Hello, and welcome to All Your Monies, where The Glorio Blog’s resident toy and figure collecting crew (and Iro) will run down the last week’s new pre-orders, turning a loving or scathing all-seeing eye over what’s been put out for you to spend your hard-earned cash on. This week it’s back to buisness as usual after reliving some traumatic memories for the 5th anniversary post.

Nendoroid Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Good Smile Company, January 2018, ¥4,800

Zigg: This hasn’t already happened? Regardless, since Ed is practically Nendoroid sized to begin with, this is a pretty easy and great conversion. Nice detailing on the outfit, awesome expressions, and good effects parts round out a very solid package. It’s not really a ‘wow’ type of figure, but it’s a lovely rendition of something that will make a lot of people very happy indeed.

Iro: I’m amazed it took them this long to make one of these. It’s about as solid as a nendoroid comes, with some good accessories including an alchemic attack and a “don’t call me a pipsqueak!” face. A good, standard figure.

Ram & Rem: Swimsuit vers. (RE:Zero)
FREEing, December, ¥3,480 each

Zigg: Even though Wave’s Beach Queens line has been dead and buried for quite a while now, there’s still money in them hills, so along come FREEing to try and corner the market. I’ll say this – these figures are higher quality than those old ones were, and they’re a much more reasonable price too. The thing is though, they’re even smaller than before – 1/12- and recommending figures of that size at any price is a tough ask. Plus of course there’s the skeeze factor. Neat if you’re into these ladies I suppose, but I’d really rather not.

Iro: There are two of them?? Shut anime down.

Nendoroid Yoshino Koharu (Sakura Quest)
Good Smile Company, February 2018, ¥4,800

Zigg: It’s increasingly difficult for any Nendoroid that i just ‘cute girl’ to stand out, but Yoshino does it with style here, thanks to some wonderful outfit work and great accessories. I’m particularly taken with the Nendo-sized crown, and check out the detailing on those adorable miniature high-tops. The manju and the sword are just great, hyper specific in jokes and that’s exactly the kind of thing you want in a figure like this. Fabulous.

Iro: The manju is an inspired accessory choice, and the mild-disgust face join’s Kogane’s murder face and Luluco’s horrified face in the nendo expression hall of fame.

ARTFX J Rosa with Snivy (Pokemon Black 2/White 2)
Kotobukiya, December, ¥9,180

Zigg: As ever the Pokemon protagonists are incredibly striking bits of design, but Rosa is far past the point where they were truly iconic for me. The pose is odd too, I appreciate that it’s action oriented, but as a result it only really works from one angle and is a little awkward. Still, it’s hard to knock a nice looking figure for a reasonable price, although Snivy is truly the worst.

Iro: Snivy is the worst of the Unova starters, but Rosa at least has the dubious honor of being one of the only female Pokemon protagonists in recent years who doesn’t run around in booty shorts. Let’s be real though, she could do without the giant hair buns.

S.H. Figuarts Sora (Kingdom Hearts II)
Bandai, November, ¥6,264

Zigg: I’m kind of surprised Square allowed this, since they already have their own much bigger, much more detailed (much more expensive, much crappier) Play Arts Kai line, but I’m pleased they did since this is one of the best representations of Sora in quite a while. It does baffle me how every figure of him tries to go for a more human-like look, with smaller eyes and more detailed hair, which only achieves the highly creepy uncanny valley effect. Embrace the anime, give us big eyes and flat hair, and call it a day. Also as nice as this is, that’s a lot of money for a poseable.

Iro: I guess Kingdom Hearts still prints money, huh? I’d figure they’d be trying to shill 3‘s version of the main characters by now, but the release of that game is so far away that it only makes sense to stick to what the masses know. Also, I can’t quite decide whether the exact sheen of that hair looks more like cheap chocolate or actual dog shit.