Friday 22 February 2008

FREEing Nagato Yuki

The next of the FREEing bunny girl sculpts is the celestial ice maiden Nagato Yuki
The sobering yin to Haruhi’s raging yang, Yuki’s aura of calm is beautiful yet as cold as an expanse of ice. The glassy pools of her hazel eyes and the peach blossom hue of her smooth skin offer the only warmth in this elegant composition.
Much like her presence in the SOS clubroom, Yuki’s costume is curiously mismatched to her being. Her svelte body rests modestly within the gaudy attire and quite unlike her companions is the PVC that exceeds her form. The bodice casts its slick glimmer over Yuki like a snowdrift, flowing across the body in subtle dips and curves across her ribcage and chest.
What she does not possess in prominent curvature she makes up for in stature. This loftly piece stands 42cm tall above her peers. Once more FREEing have created the perfect realisation of a character from this iconic series. I have an intense fondness for the evanescent Yuki and conversely, the scale and costume do not negate the attributes of her stayed persona, in fact it celebrates its every subtlety to perfection.

Nendoroid Nao

The magic of Nendoroids is that if once encountered, you are always enchanted. Their charming proportions crop up in my collection with decorative and happy freshness. They are like tiny buds of the first plucky blossoms to emerge in the cusp of spring. Good Smile’s sweet chibi vignettes are tiny posies, arranged to become of highest calibre of cuteness.
Little Nao of the game Mabonogi was another irresistible incognito impulse buy… However, I am able to placate my ignorance with fact that she beings sweet harmony to my bookshelf ^_^
The sorceress’s hair is of the pale hue of heather honey, her eyes like the dusky summer sky. Nao’s tiny costume flows from her body in a miniaturised form of the elegant translucent gown she wears in the game. With the beauty of the Milky Way and midnight, the nendoroid commands surprising elegance in this petite incarnation. Amongst her complimentary caboodle, Nao possesses a staff and an adorable owl familiar (ovo)!!! So cute! I had to pop him on her little head! Kya!

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Mirei-san

What is the often the only thing to bring beauty to the sterile expanse of the office? The answer is Office Ladies! (=ω=)
Combining the erotic with exquisite business couture, is the sumptuous Mirei-san from the Art of Shunya Yamashita series. She is easily the greatest piece Kotobukiya have produced. The office chair becomes the lady’s throne as her beauty commands the gaze to the elegance of her form. Her coquettish expression is heightened by the contemplative gesture she makes as she inclines a silver pen towards her lips. She is a beckoning modern beauty, her pose extending the view of the holdup stockings that grace her beautiful legs. The resonant jouissance that dances across the figure is heightened by addition of a single shoe that is merely to be balanced on the tip of her dainty outstretched toe. This is uncommonly good work from Kotobukiya who certainly have excelled in the Yamashita series, creating piece after memorable piece, Mirei-san hailing as the Boss to rule them all (^_~) I love this woman.

Namae Nai Onna

The intriguing moniker of the gorgeous gunslinger Namae Nai Onna (Woman with no Name) invites us to 360 degrees of dynamic craftsmanship from the ever impeccable Alter.
Many of the most astounding pieces presented for the figure maniac’s delight and amusement have sprung from realms of gaming design paragons, Nitro+. With the illustrious Lamento, Tougainu no Chi, Demonbane and Jingai Makyo to their credit, their characters have become icons of the modelling world in their own right (such as conspicuous beauties such as the flame-haired Ignis). Ignited by this potent pool of inspiration, Alter have sparked an explosive floorshow, presenting the wild women of Zoku Satsuriku no Jango in a dynamite duet of models, debuting with this burnished blonde beauty.
The nameless one is an ornate whirlwind of a woman. She leaps into the oblivion of battle with a devil may care expression curling her lips. Loaded with a double entrée of detailed firearms, this lady is a killer of the highest calibre. Alter have taken exceptional initiative with the presentation of this piece, gilding the art of the original illustration with fine detail and stunning composition. Sculpted in 3D, her deadly dance becomes a carnival of wonders, with dazzling sights from every angle. But then, this model does have its kooks. The gravity defying pose is elevated by the most curious of stepping stones (a head with a huge pink elongated tongue) and features a superfluous bonus of soft cleavage under her costume. There is one hell of a lot of personality in this piece and these extras, though hazarding towards overkill do nothing to diminish her abundant charm and lustre. 0-Nothing is studded with delectable motifs, a blasphemously placed white cross spans the sole of her boot, an ominous herald adorns her hat in the form of a skull & crossbones. Her overcoat flails behind her in wing-like tatters, the curvaceous body is confined to a tight ensemble lusciously rendered with hearts and swirls. Truly a formidable femme fatale, a veritable angel of death.

Friday 1 February 2008

Amami Haruka

IdolmAster's Amami Haruka expresses the irrepressible charm of the girl with a big heart whose power is akin to that of the idiot savant. She is in truth a formidable soul, in possession of innate skill and core strength disarmingly veiled by a ditzy exterior. As bubbly as a sodapop, Haruka is the ripest little peach on the beach in her pale pink bikini.
The triumph of Good Smile figures is not in flawless production; rather it is in their conveyance of individuality. It is this that ties the character their essential aspects and gives them vitality, setting Good Smile’s artistry far apart from other makers such as Kotobukiya.
Beach Haruka is a glorious vision of blossoming youth! Her 1/8 body is both small and delicate yet sweetly curved in all the right places. The pose is incredibly cute, peppy and energetic, she is poised on one dainty little sandal as she kicks off her shorts and makes for the waves. The sculpt is uncomplicated but the simple composition exudes happiness and perfectly captures her cheerful spirit. A piece that never fails to make me happy like rays of summer sunshine. Haruka’s high point (for there are always some to note on GSC gals) is her exquisitely crafted waist. The small of her back dips, forming a subtly protruding arch on the surface of her belly. The clinging cloth of the bikini briefs ripples into creases following the form of her body as if they were tugged on in an exited hurry to get ready for the beach.
(For a full illustrious view of Haruka check out the accomplished work on the HappySoda rundown).

Rin Tousaka Noble Maid

Rin Tousaka of the Fate/Stay fame maintains a noble air that belies the modest Victorian attire that she sports with grace. Her cheeks glow with the energy of a fastidious housemaid as she sweeps her skirts around her in a glorious movement, the billowing fabric captures the motion of her elegance.
This modest 1/8 piece from Good Smile Company brings to life the Fantasy Noble Maid costume with splendour. Despite her tiny size, the dynamic arcs of her flowing apron and gown express the brimming force of Rin’s personality. The noble maid costume celebrates her lady’s pride that she carries off with ease. It is the motion and vitality expressed by the modeller that makes this figure such an eye catching success. Rin is utterly charming, enrobed in regal red that counteracts the customary appearance of a servant’s servile reticence. The prissy fastenings and high lace up boots all indicate Rin’s personal restraint, which becomes a wonderful contrast to Saber’s French maid attire. The fresh white of her headdress and apron are lavishly crafted with frills and fastened with bows to create a fiery carnival of maid moe!