DSC_7272
Man has it ever been a long, long week. Between the brutally long work days and teachers going on strike, this has been a rather tedious period of time. But, all things come to pass, and I've finally had a chance to finish my photos of the S.H. Figuarts Fujiko Mine, purchased from a fellow collector for $35 CAD.
As people who have followed my page for a while know now, I'm a fan of anime, but not so much an actual anime fan, as when I was younger, actually watching anime was a rather expensive endeavor, and now, well, I don't really have the time. But, there are some things that even as a casual Anime North goer that I'm aware of. One of these properties is Lupin the 3rd, a series detailing the adventures of the worlds greatest gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin the 3rd, grandson of infamous thief, Arsène Lupin. As with all good anime, our hero is has a rival in his quest, in this case a mysterious buxom woman named Fujime Mine. Her name is a play on words describing her ample cleavage, and as you can guess, she uses her feminine wiles along with her thieving skills to get what she wants.
The set retailed for 6,050 Yen, and I have to say doesn't really come with much for that price point. There's the figure, three total expressions (neutral, eyes right, winking eyes left), three pairs of hands (posing, pistol grip, closed fists), and the aforementioned pistol. Considering this was 2016, and in 2019 for an extra 550 yen Nat came with significantly more accessories, I'm going to guess that the license for Lupin the Third wasn't cheap.
Fujime is clearly dressed the part in skin tight jump suit with her top pulled halfway which serves both as a fashion statement as well as a quick visual distraction when needed, looking like a cross between Catwoman and Black Widow. You'll notice her style is very.. cartoony to say the least, and I'm not talking anime cartoony. I'm talking she looks like she came out of a 60s series cartoony - every thing from her face and hair down to the the body proportions and curves. Oh, speaking of proportions, eagle eyed viewers may notice that Fujiko is a bit on the tall side. That's because I managed to snap the original neck joint, and had to jury rig a Figma joint in the space. My estimates would place her approximately 1/16" taller than she ought to be, but at least I saved the figure from complete waist. Jumping ahead, it wasn't crap build quality - it was all me and my brute strength. Topping off the figure is a mop of well detailed, wavy hair that goes all the way down to the middle of her back. Based on some quick research, it appears that the character looks change form series to series, and this particular one was debuted in something called the Blue Jacket series, which should correspond to Part IV, with Fujiko having Auburn hair rather than plain brown, as well as this particular set of facial features, curves, and muscle tone.
Speaking of curves, I'm not sure why but they made her waist section of a soft, almost hollow feeling plastic. I'm not entirely certain why, as I'm thinking that they could have accomplished this with the usual harder plastic, and the only thing I can come up with is that from a tactile perspective it's squishy. Unfortunately, it's just her this section, and not where you'd normally expect to see it, namely her chest.
Being a 2016 release, Fujiko looks fine, but the articulation wasn't quite up to the current standard. She has ankles, single jointed knees, hips with limited thigh swivel, waist, mid torso, shoulders with slight pull out distance to increase range of motion and built in bicep swivel, single jointed elbows, wrists, and despite me screwing it up, full head articulation just like the original joint. Overall, I'd say Fujiko is about the same as the current generation Figma, truly limited by lack of an articulated neck and her single jointed elbows and knees. But, due to the lack of bulky outfit, Fujiko CAN actually sit in a chair properly provided you have an appropriately sized chair.
Paint wise, she's very well made. though upon closer inspection it's hard not see why. Her flesh coloured parts and the black coloured parts are all separate pieces, which allows for distinct painting for each piece, and no concerns over masking. The hair is also a distinct piece which is painted separately. Overall, all colour work is very crisp looking, and the small amounts of silver on the figure are generally acceptable, appearing a bit rough on closer examination. Finishes are smooth and consistent throughout. Decal work is nice and crisp, with my favourite definitely being the winking face, as I feel this adds some of the playfulness Fujiko is known for to the figure.
Finally, there is build quality. Short and sweet - I can't find anything to complain about. Parts fit well together, joints do their job. No issues with regards to unsmooth finishes, tolerances, or any other related issues. All fine details come out looking great.
So, overall a pretty straight forward figure with a great aesthetic. Fujiko is a solid release into the Figuarts lineup in all areas of concern, with the exception of she's a bit light on the accessories. As an addition to your hoard, she's got JUST enough spice to make her stand out, but not to the point where you need to hide the children. With that said, it's time wrap this particular overview as it's late and well, tomorrow is another fun day of work and strike concerns.
Check back soon.. I've got a few interesting pieces in waiting in the wings.
DSC_7272
Man has it ever been a long, long week. Between the brutally long work days and teachers going on strike, this has been a rather tedious period of time. But, all things come to pass, and I've finally had a chance to finish my photos of the S.H. Figuarts Fujiko Mine, purchased from a fellow collector for $35 CAD.
As people who have followed my page for a while know now, I'm a fan of anime, but not so much an actual anime fan, as when I was younger, actually watching anime was a rather expensive endeavor, and now, well, I don't really have the time. But, there are some things that even as a casual Anime North goer that I'm aware of. One of these properties is Lupin the 3rd, a series detailing the adventures of the worlds greatest gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin the 3rd, grandson of infamous thief, Arsène Lupin. As with all good anime, our hero is has a rival in his quest, in this case a mysterious buxom woman named Fujime Mine. Her name is a play on words describing her ample cleavage, and as you can guess, she uses her feminine wiles along with her thieving skills to get what she wants.
The set retailed for 6,050 Yen, and I have to say doesn't really come with much for that price point. There's the figure, three total expressions (neutral, eyes right, winking eyes left), three pairs of hands (posing, pistol grip, closed fists), and the aforementioned pistol. Considering this was 2016, and in 2019 for an extra 550 yen Nat came with significantly more accessories, I'm going to guess that the license for Lupin the Third wasn't cheap.
Fujime is clearly dressed the part in skin tight jump suit with her top pulled halfway which serves both as a fashion statement as well as a quick visual distraction when needed, looking like a cross between Catwoman and Black Widow. You'll notice her style is very.. cartoony to say the least, and I'm not talking anime cartoony. I'm talking she looks like she came out of a 60s series cartoony - every thing from her face and hair down to the the body proportions and curves. Oh, speaking of proportions, eagle eyed viewers may notice that Fujiko is a bit on the tall side. That's because I managed to snap the original neck joint, and had to jury rig a Figma joint in the space. My estimates would place her approximately 1/16" taller than she ought to be, but at least I saved the figure from complete waist. Jumping ahead, it wasn't crap build quality - it was all me and my brute strength. Topping off the figure is a mop of well detailed, wavy hair that goes all the way down to the middle of her back. Based on some quick research, it appears that the character looks change form series to series, and this particular one was debuted in something called the Blue Jacket series, which should correspond to Part IV, with Fujiko having Auburn hair rather than plain brown, as well as this particular set of facial features, curves, and muscle tone.
Speaking of curves, I'm not sure why but they made her waist section of a soft, almost hollow feeling plastic. I'm not entirely certain why, as I'm thinking that they could have accomplished this with the usual harder plastic, and the only thing I can come up with is that from a tactile perspective it's squishy. Unfortunately, it's just her this section, and not where you'd normally expect to see it, namely her chest.
Being a 2016 release, Fujiko looks fine, but the articulation wasn't quite up to the current standard. She has ankles, single jointed knees, hips with limited thigh swivel, waist, mid torso, shoulders with slight pull out distance to increase range of motion and built in bicep swivel, single jointed elbows, wrists, and despite me screwing it up, full head articulation just like the original joint. Overall, I'd say Fujiko is about the same as the current generation Figma, truly limited by lack of an articulated neck and her single jointed elbows and knees. But, due to the lack of bulky outfit, Fujiko CAN actually sit in a chair properly provided you have an appropriately sized chair.
Paint wise, she's very well made. though upon closer inspection it's hard not see why. Her flesh coloured parts and the black coloured parts are all separate pieces, which allows for distinct painting for each piece, and no concerns over masking. The hair is also a distinct piece which is painted separately. Overall, all colour work is very crisp looking, and the small amounts of silver on the figure are generally acceptable, appearing a bit rough on closer examination. Finishes are smooth and consistent throughout. Decal work is nice and crisp, with my favourite definitely being the winking face, as I feel this adds some of the playfulness Fujiko is known for to the figure.
Finally, there is build quality. Short and sweet - I can't find anything to complain about. Parts fit well together, joints do their job. No issues with regards to unsmooth finishes, tolerances, or any other related issues. All fine details come out looking great.
So, overall a pretty straight forward figure with a great aesthetic. Fujiko is a solid release into the Figuarts lineup in all areas of concern, with the exception of she's a bit light on the accessories. As an addition to your hoard, she's got JUST enough spice to make her stand out, but not to the point where you need to hide the children. With that said, it's time wrap this particular overview as it's late and well, tomorrow is another fun day of work and strike concerns.
Check back soon.. I've got a few interesting pieces in waiting in the wings.