All the excitement from Smile Fest 2024 has abated. Now everyone is looking forward to Wonder Festival Summer 2024, which is just around the corner. But before that, I’d like to talk about my takeaways from Smile Fest 2024.
For those interested, you can still view the Smile Fest Web gallery here.
Overall Observations
I’m glad there are more scale figures as the previous offering from Good Smile Company mostly came in the form of Pop-Up Parades. I know they’re cheap but they’re not really up my alley as someone who’s been shifting to preordering only the best of the best. Nendoroids are still plenty while Figmas are becoming a thing of the past.
2B is Everywhere
There are too many figures of NieR: Automata’s 2B and this is just from the GSC umbrella of companies. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see 5 more companies doing figures of 2B come WonFes. Collectors must really love android booties.
If you’ve already got a 2B scale figure, it’s safe to stop there. Personally, I got Flare’s 2B scale figure and I’m waiting for the release of Aniplex’s 2B scale figure – mainly because the latter has a more dynamic pose. These new ones don’t really offer anything unique. They should start making 2B figures in various costumes if these companies want to keep cashing in. I would not be surprised if 2B figures start going in the bargain bin.
This is the new 2B scale figure from Max Factory which kind of embodies the 2Booty meme. If you don’t have a 2B scale figure yet, I recommend getting this one.
This one is from Good Smile Company. I personally like her face in this one. If you already have a good 2B scale, this isn’t really a major upgrade though.
This one Good Smile Arts Shanghai has a more elegant pose. It’s still unpainted but we know it’s still the same old 2B costume.
We’re Getting a Promising A2 Figure
When Flare announced it’s A2 figure, I was disappointed. The face looked nothing like A2. It was an easy skip.
Good Smile Company comes to the rescue with their own A2 scale figure. The pose could be better. A more dynamic pose would have been nice but at least her face looks right. I’m not saying anything definitive but this could be a contender for entering the preorder list unless WonFes shows us a better A2 scale.
Atelier Ryza is Still Hype
I think I said the same thing last WonFes. But this time around, it’s not just Ryza getting the figures. Prior to this, 90% of Atelier Ryza figures were of Ryza.
I already have two Ryza scales. Do I really need another one? That all depends if this looks good painted. Most likely, I’ll get her if just to complete this set with Klaudia and Lila.
Forget about Lila’s swimsuit figure by Wonderful Works. This one is the bomb. It has yet to be painted and I already know it will be good. I’m just worried that Solarain’s prices are always on the extreme end.
Can’t they just give Klaudia a proper two-piece swimsuit? Why does it seem like Atlus is always censoring Klaudia. I’m still pissed they censored her Negligee Ver. figure with Ryza. Who the heck hides cleavage on an anime figure? They didn’t even do the censoring properly. And why is it fine for Ryza to show cleavage but not Klaudia?
Also, Lila gets a standalone figure from Max Factory. This is leagues better than her Alter figure so I’m excited to see the painted prototype. It’d be great if they made a special base that connects this with Max Factory’s Ryza figure.
A Few Azur Lane Scale Figures
Honestly, as an Azur Lane fan, I expected more Azur Lane figures. At least wallet-kun can take a breather. There’s still WonFes at the end of the month so we’re not yet in the clear.
As a Cheshire enjoyer, I’m really excited about this one. I hope we see the painted version soon. Depending on the price, however, I might defer to getting this in the aftermarket since most Azur Lane figures have been binning lately. That’s good news for me.
I’m not a fan of this figure but Owari has been surprisingly popular among the Azur Lane fanbase so I wouldn’t be surprised if she sells well.
You know the saying “less is more”? This is that. This looks better than the version above. Probably cheaper too.
The Maomao Figure That I’ve Been Waiting For
I enjoyed the Apothecary Diaries more than I thought I would. I was somehow worried that it will have shoujo anime themes. Well, it somehow does but it’s funny how Maomao is indifferent to it.
We just recently saw the first scale figure of Maomao go for preorder last week. And we already have a new one. Granted, it has been a while since this has been announced but I’m just glad to see a painted prototype. I hope the price is not a wallet-killer
Cutie Tanuki
I noticed collectors really love Raphtalia in kid form. B’Full, despite being a crappy manufacturer, made a real killing when they released the first Raphtalia figure in kid form. And now, we have something new to look forward to and it’s not from a crappy manufacturer.
More Cat Girls Incoming
It’s Chocola and Vanilla again. They always come together and this set is celebrating the series’ 10th anniversary. Will it be better than their previous figures? Maybe not but I’m sure it’ll be good and it’s something to look forward to.
When Nekoyome released their Race Queen figures of Azuki and Coconut, I thought the line had been abandoned as we have not heard anything in a long while. Lo and behold! We are now getting Cinnamon Race Queen!
If Cinnamon is around, Maple is definitely not far behind.
Completing the set of 6, assuming Chocola and Vanilla are also coming soon, will put a real dent on the wallet though.
Oshi no Ko Date Style Versions
It’s definitely a surprise that Akane gets her prototype first when we also confirmed that Ruby and Kana are also getting their own Date Style figures. I’m hoping they’ll be in 1/6 scale to match the Quintuplets Date Style figures.
It’d be cool if they also made one for Ai though.
Nikke Madness
I don’t play Nikke and since I’m seeing a lot of their figures, I can’t say I’m not tempted. If you like sexy anime figures, Nikke should definitely be on your radar.
Still a Fan of Princess Connect
Every time WonFes season comes around, I am always waiting for news on any new Princess Connect figures. It has been a while since Crunchyroll shafted the players of Princess Connect Re:Dive Global server when they ended service for the game out of the blue. To note, the Japanese server is still alive to date. I vowed to never play any Crunchyroll game since but I will gladly support CyGames, the Japanese publisher.
I was waiting for Summer Saren and Summer Pecorine but getting a Yui figure is still a win in my books.
Rikka “Thighs” Takarada
Still the reigning queen of thighs in my book, we see 2 new figures of Rikka.
This one is based on her skin in GRIDMAN DYNAZENON x Azur Lane collab event. And she’s already on preorder.
This one is okay but it’s clear the one above is leagues better. Just get that one. If you prefer this one, well… To each his own.
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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