DSC_3824
The world of licensing is a strange, strange place. While there are examples of strange things everywhere, this little review focuses on the world of Persona 4.
The short version is, based on my understanding, if you wanted a collection of the main cast of Persona 4 and their Persona, you basically need to buy a combination of Figma, D-Arts, and fixed statues. Furthermore, you have accept that some are based on their Anime looks, and some their P4A video game appearance.
Now, maybe I'm wrong and that the various license holders just gave up on doing a full line, or maybe Atlus really did piecemeal this property out like this... I'll never actually know, but I'm too pretty to care.
Which brings me to this review, Figma Yukiko and D-Arts Konohana Sakuya.
Yukiko is one of the main heroines in the game. The daughter of the owner of a popular inn located in Inaba (the setting of Persona 4), Yukiko is the quiet, studious girl of series, who dreams of life outside the town and is deadly in the kitchen.. because apparently she can't cook.
Yes, that's a relevant fact, especially if you play the game.
Konohana Sakuya is, of course, her initial Persona. It's some weird bird/flower thing... there's no real simple way to describe the design. I believe that this Persona is aligned with the element of Fire, but again, it's been a long time so I can't remember for sure.
The Figma releases (Yu, Chie, and Yukiko) are, I believe, based on their appearances in the Persona 4 Anime series. Based on stills I've seen, I feel that the figure captures this art style very well, especially with the more slim aesthetic of the Figma 1.0 body.
Yukiko comes with several expressions, her trusty fan, a slash effect, and two pairs of glasses - I think both are meant for use so the team can see Shadows, the enemies in this game, but obviously one is worn for shits and giggles. Even with the "limited" articulation of the 1.0 body, Yukiko's graceful frame can be posed in a variety of character accurate positions. QC, of course, is top notch with no real complaints.
Now, while Yukiko here was a chance purchase, Konohana Sakuya is a bit more interesting. Apparently, unlike Figuarts, released Figuarts are either really cheap, or horribly expensive in the aftermarket. This one definitely falls into the former, as I was able to get it for $25 CAD after one of those eBay coupons, shipped with tracking, all the way from Hong Kong to Canada.
Naturally, I was intrigued as to what was wrong with the thing, and ordered one to complement my Yukiko.
I think the best way to describe the final product is - ambitious.
The set comes with the figure, several wing segments, and a dynamic stand.
The good news is that it appears the two scale very well with one another. Adding to the favour of this union is the fact that Konohana Sakuya doesn't stand on the ground - she floats.
The base figure itself is very solid, and much better than Jiraiya in terms of QC... but lets face it, its pretty damn hard to top a screw up like painting so much your head get stuck to your body. The included stand isn't bad, but I seem to recall that the joint isn't quite strong enough in some positions to hold the main figure in the air.
Those wings, however, are where the ambitious comment comes to light. Each wing segment is made up of translucent plastic, and theoretically are jointed such that you can do all sorts of pretty things with them, as indicated on the back of the box. The reality is, the wings are a pain in the ass to pose and join together, and once you get it a certain way you probably don't want to screw around with them anymore. Furthermore, you might notice that the wings are actually mounted on a separate arm on the stand, with two sections connected to the forearms of the figure itself, making for more fun as you struggle to connect joints, praying you don't break the things in the meantime.
But you know what? As awkward as the process was, I truly did appreciate the effort put into trying to duplicate those crazy wings seen in the video game.
Compared to the other releases under the Persona 4 D-Arts line, unless there was some major size differences, this Persona probably gave designers the greatest headache and was worth its weight in gold more, as it were. But, collectors of this sort of stuff are a fickle bunch, so I'm guessing that this Persona probably lost the popularity contest.
So that was the pairing of Yukiko and Konohana Sakuya in figure form. Maybe one day, I'll find the rest of the crew... or at least get the pairing of my favorite carnivore, Chie, and her Persona.
DSC_3824
The world of licensing is a strange, strange place. While there are examples of strange things everywhere, this little review focuses on the world of Persona 4.
The short version is, based on my understanding, if you wanted a collection of the main cast of Persona 4 and their Persona, you basically need to buy a combination of Figma, D-Arts, and fixed statues. Furthermore, you have accept that some are based on their Anime looks, and some their P4A video game appearance.
Now, maybe I'm wrong and that the various license holders just gave up on doing a full line, or maybe Atlus really did piecemeal this property out like this... I'll never actually know, but I'm too pretty to care.
Which brings me to this review, Figma Yukiko and D-Arts Konohana Sakuya.
Yukiko is one of the main heroines in the game. The daughter of the owner of a popular inn located in Inaba (the setting of Persona 4), Yukiko is the quiet, studious girl of series, who dreams of life outside the town and is deadly in the kitchen.. because apparently she can't cook.
Yes, that's a relevant fact, especially if you play the game.
Konohana Sakuya is, of course, her initial Persona. It's some weird bird/flower thing... there's no real simple way to describe the design. I believe that this Persona is aligned with the element of Fire, but again, it's been a long time so I can't remember for sure.
The Figma releases (Yu, Chie, and Yukiko) are, I believe, based on their appearances in the Persona 4 Anime series. Based on stills I've seen, I feel that the figure captures this art style very well, especially with the more slim aesthetic of the Figma 1.0 body.
Yukiko comes with several expressions, her trusty fan, a slash effect, and two pairs of glasses - I think both are meant for use so the team can see Shadows, the enemies in this game, but obviously one is worn for shits and giggles. Even with the "limited" articulation of the 1.0 body, Yukiko's graceful frame can be posed in a variety of character accurate positions. QC, of course, is top notch with no real complaints.
Now, while Yukiko here was a chance purchase, Konohana Sakuya is a bit more interesting. Apparently, unlike Figuarts, released Figuarts are either really cheap, or horribly expensive in the aftermarket. This one definitely falls into the former, as I was able to get it for $25 CAD after one of those eBay coupons, shipped with tracking, all the way from Hong Kong to Canada.
Naturally, I was intrigued as to what was wrong with the thing, and ordered one to complement my Yukiko.
I think the best way to describe the final product is - ambitious.
The set comes with the figure, several wing segments, and a dynamic stand.
The good news is that it appears the two scale very well with one another. Adding to the favour of this union is the fact that Konohana Sakuya doesn't stand on the ground - she floats.
The base figure itself is very solid, and much better than Jiraiya in terms of QC... but lets face it, its pretty damn hard to top a screw up like painting so much your head get stuck to your body. The included stand isn't bad, but I seem to recall that the joint isn't quite strong enough in some positions to hold the main figure in the air.
Those wings, however, are where the ambitious comment comes to light. Each wing segment is made up of translucent plastic, and theoretically are jointed such that you can do all sorts of pretty things with them, as indicated on the back of the box. The reality is, the wings are a pain in the ass to pose and join together, and once you get it a certain way you probably don't want to screw around with them anymore. Furthermore, you might notice that the wings are actually mounted on a separate arm on the stand, with two sections connected to the forearms of the figure itself, making for more fun as you struggle to connect joints, praying you don't break the things in the meantime.
But you know what? As awkward as the process was, I truly did appreciate the effort put into trying to duplicate those crazy wings seen in the video game.
Compared to the other releases under the Persona 4 D-Arts line, unless there was some major size differences, this Persona probably gave designers the greatest headache and was worth its weight in gold more, as it were. But, collectors of this sort of stuff are a fickle bunch, so I'm guessing that this Persona probably lost the popularity contest.
So that was the pairing of Yukiko and Konohana Sakuya in figure form. Maybe one day, I'll find the rest of the crew... or at least get the pairing of my favorite carnivore, Chie, and her Persona.