Continuing our tour of bikini figures, today we are going to look at Retia Adolf, the adorable and lovable, uhh, führer of the Third Reich of Dokutsu.
Retia is one of the major characters of Alicesoft’s ero-strategy game Daiteikoku. Released in 2011, Daiteikoku is a space strategy game, a little bit reminiscent of the old Accolade game Star Control, minus the action-oriented ship combat and the quirky alien races. However, it retains the space empire narrative, although rather than being an original story, Daiteikoku’s plot is directly derived from the Second World War. Most of the characters are based off of notable World War II leaders or figures (a notable exception is the game’s protagonist Tsuyoshi Togo, who is presumably based on Russo-Japanese war hero Heihachiro Togo). Retia Adolf, of course, is also based on a well-known person, and it doesn’t take a degree in history to guess who that might be. In case anyone needs a hint, her official name seems to be “Lertih Adolf”, which is a fairly obvious modification of the name, though one would have to swap the L and R for it to make sense. (Her name is always written in katakana, though, and it comes out as “Retia,” which is also the way it’s pronounced in the game. That’s what I’m going with since “Lertih” just looks so silly.)
Despite sharing a name with one of the most vile humans to have ever lived, Retia Adolf is portrayed as a caring, selfless leader, dedicated to her people and tireless in her efforts to improve their lives. She is the leader of the Third Reich of Dokutsu, a nation which operates under the political philosophy of Fancism, where leadership is determined by celebrity status. As Dokutsu’s biggest media idol, Retia is determined to restore her nation to dignity and prosperity.
Alicesoft’s games are noted for their irreverence, and Daiteikoku features more than its fair share of stereotypes. It’s not above poking fun at Japan, though; there’s an early sequence where a rather young-looking female spy finds herself incapable of infiltrating Japan after getting surrounded by horny lolicons. That said, sometimes people become prickly when national honor is involved, and it wouldn’t be too surprising if a lot of people find Daiteikoku to be offensive. Alicesoft certainly recognizes this; as I understand it, Daiteikoku is the reason why their website has been walled off to foreigners.
A bit of a digression here: the events Daiteikoku is based off of are seventy years in the past and the world is now a very different place. However, World War II is one of my favorite subjects to study (I would’ve majored in history in college, if there were any possibility of getting a decent job with a history degree, but there isn’t so I studied engineering instead), so Daiteikoku has additional appeal to me. Also, World War II has some personal significance to me; I had family members on three different sides of the war. Two of my grandfather’s brothers served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, though they got to Europe too late to take part in the fighting (there’s a hilarious parody of the unit in Daiteikoku). My mother’s family is Korean and so lived as thralls of Japanese conquest. And I had family living in Japan during the war – my grandmother’s sister and her family lived in Hiroshima when the city was bombed. Fortunately none of them died in the blast, though I imagine that it was a harrowing experience for them to go through.
Daiteikoku is the very epitome of political incorrectness, but I don’t think the game’s designers had any agenda when they wrote the game’s story, and perhaps the best way to receive it is to simply choose not to be offended by it.
At any rate, even if they don’t care for the game or its premise, hopefully everyone can assess this figure of Retia on its own merits. However, it’s probable that most people’s initial evaluation will be colored by the fact that it’s manufactured by Kaitendoh. They’ve made a few figures that I’ve liked but overall, their product catalog is not nearly as respectable as, say, Alphamax’s or Orchid Seed’s, much less Alter’s or Good Smile Company’s. However, this figure differs from many of Kaitendoh’s earlier products in that it’s made of regular PVC rather than the candy resin material that they’ve used for many of their figures. Also, while many of Kaitendoh’s figures are nominally listed as 1/6 scale, Retia is 1/8 scale – albeit, a rather small 1/8 scale. Retia is only about 17.5 centimeters tall, not counting her hat, and as she’s not really built like a loli, that’s rather small.
Also, this figure does come with an impressive pedigree in that it was sculpted by Ken Yokota. He’s made a number of notable figures for Good Smile Company, including Rin Tohsaka, Junko Hattori, Shinobu Oshino, and Homura Akemi – an impressive list. Does that mean that this figure is the equal of his previous work?
In a word, no, but that’s not an unqualified “no.” That’s not really the sculptor’s fault; this figure’s major issue is jagged paintwork, and even that’s difficult to strongly critique as it’s not easy to see those flaws with the bare eye. For example, the white outlining of her swimsuit isn’t applied with great care, nor is the silver paint on the cross affixed to her choker, but to be fair, those swimsuit straps are maybe a millimeter wide and that cross isn’t much larger. None of those issues are going to be visible under normal observation.
The thing I like the best about this figure is its obvious sense of personality. That’s not something that’s always evident amongst swimsuit figures; many such figures are basically just trying to look happy and sexy. Retia, however, isn’t the least bit concerned with looking hot; instead, she’s depicted in an authoritative stance while barking out orders. She effects a commanding, imposing presence, conveying a sense of power and leadership that wholly contrasts with her sexy look.
Retia is wearing a tiny low-rise string bikini – a fantastic alternative to her usual uniform. Featuring an attractive black-and-white gloss finish, it does a great job showing off her body. It also appears to be a couple sizes too small, as the waistband is noticeably pinching into her hips. Retia has a very attractive body sculpt, with long, slender legs, a tiny waist, and a very nice butt, and her outfit complements it perfectly.
She’s got some straps encircling her thighs and upper arms. Many figures use such straps to disguise limb detachment points for removing clothes, but that’s not necessary with Retia since she’s obviously not wearing many clothes. Rather, they’re there for aesthetic purposes, and I think they look pretty sexy. The way they pinch her skin gives her body a sense of softness and femininity which adds to her appeal.
Although she’s wearing this sexy bikini rather than her uniform, Retia is still the supreme leader of her nation and so she’s wearing this military hat. The jaunty tilt of her hat gives an impression of saucy, fashionable boldness. One odd thing about it is that it’s removable, being that it attaches to her head with a peg. However, it’s attached rather loosely, and there’s a big hole in her head for that peg, so there’s no real point in removing it.
I really like the determined, angry expression on her face. It perfectly reflects her personality and provides another contrast to her near-nudity. I also like the way her hair is splayed out behind her. Her hair features subtle shading and skillful sculpting, giving it a sense of depth and detail that might not be expected in a Kaitendoh figure.
Another thing I like is her wideset stance. Her pose emphasizes the length and slenderness of her legs and emphasizes her dominating comportment.
In fact, aside from the mediocre detailing along her bikini straps, there are a lot of things that I like about this figure. I really like Retia’s pose, her presence, and her sexiness. She’s got an attractive body, a very nice ass, and a great expression. I think the only thing I’d really have preferred to be different would have been to make her bigger, since she’s rather small for a 1/8 scale figure. But despite that, I’m happy with the way Retia turned out, and it’s great to see a figure maker selling figures of characters from H-games; they used to be staples of figure manufacturers but nowadays, it seems like most of them have turned away from eroge. I’m glad Kaitendoh has not and I’m looking forward to Mikado.
If anyone wants to see it, here’s the opening video and song for Daiteikoku.
And here’s a CG of Retia in one of her darker times. I thought she looked pretty cute here.
Here’s Retia and Rin Tohsaka, both from the same sculptor. Quality-wise, they look just like each other, no? … Okay, maybe not.
I was tempted to get her when I saw her, mostly “for teh lulz” but I also thought she looked rather decent from promo shots… but being from a source I am unfamiliar with, and getting more strict with my buying, I passed on her. I kind of regret it, but I can live without her.
I dig the shoot. Very simple, and fitting backdrop, and your use of light (even if largely the same angle, space restrictions on the set?). Throwing Rin in is a nice touch too, since I have her so it gives me a real sense of her size.
If the game were translated, I’d give it a go. I’m not offended by things very easily, especially when it comes to nationalistic stuff since I generally think nationalism and patriotism are idiocy. But, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, as I never really do for eroge. I only check them out occasionally for a laugh, really. Most recently “My Girlfriend is the President” was some hilarity.
Yeah, space was restricted, though it always is. I had a tough time with this one (I think the shot count was around 240 photos, which is about double what I usually take). I don’t think I really put enough thought into how large the flag backdrop should be, and when I shot it straight-on, the flag tended to disappear since Retia is so short. Retia herself presented a lot of problems; her hair really hangs into her eyes and that makes it tough to get enough light onto her face, which is always where I’m looking when I’m judging focus and exposure (I notice that a lot of people don’t take care to light the eyes, and that’s always the first thing I try to do when I take figure pictures). Her outstretched arm also presents a problem since it’ll throw a shadow on her body if she’s lit from her left.
Daiteikoku is partially translated; unfortunately it doesn’t seem like the translation patch will ever be completed. It’s good enough to play, though; all the menus and a lot of the plot-critical text is translated. Most of the stuff still in moonrunes is just the sex text, and that stuff usually is just some variation of “OMG you’re putting it inside, it’s so big, unf unf” etc.
sounds interesting…I want to play the game XD
Oh she has no swastika symbol, surprise… Well WWII was a dark chapter in history, but for me there’s nothing wrong with some parody about it. I wouldn’t demonize a figure just because she has Adolf as name.
I like the design of this figure, turned out better than expected. As you’ve said her hair is pretty and nicely sculpted. The striking blue eyes are a nice contrast to the yellow hair and bikini.
The bossy pose of her rocks and *wow* her body sculpting looks quite elaborate with some meat here and there, this butt is especially well done. Yeah she’s quite sexy with her black and white bikini, the hat makes her even sexier. I think a jacket under her arm would have given this figure a bit more presence overall.
*Damn* in that CG she’s wearing glasses, that detail would have convinced me 🙁
Anyway the pics are already enjoyable enough, I like 14 the most, a very good angle.
It’s a fun game! I heard that it’s not as well-regarded as Sengoku Rance, which I’d agree with, but I still enjoyed it, particularly since it reminded me a bit of some of the older ship strategy games I liked as a kid, like Star Control and the Ancient Art of War at Sea.
Yep, she has glasses; she also has a casual outfit in the CGs. And she appears to be wearing some sort of frilly lolita outfit when she, uhh, gets raped by some robots or something, should you choose that game mode. I think she might have the most outfits of any character in the game, though you probably won’t see them often.
hawt
I bought Retia as well. With such a deceptively simple outfit, her sculpt is really amazing. The artist managed to depict the tightly wound, disciplined energy of a military uniform without most of the uniform, demonstrated by everything from the drills in her hair, her arched/cocked pose, and the way the strings bite into her flesh.
Indeed! The sculptor did a fine job. Shame the manufacturing quality (and the overall size of the figure) can’t really match his workmanship. I wonder if he’s going to be working for Kaitendoh now? That’d be a bit odd, going from making some very high-profile and well-received GSC figures to a much less-known (and, it has to be said, less-respected) maker. But I like Daiteikoku so I’m not complaining.
The fuhrer is looking pretty nice here. The sculpt and pose of this figure is really well done and there is not much I don’t like about it. The only problem really being in that the paint quality isn’t the best.
She has a great ass and I like the side-boob detail, but my favorite aspect of her is the ultra small bikini and how it bites into her hips. Combined with the pose it really gives off an assertive sexual personality. I don’t know if she is like that in the game, but I envision her to be the one that leads in bed.
Hmm … as I recall, her sex scene comes at a difficult time in her life, so she mostly takes the receptive role (though part of that is also because the game’s protagonist is very much a lady’s man … though he’s not a rapist like the better-known Rance is). She generally is quite an assertive person who micromanages everything, though, which is probably a reflection of the way the real-life Hitler managed (or mismanaged) the war.
She kind of looks chunkier than I’d have imagined. Which is kind of an odd thing to say because she’s tiny and looks thin, yet chunky. And I still don’t understand how this is the same character.
A figure of her like this would have been better though imo. Even if they made her angry or assertive instead.
… What’s wrong with me, wanting more clothes over less…
She’s the galaxy’s #1 idol! That is one of her outfits that she wears to keep her nation’s morale up, since they are recovering from tough times.
Yeah, I’ve heard some people say they would have preferred her in her military outfit, and I don’t really disagree … in fact, I might have said something like that in a preorder post.
… Hmm, nope. Though I do like her uniform and wouldn’t mind seeing a figure of it, too. Especially with those awesome hooker boots. If someone did much such a figure, hopefully it’d be bigger than this one.
Just imagine the horrors that await you if Kaitendoh painted her uniform. Yah, one of the reasons I’m very glad this figure is in a bikini.
Given Alicesoft’s willingness to flip the bird at political correctness, I’m sort of surprised that swastikas don’t show up anywhere in Daiteikoku; Adolf’s uniform definitely looks SS-style but I sorta expected it to be emblazoned with swastikas and the double lightning-bolt runes. (That reminds me of a funny story I heard when I was in school; my roommate had a friend who married an Indian girl while in school, and their wedding venue was full of swastikas. He was telling me how one guest, who was sort of a country boy, was really taken by surprise by the decor.)
Oh, I was thinking more of the horrific paint defects since there’re more details to paint on an uniform.
History repeats itself not because of a few uncensored arbitrary symbols, but because of people’s ignorance of humanity’s inherent flaws. I’ve met many in the Jewish community who understand and preach this, but unfortunately it is easier for most people to blame the icons and dismiss the evil within. Such is the story of sheep and idols.
Ah, yes, true. It might not be a pretty sight – though I do have one of Kaitendoh’s more-clothed figures right here (Last Exile’s Alvis). I ought to take her out of her box and take a look at her quality and see if she holds up; just like Adolf, she’s made by another highly-regarded sculptor.
True words. It is unfortunate that emotion so often overrides rationalism. (This thought may possibly be prompted by me wondering what the chances are of getting caught if I get these ero doujinshi at Mandarake that feature some quite underage-looking characters on their covers.)
Retia was one of those figures I was wavering on. In the end I decided not to pick her up and I’m still not 100% convinced I want her. I’d like to get her if I had unlimited space and monies. Alpha Max Ai Saeki is another figure who falls into this category, although she looks tempting from some of the initial photos I’ve seen of her.
I like Retias’ character design and she’s translated to figure form nicely. Her hair looks fantastic with all those layers and twirls. The hat is a neat little accessory which adds to her appeal. She’d look rather dull without it I think.
I love her bikini design – simple yet sexy. The glossy black and white lining are a really nice combination. Saying that her bikini bottom looks extremely tight. It looks as though it’s trying to crush her pelvis from top down angles. Her high heels are also quite nice. She must have a hard time walking what with the tight bikini and heels xD.
I’ve still to try these more “gameplay” focused VNs from Alice Soft. Sengoku Rance probably has more priority over Daiteikoku, but I hope to be able to play them both one day.
Yeah, Adolf is a figure that I wasn’t dying to get and since she’s pretty small, isn’t one that’s up there in my personal figure rankings. Ai Saeki though, she looks pretty good. I should review her soon.
She does look a bit bare without the hat; it adds a lot of flair to her design. It’s like the crookedness of it balances her look. She does suffer a bit for her nation and I guess the discomfort of a hip-squeezing bikini bottom is just one more thing she has to endure.
Daiteikoku was not well-received by gamers, it seems, though I enjoyed it a lot. I’d say Sengoku Rance is probably the better place to start, since it’s a better game with more replay value (in my opinion) and of course, it’s fully translated, while Daiteikoku’s translation seems to be on hiatus. Daiteikoku does have one big advantage in that the game window can be freely resized, whereas Sengoku Rance is stuck at either 800×600 or fullscreen, which looks odd on widescreen monitors.
She’s a cutie. It looks like her leg bands are cutting off the blood supply to her calves, though!
Indeed! The fuhrer must suffer for the sake of her people. She does indeed suffer a bit of a breakdown in the game, and her choice of swimsuit probably isn’t helping her health.
Bought the repaint color version, unfortunately just before the prices started to drop. It’s a great sculpt. Love that curvy tummy, the panties digging into her flesh, and her bummy which “stands out”, literally and figuratively. Paint job on the panties could have been a bit more accurate though, something which is fortunately relatively easy to touch up. Notice some inaccuracies in yours too.
Yeah, the paint wasn’t the sharpest. I’ve got Mikado here too and I haven’t yet taken her out of her box, but I’m guessing her paintwork won’t be stellar, either. This reminds me that I ought to photograph her one of these days.
Yup, the painting was also in sharp contrast with these two other figures I got from Kaitendoh/Lechery: http://myfigurecollection.net/item/144503 (I may have mentioned her here before) and the really cute http://myfigurecollection.net/item/147774 with nice anatomical detail as well (read my comments over there).
Yeah, it probably doesn’t help that Adolf is a pretty small figure, too. I’m not too surprised that they are inconsistent; I have their Alvis Hamilton figure around here somewhere and I wouldn’t be surprised if its paint job isn’t that stellar, either.