The cause of preorder frenzy and subsequent despair for those unable to hit the refresh button in the five seconds they were available, the first entry in the much-hyped Shuraki line finally hit store shelves (albeit very briefly) last week. I was able to snag a copy, and I have to say the franchise’s first multimedia figure offering is a very nice item indeed. She’s not without a couple of flaws however, which we’ll address in the review below:
Original Design: Igarashi Aki (五ååµæ˜Žå§«)
Sculptor: zenko (Ionsen)
Source: Shuraki (multimedia figure series)
Scale: 1/8 (23 cm with weapons, 17 cm standalone)
Materials: PVC, ABS
Extras: Illustration Book, Drama CDs (2)
Release Date: September 27th, 2007 (January 2008 reissue scheduled)
Production: Goodsmile, Red Entertainment
Price: 4,800 JPY (tax included)
Current Availability: [KNC] [HLJ] [HS] [TL]
Support HD!: [YA]
Translated from the Shuraki vol. 1 drama CD description page:
Shuraki Drama CD Volume I: The Fallen Star
The stage is modern Japan.
Mishiro Akatsuki is a high school student living in the seaside town of Kabazakura-shi. She leads a peaceful life surrounded by her childhood friend Moriya Mahoru, a large group of friends, and her kind mother Mishiro Hiyori.
Suddenly however, that tranquility is shattered. Calling herself “Shura-Hime”, a foreign girl attacks Akatsuki. The gears of fate creak to life.
The curtain silently rises on a struggle wrapped in an ancient curse, a conflict known as “Enmai”…
Now you know about as much as I do about the character of Mishiro Akatsuki, which is to say – essentially nothing (aside from that she’s voiced by Koshimizu Ami). I started listening to the drama CD this evening but I think I’d have to listen to the whole thing to make head or tail of it, and at 92 minutes spanning two discs I’m not sure when that’s going to happen.
That, however, is a good thing – as I start the review I need to stress that this package, the Shuraki 1 trinity box, is an insanely amazing deal. 4,800 yen retail (cheaper in many places) for a 92 minute drama CD, a Goodsmile quality figure with two sets of clothing, and a mini-artbook? Madness! And indeed it is too good to be true; subsequent installments raise the price to 6,800 yen, still a good deal, but less mind-blowingly suspicious. I’m guessing the low price on this one is meant as a gateway drug to get us hooked for the later installments.
This would be a great tactic, if the market were allowed to act and actually let us buy the damn things – they could’ve priced this first box at the full 6,800 yen or even higher and it would’ve sold out in an instant regardless, leaving just as many pained and angry fans (both of the figure and the excellent drama cast) left out in the cold. Shame on you Goodsmile, shame on you for limiting this release so severely, and I’d keep ranting here if it weren’t for the fact that a second run was just announced for January. Whew.
So, on to the figure itself: setting the original design aside (wincing at the wacky head-top braids in the process) this is a very solid sculpt with some great lines, from a reputable sculptor who definitely knows his stuff. No complaints there. The pose is dynamic, the facial expression charged with emotion, the blood on the snow at her feet is frikkin’ badass – yeah, this is a cool figure.
Production quality is typical Goodsmile fare, for the most part incredibly solid. Lots of great shading, the detail work and trim are spot on, and the castoff procedure is not too painful (though pulling one of her arms out of the sleeve to remove her shirt initially was an unpleasant tug of war).
The kit’s primary weaknesses are revealed following the full castoff procedure, where we see the ill-fitting seam on her right shoulder that extends around the edge of her right breast. In addition, the castoff wasn’t quite as clean as it could have been; removal found mysterious smudges on her skin (stomach and back) that weren’t easily explained by the clothing that had covered them.
Overall this is a kit that I would recommend to anyone without any hesitation whatsoever. Even if you abhor drama CDs and find mini-artbooks to be vile creations of Beelzebub the kit stands on its own merits at the price, and for those who like some sweet extras the package is even more worth picking up.
Overall Score: package: 10/10 figure alone: 8.5/10
+ insane value for the money
+ great dynamic sculpt
+ typically high Goodsmile production value
+ drama CD features the best in the business
– seriously, what’s up with the helicopter hair?
– seam on the right shoulder / chest, smudges on skin
– Goodsmile’s boneheaded inability to meet demand
If you’d like to support HD Yes Asia has her right now (January reissue preorder), though I can’t recommend their grossly inflated prices; this reissue is being circulated to stores beyond those listed on the Shuraki website as official dealers, so purchasing options should widen considerably. Good luck to all hoping to snag her this time around!
Good review, thank you ! I’m waiting for mine :D
I’m really hoping that the rest of them get reissued too, I really wanted the second one but missed out, and all three look pretty good.
From the preview pictures, this one was the one I liked least among the first three. Can’t say that’s changed. By the way, I can’t seem to find the creases and smudges you wrote about. Which pictures are they visible in? I’ve been hearing some comments recently about smudges and discolouration underneath castoffables and sinking quality of figures in general. e.g. Queen’s Blade Tomoe, Yamashita Shunya’s Nonnon, among others.
Well, I’d say that GSC pushed back the schedule for the 4th and 5th figures to accommodate the reissue(s?). For all we know, the initially limited offering might have just been a marketing stunt to get people riled up and rushing to preorder. They’ll probably reissue the 2nd and 3rd ones as well, methinks. Wonder if the drama cds are meant to be listened to in order.
I hope my retailer will receive her promptly in January (damn import lag)… I’m really looking forward to bring her home!
…And I like the helicopter tails…
AHHHHHHHHH. Castoff is such a double edged sword. Who is the character designer for this series? It’s extremely pretty.
This is a nice enough figure but it was the second and third ones that I was really drooling over…
Haha that helicopter hair is friken awesome
Sorry for the doublepost but is yours a 2nd wave version? or a first wave version?
Because hopefully, if yours is second wave and that nasty seam on the back shoulder is on it…my preordered first wave might not be the same.
>>SbebiWan
My pleasure! I hope yours gets to you soon.
>>NegativeZero
Given that this one is being reissued I’m almost positive the others will be too. I can’t think of a good reason why they wouldn’t.
>>DJnerate
Given that the cast carries over between discs (and includes characters that haven’t been released yet), I think the CDs are meant to be listened to serially (makes sense from the perspective of getting people hooked on the series, too).
Regarding the seam and the smudges, the text describing them is linked to corresponding pictures; if you look at those hopefully you’ll see what I’m talking about (though the smudges are rather faint).
>>Lord Gara
The helicopter tails will be a point of contention, I think. I’m not a huge fan of Kuradoberi Jam’s headgear either, so I guess it’s just me…
>>tj han
The series has different designers for each character, but this first one was designed by Igarashi Aki (a Red Entertainment employee, seemingly, with no personal site).
>>Karura
Agreed, I’m looking forward to the second and third installments a bit more than this one (If only for the lack of helicopter hair). Still, I think it’s a great figure.
>>MD
The second wave doesn’t come out until January of next year. Hopefully your copy won’t have the same issues mine does, but odds are good they were both produced around the same time.
merci beaucoup pour le great review…however the helicopter hair is badass, i dig it. can’t believe you put that as a con- is this what’s staving you off from giving it a solid 9?
btw who is that character with the checkered top hat? she’s cute, GS should consider making her into a figure…
>>otokoppoi
I suppose it’s a variety of purely aesthetic taste issues that keep her from hitting a 9 in my estimation; I can easily see why someone else might rate her higher.
I believe the character with the top hat is tentatively scheduled to be the sixth character in the Shuraki line. I’m not exactly sure why I think this (I have a nagging feeling I saw her elsewhere recently), but the odds are good we’ll see a figure of her eventually.
Mine’s here, in town, on some delivery truck. I’m getting impatient ^^;
Great review Shingo, just one question : are those oppai pliable?
>>Y
That would be a pretty major development if they were, but nope, they’re quite firm (in the standard PVC way).
As always, love your review! Great pictures as well.
I just picked mine up from the post office yesterday and I must say for the price it’s a fantastic deal. My copy has one of those small smudges on her back but there isn’t any near the stomach (from what I can see anyway). I always keep her clothes on so the seams don’t bother me much although it’s disappointing because it stands out a bit if she is cast off. Still, she’s definitely the best figure I have for that price. I’m looking forward to the rest of the Shuraki figures!
> Shingo
I missed those links the first time around, my apologies. The smudges aren’t so visible, but the seams certainly are. I would’ve been really pissed off if I were you, but that’s PVC, I guess.
This doesn’t deter me from wanting the re-issue. I preordered it, and that’s where it’s staying – until I buy it, of course! ^_~
Someone needs to beat these makers about the head and shoulders with an Economics 101 text. I mean there are boatloads of people who WANT to give them money but don’t get the chance.
Is this some sort of otaku authenticity bullshit left over from the garage kit days or something?
got her today and loved her :) However, I think it’s wise not to “play” with the arms too much or one day they will not stay on anymore…
[…] keep the review pretty short as pretty much everyone has Mishiro by now and there are already good reviews […]
yeah this is an amazing figure =]
In my bedroom near to my bed xD