I went on a Witchblade figure preordering binge a couple of months ago that in retrospect was perhaps unwarranted, though with each subsequent review I find myself oddly satisfied – as long as the sculptors keep showing their love for Uno Makoto’s superlative designs I’ll be happy to support them. Today’s entry was the biggest preorder risk yet, an expensive 1/6 scale Kotobukiya offering from a sculptor known previously for his work on monsters, not bishoujo figures. How does Masane fare in this first treatment of her “powered up” version? Pretty damn well, I think, but you be the judge…

Original Design: Uno Makoto
Sculptor: Busujimax (blog)
Source: Witchblade (anime)
Scale: 1/6 (28 cm tall)
Materials: PVC, ABS
Release Date: May 15th, 2007
Production: Kotobukiya
Price: 9,240 JPY (tax included)
Current Availability: [KNC] [HLJ] [HS]

Masane is the heroine of 2006’s Witchblade anime, an original Gonzo production based on the Top Cow American comic franchise by the same name. Her appeal as a subject for figures is due in large part to her sensuous Uno Makoto designs, fidelity to which is likely to be the deciding factor in their appraisal.

This figure is based on Masane’s powered-up Witchblade incarnation that appears toward the end of the series. Original design below:

The Good

• If there were ever an instance when bishoujo sculpting duty should be handed from the usual suspects to a producer of spiky musclebound mutants, this is certainly it. Masane in her final Witchblade incarnation is wild, feral, and only partially human, with a barely-contained physicality that sculptor Busujimax captures admirably. My biggest worry with this kit was that the feral aspect would extend to an unattractive face sculpt, but my fears were unfounded.

• The kit benefits greatly from its larger scale, further bringing out the sense of massive raw physical presence and creating effortless, swooping contours difficult if not impossible to achieve at smaller scales. Unlike some other character designs this powered up Masane is detailed enough to show exponential improvement from an enlarged 3D canvas, especially when the sculptor knows what to do with the extra real estate.

The Adequate

• While the physical sculpt scales well with increased size, the paint job does not – someone needs to tell Kotobukiya that larger does not equal less precise when it comes to detailed trim. Earlier kits from Orchid Seed and Toranoana managed this at smaller sizes, and it should’ve been even easier in this case. That said, the shading here is really nice – definitely the paint job’s saving grace.

The Ugly

• The sight of powered up Masane at real 1/6 scale ripping the face off her anemic Orchid Seed counterpart. As the comparison shots show, someone is guilty of a bit of false advertising…

Overall Score: 9/10

If you can stomach the high price (or find her elsewhere for cheaper, as it seems Kotobukiya is doing direct sales in the US now) and can overlook a bit of paint bleeding around the edges of the trim, this is a kit I would recommend very highly to fans of Witchblade, Uno Makoto, and kick-ass sensuous heroines in general (if you call her a “bishoujo” you can probably expect more face-ripping). Definitely a stand-out kit in more ways than one; I’m looking forward to see whether Alter’s upcoming offering will be able to match her.