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Top 5 Bishoujo Figures for 2009

AlternateSam — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:52:04 +0000

2009 has been a pretty good year for figure collectors especially in Singapore. Anime Fest Asia came and Danny Choo brought the Tokyo Figure Show out of Japan for the first time. The entire showcase of nendoroids as well as PVCs was stunning and I believe it was the first time a collection of such scale was displayed in Singapore for the public. The figure collection craze amongst the general public took off there and then and I can already see a thriving and rapidly growing community springing up in a few short months.

The top 5 figures for 2009 are of course purely based on my personal opinion. The only criteria is that it has to come out during the year 2009 so those which has been announced in 2009 but only released in 2010 will not be considered.

Ok, let’s start!

5. Native’s Kotone Banana Girl

This figure originated from a Tony Taka artwork which was then taken up by Native on a limited run. Fairly hard to get and only if you are willing to ship it from Japan. Very good details and a coquettish yet sensual face at the same time. Comes with the banana, desk and fully castoff-able clothes. Potentially a very very interesting photoshoot subject.

For more pictures of this figure, please take a look here.

4. Alter’s Yoko Littner

Definitely one of my favourite PVC purchase for 2009, the Alter’s version of Yoko Littner comes with a detailed, sculpted base with Yoko bearing pistols as well as a wind-swept jacket. A more mature themed Yoko but very very well-made nonetheless. Can’t find any obvious flaws and her resolute expression on her face coupled with the pose of her with her rifle make this a MUST-GET for any TTGL fans. For my short review, please click here.

Gallery of Yoko Littner.

3. Goodsmile’s Haruhi + Mikuru + Yuki Extravaganza Version Set

This is technically 3 figures but the entire collection is a set so I’m including it as a single figure. The set features a very dynamic trio with Haruhi on her electric guitar screaming passion, Yuki with her usual calmness on her guitar and the air-headed Mikuru with her tamborines. Besides the nicely made instruments, the details on them (note the creases on the jackets and the stocking linings on Haruhi) make this set very very hard to find after it was released. Prices started shooting up and I really regretted not pre-ordering it. Interestingly, many people commented that Mikuru looks like a potential leaner but it turned out to be a false alarm which was a hugh relief.

Gallery of Haruhi, Yuki & Mikuru.

2. GoodSmile’s Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~

No surprises here. This was one that many Saber fans were waiting for the entire year and turned many non-Saber fans into one. The dynamic pose, the fierce expression, the subtle tonal shadings and the elegant base. What more can you ask for? Best Saber figure in years, and probably ever.

More of the Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~ figure at the gallery over at AkibaHobby

1. GoodSmile’s BLACK ROCK SHOOTER

Hands up if anyone, ANYONE, finds this a surprise. This made it into year 2009 barely by the skin of the teeth, launching on the 23th of December and only available in stores around the 28th of December onwards due to the Christmas break.

With all the rave reviews going about the internet, I guess it would be extremely sycophantic and redundant to even review the entire figure for the 9000th time. Just look at the cannon, the scar on the belly, the flame eye and of course, the marvelous detailed base and marvel at how far PVC figures have progressed ever since they started being produced. Paired with a careful touch of the paintbrush, this figure will no doubt be a classic in the PVC world.

When it was first shown unpainted, people have already started remarking about how fantastic it would be and how detailed it was. And when the pre-order was open, everyone in the know just started rubbing their hands in anticipation. After months of delay, this was finally released as the year was winding down. And I bet not a single one of them was disappointed by the end result or the waiting time after holding this in their hands.

Awesome gallery of Black Rock Shooter over here at Happysoda. I have been following his site for the longest time as he continues to amaze me with his stuff.

And there you go, my top 5 bishoujo figures for the year 2009! GoodSmile is certainly well on its way to world domination by the looks of things!

Pictures courtesy of Goodsmile.info, akibahobby.net, polyvinylcrush.com & happysoda.com

GSC’s Index Announced!

AlternateSam — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:06:23 +0000

Good Smile has announce the pre-ordering of Index from To Aru Majutsu no Index. Quite a nice figure but a plain base and nothing fantastic in the design/sculpting. I guess the production issues with all their new fancy bases must be giving them a ton of headache.

A must-get for all Index’s fans but otherwise, I can safely assume you will give it a miss. Pre-orders will start 17th November, tomorrow. You can expect to get it at the usual places, including HobbyLink Japan and HobbySearch.

Index
Release Date: Mar 2010
Scale: 1/8th scale – approximately 190mm in height
Price: 7,800 Yen

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Pictures via goodsmile.info

Alphard PVC pictures

AlternateSam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:06:18 +0000

More pictures of Alphard figure out! All of them look stunning and I can only guess when will they be ready for the market, given all the recent troubles Good Smile has with deadlines etc.

The sculpt looks really good and this is just a 1st print, meaning the final sculpt and finish will probably be slightly different/better. The slight bit of problem I see in the hair area will probably be fixed by then. The base is top-notch like most of their current figure releases pre-orders. I wonder how much effort it takes to produce them in the factories.

Overall, another affirmation of my decision to go ahead with the pre-order of the Alphard PVC figure and I know it will pair up sweetly with Canaan’s PVC figure. Just look at their combined bases!

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For more of those stunning pictures, visit AkibaHobby here!

Pictures via akibahobby.net

The Fast, the Furious and the Fake Saber Lily!!

AlternateSam — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:11:03 +0000

I think most of the people who know about the Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~ PVC by Goodsmile will have known that it was just released just a few days ago. While I did not order one, I felt it was a wonderful piece of work with fantastic craftsmanship to boot. Regrettably, some bootleggers have already come up with an imitation PVC of this figure. Here’s a quick guide to show you the differences, courtesy of Goodsmile.

Those bootleggers are pretty good themselves, making an imitation of such a well-crafted figure and releasing it just as Goodsmile released the original, probably to confuse those who are not well-versed in spotting fakes. Not that I blame those who fell for the fakes as some of them are quite well done and even passable for the real thing at times. Goodsmile Company predictably, reacted very fast and came out with the update on their webpage to condemn them and showcase the differences as soon as they learn about the issue.

RED / Left is genuine while BLUE / Right is fake

The genuine version comes with the Good Smile Company sticker as well as another sticker.

The printing on the fake is pretty awful as you can see for yourself. The color is also slightly off as if it was photocopied, which it probably is. ^^

There is an holographic sticker on the back for the genuine box.

For the actual figure itself apart from the box, there are 3 tell-tale signs.

Firstly, the base. Pretty obvious once you compare both of them. One comes with Fate / Unlimited Codes and the other without. The shade of the gray is different as well.

The connector that joins the left hand to the scabbard is also of a different color. The authentic one is clear while the imitation is black.

Lastly, the angle of the head and the ahoge is totally off for the fake. It does however, look alot like Yami from To Love-Ru from this angle. It could just be me though but maybe fans of Yami-chan could do well to take note. ^^

Personally as a collector, I feel there is no point getting a fake. It just decreases the perception of the original figures which you already have just by having a fake in the midst. If you can’t afford the original, maybe save up and hope to get it another day rather than spend your money on a fake which you know will never replace the real stuff.

Also, I feel its good to support the company which release such excellent figures by purchasing their items. But by purchasing bootlegs, you are just feeding the bootleggers who obviously do not pay any copyrights etc to the respective copyright holders. On a larger scale, this will just decrease the motivation of the companies to release such well-crafted figures since they know that people will just end up buying the bootleg copy instead and this will be terrible for the entire market.

On a brighter note, if you want to take a look at the original Saber Lily, head over to AkiraHobby here where there is a fantastic gallery and review of the figure. Terrific work by Goodsmile Company here, can’t wait for Black Rock Shooter

Pictures via Goodsmile.info & akibahobby.net

Di:Stage Extension Set 2

AlternateSam — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:36:04 +0000

Need a case for your figmas? Max Factory has a solution for you and its out in December 2009. Cost will be around 743 Yen and you can order them at either Hobbysearch or at HobbyLink Japan.

FREEing Ex:Ride

AlternateSam — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:56:16 +0000

Ex:ride is a set of vehicles created to be used by the figures in Max Factory’s figma action figure series.

Vehicles that can be ridden by the figma series of figures are on their way, brought to you by FREEing. The first in the new ‘ex:ride’ series are a set of Italian-style vintage bikes. There are a total of five colors to choose from – pearl white, metallic red, metallic green, metallic yellow and metallic blue, so you can pick whichever suits your figma the best!

All the vehicles in the series will have careful details on all their designs, and allow for even more possibilities from the figma world. Many more vehicles are scheduled to be announced soon!

Personally, I think the design is pretty good and the bright colors really stunning. Might actually get a couple just to pose my figmas on them. They are all rather quirky and add a nice touch to the backdrop.

You can make your pre-orders at HobbySearch here.

ex:ride Vintage Bikes
Release Date: Dec 2010
Scale: Not to scale
Price: 1,410 Yen

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Pictures via Hobbysearch

K-On! Release by Wave

AlternateSam — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:46:23 +0000

Wave has just released both these K-On! characters for pre-orders in homage to the beach scene in the show. Yay to fan-service! ^_^

Mio fanboys will undoubtedly be overjoyed when they finally lay their hands on a bikini version of their goddess. Me, I think both these figures look moe and the price is pretty awesome as well, almost the cost of a nendoroid. Its rare nowadays that you can find a PVC at this price point, especially for a popular series.

Yui looks rather awkward at first but she sorts of grow on you with her pose and her ‘friendliness’. As for the Mio figure, she’s just being herself with her shyness and her coy facial expressions.

However, I find the paintwork somewhat lacking, especially in the head region. Both heads look rather badly painted and they look kind of odd. You can see for yourself how the hair looks like one badly molded lump of plastic with horrible joint-lines to boot. However, this could just be due to them being pre-release pictures. The final products might be much much better with an overhaul of the molding design etc. Not a must-get for me in any case as I do not really like them in their swimsuits. If, and a very big IF, Azusa-nyan comes along with this set, I might be sorely tempted.

Truth be told, I’m still holding out for the ED PVCs ^^ Will give these 2 a good thought though, the Yui figure beckons me oh so often…

Both of them are available for pre-order at HLJ and HobbySearch.

Hirasawa Yui Wave Version (PVC Figure)
Release Date: Dec 2009
Scale: 1/10
Price: 3,800 Yen
HLJ / Hobby Search

Akiyama Mio Wave Version (PVC Figure)
Release Date: Dec 2009
Scale: 1/10
Price: 3,800 Yen
HLJ / Hobby Search

Pictures via HobbySearch & konachan.com

Pre-order for Alphard Nendoroid Out

AlternateSam — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:21:07 +0000

Alphard nendoroid is out for pre-order. Goodsmile is apparently not letting up its hunt for our wallets…

To add to the multitudes of figures released or will be released by Goodsmile in the coming months, Alphard from Type-Moon’s Canaan join the ranks of the nendoroids.

Alphard comes with a grinning face, a calm face and an angry face, presumably when she’s fighting with Canaan. She has a revolver as well, similar to the Canaan nendoroid.

I say she does look great when paired up with the Canaan nendoroid in a battle scene. A must get if you already ordered the Canaan nendoroid. Otherwise, it boils down to whether you like the character design or not. Canaan is a pretty good, action-packed anime but its essentially Type-Moon to the core. Some people will like it while others can’t even sit through 15 minutes of it.

Preorders are open at Hobbysearch here and at HLJ here.

Nendoroid Alphard
Release Date: Jan 2010
Scale: Not to scale – approximately 100mm in height
Price: 3,500 Yen

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Pictures via Goodsmile.info & Hobbysearch

More di:stages!!

AlternateSam — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:56:50 +0000

Just came back with more di:stages! Not all of them are for me though.

No related posts.

Canaan Figma

AlternateSam — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:57:13 +0000

Max Factory has opened the Canaan figma for pre-orders.

She comes with a gun and sugar sticks, same as the nendoroid. Three expressions are included – a normal face, a smiling face as well as an angry face. The included pistol is fitted with a sliding mechanism to recreate the scenes when Canaan reloads her weapon. Additional parts are included and can be attached to the pistol to give the effect of a firing pistol. A poseable figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

Personally, I think this will look great on the di:stage…you can have a mass shootout with Canaan, Makina Hohimura and maybe even Shana with her flame sword.

You can pre-orders yours at HobbySearch today.

figma Canaan
Release Date: Nov 2009
Price: 2,500 Yen

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Di:Stage

AlternateSam — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:48:22 +0000

Bought 4 black di:stage to test out on my figmas. It works pretty well and it looks like I can save some space….
Planning to get more soon. ^^

Alter’s Yui Pre-order Out

AlternateSam — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:58:40 +0000

Alter announced the release of Yui PVC for pre-order today.

Yui was just released for pre-orders to complement the one released of Mio about 2 weeks ago. Her electric guitar looks pretty detailed and the paintwork is excellent as expected from an Alter’s PVC. The only drawback I can see is that it looks a potential leaner with the weight all balanced on the ankle of her left leg. I supposed they will have to find a way to prevent the leaning from occurring.

You can pre-orders yours at either HobbyLink Japan or HobbySearch.

Hirasawa Yui Alter Ver. (PVC Figure)
Release Date: Dec 2009
Scale: 1/8
Price: 6,800 Yen

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Vocaloid Nendoroid Petite Announced

AlternateSam — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:22:23 +0000

Goodsmile has announced this entire series of nendoroid petite featuring characters from the Vocaloid family.

The entire series will feature not only the popular Hatsune Miku, but also Kaito, Meiko, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin and Len.

Included as well are the lesser known fan-made Vocaloids, Neru Akita, Meiko Sakine, Haku Yowane and Saihate Miku. There is also 1 secret character who I think might either be Black Rock Shooter or World-is-Mine Miku.

I got this feeling the entire set will be heavily pre-ordered and any set which manage to hit the retail stores will be sold within 72 hours. That’s how popular the nendoroid petite line is. Aided by the popularity of the Vocaloids, especially those that do not have many existing merchandise, sales gonna hit through the roof for this.

Nendoroid Petite: Vocaloid #01
Release Date: Nov 2009
Price: 500 Yen each

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Pictures via Goodsmile.info & akibahobby.net

Max Factory Casual-Wear Saber and Shirou Emiya Figma

AlternateSam — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:16:54 +0000

Max Factory has announced the release of Casual-wear Saber and Shirou Emiya figmas. Both look a refreshing change from their usual armor-clad versions.

Casual-wear Saber comes with a pair of chopsticks and a rice bowl as well as the usual various handparts to hold them. Face-wise, there’s an upset one, a smiling one and a meditating one. A bokken is also included as an accessory and the figma comes with an additional lower body part to enable her to sit on her knees. I really like the bokken as its a pretty unique weapon accessory on a figma. Afterall, any figma with weapons will look pretty good as their joints allow for action poses. I guess the extra lower body part will be something like figma San Seto’s tail and being the first figma to be able to sit properly gives it extra must-get points.

figma Saber: Casual ver.
Release Date: Oct 2009
Price: 2,500 Yen

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Shirou comes with the normal neutral face as well as a grinning one. The 2 blades, Kanshou and Bakuya are included along with Berserker’s battle-axe and Archer’s left arm. With this number of great accessories, its a must-buy for anyone who likes figmas or the Fate Stay/Night series! Besides, both figmas will look great together as a set. One without the other will be quite strange as their fate are so intertwined with each other.

figma Shirou Emiya: Casual ver.
Release Date: Oct 2009
Price: 2,800 Yen

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Pictures via Goodsmile.info

Canaan 1/8 PVC and Nendoroid

AlternateSam — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:03:53 +0000

Goodsmile has opened pre-orders for the 1/8 Canaan PVC and Nendoroid. The character is from the Type-Moon’s anime of the same name. All the pictures are in here!

The base on the 1/8 PVC is fantastic and it sure looks like more and more figures are moving into a sculpted base instead of a generic plastic circle one as in the past. A step in the right direction as it makes an absolute statement piece on your shelf or display case.

The dynamic modeling of the PVC makes it stand out, with Canaan diving one direction and her cloak going the other as if she was jumping out from the side. Her pose with her hands fixed firmly on her handgun shows her displaying ultimate concentration as she sets her sight on her target in front.

Canaan 1/8 PVC
Release Date: Jan 2010

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On the other hand, �the Canaan Nendoroid shows her concentrating in a cute chibi sort of way. Same attire and roughly the same pose, but in the super-deformed modelling which GoodSmile knows we can’t resist. She comes with a leather sling-on holster as well as the sugar candy stick which she loves.

Canaan Nendoroid
Release Date: Dec 2009

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