I have nothing against male anime figures but I only have 3 of them (2 scales and 1 nendo), making them about 5% of my collection. Mainly because not many get made in the first place, but on top of that most that do get made are of characters I either don't really care about or just don't look very interesting.
I don't recognize the one you're getting but riding a dinosaur is pretty rad lol (looks like DBZ artist?)
Was so close to pre ordering the Bulma too but this Goku has seriously been like my favorite Toriyama drawing since I was a kid. Trying to limit myself and not get caught down a slippery slope. I've seen how ridiculous it can get
Was so close to pre ordering the Bulma too but this Goku has seriously been like my favorite Toriyama drawing since I was a kid. Trying to limit myself and not get caught down a slippery slope. I've seen how ridiculous it can get
It is a really cool figure. I think I'm more excited for Bulma in part because I don't have any figures or anything for her whereas I already have a bunch of Goku stuff. Gonna try and get both though, money (and space) permitting!
As we come down to the wire for the end of 2014, I finally put together my Top 10 Figures of 2014 list!
First, my own special category - Giolon's 2013 Figure of 2014.
This award goes to my favorite figure of 2013 that I picked up this year in 2014.
Maouyuu Maou Yuusha Maou
*drool* Isn't she gorgeous? I had an opportunity to make her my own when I snagged her from an MFC user for $37. I always liked this figure, but it was so plain fo rhow much it cost. Well - you know what? She's more than worth the price I paid for her. She just looks so elegant and refined. You can display her with or without horns, but I prefer her with. The only thing missing from this figure is the mark of the Demon King. I don't know if it's all her "useless flesh" or what, but this figure weighs a ton.
Honorable Mention: Kill La Kill Ryuuko Matoi Senketsu Ver
This figure has some great linework, and a pretty good sculpt capturing the anime's style. It has just one problem: it's so goddamn un-photogenic. She only looks good from like two angles, pretty much all of them viewed from at or below the horizon. Sad times. I'm looking forward to Satsuki releasing next month so I can put the two together. One positive to her pose is that it mostly conceals the revealing nature of her outfit from most viewing angles.
As much as it pains me, Amazon is at the bottom of this list even though she's my favorite DC character. Why? She's too yellow. She looks a little bored. Her shading is a little heavy handed. That being said, her musculature is very nice (if not as exaggerated as in the game), and her hair is amazing!
9: Persona 4: Elizabeth - OMG she came out 12/23/13. I screwed up! But I'm leaving her here dammit!
From nowhere, this Ques Q figure of Elizabeth zoomed into our lives to rescue us from the horrible aftermarket prices of Alter's Elizabeth figure - and they made a better representation of her while they were at it! I can't love this figure enough, but then again, I can't love Elizabeth enough!
There's no hiding it - Sorceress has an enormous hat. She's also ridiculously well endowed to the point of comedy. But that's ok! We love her anyway. Megahouse did a very nice job capturing Sorceress's likeness, even if the pose they had to work with was kind of derpy. For all the attention that I'm sure is given to her front, she looks incredibly dynamic from behind
Dark skin is far too rare in anime characters, let alone figures. I love how it's often paired with light colored hair to make it stand out more. Muramasa comes with both a happy and a pouty face. I can't decide which one I like better. I'm also a huge fan of the Japanese kimono-inspired outfit.
This might just be the most photogenic figure I own. No matter how you position her or where you put your camera, you're almost guaranteed to get a great photo. It's kind of ridiculous actually.
ROFLMAOLOLOL. Are you serious? If you thought Sorceress had huge boobs, you haven't seen Mammon yet. Jesus Christ, there is absolutely nothing you can do to hide those things. And if you turn her around, she's got a nearly naked bum shoved in your face. As some of you will know, this figure resulted in one of my more embarrassing incidents just this past week. Fortunately, she's got plenty of other amazing qualities: the incredible gold inlay on a black outfit: thigh-highs w/ garters; a basket full of demon vegetables; a gorgeous face, and some absolutely gigantic horns. The only thing that could make her better for me is if she had hooves
Did you ever wonder why Luke married a former Sith? Have you see how good she looks in a bodysuit? HAVE YOU? Amazing transparent fiery hair, gorgeous rendition of a Shunya's face, hips that should be illegal, and legs that won't quit - Mara Jade is one of the best Bishoujo's Kotobukiya has released
Tharja is known (in the Japanese version anyway) for having the best body. She's also a complete stalker and obsessed with curses and hexes. She's just amazing. I'd have preferred a less sensual pose, but eh what can you do?
This might just be MegaHouse's second best release of all time (after Queen's Blade Risty). She's gorgeous, looking something more like you'd expect from Alter Quality wise. You start with the absolute spot on recreation of George Tamaki's facial style, move on to her flowing curly hair, the cute little squirrel on her shoulder, the individual arrows in her quiver, the dynamic pose, and then WTF is that white cone abomination you promised me it would be clear!? GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! YOU HAD ONE JOB!
This right here ladies and gentlemen is how you translate Yamashita Shunya's artwork to 3D, especially his facial style. Fiona's been sitting on my computer desk since the day she arrived, and I never get tired of looking at her. The delicate, lady-like sitting pose; the gold pattern on her thigh-high stockings; the (slightly) cleavage obscuring ruffle/cravat; the corset; the silky straight hair - I could go on and on about her for days. Do yourself a favor and add this beauty to your collection. You can even disregard the base if you need to save space.
Have not even played FE yet but from the pics, figure, and all her descriptions, she sounds exactly like my type of character. Would have totally bought her figure but like I said I have not even played the game so I don't know if I could commit the money for it realistically :/
I went back over the list of all the figures in my collection that released in 2014 so that I would be sure not to forget anything. The problem of recent releases being more prominent in peoples minds is something that plagues awards and top lists of all varieties. While Tharja wasn't quite #1 for me, she is way up there!
Suigintou's wings is a bitch to attach to her hair until I read a tip about placing one end of the joint against the hair hole, and then pressing the wing piece onto the other end of the joint. That made it easier to attach without damaging something.
She has the same problem as Shinku in that they both have sitting legs, but they can't actually properly sit because of their dress. Since Suigintou's sitting pose actually includes a separate skirt piece, it's a mystery why that skirt accommodates for the sitting legs, but didn't adjust the back part of her skirt so that she can sit on her butt. I still wanted them in their sitting pose though, but they're kinda floating on their skirt and toes.
That said I really like the characters, their outfits, and how they ended up looking as Nendoroids.
They both have a ton of parts and joints! Extra large bases too. Their armaments can twist and turn in many different ways. I really wanted to pose Kongo sitting on the chair, drinking tea, but ultimately chose for their battle pose.
Kongo's armament was a bit fiddly to attach because of her hair. No such problems with Hiei though.
A piece on the back of Kongo's "skirt" can be removed to allow her to properly sit on the chair, though that thing tends to fall off. The instructions suggests to attach her to the stand while sitting, but I'm wondering if she can sit on it without support.
I really need to setup some proper lighting so I can take better pics.
Good Smile Racing has opened reservations for their 2015 Racing Miku Nendoroid courses starting today, with 4 different tiers as usual. All 4 tiers will come with the Nendoroid, but each tiers come with different bonus items depend on amount you wish to pledge. International orders are accepted.
Courses A and B, the first two pledge tiers, priced at 8,000 yen and 12,000 yen, respectively. Both courses will come with Good Smile Racing sponsorship card, Racing Miku Nendoroid, and ticket holder. Course B will also include personal sponsor’s cap and Good Smile Racing tool case.
Courses C and D, the last two pledge tiers, covered all items from lower tiers and priced at 30,000 yen and 50,000 yen respectively. Course C will include team issue socks and windbreakers. Course D will include all items from the lower tiers, with team issue shorts and fleece jacket.
All reservations have been announced to end on February 28th, 2015. Expected release date is set to be in July this year. Please note that this is a sponsorship pledge, the amount you pledge will be withdrawn immediately upon your purchase.
Oh man, what's that red chair from? I recognize the other stuff as kancolle tea time stuff.
As for Suigintou's sitting pose...yeah... I don't know why they made her sitting skirt so that she basically cannot sit on anything larger than a quarter easily or at all without looking funny. She sits on bookcases and window seals a lot (in source material, I mean) but you can't really do that with her because of how pointy her dress is, which is a shame. Shinku "sits better" (by a little bit, since her dress isn't pointy) but I found that you can actually sit Suigintou squarely on the corner of Shinku's suitcase by slipping the rear part of her dress into the case's opening, like I did in this picture (it's how she is in my DETOLF right now):
I'm still trying to put my "Best of 2014" list together, but I'm still waiting on a shipment from AmiAmi [Chachamaru, who looks AMAZING, and will likely be in the top 10 along with your mentioned Sansei Muramasa] and Super Sonico from Phat Company [who looks great, but probably won't make the cut]. It should arrive on Friday [since tomorrow no mail is delivered]. It's already here in the city, so there's that.
I redid the spires on my "Tower" and now there are 3 and they are taller so I can no longer have the full tower stacked. I did make the very tips of the spires removable for when I have it set up at home though but figured I would take pics with them still on.
Back view showing interior, You will notice the final floor is finished all the way around the entire build....
But look, the walls swing open, showing the interior of the Observation deck
And here is the top of the steps you see starting at the observation deck, they go all the way up to the very top of the tower. I am considering cheese slope sideways tiling the entire top.
Attention to details even in spots no one will ever see.
Oh man, what's that red chair from? I recognize the other stuff as kancolle tea time stuff.
As for Suigintou's sitting pose...yeah... I don't know why they made her sitting skirt so that she basically cannot sit on anything larger than a quarter easily or at all without looking funny. She sits on bookcases and window seals a lot (in source material, I mean) but you can't really do that with her because of how pointy her dress is, which is a shame. Shinku "sits better" (by a little bit, since her dress isn't pointy) but I found that you can actually sit Suigintou squarely on the corner of Shinku's suitcase by slipping the rear part of her dress into the case's opening, like I did in this picture (it's how she is in my DETOLF right now):
...I really want that tea time stuff too but I dunno about buying more kancolle that I don't care about just to get those accessories ~_~
That's neat stuff. That chair is perfect for Shinku....
I made a big mistake just now by reviewing all the accessories that the kancolle nendos come with. I didn't buy anything, but the seed has been planted ._.
That's neat stuff. That chair is perfect for Shinku....
I made a big mistake just now by reviewing all the accessories that the kancolle nendos come with. I didn't buy anything, but the seed has been planted ._.
Mind you, Shinku's skirt is too wide to fit in that chair properly - only the bottom of the back part of her skirt is resting on the edge of the seat - can't push her back any further! She leans a bit backward so her hair rests on the back of the seat and she doesn't tip forward.
I mean, if you'd remove her skirt she'd probably fit, but that would be wrong :3
I don't really care for the source material but I liked the figure design so went and grabbed it from pre-owned. My first Alter figure and I was very impressed with the quality of the figure. I honestly liked the design of the figure more than how she actually looks in the anime. Some might say she looks kinda plain but I really liked it.
4. ARX-8 Laevatein from Full Metal panic! by Bandai
I don't really care for mech figure and I don't intend on buying another mech figure but this one was something I couldn't miss. I love the design of Laevatein and when I saw the Metal Build version, I knew I had to get it. The price is very expensive as expected from Metal Build line, but the quality justifies the price.
3. Kurono Kurumu from Rosario Vampire by Orchid Seed
My first cast-off lewd figure purchase. As with Kanna, I don't really care for the source material but I got it because I loved how the figure looked. Her face is not as good as other figures I own, but boy her body is one of the best. The preowened purchase gave me yellowish tint on the skirt but I don't really care since I never have it on.
If I were to judge purely based on the quality of the figure, this would be my # 1. Another masterpiece work done by Alter. She truly looks amazing when you see her in person. The only minor problem I have is that her head looks a bit too big for her body. But this is one of the few figures where I think the figure is better than the source image.
Well, let me start off by saying Asuka is my favorite anime character of all time. I got into figure late so I always regrets missing out on Max Factory's Asuka. Other Asuka figures always looked mediocre to me but this one was different. Amazing quality and her expression is amazing. I do wish I had more dere face of Asuka but this pissed off face suits her well from Eva Q.
is there like a certain time AmiAmi puts pre owned items up? debating on if i should buy the samus figma and one of the daft punk figurarts now or waiting to see what they put up.
is there like a certain time AmiAmi puts pre owned items up? debating on if i should buy the samus figma and one of the daft punk figurarts now or waiting to see what they put up.
This is how you do a 1/6 scale right. Orchid Seed did an amazing job with her [as they usually do], and she was very well-priced given her size and the fact that she's cast-offable. Her somewhat pale skin, paired with the "annoyed" look [and brushing her hair back]...yeah. It was love at first sight.
Her "tanned" version is nice as well, but I don't personally own her.
9) Yagyu Jubei - Kirameki Hakugin no Kenki ver. [Alter]
This one was released at the very beginning of the year [January 10th, to be precise] so she just narrowly made the list. I'm glad she did, because she's incredible. As you know, I'm a massive fan of Nishii/Niθ, and Alter did the artwork justice. This won't be the only Hyakka Ryoran [or one based off of Nishii/Niθ's artwork, for that matter...] on my list. You've been warned!
[Technically, this is just a re-release of another version of this same figure released in August of 2013, the difference this time being a shine/gloss to her leggings/stockings as well as a different pattern on her blade. Regardless, she's technically a 2014 release, so she's valid for a slot on the list.]
...So speaking of Nishii/Niθ, here's another [I did warn you]! This is, as you might have guessed, one of the "Seven Deadly Sins", this one depicting Sloth. I really love how Amakuni captured that lazy/relaxed approach to her, and the slight "chubbiness" on her stomach is adorable. She's got some variation in ways to display her, and I love the tiny/included sake bottle.
Technically...technically I don't own her...yet, but I will in the next day or two. However, I've looked at many reviews [as well as the hands-on impressions of those that do have her] and I'm pretty confident that she'll live up to my expectations. If not, I'll make the necessary corrections.
Anyway, time to talk about this figure. As mentioned above, this is the DX ver. of Chachamaru. Basically, she comes with that spider [Sansei Muramasa]. You could, of course, purchase Chachamaru by herself, but I feel owning both is [more or less] needed, since she looks a bit odd leaning against nothing.
Since this is a DX ver., she commanded a deluxe price. From what I've seen so far though, Wing definitely delivered. The coloring on her is immaculate, with special mention going to her face. I love her face [reminds me of Shinobi from the -gatari anime series]. Oh, also the spider/Muramasa turned out great. She'll compliment Wing's other Sansei Muramasa well.
Surprise! Well here she is, in all of her dark-skinned glory. For a long time, Max Factory's Sansei Muramasa was one of the few produced of this character.
Which was a shame. A damn shame.
Thankfully, manufacturers finally learned this, as multiple ones based off of Namaniku ATK's artwork(s) are now being released.
Wing did a great job with her. She comes with two expressions [smile/pout], although I prefer the latter. The painting on her is very well-done, and I'm really pleased at how well the shading in her hair [and details on her outfit] came out. Wing might not be well-known for releasing high-tier stuff, but with Sansei Muramasa [the former Chachamaru], I truly believe things are changing.
This one had been on my wishlist for a long time. Since I first saw the sculpt, I knew I had to have her. Then a long time went by and I finally saw the painted prototype. My need only increased but, considering this was Alter, I knew many delays were yet to come.
I was right.
However, she was eventually released, and I was worried that she wouldn't quite be what I wanted. That the time spent waiting wouldn't have been worth it.
I was wrong.
She's perfect. Absolutely perfect. It can be difficult to tell from the pictures, but every article of clothing has a different look of texture to it. The leather, looks like leather. The cloth/wool, looks like cloth/wool. Okay, Alter is amazing, we all know that. However, even I'm not sure how they did it.
It wouldn't be a "Best of..." list without at least one Shining Wizard sculpt. Thankfully, Tharja fits this requirement, and perfectly so.
I'm not sure much needs to be said about this figure, since all of us here pretty much know how great she is. If you don't, you'd better learn and quickly!
Ahem! Sorry. I had hoped to start off this mention with a little more dignity than that. My apologies.
No but seriously, that ass!
Anyway, this is yet another Alter release. Not surprising, given their level of quality. With Asuka, they did a perfect job transitioning from painted prototype to finished product. I can't see a difference between the two, and that's always great to see.
The only negative I can say, and it's not in-regard to the figure itself, is that apparently the neck joint is extremely fragile [with many arriving broken after shipping]. Thankfully, I wasn't as unfortunate, but it's a little depressing to see a "defect" like this be as wide-spread as it is.
[She's still an amazing figure. I mean, just look at her.]
Well it's been several mentions until another Nishii/Niθ-inspired release, I think it's time to fix that [and what better way than with two, count em'....TWO figures!?].
I must preface this by saying I was jumping between this and Mammon as being my favorite of 2014. Because of this, I'll list both of them as "1/2". I seriously couldn't decide. It was that difficult.
Maeda Keiji, released earlier in the year, might have slipped by the notice of a few people. She was exclusive, so that definitely didn't help things, but she was [and still is] one of my favorite figures in my collection. What I like most about her are her contrasting colors [especially the umbrella behind her]. She's very refreshing to look at, and the expression on her face is just perfect [that yaeba/fang!].
Mammon, the second "Seven Deadly Sin" on my list [this time symbolizing "Greed"]. I love...love....LOVE her face. No seriously, look at it. Also, the way her hair twists/turns, the nail polish on her fingernails, the gold-trim on her outfit, etc. Every time I look at her I see something new I like.
Conclusion:
So there you have it, my Top 10 figures for 2014. It was a difficult list, given how many figures I ordered this year, but I think I'm happy with my choices. Special mention(s) go to Shimakaze from Amakuni, Asuka [Senran Kagura] from Alter, Asuna [another Shining Wizard figure] from Max Factory, as well as Momo Deviluke/Kurosaki Mea from Max Factory. I wanted to include them but I couldn't. Suffice to say, 2014 was full of great figures releases [at least it was for me].
Happy New Year, Figure GAF. Here's hoping 2015 brings us many great figures.
I redid the spires on my "Tower" and now there are 3 and they are taller so I can no longer have the full tower stacked. I did make the very tips of the spires removable for when I have it set up at home though but figured I would take pics with them still on.
Figures.
