Good Smiles All Round!

In celebration of the launch of the Good Smile Company site in English, I am taking a brief break from regular figure reviews!

The notorious Mr Choo, the man that pioneered the happy hobby haunt for many a global otaku in his famous figure news portal dannychoo.com has just announced the launch of the great Good Smile Company site ~ in English!
It has all the flair and fun of his customary commentary of his and promises news and views of all the hot off the presses honeys that’ll no doubt be delighting devoted figure fans everywhere!
Great work Danny! It’s inspiring me to be a better Web Mistress!

My house has been in disrepair, my figures under dustsheets and my camera relegated to the back of a cupboard and a hazardous pile of unboxed beauties have been accumulating in this time of woe….
But no longer! I am enthused about making the best of this blog as learn the ropes of web works, you’ll be seeing the fruits of my studies cropping up all over the place. I hope that I’ll be able to chat to more of my visitors too by actually keeping better track of your comments ^_^;;

So Porcelaine Priss is currently under continual construction ^_^! I thank you for your patience! がんばれます!

I've acquired many exciting things recently too that I'm hoping to share here soon!

And yes, I am *all* over Penguin Musume… 萌え!!!

Pastel Ink Popup Vignette

Language is an exquisite element of human existence. Words sew the seeds of meaning, sprouting into lush forests of communication and expression. These lands of linguistics are vast, their limits reach as far as your knowledge, understanding and imagination.

Students of a foreign language, however, must become the intrepid explorers of a new realm. Grappling with comprehension is like journeying into the wilderness, a place that can only be survived by plotting new maps of meaning. This is achieved only though dedicated study.
Alone, this can be an unrelenting struggle, yet for the Methodology of English, there is a guardian angel to light the path of the confused and weary student. Enter Pastel Ink! Popping into life with the peppy protestation

“I’m always gonna be by your side. Please don’t worry… I’ll show you how to do it!”

Equipped with her whirlypop wand and 1000 of the most commonly used words and phases, her genki charm wraps a ribbon of courage around the melancholy of study!
Courage: We need courage to pay all the money for goods without thinking about where your next dinner will come from. But such barbarous courage is a part of real courage

-Moetan, Lesson 6, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”

In the infamous study guide, POP paints the trials of academic adversity with a pretty pastel tint! Expressing English via exemplary enthusiasms of Akiba-kei, you too can learn English the otaku way. In the explosive fusion of art and imagination, character culture conjures a candied connection between the signifier and the signified!
This sweet sensei happily helps her devoted students at every turn, baring all the quintessential magical marks of the mahou shojo. Moetan is a chaotic concoction of cultural commentary whirled into the whimsical aesthetics of the loli moe!
Good Smile Company’s Pastel Ink Pop Up Vignette is the model answer to the Moetan pop quiz. Springing out of the dynamic diorama, Ink is the image of an explosive imagination! She gleams with the brightest enthusiasm to inspire the intellect and to rouse a studious spirit in us all!

Spiritual: He feels spiritual comfort in the embrace of a life-sized pillow.

-Moetan, Lesson 5, “Better have it than hear of it”
This is a wonderfully extravagant piece that showcases the very best in Good Smile’s creative capabilities. The expressive quality and combination of intricate elements conjures up an ambitious picture popup panorama in 3D.
Pastel Ink prances from a pedestal of an open textbook, her magic popping forth from a jumble of plump pastel motifs, wrapped in up in miniature warped world. The dizzying composition is distinctly dreamlike with the heady pleasures of a Lewis Carrol adventure. It glows with beguiling charm of nostalgia with a dusting of sugarplum lolicon. Its presence is like that of the ultimate gashapon diorama, the jumbo scale accentuates the illusionary elements and the carnivalesque cuteness that is so indicative of Ink-chan.
The sculpt itself is delightful, the finishing and rendering is rich and lovingly applied to perfectly portray the iconic style of the infamous illustrator POP. The misty shapes of the wraparound landscape encapsulate the cuteness of the Moetan world, in an irresistible arrangement that brings cheer to any collection.
Ink’s wrinkled oversized garments accentuate her dinky dojikko proportions. The frills and folds are the sweet frostings that envelop her muffin cup form to create a costume that is a totally audacious erotic accolade of magical girl moe. Good smile have inked the stitching in the white swimsuit with exceptional care and precision.

This miniature marvel is utterly irresistible, both larger than life and incomparably cute. The only frustration of this figure is attaching excruciatingly fiddly arrangements of ribbon fixings that are a compositional must… if you are prepared NEVER TO TOUCH THEM AGAIN!
For my taste, this is one of Good Smiles finest works in finishing, a pieces that really is the last word of excellence in tribute to the Moetan etango phenomenon.

Kanu Unchou (Alter)

With the wisdom of crocodiles and the destiny of dragons, Kanu Unchou’s formidible power spirals out in this incredible work from Alter.
The piece is alive with a predatory power, her beauty has a dark ferocity like that of a panther, Kanu is a wild creature of grace wrapped in robust musculature.
Within the heart of the whirlwind composition is the taught body of a warrior. Her form is draped in the girlish pleats and ties of a high school uniform that ripples away from the curves as if caught in aura of her spirit.
Ikki Tousen girls, by their very design, were made to be undressed. Their clothes are superfluous, temporary obstacles in the way of fanservice that have but one destiny; to be torn to shreds in the heat of battle. The flimsy garments vaguely resemble high girlish attire but they are completely incongruous with their mature battle ready bodies. In reality, the clothes are disposable decorations to be ripped off with relish, the Ikki Tousen girls just come gift wrapped.
Sculptor Mirano’s crafting presents Kanu’s character with perfect execution. The combination of the robust form and the skimpy sailor ensemble expresses all the potency of her power dressed up in the trashy mores of uniform fetish. It is the perfect image of a pulp heroine icon.
The whole composition moves with a dancer’s rhythm. The silky whips of hair that sinuously swirl into elegant spirals create a choreography of pure energy. The undulations of curves and raven tresses are bisected by a length of steel. A proud and unyielding guardian Kanu arches her body against the pole of weapon she wields with a steady and sultry gaze.
Kanu Unchou is a popular sculptural subject in PVC portraiture but Alter’s latest version is perhaps the most faithful and formidable to date. For me this is a work that retains her nobility whilst achieving the necessary juxtaposition of pop culture trash aesthetics.

The Guan Dao, her signature weapon, is exquisitely finished in shades of graphite and silver. The extensive pole rests elegantly in Kanu’s fingers as if it were as light as air. A dragon headed blade shimmers in the skillful emulation of a deadly crescent of steel.
For all the transcendent qualities of the character sculpt, the highest points rest upon the full firmness of the muscular thighs as they meet the curve of her buttocks. The view is too good to be confined to a castoff and is exposed by the fluttering veil of her pleated skirt. Ensnared in a pair of tiny white panties, the peachy flesh is gorgeously curved and delicately shaded. This is possibly one of the finest posteriors in PVC.

Yamada Ayumi Creators' Labo #007

Iron Maiden Ayu, the hot headed heartbreak heroine of Hachimitsu to Kurova sits in sweet serenity in a piece from Yamoto’s Creators’ Labo.
Ayumi is a mighty marvel of the arts and by virtue of her latent crafting genius, she holds legendary status among the pottery department alumni. The fragile elegance of her works and the delicacy of a porcelain feminine façade, however, belie a ferocious spirit. Cross Yamada and you are in for a world of pain.

The tragedy of Ayu’s character spurs from fatal flaw in the composition of her emotions. The unrequited affections she harbours for her laconic love interest Mayama shatters the hopes of her youth on the jagged points of a love triangle.
This is the world of Hachimitsu to Kurova, a whimsical portrait that paints in pastel hues the most painfully profound elements that move and make the human heart.

As a sweet ocean siren, Ayu is quite irresistible in this unique treasure. She is a refreshing dip into a sea of change for my figure collection.
The fairytale motif is cupcake cute whilst evoking memories of misfortune as told in Hans Christian Anderson’s most famous misadventures of a mermaid. The melancholy maiden blushes like the pale pink heart of an empty conch shell abandoned on the shore.
As for quality, the figure falls foul of Yamato’s production shortcomings. The sweetness of the pastel palette is soured by a messy painted finish that mars the promise of the smooth preorder promos. The piece is still charming and her petit stature helps to conceal the more problematic elements of her facial sculpt.

The kitsch cuteness of this nostalgic figure would be better served cast in china with a glassy glaze like collectable trinkets of my childhood, though the product of Yamato’s efforts still suffice to tempt me to their treasure chest.

Luffy, Sanji & Robin Portraits of Pirates Mild

Mega House sets sail into the sea of memories with their new line from the One Piece Portraits of Pirates. The first of 3 Mild vignettes feature the childhood incarnations of the indomitable Luffy, little love cook Sanji and scholarly Robin. Each partially poseable poppet comes equipped with accessories and an alternate expression.
The narrative course plotted in One Piece storms full speed ahead towards the uncharted horizons of the sublime. In the dizzying whirlpool world of wonders, it is the startling individuality and vivacity of the characters that hauls the reader aboard the madcap voyage.
Ooda’s colourful crew is crafted with unfathomable ingenuity and sensitivity, rising from the depths of the past to reveal what lies beneath the surface identities of the Going Merry shipmates. The buried treasures of their memories are unearthed in harrowing and often humorous back stories in that bring to light the precious elements of that compose the core ethos of each character.
The Mild Portraits capture the nostalgic flavour of each character’s unique historical interlude. These tiny treats possessed, to my surprise, a charm unsoured by what could have been sickly brattish facades. The kids are wonderful little souvenirs of childhood, like trinkets from different ports to mark the moments of a journey.
The larger than life persona of gutsy Gumdrop Captain Monkey D. Luffy is encapsulated in this tiny piece that expresses his appetite for adventure (and for a feast). Ready to embark upon epic journeys and meals with relish, he raises knife and fork in a celebration of an insatiable hunger for life.
Little Sanji, kusogaki, stands proud in his cook’s uniform equipped with a shining blade. Before cutting through the legions of ladies in his lascivious later life, Sanji is ready to carve up a cordon bleu carnival in the kitchen.
Young Robin holds close to her studies, clasping a large tome in her arms to symbolise her love of knowledge. A stayed and uncommonly mature girl, she has the budding of hints of elegance that later blossom into the stunning beauty of her womanhood.
Steering a quite a different course from the chibi figure fare with these perfect pocket sized pirates, Mega House have excelled in their customary crafting create a unique collection, which by the time of this posting sets sail for new horizons with Zorro, Nami and her sister, Nojiko!

Miyafuji Miina

Miyafuji Miina, is beach beautiful in a classic Onegai Twins summer sweet by Good Smile, sculpted by Tanaka Touji.
Miina’s pose captures the heart of the season with nostalgic allure. She embodies all the mischief of adolescence, provocatively poking out her tongue as she tugs at the soaked shirt that clings to her skin. The wet translucence of the cloth reveals the pale peachy curves beneath as the yellow bikini top dangles from her raised hand. This playful portrait of her personality is marked with a boldness that skirts the edges of adult desire.
Bright as sunflowers and as sumptuous as the rosy flesh of sliced watermelon, Miina sexily sizzles in the high heat of summer sunshine.

This is one of my all time favourite pieces, the basic elements are simple but perfectly aligned. Tanaka’s anatomical work is stunning and he seems to have taken particular care on the musculature of her bare legs. His work celebrates the fresh beauty of Miina’s youth and adds real substance to the solidity and charm of the composition. For this, the erotic overtones are all the more enchanting, enticing the eye towards the partial exposure of her breasts.
Despite the 2005 vintage, the production work is accomplished to perfection. The effects of the finishing are not hampered a lack of sophistication whatsoever and boast a rich tonal palette that combines flawlessly with the sculpt with optimum results.
Miina’s sweetness has refreshing flavour like a spoonful of iced berry sherbet. The taste is reminiscent of the irresistible bitter sweet tang of first love encounters under the endlessly blue summer sky that is mirrored in her eyes.

Kuonji Shinra

The noble art of seduction is skilfully enacted by the first lady of erogaming spinoffs, Kounji Shinra, as she slips into something a little more comfortable for our personal pleasure. Her debut in PVC is as a 1/8 scale figure, fashioned by the Good Smile Company to ensnare the hearts of her admirers.

Here follows the account of my own dances in figure mania, the movements choreographed to a softly rising serenade. It is not a tale of love at first site but of the rising tempo in my beating heart, of Shinra-sama’s image flirting brazenly on the outskirts of my mind.

At the preorder stage, figures appear like debutantes, their manufacturers escorting them to pose for promotion to cordially invite the attentions of eligible suitors.

Enter the mysterious figure of Kuonji Shinra, a form that cast a subtle but indeterminable mood in the cut of a majestic pose. The lady, whilst stirring and comely was lacking the essential rhythm to draw me devotedly to her side. My hand was stayed, her invitations denied.

The arrival of the televised anime series riding on the coattails of the gaming franchise served as the Shira’s haphazard entourage, opening the doors to a glimpse of her origins. What lay before me was intense erotica restricted to harem hijinks. I viewed the pretence of an elegant life with distaste, unmoved even by the most deadly of my moe mores MAIDS.
It was not until I retired from the animated throng of giddying capers that I happened across my lady’s bed chamber. The lure of Shinra’s siren song was cast the moment I encountered her noble image in repose, lying dishevelled across her bed sheets with arms outstretched to ready to receive me. This dreamlike encounter was no mere illusion but yet another of hobby culture’s sweetest secrets ~ of printed bed linen emblazoned with the images of bishōjo goddesses. After this forbidden twilight interlude, the original restriction of my snobbery readily became a fine network to bind me to my desires, like a lattice of silk rope concealed beneath the haughty vestments of good taste.
When I found that Good Smile were to be marrying their production to an alliance with the legendary masters of figure finishing excellence Alter, I was sold the graces of good breeding.
Good Smile’s Shinra may not be called exquisite and yet I find myself held rapt by the rubies of her eyes that burn with the power to possess and command. The bejewelled costume is a conductor’s robe, the one she wears when moving the heart of the orchestra. Her hands play along the gilded edges of her gown to simulate the movement of a sweeping courtesy.

Ultimately what compromises the quality of the figure is attributable to the restrictions of Shinra’s character. Without the inspirational flair that is sculptor’s initiative to take she remains aloof, her reception too reserved to welcome our complete enchantment. The fault may indeed lie within in the limits of her original design, something that to my aesthetic temperament calls for more luxury and elegance. The satiny darkness of the pantyhose she favours would seriously benefit from a nice pair of stilettos to elongate her smoky stems.

My personal affections for the figure are celebrated in the forbidden recesses of my imagination and on the glossy lustre of nylon luxury linen.