New Release Roundup: 18-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.

Alter – 1/8 Buddy

  • Character: Buddy
  • Series: Voices from Har Megiddo
  • Scale: 1/8
  • Height: 200 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Alter
  • Price: 7,800 yen
  • Date: Oct. 2010
  • Link 1: Alter
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

This week, Alter dropped another surprise release announcement with their new Buddy figure from the Leaf/Aquaplus eroge Voices from Har Megiddo.

I’m curious why anyone would name a girl “Buddy”, but I’ll put those reservations aside as I find this figure highly appealing. Buddy’s character design reminds me a bit of Ai from Mahou Shoujo Ai (Sexy Magical Girl) in that she looks like a more mature version of your typical magical girl/witch archetype. The outfit is generally attractive with colors that complement Buddy’s hair and features a convenient cut-out along the front giving the viewer a bit of fan service.

I’m thinking I definitely want to pick this figure up at some point.

Good Smile Company – 1/8 Black Rock Shooter ~Animation Ver.~

  • Character: Black Rock Shooter
  • Series: Black Rock Shooter
  • Scale: 1/8
  • Height: 200 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

After what seems like an eternity of teasing, the Black Rock Shooter ~Animation Version~ is finally available for preorder.

I’m hugely appreciative of the whole Black Rock Shooter design and motif, so I think I’m pretty squarely in the target audience for this figure. The official pre-release photos look about as good as I could have hoped for a new BRS figure and it looks like GSC did everything right so far. They could slip up on the QC side when they go to production, but that’s another matter entirely that can’t be judged up front. So far, so good.

What bugs me about this figure is that I really don’t have a burning desire to buy it. By all appearances, it should be exactly the kind of thing I would want. The problem is that I got my BRS figure fix earlier this year when I picked up GSC’s first figure. I usually like to at least see some kind of outfit variation or something before I’ll double dip on a given character and this otherwise very appealing BRS figure is too similar to what I already own.

Orchid Seed – 1/7 Super Soniko ~Shimapan Ver.~

  • Character: Soniko
  • Series: Nitroplus Super Soniko
  • Scale: 1/7
  • Height: 210 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Orchid Seed
  • Price: 7,429 yen
  • Date: Oct. 2010
  • Link 1: Orchid Seed
  • Link 2: Hobby Search
  • Link 3: AmiAmi

Orchid Seed has unveiled a slight variation on their original figure design for Nitroplus’s mascot Super Soniko. Can you spot the difference? 🙂

Personally, I like this version better. The shimapan appeal is obvious, but the new design of Soniko’s underwear carries a less obvious secondary benefit. The original version suffered from design fail on Orchid Seed’s part where they apparently left a huge gap in Soniko’s white thong panties where they disappear and reappear on either side of the gluteal cleft. In this version, her butt at least appears to be completely covered.

I’m mildly tempted to pick the new Soniko up, but I would be concerned about design issues similar to the one described above appearing in the final version. As such, it’s probably a good candidate for the “wait and see” approach.

UART – 1/7 Ryofu Housen ~DVD Box Illustration Ver.~

  • Character: Ryofu Housen
  • Series: Ikki Tousen Great Guardians
  • Scale: 1/7
  • Height: (unknown)
  • Material: Cold Cast
  • Company: UART
  • Price: 12,800 yen
  • Date: Sep. 2010
  • Link 1: Hobby Search
  • Link 2: AmiAmi

Remember that nice Ryofu prototype from Miyazawa? Well, here’s the final version from UART. The figure will be a cold cast rather than PVC and it will have a hefty price tag to match. I couldn’t locate a number for the height, but she is supposed to be 1/7 scale.

Now this is what I want to see in an Ikki Tousen figure. No descent into blatant fan service. Just a hot girl wielding a cool-looking weapon while wearing a normal school uniform that struggles to contain her assets. What’s not to like?

I would love to pick this figure up eventually, though I am a bit concerned as to how the cast-off of the skirt will be implemented as bad cast-offs are a big turn-off for me.

Griffon Enterprises – 1/7 Ryomou Shimei ~Gym Wear Ver.~

  • Character: Ryomou Shimei
  • Series: Ikki Tousen
  • Scale: 1/7
  • Height: 225 mm
  • Material: PVC
  • Company: Griffon Enterprises
  • Price: 7,200 yen
  • Date: Aug. 2010
  • Link 1: Hobby Search
  • Link 2: AmiAmi

For Ikki Tousen fans, Griffon has introduced (yet) another figure featuring Ms. Ryomou Shimei, this time in her gym uniform.

I’m including this figure here mostly because it’s Ryomou (yay!) and also because I feel like I don’t given Griffon much coverage on the blog. Griffon’s not going to win any big originality points here, but their new latest Ryomou figure does at least have potential if you like at least one of the following: (a) Ryomou Shimei, (b) Japanese girl’s gym uniforms, or (c) a nice butt. I like all three, but there are many, many figures I would get before this one. Still, one of the better Griffon figures I’ve seen in a while.

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