AlternateSam.com » PVC

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

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!

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

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

GoodSmile Shiki

AlternateSam — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:49:22 +0000

I finally found this figure of Shiki made by GoodSmile Company. It was sold out pretty fast when it was released late last year. I guess even GSC themselves didn’t realize what a hit they had on their hands.

The highlight of this figure got to be the kimono worn by Shiki. While not being made of fabric, it looked very realistic under some lighting. The details on the kimono look fantastic as well.

The base is plain and unadorned. I think the overall theme of this figure is just simple and dignified class with a hint of flair. The base fits right in as it doesn’t take away anything from the figure but adds on to it in an unstated manner.

The katana have some delicate etchings on it, especially on the hilt guard. Its rather fragile though so I’ll advise people to handle it with care. Overall, a very nice piece for display.

Pictures of the Shiki figure:

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

Galactic Fairy Sheryl Nome has Arrived!

AlternateSam — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:56:50 +0000

The Galactic Fairy has touched down! Go grab your ticket before it sells out and remember to get her autograph!!!

I missed out on her pre-order back in May and when this came out yesterday, I sourced around immediately and found one at Rapid Culture for SGD 115. Quite a reasonable price which even beat La Tendo’s pre-order price!

Anyway, the main focus is on the excellent sculpting on the Sheryl Nome’s PVC. The paintwork is excellent as well, on par with the best of Alter’s productions. This might not be such a surprise if you know that Alpha x Omega is a collaboration between Alter and Megahouse.

The figure is semi-castoff, in the sense that there are ‘2′ costumes, the normal blue concert attire and a stripped down black bandeau bra set which is the ‘default’ costume. You can’t go any ‘lower’ beyond this level which is a pity because the entire thing is so well sculpted that you want to see what she looks like when fully cast off ^^

In terms of accessories, she comes with a flaming-red suspenders which you can attach to her black hot pants as well as 2 microphone – one with a whip and one without. Her arms are changeable between the ones which match the blue cloak and a pair which has black gloves but bare otherwise.

The blue hat which matches the more elaborate blue uniform is removable so you can pose her with or without her hat, just don’t lose it! Her hair is semi-translucent pink which is just enough to make it stand out against the deep blue of her uniform. The color contrast is what make this figure so good. Lastly, the stand which she is on has Sheryl’s autograph on it on the underside, probably to prevent anyone from accidentally scratching it. All in all, its a very sweet touch to complete the great package!

Currently, looking at this wonderful piece of art, I’m sorely tempted to get the complete set which includes Klan Klang and Ranka. I know that Klan Klang is another fantastic piece of work and if the Ranka figure is anything near those 2, she will no doubt be brilliant as well. What do you think?

Pictures of the Sheryl Nome figure:

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

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

Pictures via Goodsmile.info

Yoko Littner 1/8 PVC

AlternateSam — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:51:22 +0000

Its out and what a beauty it turned out to be! Here are the photographs I promised. Really happy that I stuck with this Pre-order for so long.

The details on her is amazing. The pistol that was attached separately had amazingly fine details on it. Her cloak had bullet holes etched and have dirt scruff marks which just made the entire thing looked extremely realistic. The figurine’s stand is out of the world with the details, one of the best I ever seen for figurines’ stands, when they are usually just a flat dull plastic.

This one, on the other hard, blended perfectly into with the figure and can be said to be really part of the background, not just a generic stand. It looks like this is the trend that the better PVC figurines companies are following nowadays as the GoodSmile Black Rock Shooter figurine looks to have a similar ultra-realistic stand as well.

One of the best PVC figurine I have ever seen and one of the highlights of my collection so far. Its so good that you can actually spend hours just looking at it and admiring the workmanship.

Loot of the Day

AlternateSam — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:28:08 +0000

Went to Mickelz_Hobby at Lucky Chinatown today around noon to collect my orders. A Megahouse Claymore No.47 Clare, a bust collection of claymore figures including Clare’s, Teresa’s, Miria’s and Deneve’s along with Priscilla’s and their respective silver unpainted version and lastly, a Seto San Figma.

I bought the lot at an incredibly great price so it was very worth it, especially given the excellent details and rarity of the Megahouse Claymore and the overall brilliance of the Claymore bust figures. On the flip side, my figure collection shelf is almost at its limits even after using those acrylic steps system. Will do a proper review when time permits.

Weekly Pilgrimage to Chinatown

AlternateSam — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:33:57 +0000

I took my weekly pilgrimage to China Square Central today afternoon but didn’t find anything remotely interesting at all. Quite disappointing. Went to Mickel’D clearance sale at Lucky Chinatown but it was abysmally boring with very few stuff on sale. And to think that there was a long snaking queue to get in and I waited about 40 minutes just to step inside.

Preordered a Hatsune Miku Figma from him though as I couldn’t resist it anymore. Besides, it was a great price but only arriving in May(!!!)

Then, it was off to Cityhall to collect my online purchase of these 2 PVC figurines. I got them at a good price and was quite happy to be able to find them, especially the Saber/Zero as I was on the verge of ordering it from HobbyLink Japan when I saw it for sale online.

It was a rainy day & was stranded at cityhall for an hour or so. But still, it made the night very cooling.

Pictures from Goodsmile.com

Alter’s Yoko Littner vs Kotobukiya’s Yoko

AlternateSam — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:38:25 +0000

I’m really having a hard time deciding between these 2 figures that were just released for pre-orders. Both looked great but I do not want to have 2 similarly-sized Yokos competing for attention on my shelf.

The Alter’s version is Yoko in her ‘dream’ life as a bounty hunter on a normal world. Whereas, the Kotobukiya’s Yoko is Yoko with Boota, 2 different faces and 3 different hair clips.

Have a look yourself. What do you think? Me, I’m now slightly partial towards Alter’s Yoko Littner mainly due to their usual excellence in paintwork. However, the number of accessories that the Kotobukiya’s Yoko comes with is so tempting!

Alter’s Yoko Littner.

Kotobukiya’s Yoko

Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan

AlternateSam — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:22:42 +0000

The pre-orders for this figure are out and I got to say it looks really nice. Retailing at 7,800 yen which is very reasonably for something of this scale and quality. The Alter figurine here is well-painted as usual and I’m very tempted to get it.

Another picture of it, this time a full-body shot.

Meanwhile, I have already ordered this from BT a few weeks ago.

Hopefully I can collect the Yoko Nendoroid when it reaches next week although it might encounter some delays as usual. Looks like another great work from GSC.

Yoko Theme Song
TTGL Theme Song: Libera Me from Hell