The Muv-Luv Alternative series is well-known and well-respected for its complex storyline, its realism – insofar as big battles between giant mechs and space aliens can be deemed realistic – and, of course, its sexy female characters vacuum-sealed into impossibly tight pilot suits. Not that you’d know that from any of the figures featuring Total Eclipse characters, though; Alphamax’s figure of Yui Takamura put her in her panties and this figure puts her in, well, her panties. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course – I’m not ever going to say that panties are bad. When a man has lost his ability to appreciate a cute girl in her panties, he’s lost pretty much everything.
Yui Takamura is one of the lead female characters in the Muv-Luv Alternative spinoff series Total Eclipse, which is getting an anime this summer. A short trailer is available on the show’s website, which shows off some of the mecha as well as offering very brief glimpse of Yui, series hero Yuuya Bridges, and Russian pilot Cryska Barchenowa. Hopefully the show will be good but if it isn’t, at least we’ll still get to see cute girls in tight suits during the second half of Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere.
This figure is made by Kotobukiya and is nominally listed as 1/7 scale, though she doesn’t look quite that large and a 1/8 scale classification would be more accurate. She comes with a parasol and a square base, and her clothing is molded to fit over the edges of her base, though it does not drape perfectly. It’s termed the “gekka” version, which means something like “moonlight,” I think. I’m not really sure what that connotes; it fits with the astrophysical name of the series but seems to make less sense given that she’s carrying a sun shade.
This figure is inspired by an illustration from Miyata Sou, who has done much of the artwork for Total Eclipse. It’s mostly faithful to the art, and the few changes made are generally for the better. For example, the size of her parasol has been increased to a more realistic scale.
Although her clothing is falling off of her body, Yui maintains an air of dignity and elegance. Her comportment is one of surprise but she still appears serene, more inquisitive than startled.
Her kimono is exquisite, its crimson color perfectly complemented by the metallic gold accents. It looks voluminous but still fits closely to her body, emphasizing the bare skin of her legs and shoulders. The suggestiveness of its disarray is clearly the highlight of this figure, and renders the giant bow affixed to her obi a sense of inconspicuousness that its size might otherwise command.
Her costume is completed by some bells tied to her ankle, and though they are innocuous enough, they also provide a subtle but unmistakable erotic subtext.
Yui’s parasol is beautifully made, with a lacquer finish that emphasizes the traditional Japanese aesthetic of her appearance. The shade is detachable from the shaft to facilitate getting it into her hand. Unlike Kotobukiya’s Kokoro figure from ages ago, the parasol does not fold up.
Her feet are sculpted very well; surprisingly well, even. It’s not uncommon for feet to be rendered badly in artwork, and though I wouldn’t say that Yui’s feet are poorly drawn in the source illustration, it’s not surprising that the artist drew the toes on only one foot. The sculptor goes beyond what was drawn by curling her toes; it’s a subtle effect but still quite noticeable from the right angles.
Yui’s legs are beautiful, as they should be, as she is all but nude from the waist down. Her rear is also very attractive, again almost completely revealed thanks to the white thong she’s wearing.
I have to admit, I was biased against this figure before I received it. I really like the design of the pilot suits in Muv-Luv Alternative, and I do not understand why nobody is making figures of the Total Eclipse characters in their combat uniforms. In addition, while there aren’t too many Kotobukiya figures that I dislike, in my mind, I tend to associate them with mediocrity. Many of their figures feature unambitious poses and unexceptional technical quality. However, every now and then they make a figure that far outstrips what might be expected from them. Yui is one of them; she looks fantastic and now I’m excited about their upcoming Cryska and Inia figures – Cryska moreso, because for some reason Inia is still sold out everywhere.
Here’s Kotobukiya Yui next to Alphamax Yui. I think Kotobukiya’s version looks a lot better.
Damn sexy figure thats for sure! Tits in your face are nice and all, but Its nice to see something with a bit more subtle eroticism to it. :p
Sigh now to hope the show is successful and they actually do make those suit figures…Why are they starting with this instead of the original alternative anyway?
I’m not certain, but the story I’ve read elsewhere is that since Total Eclipse is a self-contained story that doesn’t require knowledge of any of the other series, it’s easy to make a 12 or 13-episode series around it. I’m told that Muv-Luv Alternative has a very complicated plot with a big cast and requires knowledge of Unlimited. Apparently getting financing for such a project would be much harder.
total eclipse take place before the others i think
i origanaly didnt like yui untill i seen her longer hair she became my fav 2nd is inia
hmm this one seems to have much better quality than Koto’s usual stuff. I really like the colors, and they look great under that warm light in the first set of photos. The base adds a lot too. Just a simple thing like making it a tatami works waaayyyy better than a black disc. Lovely figure and review!
I was surprised that she looks quite nice; usually when I think of Kotobukiya I think of those cheap Shining Wind figures or the really cheap Bishoujo figures. This ain’t no comic book Bishoujo; pretty much the only thing that looks sorta rough is her thong. That’s actually kinda unfortunate since it’s something you’re naturally going to be looking at.
To be fair, the Bishoujo line is going up in quality, but I certainly appreciate a more complex, better-posed figure from time to time. This is gorgeous, and I love the parasol (as I also love Kokoro’s). Seems like one limiting factor of Yuri, here, is that the idea viewing angle is pretty limited. My favorite figures are the ones that can be appreciated in different ways from different angles. I think the best one I have in this regard is Velvet from Odin Sphere, although Eleanor Mercer and the Bishoujo Wonder Woman are good from multiple angles as well.
Actually, that’s the one thing I just don’t like about my Venus on the Beach Kasumi–there’s ONE ideal viewing angle because of the base and her pose. The rest of my girls basically have to work around her, which is irritating.
I shall have to take your word for it; I haven’t actually opened any of the Bishoujo figures since getting Psylocke (I’ve still got Ms. Marvel boxed up, and she’s been sitting that way for nearly a year). Some of them, like Christie Monteiro, look pretty good, and some of them really don’t look that great to me; I’m not too enthused about Asuka Kazama, for instance. I’m hoping Commander Shephard turns out good, though, since the whole idea of Bishoujo Shephard is hilarious (I’m kinda miffed they didn’t cut the midriff and ass out of her armor, though).
I actually think Yui looks pretty good from multiple angles, which I didn’t expect since most of the time, it seems like any figures that are sitting or lying down basically have only one good viewing perspective. But then again, not too many figures have breasts and buttocks that look as good as Yui’s.
Yui is a great looking figure with a nice color scheme to boot. I’ll probably regret not getting her but there’s one small thing I’d like to critique Kotobukiya on, namely that backside of hers that’s hanging out. Now, I don’t mind neither rump nor thong but I feel that it’s taking away some of her charm; had the kimono covered just a slightly bigger area Yui would’ve been near flawless in my eyes.
Very pleased to see that you toned down the focus on her bottom, letting the viewer wander across her face, upper arm and leg instead. While there are many good shots to behold I think #10 captures her very well. I do dig the moonlight vibe on #14 through #17 even if I prefer seeing her basking in the sun.
It’s definitely a bit of a surprise if one were not already familiar with the source illustration prior to seeing the figure. I have to admit I prefer it this way, and I’m mildly surprised that Kotobukiya picked that picture for her, since it’s very suggestive and very revealing. Total Eclipse may not be an eroge like its forebear, but it definitely amps up the fanservice as far as it can without entering that territory.
Can’t wait to get mine ^_^. Now I’m definitely pleased to have opted for this one instead of the Alphamax version. Thanks for the comparison too 😀
You are welcome! Looking at the Alphamax one, I can’t help but think her head is shaped strangely; like a barrel or something. Or that the top of her head is bulging outward, sorta like Megamind. Neither of those things is what one wants to have in mind while looking at that figure.
I was quite a fan of her grey prototype which I’ve seen two Wonfes ago and I’m glad to see that she turned out so well. Haha, I admit that the colored promo shots gave me a slightly different impression, but in your pictures she appears super pretty and sends some sensual vibes.
It’s very sexy how her kimono seems to slide down her right boob, especially at the angle of picture 07 ^-^.
The parasol really completes the style of this figure, the traditional Japanese atmosphere that the figure creates, is something you don’t see very often. Good that Kotobukiya made something very nice again.
Kerorin seems to be a skilled sculptor. Then I have no doubts about ordering this loli Nanoha when preorders have opened 😀
very nice pictures again, I slightly regret that I didn’t ordered her back then, well she’s sold out at the moment hehe.
She turned out a lot sexier than I thought she would; the suggestiveness of her clothing really enhances her appeal. Haha, another loli Nanoha swimsuit figure; that one looks great, too, though I think I’m going to go for Gift’s big one. That Ques Q one is super cute, though. I wonder if Alter will make one to go along with their loli Fate figure from a few months back?
Really sexy figure, seen a few review of her lately have made me question myself whether to try and fine one to buy or not. I really prefer this style, covered but very suggestive leaving more to the imagination. The colours are beautiful too, the only thing I don’t like about this figure is her clothing doesn’t drape over the base properly.
I really like the upcoming Inia figure too, though a very boring palette, I find her pose irresistably sexy too. Maybe it’s the tight tank top? Too bad she’s sold out everywhere I look, so I’m probably gonna have to wait till her release. =(
Yeah, it would’ve been nice if her clothing draped more closely over the base. I would guess that it’d be difficult to do that, since I’m sure they had to add some tolerance for manufacturing variance. It kinda reminds me of how Native’s Collet’s hair doesn’t lie flat on the floor.
I really like Inia as well, and I’m wondering why she’s sold out everywhere. It’s a very nice-looking figure but it’s not extraordinary by any means, and Kotobukiya isn’t exactly a top-flight manufacturer. Heck, even UBW Rin Tohsaka didn’t sell out that fast. Very curious.
I wonder if anyone tried heating her kimono to make it “warp” down more (like how some people try to fix leaning issues). Maybe that’ll make it drope over the base properly?
I really want to get Inia, but I think a lot of it is being fueled by the fact all the places I normally buy from have stopped pre-orders. LOL When you can’t have something you want, it just makes you want it more! >_<
It might, particularly if you weighted down some of the parts to help it set in place, I guess. I’m too chicken to try it myself, and I broke my hairdryer a while ago anyway (I’m not even sure how it happened, since I only used it for manipulating plastic and it had been sitting in its box for months).
Indeed! There have been a number of figures I spent more money on than I needed to just because I waffled too long on them. It’s always annoying when you get lazy about ordering stuff and then preorders close for a figure you want.
This figure looks nice. I especially like the design and color scheme. I wonder why the changed the pose from the source though. In the source she is leaning more forward which I think makes her a little more sensual. Maybe it would have thrown off the balance of the figure and would make her topple.
Nice review though. I especially like the moonlight pictures.
I’m guessing it might be to accommodate her backward glance, since it’s harder to notice it in the illustration. I kinda like it, though, since it’s a bit more in line with traditional Japanese sitting styles, where erect posture seems to be very important. It provides an interesting complement to the traditional aspects of her design and a marked contrast to the lazy way her clothes are falling off of her.
the modeling is so perfect and has nothing to be criticized expect the detail workship of kotobukiya,like always. It is really a shame that the hair seems so ugly,and that makes me hesitate to pre-order it and finally give up buying it.
but now I’m reconsidering it again,because of your sexy shotsï¼
kotobukiya always makes me love-hate.
Ah, that is a shame; I like the way her hair looks, myself, much more than I like the Alphamax one, which looks very inaccurate to me now. I’d agree that Kotobukiya is a love/hate sort of manufacturer, though – a bit odd since they are one of the most consistent manufacturers out there (consistently average, that is). I’m not a big fan of their Bishoujo figures, for instance, but every now and then they make a figure like Yui that looks great.
I’ve got my Yui sitting in her box at the moment. I ended up receiving 2 figures in one day and I’ve opted to open the other one first.
She really does look beautiful. I was kind of worried her face would look different from the promo shots since I’d seen her from various sources that all looked slightly different. So it’s good to see she still looks just a beautiful when I decided to pre-order her. The curled toes look wonderful too, I also like the bells wrapped round her ankles.
The only negative thing that jumped out at me from your photos is her hair. There’s quite a few visible seam lines that don’t look all that attractive. Looking at her face on though you don’t see this so it’s not all that bad.
I’m loving the moonlight photos, the darker background makes Yui stand out more, especially the red kimono. The final shot is my favourite though – it’s like your walking past an open door and catch a glimpse of the beauty within. Can’t wait to open my Yui now :D.
Good times, getting a big box from Japan is always cause for happiness. Other than Gift’s Sonico – which I selected SAL shipping for, which means I probably won’t be getting her for two more months – I guess the next figure I’m due to receive is motor bike Saber. That figure’s release date is coming up fast.
Looking at Yui up close, yeah, I guess there are parts of her hair on the sides of her head that are glued on as individual parts. It doesn’t bother me, but I can see how it might stand out.
I took those dark blue shots with the intention of using them to test out how well Lightroom’s new adjustment brush parameters work, but I didn’t need to; the color temperature came out pretty well right after RAW conversion. I was pretty happy about that because in the past, whenever I fiddled with color temperature, I usually had to spend a long time trying to get skin tones looking right.
ooh! I have the same figure…but the color tones are different. I guess it’s cause of the lighting and the photoshopping?
Anyways, you did take some awesome shots of her. 🙂
Yeah, probably because of the lighting. IAnybody who wants fully-lit, color-accurate photos can look at the promo photos, so I figure I should try to offer something different.
I’d be more confident if the same studio that did Chaos;Gate did Muv Luv Alternative TC. From all reports, Chaos;Gate was handled exceptionally well and there’s just not a lot of anime studios and directors out there that can handle “serious” with science fiction.
Your photos have been getting quite better along the years, you know.
While I don’t own or collect figures, they certainly have an aesthetic appeal from your pictures.
Since I can’t read the sequel to Muv Luv Alternative and I’ve already reread the visual novel like 4 times, I’m looking forward to the “This European counter-offensive operation’s true main objective is the… Original Hive. Humanity is betting everything on this final hour”, although that may not be included. A lot of things happened after the main character from MLA skipped through the ending, that I wanted to know about concerning that world post-ending. The sequel only shows the peaceful world. Unlike most people, I kind of regretted having to leave MLA’s world setting. It felt very nostalgic for some reason and like the main character, I had formed a lasting connection with that world and its ethics of honor and duty.
The fact that I later started practicing Japanese swordmanship with a blunt and sharp sword, may also have played a part.
I must say… I’m really disappointed with the quality of this figure. I guess I had higher expectations since I have another figure by Koto and her quality is really good (Melty). Sigh!
Not sure if I’m just unlucky or what, but my Yui is very dirty (tiny black specks here and there) and scratched on top of her head.
Nonetheles… this figure is still very attractive. xD
Anyways, nice review and pictures ^^
http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIG-MOE-4510&page=top
2nd pressing! This time I’m sure to get her thanks to your review!
She appears to be cheaper this time, too; that’ll be nice for anyone who didn’t pick her up the first time around.