Let’s ring in the New Year with a new preorder roundup. My top picks this time around are Graf Zeppelin, Holo, Jahy, Ryza and a plethora of Asuka.
Gekijouban Sword Art Online: Progressive – Hoshinaki Yoru no Aria – Asuna – Shibuya Scramble Figure – 1/7 – Crystal Dress Ver. (Alpha Satellite, eStream)
Someone from eStream must really love Asuna this being their third Asuna figure. Is this another overpriced piece? What do you think? At least it doesn’t look like something that can easily be damaged in transit though the Asuna looks kinda off.
Azur Lane – Dido – 1/7 – Light/Heavy Armor Ver. (Knead)
Heck yeah for more figures of Azur Lane. This is the first figure of Royal Navy’s Dido with her default skin. The Heavy Armor version will make a real dent in your wallet. Personally, I prefer the Light Armor version because it isn’t bulky and doesn’t offer a lot of distractions. If you’re buying any of the recent Azur Lane figures by Alter, you should be a bit worried about the quality of Knead as I’ve heard many collectors mention that their quality is not worth the price. It probably won’t compare to the level of quality that Alter produces.
Light Armor: Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Heavy Armor: Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Ookami to Koushinryou – Holo – B-style – 1/4 (FREEing)
So excited for this one that I’m actually considering preordering a 1/4 scale which I’ve avoided all these years. Heck, I don’t see any reason to avoid it anymore considering I’ve been preordering 1/7 scales that are pricier than most 1/4 scales. Any fan of Spice and Wolf would be excited for this figure not because it’s lewd. It isn’t. Nudity doesn’t necessarily equate to lewd. The nudity is done in good taste.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Azur Lane – Graf Zeppelin – 1/7 – Beachside Urd Ver. (Alter)
Hooray for even more Azur Lane figures. Formidable dealt a major blow to my wallet that I can no longer afford this one. Thankfully, Graf Zeppelin isn’t one of my favorite shipgirls though I still feel a tinge of sadness that I’m missing out. This would have been a sure pre-order if my preorder list wasn’t so long already.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Fate/Extella Link – Scáthach – 1/7 – Makyou no Seargent (Amakuni, AmiAmi)
Seems like this figure is lacking that oomph — that wow factor. Amakuni usually does excellent quality figures but this one seems mediocre. The face does not look like Scathach. The pose is also underwhelming. I’m trying to find a reason to make this a worthwhile preorder but it’s really not clicking.
Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai! – Jahy – 1/7 (Medicos Entertainment)
You actually get two figures at more or less the price of one figure. Frankly, I can do without tiny Jahy. And I’m not really a fan of the exclusive faceplate. Check out the details on those toned muscles though.
If you want the exclusive faceplates, you can order from the Medicos Online Shop.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls – Sagisawa Fumika – 1/7 – A Page of The Sea Breeze Ver. (Alter)
VTubers may be all the rage right now but iDOLM@ster is here to prove that idols are here to stay. Many of the best idol figures come from iDOLM@ster and with Alter doing this one, it’s definitely going to be of excellent quality.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Mizu o Nomasetekurenai Doukyuusei – 1/7 (Daiki Kougyou)
This looks really good. It’s sexy and it’s a cast-off. It is based on an original character by Mignon. However, it doesn’t seem like it captured the look of the the original artwork. If you can get around that flaw, then it’s all good. The figure still looks pretty.
Punishing: Gray Raven – Lucia – 1/7 – Crimson Abyss (Good Smile Arts Shanghai, Good Smile Company)
This game has been getting a lot of figures lately and this has to be their best-looking one to date. The figure actually feels like it’s something out of Arknights.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Elf Mura – Archeyle – 1/6 (Vertex)
My first thought after seeing this (again) is that it wasn’t too long since I last saw this. It’s hard to keep track of everything but apparently, this is already the third rerelease. If you fancy yourself a naked elf, then preorder already. There are two variations of this figure with the limited edition version having a grass base an alternative faceplate. The figure is based on the artworks of Takahiro.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Elf Mura – Siika – 1/6 (Vertex)
Also the third release of original characters by Takahiro. This one will definitely catch the prying eyes of the loli police.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Yurucamp – Chikuwa – Saitou Ena – 1/7 (Wing)
Not the least bit interested in Yurucamp but they do release some good wholesome figures if that’s right up your alley.
Yosuga no Sora – Kasugano Sora – 1/6 – Swimsuit ver. (Q-six)
Sora shows some really nice curves in this figure and it’s a 1/6 scale to boot. I am frankly not a fan of the incest brand of anime but it’s amazing how her figures still sell despite the anime being released 12 years ago.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Kantai Collection ~Kan Colle~ – Iowa (Ques Q)
KanColle could have been big. Bigger than it is right now. From where I’m standing, it is now but a shadow of its former self. It refused to reach out to its audience outside of Japan so other games like Azur Lane and Girls Frontline picked up the slack. Frankly, it’s hard to love a franchise that doesn’t care for its audience.
The price on this one is preposterous considering how much KanColle figure prices have been tanking. Even a die-hard fan would sneer at that price point.
It’s a non-scale but I think it should be close to a 1/8 scale.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Illustration Revelation (#1) – Yueji Mingke (Good Smile Company)
This is an original character by Tuyi. The figure looks really good with a nice background probably made of acrylic. The figure is sexy and there are plenty of details. The clothing is very detailed. The flowers look really well done. The tattoos look good as well. My only regret here is that it’s not a full-body figure so it loses some height though I understand the figure is limited by the artwork it is based on.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Kill la Kill – Matoi Ryuuko – B-style – 1/4 – Bunny Ver., 2nd (FREEing)
This is a different variation of the B-Style figure of Matoi Ryuuko. So they changed the color, added a limited edition tag and then slapped an extra ¥5,000 on the preorder price. That just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Falslander – Samurai – 1/7 (Wing)
Was a bit confused at first but it seems like this figure is meant to be displayed with the back facing the viewer. You hardly see any face even though you can remove the mask so that’s kind of a letdown. Still, this figure has a lot of intricate details though I’m not sure I can justify the price tag.
Teacher Teacher – Maeda Shiori – 1/7 (AmiAmi, Pink Charm)
Pink Charm has released a few figures and from what I can gather, the reviews say they produce good quality. This is a full cast-off though I’m confused why the bra has a string in the middle. Looking at other photos, this comes with translucent underwear and panties with a wet patch. That is something you don’t see every day.
NSFW
To LOVEru Darkness – Konjiki no Yami – 1/7 (Emontoys)
Apparently, the outfit is based on a costume in the To LOVEru mobile game. I’m not a fan of the aesthetic though I will always welcome more opportunities to get To LOVEru figures.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Evangelion Shin Gekijouban – Ayanami Rei – Dream Tech – 1/7 – Plugsuit Style (Wave) | Pearl Color Edition
There’s no shortage of Evangelion figures in this part of the universe so there’s hardly any pressure to preorder any new ones. There’s hardly any difference in color between the regular edition and the pearl color edition. Preorder the limited color edition if you want though I wouldn’t make a fuss about whichever version is better. Creating a limited color edition for any figure is just creating artificial scarcity that aims to drive prices up.
Get the Pearl Color Edition from the Evangelion Store.
Girls’ Frontline – PA-15 – 1/7- Marvellous Herb Cake Ver. (Hobby Max)
This figure looks really cute but comes at a steep price tag. The translucent clothing is a nice touch.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
HoneyStrap – Sekishiro Mico – 1/7 (Wanderer)
Another Japanese Vtuber getting the figure treatment. Though I am a bit surprised a Vtuber can be showing that much underboob. Wanderer’s quality isn’t the best so I would take that into consideration before hitting that preorder button.
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? Bloom – Kirima Syaro – Wild Geese – 1/7 – Gothic Lolita Yellow Ver. (Bell Fine)
Bell Fine is mediocre. There are plenty of better options when looking for a figure of Kirima Syaro. The ruffles on this figure look poorly done that it just looks messy. Plum’s Kirima Syaro is a good choice and it is fairly valued in the after-market. The best figure of Krima Syaro would have to be the one by Stronger.
Original Character – Neko (Union Creative International Ltd)
This is an original character by Kaerunoko. This figure actually looks promising but anything with the Union Creative name attached to it can always end up in disaster. This one is being sculpted by a new name: Marui. Maybe he’ll do a good job but most of the issues with Union Creative’s work had to do with the lackluster paint job. Does it have anything to do with the color producer? Design Coco, the color producer for this figure has worked on many good figures but has also worked on many figures that ended up having a lousy paint finish (mostly by Union Creative). I’m guessing the problem is with lazy personnel or poor work culture within Union Creative that allows poor paint jobs to get past their quality control. It’s a shame that a figure with so much potential could end up becoming a mediocre one.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Sakura Shinobu – 1/4 (Party Look)
This figure is burning with eroticism and the presence of the animal ears is the cherry on top. The price is fair for a 1/4 scale though I’m not sure about the quality of the manufacturer.
Blue Archive – Tsubaki Kasuga – 1/7 (AniGift)
Should I hop on the Blue Archive train already? I’ve playing so many games already that I’d become a slave to the gacha gods if I decide to pick up another game. As much allure as scantily-clad anime girls exude, I cannot hope to add any more daily tasks to my already inadequate time.
Original Character – Santa Girl (Union Creative International Ltd)
This releases December 2022. Even without accounting for manufacturing delays, it’d probably reach you when Christmas is already over. In any case, it’s Union Creative so it’s probably not worth it.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Fate/Grand Order – Caenis – 1/7 – Lancer (Good Smile Company)
Oooh, it’s a shiny new character. As someone who has long quit playing FGO but is still interested in FGO figures, it can be quite hard to get acquainted with the new characters. Of course, we can expect Good Smile Company to do a good job on this figure. I don’t want to sound like a GSC fan-boy but there’s a reason GSC is top tier figure manufacturer. The price on this one is on the very steep end for a 1/7 scale though.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Shin Sakura Taisen – Amamiya Sakura – 1/7 (Amakuni, Hobby Japan, Revolve)
I dropped the anime like a hot potato. It was just really boring from the get-go. I hear some people say you have to play the game for the anime to make sense and they might be right. This figure looks good though her face looks awkward. I’m not sure what to make of her facial expression. If you can get past that and you are a fan of the game, then I’d say it’s a worthwhile preorder.
Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? – Kumoko – KDcolle – 1/7 (Kadokawa)
It’s like getting two variations of a figure. You can choose to display her in half-spider form or in her human form. The anime was a fun watch but I’m not yet invested in the character to warrant spending that amount of money. If you have ¥28,000 just lying around with nothing to spend it on, why not preorder this one.
Both forms have an astounding amount of detail but I think I prefer the half-spider form. After all, what I’ve seen in the anime was mostly her in spider form. Sorry, I don’t read Light Novels. Time is a hot commodity that is in short supply nowadays.
Burn the Witch – Niihashi Noel – B-style – 1/4 – Swimsuit Ver. (FREEing)
Burn the Witch is on my backlog so I cannot comment much on the figure aesthetic as aesthetics would relate to the character. I am curious why she has a sad expression though. The only thing I’m certain of is that FREEing does excellent quality.
Burn the Witch – Ninny Spangcole – B-style – 1/4 – Swimsuit Ver. (FREEing)
This, on the other hand, shows a snicker, perhaps even a smug expression. This has brighter colors too.
Mahjong Soul – Kaavi – 1/7 (Derpo)
This is the first figure from a new Chinese manufacturer – Derpo. As with new companies, preordering their first figure always carries risks because you’ll never know what level of quality they will produce until they actually deliver the final product. From the looks of the prototype though, this looks like it might be a great figure. The sculpt looks good. The paint job looks spot on. You can see some variations in the shades. The base is not a plain base. The price is also in the acceptable range.
Shaman King – Iron Maiden Jeanne – 1/8 (Helios, Plex)
This is the first figure by Helios and it’s already not looking good. Apart from being only a 1/8 scale, the paint finish looks very boring. If it had a better and more dynamic pose, it could be better but as it’s looking right now, this is probably not worth your money. Unfortunately, this is her only prepainted scale figure so if you really want a figure of her, you’re strapped for options.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Skytube – Nure Megami – 1/6 (Alphamax)
More original work from Mataro. At this point, he is already a veteran at getting figure deals. And when it comes to lewd anime figures, there are few companies that can do better work than Alphamax. The SkyTube line is definitely a premiere line.
Atelier Ryza ~Tokoyami no Joou to Himitsu no Kakurega~ – Reisalin Stout – 1/6 (Max Factory)
So many figures of Ryza to choose from so preorder if this is to your liking or wait for whichever figure of Ryza you prefer. Personally, I am waiting for Spiritale’s, Ques Q’s and Good Smile Company’s Ryza. I am wary of Spiritale’s quality and pricing though as they tend to price on the high end while and the level of quality they produce is doubtful. This figure of Ryza by Max Factory is guaranteed to be a good one though. Max Factory is one of my favorite manufacturers. The only reason I’m not preordering this one is because I already have the Ryza figure by Wonderful Works which is also in her default clothing and is her more iconic pose.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Gekijouban Fate/Grand Order: Shinsei Entaku Ryouiki Camelot – Wandering; Agateram – Altria Pendragon – Shibuya Scramble Figure – 1/7 – Shishiou (Alpha Satellite, eStream)
Saber is easily one of the most popular anime characters anywhere in the world so license holders for the character are really making a killing. This is a bit on the cheaper side of eStream’s offerings though I’m still not sure I can justify it. From my perspective, buying a mediocre quality scale figure with an overembellished base is not a good idea. Now I don’t personally own any eStream figures but from what I have gathered, eStream produces only mediocre quality but they manage to charge a premium price by adding bells and whistles.
Girls Frontline – MDR – 1/7 – Cocktail Observer Ver. (Wonderful Works)
Wonderful Works creates wonderful figures. That’s a fact. I’m not even a fan of GFL but I’m liking this figure already. It looks elegant and it pulls off the tongue sticking out. I’ve seen several other figures with the tongue sticking out and I wasn’t a fan of it until this one.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Persona 5 – Okumura Haru – 1/7 – Kaitou ver. (Genesis, Milestone)
Getting more Persona 5 figures is almost good news because having more choices is always a good thing. Genesis as a manufacturer is doubtful though as some of their released figures have had quality issues. If you are worried about any leaning issues on this one, the sculptor, James Marsano, assured collectors that it won’t be an issue as “she has a sturdy metal piece coming from her feet into the base”.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original Character – Succubus Rurumu – 1/6 (Bishop’s Rondo)
This is a rerelease and it is a full cast-off. An exclusive version is available which comes with an alternative faceplate. I would recommend checking out Bishop Rondo’s other works though as I could not find any conclusive information on the level of quality they produce.
Shin Seiki Evangelion – Souryuu Asuka Langley – 1/7 – Ver. Radio Eva (Hobby Max)
This is a rerelease. The original color version is the grey hair version. Don’t be confused. Either version is good in my book though I don’t really have a hankering for any more Evangelion figures. If I wanted one, Kotubukiya’s Evangelion figures would be good and cheap options.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original color version: Preorder from Solaris Japan.
Shin Seiki Evangelion – Souryuu Asuka Langley – 1/7 – Ver. Radio Eva, Part 2 (Hobby Max)
More of Asuka. So, hooray for choices! Am I right?
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
Original color version: Preorder from Solaris Japan.
No Game No Life – Hatsuse Izuna (Union Creative International Ltd)
There are better of Hatsuse Izuna. This one is tiny and with that pose, she stands only as tall as a Nendoroid but it is worth 4 times the price of one. Union Creative is already a sub-par purchase and being a very tiny figure just makes this exponentially worse. Just don’t.
And just look at that boring paint job.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
No Game No Life – Shiro (Union Creative International Ltd)
Sure it looks cute but it’s a very tiny figure that is worth a full price standard scale figure. Also, the same flat and boring paint job you see from Union Creative.
Preorder from Solaris Japan. | Preorder from CD Japan.
I started the NekoFigs blog in January 2021, 5 years after I’ve started collecting anime figures. It all started with one humble prize figure of Saber Lily which was bought on a whim. Now, I face the big problem of how to deal with over 200 empty boxes.
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