irony is that many of my other preorders keep getting knocked further and further back – have 3 preorders and 3 more that I’m watching which are currently claiming a May release… but all were originally due somewhere between January and March… getting a bit annoying really.
A criticism of Tony Taka’s art that I often see is that he tends to draw the same face for multiple characters. I guess now we have the same head for multiple characters, if they are indeed different. I’m gonna guess there’s some explanation in the game that connects them, though I’ll never get to see it because I’m still displeased with how Sega has treated the Shining franchise (and the Phantasy Star franchise, though that’s a different story).
I really like Alter’s swimsuit Jubei but two figures of her are enough for me, I think, since I’m not a big fan of the TV show (more the shame). And also because she’s expensive as hell, as you say. I’m thinking I may stay away from some of those manufacturers I don’t know, like Penguin Parade, since my opinion of Lily has plummeted like Donald Trump’s credibility.
I had a ton of preorders scheduled to ship this month but I’m not sure how many actually will. Among them is Yamato’s Heat Blade figure, which I preordered all the way back in June of last year. I think she was originally scheduled for an October release, so she’s been kicked back seven months already. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she just quietly disappeared from the solicitations entirely.
I’ve been slowing down on preorders, at least relative to the last few months.
Nessa – I think she looks cute and energetic but I’m trying to avoid getting characters I don’t know anything about, unless the figure is really crazy amazing. If I haven’t been dropping so much money on lenses, I’d go for her.
Triela – I LOVE girls with guns, but same as above. I never saw Gunslinger Girl and am not really big on shotguns. Still looks like a great figure, looking forward to your review.
Asuka – Preordered, because I’m such a bitch for Eva. I let Evangelion put it in me whenever it pleases.
Minna – Preordered as soon as I saw her. If Alter releases all the Strike Witches, I’ll buy all of them except Yoshika.
Siggy – Sexy as hell… not sure if want. I like everything except the pasties, but unfortunately they’re a prominent part of the design. I think I’m going to cave eventually and order one. The black one is going for 9300 JPY on Tokyo Hunter, so I’ll probably get that. It’s slightly cheaper than the normal one and comes with glasses, which plays to my weakness for meganeko.
Strength – I enjoyed Black Rock Shooter but Strength was only in it for like 3 seconds at best, and did absolutely nothing. But still many people say she’s their favorite character of the franchise. Weird… Passing on this one.
Sylvia – Did want this one, but I couldn’t get past those ribs. It’s not that I have something against skinny girls, but those ribs just don’t look like something a human would have. It’s a shame because I like the design, Reflect, Yamato, and the scale.
Trunk Girl – Preordered. Almost naked girl, trunk, guns, it’s an effective formula.
Yui – I would consider this if the gun didn’t look so stupid.
Ivy – One of my favorite characters to play as in Soulcalibur 2, but probably my least favorite design. I’ve never been big on her purple 1P outfit, but she has some nice 2P outfits. I don’t think her tranny George Washington look would go over well, but her SC3 and SC4 2P outfits were all right.
Nao – I quite like this one but again, I’m trying to use more discretion with my preorders.
Also looking forward to: the slew of Bakemonogatari figures on the horizon, Yamato/Reflect’s Mari, Barkhorn/Hartmann figures, and like everything that was at Wonder Fest.
No love for Yoshika? XD I gotta finish watching the show sometime. I really don’t like animal ears but I think I can suppress that for this show.
Yeah, I remember seeing Strength in the OVA, though I didn’t know who she was, and some time later people were talking about her and I was like, “Who the hell are they talking about?” It took me a while to remember that it was the character who had a random three-second cameo for no apparent reason.
I didn’t notice Sylvia’s ribs until it was pointed out to me, but what stood out to me was the length of her fingers. She’s got some big hands. I’ll probably wait for some sample shots; Yamato seems to get samples out pretty early to the news sites.
I have the opposite reaction to Ivy, I love her default costume but I was like WTF when I saw her George Washington outfit. There’s something sexy about seeing General Washington forcing someone on all fours while she strangles them, though.
I guess we’re just a couple months from summer Wonder Festival now. I wonder what will show up there.
I think I’d like Yoshika more if her hair wasn’t so stupid. I’m also not a fan of her outfit. I like the militaristic look of the other witches’ outfits, but Yoshika’s looks too plain. Which is ironic since it’s technically a sailor uniform.
About Ivy’s George Washington outfit, I also thought “WTF” but then immediately thought “kinda makes sense, actually.” I like her white 1P costume from SC3. Purple and gold just doesn’t do it for me.
But really, it’s a trifling matter. All I really want is a Yoshimitsu figure. If they need to put him in a string bikini to fit in with Queen’s Gate, so be it.
Now that would be one epic-ass figure. I’d love to see his Queen’s Gate combat book, too, given that they’re basically a collection of stripfest art.
Tia Harribel and Triela…I suppose if I could find a (local, cheap) AxO Nelliel from Bleach, and GSC Henrietta from Gunslinger Girl…I’d consider getting them. Tia looks like a really solid figure, even if her character is sometimes mistaken for a male.
Probably the only other figure that sparks my interest is Sylvia (trying to keep my budget open for my pre-orders and if more of waifu Mio Akiyama figures pop up :P. Anyways, I digress). I’m rather hoping the coat could be cast-off. Those ribs don’t really put me off, but I agree to wait for more shots before really deciding…
BTW nice recent figure reviews. animove Lily had been bugging me for some time now, and reading your review kinda steels my resolve not to get her…but we’ll see. 🙂
Looking at Sylvia again, I guess there’s a reasonable chance that her coat is removable; her arms aren’t firmly attached and the only reason I can think why that might be is to allow her coat to be removed.
Ha, man, I wish I could re-write that one so I could rip the figure more than I did. I was trying to be positive since I hadn’t taken it out of its box until I photographed it and I had spent a lot of money on it, but if I were going to talk about it now, I’d rant about how much it sucks. I’m staying away from some of those GSC-affiliated companies like Phat Company and FREEing and Gift just because of Vocaloid Lily.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too about Sylvie, seeing her arms jutting out like that…*crosses fingers* Come on, Yamato! This could make or break my decision.
About Phat Co., FREEing, Gift: Harsh. I like that. 😀
Though FREEing’s Mio kinda grew on me, and IMO she isn’t half bad (though I just could be biased on the character haha). Phat comes out with a lot of Touhou stuff…have you seen their Yakumo Yukari? That’s one other fig that caught my attention, though largely due to the pose I must add.
I think I have … I’m not a big Touhou fan but I remember seeing a Phat Company figure of a Touhou character and being surprised that it seemed to look good, given that Lily looks pretty bad. Maybe Lily was just an aberration? Or maybe they’re hiding something; Lily’s prototype shots looked pretty good, too.
Have you seen any more preview pictures of Ivy yet? Seen her on T-H but would like a few more closeups (Moeyo etc) before I commit.
The figure looks fairly good, but her face is a bit suspect from T-H’s pictures.
Have to say that actual releases seem to be a bit slow at the moment… swear that Amiami’s release list hasn’t moved much over the last month leaving me devoid of any inspiration for anymore stupid, impulsive buys… actually, might not be such a bad thing, though I did preorder Claymore 18 (though I already know what’s in it) and Evangelion 2.22 yesterday when I was feeling bored.
The Hobby Japan product page has the promo shots in a reasonably large size. At least she doesn’t look as bad as Senhime; I don’t see any cellulite or anything that resembles burn scars or melting flesh.
Yeah, I think I know what you mean about her face; the book gives her a cute, anime-style face but the face is, I dunno, something in between anime style and realism. She’s got sort of a strange pose too, with one leg forward and one arm back.
I wish I could say that I’ve cut down on spending, but I’ve got a ton of stuff in the review queue, including Haruka Morishima, Xecty, yet another Fate Testarossa, and I guess Saber Alter ought to be here soon. One thing I’ve noticed is that not many figures seem to be going on sale these days. It used to be you could count on every figure I reviewed hitting the bargain bin in short order, but that hasn’t been the case for a few months. Curious.
Maybe they’ve just learned to identify your preorders and are cutting production of their units accordingly.
Seems logical to me!
Many of the delayed items I am waiting for (those I haven’t preordered) still haven’t sold out on most of the sites so I’m hoping for a few reductions, otherwise I’ll just pass. Costs are just too much after shipping and tax.
Two late considerations for preorders from Megahouse:
Liliana – first glance thought she looked to cutesy… but not so sure now
Maya Kumashiro – thought she looked a bit bland (and I know you dislike squatting figures) but can’t help thinking she has a simple charm…
It could be! It’s bad for other collectors but good for my conscience, since I don’t have to tally up how much I could’ve saved if I weren’t such an impatient moron. The other odd thing about that is not only are the figures I review not hitting the bargain bin, it doesn’t seem like many recent figures are hitting the bargain bin at all. I check HS’s and Amiami’s discount pages every day or so and there doesn’t seem to be much new stuff there.
I kinda like the pirate girl but I dunno, for some reason I’m kinda cool on the Queen’s Gate Rebellion figures. Personally, I think it might just be overflowing resentment that Irma hasn’t gotten a figure. She’s pretty cute though. I’m not familiar at all with the anime that Maya comes from; she looks nice but I’m thinking she’d be a figure I’d wait for a discount for. Though it’s very nice to see a figure dressed in a casual outfit (or at least, a somewhat semi-formal outfit).
I’m with you right there on Liliana and Maya…(well, I’ve pre-ordered Liliana already and just need to make some space in the budget before finalizing Maya)
Ok, it’s official. Definitely think that you should make Max Factory’s Tamaki your backdrop to every page. She’s not a figure I would buy (cute, but I’ve passed), but her positioning, doe eyes and stance is spot on.
Not so sure about Dizzy and the bird with beach towel though.
Ha, I should! I was kinda wondering whether I ought to toss a topless figure up there, since sometimes people have this thing about breasts and all (one of my old pictures of Tamaki on Tsuki-board got flagged NSFW for some mysterious reason). I do like the Dizzy pic and the beach towel girl, though; Dizzy and Sora were actually the two headers that I completed first. I was kinda amazed that with like 155 reviews, each with maybe 15 to 20 pictures on average, I couldn’t find more than a half dozen shots that were suitable to use as header images. I’m gonna try to shoot more with some newer figures, I think.
Alter’s Black Hanekawa has opened to preorders… and I have to say that I am quite disappointed.
The figure design has always looked great, but that colour scheme appears really bland. She’s very cute so I’ll probably get her… but they could have made her a lot brighter – brown clothes on a brown brick base. She still looks good, but this is disappointing. Wish Alter would announce a limited edition version with a better palette.
I have to admit I have no clue who that character is; I haven’t watched Bakemonogatari, though I’ve heard good things about it. The animal ears kill it for me, though; they’re something I really, really do not like. I can make very rare exceptions under certain circumstances, but in this case, I’m not inclined to do so.
Ah well, can’t claim I know who she is – just saw some of the unpainted shots and she looked awesome. Colour scheme remains lacking though.
You say that you hate the animal ears but I know you’ve ordered at least one of the strike witches… methinks he doth protest too much!
Dynamic pose and cute face… – you do know that she will be the next Dizzy for sell outs… right? Maybe not the same scale but she has potential! I’m almost tempted to preorder a couple more then try to flog them on Ebay 6 months later… temptation is there!
I have, that is one of the very rare exceptions. In Charlotte’s case, I like girls with guns, mecha musume, and America. I might get Gertrude (if they make one) just so I can have a Nazi in my collection, but besides that, there are no other figures with animal ears that I am interested in.
Now that you mention it, there aren’t any figures on the horizon that I am anticipating like I did Dizzy, Saber Alter, and Rin Tousaka (who is due for release in just a couple of weeks). That’s kinda discouraging. Well, maybe Alter’s upcoming Aegis could fit the bill. Hopefully good stuff will get shown at Wonder Festival in a couple of months.
Ahhhh isn’t this nendroid adorable.
http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=FIG-MOE-2462&template=default/product/e_display.html
Quick Tier, buy one!
Ahhh! Wait, that’s not a nendoroid, that’s Hoihoi-san. I think she’s some sort of anti-bug robot. She’s pretty cute, maybe I should.
What????? I thought she was a nendroid… and you’re meant to hate them….
Nooooo! you’re not allowed to buy it now!
Have you actually got much lined up from the last couple of months… there are some decent enough figures but a lot of them are rehashes of previous/previously announced figures such as:
this
&
this
Aside from Megahouse’s Liliana (which looks cool but nothing too special) and Alter’s Black Hanekawa (which you don’t want ’cause of her ears! – how can you not like her cleavage shots?) I have to say that I am pretty disappointed. I certainly haven’t preordered anything for a long time.
Nah, it’s been pretty weak. I’ve been surprised by how many re-releases and repaints have been announced. I was kinda thinking of doing a filler preorder outlook post this week but I don’t think there’s more than like five or six figures I’m even interested in that have been announced since this post.