Anime Figure Reviews

Halibel Review

Finally, I’ve got around to doing my Halibel review! This figure is beyond amazing. She is my second Alpha x Omega figure, with Neliel being my other and like her, Halibel is flawless. Hali stands at about 25cm tall with excellent detail and craftwork from top to bottom. Starting with her head, she has 2 changeable head pieces with one showing a normal face with short hair and the other showing her hollow mask with 3 long extensions of hair coming out from the back. The detail on each piece is incredible, right down to her mouth on the first piece and the teeth on her hollow mask on the second piece. The paintwork is also amazing with excellent shading on her hair. Her body also has 2 changeable pieces,  one with her jacket closed, covering the lower half of her face and the other with her jacket open, revealing the number ‘3’ on her very exposed breasts. The detail on these pieces is also superb, and both are painted incredibly well, especially with the shading on her body. Her pink scabbard can also be placed on the back of each of these pieces.  Hali also has detachable arms, both of which have great detail, mainly on her ‘claw-like’ hands. Her sword is placed in her hands with her right hand gripping the hilt and her left supporting the blade. The sword is amazing, having precise detail, particularly on the hilt and the addition of the ‘energy’ exploding out really adds to its awesomeness.

Moving to her lower body, her dress is extremely well crafted and looks amazing – the ripples/folds in her dress are very well done and the shading is brilliant. A high amount of detail is even shown on her legs, despite being hardly visible under her dress. Her shoes are also highly detailed with great paintwork and accuracy. Two clear pieces then connect her to her yellow, oval base with her name, number and ‘bleach’ written into it. Halibels’ stance is also just epic and captures her character perfectly, really bringing her to life and looking as though she is ready to attack. Overall there is virtually nothing bad about this figure, but I will say her hair is very brittle and one of the strands did break off and I had to re-glue it on, but you know, she does have two heads so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Regardless, her overall appearance is just spectacular and is a real pleasure to look at. Standing there on my top shelf alongside Neliel, she is a definite highlight to my collection! This is certainly a must buy for Bleach fans and figure collectors

Rating!
Overall Appearance – 10/10. Paintwork – 10/10. Detail 10/10. Accessories/changeable pieces - 10/10. Final result – 10/10! 

Coming soon: Luffy ‘Sailing again’ and Black rock shooter canon ver reviews!
(I will also take some more Hali pictures with her closed chest piece, just realised I haven’t taken any)

Shana Max Factory

Arrived just today, is my brand new ‘flame-haze’ Shana figure from the anime Shakugan no Shana. She is a PVC 1/8 pre-painted scaled figure manufactured by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. Max Factory Shana has long been sold out (released November 2007) but I managed to come across a decently priced, local un-opened figure on ebay. I’ll kick-start this review with the highlight of the figure, which is her removable skirt wicked fiery crimson hair. Her semi-translucent hair has been well crafted and used very appropriately, looking freakin’ awesome and giving it a real ‘flame-like’ appeal. It depicts her hair in the anime quite accurately and really allows the figure to stand out despite her minute size. She is highly detailed in her face, with her crimson eyes matching her hair and facial expression matching her anime personality.

Her shirt (with bow) and skirt are well crafted and detailed with ripples and such, both looking as if they’re alive. Her skirt, as you can see, is just a tad short and for some reason they made it so you can separate her torso from her upper half, allowing her skirt to be removed (don’t ask me why) which seems kinda pointless. Alastor (the pendant hanging from her neck) is also well detailed, attached with malleable wires so he can hang in mid air, looking just like a scene from the anime. Her stance is cool with a slightly bent casual posture, making her look animate, fitting in nicely with her clothes and Alastor. Her arm is also stretched out, seemingly pointing as if to say “you’re next, bitch”. Her Katana, Nietono no Shana was a pain in the freakin’ arse to attach and I swear the whole time I was attaching it, I thought it was going to break. It’s very curvy and goes through slots in her hair, and when it is actually connected it looks pretty sweet. That’s pretty much it for the main features of Shana. She does come with a base which is black and round, nothing exciting. She comes well packaged in a cool looking box that’s gold and shiny on the inside (which is pretty looking). Downsides would have to be her height as all my other 1/8 scale figures tower over her, making her look like a midget (she looks fine by herself though) her katana is also nuisance to put in. There are also a few scratches and marks, especially around her neck from the wires that Alastor is attached to. Her katana and parts of her hair are really bendy as well, but other than these few minor flaws, Max Factory Shana is definitely a nice looking figure and I am glad to have finally got my hands on one. If you’re desperate to see skirt-less shots of her, there are a few if you hitread more (below) along with a few other shots.

Rating wise, I’d give her 10/10 for overall appearance (her awesome hair in particular) 9/10 for stance 7/10 for paintwork 8/10 for detail and 8/10 for accessories/features - points lost for the almost impossible sword attachment, but points gained for her worthwhile appearance once it is attached. Detachable skirt is pointless unless you’re a creep and want to display her like that. Overall I’d give her about an 8/10. Hope you enjoyed my review! Click the pictures to enlarge.

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Super Saiyan SON GOKOU Ver.2

“I am the hope of the universe, I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace, I am protector of the innocent, I am the light in the darkness, I am truth, ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU!”

I’m full of happiness as my Goku just arrived today, right after I finished my exams! And he has most definitely exceeded expectations. It’s almost impossible to choose the best describing word for this figure, because there’s just so many! So Instead, I’m going to randomly bash my keyboard. Kjbjgljksbgljds’pnfsab!!!! Now onto the review. This figure depicts one of Goku’s most famous scenes in the DB Series. After his best friend Krillin explodes during their fight with Frieza, Goku begins to rage, transforming into a Super Saiyan for the first time. This figure is manufactured by Medicos and stands approx. 27cm tall (bottom of base to top of his hair). He comes pre-painted and ready for display. There are, like most figures, a few -minor- disappointments, which I’ll explain later, but overall Super Saiyan Goku Ver.2 is one epic figure.

 I’ll start with his awesome Saiyan hair, which is made from clear parts (different to the ver.1). To me it looks insanely cool, though it’s debatable which version hair is better (they’re both pretty awesome). His hair is quite sturdy and looks reasonably accurate to the anime. The clear ‘flamey’ looking Saiyan energy at his feet is also made from clear parts and looks wicked. It really emphasizes his rage and power increase from his transformation and adds to the figures overall appearance, making it all the more interesting to look at. Goku’s face is well crafted and highly detailed, depicting his rage over the death of his best friend, as well as his intent desire to destroy Frieza.

The incredible detail of his clothing is expressed as if it’s alive, capturing the moment in the anime perfectly. The many rips and burns in his clothing gives it a real battle-worn appearance, as well as looking freakin’ awesome. The great paint job further adds to the awesome detail, especially with the shading on the creases, which makes it look very realistic. He is also wearing his signature shoes and wristbands, which are also well crafted and painted, looking just like they do in the anime. Goku’s overall body (arms, hands, chest and knee) is exquisitely well crafted and painted. The detailed muscles, clenched fists and bulging veins emphasise Goku’s rage and power further bringing life to the figure. The paint job is exceptional with the shading adding great detail to his arms, hands and chest. His stance is simply epic, making it look as though he has just been taken from my TV screen and placed onto my desk. His stance really highlights that famous scene in the anime, making me feel as though Goku is powering up to save the world yet again (or at least my room in this case), right before my eyes.

The base is simple, black and oval shaped. It looks pretty neat and includes the words ‘Dragon ball’ which is slightly raised and curves along the front of the base. He comes well packaged in a nice big box which includes a sticker of authenticity. The box artwork is pretty nifty and looks much more interesting than some of my other figures boxes.

Now, I may just be being a little picky but I have found a few disappointments. For one, he is leaning downwards a little bit and you can’t see his face unless you’re looking from under him, so he is definitely a figure to be displayed higher up. The Saiyan energy at his feet is a little brittle/bendy at the points, but that’s to be expected. There are a -few- (2 or 3) marks/scratches that I have noticed only if I look really close but I guess these would differ between figures and they aren’t anything major. There are also a few slightly visible gaps I’ve noticed (where parts have been joined together) these however are present on most figures, although there is one gap on his bicep which stands out a little bit when looking at from certain angles. Overall though, this figure is pure awesomness and has made me one very happy collector! Head over to http://www.animarket.com.au/store/ before they all sell out!

Rating: 10/10!

Yui and Mio (K-On!) Figure Comparrison Review

It’s been a while since my last review, in the middle of exams at the moment. Thought I’d do a quick comparison review while there’s a break. This is a comparison review of my two latest figures from K-On! Hirasawa Yui and Akiyama Mio. Both figures are made by Alter, and as explained in my individual reviews, are both pretty cool. I’ll compare, in my personal opinion, features starting from the top (head) down to the base and give points out to each. Starting with Yui she has a nicely detailed face with pretty awesome brown hair. Face really depicts her character well. +1. With Mio her face looks pretty cool, capturing a rare moment of confidence whilst still maintaining subtle hints of her shy personality. +1. Her hair is really awesome and wild, really capturing the moment. +2. She is facing downwards which looks really stupid when looking at her any higher than straight on. -2. Yui’s body is well crafted with good detail in the clothing, creases/ripples on her shirt and skirt +1.  Her stance is very Yui-like and joyful, depicted the character well. +2. Mio’s body is the same quality as Yui’s with good detail and ripples in her skirt. +1. Her legs are pretty nice with good subtle shading. Her stance is also very Mio-like, showing excitement and joy whilst still looking as though she is holding back. +1.  Both Yui’s and Mio’s guitars are super awesome and heavily and spectacularly detailed. +2 to both. (+1extra to Yui as I think hers is a bit more awesomer) Bases are pretty much the same, Mio’s is slightly larger, same with her box. Bases are simple and clear with a little bit of text. The boxes are nice and package the figures well. +1 to both. Yui wobbles a fair bit compared to Mio. She feels unstable but I think the stand piece can hold her together well enough. -1.

Overall they are both awesome figures that make me =] and are most definitely great figures to add to my collection. If my calculations are correct (math’s sucks, I know) Yui ended with +7 and Mio with +6.
Thanks for reading my review! Hope you enjoyed it, see ya next time with a new review! (Hopefully my SS Goku which –should- be arriving next week)
You can check out individual reviews of each below.
Head over to http://www.animarket.com.au/store/ for great deals on other figures!

Akiyama Mio - Alter

Hey again. Here today to do a review on my much awaited Akiyama Mio figure which arrived the other day along with Yui. Likewise, Mio is also a 1/8 figure made by Alter and like Yui, this is the school uniform version of Mio (as there are heaps of different versions due to her popularity). Personally, I think the maids outfit versions by Alter and Max Factory may look better (i do not own them though) and seem to depict her shy attitude more, regardless, this version is still very nice and looks great with Yui (which is the main reason I bought her) and really captures one of the brief moments that Mio is filled with lively confidence.  Her box is big and blue and nice and packages Mio well. She also comes with a background (which is taken from the start of the episode intro of K-On!) which looks good as a background in photos. The figure itself is amazing. It captures one of Mio’s few times where she is confident and full of energy, while at the same time, still including subtle features of her shy personality. This is seen in her facial expression as she looks excited and full of life, but the face is crafted in a way which shows little hints of her shyness with the blush marks under her eyes. Her clothes are pretty well sculptured, with creases and ripples flowing in nicely with her pose, especially on her skirt which looks really well made. The paint job is great, with shading on her shoes and clothes as well subtle shading on her legs/knees. The detail is quite good, mostly on her clothes, which include buttons, a bow as well as an under shirt. She also has a little guitar pick in her left hand as she is left handed.Mio’s hair is one of the highlights to this figure. It’s nicely crafted and is pretty wild and awesome looking. Some of the thinner strands of hair are a bit bendable but they seem sturdy enough to not break. There is also a crease line on the top of her head, like with most figures; it’s not very noticeable though. She has a pretty cool stance that once again captures her in one of her rare moments of confidence; it is however made in a way so that she looks like she is still holding herself back a little. The overall flow of her hair and skirt with her stance works really well together and gives Mio a really good overall appearance. The only real downside to her is that her face is facing very much downwards and it looks a bit off when looking at her from above, this might just be to show that her shy personality is still there. Straight on, she looks great though. The base is clear and simple, with her name in blue and Ho-kago Tea Time written around the front. Also has a picture of a white bass with K-On! written in the middle. There is an inbuilt little stand thing as well, which is where you connect her left foot to.   Mio’s bass ‘Elizabeth’ as Yui named it is quite amazing. Although her bass isn’t actually an accessory, it seems I could almost do a whole other review on just it. The detail is incredible, including pretty much all the features of a bass in a miniscule level. It is only plastic but the amazing pain job is so well done that it gives her bass a wooden appearance, with even the wood ring marking things painted on the back of the bass. The body of the bass has great shading as well as a nice pattern which looks really cool. Also includes a nice little shoulder strap that goes around her back and over her shoulder of course. Only downsides, which are a bit unavoidable, is that the strings are plastic and seem very breakable and the tuning pegs are also very weak and shouldn’t attempt to be turned. So overall the bass, along with its owner, are both exceptional works of craftsmanship and is a figure definitely worth purchasing for any Mio or K-On! fans. Although it may not be as ‘Mio-like’ as the max factory or other Alter versions, it still manages to capture Mio in a unique moment to give her a rather interesting appeal which some may find more alluring. She has definitely exceeded expectations and looks great on display together with Yui. I will also do a comparison review between them both next.

Rating: Overall Appearance - 8/10. Stance - 8/10. Paintwork - 8/10. Detail - 8/10. Accessories/Features - 9/10. Overall: 8/10

K-On! Hirasawa Yui - Alter

Hey guys, very excited to do a review on my much awaited Hirasawa Yui 1/8 figure by Alter which just arrived today. She comes packed in a nice little box with a cool background (which is taken from the start of the episode intro of K-On!) which is pretty cool in photos.
Yui is a very lively and really nice looking figure. The detail is quite good, her clothes are nicely crafted with great detail and her facial details depict Yui really well. Her hair is pretty awesome and accurate, which include her two yellow hair clips, the only downside is the seam across the top of her hair, although this is not that noticeable. She also has a little bow on her shirt and a pick in her right hand which are both cool additions. The base is pretty ordinary, it’s clear with Yui’s name and Ho-kago Tea Time written around the front and has a white guitar in the middle with “K-on!” written on it. It also comes with a clear stand piece where Yui’s feet connect on to. The base isn’t bad, it’s simple, but they could have made it more interesting.
Her pose is very cool, her kicked back leg and overall body expression really and brings Yui to life, capturing the amazing energy and joy she has during performances. The detail and creases on her clothes match really well with her pose and adds to the liveliness of the figure. A downside to her awesome pose however, is that she wobbles a lot and can fall off easily if moved around, but if she’s on display this shouldn’t be a problem.

                  The highlight of this figure would definitely be Yui’s guitar “Gita”. Although it is only plastic, the incredible paint job makes Gita look very much real. The colour shading and detailed paint work are amazing and incredibly accurate. The fret board, tuning pegs, bridge and body of the Guitar are all amazingly detailed with even the ‘rhythm/treble’ switch including amoeba sized writing. The guitar includes a shoulder strap which is also nicely crafted and detailed. The only disappointment in Gita is that its strings are plastic and seem very breakable/snappable, so I don’t think I will be trying to play it any time soon. So overall, Yui is a really cool figure, she is great for K-On! fans and is money definitely well spent. She looks awesome together with her shy friend, Akiyama Mio who i’ll review next. I’ll also do a comparison review between them some later as well as to show what they look like together.
Yui will also be re-released in October this year. Don’t miss out!

Rating: Overall Appearance - 9/10. Stance - 9/10. Paintwork - 9/10. Detail - 8/10. Accessories/Features (Gita) - 9/10. Overall: 9/10