Monthly Archives: May 2011

Saber Alter from Fate/stay night

Good Smile Company's Saber Alter

I’m a big fan of corrupted girls in fiction. Kerrigan in Starcraft, Seven of Nine in Star Trek Voyager, Yomi in Ga-rei Zero – love them all. The eroge Fate/stay night has a couple of corrupted female characters who have deserved figures for a while. Dark Sakura has a cool design and Gift has recently released a fine figure showing her in all her evil glory. But as a fan of armored girls wielding big broadswords, I really wanted a good figure of Saber Alter. Good Smile Company has finally obliged, and their rendition of Saber Alter is set to redefine the meaning of badass.
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Xecty from Shining Wind (Swimsuit Version)

Max Factory Xecty Figure Review

It’s not uncommon for figures to get delayed, but some delays are just inexplicable. Like Xecty’s, for instance. I ordered her last summer during Hobby Search’s EMS shipping discount sale. And then I waited. And waited. I mean, this is a swimsuit figure, it’s not like they haven’t made them before. I guess the factories must have been too busy rolling out nendoroids and Figmas.

With some things – like the novel A Dance With Dragons – my enthusiasm is undimmed by delays. And with other things – like Starcraft II – I find myself not caring at all when they finally get released. Xecty falls in the second category – when Hobby Search sent me her bill, I was like, “Aww man, I ordered this?” I left her in her box until a few days ago and needing something to review, decided to take her out. I was a bit conflicted on how I feel about her, but seeing her now, she’s a nice figure. Special? No way. But nice, yeah, I can agree with that.
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Doll Review – vmf50 Super Sonico (NSFW)

Yamato's vmf50 Super Sonico

Yamato’s vmf50 line continues apace, with the company having recently released Image Girl #5 Ami and having shown off a couple of concept dolls at Doll Show 31. And Super Sonico’s popularity continues apace, with both Orchid Seed and Yamato having released PVC figures of her this week and with her game SoniComi scheduled for release this August. And even before all of that, Yamato revealed a vmf50 version of Sonico. I hadn’t planned to get her since she was really expensive. The first round of preorders opened up late last summer and closed down almost instantly, prompting Yamato to do a second run, which is when I changed my mind and placed my preorder. I received Sonico back in February and she’s been quietly lying in her box since then, but with her PVC figures having hit the market, I figure now is a fine time to take her out and put her in front of the camera.
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Dakimakura Review – Hinata Harigaya from the Art of Nakaba ReiMei (NSFW)

Hinata Harigaya Dakimakura

You know what they say about the best-laid schemes of mice and men. I had hoped to have had Saber Alter’s backdrop ready by now but other events – including a prolonged period of exultation after watching the Lakers get crushed and ignobly ejected from the playoffs – have dictated otherwise, so let’s take a look at a pillowcase instead. If anybody wants to know my thoughts about Saber Alter, I think she’s one spiffy figure.
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Junko Hattori from Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou (Queen’s Gate Version)

Junko Hattori figure

One of the nice things about Hobby Japan’s Queen’s Gate series is that it gives a spotlight to a few characters who wouldn’t otherwise get a lot of love from figure makers. Dizzy was one, at least until Alter made their figure, and I’ve also ordered Ivy Valentine’s figure, since she’s only gotten a few thus far. I gave some thought to trying to get the Queen’s Gate figure of Katja from Seikon no Qwaser, but while I like the character, I would’ve liked the figure more if she were in her dominatrix outfit. Curiously, Lily from Namco’s Tekken series stands out as the sole Queen’s Gate character not to get a figure thus far. That’s a shame; I wouldn’t mind seeing a figure of her, especially in her 3P costume. Oh well. Junko Hattori is another character that would seem an unlikely candidate for a conventional, mass-market figure; she’s not generally regarded as one of the best characters from her show, and her show is primarily known for its absurd level of incoherence. At any rate, I do like both the character and the way that she looks, so even though having to go through a proxy service is a bit of a hassle, I ordered her right away and here she is now.
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Preorder Outlook XI

Another month, another list of preorders to think about. Figures are coming out fast and furious and since my Junko pictures came out junk, let’s take a look at some of the things I’ve ordered and am thinking about ordering.
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Posted in Preorder Outlook | Tagged , , | 42 Comments