Tag: evangelion

EVA01 Test Type – Evangelion – LM-HG 001 Bandai

I couldn’t escape Japan without getting at least one model kit. So here’s EVA-01:

This one was a fiddly mess to build, and made me appreciate more modern model kits. The waterslide transfers were… a fair bit more tricky than I thought they’d be. From the front, he looks OK, but definitely a kit that could benefit from paint. Some of the areas are large and bland, and the blue plate could’ve done with some black dot stickers. 

Head:

Rawr. He’s lookin’ at you. Face looks pretty good from the front, wish there were some black insets or stickers to go on the front green parts. Head itself articulates well. 

Knees:

Just about got these stickers on OK :P. Here you can see the green stickers like to escape a bit. I like the use of colour here, and looks good from a distance. 

Left:

The purple stickers on the fins went OK. Here you can see the green decal didn’t go on too well, but the black ones were OK. From the left he looks pretty decent, and the colours work well. Here you can see some of the fluff stuck on the black parts of his arm already – this is a rubbery part. Not entirely sure why, but it’s kind of annoying due to being a dust magnet.

Head:

The triangular corners could’ve done with fitting on better. I like the green part on the lower arm though. His head looks good, though doing the stickers on his eyes was a pain. The head spike sticker works well though. The black parts on his arms articulate, which helps with posing.

Right:

So… no 1 sticker on this side? Yeahhhh… it didn’t go well and ended up breaking up into three pieces, then one folded over, making it impossible to apply. Shame, because it was on OK, but then I accidentally nudged it with a finger :(. Though the green part at the top fits better on this side. The ribbing that forms his back looks good from the side too. 

Close-up of the transfer that made it:

These ones worked well, once I worked out what I was doing. Still weren’t fun to do, but at least these look great once completed. 

Back:

I like the shapes on the back. Here we have some black inset stickers – much-needed for the back, otherwise it’d look too flat. And we can see a bunch of mould edges – this kit was rather prone to them and I’m too lazy to sand ‘em all off. 

Top of the head:

Here we can see some rather special pieces…

*Ptcffff*:

Here we can eject the entry plug! I like this little feature. And, um, I need to poke that sticker back on… The mechanism is a fun thing, but the little part that goes over the entry plug does have a nasty habit of popping off, and it’s a pain to get back on :/. The fact it has a few moving parts is nice, but could really do with having better ways of connecting! 

He also came with an oversized Shinji (well, a figure to fit that entry plug ain’t happening), which you could paint, but that got chucked in a drawer. It’s beige, doesn’t stand up on its own and looks rather meh. 

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this kit. The result is OK, but not really worth the effort imo. He did come with some other accessories I didn’t photograph, which could make for good posing opportunities, but they’re nothing particularly special. There’s a big gun, but it can have a habit of falling apart and is plain grey unless you paint it. I don’t have any other EVA model kits to compare him to, though. Maybe get this one if you plan on painting it, as it would be a fairly decent base for that. 

Rei Ayanami – Evangelion – Introjection ver

Here we have a small Rei trading figure:

Bought this one in Hobby Off, along with another small figure. I don’t usually go for Rei in her uniform, but this one was nicely painted and cheap. I like the fact they’ve added some shading detail to her hair, and her thoughtful pose. 

Left:

Seam on her side is a bit ugly. Socks are flat to her skin, making the tops look odd. Sculpt looks decent.

Right:

Again, another seam that isn’t particularly well neatened. Little bit of escaping paint on her sleeve. Other than that, she looks pretty neat.

Back:

Paint scuff on her collar, which shows badly from the back. Thankfully it is on the back! The back of the figure looks overly plain imo – I’m not sure much effort was put in here. The blue paint doesn’t quite get to her collar on the right hand side. I’ll just admire the base, which has some shading to it, which is a nice addition. Hair looks good from the back, so a bit of a shame the uniform is so “flat”. 

Overall, I don’t think I can complain for my ¥324. She looks really good from the front, which is what I care about most. A small, cheap addition to my collection, but probably not a figure I could recommend people get. Unless you’re really into Rei and you find it cheap, like I did. 

Christmas Rei Ayanami – Evangelion – Sega

So… it’s summer. So let’s review a Christmas figure.

Of Rei, naturally:

This is a really nice figure imo – her hair is nicely detailed, she has a good expression, and for the most part, she’s well painted. I like the way she’s posed, holding her jacket because it gives us a good view of her plugsuit-inspired dress. The figure also features a couple of different finishes, so her dress and boots are pearlescent, her coat is shiny and the other elements are more matte.

Face:

A fair amount of detail went into her face, which is a bit rare for prize figures. The fluffy parts suffer for being plastic, but I don’t find them too bad on this figure, and not as distracting as other figures I’ve blogged about. I love the red shininess of her jacket, and the badge on it is painted well. Some of the red does escape onto the edging, though. Also she’s one of the few Rei figures where the hair doesn’t go flat, and I really like this about this figure.

Left:

She sports a headband, which is a nice addition to help hide the seams, but being flat to her head it does look a little odd. She has quite a slender pose, which fits Rei. I like the red band at the top of her shoes.

Right:

Here we can see the fact her hair is moulded fully at the back, which is a rarity. The creases in her jacket give a sense of realism. We can see a bit of a seamline in her dress, but it doesn’t stand out much. Her legs aren’t shaded, but not much shows, so I don’t find that fact too significant. We can also see the headset she’s wearing, not sure why. Maybe she’s posing during a music video or some stage show…?

Back:

A bit of a miss with the red paint on her jacket, d’oh. Her bum sticks out slightly, which works well. I like the way the logo is printed on her jacket – I think silver paint was a nice choice, and the print is nice and crisp. The present paint looks OK from the back, but is a little dodgy on the front – some of the yellow paint wasn’t applied thickly enough.

Present boot:

Rockets… what’s possibly clips… yep, this appears to be presents from NERV! The bow is painted nicely, but there is a bit of a miss on the green paint on the ribbon, but it isn’t too bad.

Back:

Looks OK, nothing too special to say about the back. The toes on the boot feel a bit short though – feel like they could’ve lengthened them so it would feel more proportionate.

Base:

“December 24th 2004, we came in order to carry out a special duty to you tonight”. Mmm, special duty… Is Shinji getting the prize gift? I think the presents in the boot will keep Asuka happy for a bit.

Overall, I really like this figure. It’s definitely one of the nicer prize figures I have. Also being a Christmas figure she was really cheap – they don’t tend to keep their value as a lot of people don’t feel like displaying them outside of the Christmas period and end up selling them. But me being me, appreciates a good figure all year round :P. Yes, even the Christmas ones. If you need more Christmas and Rei in your life, I’d recommend this figure.

Mari Illustrious Makinami – Evangelion – Wave – Plugsuit ver.

There were many Maris to choose from, and I decided to go with this one:

I went with this one, as Wave figures tend to be better than prize figures and not too expensive. Also they’re not too big, which is a bonus when to use haven’t got infinite room. Out of the box, I am really pleased with this one – she is well-painted and sculpted, and the finish is really nice. She has a pretty basic stand, but I’m not too bothered by that.

I like the shininess of her plugsuit, and her expression fits her seriousness. The glasses are also well done.

Left:

Looking closely at the lines on her legs, they’re not perfect, but do the job. There is also a bit of a ridge where her legs connect to her body, where you can see the blue parts have been made to compensate for this. The side of her head looks good, though I think I’d prefer if her hair learned on her body, rather than stick out like it does. She doesn’t have much movement in her pose, so it makes it look a little odd to me.

Right:

Not too much different from the other side. Her headband paint is a bit better on this side, and her hair looks less odd, as it doesn’t look like it is floating of its own accord. The different coloured parts of the suit are well defined.

Back:

A little sneaky gold bit! Funny what I notice when writing these blogs. Her hands look good and are well posed. Ridges where her legs join her body could’ve done with some tidying up. Her backpack looks good, and her hair makes more sense from this angle. Her hair is a soft rubbery plastic, so not too much chance of breaking it. There is some sculpting on the upper part of her hair, stopping it from being totally plain, which is nice.

Overall, I think this is a decent Mari figure, and a cut above a prize figure. However, the joins could have done with some work to make them less severe. If you can pick this one up at a reasonable price, and happy with a smaller figure, I’d recommend it.

Armisael – Evangelion – Wave

This figure I randomly came across in Nakano Broadway Mandarake. Didn’t see it on the site prior to going, but it instantly went into the basket once I saw it. So here she is:

Reading about this after buying, she was an exclusive, so really happy I managed to come across her at a good price. One of the things that probably keeps her price down is some people regard her as a bit of a lazy cash-in, as she’s not too dissimilar to some of the other entries in this line. However, I was really excited to see this one, as it’s based on one of the events in the series. 

I love the “veins” effect, though the fading on the black parts of the suit is a bit odd. Not sure why the suit colouring has been done like this, instead of closer to Rei’s design. 

Left:

She leans forward a bit, but this is not really visible from the front. Not sure what’s up with the tippy-toeing. She looks nice from the side as well imo. 

Right:

Here, she doesn’t feel like she’s leaning quite as far from the other side to me. Paint is a little unsteady in some of the smaller areas. The fade, despite its oddness, seems to be done well. Hair seam feels a bit neater on this side.

Back:

Backpack has been done nicely, but there’s some stray paint on her backside. Bit of a shame. Palm paint on her hands also has some flaws. Veiny effect still nice throughout though. 

Base:

To match the others, she has the same “biohazard sample” base. I like this attention to detail on the bases. 

Shot from the bottom:

Here we can see the Adam embryo is an indentation into the base. I like the way they did this on the bases, and I think the effect looks really good. This base is also a pleasing red colour. 

Overall, I’m really happy with this figure and glad to have stumbled upon it. I can see why it isn’t a particularly sought-after piece being “another Rei”, but for me I really like what it is, so had to get it :). If you don’t think she’s too boring, and happen to come across her, I would recommend her. 

Asuka Langely – Fruits Punch

This one I bought before Rei, as I found it cheap but boxless. Then I had to chase down Rei…. which I eventually got, and for a reasonable price :). 

So here’s the Asuka that goes with the Fruits Punch ReI:

The mark on the base was just some dirt, and got washed off after these photos. I like the way Asuka’s outfit is more flamboyant than Rei’s, which matches her personality. Asuka does feel a good bit more detailed, with the more complicated rain-dress and the way her clothes poke out of the rainwear. The matching bracelets work really well imo. Her umbrella is held in by pegs on either end – one for the base, one for her hand. 

Again her face and hair are a simplified style. Her neuroclips are more clearly themed than Rei’s, by being obviously strawberries. I guess Rei’s are supposed to be pips? 

Left:

Her hair curls up nicely, and those strawberries kind of work. Bit of a weird shape. However, the seam on her leg is pretty visible. 

Right:

I do like her pose from this angle – has that sassy look that fits Asuka. Her hands are sculpted nicely, and have a good amount of motion in them. Again, her leg has a clear seamline in it. 

Back:

Her hair looks OK, if simple. The umbrella looks OK, but not too much like a strawberry to me. Feels like they went more umbrella than strawberry, but it’s not a dealbreaker. 

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this figure. Even though Rei is my favourite of the pair in the show, I think this is my favourite of this pair of figures. I feel it has more to offer visually, and the extra clothes make the outfit less jarring. Again, this is a figure if you like unusual outfits. Happy with this pair – you should be able to get them fairly cheap, if you like them. Wouldn’t recommend paying a lot as they are prize figures, but they’re pretty nice ones.

Rei Ayanami – Fruits Punch

This figure I had times I really wanted to buy it and times I thought it was the worst thing ever… but seeing it in person, I decided to go for it. So here she is:

So here she is, donning an outfit that’s an interesting mishmash between beachwear and rainwear. Personally, I’d prefer if this figure didn’t have the gummi boots. Her hair has been done in a simplified manner, but this is more for the style of the figure. I do love the fruity bracelet she’s wearing. 

Left:

She definitely has an older prize figure look about her, with the shiny skin and simplified style, however the simplified style has been worked with, making it age better than others. I like the way the lemon umbrella goes over her shoulder, but it’s gonna bend over time. It also has a little drip that comes down off it, but mine likes to be a bit sideways. She does have a hole in her hand a peg on the umbrella sits in, so she holds it fairly firmly. 

Right:

The rainwear is a rubbery material, whilst the rest of the figure is hard plastic. The holes let us look at the paintwork better, underneath the raincoat, which I appreciate. Hair seam definitely isn’t in hiding here.

Back:

I like the finish on the back of the lemon umbrella – it has a nice shade to it. The back of the raincoat has some interesting details which stop it from being plain. 

Overall, I think this is a cute figure. If you like your figures in unusual outfits, and a fan of Evangelion, this figure could be for you. The paintwork is imperfect in places, but seems decent enough for a prize figure. It doesn’t feel as cheap as I thought it might do, so was pleasantly surprised by that. 

Shinji Ikari – Evangelion

This is the third of these figures I have, and the final one that I currently own. Not sure if I will get any more of the set if I come across them. Maybe, maybe not.

So without further ado:

I feel his face is the weakest part of this figure – it has a very retro/old feel to it. Does almost make him more like a doll (but not of the expensive variety). Again, his suit is on the plain side, but does feature enough that it looks like Shinji. 

Left:

Not too much of a leaning issue here, and more paint details than Rei. Also the paint is more neatly done than Rei’s. Hair does look plastered to his head though, unlike Rei’s.

Right:

Shiny hair! Yeah, that’s not a good finish for his hair, and I think a big part of the old-but-not-good look. Rei’s hair looks to have been done separately, and has a matt finish. Dark blue paint is a bit messy on his arm, but the rest looks fine on his suit.

Back:

Here you can really see the shiny hair. Uh, lay off the hair gel there Shinji. His body looks a little “square” around his butt imo. Doesn’t seem quite natural. The paint is good though. 

Rei Ayanami – Evangelion

These are two older figures. I own the Asuka of this set, which I’ve previously reviewed. No idea what year these were produced, but they’re certainly on the older end! 

First up, Rei:

Definitely a “miffed Rei” look going on. For a basic figure, the sculpt hits all the important parts. The paint however, does show that this is a basic figure. There’s a little bit of escaping the lines, and no shading to speak of. 

Left:

Yeahhhh… she really does have a leaning problem. I did almost fix it, but was likely too impatient waiting for the plastic to “set”, so she ended up leaning again. Here we can see where the dark blue escapes the lines a bit, but the “bolts” on her shoulder and arm mark are good. Hair surprisingly looks decent to me. 

Right:

Pretty much the same observations as the left side. Though here you can see a seam line running down from her below and down her leg. 

Back:

The “0″ feels a little big on her backpack. Hair has been sculpted back here. She has a bit of creasing in her suit behind her knees – I think this is the only nod to the plugsuit being clothing, but to be fair it is usually skintight on most figures. 

Overall, these older Evangelion figures I more collect for nostalgia of an era I never had, and well, Evangelion. They were cheap, but I wouldn’t really recommend them. 

Asuka – Deformation Maniacs – Evangelion

This one I won via auction. I had this picture to go on: 

And thought “ah yeah, that looks like some small, cute figure of Asuka”. You know one of those ~8cm trading figures you get in Ichiban Kujis. 

Nope, wrong. She rocks in at about 14cm in height:

Ended up laughing as I got her out of the box of loot, as she was twice as big as I expected. So much for sneaking her onto the corner of a shelf! Her plugsit is rendered very nicely in chibi form, but I find her face rather too plain, especially at this size. The front of her hair is done rather nicely though. 

Left:

Her nerve clips are most definitely being used as hair clips here. Always a bit unsure on this point – does she use them as actual hair clips, or just have the ponytails just below them? Her ear is well-sculpted, and she looks less plain from this angle than the front to me. Suit is also lookin’ good and detailed. 

Right:

Yep, pretty much the same as the left, but with longer hair on this side, and a different arm pose. 

Back:

Hair so big she needs a stand for it 😛 Not much to see back here, other than the copyright on her nerve clip. 

Base:

Logo for Evangelion@School, plus some lines to make the base not plain. I do rather like this base design. 

Overall… it’s large chibified Asuka. Nothing really special to say about it. It’s nicely done for what it is, so all it really hinges on if you want a large, chibified Asuka. Not entirely sure if I did… but I have one now, lol. 

Kaworu Nagisa – Evangelion

Because you can’t have too much Kaworu…

image

I ordered more Kaworu Nagisa. I have another version of this figure – this one has the green parts on his plugsuit, a red rock and… most importantly, semitransparent hair. These figures are on the lanky side, but this does make displaying them towards the back of display easier, without missing out on too much. 

Close-up of his face:

His mouth feels a bit overemphasised, but the rest of his face has been nicely done. The semitransparent hair is an interesting effect – not sure if I prefer it or not. Some red paint has escaped the lines on his plugsuit, with the pip-shaped parts on his collar. The paint job is OK for a prize figure. 

Left:

Here we can see him leaning forward, and how thin he is. I like the grey parts of his plugsuit. 

Right:

We can see he has some shape to his backside, and bits of hair where you can see his fate through. His ear has been sculpted well. 

Back:

Yep, deffo an arse on this dude. Back of the rock hasn’t had any detail put on, but the back of Kaworu himself is properly detailed. All the paint looks good. 

Stand:

Here is the rock, which does transition from grey to red. I think the lower part of the rock works, but I think the pice on the right of this pic would’ve been better just to be solid red, as it looks like someone halfarsed spraypainting a rock, instead of some kind of shading, which I think was intended. Overall, the base is what it needs to be, but isn’t anything special. 

I think the liking of this figure hinges on his transparent hair and if you like this interpretation of Kaworu. I don’t think there’s any real need to own all the repaints of this figure, unless you’re like me and want it in more than one room – I’d suggest picking your favourite/what’s available and order that. 

Rei Ayanami – 20th Anniversary

This was a prize figure for the 20th anniversary of Evangelion. Decided to order this as I had a coupon code, and you can never have too much Rei:

In terms of a figure, she’s not that big, but with the base and the Lance of Longinus she takes up quite a bit of height. She comes attached to the stand, but you need to put the lance in her arms, which was a slightly awkward operation. 

Close-up of Rei’s face:

I think they were aiming for a blank expression, but she seems somewhat miffed to me. The paint is in the lines, and of the right colours (to me). The sculptwork is nice too, plus the lines on the lance are nice and even. 

Top of the lance:

Looks the part, and I think has some subtle shading. 

Base:

Here we see the pool that Rei seems to be standing in. There’s also a ripple for the lance, but I find it doesn’t quite land in the middle. Some fiddling may get it to do so though. It doesn’t bother me too much. 

Left:

Lines are clean, and the hair seam is fairly well hidden. She has some movement in her pose, making her look natural. 

Right:

Here we see where I haven’t quite got the lance into her hand. Paint lines are also clean on this side. 

Close-up of the side of her face:

She seems more serious than miffed from this angle. Comparing the shaft of the lance at the top of the image to the bottom, you can see there’s some shading there, which seems rare with her lance in figures. It’s not always needed imo, but it does help this figure. And we can take a moment to admire the silver parts on her suit arms. 

Back:

A little bit of a booty wiggle :). Most of the paint is fine back here, but I can see a bit of a flaw on one of the stripes on her backside. Otherwise it’s clean, and nicely done, which is always a nice thing to find on a prize figure. 

Overall, I really like this Rei, and was glad to have one with her lance at last. Though I’ve acquired two more since XD. Not sure why this one hasn’t done as well as the Asuka of this prize set – Rei was the “A” and Asuka was the “B”, but I think the Asuka is probably more unique than this one. I’m happy with just the Rei though, unless I find Asuka at a too-good price to pass up. 

EVA-13 – Revoltech

Initially I missed the re-release of this figure, but then randomly found it in stock again on AmiAmi. Wasting no time, I ordered it – stuff like this doesn’t tend to stay in stock for long with AmiAmi if it comes back into the store. 

Here he is in his “default” configuration:

Decided to equip him with both the lances, so most of the shots will feature these. Other options available, and will be shown later in this review. 

I love the shiny purple paint, and the yellow & green that complements it. He also articulates well imo, and his midriff segments bend pleasingly. I prefer a more stoic pose though. 

Left:

Here he is… having a bit of a nap apparently. The paint is nice and striking, but a wee bit uneven in spots. Not really noticeable from the distance I’m taking photos at. 

Right:

Closer look. Here you can see a bit of a paint flaw, in the black paint on his upper arm, where it spills into the green stripe near his elbow. And a bit of an uneven line going into the canary yellow. Whilst the paint job is mildly iffy in places, the articulation seems plentiful, and feels good. 

Close-up of the head:

Paint job  is OK; like all the little details in the mould. And ofc, you’ve got that wonderful impaling spike on his head :D. 

Back:

Some nice painting and moulding on his back – love the silver bits running down the middle. 

Here are the other spare parts, not shown in the rest of this review:

Plenty of hands to choose from, if you don’t want him wielding the spears of destiny. Also has the gun, if you wish to go for a less epic weapon. 

Also in accessories is the AT field:

That sits on an arm…:

…which can be attached to the stand. Then you need to balance EVA-13 up on his own, which he will do. Though I’d prefer to have a separate stand, tbh. 

And after taking this pic, I realised I was some parts short. So I went to dig up the other bag of spare parts, and assemble him in the configuration I really wanted him in:

Yeah, much better! This form consists of a new upper torso and two more arms. The uppermost purple V in his chest is rubbery, and sits above the joint that attaches into the grey part of his torso. With the extra arms, the spears are far more stable, so now I can have him hold them aloft, and not worry about them swinging out of place, like with two arms. 

Some more views:

Looking good :).

Close-up of the arms:

Love the shiny silver, and the cuff that both the lower arms have. Does make assembling on his lower hands a little on the awkward side. 

Overall, I really like this dude. He’s probably not as good as a Figma, but he comes at a lower price point, and far more accessories. Really happy to have him, and will be getting more of the Evangelion Evolution re-releases. I won’t be getting all of them – just a select few. 

Asuka Langely – Sega HG Christmas Figure

This one was a random bid on the Urban Mine auction, and shows what older prize figures are like. This one is Asuka, crossed with Christmas:

Yeah, that’s the last shot of the cake you’re going to get. It’s a big lump of white, and not particularly attractive. Unfortunately, as an urban mine item, not much care was taken when packing her, and she wasn’t tied to the box any more. This meant she rattled around, and one of her antlers broke off :(. Fortunately there was enough of the peg on the antler, I was able to jam it back in there, and it stayed. I may glue it one day, or leave it as-is. 

Without the stand:

I love the glossiness of her red outfit, the lesser glossiness of her skin? Not so much. I’m not sure who chose to give her purple leggings, but I don’t think it was a person with good aesthetics. The seamline on her leggings isn’t pretty either. But there’s something cute and different about this figure, which makes me not hate it. If it wasn’t for the purple leggings, I could probably forgive all the other flaws. She does look very plasticky though, which is the reputation for prize figures, though things are moving on these days. 

Right:

Quite an obvious seam in her hair, and some shoes to match her top. The cuffs are OK, but simplistic. 

Left:

Pretty much the same as the other side, though you can see the cotton balls on her shoes, which is +1 to detail. Some stray plastic lumps in her hair. She has some creases in her top, but not in her pants.

Back:

Her hair is one block colour, but there is some hair lines moulded in, stopping it from looking completely plain. Her shoes are nicely sculpted. 

Close-up of the holly on her neck:

This detail is nicely done and thematic. 

Not really sure I could recommend this figure to anyone, but for £4.76, it sated my curiosity to see exactly what this figure looked like irl, and can be a part of “weird stuff corner”. The stand is likely to be relegated to a drawer, but it could gain a new lease of life if I choose to decorate it and use it as a riser somewhere. 

Urban Mine – Evangelion, Gundam & Misc – Part 3

Now for the last of the Evangelion items. 

Let’s start off with a deformed-style Rei trading figure:

I don’t usually go in for this style of figure, but this one’s pretty cute, and well-done. The paint is really nice. The big *ahem* downside to this one is that her fat head doesn’t like to stay in the stand clip. Most of this kind of figure I’ve usually been able to find the sweet-spot where the figure will stay clipped in, but she loves to fall over if you move her. The shading in her hair is vibrant and attractive. Also she’s in her plugsuit, so that makes it more of a winner for me. 

Back:

Pretty obvious seam, but that’s pretty standard with these figures. Isn’t anything worth seeing on the back of her head, though the back of her body has been painted well, with the details you’d expect. I like this figure, and this will be going on display. 

Next, a keychain of Rei:

Here she is, very happy! It doesn’t look very “Rei” to me, but she’s still cute. 

Back:

Not too much to see here, but some shading in her hair, and her back has been painted well. 

She does pose well in front of a Nether portal:

I hung her here, soon after opening her. 

She comes with another part you’re supposed to connect her to:

She does look nice connected to this chain, but it’d dangle too much to go on the keychain bars. And she needs to guard the portal :P. 

Now here’s an interesting piece of Evangelion loot attached to my phone:

On the opposite side, it has Rei’s EVA:

The print is nice and vibrant, and a good design, given the space. Hence me attaching this to my phone. So what is it?

An extending ballpoint pen! More useful than the stylus I first wondered if it was. My finger suffices for my phone, but hey, a pen I might actually randomly need. I’ve left the nib protector on the pen, as I’m rarely likely to actually use this. It’s more of a decorative item that I can look at/fiddle with. Will keep it on my phone until it’s more annoying than soothing. Or it gets damaged badly. 

Time for a couple of different Evangelion characters. It can’t all be Rei! Just… mostly Rei :P. 

Here’s a figure of Asuka:

Cute! The card was a pain to get in place though. Love the plugsuit swimsuit! Would love to see this on a larger figure, and for the rest of the cast. Paint is good quality on her. 

Now for a Shinji. Funnily enough, I nearly bought this from someone, with some other Evangelion loot, but the asking price was too high. But he decided to pop up in my loot anyway!

A nice little figure. Not one I’d ordinarily choose, but will happily display now I have it. Love the angel details in the background. 

Some nice odds and ends! No real duds either, so I’m happy!

Urban Mine – Evangelion, Gundam & Misc – Part 2

Next up, let’s get onto some Evangelion loot! I opened one of the sealed inner bags and found… a full set of Portraits figures! Well, minus the secret one, but hey, 5 figures of a full set! I didn’t have any of series 2, so this was an amazing find for me! Well worth the £16 on its own! You wouldn’t normally get a full set for this price. So this loot was definitely a winner!

First up, Asuka Langley:

Looking very happy. A small scratch on her swimsuit top, d’oh. Other than that, she’s in good condition. The red swimsuit suits her – the secret figure in this set is her in a blue striped swimsuit, so I’m not overly fussed about it. Asuka’s colour is red. 

Back:

Lovely flow and shading in her hair. Her neuro clips are well-painted too. 

Now, ofc for a Rei:

Here she is in her plugsuit form, with the bandages from a…. not-so-good encounter. The bandage painting looks a little odd above her right breast. She has a pearlescent plugsuit, which is a nice touch – usually this form is a “secret colour” version in other sets, but is the standard colouring in this set. Her bandages appear to be done true to the anime. 

Back:

Some paint slop visible on the bandage around her hair. Her backpack has been nicely done. Not too much to say about the back, but she looks good.

Rei in her school uniform:

A nice amount of detail in her, but the stand was a pig to get in place and work out what should be clipped XD. The paint has been done nicely, and her pose is good. 

Back:

Here you can see some nice shading on her dress, and her hand in motion. Her hair also has detail at the back, which is nice. 

Misato Katsuragi:

Looking very summery and ready for the beach! This is a bit of an odd set, as you have her and Asuka ready for the beach, and the others in their work clothes XD. I like Misato’s pose, but her expression looks a little shifty… what’s she plotting now? Love the little flowers on her sandals, and the beach outfit is a good style. 

Back:

Her hair has shading, but does look like a bit of a sudden colour change in this photo. Her backside has been sculpted well, and she has pockets that look good. I really like her shorts, lol. 

Lastly, Maya Ibuki:

Unfortunately, time has hit her badly. She has a small scratch at the bottom of her coat, but worst of all, it looks like the paint has deteriorated, and she has an overly dark spot across her chest. Other than that, she looks good from the front, which makes the ageing a shame. I like her studious, laptop-holding pose.

Back:

Some ageing visible here too – one dark spot on the back of her jacket, and her leggings have yellowed. Not too much to see on the back, but looks OK. 

All of these figures have a base with the NERV logo, which is a nice touch. Kinda wish all the Portraits figures had this base. It’s nice to own this set, even though there’s signs of ageing. A welcome addition to my collection!

Mari Makinami Illustrious – Figma

With Rei on order, I decided to buy Mari too, as she’s the cheapest of the three, poor Mari. 

I deceided to go with her screaming face, and left her with the red cuffs/light. There are green pieces for her wrists and chest light, if you want her in ‘berzerker’ mode. 

Front of Mari:

Looks almost if her eyes are closed on this photo, but they’re not. 

Close-up of her face:

Her chest piece sadly looks a little odd, if it isn’t straight. I half-wonder if they’d have been better off without this articulation, or had more of her on her upper half, so she doesn’t look… kind of robot-ish when her upper half is rotated. Those pointy chest pieces don’t help, lol. Rei is articulated in the same way, but with the consistency of colour and roundness, it looks a lot less odd. 

Sides:

Looks fine, pretty much the same as Rei. Only Mari. She was a bit easier in the leg department to pose properly in the char, but not sure there’s any actual reason behind that. 

Back:

Yep, still nowt to see here 😛 If it wasn’t for the arms poking out, you wouldn’t be able to tell if it was Rei’s or Mari’s chair. 

Closeup of the controls:

Quite a large joint joins the handle to the the arm. Not sure it goes within the theme, but I’m not too bothered about it. These are identical to Rei’s. 

Overall, I’m happy with Mari, but I’m pretty sure that chest joint helped dent the figure’s popularity. If you’re not after doing a whole bunch of poses with her, she works as a display piece. This coupled with Mari’s seeming lack of priority, these one is pretty cheap to pick up, so if you like what you see, I’d recommend it. 

Rei Ayanami – Figma

Decided to go for this Figma, despite the aftermarket price, as I really, really wanted it. One thing to note about this Figma blog and the next one – I’m not going to fully review the figures – they do come with more accessories than pictured, so this is NOT a full review. Just my thoughts 🙂

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After getting her out of the box and assembling I’m glad I got her :). She was a bit of a pain to put together, but once done… wow. I love having the plug chair for her to sit in.

Close-up of her face:

Shh, I’m trying to pilot a mecha here!

From the front:

She mostly sits nicely in the chair – getting her legs in the right position was a bit difficult. The sides of the chair near her legs swing out – which makes her easy to put in, but if her joints aren’t bent in the right way, she’ll push them open slightly. The body clip keeps her nicely in place. 

Sides of Rei in her chair:

I love the fact the controls are articulated, so you can pose her controlling the mech. Looking her completely side-on, the clip does have a bit of a long base, and does show a bit, but I think the main way of enjoying this figure is from a more front-on angle. You can also choose to omit the clip, and there is a piece that covers up the hole, if you wished to pin her in the seat differently. 

The double base configuration is interesting, and allows you to pose the seat in many different angles, if you want a more “In combat” pose. It also makes the chair decently sturdy. 

Back:

Not much to see here. Some sculpting here, but not a lot, however this angle isn’t one you’re gonna want 😛

Overall, I’m pleased with the figure, and she has a decent amount of poseabilty. The thing that really makes this figure is the chair though – it’s a really nice accessory to have. The most annoying thing about this figure is clip-on joint between the chair and the controls – it was a bit annoying to get on, and it can become unclipped when posing. 

If you wanted to display the chair and Rei separately, you could do this. The chair would have one stand, and Rei would have the other with the clip. Not tried balancing the chair without Rei, though, but I assume it would work… 

With new Figma coming in at the same price as Rei is in the aftermarket, she’s probably still value-for-money compared to new releases. I think she holds up well, and am glad to have her. 

Mari Makinami Illustrious – Seat of Soul

And to complete the Seat of Soul set, we have Mari. As I bought the second Rei, I thought I might as well get Mari too. So I did:

She is also well-crafted, like the others in this set. 

View from the front:

I love the fact they’ve chosen a different pose from the others, where she has her leg curled up, as it helps give variety to the set. 

Mari’s back:

Not the most exciting view, but her hair is nicely done. Arm seam is a lot more visible here, but being a plugsit, it kind of gets away with it.

Back of the chair:

Yep, still nowt to see here.

Top:

Nicely sculpted and painted. One nice thing of her having a headband is you don’t get the hair seam you get on a lot of figures. She sits nicely in the chair, and doesn’t feel at threat of falling out. 

Glad I got this one to complete the set 🙂

Rei Ayanami – Seat of Soul Vol. 1

With this figure, I’ve been going back and forth about buying it. Prior to owning any of the Seat of Soul figures, I was happy to own either, and the best price I found was on the Vol 2 one, so I got that. At one point I saw it on Mandarake, but dithered too long and it sold. Then someone wanted to sell some figures, but the price they were asking was higher than what I wanted to pay, but then I checked Mandarake again… and there it was. Didn’t want to miss it again, so grabbed it. 

So here she is:

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These figures are nicely sculpted and painted for prize figures. Seeing her in person, I do like her pose more than in the pictures. 

Side of the plug chair:

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She’s not quite looking in this direction. 

Front of the chair:

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She just fits around the bottom middle part. This part comes unattached, so you can place her in there in the seat, which makes it easier to get her in ther. 

Other side of the chair:

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I love the fact they’ve posed one of her hands leaning on the side. It’s a nice attention to detail, instead of having her hand curled up or something. Her hair is more sculpted than other prize figures of Rei, which is nice. 

Back of the chair:

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Yep. Nothin’ to see here. Move along. 

Erm, OK, safer territory, her face:

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She has a Rei-expression. The face I find a bit nicer than the average face you get on prize figures, and her hair is very nicely done. The paint is also really good – little in the way of slop. 

Overall, I’m glad to get this figure, and I have now since purchased the second in this set – Mari. I will display Rei & Mari together, near to where the other Seat of Soul figures are displayed.