Abarai Renji & Kurosaki Ichigo

This dynamic duo from Tite Kubo’s Bleach are part of the Excellent Model series produced by Mega House.
Mega House is one of those rare companies that care to produce high grade male PVC figures. It seems to be the curse of the boy figure to forever be depicted in stoic, unimaginative poses, which has been a source of great pain for a purveyor of fine bishonen such as I (eased only by my adoration of girl figures).
Ichigo (pictured on the right), I encountered once in a comic book store in London 2005 and was so struck with the solidity and beauteous arrogance conveyed by his countenance that I ended up furiously bidding online for him until he was mine. The refinement of the Mega House’s production capability can be traced through the improvements made to later releases but it does not detract from that this is one of the greatest male figures to have hit the pvc market.
Ichigo, however, is without a shadow of a doubt, bested by follow up release Renji, who has the benefit of a more complex design to play with. It’s not just the interplay of the angular intersections of torso and limb, the razor sharp lines of tattoos, blade and hair but that comprise the excellence of this figure but it is in the subtle aspects that I am enchanted. The lines of his hakama that are creped to express a subtle movement in the atmosphere that has altered the line of his clothing.
These models were released at the height of Bleach’s anime rein (before all the ghastly filler) and were fiendish to get hold of originally. The fighters stand tall on bases of ruby and amber serving as the sharp slice that bisects a largely feminine domain.