I had the opportunity to watch the anime adaptation of the Hobby Japan original franchise Hyakka Ryouran earlier this year and found the experience rather trite. I went in expecting an ecchi harem anime and that’s pretty much what I got, which would be fine if the series just wasn’t so damn generic about it. Where something like Sora no Otoshimono managed to feel fresh and hilariously over-the-top, Hyakka Ryouran felt formulaic and, ultimately, forgettable. I had expected much the same going into the Queen’s Blade anime only to come away pleasantly surprised to find a serviceable fantasy/action anime underneath all the overt sexualization, so I had hopes that Hyakka Ryouran would also exceed expectations, but alas, no.

Whatever Hyakka Ryouran‘s failings as an anime, the franchise has at least produced a small bounty of quality figures, which I think owes to the skillful character stylings of Nitroplus artist Niθ and the fact that Hobby Japan partnered with Alter for the majority of those figures. I have rarely been so tempted to pick up every single figure from one particular series as I have with Alter’s line of Hyakka Ryouran figures. They’ve been exceptionally good.

Naoe is my third Alter Hyakka Ryouran figure after normal and swimsuit Jubei, which I’ve previously reviewed. Naoe is introduced fairly late in the series as a comically inept henchman and she is painted as a bit of a self-important dunce. I found her to be one of the more likable characters in the anime, so when Alter unveiled an attractive Naoe in full combat regalia as their latest non-exclusive figure it wasn’t hard to commit to a preorder.
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