Louise (Little Devil Version)

The appeal, arguably of tsundere characters is to be found in their hidden aspects. These thorny beauties are atypically aloof, terse and are invariably a force to be reckoned with. Yet the indomitable power of the tsudere girl is merely a façade, their charm is revealed when you cast off their gaudy armour to expose their vulnerability beneath.
I wouldn’t say I’m a sucker for tsundere but for the little noblesse Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière I have an addiction. And so to Kotobukiya’s latest incarnation of the haughty little sorceress from Zero no Tsukaima. The sculpt has Louise in her negligee seated primly on a stool and with a riding crop in hand and commanding glare one would do well to obey her to the letter.
With my wariness of Kotobukiya’s hit and miss work, it was not until the Moeyo postings emerged of the kit on display in Akihabara that I fell prey to the tsundere charm. What the publicity shots had not revealed were the fabulous facets of the kit that makes it a memorable piece. First that the little nightdress is castoff, second that Louise’s demands relate to an action feature, to a pair of cloth stockings that can be slid on and off the dainty feet she inclines disdainfully towards you. How could I resist, my liege?
Admittedly, were it not for these things, I would not have run merrily to be my mistresses lapdog, for it is not by any means a piece of earth shattering brilliance. No, it has Kotobukiya’s regular artistic underachievement and lacks the integral essence of craft that makes for a stunning piece. Be that as it may, for a Louise fan and that I most certainly am, she is wonderful trinket and is all the more adorable when she is gift wrapped with a white ribbon around her middle.