Figure Friday is back on track, covering the figures announced and released during the past week. Since it had been the Silver Week in Japan from the 19th to the 23rd, there was a relative dearth of figures.
I did not skip this installment, though it is slightly smaller, because some of the good figures were really great, and already on this Friday (which goes to next week’s post) I’ve seen two really lovely figures, and I couldn’t handle next week’s post otherwise, so here goes :)
UPDATE: More re-stock items.
As always, click on the first picture to go to a site with more information on the figures, and the pictures after the description for the Flickr page, where bigger photos can be had. As always, post is not entirely safe for work, be advised.
Four Hot:
1.
Lineage II Elf 1/7 PVC figure by Orchidseed
Images both from Nekomagic and Kumo‘s blog.
On any other week, this figure definitely would have been number 1. This week it has to share the title.
Best elf I’ve ever seen. Love the details, love the filigree, love the lace-design. Her leg isn’t too big, it’s the ankle-bone and a trick of perception. Her hair is a bit bland. And in case you worry about the seam in her arm when her top is off, there’s a nice bracelet to cover it. Now that is smart design. Just wish her arm next to her face had another configuration.
December 2009, 227mm, 7,429 yen. Reserve.
(Slightly short elf, she’d be 158 centimeters due to scale, /with/ those high heels).
2.
Alter’s Saber Alter Maid Ver.
This is the other super-hot figure. I really want this figure. But as explained in the last post about Saber Lily Distant Avalon, here I’ll also have to pay for a deputy service on top of everything, but since it’s out in April, there’ll be time to collect some money.
Anyway, very sexy figure. Love the drills, love the dress, LOVE the zone where her legs connect to her bum, even without the panty-shot. Also, nice shoulderblade area.
Of course, the chibi-version is SO adorable. Even my mom who isn’t too keen on full version due to bum/panty area being exposed, really liked the petit nendoroid.
The rust on the bucket and the diorama base are nice touches.
Reservations until November 10th, 2010, figure will release in April 2010, 8,000 yen. Will have to use deputy service. Hobby Channel site exclusive.
3.
Ikkitousen (Dragon Destiny) Ryomou Shimei Shunya Yamashita Ver. 1/6 PVC figure by Daiki Kougyou
THIS is how you do an Ikkitousen figure. Yes, it’s very expensive. The GK cost 18,000 yen previously. But price aside? Love the frills, love the model’s pose and the gothic-lolita punk look.
Also, wooden or wood-looking base? Interesting.
January 2009, 275mm, 14,800 yen.
Original art
4.
Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ Nendoroid Ein by Good Smile Company
This is a very simple nendoroid, base look wise. Then again, Ein had always been a rather brown figure with no-nonsense.
But this figure really scores on the accessories; a gun, knife and a teddy bear(!). Also, I like her faces, and for those who say her smile is too similar to her no-smile.. well, she’s a soulless killer, no?
January 2009, 3,500 yen. Reserve.
Two Not:
(I had more I could put here, but I thought they were slightly meh, and didn’t deserve a mention here.)
1.
Ikkitousen (Dragon Destiny) Kanu Unchou School Swimsuit Ver. 1/8 PVC figure by Taki corporation
Another awkward position Ikkitousen figure by Taki corporation. Not as bad as the going to the bathroom pose figure, but pretty awful. Ill-fitting clothes and gaping arm seams are always a bonus, right?
September 2009, 7,800 yen. Cast-offable. Reserve.
2.
Ikkitousen (Dragon Destiny) Ryomou Shimei Changing Ver. 1/8 PVC figure by Taki corporation
If I had to imagine what this character’s expression says, it is, “Oh no! I need to go to the toilet post-haste, and you’ve caught me in a state of undress!”
Because we can’t get enough pee-pee dance poses from Taki corporation ;)
October 2009, 8,800 yen. Reserve.
Delays:
Via Kumo’s blog:
FREEing’s Hiiragi Tsukasa Gym Suit Ver. delayed from September to October.
FREEing’s Kagami Kuro Gym Suit Ver. Delayed from September to October.
Re-stocks and Releases:
Amie-Grand’s Swimsuit Nia version opened for reservations. Erm, pretty horrible. Didn’t see this discussed anywhere, might have to bring her to next week’s Figure Friday as “Five Not”, if I remember? OK, seen it mentioned, next week it’s on the chopping block.
Gothic Punk Asahina Mikuru is re-stocked, so lovely.
Griffon’s Gothic Lolita Nagato Yuki also re-stocked. Very pink.
Griffon’s Queens Blade Elina.
Cheerful! Sakuragi Yurika cold-cast by Aizu Project. Nice and costly.
News:
Volks held their Hobby Round 2, a Volks only event, on the 20th of September.
Here’s Nekomagic’s coverage: Part 1, part 2, and part 3.
Not a lot of new stuff, but seeing GKs painted professional is always nice. Part 3 is especially nice for the mecha lovers amongst you all.
The 17th Prize Fair was held, showcasing prize figures that people could win January-March 2010, Nekomagic with the coverage again.
Part 1, Banpresto figures, a lot of dross, many plushies, and super cute super-deformed Eva girls.
Part 2, more Banpresto, TAITO and FuRyu. Nice Sheryl Nome at the top, Castle Cagliostro figures bring back memories. FuRyu lineup of figures looks very neat, also, Dakimuras! Not too impressed with the Fate/Stay Night figures.
Part 3, SEGA and System Works. Eva girls shine, especially in their maid outfits, but nice overall.
Geekorner-Geekulture. 
WOW, thanks for the info on Saber Alter Maid. I thought she was going to be mail order exclusive, but I’ll definitely order her from Hobby Channel. Btw, you wrote Hobby Search on your article. She looks really sexy with those thigh highs. And the petit version is that of Saber, and not Saber Alter. ^^
Good to know that Griffon’s Elf will have a bracelet to cover the gap on her arm. Will need to think about ordering her because of Alter’s Saber Alter maid.
Other than that, not really interested in the rest. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but Taki Corp is just horrible in making ANY figure, might as well put their logo on your five not category permanently. :P
Well, there’s a Daiki on the Five Hot, and I’ve seen this week a relatively ok Taki corp figure. It wasn’t worth the asking price, but it wasn’t crap either ;)
Thanks for the corrections, and how do you know the chibi is chibi-Saber and not chibi Saber-Alter?
I am wholly uninformed about Hollow Ataraxia and Unlimited Codes.
And that’s me, providing data on figures I want and am unlikely to get. But it’s April, so I might get her. Any suggestions on which deputy service which is trustworthy will charge the least money from me, and hopefully ship via “insured SAL”, like the middle point between EMS and parcel SAL?
Finally, finding out about the Elf’s bracelet made me very happy too. And I found it sad that no English speaking site that I know of made mention of the bracelet. That is, none other than mine.
Saber = Ahoge and more vibrant hair colour
Saber Alter = no ahoge, and more of a tinted blonde.
Also, green eyes vs brownish red eyes. I’m not familiar with the franchise neither, but that’s just from observation. ;)
I think I’ll go with Goody Japan because they’ll take care of ordering for your, whereas Tenso just provides you with an address. Japan-to-door is just too expensive to use. You’ll have to ask them about shipping methods though.
WOW!
Goody Japan is willing to declare the item as low-price.
Their shipping is quite expensive. But I might use them…
I’ll compare to some other deputy services which also order for you, such as Crescent Trading and some others.
Edit: Ah, but Goody-Japan demands full payment for the item’s cost as a deposit to begin with. I will have the money to pay in April, but not by November, not 8k yen, not that I can allow myself to part with :-/
But everyone does. The question is that since it’s a pre-order, do you think they’ll need the money by November? And to answer my own question: Of course, even if they only need to pay in April. Hm, can they only pay in April themselves? Maybe I’ll ask one of my friends to pay for me and I’ll pay him back. He has too much cash. And yes, “too much” are his own words ;)
Holy fucking shit, I want mini-Saber!
I want both!
I debated the Lineage elf and decided to skip, I feel like there will be a figure announced that I will want more then her in the near future. Although that Saber…I’m still debating if I should get her, I have a little over a month to decide. I really probably SHOULDN’T get her…but she is still staying on my mind despite many attempts to push her away. I’ve already visualized where she will go on my shelf, and once that happens it’s incredibly hard to say no.
That is sadly, not always a possibility, but almost always the case.
Unless you only buy figures you want with all your heart, so any other figure you could only want as much. I suspect Saber Lily Distant Avalon is that way for many.
And I just remembered what I should’ve listed on the “Figure purchases” overview, Mabinogi Nao Adventure.
I’ve learned my lesson about how I should order figures, a few months ago I woud have already ordered the elf by now. ONLY the ones that mean A LOT to me that are either of high quality and/or affordable. But I must REALLY want them regardless, there are some SEGA prize figures out there that I really desire, even more so then say maybe a few Kotobukiya figures. I REALLY want the new Saber Maid but I’m hesitating because I already own the first one. Wondering if having two figures that are so similar as a bit excessive.
Selling the first might help fund the second. Saber Maid that is.
And they’re both so great, so instead of having them side by side, you could have each on the opposite end of a shelf, framing it like ornate book-holders :)
Naw, I woudn’t sell the first to get the second. There are aspects of each I like more then the other but overall I admire them both a lot. For example on the first I really love her pose with the mop that makes it look like she might start dancing but I love how the second has the pail slung over her shoulder and the mop carelessly held forward…aw who am I kidding I’ve already decided to save for her. I think something in my mind knows she’ll be mine at this point. If I’m going to this much trouble to talk myself out of her I shoud know by now I’ve lost.
Where will you get her?
I might get a loan from a friend for her, which would be paid by April, when she actually comes out. But must pay by November..
I have a quote from a proxy at $100 and the owner of Toyslogic is seeing if he can get a few for the store. So I’ll use one of those two routes. I’ll order her at my next pay check next week.
Nihonju seems interesting, but also that they sold through their 5 copies.
Very nice choices of the top 4 figures this week, the elf has been growing on me and she looks so nice! *Do* want. The Saber is also great. Mini Saber!!
Yeah. I wish there were more figures to go through, but the top 4 were pretty great as it is!
I think the first one is really well made, and if I ever see it in a store, I’ll be picking her up. Nice delicate face and intricate details. I really like it.
Just today I found out you can take the elf’s skirt off as well. But as I’m not a fan of “the crack”, I’ll leave it on. Taking either just the vest off or nothing. Because yes, it’s her intricate clothings, her delicate face and such that attract me. This is a figure I wouldn’t have minded not being cast-offable.
Then again, it’s Orchid Seed ;)
The Daiki Shunya Yamashita Ryomou is at the moment number 1 on my do want list.I nearly crapped my pants when I knew that theyll make a PVC Version of her.
Taki Corporation releases so much crap…I actually wonder if they expect their stuff to sell?
An expensive PVC, but yeah, good figure.
Well, if Taki corporation didn’t sell anything, they wouldn’t be able to keep releasing these… figures. So obviously they sell enough to keep churning them out.