DSC_4936
First one of 2023 - the Tunshi Studios Mai Shiranui figure.
The P2 Genesis Emen version had a lot going for it, but ultimately many collectors weren't too thrilled with the overly cartoon heads sculpt. I mean, Mai isn't a real person, so that's why the TBLeague version didn't check off any boxes for me. But the Genesis version looked like a caricature of what Mai ought to look like.
That's why when the Tunshi Studios version was solicited, there was quite a bit of interest, though that price was kind of painful. Blogger photos showed they had worked on the sculpt even more since the preview days, and I'll admit even I decided to bite based on them.
Of course, I keep forgetting most people aren't as critical as I am.
Anywho, the package arrived on December 30th, and here we are.
So for those of you keeping track, there are technically for licensed Mai Shiranui figures - TBLeague, 2 x Genesis Emen, and Tunshi Studios.
I'm going to simplify the jumble of thoughts I have into this - based on discussion I've had, I've come to the conclusion that the Tunshi Studios version basically takes the TBLeague figure, plops on a new head, removes a pair of feet and adds on a some accessories and possibly some new hands.
The Umbrella is sturdy, being plastic with a metal rod, but there's only one hand that can hold the rod. The weight also makes your positing options limited to "resting on the shoulder".
The tassels feature an embedded wire for posing, but they're so weak they basically aren't going to be doing much.
The body is a TBLeague seamless S24. If you're familiar with Seamless bodies, you'll know that generally speaking, most poses aren't really an issues, though ankle and wrist range of motion isn't that great. There's always that issue with proportions (curves, muscles, and leg length) so that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Then we get to the head. The two expressions aren't too bad, though they are a bit difficult to aim correctly if you're trying to get them to look directly at the camera. What's disappointing is the quality of the paint work, especially considering not only the price, but also, the complexity, which is low compared to your typical sculpt from Hot Toys, which generally only cost this much AFTER the Sideshow markup.
So overall, I'd say that it's not a bad product, just overpriced. The Genesis version is cheaper, and though the head sculpt isn't perfect, you'll have budget leftover for a body upgrade, and the likelihood of a better headsculpt is more likely due to the larger, more standard socket size.
DSC_4936
First one of 2023 - the Tunshi Studios Mai Shiranui figure.
The P2 Genesis Emen version had a lot going for it, but ultimately many collectors weren't too thrilled with the overly cartoon heads sculpt. I mean, Mai isn't a real person, so that's why the TBLeague version didn't check off any boxes for me. But the Genesis version looked like a caricature of what Mai ought to look like.
That's why when the Tunshi Studios version was solicited, there was quite a bit of interest, though that price was kind of painful. Blogger photos showed they had worked on the sculpt even more since the preview days, and I'll admit even I decided to bite based on them.
Of course, I keep forgetting most people aren't as critical as I am.
Anywho, the package arrived on December 30th, and here we are.
So for those of you keeping track, there are technically for licensed Mai Shiranui figures - TBLeague, 2 x Genesis Emen, and Tunshi Studios.
I'm going to simplify the jumble of thoughts I have into this - based on discussion I've had, I've come to the conclusion that the Tunshi Studios version basically takes the TBLeague figure, plops on a new head, removes a pair of feet and adds on a some accessories and possibly some new hands.
The Umbrella is sturdy, being plastic with a metal rod, but there's only one hand that can hold the rod. The weight also makes your positing options limited to "resting on the shoulder".
The tassels feature an embedded wire for posing, but they're so weak they basically aren't going to be doing much.
The body is a TBLeague seamless S24. If you're familiar with Seamless bodies, you'll know that generally speaking, most poses aren't really an issues, though ankle and wrist range of motion isn't that great. There's always that issue with proportions (curves, muscles, and leg length) so that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Then we get to the head. The two expressions aren't too bad, though they are a bit difficult to aim correctly if you're trying to get them to look directly at the camera. What's disappointing is the quality of the paint work, especially considering not only the price, but also, the complexity, which is low compared to your typical sculpt from Hot Toys, which generally only cost this much AFTER the Sideshow markup.
So overall, I'd say that it's not a bad product, just overpriced. The Genesis version is cheaper, and though the head sculpt isn't perfect, you'll have budget leftover for a body upgrade, and the likelihood of a better headsculpt is more likely due to the larger, more standard socket size.