Last time, we looked at some monstrously large breasts; today, we’ll flip it one hundred and eighty degrees and look at a far more modest rack. However, while the previous character exemplified purity, grace, and tact, Kuroko Shirai embodies … well, none of those things.

Kuroko Shirai is one of the main characters of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, or A Certain Scientific Railgun. I haven’t watched much of this show or Toaru Majutsu no Index, the preceding series, which is a little odd for me. I’ve watched lots of other female-fronted action anime simply because they were female-fronted and on the surface, A Certain Scientific Railgun ought to be something that I like. I think the lack of sex appeal amongst the principal cast members has a lot to do with my reluctance to watch the series; Mikoto and Kuroko and the other characters are pretty cute but their visual appeal tends to be played down, at least from a casual viewpoint. (Then again, the shower groping scene in the first episode is very impressive. And from the other bits and pieces I’ve watched, I liked the relationship between Yomikawa and Tsuzuri. I think they could make a series starring those two; there have been many television shows and films built on the mismatched cop buddy theme.)

This figure, however, isn’t lacking in sex appeal … unless one is put off by Kuroko’s age, being that she’s supposed to be twelve or thirteen. Given her personality, though, this outfit does seem appropriate, even if she doesn’t quite fill it out.

Kuroko is the latest bunnygirl in FREEing’s long-running line of bunnysuit figures. Like all of the figures in the series, Kuroko is huge – she’s sculpted in 1/4 scale and stands about 35 centimeters tall at the top of her head, and around 39 centimeters tall overall. Also like most of the other bunnygirl figures, she’s pretty much ready for display right out of the box, though FREEing does throw in an extra face that we’ll look at in a bit.

I have to admit that I’m starting to like the bunnysuit look, despite my initial antipathy towards the theme. Much of that distaste was caused by the bunny ears, since I really do not like animal ears on anime characters. However, being that they are obviously artificial here, it’s not too difficult for me to get over them, and moreoever, I really like the high-leg leotard look. It looks great on Kuroko, who’s flaunting her twelve-year old body about as well as she can, given her lack of physical gifts.

Kuroko’s bunnysuit deviates a bit from the most iconic look in that she wears stockings rather than pantyhose. It’s a nice change and I prefer this look, as it focuses attention to the high-cut legs of her suit and the bare skin of her thighs. The stockings are made of a real fishnet material, which looks quite nice; the garter straps attaching them to her suit, however, are not, and so it looks a little odd in how they appear glued down on her skin (which they actually are, I suppose). I don’t think it’d a bad thing, since separated, free-floating straps would probably be prone to breaking, but it is conspicuous.

Her leotard is made of a glossy material reminisicent of vinyl or latex, which looks great; it’s seductive, sexy, and showy, which perfectly fits Kuroko’s libertine personality. She has the usual accessories: a pair of bunny ears, some wrist cuffs, a collar with a cute bow tie, some armbands, and high heels. The purple color of her tie and the ribbons on her hips tends to blend in with the black, but that’s not too big a problem, I think.

Speaking of her hips, Kuroko does have a very nice body shape for … well, a twelve-year old. Her hips are prominently curved, contrasting sharply against her total lack of breasts. Her waist is tapered, and she also has a nicely-shaped rear, which is a bit unexpected but quite nice to see.

On a technical note, my figure has some noticeable scratches on her left thigh. I’m not sure what caused them; I’ve seen these sorts of scratches on polystone statues but not on PVC figures.

And here is her rear, complete with bunny tail.

Kuroko’s pose is saucy and ostentatious, emphasizing her sex appeal, or at least her attempt at generating such. Her legs are wideset, knees bent with ass and (non-existent) chest thrust out. It looks vaguely ridiculous given her obvious youth and modest body build, but it still looks quite right.

She’s flashing a sly, knowing smile, conveying confidence and seemingly offering a bit more. Her broad grin and widely-spaced eyes are a little unusual and can be a little disconcerting if you stare at her face for a while. Nonetheless, she looks quite pretty.

And if you want something a little more in tune with her usual comportment, the figure comes with this extra face. An instruction sheet is provided, showing how to swap out her faces, but it’s pretty straightforward: just pull off her bangs and then detach her face. Personally, I don’t really dig this look that much but for anyone who likes this sort of predatory feline look, FREEing has you covered.

Most of FREEing’s bunnygirl figures aren’t too impressive when viewed in a photograph; they’re not that detailed, the body definition usually isn’t spectacular (the faces always seem peculiarly flat), and the poses tend to not be too ambitious. I like them anyway, however, and Kuroko is not an exception. She looks both cute and sexy, and I really like the outfit, even taking the ears into account. All the bare skin is quite attractive as well, and her personality comes through quite strongly. And of course, she’s big, which is one of the best things about the figure and is one of the main reasons pictures don’t quite do it justice; she towers over almost every other figure I’ve got aside from other 1/4 scale figures. With all her charms taken together, I’m happy to own Kuroko.

Over a year after Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere (or Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, if you prefer the more-grammatically-correct American title) concluded its two-season run, figures have been slow to trickle out. The few that are available have come from a variety of manufacturers; Wave has released a few figures in its Beach Queens series, as well as an anomalous figure of lead girl Horizon Ariadust, which we looked at a while back. Alter, as is their wont, is going with a minor character in an action pose. (I previously expressed some trepidation regarding the figure’s price tag and size but lately I’ve been thinking she’d look pretty cool battling my Yamato 1/48-scale VF-1 Valkyries, and that could also make for some pretty cool photo ops.) Volks’s figures show a lot of promise but nothing yet substantive. Kotobukiya has a few in the pipeline, including an action-oriented one of Tomo Asama, who is who we’re looking at here. This figure, by Max Factory, is decidedly not action-oriented; instead, it is pretty obvious what attributes they wished to emphasize.

Tomo is one of the main characters of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, though that’s mostly meaningless given the expansive size of the cast. She is, like most of the characters, a student in Class 3-Plum at the Musashi Ariadust Academy, and she’s also a Shinto shrine maiden at her family’s shrine. She’s a kind-hearted, friendly girl, but she’s also an expert archer who is sometimes nicknamed the “Sniper Maiden.” Despite being a pious shrine maiden, she has no problem fantasizing about Toori Aoi groping other people’s breasts – though maybe that’s just because she knows Toori better than most.

Tomo has a few things that distinguish her. One obvious thing is her artificial left eye, which even has its own name (“Konoha”) and seems to provide magnification and rangefinding abilities, among other functions. Another is her distinctive pink-and-white bodysuit, which she wears during combat and occasionally during other times. She is also accompanied by a flying familiar named Hanami, who can grant blessings. Lastly, she carries a bow named Ume-Tsubaki, which can fire a variety of ordnance, from typical arrows to anti-battleship torpedoes.

I like almost all of the characters from the Horizon series, but I think I’d say that Tomo is my favorite. She has an appealing personality, being friendly yet also a bit flighty. I also like that she actively engages in combat; many of the show’s principal characters do not. And obviously, I think she has a pleasing appearance. The product description for this figure assertively states “she has one of the most appealing bodies of anyone in her class”; this is a matter of opinion, of course, but I would agree with the assessment.

This figure is, as mentioned, by Max Factory. It’s nominally listed as being 1/7 scale, but this is a very conservative value; she’s closer in size to many 1/6 scale figures. She comes with a very large pink base, which she doesn’t need to stay upright, and a ton of accessories, which we’ll look at individually in a bit.

The female characters of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere all have attractive bodies, and it’s apparent that Max Factory wanted to emphasize that aspect of Tomo’s design. Tomo is known for having a particularly large bust size – second only to Kimi Aoi, perhaps – and in this respect, Max Factory has gone for broke; Tomo’s rack is absolutely enormous. Indeed, her breasts are far larger than they appeared in the anime, and their size and shape aren’t going to be considered attractive by everybody. Personally, I would’ve preferred if they had exercised restraint and toned them down some; from a few angles, they aren’t too bad, but from other viewpoints, they look like enormous, overinflated balloons, or swollen pustules moments away from bursting.

Max Factory didn’t stop there, though; they also enhanced the size and shape of her buttocks. The tightness of her bodysuit – which is ludicrously unrealistic in the way it is molded to her body, even for anime – only makes this more apparent, as does her pose; she’s crouching down, chest and ass thrust out, back arched in an almost wince-inducing curve. Tomo is presented here in a very erotic manner, and that may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the taste and preferences of the viewer. Me, this isn’t the pose I would have picked, but I do admit that I like this more sexualized take on Tomo, particularly because she’s such a sweet, upbeat girl in the show.

I’m more equivocal on her face. Her face doesn’t look bad – she’s too pretty for her face to look bad – but she’s obviously reacting to something and unless you display her with Toori, there’s no context for her evident discomfiture. That said, all that is required to mitigate that concern is an overstimulated imagination, and her distress does open up some photographic opportunities that a neutral expression would not provide. It’s all about how you see it and what you can do with it.

She comes with a number of accessories, and of course, nothing precludes her owner from making one’s own props. Let’s look at what comes in the box.

First, she comes with some wings that attach to a small socket in her back. Unfortunately, they don’t fit very securely at all and are prone to falling out even if you just pick her up. They do seem to be reasonably durable, at least, which is a good thing since they’ve fallen to the floor a number of times already.

For those who don’t like the mecha girl style as much, there’s a simple plug that can be used instead.

Tomo comes with two pairs of hands, one meant to cradle her bow and the other meant to hold down Toori. The bow seems to fit loosely in her hands, and I mean really loosely; I was not able to keep it steady in her hands. That probably means I was doing something wrong. Note that the bow doesn’t come with a bowstring.

She also comes with this rolled-up version of Toori Aoi, or at least something that resembles a chibi form of Toori. I’m not sure why he’s rolled up like this or why Tomo is straddling him or whether this really is him and not a peculiar inflatable doll or something. He does provide a reason for Tomo to look so uncomfortable, as if someone walked in on them while she was doing something naughty, but the size disparity between the two makes it difficult to believe that this is really him.

Tomo’s bodysuit is very attractive, particularly in the way that it encases her body. It also has a neat thong back, which I like, and some futuristic embellishments, including something that looks a bit like a belt that goes over her waist. Unlike the black-and-white school uniforms that most of the show’s characters wear, Tomo’s shrine maiden suit leaves her arms and shoulders bare, which looks quite nice (though I recall that in the anime, her left arm is covered in some sort of armor plating when she fights in this outfit; that is obviously not included here). Her outfit has a nice glossy finish, giving it the look of latex or vinyl, which will certainly appeal to spandex fetishists.

One of the neatest things about the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere world is the way futuristic styling is fused with traditional sensibilities. For example, Tomo wears something like a cybernetic version of the traditional tabi shoes on her feet.

The paint job is quite nice, though my figure has a black speck on Tomo’s ass that irritates me far more than it probably should. I like the way Tomo’s hair has a satin-like finish; I don’t think I’ve ever seen this type of paint used for a figure’s hair before. While Tomo’s design isn’t enormously complicated, unlike some other mecha girls, there are a some nice, subtle touches, such as the torii symbol on her back.

I like this figure quite a bit, even though I concede it’s not entirely the perfect Tomo figure that I’ve been waiting for. It’s a very specific take on Tomo, one that places heavy – perhaps excessive – emphasis on tits and ass. It is unabashedly crass and I don’t doubt many people will skip this figure because of that. However, while I think her breasts should’ve been a bit smaller – I thought the same thing regarding Max Factory’s old Tamaki Kousaka figure – it doesn’t bother me too much. Being that Tomo is my favorite character in the show, I’m alright with her being presented in a sexy fashion, and given how strangely rare figures of the show’s characters are, I’m just happy she got a full-sized figure at all. For those who don’t prefer Tomo with a giant ass and enormous breasts, perhaps Kotobukiya’s upcoming version will have more appeal.

I had hoped to space out this post a little more after the last one, but figure makers have rolled out a ton of new stuff since then. This post already took way too long to write, so let’s go ahead and look at some stuff I’m thinking about buying.

September

Dark Elf from Lineage II
For several years, Orchid Seed has been showing off promo artwork of a Lineage II dark elf figure. Max Factory has beaten them to the punch, even using the same artwork as the inspiration for their figure (though Orchid Seed actually used two pictures and would presumably prefer to use the line art now instead). I played Lineage II for about a month, pretty much only because I loved the way the dark elf females looked, so I’m really excited for this figure. If I had my way, I’d have picked the doom plate armor (I think that’s what it’s called; I never got past level 16 and never got any cool stuff) or even the newbie armor (the older version, not the NCsoft-nerfed version). But this is good, too. I’m getting the version with the blue skin, but there’s one also one with dark brown skin.

Estellise Sidos Heurassein from Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia was the first game from the Tales series that I played, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I thought it’d be a silly and cartoony sort of game so I was surprised by how much I liked the characters – even the males, who I usually ignore in RPGs. Inexplicably, Alter still hasn’t announced any plans to make a figure of Judith, unquestionably the coolest and best character from the game. Hopefully they won’t exclude her but in the meantime, they are peddling a figure of the game’s lead girl. I might pick this one up, though I’m leaning against it right now.

Inia Sestina from Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse
I already have Yui, of course, and I think Cryska is supposed to ship this month. That makes picking up Inia a straightforward decision. I just need to decide where to buy her.

Kazuno from Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere
Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere is replete with attractive female characters, which ought to make it a fertile source for figure companies to plunder. Thus it’s a bit mystifying that Alter has picked one of the less sexy characters (though that is admittedly a matter of taste and perspective) for their first figure from the series. Kazuno had a really cool scene in the show, and I liked her (though she got very little screentime overall), but I don’t have a big thing for normal maid costumes, and if I were to get this figure, it’d be more because I liked the show rather than because I like the way that this figure looks. I’m not sure that’s a good enough rationale to drop the amount of money Kazuno is going for.

Marie Mamiya from Starless
This is the figure that I am perhaps most conflicted on here. I like the character design, and she has one of the prettiest faces I’ve seen on an anime figure. However, she also has the small head and large body combination that caused me to pass on several other figures. It’s less apparent here than on some other figures, but I still notice it, and I have the feeling that if I were to get this figure, it’d bother the hell out of me. Right now, I think I’m inclined to wait and see if it hits the bargain bin or gets a big discount on Mandarake.

Mikan Yuuki from To Love-Ru
Mikan is, like the girls from the Nanoha series, a character I’m familiar with mostly through various erotic doujinshi. I haven’t watched or read much of To Love-Ru, which is a little odd since I have the sense I’m squarely in its target audience, but from what I know of Mikan, I think she’d be one of my favorite characters. And well, she’s pretty cute in those aforementioned doujinshi. That’s perhaps not a great reason to pick up a figure – I don’t expect that most people would agree with that line of thinking – but for me, it more than suffices. After all, if I didn’t feel empathy for characters in porno comics, I wouldn’t have as many Fate Testarossa figures as I do. Also, it’s pretty obvious that her clothes are removable and that’s a big plus in my view (why they don’t provide any castoff photos, I don’t know; I would think that their main aim is to sell figures rather than assume an air of coyness).

(Speaking of that erotic doujinshi, it’s pretty cool stuff. I’m not quite sure what it’s about – it seems to have something to do with a space alien who enslaves Mikan – but I enjoyed it anyway. On a similar note, I was playing this H-game a few days back in which the main heroine gets drugged and raped a bunch and supposedly dies, which made me feel really sad for a while. By my understanding of the term, this means that being a sex slave is moe.)

Miu Takanashi from Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father!
This is one of those figures that, if it were 1/8 scale, I’d acknowledge that it’s pretty cute and then moved on. However, this figure is 1/4 scale – God’s scale – which automatically warrants closer consideration. It is indeed pretty cute, and while I don’t think it’s anything special, its size means I’m thinking really, really hard about picking it up.

Incidentally, Miu is apparently supposed to be ten years old. I feel like that ought to make me feel worse than it actually does.

Nyarlathotep from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
I watched the first episode of Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, wondering what the Cthulhu connection was. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of one, from what I could tell; rather, the show appeared to be a standard high school romance comedy. Maybe I’ll give it another try sometime later. This figure though, has my interest, for obvious reasons. It’s very cute and I’m pretty sure I’ll pick it up.

October

Akane Isshiki from Vividred Operation
I haven’t watched much of Vividred Operation, apart from one of the later episodes which features a hilarious scene involving the dietary requirements of a bird, and though its main hook – an excessive emphasis on the buttocks of the principal cast – is very appealing, I’m not really sure that’s enough to get me interested. Fortunately, I don’t need to know anything about the show to be interested in the figures. I don’t really know if I’m going to get this figure, though. Something about the face looks a little off to me; somehow, the Figma looks cuter. Then again, I do dig the shorts (enough that I bought this wallscroll). Maybe that will be enough to sway my decision.

Meiya Mitsurugi from Muv-Luv Alternative
After chucking out a number of figures of the Total Eclipse characters, Kotobukiya is going back to the original source and bringing us this figure of Meiya Mitsurugi, the lead girl of Muv-Luv Alternative. It’s a good-looking figure, though I wish she were standing up instead of curled up in an odd floating fetal position. I guess figure makers just don’t want to allow the girls of Muv-Luv to stand up. I also wish that she were wearing the see-through suit rather than the black suit, but it’s not surprising that they stayed away from that. At any rate, seeing how as I haven’t skipped any of Kotobukiya’s Muv-Luv figures yet, I suppose I’m not going to start doing so now.

Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier
This is one of the more epic – and, consequently, expensive – figures from Max Factory. A lot of people were taken aback by the price tag and I have to admit, I was, too. However, I was more surprised by the scathing reception that this figure is getting. I checked her score on Hobby Search and it’s pretty bad. Thinking that maybe that was just because a bunch of gaijin couldn’t understand her charms, I checked her Japanese page and nope, her score there is even worse. In fact, her score is worse than gangsta lean Saber’s. (Note to self: review gangsta lean Saber already.) Her face appears to be her most contentious aspect. I think she’s pretty. Plus, she’s got shiny clothes, cute hair, a thong, hooker heels, and full-body bondage, what more could you want? Regardless of the controversy, this is probably my most anticipated figure on this list.

November

Keiji Maeda from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
The newest Samurai Girls figure from Alter is of the recently-introduced Keiji Maeda, who shows up in the middle of the show’s second season. I’m a little surprised that D’artagnan is apparently missing, seeing as how she’s been left out of the television show and there is no sign that she’ll get a figure of her own, but I guess I can’t complain too much because Keiji looks really nice. Unsurprisingly, she’s a Hobby Japan exclusive, which means needing to go through a proxy service or shopping at a store that sells limited-edition goods. I went with Hobbyfan; we’ll see if they come through for me.

Kuroyukihime from Accel World
This is another character that I know mostly from ero-doujinshi. It’s a good-looking figure, though I’m already ordering Max Factory’s figure and it’s pretty much impossible to top that one. I’m pretty much only interested in this one because the Good Smile Company preview says that the skirt is removable, and it looks like you might be able to see her ass. That’s pretty much the main reason. I’ll wait and see if some sample reviews show us that.

Momo Velia Deviluke from To-Love Ru
Oh my. I don’t know anything about this character at all (unlike Mikan, I’ve not seen this character in any doujinshi) but I do know what I like and I like this very, very, very much. Max Factory is having one helluva year; it’s kinda like someone over there was like, “Hey man, let’s make some sexy figures to go with all those Figmas.”

Rikka Himegami from T2 Art Girls
It’s a little surprising that Alphamax is making this figure rather than continuing on with the characters from Fault!!, but as Tony Taka’s ero artwork is always good (except when he screws up the hands and feet), it’s not an unwelcome decision at all. Rikka has a thematically similar look to their earlier figures: sultry pose, long legs, and a relatively realistically-proportioned torso. She effects a different look, though; I think it’s her eyes, she’s got sort of a dead, expressionless look in her eyes that’s a bit disconcerting. That’s not a bad thing at all, though; indeed, it could be considered appealing. Anyway, it’s a pretty easy call to pick this one up.

December

Ran Misugi from the Native Creator’s Collection
This … actually is a Native figure, despite appearances to the contrary. The style and theme of this figure is obviously of a different sort than Native’s other figures, which were certainly explicit but still generally maintained a level of dignity. Well, maybe; dignity is, perhaps, in the eye of the beholder. I am going to guess that this figure is not going to go over too well within the figure collecting company. Me, I think it looks cool as hell. I used the picture of the ahegao face for comedic value but she does come with a normal face, which is the one I’ll be displaying her with, and apparently the lettering is removable. Also apparently, one of the phrases written on her legs reads “niku benki ♥,” or “meat toilet.” The “toilet woman” phenomenon has a long and illustrious tradition in ero manga and anime, and I’m happy to see that it’s getting represented as a figure, too. Definitely looking forward to this one. Also, it appears that unlike earlier Native figures, this one is open to direct order by international customers, whichis a welcome change.

Super Sonico from Nitroplus
I think it’s safe to call Super Sonico this year’s It Girl. I’m not quite sure how she came to be so popular amongst figure makers … but then, Ignis and Samurai Shodown’s Iroha were It Girls of previous years and I can’t explain why they were so popular, either. So here’s Sonico in a bikini, standing rather stiffly in a decidedly unexciting pose. Nonetheless, this figure still looks really cool, thanks in large part to her generous proportions. To top it off, this figure is 1/5 scale, which is not as good as 1/4 but is better than 1/6. I’m still on the fence on this one – Sonico is suffering from Tamaki syndrome, where even if I like a figure, the fact that I have so many of that character automatically starts it at a disadvantage – but I’m leaning more towards ordering it, particularly if December doesn’t have a lot of releases. (Historically, that has not been true.)

January

Alleyne from Queen’s Blade
Orchid Seed hasn’t really been into the Queen’s Blade thing – off the top of my head, I think this is their first one – but Alleyne looks fantastic. She reminds me a bit of the Jun Tsukasa-inspired Risty, except in a much larger size, being 1/6 scale rather than 1/8. This one was an easy call, too.

There have been a number of figures of the characters from Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse. To date, most of them have put them in swimsuits or their underwear. Not that that’s a bad thing (would you trust a heterosexual man who said he didn’t like panties?), but given the appeal and distinctiveness of Muv-Luv’s pilot suits, it’s a shame that figure makers haven’t chosen to adapt the most iconic look of the Total Eclipse characters. That is, until now; Kotobukiya has finally made a figure of lead girl Yui Takamura in her pilot suit, and that’s who we are looking at here.

This is Kotobukiya’s second figure of Yui, the first having arrived over a year ago. Like the earlier figure, this one is sculpted in 1/7 scale; unlike the earlier version and pretty much every previous figure of a Total Eclipse character, Yui is standing up here. She’s a substantial figure, standing about 23.5 centimeters tall, discounting the base.

Besides the base, she comes with her sword and three little rocks that can be strewn about at the owner’s discretion. I know I’d just lose them so I put them back in the box.

The name of this figure makes reference to its clothing (“eishi” is what the Japanese mecha pilots in Muv-Luv Alternative call themselves), so that’s a good place to start. A longtime staple of science fiction and superhero comics, the tight bodysuit offer obvious sex appeal, and the suits of Muv-Luv Alternative amplify that effect in several ways. Most obviously, they are unrealistically tight, with the wearer vacuum-sealed inside the suit (literally so; we see this in an early episode of the anime). The various bits of armor studding the suit comprise a more contentious aspect of the character designs; in particular, I’ve heard people say they don’t care for the chinstrap. While I don’t hate it, I can see why it would be bothersome, and I would agree that I’d prefer that it not be there. I do wish the pointy cones protruding from her hips weren’t there; I think they are disruptive to her body line.

That said, I don’t think they are detrimental; indeed, they can be hard to notice amid the obviously exaggerated characteristics of her physique. Her large breasts are one of the most conspicuous elements of her design and are, I’m sure, two major reasons why people tuned in to the Total Eclipse anime series. Yui’s design reminds me quite a bit of the aforementioned superhero comics, particularly those drawn by artists like Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Andy Kubert back in the 1990s; her long legs, wasp waist, and strongly curved back are evocative of the conventions of those days.

Being the lead female character, Yui gets to wear a unique suit that matches the color of her tactical surface fighter. The black-and-gold motif is almost always an attractive combination, and the purple accents add elements of distinction, femininity, and regalness to her design. The patterning on her suit is outlined with black piping, and looking at it close-up, it’s a bit roughly applied. Collectors who own Kotobukiya’s 1/6 scale figures of the Evangelion characters will already be familiar with this.

Speaking for myself, and only myself, I kinda wish that this figure featured erect nipples. It’s tight enough that we can clearly see her navel, and some of the official art featured such. While I’m at it, it would’ve also been pretty cool if she wore a see-through suit like some of the characters from Alternative did.

Anyway, it’s a very tight suit, one that does proper justice to Yui’s rear. Fans of this sort of thing will be very pleased.

I like the way her shoes look; they’re big and clunky, which I think looks pretty cute.

She also has this sword, which comes separately. It slides into her hand pretty easily, which is nice because that’s not always the case with some figures. The contrast between her futuristic outfit and her anachronistic weapon is interesting and eye-catching. The sword also makes her nationality obvious.

As mentioned, this is the second figure of Yui by Kotobukiya. The earlier figure was done by a different sculptor and looks a little bit smaller than this one. The hair is also a little different; this Yui’s hair is more voluminous with more prominent hair intake styling.

The style of the eyes is also a little different; this Yui’s eyes has more pronounced black outlining, giving her a harder, more aggressive look.

Kotobukiya’s earlier figure of Yui Takamura was excellent, and this one is no different. Certainly, the highlight of this figure is Yui’s body, and her chest is indeed very nice, but there are a number of other appealing factors here. Yui’s demeanor is one of them; she looks both strong and sexy here, standing nonchalantly amid urban ruin. The contrasts presented by this figure are more subtle but still compelling; the contrast between her feudal-era sword and futuristic outfit is one, but there are others, such as the contrast between her military look and her girlish ribbon, and her placid expression while evidently surrounded by destruction. All in all, this is a fantastic figure, one that I am very pleased to own.

One of the peculiar aspects of Total Eclipse’s plot was a poorly-handled stab at injecting racial tension between the Japanese-American lead guy and fully-Japanese Yui. It was pretty badly done and made me cringe, being Japanese-American myself. I think my attempt at introducing racial commentary into my own work is better.

The last time we looked at a dakimakura cover, we looked at a warrior girl with no name. This time, we’ll be looking at another fighter girl, one who apparently has no last name.

Tiana is one of the main characters of Catwalk’s video game Maou to Odore! Code: Arcana. It’s the third game in the Maou to Odore! series and unusually, it’s an RPG rather than a straightforward visual novel. I’d love to tell you more about it but unfortunately, the demo version seems to have a country lockout that doesn’t allow it to run on non-Japanese computers (even if the computer’s administrative region is set to Japan). So sad. I think that’s a lame thing for them to do but oh well, it’s their game.

The pillowcase measures 160 centimeters by 50 centimeters and is made of the usual two-way spandex fabric that most non-mass market pillowcases are made of. It’s a somewhat lightweight material, though; I recently got a different pillowcase (also featuring an eroge character) that has a much heavier feel. Not that this pillowcase feels flimsy or anything, but the difference in weight was very noticeable to me.

The front side shows Tiana in her usual uniform, albeit in a slight state of disarray. She presents a very cute look, and a somewhat familiar one, too; the game’s artwork was drawn by Noboru Kannatsuki, perhaps best known for his work on Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica. Certainly his style – long bodies, big, expressive eyes, and slightly pouty lips – is evident here. I also can’t help but think that Tiana bears a slightly resemble to Evangelion’s Asuka.

The artwork gives Tiana very long legs, which seems to be a standard practice for dakimakura cover artwork. Also, one could make the argument that her feet are reversed here, but I’m going to believe that’s just an effect caused by the perspective and her socks. At any rate, mixing up hands and feet is, unfortunately, not a rare thing; there was another pillowcase I was thinking of getting by another well-respected artist, and then I noticed the character’s left hand was actually a right hand. Such a shame.

Catwalk may not want dirty gaijin playing their porno game, but we can still infer some things about the characters thanks to its Getchu page. (I’m using machine translation to read the bios so some of this may be wrong.)

This is you, also known as Alec. He’s a prince of a small kingdom and is thought to be the reincarnation of a great demon – the titular demon – sealed away a thousand years ago. But other than that, he seems to be a nice dude. He is said to be lazy and laid-back in outlook, but he’s also a talented leader and tactician.

Tiana is a princess – which perhaps explains the lack of last name – and a childhood friend of Alec. Despite her royal status, she’s also a skilled swordsperson. She’s also proud, confident, and rather willful.

Ariel (that might not be the correct romanization of her name) is a dragon knight, which is probably fairly obvious from the horns sprouting from her head. She’s a taciturn, expressionless girl who nonetheless decides to protect Alec.

Reese is an elven priestess who travels the world looking for a place to plant the seed of the great world tree. Though graceful and of regal bearing, she is unfamiliar with human society and is thus a bit innocent and inexperienced. She hears rumors about the resurrection of a great demon and is confused by the fear it engenders in humankind.

Mericia is an artifical life form, the product of a highly-advanced ancient civilization (a minor contradiction in terms there, if you ask me). She possesses superior intelligence, strength, cell regrowth abilities, but appears in virtually all respects to be a normal human being. She views Alec as being her long-awaited master.

The reverse side of the dakimakura cover shows Tiana in a state of both undress and distress. She’s wearing some body armor here, and it has a normal metal color rather than the red-colored armor that she wears in the game. I think that’s a good change since I like the natural metal look better.

The resemblance to Asuka might be more evident here, with the red hair ribbons and twintail hairstyle.

She has an elongated torso, a hallmark of the artist’s style.

And here’s her legs, complete with high heels – always the practical choice for getting into a swordfight.

I really like this pillowcase a lot; I’d say it’s one of my favorites in my collection. Tiana has a beautiful character design and she looks great on both sides. I just wish I could play the game; it looks pretty cool.

Another day, another Tamaki figure. Given how much I whine about there being too many Miku Hatsune figures, it’s fair to wonder why I don’t make the same complaint about Tamaki. There are a couple of reasons; the most obvious one is that Tamaki is very often sexualized (even by Leaf) while Miku is not. The other reason is that while Miku has a (more or less) accepted look (embodied in her original Good Smile Company figure), nobody really seems to care much about Tamaki’s official design, and that leads to wide variation amongst her figures. Such is the case with this figure, and as a special bonus, it comes from a (sort of) brand-new figure maker, which gives us something new to talk about.

That figure maker is Orca Toys, and this appears to be the first figure released under that brand name. A quick look at their product portfolio reveals that they are really big on Tamaki; indeed, it’s all Tamaki all the time, as their two other figures (at the time of this writing) are a recolored version of this figure and a Tamaki figure with some sort of cat ears. I do dig the white version of bunnysuit Tamaki, though; in fact, if I had known about it, I’d rather have gotten that one than this one.

That said, it appears that Orca Toys isn’t a completely new company; apparently they are related in some way to Okayama Figure Engineering. You might not know of Okayama Figure Engineering, and if you don’t, there’s a good reason for that; they make some of the most pornographic anime figures available through retail outlets, and so they tend to not get as much coverage as other figure makers. Furthermore, while I’ve gained something of a reputation for reviewing and preferring explicit figures, it is telling that I do not own any of their products. If you’ve never seen their stuff, I’ll just leave this link to their website here.

So it was with a good bit of trepidation that I ordered this figure. Tamaki looked pretty good in the product photos, good enough that if I hadn’t known of the company connection to OFE, I would have felt much more confident about buying this figure. I’m not certain what their relationship is – they might just have the same distributor – but at any rate, Orca Toys’s headquarters is listed as being in Okayama and their phone number is registered under the same company name that distributes OFE’s stuff, so there’s definitely some sort of link between the two figure manufacturers. Strange.

One of the reasons I decided to get this figure is that it is listed as 1/5 scale. As everyone who reads this site already knows, I like bigger figures. Tamaki, though, isn’t really 1/5 scale; she’s probably closer to 1/6 scale, and she’s actually a bit smaller than Native’s Super Sonico figure, which is conservatively listed as a 1/6 scale figure. This Tamaki is about 21 centimeters tall, excluding her big plastic white base, which she doesn’t really need for display.

As mentioned, many Tamaki figures exhibit widely varying design sensibilities, and Orca Toys’s figure is no different. She’s got very big, spiky bangs that hang over her eyes, and her triangular hair intakes – one of the trademark aspects of her character design – are mostly obscured by her bunny ears. The result is that she looks distinct from many of the other Tamaki figures out there.

Further, since her eyes are partially obscured, it is difficult to use them to evaluate her expression. Her mouth, though, gives her mood away; she’s sticking her tongue out in a playful, flirty, mischievous manner.

From other angles, though, her hand can cover up her mouth and her expression conveys a different sort of feeling; here, she looks as if she’s anxious about something.

Speaking of angles, her head is on a balljoint and can rotate a little bit. This is actually one of the most annoying aspects of this figure because holy God, it is really, really difficult to get her head reattached to her body (you have to detach it to remove the figure’s protective plastic sheet). I would have been much happier if they had just gone with the standard L-shaped peg that every other figure maker uses.

While Tamaki is often depicted in a sexualized manner, she doesn’t actually have that many explicit figures – at least, relative to her total number of figures. This figure, however, offers a good view of her rack. The front part of her bunnysuit can be detached and replaced with an open version that reveals the majesty of her chest.

Note that one could eschew replacing her bustier part but that leaves a big peg hole in her sternum.

Tamaki has a really nice chest; it’s quite large, even for Tamaki, who is often depicted as being rather busty. Her nipples are big as well, though lamentably not all that detailed; they look sort of like the ball joint that comprises her neck.

Besides her chest, she has some really sexy legs. Her fishnet stockings accentuate her legs, of course, and they are sculpted very nicely, with a realistic sense of shape and heft, rather than the very skinny legs lots of female anime characters have. The shape of her thighs is particularly appealing.

So is her sitting position, with her legs splayed out immodestly – not that Tamaki has ever been synonymous with modesty.

Surprisingly, this figure shows off a good bit of detail. Tamaki has painted fingernails, her costume and high heels feature the expected glossy finish, and her tail has a fuzzy look to it (though it has a big seam line running around its circumference).

Tamaki can be seated on a pink plastic cushion, which has indentations to keep her in place. She does not attach to her seat in any way, so one could have her sit on something else if one desires. The cushion looks pretty good – it even has four little feet rather than lying flat on the ground – and Tamaki is reasonably stable on it.

Somehow I’ve gotten this far without talking about the bunnysuit or the bunny ears. I must be getting inured against my aversion to such; perhaps I’m even starting to like them. Maybe.

Even accounting for the Tamaki tax, where character fatigue saps my opinion of a given figure, I like this figure a lot. It’s a sexy-looking figure, one where the sculptor did a great job giving Tamaki an attractive, adult-looking body. Moreover, I’m pleased that Orca Toys is capable of producing a fine figure; if only their partner company were capable of doing the same with their own figures.

Another day, another Vocaloid figure. The Vocaloid phenomenon offers a little something for everyone. To amateur musicmakers, it is an empowering tool, giving them the ability to add vocals to their instrumental tracks. For artists, it is a source of inspiration for their illustrations. For companies, it’s a reliably fat cash cow – slap a Vocaloid image on a product or insert one of the characters into a video game and watch the units fly off the shelves. A few companies have taken this commercial exploitation to another level; Sega, for example, loves throwing her into games that she has no business being in. And Good Smile Company too, who have made so many products featuring her likeness that she might as well be their mascot. At least in the case of their auto racing team, it seems that this is literally true, as this figure represents.

I have to admit that I’m pretty tired of the whole Miku Hatsune thing. Many of her products aren’t too interesting to me – this is particularly true of all her nendoroids – and I find it really difficult to write anything about her figures. That said, I like this figure – as should be obvious, since like most people, I’m not generally in the habit of buying things I dislike. I like it enough that I could disregard my weariness at seeing yet another Miku figure; she has a distinctive and attractive look and she appears older than she is normally depicted. That was enough to sway my disposition.

However, while I’m favorably inclined towards this figure, I wasn’t sure how much I liked it, and thus I haven’t spent much time reading the comments on its Tsuki-board page (which, to be honest, I usually don’t do for any figure, anyway). If a figure doesn’t leave a strong initial impression on me before I photograph it, I prefer to not read about it so that I can keep my mind and opinion clear. That said, I did hear that a number of collectors feel that there’s some sort of quality control problem with this Miku. I’m not entirely certain of the nature of this defect, but I have my suspicions and we’ll talk more about that in a bit.

Unsurprisingly, this figure is made by Good Smile Company. They’ve made a number of Miku Hatsune figures, typically in 1/7 and 1/8 scale; this particular Miku is 1/8 scale, standing about 20 centimeters tall. Like just about all of GSC’s Miku figures, Racing 2011 Miku hit the bargain bin fairly quickly, which is where she remains.

I don’t really know anything about Good Smile Company’s adventures in motorsport. I presume they’ve co-opted Miku Hatsune’s image as their mascot, and that seems to be the capacity in which she’s presented here. She’s dressed in a futuristic derivative of a race queen outfit – she’s wearing a leotard, some thigh-high boots, long gloves, and is carrying the all-important umbrella. It’s a very sexy outfit, though I can’t help but think that she looks a little like a cybernetic prostitute or something, particularly when paired with her beckoning gesture.

I’m less fond of this part that flares around her waist, though; it seems both unnecessary and disruptive. Fortunately, it’s a lot less obtrusive when the figure is viewed from the front rather than the back.

The umbrella doesn’t actually attach to anything; you have to sort of wedge it under her right hand. There’s a small divot in the base where the point goes into, and though the whole setup seems a bit precarious, it holds up well. The figure, though, is quite a bit more wobbly; only one of Miku’s feet attaches to the base, and the figure vibrates worryingly whenever it is nudged. Hopefully that’s not a harbinger of leaning or peg-snapping problems in the future.

Miku has a relatively mature look here; she certainly appears older than the cheerleader Miku figure. She also has a grown-up body, with long legs, a narrow waist, and prominent hips. But it’s the eyes that I keep coming back to; they are narrowed, giving her a confident, friendly, even seductive look. She has a very pretty face, and my appreciation of this figure is due as much to her expression as to her outfit.

Miku’s green twintails are an iconic aspect of her design, and it seems that no figure sculptor can resist making them swirl around her body. Such is the case here, and the effect adds a tremendous amount of energy to a figure that already possesses a great deal of visual interest. That said, it’s not all good, as a close glance at her hair shows that some of the strands of hair are glued on in a rather conspicuous, almost haphazard manner. It reminds me a lot of another Vocaloid figure, which was also made by a GSC partner company, and I assume this is what is causing the beef amongst figure collectors. I’m not overly bothered by this issue, but it does stand out as a curiously sloppy problem on a figure that otherwise exudes quality.

Even though I might not care much about the whole Vocaloid thing, I like this figure a lot. It’s a very sexy, attractive, and distinctive take on Miku, and that’s more than enough to allay my initial apprehension. Miku figures always leave me feeling conflicted, but I think that I’m going to view Miku’s figures the same way that I do Tamaki Kousaka’s figures, which is to consider the figure individually without worrying too much about the character’s other baggage. I might not like many of her figures – her two upcoming Racing 2012 figures look particularly boring – but this one is a winner.

There’s a certain theme going on here; a certain singular joyfulness, if you will.

May

Yozora Mikazuki from Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
The anime adaptation of Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai seems to be very popular, and so it’s not surprising that its characters have gotten a lot of figures. And by “its characters,” I really mean Yozora and Sena; Rika, Kobato, Yukimura, and the bratty nun have mostly been ignored, which is unfortunate. Other than the bratty nun, I mean, although a figure of her sexy sister would be nice. Griffon is making a figure of Yozora in another alternate costume, this one looking sort of dominatrix-inspired, which normally greatly appeals to my sensibilities. I don’t think I’m digging the spikes on her outfit, though, and the figure’s small size (19 centimeters, which I’m sure includes the optional horns) is symptomatic of why I avoid Griffon figures.

June

Masazumi Honda from Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere
In contrast, figures of the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere characters have only trickled out. Flat-chested, hard-working Masazumi will be getting her first figure courtesy of Chara-ani, a company that I’m not too familiar with. They’ve picked a good pose to base their figure off of, though (for anyone unfamiliar with the show, this scene involves Masazumi getting de-pantsed in front of her classmates and the Pope). However, I can’t say that the pictures look all that encouraging, and its listed 17 centimeter height isn’t that enticing, either. I think I’ll just wait for Kotobukiya or somebody to do a better figure of her.

July

Celia Cumani Aintree from Walkure Romanze
Curiously, this character currently has two figures up for preorder despite being from a relatively unfamiliar visual novel (though given that it was made by the same company that made Princess Lover!, and given that that series got not just a TV anime, but a hentai OVA series as well, perhaps we’ll be seeing more of Walkure Romanze in the future). Her other figure – made by Daiki Kougyou – is a far more impressive figure by almost every standard. However, this figure – made by Kaitendoh – doesn’t have its counterpart’s peculiarly-small head, which was sufficient to get me to pass over the other figure. That said, this figure has its own problems, including a somewhat awkward pose. That said, it still looks nice and maybe I’ll pick it up – though I think it’s more likely I’ll wait for a post-release discount if I decide I want it.

Irma from Queen’s Blade

FREUDE, SCHÖNER GÖTTERFUNKEN
TOCHTER AUS ELYSIUM,
WIR BETRETEN FEUERTRUNKEN,
HIMMLISCHE, DEIN HEILIGTUM!
DEINE ZAUBER BINDEN WIEDER
WAS DIE MODE STRENG GETEILT;
ALLE MENSCHEN WERDEN BRÜDER,
WO DEIN SANFTER FLÜGEL WEILT.

Maya Kamiwazumi from Fault!! A New Rival
Alphamax is skipping over Mio Sugiyama and Rika Hayama, instead choosing to make a figure of new girl Maya Kamiwazumi. She takes a central role in the recently-released Fault!! anime, which continues on from the previous three-episode series. I enjoyed the show, though the sex scenes were a little tame and Reiko’s characterization took a hit; I guess they felt they needed to weaken her to make Maya look more assertive. Though to be fair, I did like how Maya didn’t hesitate to grasp the situation in her own hands. And her voice actress did a nice job, too. Anyway, Alphamax’s figure looks pretty good and I’m definitely looking forward to it. I also like how their promo shots pretty much do nothing to hide its explicitness. I wish more figure companies would follow suit; coyness can be clever but it ain’t gonna help sell figures.

August

Kuroyukihime from Accel World
I started watching the first episode of Accel World, and it made a poor enough impression on me that I dropped the series after about fifteen minutes. I really doubt that it develops into anything special or worthwhile; as far as I know, Accel World is a fairly run-of-the-mill show with a somewhat mysterious lead female character and a particularly unattractive lead male character (made even less likeable since the same voice actor who did the lead male character in Guilty Crown also voices Accel World’s lead character). However, like the superficially-similar Sword Art Online (which I have not watched), it does have a highly redeeming aspect in that it has spawned a great deal of solid, appealing pornographic doujinshi, and that’s enough to at least get me interested in the lead character, which is who we see here. Originally, it looked like this figure was going to be a rather unique piece featuring Kuroyukihime being covered up by her virtual reality persona. It was a very distinctive and bold figure, unlike almost anything Max Factory has ever made before. Then they revealed that they would give her legs and somehow, this figure seems rather less special – and a helluva lot more perverse. However, while this figure loses something in terms of artistry, it gains a customer, since I don’t normally care for busts and did not intend to buy it before I learned that she’ll be coming with legs. I have to admit that I feel a little uncomfortable looking at it, but I’ll get over it, and her pose opens up all kinds of photographic possibilities. As for the Black Lotus part, I don’t really care for it and I’ll be keeping it in the box.

Speaking of erotic doujinshi, I think someone should make a figure based on this picture. Maybe Kotobukiya could do it; I mean, they already have licenses to make figures of Accel World and Marvel characters, so there shouldn’t be any problem there.

September

Mu-12 from BlazBlue
I was sort of thinking that Alter would make a figure of Mu-12 – they’ve often made figures of relatively less-known characters; they made a figure of Dizzy, who is basically Mu-12′s spiritual forebar; and her design is well in keeping with Alter’s affinity for visually-complex figures, particularly those that are airborne. However, Alter seems content to roll out figures of dudes and Nanoha characters, so it’s left up to FREEing to do the deed. I can’t honestly say that this fills me with confidence, since while I’ve been pretty pleased with a number of FREEing’s figures, I’ve also skipped a number of their figures because they look really bad. Mu-12, at least, looks pretty good in her promo shots, though it’s not too easy to see her face, and her spine looks like it might be snapped in half. But these are minor things in the larger scheme, and the reality is that we’re getting a Mu-12 figure, and I’m glad for that, as she was one of four characters that I really hoped would get figures (the others being Irma, listed above, Subaru from Beat Blades Haruka, and Itsuki Kannagi from Sora Kake Girl; I’m not really expecting the last two characters to ever get figures but hey, a 50% wish fulfillment rate isn’t that bad).

Yuki from Maid Bride
Maid Bride has spawned at least three different figures from three different manufacturers; Orchid Seed’s Yuki is the latest to be unveiled. Like Daiki Kougyou’s Tsuneko, she comes from one of the short side stories rather than the core comic (whose main character has gotten figures by both Daiki Kougyou and BEAT). Her story is sort of an expression of self-indulgence; Yuki is a shut-in who sits in her darkened room playing porn games all day. It’s not exactly the most realistic of scenarios, but it makes for a fun read and the art is as good as expected (the artist, Kizuki Aruchu, is probably best known for drawing a highly popular series of Monster Hunter doujinshi under the circle name Udon-ya). It goes without saying that I’ve ordered Yuki and I’m looking forward to her, but I really hope Orchid Seed doesn’t play around with the scale size again; many of their figures come out a lot smaller than I expect them to be and I immensely dislike it when that happens.

September

Gamer Girl from Native’s Creator’s Collection
Kizuki Aruchu’s artwork gets not one, but two figures in this entry. While I like Yuki, and I think she looks pretty good, it’s unfair to compare her to anything that Native produces. I haven’t actually ordered this figure yet, but that’s only because I need to find a new favorite proxy service for buying Native figures while Tokyo Hunter gets reorganized.

Many, many companies make figures of the characters from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls, but nobody does it better than Alter. It has been a while since we’ve gotten a new figure of a core character, though; in fact, it’s been over a year since they released Naoe Kanetsugu. Charles d’Artagnan is still MIA, with not even a hint of a prototype sculpt, but presumably she’ll be along at some point in the future. In the meantime, today we will take a look at Gisen, the erotic seductress whose fiery passion and icy resolve conceal a variety of secrets.

Like most contemporary anime, Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls is not a particularly sophisticated show, but it does have an impressive and distinctive sense of style. Also, it typically doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the absence of pretension serves it well. While the characters are taken stock from simplistic, familiar tropes, they are likeable enough – even the lead guy, who doesn’t have much of a role beyond being the victim of the female cast’s affections. The show made a poor impression on me at first but after watching it again, I found that I liked it – at least up until the last few episodes, when it tried to inject drama into the plot. Of course, the attempt failed miserably; shows like this one ought to stick to what they do well rather than making an abortive grasp for pathos. The second season – titled Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Bride – is airing now, and hopefully it won’t pretend to have a plot.

Yagyu Gisen is the last of the core cast to be introduced, and that’s unfortunate because I felt she was one of the more interesting and appealing characters in the show. She presents herself as an assertive yet sexually submissive young woman, labelling herself a slave and freely offering the use of her body to lead male character Muneakira. Following some friction with the other members of Muneakira’s harem, she casts herself as Yagyu Jubei‘s little sister. However, her seductive, feline affectations hide a far darker personality, and it is this side of her that plays an integral part in the resolution of the first season’s story.

Interestingly, she appears in the character section of the Samurai Brides website, so maybe we’ll be seeing more of her later on.

Like all of Alter’s other figures of the Samurai Girls characters, Gisen is sculpted in 1/8 scale, standing about 20 centimeters to the top of her head and about 25 centimeters to the tip of her sword’s handle. Unlike most of Alter’s figures, Gisen comes with a number of detachable parts; her sword grip can be removed from the blade part to place it in her hand, and her head is also detachable so that her face can be swapped out. To facilitate the removal of her head, her right forearm separates from her body. Aside from all that, she also comes with a white plastic base festooned with stars and the series logo, just as the other Samurai Girls do.

One of the odd things about Alter’s Samurai Girls figures is that they don’t obviously reflect the actual personalities of the characters. Jubei looked fairly serious and reasonably confident; in fact, she’s an airheaded juvenile with self-esteem issues. Senhime looks like a sullen, serious killer; she’s actually a garden-variety tsundere character. I guess Matabei‘s figure comes closet to matching her looks with her traits – but then, she doesn’t actually have much of a personality to start with. Gisen has a couple of things that provide clues to her nature; the eyepatch is an obvious one, as it conveys a sense of mystery, and the padlocked collar is another, suggesting that she has a masochistic disposition. The look on her face is fairly neutral, though – just by looking at her expression, you wouldn’t guess that she’s capable of great malice.

That’s not to say that it’s not a good-looking expression, or that she isn’t attractive. On the contrary, her single green eye is very appealing; so much so that despite the complexity and detail of her overall appearance, her eye is still one of the most attention-grabbing aspects of her design. Her eyepatch is a striking red and gold color, offering a marked contrast to the cool tones that dominate her look. The eyepatch’s strap stays entirely on the right side of her face rather than crossing over her left cheek, rendering the eyepatch unobstrusive despite its conspicuousness.

As mentioned, she comes with a number of parts. Disassembling her is straightforward and everything fits very well. Aside from the prominent seam circumscribing her bangs – which many figures have, anyway – there is nothing to indicate that she can be disassembled at all.

The eyepatch look can be discarded, if desired; she has an alternate face that features her uncovered right eye. She has a heterochromatic look reminiscent of traffic lights or Christmas (or Vivio). However, I’m not nearly as fond of this look as I am of the eyepatch; something seems off about it. It might be because of the proportions of her face; she seems to have a more round-faced appearance without the eyepatch. Perhaps it’s because of the contrasting, unsettling appearance of the reptilian pupil. Possibly it’s because she looks a little cross-eyed. Or maybe it’s just because it looks unfamiliarly weird, in the same way as when a friend shaves his face after having had a beard for the whole time you’ve known him. That said, her two-eyed look does do a better job of conveying her sinister intentions, though I’m not sure that the shape of her mouth matches what her eyes are expressing.

Unlike her nominal big sister, Gisen wears a fairly straightforward outfit, an obvious derivative of the schoolgirl seifuku uniform so prevalent in anime culture. It is, of course, much more ornate than the average blue-and-white schoolgirl outfit, with lots of intricate patterns on her gloves and socks. True to the characteristic aesthetic of the series, her outfit also features lots of ribbing and ropes.

As expected, the paintwork is impressively clean in its application.

She carries a rather unusual sword; it features two blades, with a pivot near the grip so that the other blade can rotate out, rather like scissors. To be honest, I don’t think it’s the most attractive weapon in the show.

Strangely, Gisen’s breasts seem to be toned down. In the anime, Gisen is a very well-endowed girl, and she freely uses these traits to her advantage, but here, her bust is quite modest. It’s sort of odd for a figure company to deemphasize the sexual characteristics of a character, but perhaps they were working off of the original Nitroplus design materials, where her breasts looked to be a bit smaller than they did in the TV show.

As expected, Gisen is an excellent figure. Her character design is quite attractive, and Alter’s workmanship is impeccable, as always. She’s not at all a dynamic figure, of course, and perhaps a more energetic pose would have done a better job complementing her stylish design, but she fits very well in overall theme and look with Alter’s other Samurai Girls figures. With the new season introducing new characters, hopefully Alter will show off Charles soon, and with Alter having made swimsuit figures of several of the cast members already, hopefully Gisen will get one too.

I have to admit that one of my favorite themes in pop culture is the scantily-clad female fighter. It’s not as common a motif as it used to be, I think, which is sort of unfortunate, but it can still be found in anime properties like Queen’s Blade or video games like Code of Princess, which I sadly doubt I’ll ever get to play, given my general bias against handheld systems (though I do actually own a PSP, purchased mainly to play Persona 3 Portable, but I’ve since lost the UMD somewhere). It’s never been a frequent theme in dakimakura cover artwork, though, so when I saw this pillowcase, my interest was piqued straight away.

This dakimakura cover was originally sold by Kisshoya, and I liked it enough that I planned on plunking down the money for it via a proxy service. However, to my surprise and good fortune, Hobby Search carried this pillowcase (it’s still in stock as of this writing), so I didn’t need to spend the extra cash. Like many doujin pillowcases, it measures 160 centimeters by 50 and is made of two-way stretch pearl roica. Unlike many dakimakura covers, the depicted character is not an existing character; rather, she’s an original creation of an artist named Nakajou. He doesn’t seem to currently have a webpage, but he does have a Pixiv account; looking at his uploaded art, this pillowcase is a bit of a deviation from his usual subject material, which is primarily Touhou stuff.

Unfortunately for this character, she doesn’t even get the courtesy of a name; she’s simply described as “bishoujo kishi,” which means something like “pretty young girl knight.” She is not, however, dressed very much like a knight; indeed, her clothing is in a state of obvious disarray, and her facial expression shows obvious consternation for her circumstances. She is, however, clutching a large weapon – it looks a bit like a big, two-handed sword, but it could perhaps be a polearm with a rather large blade.

This dakimakura cover does follow the usual form in aggressively sexualizing the depicted character. It’s not as overtly explicit as some – or most, even – but the depicted bodily fluids are unmistakable and elevate the appeal – or crassness – of this pillowcase.

The reverse side is, happily, actually a reverse view of the character. She’s wearing a different costume here, and the coloration gives it a very different tone than the opposite side. On the front, she’s clad in black and red, and the effect is to give her almost an evil look, which contrasts sharply with her face. On this side, she’s wearing white, blue, and gold, which gives her more of a heroic look. The different colors reminds me a bit of the two warring factions from Warcraft, whose principal colors are respectively black and red versus gold and blue.

We’re treated to a generous view of her rear, which looks very nice. She’s wearing a thong of some sort, which appears very uncomfortable but looks great on her.

She has a crossbow between her feet, and it appears she also has an axe, too. She is, evidently, handy with an assortment of weapons.

I really think her arm ought to be larger here; it looks pretty skinny. Admittedly, one probably isn’t meant to be looking at her arm on this side, but that kinda bothers me, as does the positioning of her shoulder. Then again, that could simply be an exaggeration of perspective, since she’s supposed to be raising her rear, and in that context it’s sort of unfair to assess only the upper portion of the illustration.

Regardless of all that, I really do like this pillowcase a lot. I’m a big fan of its subject theme, and that instantly biases my opinion in its favor. I also like the artwork a lot, particularly the colors; it’s rare to find a dakimakura cover this colorful. And the view of her backside is quite nice. Hopefully we’ll see more pillowcases featuring this sort of material in the future.