Tag Archives: 1/8 scale

Naoe Kanetsugu from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls

written on March 5, 2012 by Tier

Alter is one of the most well-respected figure makers in the hobby, and they have a diverse product portfolio that encompasses a huge variety of properties. There are a few franchises that they seem to particularly prize – in particular, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Strike Witches, and Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls. One could make a good argument that Samurai Girls doesn’t deserve figures of this quality but although the show is quite terrible, the character designs are, at least, fairly pleasing to the eye. They’ve trickled out over the last few years, and though Alter seems committed to making figures of all of the show’s characters, they’ve shown little of the alacrity that they evince with chucking out Strike Witches figures, who seem to get a new one every few months. Nonetheless, the newest one is Naoe Kanetsugu, an evidently happy young girl who carries a very big stick.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, Alter, Figures, hammer, hyakka ryouran samurai girls, naoe kanetsugu, Review | 40 Comments

Alice from Queen’s Gate (Designer’s Color Version) (NSFW)

written on February 29, 2012 by Tier

If I remember right, Alice was one of the first Queen’s Gate characters, if not the very first. While the characters of the Queen’s Gate series are, for the most part, licensed from existing properties, I think Alice was an original design contributed by Nitroplus artist NiÎ¸. However, even though she’s a relative unknown in a lineup stocked with famous characters from fighting games and anime, Alice is no less loved by figure makers – she’s represented in the hobby by no fewer than six figures. Her first figure – reviewed at HappySoda and foo-bar-baz – sported light green hair; a second version had white hair and the third version – which is this figure – has black hair. Alice also got three versions of her as a rather buxom grown-up character; as I understand it, that’s one of her combat moves. Or somesuch. Although it’s a bit out of character for me, I like this loli-style figure better. Let’s take a look at it.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, alice, Alpha Omega, Figures, gun, loli, megahouse, panties, queen's gate, Review | 47 Comments

Senhime from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls (Queen’s Gate Version) (NSFW)

written on January 28, 2012 by Tier

Numerous figures of the Queen’s Gate characters have been released, offering different takes on the characters depending on the artist that illustrated the respective game book. The Queen’s Gate version of Senhime, however is rather unusual in that she has no game book; her appearance is based off of a single illustration by the artist Yoshikazu Miwa. Perhaps better known by his doujin circle name Synthetic Garden, I’ve been a fan of his art for a long time, particularly because his work encompasses themes like tentacle hentai, girls in bondage, and girls with big breasts. He seems an unlikely choice to provide a Queen’s Gate illustration, particularly one of a character like Sen Tokugawa, and the resulting figure is one that comprises an unusual synthesis that is much more about his style and much less about the anime character.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, Figures, hentai, hyakka ryouran samurai girls, leotard, queen's gate, Review, senhime, spear | 31 Comments

Lacia from BEATLESS

written on January 10, 2012 by Tier

One of the first anime figures I ever bought was Alpha’s Motoko Kusanagi Hard Disk Version. It’s cheaply-made and primitive by today’s standards, and it’s not a scale-size figure, but even so, I still like it, mainly because I like the character design. Scantily-clad female combat androids are a staple of science fiction anime and video games and, having grown up on that stuff, it’s a theme I like a lot. I hesitated for just a moment on ordering Lacia, since Good Smile Company sold this figure only through their online store and I always consider twice when it comes to paying for a figure up-front. However, after seeing her preview pictures, I felt that this was going to be a fine figure, and now that it’s here, my esteem for Lacia has only grown.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, beatless, Figures, Good Smile Company, lacia, leotard, Review | 38 Comments

Miku Append from Vocaloid

written on December 11, 2011 by Tier

Miku Hatsune’s popularity among figure collectors is ascendant, and though it seemed like she would have to share the 2011 hobby spotlight with Tamaki Kousaka and Super Sonico, most of Sonico’s figures won’t be coming out until next year and many of this year’s Tamaki figures are manifestly forgettable, leaving no competition to contest Miku’s prominence. From her humble origin as an image character of a niche software package, she has become a titan of commercialization, appearing not only in her own games but also games such as Pangya Fantasy Golf and the PlayStation 3 port of Idolmaster 2, becoming the mascot of Good Smile Racing, and selling Toyota automobiles. And of course, she’s gotten figures – not just numerous figures, but a numerous variety of figures. A few years ago, one could justifiably complain that Miku figures all looked alike – Good Smile Company’s Miku looked very much like Volks’s Miku which looked very much like Max Factory’s Miku. However, in recent times, figure makers have offered new takes on the Vocaloid mascot, casting her as a sort of warrior clad in robotic armor and as a pit crew worker. Even more conventional takes on the character, such as Good Smile Company’s Lat-type figure and Max Factory’s Tony Taka-designed figure present distinctive poses and facial expressions. The latest Miku figure to be released is perhaps the most distinctive yet, but whether that’s a good thing is debatable. Let’s take a closer look at it.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, Figures, leotard, Max Factory, miku hatsune, Review, vocaloid | 51 Comments

Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur IV (Queen’s Gate Version)

written on November 22, 2011 by Tier

Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur Figure Review

There ought to be more figures of fighting game characters, and of the fighting game characters who deserves figures, Ivy Valentine should be near the top of the list. She has one of the most easily-identifiable designs in fighting games, she is one of the mainstays of one of the best fighting game franchises in existence, and yet, only three or four figures have ever been made of her, and one of those is from Todd McFarlane’s toy company. Fortunately for Ivy fans, Hobby Japan has recently shipped a brand new figure of her as part of their Queen’s Gate figure lineup. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as good as one might have hoped for.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, Figures, hobby japan, ivy valentine, leotard, Review, soul calibur, sword, thong | 41 Comments

Sasara Kusugawa from To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers (Paladin Version)

written on November 16, 2011 by Tier

Volks Sasara Kusugawa Paladin Figure Review

Despite not being particularly religious, I always like to play as a paladin in role-playing games. I’ve always admired the ethos of the paladin: the self-sacrificing knight devoted to justice and charity. My party leader in the Bard’s Tale games was always a paladin. My Baldur’s Gate parties always had two paladins – my player character and Ajantis in the first game and Keldorn in the second. I played a paladin in EverQuest despite the hindrance of the hybrid experience penalty. I stayed away from World of Warcraft for years because I was told that paladins were only good for healing and I didn’t care to spend my game time staring at a CTRaid status window while mindlessly spamming the Decursive key (I wound up doing that after I bought the game, anyway). When Volks announced that their Sasara figure was called the “paladin” version, my curiosity was piqued, and when I saw the promo pictures, my interest was confirmed. I had some slight misgivings because Volks’s Moekore figures tend to not feature the cleanest production quality, but I figured Sasara looked good enough that I wouldn’t care. I figured correctly, because pally Sasara is a very impressive figure indeed.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, armor, Figures, Review, sasara kusugawa, sword, to heart 2, to heart 2: dungeon travelers, volks | 34 Comments

Strength from Black Rock Shooter (Animation Version)

written on November 2, 2011 by Tier

Good Smile Company Strength from Black Rock Shooter Figure Review

As we get older, it seems that time moves quicker and the world changes more rapidly. However, there are some constants that do not change. Death and taxes are among the less comforting, but for figure collectors, there are at least two happy certainties: Good Smile Company will continue to make exceptional figures of the Black Rock Shooter characters, and those exceptional figures will invariably find their way into Amiami’s bargain bin. I initially waffled on preordering Strength and then decided to pass on her. However, after seeing some reviews of the figure, I changed my mind and thought about buying it for full price. I felt a price cut was likely, though, and the maxim that good things come to those who wait sometimes holds true in figure collecting – more so with the BRS stuff. So it happened that Strength got her price slashed by more than half; not quite the 2,500 yen or so that Black Rock Shooter herself went for, but still a very welcome discount.
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, black rock shooter, Figures, Good Smile Company, Review, strength | 23 Comments

Yukino Hongou from Kowaku no Toki (NSFW)

written on October 28, 2011 by Tier

Giga Pulse Yukino Hongou from Kowaku no Toki Figure Review

Having owned this figure for some months now, I ponder whether I want to take pictures of it and write a post about it. I don’t think it’s a good idea, because it is not a very good figure and comes from subject material of very questionable taste. However, nobody has ever charged me or this website with possessing good taste, and there is a notable dearth of discussion regarding Giga Pulse figures on the web. As I make my decision, I hear a voice in my head …
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Posted in Figure Review | Tagged 1/8 scale, Figures, Giga Pulse, hentai, kowaku no toki, Review, tier has gone bonkers, tinkerbell, yukino hongou | 67 Comments

Sigui from Queen’s Blade Rebellion (Excellent Model Limited Version) (NSFW)

written on October 23, 2011 by Tier

A holy woman and an inquisitor, Sigui’s official bio says that she is not a cruel person and is generally a good woman, and also that she enjoys burning heretics. Indeed, the slaughter of those people whose beliefs diverge from her own is her mission and she shows no hesitation or remorse in persecuting such people. But aside from her religious fanaticism – which basically comprises her entire life – she’s a good person. Yep.
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