Oh, Hordikins — your worst nightmare has come true!
Haha, yes! Hordak’s bane is finally a part of Masters of the Universe Classics, and his sanity will now be put to the test as Perfuma is ready to fill the Fright Zone with flowers and the lovely smell of roses. Hordikins! If you have never see the “Flowers for Hordak” episode of the Filmation Princess of Power cartoon, I implore you to do so because it is one of the most entertaining of the entire run. Sure, it might be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it also showed that Perfuma is a powerful being, even if her strength comes from a non-traditional outlet. A lot of people have been waiting a long time for this figure because it represents a huge milestone in the Classics collection, and as 2015 winds down, the commitment to finish the PoP vintage characters has been fully realized.
Yep, Perfuma is the final unique character to be produced in the Classics line that also had a figure in the vintage She-Ra line. I get that there are still some variants hanging out there, as well as some Filmation characters, but all of the original vintage Rebels are now here, and Perfuma is actually an interesting choice to complete that group. Essentially, Perfuma is to Etheria as Moss Man is to Eternia, and while I have always thought of the latter being a fearsome defender of the natural world, I have always thought of Perfuma as harmonious and motherly to the flora of Etheria, which makes for a great contrast to everything that the Horde represents. Their machines and industry do not align with the natural world, and it is no wonder that Hordak hates flowers. So you could argue that Perfuma is one of the strongest weapons against the oppression on Etheria, even if she is also one of the most unassuming.
While there has been always been conversation around the fact that the Princess of Power “fairytale” aesthetic doesn’t always fit in with the Masters’ barbarian roots, Perfuma here is often cited as prime example to support that belief. Personally, I have NEVER bought into that, and I feel that all of the PoP figures fit in great with the rest of Classics, but the petal dress, flower power, and granola-girl persona are unique, even within the context of PoP on its own. Frankly, I think her design and characterization really add to the diverse spread, and that more “defensive” powers are not to be underestimated, and, really, if you have been paying attention, she is extremely powerful and, as seen in her run through the Fright Zone, potentially dangerous to her foes.
Like all (or at least most) of the vintage-native Princess of Power figures in the Classics line, Perfuma is an amalgamation of the style guide/show and the vintage toy when it comes to her modern figure design. While some figures like Angella and Castaspella received little toy detail embellishments in their mostly cartoon designs, Perfuma here is actually a more straight forward and equal mash-up of two designs, at least to my eyes. That will be a very positive thing for some collectors and a detractor for others, but overall, I think that the choices that were made in the Classics design were well-made to fully bring her into the line’s aesthetic.
So here you will not get the simple dress and slippers from the cartoon, but you also get a more composed and streamlined look than the vintage doll. I would say that the silhouette still favor’s the Filmation design, but there are still some very prominent toy cues that have been brought in. Overall, the pursuit is successful and there are some very strong parts of the figure, but not everything is completely perfect, so let’s take a closer look.
Overall, I think the figure is very successful from the neck down. There are, of course, reused pieces present here, but the new parts have a lot of details and there is actually a lot going on amongst the green and pink. Perfuma’s dress most certainly follows the shape of the cartoon, but there is a considerable amount of embossing in the patterns along the “petals” of the lower dress, a vine motif about the bodice, and she takes her belt pretty much right from the vintage toy. It all works well together and it gives you a lot more to look at in the design than just the simple cartoon dress.
Additionally, Perfuma has her detailed gauntlets and boots that are also carried over from the old toy, and those really help fill in the style compatibility with her Classics Rebellion cohorts. Now, the footwear choice will be divisive amongst the fan base because the small slippers do have their following, but I think the right decision was made here. The gauntlets and boots also have some nice metallic paint highlights that really bring out the extra sculpted detail, so she gets additional points for that.
Now, there has been a lot of discussion about the color palette used for this figure, and the scheme has its supporters and detractors, but personally, I absolutely love it. I know the cartoon design would have a much more subdued and powder pink for the dress, but using the almost hot pink from the toy was a bold move, and it makes for a very bold figure. The hot pink and chartreuse work marvelously together, and in a line where colors are often suppressed to give a more “realistic” tone (that should be a cardinal sin for MOTU, in my opinion), Perfuma really shines.
Atop this frame sits a very interesting head sculpt, and, again, I think there are qualities to it that will cause some hot conversations on the Internet. I have been collecting this line long enough and have enough figures in my collection from the Four Horsemen that I have become pretty good at being able to spot their trademarks. As such, I know that Perfuma (her head anyway) was sculpted by Djordje, the very talented sculptor who has added his skills to the line for a long time. He is a very detail-oriented sculptor (and very nice guy), and that level of detail goes all the way down to sculpting eyelids and eyebrows on the faces. So Perfuma has a lot of very nice detail in her face, even if it doesn’t wholly look like any previous incarnation of the character. That is perfectly fine because Classics is its own line, but if you are looking for a direct Filmation facsimile, you are not going to get it. Perfuma’s face is kindly and amiable, so I think it works just fine for the character, but I can definitely see why some would want more of a Filmation influence.
While I have grown to like her face sculpt, I still find the hair to be a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong, all of the trademark components are there, like her prominent bangs and curls, but I think both of those points provide some challenges when bringing them from two dimensions to three. Like I said, her bangs are very prominent and they definitely sit out from her face. They kind of create a straight curve over her eyes, so at times it looks like a solid piece of plastic instead of many fine hair follicles. It certainly doesn’t look bad, just a bit different than what I was expecting. The back of her hair has an interesting look to it as well, and the curly hair has a lot of individual portions that kind of swirl around to create the effect. Again, it looks okay, but instead of the “tendril” approach, I think I would have preferred a more solid approach. That is purely opinion, though, and the sculpt is still very nice, so your feelings about this will likely vary from mine.
Perfuma also comes with three very nice accessories: one is requisite for the Rebellion at this point, and the other two are very character-specific. The standard-issue PoP shield is present, this time in green with a green jewel, so if you have any number of Classics Rebels, you know what you will be getting. The second accessory is her flower hat that clips on snugly to her head to really help bring one of the patented Filmation cues out. I really like this piece and it is essential to Perfuma for me, so I would not ever display the figure without it, but it is nice the option is there. Oh, and the little metallic pink tiara portion is part of the head sculpt, so at the very least, she will always be wearing that.
The final accessory is a gigantic pink flower in a green “vase.” This is a massive accessory and it shows how far the flower theme is carried with this figure. Now, in the past, this piece was designed as Perfuma’s backpack, but two handles have been added, so now I suppose it is a massive flower gun. It is a neat idea, but it is so heavy that Perfuma is not strong enough to hold it in any convincing fashion, which is a shame. Also, I REALLY wish it still had the functionality to be able to plug into her back to be worn as a pack. Alas, her hair sculpt would have made that a challenge, but it is moot anyway as there are no peg holes in her back. I am not sure why this choice was made, but I would have liked to have displayed it as the vintage pack if given the option.
Finally, and you PoP fans will know this, but I can confirm that Perfuma is indeed scented like Moss Man and Stinkor before her. I am not sure what the vintage toy smelled like, but this one definitely recalls roses – some MASSIVE roses. Let me tell you this: if you thought Mossy and Stinkor were strong, you ain’t seen nothing yet because Perfuma will have your entire toy room, smelling of roses in no time. Right out of the package, it is REALLY strong, so be ready. I think in the few days since she arrived the smell has dissipated a bit, but still, she is by far the most fragrant figure yet. It is not just her either; Perfuma’s giant flower is also loaded with the flowery scent. Personally, I love the effect, but those with sensitive sniffers might have to take some time to get used to it.
So yay, Hordikins! Perfuma is arriving next month, and with her the vintage Princess of Power character lineup is complete. We are hitting milestones left and right with this collection these days, but this one is a long time coming because even though it seemed like it took PoP forever to pick up steam in this line, the past couple of years have been big, and in the end, PoP is completed before vintage MOTU characters. Sure, there are still some other characters and variants to get though, but that does not take away from the fact that this is a big accomplishment. Overall, I really dig the figure, and the hair sculpt and heavy flower aside, she looks really great with the Rebels, and it is joy and relief to see that group completed after all this time. Perfuma goes on sale at Matty Collector on October 15, 2015.
*Thanks for reading and thanks to the Matty Collector team for sending our favorite flower power girl along for a First Look!
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