I added a tiny tidbit starting this roundup to answer the question “Should I preorder this?”.
And again, if you found the information here helpful, I would really appreciate it if you can use my affiliate links when preordering your figures.
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun T – Shokuhou Misaki – 1/7 (Kotobukiya)
I like the Railgun series but I’m not exactly a diehard fan. This figure of Shokuhou Misaki looks really nice. I have to say it’s one of her better-looking figures. Not to mention, if you preorder Misaka, their bases can be combined. Did I mention that the price is also a steal?
If you missed Misaka, don’t worry too much. She probably won’t become too pricey in the after-market. Knowing Kotobukiya, she’ll probably get a rerelease sooner rather than later.
Should you preorder this? If you like her, go for it.
Evangelion Shin Gekijouban – Ayanami Rei – B-style – 1/4 (FREEing)
I’m not sure how I feel about this Rei figure. On one end, I think it looks great. All the details are nicely done. The suit is very detailed. The sullen expression is very Rei-like. And then I realize this is a 1/4 scale and it would have been nicer if that size was complemented with a little more flair. Right now, this is a design you’d normally see from a prize figure. Not the quality. Just the design is too simple for a 1/4 scale. I know FREEing doesn’t usually add accessories to the B-style line so that’s just a shame.
Should you preorder this? I don’t think it’s bad so it should be good.
Sword Art Online – Sachi – 1/7 (Alice Glint)
Color me surprised. Who would’ve thought that the girl who first appeared and was also offed on the same episode would get a figure? And the Christmas theme is a fitting one, especially with the reindeer ears on the snowman. She isn’t a very popular character but the feels weren’t in short supply during her appearance. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to preorder this one for that reason alone. She is a bit pricier than I would have expected though.
Should you preorder this? I leave it up to you.
Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny – Meer Campbell – B-style – 1/4 – Bunny Ver. (FREEing, MegaHouse)
She is $100 more expensive than the Lacus Clyne Bunny Ver. which is all sorts of ridiculous. Still looks nice though.
Should you preorder this? It is overpriced so if you’re okay with that, then go ahead.
Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki desu ka? – Oosuki Mamako – B-style – 1/4 – Bunny Ver. (FREEing)
Rather than the overpriced bunny above, you’ll be better with the bare-leg bunny figure of Mamako. Overall, she looks better and is much cheaper too. Not to mention, this is one of those bare-leg bunny figures that look better than the original version.
Should you preorder this? If you like her, go for it.
Ane Naru Mono – Chiyo – B-style – 1/4 – Bare Leg Bunny Ver. (FREEing)
If you preordered Oka-chan above, might as well order Chiyo Onee-chan. I’ve only read a few chapters of the manga but I guess it gets very raunchy.
Should you preorder this? Go for it.
Girls Frontline – StG-940 (Union Creative International Ltd)
No. Just no. Preordering anything made by Union CSreative is just like overpaying for a prize figure. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. There are just too many good figures coming out so you shouldn’t waste your money on garbage companies, especially at this price point.
Should you preorder this? I wouldn’t recommend it. There are many better GFL figures.
Persona 5 The Royal – Morgana – Okumura Haru – Lucrea – Noir (MegaHouse)
This is a great figure if you are a Persona fan. Add the fact that you can display her with or without her mask — like most other Persona 5 figures. There are however two issues to note here. The first one is that she seems rather small. The height of this figure is only 24.5cm and considering that feather on her hat and a bit of elevation on the base, this might be closer to a 1/8 scale rather than a 1/7 scale. The second issue is the price. A price tag of over ¥24k might be a little hard to swallow. It just boils down to whether you like her enough.
Should you preorder this? Yes, if you’re a big Persona fan and think the price is justified.
Isekai Ojisan – Elf – F:Nex – 1/7 – Dress ver. (FuRyu)
I don’t know about you but I’m not a big fan of buying figures of characters I have no attachment with. Heck, she doesn’t even have a name. To add to that, FuRyu has been earning the ire of many collectors lately because of price gouging. Sure, the Yen is in a tough spot and inflation is bad everywhere, but that is not reason enough to add $100 to the price of their preorders. There is no way a figure that looks as bland as this should cost anything above ¥20k. Heck, I don’t think this is even worth ¥16k but FuRyu had the gall to charge over ¥27k for this.
Should you preorder this? Hell, no.
Gotoubun no Hanayome ∬ – Nakano Itsuki – 1/6 – Date Style Ver. (Good Smile Company)
A few weeks ago, there was a lot of kerfuffle about FuRyu gouging the prices of their Shiromuku version figures of the quintuplets, in particular for Ichika and Itsuki. It was such a big deal because people had already preordered the first three figures and FuRyu suddenly adds $100 to the price of the remaining two. So people who wanted to complete the set suddenly had to shell out an extra $200. As a result, many collectors dropped their preorders of these figures.
The backlash was so bad FuRyu had to issue a statement about it. What do they blame? Increase in the cost of raw materials, supply chain, and lack of personnel due to the COVID-19 situation in China. This reasoning doesn’t really hold much weight when you can see other companies dishing out better quality figures at half the price of FuRyu’s offerings.
Take this Date Style figure for example. This is the last one of the set and each one only costs roughly ¥15k. Essentially, these are also better quality, has more details, and is of a bigger scale. I personally preordered all five of them. The preorder links for Itsuki are below. I have also included links for the rest of the girls.
Should you preorder this? Hell yeah! Get the entire set while you’re at it.
For the rest of the girls, check these links.
Gotoubun no Hanayome ∬ – Nakano Itsuki – 1/7 – Wedding Ver. (Amakuni, AmiAmi)
More Ituski. This time a Wedding version figure. I am not thrilled with the price, especially in comparison with the Date Style figure above. Give your wallet a break. Just get the Date Style version figures and skip this.
Should you preorder this? Amakuni does great quality but this is overpriced. If you really need to have it though, the preorder links are below.
Gotoubun no Hanayome ∬ – Nakano Itsuki – 1/7 – Fallen Angel ver. (Alice Glint, Proof)
Not a fan of this Fallen Angel version figures of the quintuplets. Apart from being pricey, I can’t really imagine the girls wearing the fantasy-esque costumes apart from Ichika (being an actress). To be fair, the figures do look good so I guess it just boils down to your personal preferences.
For this particular figure, I think it would look better if they removed the star hairclips. It doesn’t really go with the theme. I do know they intentionally left the hair clips since the other girls also kept their identifying hair adornments. Because how else would Futarou tell them apart? Still, it doesn’t work for Ichika.
Just a reminder though. Proof has not yet released any figures and they are dishing out a lot of preorders with short release dates. So it is likely that releases will be delayed or you’ll receive a low-quality rushed product.
Should you preorder this? If you like it and you think the price is fair, then go for it. Just consider that Proof is a new company.
Gotoubun no Hanayome ∬ – Nakano Yotsuba – 1/7 – Fallen Angel ver. (Alice Glint, Proof)
Of course, Yotsuba also has her hair ribbon. And unlike Itsuki’s hair clips, this works just fine. It’s also great that Yotsuba retains her usual jolly expression.
Then again, preordering this is still a gamble as I have mentioned above. Proof is putting out so many preorders in a short amount of time. I highly doubt a new company can keep up and release all these on time. These would either be delayed or finished in a rush thereby sacrificing quality.
Should you preorder this? Up to you. Proof is a new company so good quality is not guaranteed.
Senren Banka – Tomotake Yoshino – 1/7 (Alice Glint)
Alice Glint is producing a lot of figures but only a few have been released thus far and quality complaints are surafcing so that put a damper on my excitement for this figure. But then I find out it’s a cast-off. There are hardly any images showing the cast-off though.
Should you preorder this? It’s not likely any other manufacturer will make figures for Senren Banka so if you like the series that much, this is your only choice. Just manage your expectations.
Blue Archive – Shizuyama Mashiro – 1/7 (Ques Q)
Ques Q’s pricing was always on the steep end compared to other companies in the GSC umbrella. They are probably on the same spectrum as FREEing. So it doesn’t come as a surprise if Ques Q’s new products breach the ¥25k mark. This at least manages to be just around ¥24k. I don’t play Blue Archive so I’m not really troubled with this particular figure. But if you are, Ques Q really does excellent quality so it all boils down to whether you think the price is reasonable.
Should you preorder this? If you think the price is reasonable, go for it. Ques Q does excellent quality.
GOOD SMILE Racing – Hatsune Miku – 1/7 – Racing 2022 Ver. (GOOD SMILE Racing)
This comes with a steep price tag but if you are a big Miku collector and you just have to have this at all costs, then go ahead. The preorder links are below. Otherwise, you can check the after-marker for better deals on Hatsune Miku figures.
Should you preorder this? If you must have her at all costs, then get her.
No Game No Life – Shiro – 1/7 – Onsen Ver. (Phat Company)
No. Just no. Part of the reason why I haven’t taken a liking to No Game No Life is the overt sexualization of young girls. I’m okay with lolis having sexy yet tasteful figures. But this. This is lewd and it’s not something I am comfortable with.
Should you preorder this? If you’re a degenerate and proud.
High School DxD Hero – Rias Gremory – KDcolle – 1/7 – Pure White Bikini ver. (Kadokawa)
I am still in the market for a figure of Rias but this one doesn’t really cut it. First, it is wildly overpriced. The face is not the best compared to the Rias figures of old. The overall design of the figure doesn’t look good. It looks like a wedding theme (with a bouquet and all) but it is a swimsuit yet also a kimono. They tried to check so many boxes it ended up a bad mishmash.
Also, from last month’s preorder roundup, I was all over Kadokawa’s price gouging and it looks like they plan to continue the pricing trend.
Should you preorder this? I do not recommend it.
Mushoku Tensei ~Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu~ – Roxy Migurdia – 1/6 – Water Splash Ver. (Sol International)
I think Sol International used to be good. I have some of their figures. But for some reason, their recent offerings have all been busts. This is easily one of the worst figures of Roxy. Literally, any other figure of Roxy is better than this.
Should you preorder this? Nope. Just check out other figures of Roxy that you can still preorder.
THE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls – Miyamoto Frederica – 1/7 – Soleil et Lune ver. (Sol International)
Can I take back what I just said about Sol International? Because this one looks nice and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to preorder it. However, it might be a good idea to wait it out since most idol figures tank in the aftermarket.
Should you preorder this? Sure but it might be a better idea to wait for the aftermarket price.
Girls Frontline – NTW-20 – 1/6 – Aristocrat Experience Service (Good Smile Company, Pony Canyon)
I’m thinking really hard to try to make a case for the pricing on this one but I give up. Over ¥30k is just too much. That is, of course, coming from someone that does not play GFL so take this advice with a grain of salt.
Should you preorder this? Cute but not cute enough for ¥30k+.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby – Gold Ship – F:Nex – 1/7 (FuRyu)
More overpriced bullcrap from FuRyu. I’ll leave it at that.
Should you preorder this? Only if your father is named Jeff Bezos.
Original Character – Miyan – 1/6 (Neonmax)
Neonmax, as of this writing, has no figures released yet. So while this looks good, it will be difficult to ascertain the quality. The prototype looks great and the price seems like a fair deal considering the accessories you are getting. It’s just the uncertainty factor that’s such a bummer.
Should you preorder this? Quality is a mystery so it’s up to your own discretion.
To LOVEru Darkness – Kotegawa Yui – Nurse (Union Creative International Ltd)
This would have been good if it was done by any other company but I do not trust Union Creative. You can already tell from the pictures that it will just be another prize figure finish. It would have at least been worth considering if it was cheaper.
Should you preorder this? Only if you’re okay with overpaying for prize figure quality.
Persona 5: Dancing Star Night – Takamaki Anne – 1/6 – Corset Dress ver. (Phalaeno)
Anne looks gorgeous as usual. The dress is a bright red color just like her costume. She dons bright red lipstick. I am personally not a fan of the pose but some people like it. Phalaeno, however, is a new company that is a branch of Orchid Seed. If it’s anything like Orchid Seed, then the quality should be okay.
Should you preorder this? If you are a Persona 5 fan, yes.
Fate/Grand Order – Scáthach-Skadi – 1/7 – Caster, Third Ascension Ver. (Good Smile Company)
She looks great but the price is a little on the high end. Would have been perfect if she was priced a bit cheaper. Notably, Phat Company also has a Scathach-Skadi figure that was a tad cheaper when it went up for preorder but this one still looks better. Ques Q also has her second ascension figure.
Should you preorder this? Good quality figure here so, go for it if you think the price is right.
Gekijouban Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: Guren no Kizuna Hen – Rimuru Tempest – Ultima – 1/7 (Bandai Namco Arts, With Fans!)
She’s a new character that appeared in the movie that was only shown last month so unless you read the light novel, don’t be surprised if you don’t know her. Should you worry about pre-ordering her? Right now, there doesn’t appear to be much hype regarding the figure especially since she has not yet appeared in the anime, but if she turns out to be quite popular with the global audience, we might see the price for this one skyrocket. I still wouldn’t worry about it though. It’s a simple figure. The design is not really exceptional and you never know, a new company might pick her up and make a new figure at any time.
With Fans, the manufacturer has been around for a few years and the quality appears to be okay. At least, I haven’t seen any complaints about their quality.
Should you preorder this? If you read the light novels, are already familiar with the character, and you are sure you want her, then go for it. Otherwise, wait it out.
Atelier Ryza 3 ~Owari no Renkinjutsushi to Himitsu no Kagi~ – Reisalin Stout – 1/7 (Wonderful Works)
Personally, I’m not a fan of the Atelier Ryza 3 outfit. I prefer the simpler outfit from the first game. But if you like this better, to each his own. Wonderful Works does great quality so you’re almost guaranteed to get a good figure. The price seems fair given the level of detail you’re getting. Or you can also check out the bunch of other Ryza figures that are still available.
Should you preorder this? There are many figures of Ryza to choose from. If you like this enough, then go for it.
Azur Lane – Pola – 1/7 – Seaside Coincidence Ver. (Alter)
I own the skin in-game but this is even better. It’s not PNG. It’s made by Alter and it’s really great that it is priced very reasonably. My only complaint is that it’s weird to be wearing stockings to the beach. If that doesn’t bother you, go ahead and preorder.
Should you preorder this? Pretty cheap for an Alter figure. Go preorder.
Azur Lane – Atago – 1/7 – Midsummer March Ver. (Alter)
Two years later, Atago and Takao get a rerelease. If you missed them, the first time, here’s your chance to preorder.
Should you preorder this? Yes, preferably with Takao.
Azur Lane – Takao – 1/7 – Sand Beach Rhapsody Ver. (Alter)
Atago is definitely the more popular Onee-chan but Takao ain’t so bad. Better get them both.
Should you preorder this? Yes. Or you can just get their racing figures if that’s what you prefer.
Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? – Ariel – 1/7 (Amakuni, Hobby Japan)
I didn’t think I’d like this as much as I do now. The figure looks really great. The only problem is the price really. I get that Amakuni does great quality but ¥25k just seems a little too much.
Should you preorder this? Quality should be great but the price is steep. Get her if you can justify the price.
Overlord – Albedo – 1/7 – Ending Ver. (Spiritale, Wing)
I think this is an awesome figure. When I first saw it though, I wasn’t quite as thrilled since Albedo is lying down so I was thinking displaying her could be problematic. After seeing that she can be displayed upright as pictured below, I’d say this is worth it despite the high price tag. She almost looks like a 3D picture frame. You can place her on a tabletop with no other figures in sight and she wouldn’t feel out of place. Also, Spiritale should be good quality.
Should you preorder this? Definitely.
Edens Zero – Homura Kougetsu – B-style – 1/4 – Bunny Ver. (FREEing)
I think at this point, people are just glad she is not priced over ¥40k. Right now, I’m also glad I don’t watch follow Eden’s Zero or Fairy Tail. Lest I could find myself preordering this. It just looks that good. Her face looks great and red bunny suits are really just special.
Should you preorder this? I don’t see why not.
Girls Frontline – WA2000 – 1/7 (Ques Q)
That pout is just too cute you might just tell yourself you’ve gotta have her. What’s not cute? The price. It’s a good-looking figure no doubt but is it ¥25k good? If this was priced ¥10k lower, that would have been an ideal price point.
Should you preorder this? Not at this price point. Don’t enable predatory pricing models.
Touhou Project – Izayoi Sakuya – 1/7 (Emontoys)
Priced at almost ¥40k, it’s quite difficult to justify this preorder unless you’re a really big Touhou Project fan. Are all those bells and whistles worth the price hike? On top of that, Emontoys is really just an above-mediocre manufacturer.
Should you preorder this? Probably not. I wouldn’t.
Touhou Project – Komeiji Koishi – B-style – 1/4 (FREEing)
Collectors are already up in arms with ¥40k+ 1/4 scale and FREEing just decides to up the ante by offering a ¥50k preorder. Heck, at that price point, you’d expect to get a perfect figure but many collectors have chimed in that she doesn’t even look like the character.
Should you preorder this? Hell no.
Girls Frontline – Howa Type 89 – B-style – 1/4 – Reindeer Manifesto (FREEing)
The people at FREEing must be off their rockers if they’re thinking people are just going to eat up all this shit. If you think ¥50k for a 1/4 scale is ludicrous, prepare to be in awe as this one is priced over ¥60k. Granted, it has a bit more detail than your regular 1/4 scale from FREEing, but no. That doesn’t make it any less ludicrous
Should you preorder this? Hell effin no. Rather, you should send FREEing a sternly worded email that this pricing scheme will not fly.
No preorder links for this one. You can instead send them an email at [email protected].
To LOVEru Darkness – Sephie Michaela Deviluke – 1/6 – Darkness ver. (Union Creative International Ltd)
The Darkness line of To LOVERu figures from Union Creative is getting out of control. There are just too many of them now so if you are just starting to collect this line, you’re going to have to play catch-up and hunt for a lot of the previous releases. Other companies have very limited choices when it comes to the To LOVEru girls and it seems only Union Creative has committed to creating a figure for everyone.
Now, I normally wouldn’t recommend Union Creative because of how they dropped the ball on their Hanekawa figure. Many other users have been complaining about their other releases. I have a few figures of their Darkness line but I have since stopped buying them. Of the ones I’ve unboxed, the quality is decent a least.
On another note, this is Deviluke mama’s first figure and perhaps the only figure she’ll be getting.
Should you preorder this? If you want to get a figure of all the To LOVEru girls, then yes. If you want superior quality, look elsewhere.
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu – Rem – 1/7 (Wing)
Another one for the Rem cultists. She looks great but the price tag is ridiculous. A few years ago, a figure looking like this would be priced around ¥10k to ¥12k. Nowadays, up to ¥16k would have been reasonable. But this being priced at ¥26k is daylight robbery. Don’t enable this kind of pricing by preordering. There are a bunch of better (and cheaper) Rem figures that you can get in the after-market.
Should you preorder this? This is extremely overpriced so just go look for cheaper and better Rem figures in the aftermarket.
Shin Evangelion Gekijouban:|| – Ayanami Rei – Makinami Mari Illustrious – Souryuu Asuka Langley – KDcolle – 1/8 – Newtype Cover ver. (Good Smile Company, Kadokawa, Our Treasure)
The price will set you back ¥35k to ¥45k (depending on which version you preorder). The regular version is fine because you are actually getting 3 figures for the price of two. The special set version comes with a special acrylic pedestal. Is it worth getting the special set? It’s a full ¥10k to upgrade so probably not. I’d rather get myself 2 extra Nendoroids for that price.
One thing to note here though is that it is only a 1/8 scale. So if you’re used to the more common 1/7 scales, they might be a tad tiny.
Should you preorder this? The regular version, yes. For the special set, only if you can justify the extra expense.
Original Character – MX-chan – 1/7 (Max Factory)
I’m just perplexed why a company would limit the places where this is sold by making it a limited release. When it comes to original characters, I’m thinking a company would want its products to be sold in as many storefronts as possible to maximize revenue. You’re already trying to market a character unbeknownst to many but then you kick yourself in the shin by limiting your own sales. But I guess being able to gouge prices by creating artificial scarcity is more profitable than putting your products in more storefronts.
I know the artist for this one is the same artist that created Reisalin Stout but not many people know that. Besides, even knowing that fact doesn’t convince me to preorder this. I don’t have ¥28K+ just lying around that I can willy-nilly throw at any figure that looks somewhat good.
As for the figure, she looks great. She’s plenty thicc. There are a lot of details here and Max Factory does superb quality figures though the price is also at a premium.
Should you preorder this? If you like her enough and can justify the price.
Original Character – Elf’s Ballet – Regular/DX ver. – 1/7 (Partylook)
Partylook is still an unknown manufacturer. They opened quite a few figure preorders but as far as I know, none has been released yet. It doesn’t help that the company is not listed in MFC so tracking the quality is difficult. This particular figure comes in a regular and a deluxe version. The difference is that the deluxe version comes with the water effect on the base for a few thousand yen extra. Also, the top is cast-off for both versions.
The steep price tag and the unknown quality make this a dark horse of a figure.
Should you preorder this? The figure looks good but the quality is unknown so just trust your gut.
Juusan Kihei Boueiken – Fuyusaka Iori – 1/7 (Alter)
She is a character from the 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim game on the PS4 and Switch. Seemed like an interesting game. I’ve seen many good reviews. But unfortunately, I am limited to PC and mobile gaming. Buying a console is not even up for consideration at this point in my life.
As for the figure, she looks good but the price is leaning toward the steep end. With Alter making it however, you’re guaranteed to get a high-quality figure. It is also still cheaper than most other figures released recently.
Should you preorder this? If you are a fan of the game, then yes.
Bunny Suit Planning – Sophia F. Shirring (Eldora Model)
Mech Bunny Girls are a thing now. So far, I think the prototype looks great. She looks like a high-quality figure. I do hope we get the same level of quality for the actual product. Now I’m saying this because this is Eldora Model’s first shot at creating an actual painted figure as they are a circle that mostly dabbled in creating garage kits. They are good at what they do but garage kits are usually a level below the quality of actual scale figures. I’m all for supporting circles that want to make it big but at the same time, it is important to keep my readers informed of possible quality issues.
Should you preorder this? There’s a good chance the quality of the end product might not be that great, so preorder at your own risk.
Original Character – Viola – 1/7 (Myethos)
When I first saw this figure, what came to mind was this looks like something made by the illustrator of BEATLESS as she has some semblance to Kouka. After a bit of digging, I have confirmed that is indeed done by the same artist: redjuice. If you like the artist’s work with BEATLESS then this is a good figure to have. Myethos is a very good manufacturer though their figures are usually priced lower than this. Still, this seems like a fair deal considering the level of detail on this figure.
Should you preorder this? If you like the art style, then go for it. Myethos is good.
B＆W・W-kn[G] – 1/7 (Ribose)
Have no idea who this is or what the source is but that is one wild pose. The price is steep and on top of that, Ribose isn’t really known for high-quality figures. I guess you can consider them mediocre. Unless something really resonates in you with this figure, I would say just find something else worth your money.
Should you preorder this? Only if you really like it.
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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