Cerberus Project’s guitar girl Arisa is a kit I’d been lusting after since I first saw her in resin at Wonder Festival Winter 2006, so when news came last July that Yamato was going to produce a PVC rendition of her the extent of my chortling glee can scarcely be underestimated. I’ve been in high tension mode ever since, wondering just how Yamato would treat her – fears that I am very happy to say were largely needless. Read on for a look at what turns out to be one of the loveliest kits of the year.

Original Design: Yamashita Shunya
Sculptor: Sunny Day (Cerberus Project)
Bass Guitar Sculptor: N.S Gun
Source: Yamashita Shunya original
Scale: 1/7 (24 cm tall)
Materials: PVC, ABS
Release Date: November 29th, 2007
Production: Yamato
Price: 7,140 JPY (tax included)
Current Availability: [KNC] [HLJ] [HS] [TL] [AAA]
Support HD!: [PA] [JLIST]

Character Description

Arisa is one of the myriad creations of artist and illustrator Yamashita Shunya. Unlike many of the recent figures produced from his designs the Arisa illustration predates the figure, and seems to have served as spontaneous inspiration for more than one kit (the version pictured in our Wonder Festival 2006 Winter coverage isn’t the Cerberus Project version, though both were present at the event).

It’s worth noting that in her original incarnation Arisa goes unnamed, and is shown holding a bass that is definitely a Rickenbacker; hence her description on Cerberus’s site as “Rickenbacker and Girl“. When Yamato decided to produce their PVC version they commissioned a second illustration of the character, dubbed her Arisa, and changed the headstock of the guitar to deviate slightly from the classic Rickenbacker hook.

original Rickenbacker & Girl illustration and her revised Arisa counterpart

Sculpt

This is personally one of my favorite Cerberus Project sculpts by any of the members of the very skilled Korean sculpting cooperative. Something just *clicked* here that works extraordinarily well for me; the proportions, lines, curves, volume and facial composition all combine harmoniously in what is one of the sexiest kits of the past few years. I’d venture to say that it is superior in most ways to the original Yamashita illustration.

While the pose doesn’t seem particularly dynamic, the mere act of putting her on her tip-toes creates all sorts of exciting possibilities for body lines that don’t typically stand out on most kits. The concave arch of her back down to the billowing curve of her rear is simply divine, and the casual display of her breasts (whether cast on or off) with her head cocked to look at you inquisitively is a combination I find irresistible. I could go on and on, but I think the general thrust of my argument comes across here well enough – Sunny Day knows what he’s doing, and this kit is S-E-X-Y.

Production

This was the most worrisome aspect of the kit, and I’m happy to report that Yamato did a very good job here overall. Breaking it down into the casting and the paint job, let’s tackle the paint first: this kit is painted in a deliberate, almost voluptuous style that I must say I find very attractive despite some flaws in the detail work. The trim on the garters, sailor suit and thigh highs is less than perfect, and there’s not much shading on the stockings, but otherwise it’s hard to find criticism for the paint job here. Her skin is luxuriously shaded in delicate tones of pink, the nipples are done deliberately but in an inoffensive tone, shading on the blouse is abundant and looks good. A range of textures and finishes is used that while not incredibly broad complements the color scheme nicely.

In terms of casting things are generally solid, but one major flaw stands out: the split on the left sleeve of her blouse. Try as I might I could not get it to hold together until I removed it and managed with some difficulty to force it closed; I tried to do the same after putting it on her again with no success. This is a pretty major flaw, but – and this is a big but – there’s a reason for it: the interior of the blouse is coated with a second layer of clear plastic, no doubt there to assure a safe and flawless castoff. This makes the garment much less flexible, but I’m willing to forgive part of the sin of the horrible seam in light of it. The only other minor quibble I have with the casting is that her left arm tends to fall off rather easily just by brushing up against it, but that’s not a big deal.

A final production note must go to the bass guitar, which is done up in truly epic style. Though it’s perhaps a bit large for the scale of the kit it’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship from Cerberus member N.S Gun, and compliments the kit incredibly nicely. It even comes with a second set of strings (made of silver thread), and you can remove the bridge to replace them. A touch that definitely bespeaks Yamato’s commitment to quality with this kit, as does the inclusion of three pairs of glasses and the removable skirt (the slight scratches you may notice on her belly are from my fumbling to put it on and take it off, not from any factory defect).

Conclusion

Yamato’s “guitar girl” Arisa is a figure I can enthusiastically and unequivocally recommend to any collector of bishoujo PVCs. They largely met the challenge of duplicating Sunny Day’s amazing original sculpt, and the confidence displayed in their production values bodes very well for future offerings from the maker. This is an item I’m proud to have in my collection, and I can’t sing her praises loudly enough (I have to shout over the din of her bass playing in the background…). Despite a few minor drawbacks in production, I’d say she’s worth considering as one of the top kits of the year.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

+ stunningly sexy original sculpt
+ faithful casting job preserves the glorious curves of her figure
+ bold, confident coloring pulls through where it matters most
+ nice set of detailed extras, from the amazing guitar work to the glasses

– left arm has a tendency to fall off
– precautionary clear coating makes it impossible to close her blouse
– when I tried to confess my love she was rocking out so hard she couldn’t hear me

If you’d like to support HD I’d highly recommend purchasing her at Play Asia, and J-List has her as well. If you hurry she’s still barely in stock at HLJ, but I’d recommend acting fast… Yamashita Shunya’s artbook Sweet Dreams is available as well, for those looking to go to the source.