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.

Max Factory - 1/7 Kureha ~Swimsuit Ver.~

• Character: Kureha
• Series: Shining Wind
• Scale: 1/7
• Height: 230 mm
• Material: PVC
• Company: Max Factory
• Price: 6,800 yen
• Date: Sep. 2010
• Link 1: Max Factory
• Link 2: Hobby Search
• Link 3: AmiAmi

Here’s the next entry in Max Factory’s 2010 Shining Wind lineup. This time we have Kureha in a swimsuit.

I’m still trying to figure out if I should expect the all of the remaining figures for this year to follow this theme or whether Max Factory is just filling in the gaps in their Shining Wind lineup, which has been a mix of normal clothes and swimsuits up to this point. Given that the two figures shown so far, Seena and Kureha, both had past releases from MF featuring their normal outfits, it could still go either way. I’m really hoping it’s the latter, because I’m finding these swimsuits rather boring. -_-

On a related note, Max’s other Kureha ranks very high on my list of long sold out figures I’d like to pick up at some point.

Chara-Ani - 1/8 Houjo Kuniko

• Character: Houjo Kuniko
• Series: Shangri-La
• Scale: 1/8
• Height: 135 mm
• Material: PVC/ABS
• Company: Chara-Ani
• Price: 6,648 yen
• Date: Jul. 2010
• Link 1: Chara-Ani
• Link 2: Hobby Search
• Link 3: AmiAmi

Here’s a new figure that caught my eye from Chara-Ani. It’s based on a character design from a relatively obscure series called Shangri-La. What makes it interesting–at least to me–is that fact that Range Murata handled the character designs for the series.

I find the character design for this figure appealing enough, particularly the unusual color scheme, but I find the choice of pose and base rather odd. The pose Chara-Ani went with suggests that Kuniko should be in mid-air, but the base they chose lacks the pegs you would expect for a mid-air pose, so the pose ends up just looking awkward.

I guess I’ll have to wait a while longer to find the perfect Range Murata figure.