Good Smile Company and Bandai have both taken a shot at getting us some great Pokemon figures as of late via the figma and S.H. Figuarts impressions. While Bandai is focusing on the cartoon/other entertainment (where are my Brock and Misty figures?), figma is deeply rooted in the original format: the video games. Red lead the charge as the first release, but now, Mizuki is here to continue the line. Let’s take a look.
I have to say, while I am more attached to the cartoon characters from Pokemon, I think I am liking these figma releases more than the Bandai counterparts. Don’t get me wrong, both lines are great, though I worry about the future of the Bandai line as things have been pretty quiet, and there is something about the overall execution of the figmas that feel a step above the SHF figures. Now, if you know me and my adoration of Figuarts, that is not something I say lightly. However, with the release of Mizuki (aka, Selene), everything is really clicking with GSC.
I know there was a lot of chatter when Mizuki was announced that she would not be the first pick for the second release in the line for many collectors, but since she is a part of the Moon game, I think she is a good choice. She is very different from Red in just about every way from a design standpoint, so she certainly adds some variety. Plus, she is instantly the most adorable figure in my collection from any line, so there is a lot more “kawaii” amongst the Pokemon Trainers. I have to admit, I don’t have any background with the character, but I am really enjoying this figure, and with the announcement of Lively Lillie (the “Sun” counterpart to Mizuki’s “Moon”) for the end of the year, we are going to be building a nice little game-based Pokemon collection.
At a high-level, Mizuki is a pretty prototypical figma release. The figure is well sculpted with a great likeness, as a lot of articulation with velvety smooth movement, and she comes with plenty of accessories. Really, I don’t have any meaningful nitpicks about this figure, and while I really like the Red figure, Mizuki is definitely the better of the two. I think this is mostly because he joints have a greater range of movement that Red’s so she is more fun to pose. However, if I HAD to pick one spot to call out on this figure, it would be the shoulder joints. They work perfectly fine, but I think the internal bar is just a shade too long and it can cause Mizuki’s shoulders to hang out just a bit too much if she is not posed properly. It is not terribly egregious, but once I noticed it, it is kind of hard to unsee.
Everything about Mizuki’s outfit goes towards that cute look, and her flower had on top, and Litten-patterned shoes tie it all together. While Red is short and wears rather dumpy and ill-fitting clothes, Mizuki’s shorts and flower top are perfect for a girl her age living in a hot and sunny climate. Yeah, the hat is ridiculous, and I was honestly glad to see that is was removable when I first got the figure, but now, I really love it. Sure, she looks great without it, too, but the flower motif goes perfectly with the rest of the design, so I am going to keep it on the figure after all.
Mizuki does come with a lot of accessories, and while some are really fun (like the Pokemon), some are pretty standard for figma, like the stand and swappable hands. Her Litten, Rowlet, and Popplio are all very faithfully rendered, but like the Pokemon included with Red, they are well sculpted and nicely painted slugs (that is, unarticulated figurines). These are all new Pokemon for me, and I think Litten is probably my favorite just for his “what the hell do you want?” expression. The Pokeball is really, really small this time, and a bit hard for Mizuki to hold, but I did get it to stay in the appropriate hand eventually. Mizuki also gets her bracelet, bag, removable hat, a swappable face, and a ton of extra hands, so all kinds of posing for different situations can be had. She comes in a really large box, so it looks like the accessories are light, but there really are a lot of them.
I have to admit, when I got the payment notification for this figure, I had kind of forgotten I ordered it, but as it turns out, I am really happy with this figure. I should not be surprised how nice this figure is being it is a figma and all, but now I am excited to see how the Pokemon collection continues to grow. I am going to have to watch though, my six year-old daughter already loves the figure and she has no idea who the character is. Like I said, Lillie is up next, so go lock her in right away.
