Hello, and welcome to All Your Monies, where The Glorio Blog’s resident toy and figure collecting crew (and Aquagaze) will run down the last week’s new preorders, turning a loving or scathing eye over what’s been put out for you to spend your hard earned cash on. This week, we scale back down to normal size with an interesting assortment.

Leonmitchelli Galette des Rois (Dog Days)
Good Smile Company, April 2013, 8100JPY

Dragonzigg: Very fond of this. A full size figure suits Leonmitchelli’s long, leggy design much better than a nendoroid, and I love the colour scheme, the blues and purples going really well with the dark gunmetal of the armour and her white hair. It’s a dynamic pose too, full of pace and movement, and the smart sword and shield really set it off nicely. Top work

Jel: I completely forgot how silly her outfit is under the armor. Cutoffs as battle attire? Sure, why not, maybe she’s a never nude. I guess that is part of the charm though, and overall Leo looks fantastic. The detailed armor, the sweeping cape and action packed pose all make for a really fine looking figure. I’d totally buy it if I was a Dog Days fan.

Aqua: We had this lady in Nendoroid form last week, and this week, Leonmitchelli makes her appearance as a regular-sized figure. Sculpt, finish, and pose are excellent, as expected from Good Smile Company, but oddly enough, there seems to be no significant increase in detail in this catty lady’s attire in comparison to the nendoroid. Collectors who opt for the big figure get wonderfully crafted cloth – thanks to Limoncelli wearing both a longcoat and a cape to cover up her minimum minimorum of underclothes – yet, those who choose last week’s nendoroid, get an adorable mount for her to ride into battle. If you choose one of both, go with the pint-sized version.

Lifesong: Looking great here Good Smile have a things for girls in armor, and Leonmitchelli is no exception. I am tempted, but with such a large amount on order already I will probably just stick with the nendroid for now. I wish they would make an armored Millhiore.

Rin Tohsaka Yukata ver. (Fate/Stay Night)
FREEing, Febraury 2013, 6670JPY

Dragonzigg:  Just as with the other figures in this range, it’s the yukata that’s the real star here, beautifully painted and captured in a lovely shade of red. Rin herself though is just sort of meh – I’ve never been a superfan of her design and this particular pose does her no favours at all. If you like this sort of thing etc etc…

Jel: Like the other figures in this series Rin’s face looks totally flat and dead and some of the sculpting details are kind of iffy. Her actual yukata looks much nicer than the other two we’ve seen so far though, and the accessories are a nice added bonus. A slight improvement (even if she doesn’t have a Berserker mask) but still best to just avoid this line altogether.

Aqua: Something just seems… off about this figure. Don’t get me wrong, the yukata looks fantastic, the pose is fitting of the graceful outfit, and the table and alarm clock/piggy bank/walking teapot/whatever are nice accessories, but still, something doesn’t seem quite right. Is it Rin not looking as if she wants to tear my male head off or take my female virginity? Is it the fact that it has nothing to do with Fate/Stay Night or Rin’s character whatsoever? Is it the pale, almost fabricated-looking smile? I don’t know, but this thing just sort of irks me.

Lifesong: Best of this set yet, but that isn’t saying much. If you really want more Rin on your shelf you can probably do worse.

Yukio Okumura (Blue Exorcist)
Megahouse, January 2013, 5910JPY

Dragonzigg: Yes, the face is utterly hideous, and I should point out that he comes with an angry face that suits the look of the figure much better. Otherwise, this is another fine effort from Megahouse, who are really establishing themselves as the go-to brand for male figures.  That coat is awesome, the fine detailing is excellent and as ever with the G.E.M. range he comes with additional parts to modify his pose. Highly recommended.

Jel: What’s wrong with his mouth??? He should really sue his plastic surgeon for malpractice, that just looks wrong. Other than that his outfit is pretty sharp with the long coat, the striped necktie and of course the dual handguns. Pose isn’t very exciting either, but I’m assuming some Blue Exorcist fan girls will eat this up.

Aqua: This guy is an ass. You can pretty much smell it. Aside from that, this is actually… a pretty great figure. The long, sweeping leather jacket, the detailed handguns and even that shit-eating bespectacled face – this guy is enormously efficient in his simplicity. Only problem: You have to like Blue Exorcist to get him.

Lifesong: I hated this anime so much that even if this were free I wouldn’t want it. Putting that aside for the moment.. he looks okay I guess. That smile kind of creeps me out.

Nendoroid Asuna (Sword Art Online)
Good Smile Company, March 2013, 2650JPY

Dragonzigg: I actually like Asuna’s design, but it’s way too busy for a figure this small – there’s skirts, armour and flaps everywhere, and you sort of lose the effect on something so tiny, especially the coat and leggings. It’s sharp looking as Nendos always are, but there’s nothing here that really makes it stand out.

Jel: Asuna is looking pretty slick here with some nice detail on her armor and the alternate sword is a nice addition. Not seen here is the menu system that pops up as a cool extra, although I’m surprised she doesn’t have any cooking accessories. Oh well, I’m sure the SAO fans will eat this up anyway.

Aqua: The first one of many, many to come is – woe is me – a Nendoroid. I could talk about this thing for ages, but none of it would in truth be about the quality of the figure. So I’ll take the smart option and shut my hipster mouth.

Lifesong: CUTE! Personally I think Asuna might be the new Kanu.. at least for a little while. I expect to see a lot of figures from this character so I haven’t decided if I really want the nendroid or not yet.

Nendoroid Iron Man (The Avengers)
Good Smile Company, February 2013, 2880JPY

Dragonzigg: After the awful Nendoroid Spider-Man GSC redeem this line in fine style. The armour detail is awesome, the metallic paint really makes this one pop, and the acessories like the jet trails and the city base are just the icing on the cake. The real draw here though is going to be attaching that moe Tony Stark face to every single other Nendoroid.

Jel: HAHAHA this is possibly the greatest thing ever. Moe Tony Stark. I have to have this.

Aqua: I thought I had seen it all already, and then I saw an Iron Man nendoroid. Aside from the whole fact that it is ROBERT DOWNEY JR. AS A KAWAII UGUU ANIME CHARACTER, this is actually a pretty awesome figure. The details in the Iron Man suit are astonishing, and the metallic finish makes it look like the real thing. He even comes with little trails of fire and a cityscape to fly over! If you’re as freaked out by cutesy Tony Stark as I am, you can always just cover his face with his faceplate. Not that the big-headed Iron Man looks any less silly.

Lifesong: WUT

Persona 4 Chess Piece Collection (Persona 4…duh)
Megahouse, January 2013, 4400JPY (for a box of 6)

Dragonzigg: I love the crazy motion and fluidity of these sculpts, and they’re real eye catchers, but they’re stuck in a dumb halfway house. Either make full on busts, or give me enough pieces to make an actual chess set so I can use them for their intended purpose. If these were 1/8 scale I would totally be up for them, especially Chie and Teddie. As it is, they’re just kinda inconsequential

Jel: I would be interested in an actual Persona chess set. I would also be interested in an elaborate Persona scale figure with a crazy detailed base. I am not terribly interested in something in between, which seems to be what this is.

Aqua: These are great sculpts, but I don’t need to tell you that. You have eyes too. Now before I question the entire purpose of this feature, let us look at the purpose of these figures. One, they will never fit on a regular chessboard. Two, you will need to buy sixteen sets in order to play (as you need sixteen pawns, or in this case, Teddies). Three, who decided that Yukiko could be the queen to Yu’s king? Oh, and where the hell is Kanji? You homophobic chauvinists! Oh well, get these, because they are amazing. Just don’t try to play actual chess with them.

Lifesong: These are obviously not intended for playing chess, but they are kind of cute I guess. Not something I would really want in my collection.