I still like the Max Factory one, and may still try for her, especially since HS still have her available..

The pose is the biggest killer for me with this figure…..I don’t “get it”. It looks clumsy and akward, which goes in the face of Mai. I might pick this up- dunno yet.

Thanx again for the great review.

This may seem strange, but I like that Toushirou goes for style over anatomical accuracy. It seems to me he’s always trying to make a unique piece, and not another cookie cutter ‘series figure’ and I really appreciate that. It’s not like his work ever looks ‘strange’ it just looks ‘stylized’ instead of ‘realistic’. I know you are also a Toushirou fan, and are not dissing the man’s work, I’m just saying that some of what you have at times noted in reviews of his sculpts to be oddities or negatives, from a different POV (mine) are sometimes positives.

I wanted to note that I think Toushirou’s faces deserve more credit. Faces are tough, and even some of the best sculptors out there often don’t really get a sense of emotion into their face sculpts. Toushirou always seems to nail it (in my opinion). The 1/5 Kanu actually looks like she’s distressed/fearful, Mai and Tamaki have that ‘I know you want me’ sexy, Mina has a real sense of whimsy. All of these are more difficult to render than just smirk, smile and mad, which you get most of the time.

Speaking of Mina, I told y’all the Lighter Skin version would end up as the best version in some long since forgotten post, nice to see someone (and the ‘sitemaster’ no less) finally agree with me.

Also, as a note about the Max Factory Mai by Takeshi Hamasaki, I have it, and I really like it, but this notion that it’s better, or more accurate or perfect or whatever that is in some of these posts is quite daft in my opinion. Her hair is just one odd chunk in the back/bottom and she is completely devoid of the subtleties of the Kinu art she is based off of. Now don’t get me wrong, those are maybe the only negatives, but still a little perspective was lacking from the conversation.

Just glad Daiki actually molded the nipples for Mai, unlike Mina. Guess a 2 minute paint will do the trick. Only question is – pink or brown?

Thanks again, Shingo for the lovely photos.

I think this figure is amazing.

>>the_pseudokings
I’m the last person you’ll see maligning a figure for an unbalanced chest, let me assure you. :3 The balance issues I see with Mai lie primarily in the subtly conflicting angles of her feet, legs, hips, and torso – if I try to stand in the position she’s in it doesn’t quite work right. I can’t explain it better than that.

I was never seriously thinking SNK would sanction a full-blown Mai castoff rendered down to the minutest detail (there’s absolutely no precedent for that, as you say), but given the sample photos leading up to release it seemed that her top was crafted from a separate piece not grafted to the skin, and I think it was natural to be curious regarding how and to what extent her costume was attached to her body.

I’ve seen Daiki’s Mina floating around at a decent discount, and if I have the cash at an opportune moment I’ll probably pick her up, but the budget is rather tight right now… She does look nice, especially the ligher-skinned version – it makes the original bronze look like a sickly yellow in that photo you linked. :(