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, gunpowder, treason and plot. And figures.

D-ARTS Mewtwo (Pokemon)
Bandai, March 2013, 2970JPY

Dragonzigg: It’s taken a while, but we’ve finally gotten decent Pokemon figures, and hot damn this thing looks awesome.  Mewtwo’s mean look and slit-eyed stare is perfectly captured, they’ve managed to make him fully poseable despite those potentially awkward hind legs and fingers, and we even got a fully poseable tail thrown in as well. This first edition also comes with a tiny static Mew figure! I love this but I’ve never been a Mewtwo megafan, so I’ll keep my powder dry for the original starters who are due to join us soon.

Aqua: What a truly glorious figure. Mewtwo is not as mindblowingly detailed as some other figures due to being a Pokémon, but he makes up for it with great movability (even his fingers!) and sheer badassness. 10 years ago, Mewtwo proved that all you needed to be a fearmongering Pokémon of legend was a grim backstory and an intimidating reputation, and he still looks just as awesome as he did back when I was still terrified of him. Not all joints are as well-camouflaged as they should be, especially the ones linking his legs to his lower body, but nonetheless, this is an great and affordable figure for those who still worship the Original 151 as their pantheon.

Lifesong: I never liked Mew Two’s design. Even after I caught one in the first series of games as a kid I stuck in my bank because I thought he was ugly. Now here I am looking at him again, and no I don’t really want him on my shelf. Make me a bunch of awesome Evee figures, and maybe I will bite, but this is one Pokemon I don’t feel compelled to catch.

Timmy: Can’t say I am much of a fan of da pokemons but I do agree that Mew Two is looking quite badass here. Appears to be quite poseable and a great buy for any fan of the series.

Iro: Yeah, this is pretty cool. The segmented tail doesn’t look entirely like shit either. Unfortunately, he does not come with Dan Green voice clips.

Jel: Mewtwo is looking pretty slick here as everyone has noted. I’ll be holding out for Charizard personally, and I’d love to see more pokemon in the D-ARTS line.

Marlin: Man, that actually looks really cool. I’d say articulation sounds like it would fit pokemon figures better than human counterparts, and this really is a good example of that in practice.
Figma Labrys (Persona 4  Arena)
Max Factory, February 2013, 3630JPY

Dragonzigg: I know nothing about Labrys, being European and all, but I do know this is one damn good looking figma. That colossal axe looks great, the transparent hair is a really nice touch and overall detail is pretty amazing. Ordered as soon as I scrape some money together.

Aqua: Labrys is about as great as figmas will get. Period. Amazing eye for detail? Check. High movability? Check. Crapton of accessories and equipment? Check! Neatly camouflaged joints? Check! Badass visor and shadow face? Check, double check! Rocket punch? Insta-awesome! Get onto it, Knights of the Plastic.

Lifesong: I love this design, and she looks great in figma form, but I have too much on order to add this at the moment. That Axe, it’s awesome.

Timmy: Guh, I managed to resist Aigis but at this point I am about to cave and get both her and Labrys here. Labrys looks great, appears to be tons of fun, and unlike Aigis, has an alternate color that doesn’t look like total shit.

Iro: Brooklyn accent not included.

Jel: I was surprised how much I liked Labrys and her ridiculous accent when I played P4A and I ordered this figma at the speed of light when it went up. I was so excited for it I even broke down and ordered the P4A Aigis despite already having the original Aigis figma. Aside from the obvious cool stuff like her GIANT AXE and rocket punch hands, little details like the translucent hair really make this a great buy.

Marlin: Also on the list of things that look better with articulation, robots. With all the joints actually supposed to be there, the whole figure looks very solid.  I’ve yet to actually play Arena, but lord knows I should get around to that.

Chogokin Saber (Fate/Zero)
Bandai, February 2013, 5510JPY

Dragonzigg: Given how old and rare figma Saber is the market has been crying out for a new poseable Saber, and Bandai’s effort appears to be pretty solid. The clothing and armour look wonderful, though I’m not so sold on the faces, and the massive skirt naturally limits poseability a bit. I get that Chogokins come with lovely metal parts, but that price is still an awful lot for me, though I suppose Type Moon fans will eat it up.

Aqua: Huzzah. Saber. Again. Nevertheless, this is a pretty great figure. To get confusion out of the way, yes she comes with an actual excalibur, so you can ditch the half-baked plastic Invisible Air as soon as it arrives. The metal armor manages to make Saber look even more astonishingly flashy than ufotable’s anime adaptation and it covers up the joints very well. A smaller problem I have are her rather lifeless faces, but then again, this is Saber we’re talking about. The price also leaves a lot to be desired, but for these 5.5 grand you do get an epic stand, two swords and a sheath and some magical aura thingy of awesome.

Lifesong: Derp, there are a million better looking Sabers out there, move along.

Timmy: This Saber doesn’t look half bad, although I have to wonder how good Bandai’s quality control on this line is.

Jel: I love the idea of a poseable Saber with metal armor but something is just a bit off on this one. It doesn’t look bad per se but her face looks kind of dead and the proportions just a bit off. Still, metal arm and some really cool display options make this worth consideration at least. I already have the original Saber figma so I’ll personally be content with that.

Iro: The armor is pretty cool.

Marlin: Gotta agree with that. Sword kinda looks stupid, though. If you’re going to have one at all, why not just make it the visible Excalibur?

Nendoroid Kanna Tanigawa (Waiting in the Summer)
Good Smile Company, February 2013, 2650JPY 

Dragonzigg: Look the slutty ‘drunk’ face and corresponding cat paw arms are pretty entertaining, and Kanna is very cute, but ask yourself, do you really need more generic school uniform Nendoroids in your life?

Aqua: “Damn, sir, we gotta give this one Nendoroid at least something to distinguish her from all the other generic schoolgirl nendos, right” “How about you give her cat ears?” “So… Does she wear cat ears a lot in the show, sir?” “Just give her the fucking cat ears, Johnson.”

Lifesong: Great character, and totally not generic design here, but no I don’t really need more school girls on my shelf.

Timmy: Cute but lets face it, K-On’s Azusa had the whole nendo cat ears thing covered ages ago and Kanna doesn’t have much else going for her then that. I guess it’s something for fans of the character and/or show though.

Jel: This is definitely a “Fan Only” purchase as it successfully recreates Kanna but her design is really boring. She would look nice paired up with Ichika, who had a lot of nice accessories, but I otherwise not much going on here.

Marlin:I was a huge fan of this show and I still find this really stupid lookin’.

Gutto-kuru Figure Collection Kanna Tanigawa/Remon Yamano 
CM’s Corporation, January/February 2013, 5550/5060JPY

Dragonzigg: A step up from our usual Beach Queen fare.  I kind of like both of these actually, though Lemon is definitely the better out of the two, with her hair and wry pose. Kanna is cute (again) and I like the blue bikini but her pose seems a little awkward and forced. Surely we could have had something a bit more energetic?

Aqua: Beach Queens for big kids. These are the big ones you buy when you actually want to actively spend a considerable amount of money on a figure of a tiny girl in a small swimsuit, go you! I like Lemon’s shit-eating smirk, their poses and funky accessories  and the fact that you have to pay 500 yen less for the smaller girl, but in the end, these are still…

Yeah, you got this by now, don’t you?

Lifesong: These look decent for what they are. I prefer my figures with awesome outfits or at least awesome poses, and these do neither.

Timmy: These actually don’t look half bad and the accessories are a great touch. Expressions and poses are also nice but at the end of the day these are just another pair of generic swimsuit figures.

Jel: Once again, “Fan Only” figures here, although shelling out a little more cash for figures in bikinis would require being an even bigger fan. They do look better than your usual Beach Queens and the accessories are nice nods to moments in the series, but not exactly mind blowing sculpts here. Pass!

Marlin: Okay, this is more my speed. However, I’d never be caught dead even entertaining the thought of buying swimsuit figures, so I’ll have to pass. Now, if they were to release a Lemon-senpai with a transformable van and camera? I’d be in on that shit in a second.

Yami Yugi (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Kotobukiya, March 2013, 5420JPY (Re-issue)

Dragonzigg: I am not one of those people who grew up on Yu-Gi-Oh! but damn I am tempted by this figure, just because it’s such an insanely badass piece. The pose is amazing, the Most Ridiculous Hair of All Time is looking good and the glossy blue leather just completes an awesome figure. Definitely worth trading in a few Star Chips for.

Aqua: The Most Ridiculous Character Design This Side Of Tetsuya Nomura goes back up for sale in all his leathery glory. Admit it or not, this dude was one of your childhood heroes, despite his constant cheating at children’s card games and Ancient Egyptian friendship philosophy. Okay, actually Yami was sort of a dork. And a dick. But this figure captures all the badassness, ambiguous homosexuality and abundance of shiny leather that make him the one true King of Games. Screw the rules, you have money! It’s time to p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pre-order!

Timmy: Not a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan but for those of you who are you certainly can’t go wrong with Yugi here. Looking pretty damn good.

Iro: Lookin’ good dude!!!

Marlin: As cool as the pose is, this is still a Yugioh figure. I’ll mimic Iro’s Mewtwo sentiment in that if it came with Dan Green clips, maybe I’d be in.

Jubei Yagyu (Hyakka Ryoran: Samurai Girls)
Alter, March 2013, 6200JPY (Re-issue)

Dragonzigg: As ever, not a fan of monster boobs or fanservicey figures, but Alter is Alter and as result I can’t just dismiss this figure. The ridiculous paint and detail, especially on those ropes and swords, mark this thing out as a product of the Rolls-Royce of figure makers, and while it’s sexy, it’s not yet gratuitous. Not my cup of tea but a fine, pretty figure for anyone who wants in.

Lifesong: I ordered a used version just before the reissue, but awesome figure is still awesome, and I can’t wait to have her in my collection.

Timmy: Ah, yes. My Samurai Girls collection is definitely my pride and joy and Jubei was one of the first figures I ever had the pleasure of owning. She looked great then, she looks great now and is a great addition to anyone’s collection, as long as they can deal with the lack of pants anyways. Seriously, go preorder one before I buy them all.

Aqua:

Jubei Yagyu (Hyakka Ryoran: Samurai Girls)
Alter, April 2013, 11500JPY (Hobby Japan mail-in exclusive)

Timmy: And then there is this Jubei. She already had a fairly crazy design but this takes things way over the top. And I love it. Sure, the pantyshot is beyond absurd but the rest of the figure is so lovely I can look past it. I can’t help but dread the fact though that with Senhime’s equally gratuitous design teased on the mat that comes with the limited edition of this I am about to be locked into collecting another Samurai Girls line of figures. At least they will make a nice buffer between the previous figures and the 7 Deadly Sins line I am collecting. Anything to feed the Niθ shrine!

Lifesong: Those panties.. this figure looks like Jubei fused with Gisen or something, and considering those are the two Samurai Girls I have on order I am pretty tempted to pick this one up as well. The large number of items I have on order will probably stop me from buying this Jubei.