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 really are gunning for all your monies with a lot more big ticket items (meaning “expensive”) going up for order than usual. Also butts.

Real Action Heroes Hatsune Miku – Project Diva F ver. (Project Diva, Vocaloid)
Medicom/Good Smile Company, January 2014, 20,700JPY

Zigg: It’s ok I guess but those faces sure are unexpressive. I’m not thrilled about the keyboard accessory either, especially since that’s all you get. And then there’s the price. I get Miku is super popular and Medicom probably want to make bank, but no way this is worth such a whopping premium over a regular RAH. 

Lifesong: If you want a giant poseable Miku doll you probably won’t be able to do better than this one.

Jel: Considering most of my vocaloid experience is playing the Project Diva games, I guess it’s kind of neat to see the game model used for the Real Action Hero. It’s also worth noting this is the model that is used for the holographic concert things that have helped Miku’s popularity explode, so probably a smart move to go with what people are familiar with. As with all RAH figures the real cloth outfits kind of creep me out as we approach doll territory, and of course the prices is through the roof. So I’m still sticking to my claim my figma is the only Miku item I will ever need.

Timmy: RAH Miku was pretty inevitable and I think she turned out nice, but it doesn’t change the fact that that is still a lot of money to shell out.

Aqua: It was only a matter of time until Miku got the Real Action Heroes treatment, and the result is similar to all the other ones — save for Link– giant, overpriced and eerily dumped into the uncanny valley. There is just something wacky about plastic figures wearing clothes made from actual… well, cloth.

Sheryl Nome 1/7 (Macross Frontier: The False Songstress)
Max Factory, October, 15,800JPY

Zigg: This is simultaneously beautiful and gross. Beautiful because the incredible quality of the sculpt, pain and design speak for themselves. Gross because I hate the costume, the expression and the fact that the centrepiece of such a magnificent display has to be a big old booty in our faces. Expensive too, but that price is pretty justifiable.

Lifesong: This is by far the best Sheryl figure I’ve seen. This is as close to perfect as you can get and the base really makes this an iconic piece, both for the series and the character.

Jel: I love Macross Frontier promo art and this figure is a stunning representation of it. That’s got to be one of the coolest bases (if you can still call it just a base) I’ve ever seen and the sculpt on Sheryl herself is flawless. The pose, the way her hair flows through the gears, the motion in her outfit… it’s all fantastic. One of the best looking figures we’ve seen in a good long while.

Timmy: Beautiful. Everything about this figure is lovely. I am not a Macross fan yet I find myself  very tempted. I just wish she was a little less naked though.

Aquagaze: A beautiful masterpiece of craftsmanship and design, marred by a very unfortunate costume choice. I know Sheryl is supposed to be the sexy one of the two, but the pseudo-bondage gear and questionable facial expression are a disgrace to the creativity being played out here. Sadly enough, the kinetic sense of adventure and mysticism that could have made this figure stand out is dragged down by a problem inherent to the figures it most likely tried to distance itself from.

Akane Isshiki 1/8 (Vividred Operation)

Good Smile Company, October, 7820JPY

Zigg: Eh, by now you know Vividred isn’t my cup of tea, but I can’t deny this is a cool, smart looking figure, with a lot of energy and a top notch reproduction of the character. Good paint job, not too fanservicey…it’s a quality bit of work.

Lifesong: Akane and her robo dog are cool and all, but all I really want out of this series is a good Himawari.

Jel: Maybe it would have been more appropriate to show this figure from the back? I pretty much feel the same about this as I did the figma, only on a grander scale: I don’t particularly care about Akane but her robo-bike thing is really cool. Well, that and those red shoes.

Timmy: Akane turned out real nice and everything I loved back at Wonfest turned out fantastic in color. She would hardly fit in anywhere in my collection but I am still really giving her some consideration. That expression is so damn cute.

Aquagaze: A well crafted, cute little figure. Akane’s face looks a bit dopey and of course she is posed with the butt proudly sticking out, but I think both of these issues are to blame on the show’s aesthetic rather than on this craft. One problem is that this static is virtually identical to the figma we featured a few weeks ago. Shouldn’t statics have just that little bit more?

Estellise Sidos Heurassein 1/8 (Tales of Vesperia)
Alter, September, 6680JPY

Zigg: It’s nice to see imaginative use of a base, and the included chibi is a nice touch. I’ve never really been a fan of the Tales aesthetic but this is Alter, so if you are, you’re getting the good stuff.

Lifesong: I’ve been able to resist this set so far, but I just might have to break down and pick up Estelle. I have a soft spot for pink hair and Estelle is just a character I love in general. Alter have a winner here and I’m glad to see them sticking with this set.

Jel: A lot of really cool bases this week… anyway, I always liked Estelle’s character design and leave it to Alter to create an absolutely stunning rendition of her. Her pose and facial expression are the perfect mix of playful elegance and matches her character really well. Throw in the bonus chibi like the other figures in the line and this is a no-brainer for Vesperia fans.

Aquagaze: At first glance, I thought this was a Tony Taka interpretation of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Turns out my favourite character designer had no greasy hand in this one, but honestly, can you blame me? Estelle has the same sugary-sweet pastel colour palette and pseudo-unoffensive pose as a lot of Tony figures. Boring pose aside, the sculpt gets the job well done, making the character look as shiny and happy-go-lucky as the costume implies. Especially the golden bits are really well made. I honestly could not care less about characters like this, but with that little chibi thrown in there for good measure, there are many worse figures 6,000 yen can buy.

Inia Sestina 1/7 (Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse)
Kotobukiya, September, 7090JPY

Zigg: I like the relaxed, gentle pose and the base, and it’s really rather a lovely figure if you can ignore the water balloons strapped to her chest. Cool colour palette too. Another fine effort from Kotobukiya, who now probably rank alongside GSC in my personal estimation.

Lifesong: I love Kotobukiya’s attention to detail with Inia. If I were into figure photography this would be a must buy I think. I am looking forward to seeing what other people do with the figure.

Jel: Total Eclipse: the series where even the lolis are stacked. Like all the figures in this set, the impossible body proportions make it a little hard to take seriously. Everything else looks fantastic though, and in Inia’s case I really love the rubble base.

Timmy: Inia turned out nice, although her suit is a bit too similar to Cryksa’s in my openion. What I really love though is that photo with them all together. They all look great like that so for me it would be all or nothing. And since I don’t really want to spend that kind of money…

Aquagaze: Sorry, whenever a figure from this show shows up, I cannot resist the urge to complain about how they a) all looks like repaints of each other with a different head and b) all seem to have fused with some sort of alien parasite that latches to their chests and grows bigger by consuming breast milk. Disturbing, especially when you realize that this girl’s face makes her look around twelve. Just what is it with anime and pale-haired jailbait from vaguely defined Eastern European countries?

Moe Moe Z-Cune (Unofficial Sentai Akiba Ranger)
Bandai, June, 8820JPY

Zigg: In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, this is the Akibarangers transformation device – a figure of in universe moe icon Z-Cune Aoi that transforms into a gun and transforms them into their ranger forms. Because this is Sentai all things which exist in the show must also exist in real life, and so this thing does indeed transform into a scale pistol you could actually cosplay with. The transformation gimmick is neat but it does lead to inevitable compromise – it’s neither the most rugged play toy nor the most finely detailed figure. It’s still better than anything Clayz have ever put out though.

Lifesong: This gun girl is just a little too pricy for what she is.

Jel: A moe girl that transforms into a gun? How could you not want that? Oh right, 8820 yen, got it.

Timmy: Fun concept but not at that price.

Aquagaze: Thanks to Toei’s unfortunate tendency to put figures up from preorder before the character (well, “character”) they are based on appears on the show, even I have no idea who this grimly coloured Z-Cune Aoi is supposed to be. Is she an upgraded morpher for the Akibarangers, or is she used by an Evil Ranger? In any case, for what is essentially a reskin, this one is just a tad bit too expensive. Nevertheless, the Moe Moe Z-Cune is a pretty awesome gadget, so if you have been meaning to enter the Grand Delusion for a while now, make sure to pick one up. Zu-kyuuun~! (Oh god kill me)

Kudryavka Noumi 1/8 Swimsuit Ver. (Little Busters!)
Griffon, July, 6710JPY

Zigg:…nice idea I guess? OK, it’s a super weird getup seemingly designed to fall out of the fetish tree and hit every branch on the way down, but at least it’s different. The problem is the whole thing just clashes nastily (why would you not use a white swimsuit here?) and looks sort of hacked together. You can lose the cape and hat which improves coherence, but also robs the figure of what makes it distinctive. Sort of baffling really. Oh and the standard Griffon disclaimer.

Lifesong: Griffon actually did a really good job with Kud’s face. Too bad Kud looks like she failed to dress herself properly. What should be cute about this figure just looks like a kinky fetish to my eyes.

Jel: I’m getting kind of sick of Kud to be honest. Take away her fancy outfit and what do you have? Another loli in a school swimsuit. I mean I guess she does still have her hat and cloak thing but… meh.

Timmy: Pretty cute and I do really like Kud’s face and hat. I have little love for school swimsuits in general anymore though unless they really stand out.

Aquagaze: What did I just say about pale-haired jailbait from vaguely defined Eastern European countries? Anyways, a lovely figure, but then again, Griffon seems to be joining Alter and GSC in the category of “that doesn’t earn you any points anymore”. More pressingly, though, why would Kud wear her hat and cape and socks when she’s at the beach? Is she allergic to UV rays or something? Or is it just because some people get off to school swimsuits combined with kneesocks? Well then, how about we throw in a hat for good measure! And make her look eight! We’re going to be rich! RICH!

Nendoroid Akane Tsunemori (Psycho-Pass)
Good Smile Company, August, 2790JPY

Zigg: Boring as hell. Next please.

Lifesong: Moe moe laser-beam kyun.

Jel: Something about a nendoroid dressed in a professional business suit just cracks me up. Giving her one of those Minority Report guns is even funnier. I never got into Psycho-Pass but if you did, I think you should buy this.

Timmy: Pew pew.

Aquagaze: I love Akane’s spunky haircut and slick cyberpunk design, though for some reason I feel a nendoroid does not do her justice. While fans of the character should by no means feel bad about getting one, I think GSC did not exactly ‘get’ the character and the show when they made this one. Especially the lack of a “cool”-looking face rubs me the wrong way, what with the character being considered a prime badass and aversion of the stereotypical “stand there and look cute” anime heroine.

Ruiko Saten 1/8 (A Certain Scientific Railgun S)
Chara-ani, July, 6460JPY

Zigg: What’s with her hair? What’s with her skin? What’s with that pose? It’s a litany of mistakes. Also nobody in the entire universe has ever worn pajamas like that, stop lying to me figure companies.

Lifesong: Can’t unsee Rea, thanks Jel. Why is Saten so pasty? It seems all the lesser figure companies are having skin tone issues lately. This Saten is either incredibly cold, dead or both. Also, the seam in her shirt that runs up her side is awful. Hopefully the final version won’t be so noticeable.

Jel: If you told me this was the zombie girl from Sakarea I would totally believe you. Seriously Saten, maybe you should stop lounging around in your pajamas and get some sun. Oh right, and this is ugly and her hair looks like licorice and I hate it. Moving on.

Timmy: Mannn. Saten, I love you and all but this just doesn’t work for me.

Aquagaze: Only rarely do we get a figure here that is both ridiculously creepy and badly made. Saten does not deserve this treatment, and neither do you. Stay away from this freakshow.