ASURA the Red Demon - VToys Studio 1/12 scale figure

Asura the Red Demon is an original-design figure from VToys. Done in 1/12 scale, the figure features fabric clothing, is fully poseable and includes a nice array of accessories. I loved the look of this figure as soon as it went up on pre-order. Knowing nothing about VToys, I decided to take a chance on Asura. During the interim, I caught a sale for another VToys action figure, The Knight of War, and added it to my collection. I was honestly pretty disappointed by that figure, and it caused me some trepidation as I awaited my Asura. I found the Knight of War to feature gorgeous detailing and a pretty nice paint job, but the plastic felt very cheap and the joints were so floppy and loose that working with the figure was a miserable experience. I did manage to finally get it into a standard vanilla pose with the shield on one arm and its enormous sword in the other, and it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. For that reason, when the green LACC version became available, I decided not to order it, instead opting to wait out my red version's arrival. 

Asura the Red Demon arrived just before the end of 2023. The packaging is minimalist, yet classy - matte black background covered in gloss black embossing to make it look like flames and a demon's face.  There's very little writing in simple white on the front and sides. Inside are two clear plastic trays with the following: Asura figure, six alternate hands, wine jug, hat, knife and scabbard, enormous sword, scabbard, scarf, and the removable pommel end for the sword. Through the packaging, the figure looks fantastic. The clothing is immaculate and the face detail looks like it comes close to the prototype pictures, though the shading around the eyes looks a bit dark, and the wash over the forehead looks light.

Once out of the shell, the figure does not disapppoint. The joints are tight and fluid, and the plastic doesn't feel cheap or hollow like I felt the Knight of War did. The clothes are nicely tailored and fit well, though the fabric does feel a bit rougher in texture than some other clothed figures I own do. The paint work is excellent, with precise details (especially the gold) of rivets, ropes, wraps and tiny red highlights over the armor of the shins and forearms. The face is terrific, with the tiniest pupils I've ever seen immaculately centered in the eyes (including the third eye in the forehead). The hair could use a bit of a dark wash to bring out the detail, and the transition from face paint to beard isn't as clean as I'd like. But those are nitpicky criticisms. Overall, this is an excellent looking figure, worth staring at on any shelf. The belt and buckle alone are amazing works of art.

I don't get into crazy posing with my figures, but it seems Asura has all the standard joints he needs to hit fighting stances. There's a nice ankle rocker (another thing I missed on the Knight of War figure, as I had lots of trouble with his ankles). One thing I am noticing right away is that the arms don't come down to the sides as far as I'd like. The vest seems to ride right up into the armpit a bit, so I'm not sure if that's keeping the arm from coming down or if it's the sculpt that's at fault, and I'm not finding a butterfly joint there either.

In terms of accessories, I don't care for the fit or look of the hat. I much prefer the snug fit on Blade Master Weng or on the Nottaa Collection Yaomo figures. This one flops around, the string is too long to get it tight, and it doesn't have the natural/weathered look I'd like. I'm fine leaving it off. I haven't messed with the scarf (my Sun WuKong has a blowing scarf going, so I don't need another scarfed figure beside him), and the sword is truly immense, especially in his hand. The hands pull off easily enough, but I did have a bit of trouble getting the swapped ones onto the tiny pegs snugly. Once on, they look great.

Overall, Asura is a terrific addition to my collection. He looks right at home on the shelf beside my other 1/12 scale fantasy figures, and I'd glad to have him!

Mezco Conan, Nottaa SunWukong, VToys Asura, Nottaa Yan