Tag Archives: armor

Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur


E2046 Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur Review

Now here’s a figure that I’m still a bit surprised to own, mainly because I didn’t buy it. E2046 does a monthly drawing where they give away free stuff to people who post product feedback. Guess who won the most recent draw?
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Risty from Queen’s Blade (NSFW)


MegaHouse Risty from Queen's Blade Review

With snow armageddon spreading across the entire east coast, I had some time to shoot some photos, so here’s a look at a figure that was released a few weeks ago. Risty is one of the original Queen’s Blade characters and is thus one of the franchise’s more prominent representatives, but this version is a bit atypical compared to its counterparts.
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Uesugi Kenshin from Sengoku Rance (Volks A-Brand Version) (NSFW)


Volks A-Brand Uesugi Kenshin from Sengoku Rance Review

Let’s talk a little bit about lust. If you collect anything, chances are that there is a holy grail item, something that you greatly desire but is nearly impossible to acquire. Maybe it’s an out-of-print edition of a book, or a rare and valuable trading card of some favorite athlete, or a pretty, limited-run postage stamp. These treasures add a definite zest to collecting, igniting passions, squelching common sense, and obliterating the checking accounts of collectors fortunate enough to add these things to their troves.

For me, Volks’s 1/4 scale Uesugi Kenshin statue is the prize that I’ve had my eyes on for years. I never expected to own her; for one, Volks’s wares are notoriously difficult to purchase outside of Japan, and for another, Kenshin was sold only as a resin kit. There was no way I could afford the model, and I do not have the requisite equipment or skill to assemble and paint it anyway. My only hope would be to buy a prepainted recast – and E2046 hasn’t stocked this item in a long time – or for a prepainted, preassembled kit to magically present itself. The late, sorely-missed Heisei Democracy mentions that such an item was in fact sold at the winter Wonder Festival in February 2008 – for an astronomical price.

So time passed, and I didn’t think much about this Kenshin figure, since there was little point pining away for something unobtainable, until one day, on a whim, I spent some time browsing through Yahoo Japan’s listings. And I saw this figure. There were a lot of reasons to hesitate – the price was insane, I would have to go through a middleman which means an even more insane price in addition to requiring a considerable amount of faith in someone a hemisphere away, and the possibility of losing the auction, which presents its own unique set of problems. But hesitation never really entered my mind; after all, this figure is it. This is number one, my prize, and who would deny that magic had occurred? All it would take to acquire this figure would be to meet the price. But Gott im Himmel, what a price.
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Saber Lily from Fate/Unlimited Codes


Good Smile Company Saber Lily from Fate/Unlimited Codes Review

Everyone has her.
Words are so many mayflies.
Tier should shut up now.
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Sylvia van Hossen from Princess Lover!


Volks Sylvia van Hossen from Princess Lover Review

It’s Saber clone! Like Charlotte, Sylvia is one of the love interests in the game and anime Princess Lover! but her most conspicuous trait is her resemblance to Saber. Sylvia wears trousers instead of a skirt and wields a rapier rather than a broadsword but the similarity is blatant, even egregious. Homage or ripoff, you decide.
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Mirim from Queen’s Blade Rebellion


MegaHouse Mirim from Queen's Blade Rebellion Review

Up to this point I’ve passed over the figures from Queen’s Blade, but when I saw the promo pictures for Mirim, I knew she was going on my buy list. With a profession given as “Ultra-Vibration Valkyrie,” how could I resist her? Add in a cute outfit and a chainsaw sword and I was sold.
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Masane Amaha from Witchblade


Kotobukiya Witchblade Review

Looking back at an older figure in my collection, we have here a figure of Masane Amaha, the heroine of the anime adaptation of Witchblade. This particular 1/6 scale figure is from Kotobukiya, who has put out three other Witchblade figures: one of Masane in casual wear, one in red Witchblade armor, and another one which is identical to this figure other than her paint job, which blackens her legs and torso. I guess the sort of half-nudity rife in the anime Witchblade wouldn’t fly even on Japanese television, so the original broadcast censored the character designs by giving them dark tights. That version seems to be all but forgotten now. As it should be.
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Salma from Soul of the Ultimate Nation


E2046 ORI Salma Review

Yet another figure from E2046’s ORI lineup, Salma’s character design hails from a Korean MMORPG called Soul of the Ultimate Nation. It seems that SUN has achieved some traction in Asia but it’s virtually unknown in the United States, and given the dominating position of World of Warcraft in the American market, I doubt that a localization will achieve much success.

But here, we’re more concerned with the game’s character designs. As is typical with E2046’s figures, Salma is sculpted in a solid 1/6 scale and comes with a plain oval black base.
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Dark Magician from Lineage II


E2046 ORI Dark Magician from Lineage II Review

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