2013 Figure Greetings

I want greetings for special occasions to be special. If I have time, I'd make photo collages for friends' birthdays or use any cosplay photo of mine as a greeting, but there are times when I'm just too lazy to choose and compile pictures or put on a full cosplay of a favourite character with all the makeup, contact lenses, and the wig. When laziness strikes, I take pictures of my figures instead. 

In 2013, I used my figures much more for birthday and holiday greetings. The most difficult to set up was probably the New Year greeting because I dressed two of my figmas in yukatas. You'll see that later.

Now let me show you the greetings that I created last year:

Hainrihi's birthday

For my friend Hainrihi's birthday

I made this greeting with figma Irisviel, figma Saber, figma Kiritsugu, and Chogokin Gilgamesh for Hainrihi's birthday. On the picture, Irisviel is the celebrant because Hainrihi is my Irisviel in our Fate/Zero cosplay group. Of course, Kiritsugu must be there, and because I used Chogokin Gilgamesh's golden goblets and wine jug, I had to include him there, too. :p

Birthday greeting for Arnel

Birthday greeting for my friend, Arnel

Arnel is Berserker (Lancelot) in our Fate/Zero group, so on his birthday, I set-up this greeting for him. Berserker doesn't have an articulated figure, so I had to use Banpresto DXF Fate/Zero Berserker and just tried my best to conceal Arondight (a.k.a. his sword). Nope, I couldn't take the sword off his hand. I think it's stuck there forever. X'D 

To make the picture more festive, I included the figmas of Kiritsugu and Irisviel, then the Chogokin figures of Gilgamesh and Saber. The stars and sparkles were added later through Photoshop.

Happy holidays from Gilgamesh and Saber

Merry Christmas from Gilgamesh and Saber

To make that Christmas greeting, I printed background, pinned it on an illustration board, and borrowed a Christmas ornament from our living room. The gold orbs and snowflakes were Photoshopped. I used Banpresto Ichiban Kuji Kyun-Chara Fate/Zero Gilgamesh in his casual clothes and Good Smile Company Nendoroid Fate/Zero Saber.

Kirei Kotomine's birthday

I started to like Kirei Kotomine in 2013 especially when I re-watched Fate/Zero for the nth time and completely read his profile on TypeMoon Wiki, so for his birthday (December 28), I decided to make a greeting as tribute for the character. Those are food erasers, the table and chair are from a Sailor Moon palace playset, and the gift is... well it's just another eraser that I wrapped with yellow-orange paper, drew dots on, and then I placed a lavender ribbon around it to create a makeshift gift prop. The gift probably looks familiar because I also used it as a prop for Arnel's birthday greeting (Irisviel is holding it).

New Year greetings

For the New Year, I made two figure greetings. The backgrounds I used were the ones I took with my own camera during the 2013 Pyromusical Festival on March. I set up the figures in front of my monitor, displayed the pictures of fireworks on full screen, and then clicked away.

Happy New Year from Saber and Irisviel

I bought cheap doll clothes from a Saizen store nearby (Saizen sells Daiso or Japan Home products. Saizen and Japan Home are probably like those dollar stores in the US). The clothes were big for figmas, so I altered them a bit with the help of a pair of scissors and safety pins. They still obviously look big on the figmas of Saber and Irisviel though.

Now here's the second one with my Fate OTP:

Cheers from Gilgamesh and Saber

Gilgamesh and Saber were easy to set-up. I just used two of Gilgamesh's golden goblets and then it's done.

Setting up these figures were fun, but I think I need to be more creative with backgrounds and set-ups, improve my lighting, and of course, avoid cramming to get better results. There were times when I'd shoot the figures on day of the birthday itself (usually at night), and then hurriedly upload the best photo on the celebrant's or my own Facebook timeline then tag them before midnight.

A Quick Unboxing Of Kotobukiya Steins;Gate 1/8 Kurisu Makise

Kurisu Makise is the main female protagonist of the visual novel/anime Steins;Gate. She has a few scale figures, and this one by Kotobukiya is among them.  This figure was on my wishlist for a year until I finally got her on December 2013 with the help of a friend who purchased it from another fellow figure collector friend who sold it at a very attractive price.

Yet another obligatory picture of the figure while it's still in  the box

This Kotobukiya Steins;Gate 1/8 Kusiru Makise is a second-hand figure. After inspection, I found that she's still in very good condition without any stains or dirt on her. However, the largest gear has a broken peg, yet it's hardly noticeable and it wasn't obvious once I assembled everything.

The figure was based on an illustration by Ryohei Fuke (a.k.a. "Huke"), who's mostly known for his Steins;Gate and Black Rock Shooter artworks and designs, and then it was sculpted by M.I.C. Kotobukiya packaged her in a box that is rather tall with a grungy design and with windows on the sides so you can take a peek at what's inside:

Back, right, and left sides of the box

Top of the box (excuse Gilgamesh, haha)

The blister is capable of standing by itself when I took it out:

You can also see the illustration inside the box. That's Kurisu with Mayuri Shiina and Rintaro Okabe. That illustration was also used as the cover on the packaging of the Steins;Gate game, which was initially released for XBox 360 in 2009.

Kotobukiya gave her a clear base that is anything but plain. It resembles the gears you'd find in a clock:

A fitting base for a character from a series that deals with time travel

A peg is already attached under Kurisu's right foot, and it easily slips but holds steadily into the slot of the clear base. Nope, she won't topple over because it's well-designed.

If there's one thing I found a bit difficult about setting up this figure, it's the gears. Luckily, the figure came with instructions:

It's not rocket science

You don't need to be able to read Japanese, but I think you need to have a keen eye for details to understand what's written and being described there. Each part has numbers on them, but they're very small and might be difficult to see under insufficient lighting, so be sure you have enough light when you're assembling the gears. (And if you have poor eyesight, wear your spectacles or get a magnifying glass. :p)

If you examine the figure closely, you can find a few holes on her legs and jacket. The gears have pegs to attach to those holes. I was careful in putting the gears together and attaching them to the figure because I was afraid they'd snap. I think it took me around five to seven minutes to complete the assembly of the gears.

After the set-up, you can now ogle the eye candy in front of you:

Tadaaa! And it's done (again, please excuse Gilgamesh X'D)

The details of this Kotobukiya Kurisu Makise figure are amazing. Her red mobile phone is attached to one of the gears on her leg.

Right after unboxing her, she immediately got her first photoshoot. :p Here are some of the pictures: 

I also uploaded the entire set of pictures on my Flickr account. You can check them out here.

January 2014 Figures

I wanted to share the first few figures that I got this year, so I thought I'd write about them. Most of them are articulated figures and the rest are prize figures.

I pre-ordered Nendoroid Fate/Extra Saber Extra and Nendoroid Shingeki no Kyojin Colossal Titan with Playset on 2014. Both figures were manufactured by Good Smile Company. Pre-orders for Nendoroid Saber Nero started on July 25, 2013 and I immediately secured a slot for her. Nendoroid Colossal Titan became available for pre-order on July 31, 2013. Shingeki no Kyojin was all the rage back then because of the anime and the Colossal Titan was just so cute in Nendoroid form that I couldn't resist getting one, too. 

Good Smile Company Nendoroid 360 Shingeki no Kyojin Colossus Titan & Attack Playset

This Nendoroid was released on December 16, 2013. I got Nendoroid Colossal Titan on January 11, 2014. If you noticed, the text on the the box reads "Colossus Titan". Not sure if that's the real translation of the titan's name in Japanese, but let's not think that this is a bootleg. If you're wondering if there's already a bootleg Nendoroid of the Colossal Titan, well yes, there is, and bootleg manufacturers released this ahead of the authentic figure. The abomination looks something like this:

No, seriously, don't buy something like this (Image from My Figure Collection).

I saw the actual bootleg figure being sold in three recent anime conventions from December 2013 to January 2014. It's nasty. It looks so fake. You wouldn't want to be laughed at or ridiculed for buying something cheap like that bootleg, so just don't.

Max Factory figma 195 Steins;Gate Kurisu Makise white coat ver.

Pre-orders for this version of Kurisu Makise began on June 12, 2013. At that time, I wasn't ready to get her because I wanted to prioritize Saber and Gilgamesh. She was released on December 12, 2013, and I bought her on January 18, 2014 when she was already in stock in one of my favorite figure stores.

Good Smile Company Nendoroid 358 Fate/Extra Saber Extra

Saber Nero was released on November 26, 2013. I picked her up on January 25, 2014. She's my second articulated figure of Nero (my first one is figma Saber Bride).

Prize figures of Saber

Banpresto DXF Fate/Zero Saber

I didn't intend to buy Banpresto DXF Fate/Zero Saber at first until I realized I needed one because I recently pre-ordered Kiritsugu (and my Banpresto DXF Gilgamesh will be lonely without a Saber that's just his size lol). 

She's really cheap now, so I decided to get her. The figure store didn't have the one without the armor, though I'd love to get that version, too.

Banpresto SQ Saber Lily

At first, I wasn't sure about buying Banpresto SQ Saber Lily because of the derpy-looking face on the box. I also checked out My Figure Collection for pictures taken by those who bought her, and I read comments like her eyes looked dead. When I checked for myself, the eyes didn't look that dead and her face was pretty, not derpy. Or perhaps that's just my POV. Nevertheless, I'm glad she was also cheap and that I finally bought her as an addition to my Saber shrine.

Now Available For Pre-Order: FREEing 1/8 Saber Alter Yukata ver.

FREEing 1/8 Saber Alter yukata version is finally available for pre-orders.

Image from MyFigureCollection.Net

According to the info on MyFigureCollection.Net, this 1/8 scale figure was sculpted by Takahiro Arakawa and it will be released on June 2014. 

Even if I like the default Saber more, I couldn't resist this figure last night because of that pretty face and her yukata. :p I gave in and pre-ordered her from a favorite online Japanese figure store as soon as I got home last night. A friend and I thought the that color of her yukata would be black, so we were surprised that it's a darker shade of blue on the pictures. She retains the black ribbon though, which is one of her identifying factors aside from the light brown/almost golden eyes and the absence of the ahoge.

My friends and I are also hoping that someone from FREEing will think of making yukata versions of Saber Lily and Saber Extra, too.

If you'd like to pre-order or learn more about FREEing Saber Alter yukata version, check out Good Smile Company's Online Shop. The order period is from January 23, 2014 until February 19, 2014.

Unboxing and Review: FREEing Y-Style Fate/Stay Night 1/8 Saber yukata ver.

FREEing released a 1/8 scale Y-style figure of Saber in a blue yukata on December 2012. I didn't pre-order this figure and didn't have any intention to buy it any time soon, until I saw it being sold at a cheaper price on Rakuten. That's when I decided to get her in mid 2013.

It took me a few months before I finally decided to unbox her. Actually, I only did that towards the end of December 2013, and it was done on a whim. :p

Obligatory pic of the unopened box with the figure inside

This figure was sculpted by Atsushi Yoshino and the materials used for making it were ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Google them for more info. :v 

Now let's get started with the unboxing.

The box

Obligatory pictures of the sides and back of the box

The box is rather slim. Even with the figure inside, the entire package remains lightweight. I have small hands, but I can easily grip the top of the box with one hand.

But this is not your plain, ordinary figure box. Aside from the decorative façade, the box attempts to show you various sides of the figure. As you can see from the image above, the sides and the back have windows where you can take a peek and check out what's inside.

You can only open the box of this figure from the top, unless you want to destroy the bottom. Once you take out the blister packaging that holds Saber, her base, and her props, you can check out that nifty design inside. If you want, you can probably use that cardboard as a background when taking pictures, too.

Oooh more blue

And you can proceed to ogle her some more.

No "new figure smell" yet at this point

There are some clear tapes holding the blister pack together. After carefully removing them, you can now excitedly proceed to relish that new figure smell.

Mmmm you gotta love that new figure smell, figure collector!

What's inside?

Saber Yukata version comes with a fan, a candy apple, and a ponytailed hair. And of course, it comes with a base. 

It's plain, round, and white

There are two pegs that need to go inside the two holes under her right sandal. It's easy to make her stand on that base. Once you do, you'll easily notice those child-bearing hips, especially when you're taking pictures with a frontal angle like this: 

But we'll discuss those hips later. For now let's move on to the props. First, there's the fan, which, according to the box and other pictures you can find online, must be grasped by her right hand.

And then there's a shiny red candy apple that goes to her left hand:

I haven't tried switching them yet, like what if I make her hide the candy apple behind her back and she's showing off the fan. But then again, I don't think Saber would be hiding her food. She'll show it off and eat it regardless of who's watching even if Gilgamesh might be stalking and watching her from afar as she takes a bite out of that sweet, juicy goodness.

Anyway, it's easy to slip the sticks of the fan and the candy apple into her fists. So far, I haven't encountered any paint transfer issues.

The hair

We often see Saber wearing her hair in a bun, which exposes her nape. If you have a nape fetish, this figure might be good for you:

Dat nape! ... I mean, DAT BUN!

I personally like seeing Saber wearing other hairstyles like her hair down or in a ponytail. Luckily, this figure comes with an extra piece of hair in a ponytail. The ponytail looks appropriate for her outfit, too.

Yay ponytail

It's easy to remove the bun and attach the ponytail. I didn't struggle pulling out the bun, unlike with Wave Beach Queens Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/10 Saber, which comes with an extra piece of hair so you can see your beloved Arturia Pendragon wearing a bikini with her hair loose. It's easy to attach the ponytail, too.

How the bun attaches onto the head 

Both the bun and the ponytail have pegs behind them, and they're easy to place into that hole. Just follow the shape and your life will be easy. In other words, don't just carelessly force the peg into that hole.

It kinda looks like a V... or a heart. Or maybe even an L block from Tetris.

And here's Saber with the ponytail: 

Let's pretend Gilgamesh took this picture while she wasn't looking

The hips

FREEing Y-style Saber Yukata version has noticeably wider hips when she's directly facing you. I have nothing against child-bearing hips but on this figure, they make taking pictures with a front, straightforward angle quite difficult because she ends up looking awkward and you can't see the fan or her right hand anymore:

Look, master! No hand!

Although Gilgamesh will probably like the child-bearing hips, which might give him thoughts of Saber saying, "I shall be the mother of your descendants, King of Heroes!" XD

Or perhaps it's the way her right hand is positioned? Anyway, you need to adjust her (or you take a picture from a different angle) a bit to make the angle more flattering.

Saber yukata ver. during her first photoshoot

Saber displayed with other Fate girls in their yukata versions during Otaku Expo 2014

When I lent her for Team Oniichan's display in Otaku Expo 2014, I purposely made her stand sideways so people viewing the display cabinet from the front can at least see the fan. :')

Hips aside, of course, I love this figure. Saber has a pretty face here, and I like the design of her yukata. And the ponytail is a bonus that I couldn't pass up. However, if you must return her to her box and you made her wear the ponytail, you need to revert to the bun.

And that's it for my unboxing and short review of FREEing Y-Style Fate/Stay Night 1/8 Saber yukata version. Let me end this post with a few more pictures of her:

Saber by the Christmas tree 

That's a Gilgamesh file folder.

Rin belongs to my friend, Nami. :p