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 it’s slightly slim pickings after the bonanza that was WonFes, but there’s still some gems to be found.

Homura Akemi – You Are Not Alone ver. (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Good Smile Company. June, 9000JPY (Good Smile online store exclusive)

Zigg:  I seem to be the only person in the world who unabashedly likes this. yes, it’s far, far too expensive, but I think the addition of the ribbon and the bow make it a much more interesting piece than the vanilla Homura figure it’s heavily based off of. The fact that you also get parts to recreate useless ‘moe’ Homura is a pretty decent value add that essentially makes this two figures in one.  And of course there’s the exclusivity value if you’re into that. I won’t be indulging but it’s a nice bit of work.

Aqua: The “You Are Not Alone” here obviously refers to the ending words of Madoka Magica, but on their own, they just make me think of Evangelion. Anyways, just in case you did not have a Homura figure yet and wanted one, you can now get her post-Crisis version for a ridiculous amount of money. Sadly enough, they did not include a badass set of wings. The pose here is rather cookie-cutter too, but luckily enough, this version of Homura also comes with alternate face, hairstyle and arms to transform her into her shy former self. If you’ve missed out on all Homura figures before, you had better get ready to preorder.

Jel: YOU CAN’T FOOL ME GSC, I know this is essentially the same sculpt as your previous Homura but with different accessories. And as I’ve said before, I find their entire Madoka line to be a bit underwhelming, with bland poses and flat detailing. Adding a ribbon and a magic bow do very little to change my opinion.

Lancer (Fate/Zero)
Megahouse, May, 7480JPY

Zigg: First Rider and now Lancer – it’s like Megahouse are going out of their way to present the most boring, generic sculpts possible. While Rider sort of got away with it due to his larger than life character design, Lancer is just a guy in medieval spandex. Sure, the paiting and crafting looks great and those are some nicely designed spears, but at the end of the day there’s no attempt to convince you that this is anything other than a lump of plastic, and that’s a fatal flaw.

Aqua: Dairmud Darmuid Diarmiud Lancer looks neat here, with some expert work done of the sculpting of his abs — It looks like real spandex! — and armour. Sadly enough, this comes at a price. For a character known for his flamboyant battle poses, the dull one in which he appears here is simply unforgivable. I almost thought he was a figma at first, but no — this is his actual sculpt. Figures of Fate/Zero characters who are not Saber are few and far between, but if you are a fan of the unlucky Irishman in green spandex, I’d recommend sitting this one out and waiting for a more expressive version.

Jel: I thought this was a poseable figure, waiting in neutral position for something more exciting. Sadly, it’s not. Lancer himself is sculpted well and the details on his spears and armor look good, it’s just so… lifeless. I’d say this is only for the most devoted Lancer fans out there, but I’m not sure there’s enough of you to address.

Asuna (Sword Art Online)
Griffon, April, 6530JPY

Zigg: I’m digging the slightly more exagerrated, cartoony look Griffon has opted to go with for this Asuna, and it’s a cool pose with a lot of movement, giving an excuse for some fancy sculpting on her longcoat and hair. Paint detail looks up to snuff too, but I’m always a little wary of the Griffon name – they’ve not had a stellar reputation in the past. The face is bugging me too, it just looks a little bit vacant. A decent effort though.

Aqua: Oh, come on! Her again? Then again, I can’t really say I did not see it coming. Anyways, Asuna still looks great in figure form, and I especially like the Kingdom Hearts-esque huge shoes on this one. The pose is a tad bit awkward, but playful nonetheless. While I am glad most Asuna figures eschew Shingo Adachi’s rather dopey looking facial design, I cannot say I am particularly satisfied with this one either. Why does she look so out of this world? Also, when are they finally going to settle on a hair colour for this girl already? She’s all over the spectrum between blonde and ginger.

Jel: This figure is a reminder that Griffon, while greatly improved, is still not on par with the top figure companies. They do great with their Touhou line that leaves them tons of room for interpretation, but for established characters with official art to match they still seem to have trouble. It’s not to say Asuna doesn’t look good, she just doesn’t look great, especially her face that seems a bit too wide and lifeless. Until someone tops Kotobukiya’s version (and that’s tall order) I’m going to keep recommending SAO fans grab that.

Saber Lily (Fate/Stay Night)
Alter, July, 7350JPY

Zigg: As is typical of Alter it looks to be a stunning piece of work on a technical level, and I suppose there’s a certain appeal to having a non kitted-for-battle Saber, but really this doesn’t do much for me. It’s a gorgeous, gorgeous figure though, and i can see they Type-Moon fans eating it up.  This one’s more a case of me not really digging the subject than not appreciating the quality.

Aqua: Speaking of Sabers, say hello to Saber Lily. If you are not familiar with her, that’s not really a big deal because… well, she is no actual character. Saber Lily is a “what if”, a version of Saber if Saber had been allowed to live her life as a woman. I could go on about how enourmously stupid everything related to this idea is, but that is apparently not what I am here for. Anyways, Lily’s graceful pose and happy smile manage to enunciate the femininity of the character very well, and — as expected of Alter — the lovely finish on her dress, gloves and shoes give them a velvet-like appearance. I’ve never really seen the appeal of portraying a character entirely unlike how the character would normally act, but if you prefer your genderbent King Arthurs even more feminine, this figure is the way to go.

Jel: Saber looks lovely here with a sheen on her dress, pearlescent shoes, and a playful yet dignified pose. I just have a hard time getting over the fact it’s just another Saber in a dress. I suppose it’s a nice, classy alternative to the battle hardened action poses or total fan service swimsuit/pajama/yukata figures we usually get, but when you also consider how out of character she appears this is a tough sell for me.

Nyaruko Maid Costume ver.  (Haiyore! Nyaruko-san)
CM’s Corporation, May, 7200JPY

Zigg: I’m not entirely sure how you stand like that without falling flat on your face.  Also holy crap, what’s with that massive waist joint?

Aqua: Now here’s an example of “Look, mum! Look at how obnoxiously and tritely moe I can be!”. This character looks like she was created by a machine. Besides, that’s more of an Alice in Wonderland costume than a maid one. Not that it won’t sell anyways. Moving on!

Jel: While I’m really not into Nyaruko or even maid figures in general, this is a really nice sculpt with folds in her skirt and stockings and a pleasant, soft color palette… that is until you see that giant seam cutting the figure in half. I suppose if you really want a Nyaruko maid that’s not a deal breaker, but that just looks sloppy.

Nendoroids Sayaka Miki/Kyouko Sakura
Good Smile Company, May, 2680JPY each (Re-releases)

Zigg:  I always feel the figure industry should re-release more stuff and it’s nice when GSC deigns to open it’s doors and allow more people to get their hands on highly sort after figures. I’m sure the collectors and screaming about their aftermarket valuations, but really, more toys to more people is only a good thing, especially when they’re as great as this.  I actually own both of these from the first run, so i can definitely vouch for quality and all around cuteness. Get ’em.

Aqua: Is it wrong if these two are my favourites of the week? Both are greatly detailed, equipped with a plethora of cool facial expressions, swappable body parts and accessories, and most importantly adorable. Highlights include Kyouko’s pocky-munching face and Sayaka’s awesome sword spam. With this, the entire cast of Madoka Magica has (ironically) been immortalized in Nendoroid form and really, all of them show the cutesy brand at its finest. The only downside? Sayaka doesn’t have her “I’m such a fool” face!