Figure Unboxing and Review: Mikazuki Munechika (Damaged version)

Figure Unboxing and Review: Mikazuki Munechika (Damaged version)

Wednesday, March 20, 2019 / No Comments

Mikazuki (dmg version)

Mikazuki is my second favorite touken danshi back when I was still in the series and since I got his normal version by Orange Rouge and felt he was worth what I paid, I decided to snag the damaged version when I was on my previous trip to Japan!

For those of you who are wondering what a ‘damaged version’ is, it’s based off of an illustration that cuts into the game when Mikazuki’s health bar drops too low. Comparing this to the normal version that is based off on the illustration of the player’s first meeting with Mikazuki, the damaged version would appear a lot more dynamic and ragged. While the ‘damaged version’ is one of my least favorite illustrations of Mikazuki, it appears that Orange Rouge has no plans to make a ‘battle version’ so I decided to satiate my need for more Mikazuki figures with this version.

I’ll say it right off the bat that I prefer the normal version a lot more than this version, although I’m usually one for more dynamic poses. I’ll insert my explanations for this in the review itself so let’s move along!

Firstly, the box and pose for both versions are very similar. Both comes with a similar box design and crest on a round black base. If you are choosing one version over the other, you wouldn’t be missing out on anything on these aspects. However, I did feel that something was missing for the damaged version, as such a simple pose did not match his dynamic pose. The damaged figure also came with specks of dirt on his hakama (which suggests that Mikazuki is engaged in a fierce battle… possibly on a sandy ground), but there is absolutely nothing on the base to help draw a conclusion.

Secondly, his pose. As this is a striking pose with Mikazuki’s head tilted down slightly, and his arm and sword blocking most of his facial features when viewed from a lower pose, this figure does not do very well when viewed from eye level or slightly above eye level. 

This makes it very difficult to find a fitting place for him in my current display.

An additional point would be the painted-on dirt specks on his hakama which could either be a hit-or-miss with collectors. Some prefer their figures to look pristine while others fancy the touch of realism to fit the battle-esque pose. 

However, I’m sitting on the fence for this since I like how it ties the pose and context together, but that sentiment falls short with the lack of a diorama base.

Also, while the golden hilt and sheath of the sword is sculpted and painted well and appropriately, the blade is painted rather awkwardly, with a slight metallic sheen which doesn’t match the gleaming katana we see in anime. The hilt of the sword was also rather difficult to push into Mikazuki’s hands and it doesn’t help that the blade is made to be quite flexible. I felt that Orange Rouge should have taken one more step and separated the hilt of the sword from the blade so there is less risk of damaging the accessory when assembling the figure.

Other than the aforementioned four points, I do feel that this figure is really well-made, and does not look bland in any way to the normal version. One aspect that I genuinely loved about the normal version is that the pattern on his outfit are all sculpted on and that makes it stand out well when it refracts light. This version has the same treatment, which is a plus in my book!

The sleeves and layers of clothing look a lot more dynamic here as he is sculpted to look mid-motion. The billowing out of his sleeves help to highlight all the different layers of his clothing that you could hardly catch a glimpse of in the normal version!

If you are into catching a glimpse of bare skin or lean muscles, you can get your fix with this Mikazuki figure as you are able to get a full view of his right arm and half a chest as his sleeve gets torn off in the heat of battle. 

This also reveals the armor he wears around his shoulders and wrists which are perfectly hidden from view in the normal version. So, if you love bushido as much as I do, it pays to get this figure to understand how these shoulder and wrist guards work in the olden days.

The gold tassels at the edge of his clothing are also looking a lot more dynamic in this version than the normal version. They are sculpted swishing in different directions and some corners of his clothing are even raised so it reveals the stitching done to hold the tassels in place! 

You can also see some tassels that are usually hidden from view!

Some of the pristine gold plates you see on the normal version of Mikazuki is also scratched and broken here, and you can spot the extra steps and effort taken to make the damage look as realistic as possible. Some of the white plates are also missing here to add to the ‘damaged’ look!

Speaking of the damaged look…the figure is clad with well-placed cuts and tears in clothes.

There are also several dirt stains around his grey hakama part to further intensify the atmosphere of the figure. This create a slight difference from the normal version of the figure as most of the other details for his hakama are kept consistent.

But surprisingly, despite the huge damage to his top and dirt on his hakama, Mikazuki’s zori sandals appear to be completely pristine. I feel that Orange Rouge could have definitely done a little more here to rough things up for his sandals, but this isn’t a very visible component of the figure and we probably don’t want Mikazuki to be fighting enemies in broken straw sandals, so let’s hold on to that thought!

 ~ Reina-rin

Figure Unboxing and Review: Hatsune Miku - LOVE IS WAR version

Figure Unboxing and Review: Hatsune Miku - LOVE IS WAR version

Monday, March 18, 2019 / No Comments

Spring is the season of cherry blossoms, symbolizing new beginnings and love – but let’s not forget the other side of the coin: those with unrequited love! And for all those people, we have Love is War! Hatsune Miku is back to show her strategies at grabbing the attention of the boy she loves! *:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*

If the previous assembly post didn’t convince you that this holy grail is a masterpiece and worth every cent, this review definitely will. There’s so much to point out about this work of art, especially the details on the base!

The texture is amazing. It looks exactly like the one represented in the music video, and all the rivets in the structure are just to right size so they are visible but neither misplaced or overpowering. The same metallic paint is also applied on the railing, right down to the hinges – which is definitely a very nice touch to the figure, making it look as realistic as possible!

The insides of the large microphones are painted with Miku’s teal, making the color palette of this figure largely dark grays and teal. This might be a very simple color palette compared to other newer figures (such as NGNL) but this simplicity makes it an eye-catching centerpiece for all collections! It would definitely stand out with its color scheme and design among a display of vibrantly colored figures, and on the other hand, it would mesh in nicely with figures with subtle color schemes too!

The teal in the microphones also have a marbling effect, which adds dimension, variation and depth to an otherwise bland color scheme.

Likewise, Miku herself is the pinnacle of dynamism in this figure. It feels like her pigtails billowing out behind her were sculpted to cover any blank spaces between the different parts of her base, and as such helps to pull these distinct blocks together to form a scene in her MV.

Her facial features aren’t the best, as this is a rather old MV and sculpt, but the expression is on-point. You can really feel her determination and frustration burning in her eyes! Her pose also helps to put the point across with her fiercely yanking the microphone forward, and thus twirling the pink cord behind her. 

I would have loved if they went for a more iconic look, where she stomps one foot down on the railing and yells into her microphone, but I suppose with figure technology back then, that would have been too prone to develop leaning issues.

A very huge gripe I have with the figure would be the pink microphone cord. Firstly, this is constructed using a wire which is very malleable and once it goes out of shape, it is very difficult to get it back to a perfect round shape (which is seen behind Miku in the prototype). The issue with this is that GSC only provides 1 wire, so you can either get it right the first time or berate yourself for life. Secondly, there doesn’t seem to be a hole where I can slot the other end of the wire (the one not connected directly to the microphone) and it’s not mentioned anywhere in the instruction sheet or in any prototype photographs. 

I’ve slotted it somewhere for now so it wouldn’t get in the way when I move my figure around in my display but this will forever remain an enigma to me…

~ Reina-rin

Figure Unboxing and Assembly: Hatsune Miku - LOVE IS WAR version

Figure Unboxing and Assembly: Hatsune Miku - LOVE IS WAR version

Monday, February 25, 2019 / No Comments

GEIGEKIYOUI

Prepare for a counterattack!

This is the deluxe (DX) version of one of the holy grails of the Hatsune Miku's ongoing figure production line: the Love is War version! Also known as Koi wa Sensou, the vocaloid song was a hit among the masses, both within and outside of Japan and this figure was released in 2012, and re-released again this this year.

Right out of the box, you can see that the DX version comes with a lot of stuff and this means that it'll be ♪♪(o*゜∇゜)o～♪♪ Assembly time!

Thankfully, GSC always provides an instruction sheet in both English and Japanese, so let's look at that while assembling the figure! Though, I did find that it may be easier to assemble this figure if you don't follow GSC's assembling sequence fully, so sit tight for my input! I'll be sure to point these out when I get to it~

This figure is greatly split into two sections: the base and the figure (Miku). However, the base had too many parts to place in one image, so I split it up into two, with the stand and larger microphones in the image above, and the railings and pink microphone cord in the image below.

Here is Miku with her pigtails detached. She also comes with a microphone to hold, and a long part that would be joined to the base.

Now that we are on the same page and armed with GSC's handy instruction sheet, let's begin assembling! “o(-ε´- *)ヵ゛ﾝﾊﾞﾙ

Using GSC’s instructions sheet, the first step is to align the five pegs and peg holes on these two parts. As the layout of the pegs is a star-shape, I recommend putting the apex of the star in place first, then matching the other four points after.

Here’s how it should look assembled together, at different angles so you have a better idea of how it should look like. Surprisingly, it’s rather stable despite the small pegs.

The next part to assemble would be the long pole with the small teal speakers attached at the end. For this part, you will have to align the jutting out part indicated by arrow 1 to the depression indicated by arrow 2. After which, it’s just a matter of sliding it right down to the base.

It fits quite snugly and is rather stable.

So far, so good!

According to the next section of GSC’s instructions, the next part to assemble would be the railing. There are 3 parts to the railing but let’s take a look at the two that have to be joined together first.

The parts indicated by the white arrow are the peg holes, and after setting up this portion of the railing, you get a nice hinge-lookalike!

This whole ensemble is supposed to be placed at the edge of the base as well and in the image below, you can see which peg hole each leg of the railing is supposed to go into. 

However… if you recall, I mentioned that there are 3 railing parts, which means that this isn’t all!

Here’s the last railing part~

GSC instructs us to put this railing part in right now and place the large speakers on either side of Miku after this step, then place the assembled Miku on the stand. I followed as per their instructions but found it incredibly challenging to push Miku onto the base. So, my recommended sequence would be to leave this section of the railing for last. After putting in the hinged railing parts, continue by assembling the large speaker on Miku’s left on first, followed by Miku herself, then the speaker on Miku’s right, before finally putting this lone section of the railing in place.

Nevertheless, my pictures are taken when I was still following GSC’s instructions, so bear the above point in mind as we move on using GSC’s instructed sequence by putting that railing section on!

Next up, the large speakers. There’s two of them and there’s virtually no way of putting them on wrongly. Just slip them onto place on the base (you’ll want to put a hand below the base panel to support the force you put when pushing the speakers in place) and…

Lo and behold! The speakers have magically appeared on the base!

The very last part of this assembly session is to put Miku into place. There are 3 steps to this – assembling Miku, placing her onto the peg, then arm her with her accessories!

To assemble Miku, firstly, you would have to put her pigtails in place and for this, the pegs on both sides of her hair are differently shaped to help you identify which piece goes where.

After which, you’ll have to put her onto the base!

If you followed my proposed sequence for assembly, this should be easy enough. However, if you followed GSC’s instructions like I did, you would have to have thin af hands and fingers to be able to either squeeze between the speaker on her right and her position on the base (so she’ll be fitting onto her peg straight) or wiggle between the railing parts to hold onto her shin and foot to exert pressure.

Definitely not an experience I’ll like to relive again…

And last but not the least, her accessories. She comes with a handheld microphone and a pink wire cord. I recommend fitting the microphone into her hand first as it’s rather nerve-wracking to wiggle it in between her digits. However, do note that her fingers are made of a flexible material and should be able to withstand the pressure and angle you use to insert the microphone in.

 Lastly, you would have to put the pink cord into place. This cord holds its shape rather well and the figure only comes with one piece, so be sure not to put any unwanted stress on it and bending it out of shape! Insert it into the peg hole right at the bottom of the handheld speaker and style the rest of the pink wire as you’d like!

And that’s all for today since she’s now fully assembled! I hope that this slight changes to her proposed assembly route would help anyone who’s putting her together in the days to come.

Stay tuned for my review post for this figure!

~ Reina-rin