SARA BRYANT - SEGA Gals Collection Gashapon figure

I picked up this nifty little Virtua Fighter Sara Bryant Gashapon figure after enjoying the figma releases, which caused me to look into later iterations of the game. This figure looks like it could be based on the character's look in Virtua Fighter 5 and, yes, they did spell her name without the "h" on the label.

The figure is made of PVC, comes in a small baggie and needs to be assembled. There's a small disc base and some slight articulation: the head is on a ball-joint and the ponytail can be rotated a bit. The legs on mine were warped and needed some gentle coaxing with hot water to be re-shaped enough to allow the figure to stand.

The paint is really excellent, especially considering that the figure stands a mere 4 & 3/4" tall. The blue bodysuit has a metallic sheen, and the leggings are gray. The silver stripes on her gloves are clean, the yellow in the hair is uniform and the face paint is particularly crisp. The eyes are terrific, and even the tiny eyebrows and mouth are painted perfectly. The flesh tone is great, as well.

The sculpt is realistic and well-proportioned, and the pose is appropriate to the character. There are several small gaps where the parts attach, but it's nothing too distracting. Overall, this is a really nice little Virtua Fighter figure. The line included 5 other girls (in this wave - I believe there was more than one wave released) from various video games.

AKIRA YUKI - figma Virtua Fighter action figure review

My P1 Akira Yuki Virtua Fighter figure finally arrived yesterday (after a clean month in transit - SAL's $5 savings are so not worth it!), and I'm happy to say that he complements Sarah Bryant quite nicely! In fact, he's a superior figure in nearly every aspect.

Yuki comes packaged in a matte black figma box that matches Sarah's P1 version, complete with a tree of 8 spare hands, a figma stand, alternate screaming head, replacement wrist joint, baggie and instructions. The P1 version of Akira comes in a black gi with a light grey undershirt, red and black wristbands, a belt with yellow stripes and a white headband. The paint is clean and sharp everywhere, which is pretty standard for figma as far as I can tell. The "pixelated" look works really well for Akira, and mimics the in-game look terrifically. My kids remarked about how convex his chest looks, going so far as to ask if it was attached backwards by accident. Like Sarah, Akira looks better in fighting poses. And he's an absolute joy to mess around with. The joints work very well together, and the ankle rockers that he has (which Sarah did not) go a long way to aiding his deep stances. You'll be able to get a wonderful variety of poses out of him, with just a couple of restrictions. The biggest is his inability to put his hands together with his arms extended out in front of him. His chest width and the gi make it impossible. I was trying to get something similar to a Ryu "Hadoken" pose, and couldn't do it. The second restriction is at the hips. There's a nice range of motion there, but not quite enough for me to get a high kick pose, with one foot planted. Nevertheless, using the stand allowed it to turn into a flying kick, which sufficed.

I don't like the alternate, shouting face at all. The mouth is just too overdone for my tastes. And the hands are quite ridiculously large. To call them "oven mitts" would be seriously downplaying the size of oven mitts. Nevertheless, the regular closed-mouth and fisted hands are good enough to keep me satisfied.

Overall, figma's Akira Yuki Virtua Fighter figure is an absolute blast. Everything that an adult action figure should be: durable, fun to look at, sensible to pose, and enjoyable to photograph. He goes perfectly with Sarah Bryant, and I really would love to see the line continue with other characters. I was waiting to see how much I liked this version before ordering the P2 (white gi) look, and now that I have him in-hand, I'm eager to get the other!

SARAH BRYANT - figma Virtua Fighter action figure review

figma's new Virtua Fighter Sarah Bryant figure is a gawky mess when compared to most current female action figures, but it's entirely intentional. The result is something that works, in that we get a unique display piece with functional articulation and nostalgic appeal. That appeal, of course, rests entirely upon whether or not you were a hard-core Virtua Fighter player. I was not, but from what I've seen online, it appears that Virtua Fighter was released on the Sega Saturn in the early/mid 1990's and had the distinction (among fighting games) of being the first to offer gameplay that allowed the camera to rotate around, allowing for more than the traditional back-and-forth 2D view. The game graphics have evolved over multiple iterations, most recently in Virtua Fighter 5. What figma has done here could become the first step in something we have never seen: a complete "evolution" of a character in action figure form. By making Sarah and her wave-mate Akira Yuki modeled directly on their look in the original Virtua Fighter, figma could conceivably release a VF 2, 3, 4 and 5 Sarah or Akira. The closest I can recall getting to something like this might be putting a Playmates Adventures of Lara Croft Tomb Raider next to NECA's Legends and Underworld versions (but those weren't really designed to mimic the in-game look as closely as what figma has done here).

As far as the figure itself goes, it's mostly very well-done, and how much you like it will depend on how much you like the "pixelated look". Sarah is not particularly attractive in this version. Her proportions are odd, her limbs, torso and face are angular and her paint is minimal. What's there is well-done, with sharp lines and a nice-matte black finish over the bodysuit. The figure is fairly sparse in terms of accessories: you'll get a tree of 4 alternate pairs of hands, a replacement wrist peg and a figma stand. There's an alternate "screaming face" head included, as well, I, personally, don't much care for the way it looks and probably won't be using it in my display, but it's there if you want it.

The articulation has some pros and cons. I was able to get Sarah into a variety of acceptable poses. That said, it's not perfect. First off, her shoulders are restricted a bit at the top of the ball, so I had trouble replicating the "Sarah pointing at you with her arm parallel to the ground" look. They've also designed the flesh-colored plastic just at the chest as separate, rubbery pieces. This was probably to allow the arms a better rage of motion across the front of the chest. However, it doesn't work well. The arms are still restricted, and those pieces tend to pop forward, which looks terrible and is a pain to adjust around. The legs are more restricted at the hips. They come forward pretty well, but out to the sides they don't have as much range. Getting her to do wide stances or high kicks (which is the one I care more about) doesn't work. Her giant clown feet allow her to stand pretty well, but there's no ankle-rocker I can find, so I tended to need the display stand to get her to stay upright in anything but a vanilla pose.

Overall, I'm happy with figma's Sarah Bryant action figure. It's got a unique look and looks cool next to my Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat figures. I've got Akira on order, along with the P2 version of Sarah. I'd like to see more Virtua Fighter figures on my shelf, so here's hoping that figma keeps the line going!

Oh, and on a side note, those tiny strands of hair drooping over Sarah's forehead are removable, as I discovered when one of mine popped out. It can be pressed right back in, but be aware while you are posing - losing one of those over a carpet would be a true nightmare to recover!

WONDER WOMAN - The Art of War Bruce Timm version statue

DC Collectibles has released the latest (and possibly last) of their Wonder Woman The Art of War line of statues, and it's based on the artwork created by Bruce Timm. The statue was sculpted by Jonathan Matthews, stands approximately 7.5" tall and comes complete with the base design that has been standard for this line.

The statue is simply beautiful. The sculpt is eye-catching and the paint work is extremely sharp and clean, from the perfect skin tone to the vibrant colors of the outfit. Yes, there are a couple of tiny slips, but the cut lines are excellent, there's no bleed and even tricky colors like white and gold look great. The white stripes on the boots, for instance, are crisp and razor sharp. There's some thick mascara around Wonder Woman's eyes, which are very striking and unique to the Timm design. It's worth noting that the bracelets are gold, instead of the silver that's shown on the prototype pictured on the box, but they are just as cleanly done. The stars are placed perfectly, and she's got a lasso attached at her right hip.

The only issue I have with the figure at all is the pose. I don't mind the hands on hips look, or the eyes looking off sharply to the right. It's something more basic than that: she's got her hips thrust forward just a bit too much for my taste. It's overdone enough for my kids to remark about it, and I don't think the images on the box serve to show just how exaggerated it really is in person. Nevertheless, the Bruce Timm Wonder Woman statue is a real winner. She looks terrific on the shelf and stands out while simultaneously fitting in very well with the other statues in the line. Totally worth getting...

GODZILLA 2001 - S.H. MonsterArts GMK Godzilla Figure

It's been quite a long time since my last SH MonsterArts figure purchase, and even longer since one really got me excited! I think the last all-new figure I purchased was Gamera, and I was honestly a little disappointed by that release. So, I didn't plan on picking up Bandai's 2001 version until I'd seen some reviews of the figure. He looked so terrific in those reviews that I decided to jump back into the MonsterArts line and pick him up - and boy am I glad I did!

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack! is my favorite Godzilla movie. This wasn't always the case. I grew up in the '70s, so my Godzilla had giant puppy-dog eyes, danced and acted like a Tokyo-defending superhero. I must have watched Godzilla vs. Megalon about a billion times and a kid. Through grown-up eyes, those films honestly lost a bit of their luster. When I started getting re-acquainted with Godzilla a couple of years ago, I gave Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack! (herein to be abbreviated as GMK) a try, and I really hated it. This wasn't my Godzilla: he looked so different, came across as wicked to the core, and really trounced the other monsters he faced quite handily.  A second watch and it started to grow on me. The story was good - it took itself pretty seriously, characters were well-developed and I really started to appreciate just how powerful and unstoppable a force of nature Godzilla was. And man was his look starting to grow on me! This is a nasty-looking version of Godzilla. The suit design was powerful and menacing, with tremendous feet and a boxy, rectangular jaw. The white, pupil-less eyes are frightening, but it's the level of personality the suit had around these eyes that really completes the look. This Godzilla can pull his lips up into a sneer, blink his eyelids and knit his thick, angular brows into an angry scowl. It's a level of expression that only the Legendary 2014 version was able to match with CGI (the level of unbridled anger released in that first real roaring shot at the airport in that movie still gives me chills). In short, I love the movie this figure is based on, and I love the look of this particular Godzilla suit more than any other (GMK Godzilla is one of only 3 X-Plus Godzillas I own, the other two being the 2014 and 1964 versions).

S.H. MonsterArts therefore had a pretty tall order in my eyes to do this figure justice. I'm so glad to say that they absolutely did so, capturing everything about him that I love. Opening this figure brought me all of the joy and excitement that I'm looking for in this hobby, with no regrets whatsoever.

Godzilla 2001 (GMK) is big, even in relation to other Godzillas in the MonsterArts line. He's beautifully sculpted - in fact, the sculpt is my favorite aspect of the figure. The head and face are particular high points. GMK Godzilla looks better with his jaws open than closed (there's too much of an overbite with the jaws clenched for my personal taste), and he has plenty of detail, even down to the interior of the mouth. The articulation is plentiful, as usual, with GMK Godzilla able to move in ways that he could not in the actual film. I'm not into extreme poses, so I have not encountered the issues that other reviewers have reported with joints popping apart or pieces coming loose. I was able to capture a look (several, in fact) that I really like on the shelf with minimal effort.

The paint complements the sculpt perfectly. The base body color is spot-on, with subtle airbrushing to highlight the spines and claws. Nothing is heavy-handed or distracting. There's a little bit of slop - I've got a stray paint mark on one spine - and the only part of the figure with any paint issue are the teeth, which could have used a touch more care. They aren't nearly as bad as the 2014 version's were, but I may have to touch them up, anyway. The eyes, in particular, are gorgeously done.

Disappointingly, GMK Godzilla does not come with any accessories. I knew this going in, but I really wish he would have come with something. I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing any other figures based on this film, so a little unarticulated Baragon would have been sweet. Not to mention the Satsuma submarine, one of those drill-missile launching vehicles, his devastating atomic breath or his beating heart from the end of the film. At $83 plus shipping, this guy is really pushing it, which is part of the reason I waited a bit to pick him up, and why I haven't ordered Godzilla 1954 yet (for another $77 and no accessories). But it really is a beautiful figure. Right now, GMK Godzilla is the star of my SHMA collection, right up there with Millennium Godzilla, Hesei Godzilla and Burning Godzilla as the best of the bunch. I'm looking forward to NECA's version, just to see how they handle this version of the big guy, but I can honestly say I'm totally happy and satisfied with what Bandai's given me here.

WONDER WOMAN - Square Enix Play Arts Kai Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Figure

My Play Arts Kai Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman action figure finally arrived from Japan today, and I'm going to start off right away by saying that the entire thing has been a bad experience. I've had some really bad luck with PAK figures for a while now, and have vowed not to purchase any more. But I'd had this one on pre-order since it was initially solicited and the site I ordered from tends to frown upon cancellation of orders. So, I decided to bite the bullet and hope for the best. Here's what I got:

Yeah, that's the entire inner tray melted in upon itself. We've been having a ridiculous heatwave for near on two weeks now, and apparently the temp in the PO truck was a bit too much for the packaging to handle.  It was a real bear to pry apart, and forget about future storage, but at the least the figure and accessories were undamaged. 

The figure itself is what I've come to expect from PAK: it's ok looking and incredibly frustrating to work with. She's got plenty of joints, and they are all of the clicky variety. That's the problem. I can never get them to click in the place I want the pose to hold - they are always just too far in either direction. With the wrists and ankles, I've got to use needle nose pliers to hold them in place while I rotate the hand or foot to try to get it to bend like I want it to. The hip connections seem to be placed too far forward, and the knee collections are too far back, so she never looks natural just standing straight up. She comes with her shield, sword, lasso (looped), and 4 additional hands. They are well-done enough in terms of detail, sculpt and paint, but it feels a bit sparse for what I paid (about $120) for this figure. The sword fits into a loop on her left hip, but comes up so high that the pommel is right under her armpit. The lasso fits into a notch on her right hip. The sword also fits into one of the gripping hands, with a deal of pressure and twisting, and the shield can be worn on her left arm. It's tricky to get it on there, but I finally managed, again with a good deal of swearing and sweating.

Wonder Woman looks much better posed. Outfitted with her sword and shield, she's not bad. Examining her more closely,  however, reveals some issues with PAK's quality control. There's a silver spot of paint on her left breast. The rivets on her harness are very sloppy. There's an odd spot on her back that looks like it was intentionally left unpainted. The tiara looks crooked. If these issues were on a $20 Marvel Legends figure, I might be willing to overlook them. On a Japanese import figure costing 6x that much? It's unacceptable.

What else? The hair is glued into place around the ears in a way that allows them to stick out. As a result, she looks more like an elf than an Amazonian Warrior Princess. I'm going to stop here. There's no use in beating a dead horse, as the saying goes. To sum it up: I get a great feeling of disappointment with every Play Arts Kai figure I purchase. The solicit pictures look amazing, and then the figure arrives and it's that car or home repair feeling of, "I just got ripped off," and I'm not going to do it any more. Like I said earlier, Wonder Woman is an ok figure. She's light years ahead of the garbage Mattel released, and priced at $40 to $50 she'd be totally reasonable. Unfortunately, her asking price is nearly triple that. I'm still waiting to see how the Mafex version turns out - Superman seems to have been a dud while Batman is getting good reviews, and my experience with Mafex isn't much better than with PAK. Here's hoping that Mezco adds her to their One:12 Collective line, so I can finally have a BvS Wonder Woman to be proud of.