New Release Roundup: 4-Jun-2010 Edition

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Periodically, I like to take a look at new figures that are available for pre-order. This isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather a selection of new releases that I personally find interesting or notable.

This week, I’m mostly catching up with new releases from the past several weeks where I had no posts.

Alter – 1/7 Selvaria Bles

  • Character: Selvaria Bles
  • Series: Valkyria Chronicles
  • Scale: 1/7
  • Height: 250 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Alter
  • Price: 9,800 yen
  • Date: Sep. 2010
  • Link 1: Alter
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

First up, we have a rare 1/7 scale figure from Alter featuring Valkyria Chronicles antagonist Selvaria Bles. There’s a lot to like here. Likable character from a good game, good pose and sculpt, detailed outfit and accessories, and larger than average scale. You could argue that Alter’s Selvaria looks borderline cheerful and therefore out of character, but I’m not particularly bothered by her expression and it wouldn’t stop me from getting the figure.

Alter – 1/8 Shikinami Asuka Langley ~Test Suit Ver.~

  • Character: Shikinami Asuka Langley
  • Series: Rebuild of Evangelion
  • Scale: 1/8
  • Height: 235 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Alter
  • Price: 7,800 yen
  • Date: Oct. 2010
  • Link 1: Alter
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

Next up, we have another new Alter figure featuring fiery redhead Asuka from the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, who apparently changed her name when I wasn’t looking. I haven’t gotten around to watching any of the new (or even old) Evangelion movies–I’ve only seen the original TV series–but I have seen enough of the new artwork floating around the web to know that I like the new “test” plug suits, which you see Asuka sporting here. Very nice detail on this figure, particularly when compared to Kotobukiya’s Asuka (see below).

Kotobukiya – 1/6 Shikinami Asuka Langley ~Test Suit Ver.~

  • Character: Shikinami Asuka Langley
  • Series: Rebuild of Evangelion
  • Scale: 1/6
  • Height: 180 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Kotobukiya
  • Price: 6,800 yen
  • Date: Sep. 2010
  • Link 1: Hobby Search
  • Link 2: AmiAmi

Just in time to compete with Alter, Kotobukiya has introduced their own test suit Asuka. Comparing the two, Alter’s version is clearly more detailed and arguably has greater overall visual appeal (pose, expression, etc.) than the Koto version. That said, I don’t see anything horribly wrong with Kotobukiya’s offering, so I wouldn’t fault anyone for picking it up.

Good Smile Company – 1/8 Senjōgahara Hitagi

  • Character: Senjōgahara Hitagi
  • Series: Bakemonogatari
  • Scale: 1/8
  • Height: 210 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Good Smile Company
  • Price: 9,334 yen
  • Date: Oct. 2010
  • Link 1: Good Smile Company
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

GSC’s Senjōgahara Hitagi will no doubt be one of the more anticipated figures of the year throughout the community. I know they had me hooked from the numerous tradeshow previews, which I recognized as a direct translation of this rather interesting piece of artwork from the series.

Honestly, I’m rather amazed that Good Smile Company even attempted to recreate the mass of office supply paraphernalia seen falling from under Hitagi’s skirt in the original artwork. But it seems they managed to do it, and the result actually looks pretty good.

Overall, this is quite the awesome-looking figure and would be instant get material for me if I had more funds remaining for the year.

Good Smile Company – 1/8 Inaba Yui

  • Character: Inaba Yui
  • Series: Flyable Heart
  • Scale: 1/8
  • Height: 200 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Good Smile Company
  • Price: 7,429 yen
  • Date: Sep. 2010
  • Link 1: Good Smile Company
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

GSC’s Inaba Yui is another fine example of a figure I was almost certain I would get after seeing tradeshow coverage. Ms. Yui is the heroine of the Flyable Heart eroge, which features character designs from the awesome Noizi Ito.

Yui oozes cuteness. The donut, the fox tail, the wink, the way she reaches out to the viewer… It’s all very smartly put together. I would definitely like to pick this figure up at some point.

Max Factory – 1/7 Xecty ~Swimsuit Ver.~

  • Character: Xecty Ein
  • Series: Shining Wind
  • Scale: 1/7
  • Height: 245 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Max Factory
  • Price: 6,477 yen
  • Date: Nov. 2010
  • Link 1: Max Factory
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

Here’s the last entry this year’s Shining Wind set from Max Factory. Not surprisingly, it’s Xecty in swimsuit form.

It’s true that I badly wanted to see an Xecty figure come out of this venture from Max Factory, but I was really hoping at some point they would dive into some super-detailed figures featuring the normal costumes from the series rather than towing the line with the swimsuit treatment. I have to admit that I do really like the Clalaclan swimsuit version, so I guess it’s not a total loss. As for Xecty here, I think she’s probably the best entry in the series after Clalaclan, but probably not something I would pick up.

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