Tag: izuna hatsuse

Official vs Bootleg: Aquamarine Hatsuse Izuna

Today’s blog brings us Hatsuse Izuna by Aquamarine. And one not by Aquamarine.

I did not get the box with the bootleg, so there will be no box comparison. Though there were two problems with the bootleg figure prior to the final photoshoot – on arrival, her foot was snapped off, and then her tail became unglued prior to the test photoshoot. Not the best start!
Here are some photos of the damage, which I repaired before the photoshoot:

Base

For this figure, the base is a very plain one:

The official is an off-white, and the bootleg is stark white. Not a huge difference, unless you have them side-by-side.

Bottom of the bases:

On the official, we have the copyright information. And the bootleg has some sticky residue from the tape holding it into the remains of the blister packaging, plus some of my hair (might’ve had this lying around my room for awhile…).

The bases feel the same, so from visual inspection it’s only the colour and the copyright information that are noticeable differences. The official base weighs 40g and the bootleg weighs 36g, so there is some difference in the plastic used. On a personal level, I don’t like either base, and don’t use the official one with my official figure – she currently sits on a glass shelf, so the base only has the attribute of taking up space. However, the bootleg does show that the official base isn’t quite as plain as it could be.

Figure spin-around

Here are some photos showing the figures side-by-side in the same shot:

Continue reading “Official vs Bootleg: Aquamarine Hatsuse Izuna” →

Hatsuse Izuna – No Game No Life

This figure was also waiting for me at home, from my holiday in Japan. Pre-ordered this one some time ago, as the chance of delay is very real with the companies that produce/distribute via GSC. However, amazingly, this one was released on time! And thus got to hang out in the parcel box until I returned home… This figure is of a younger character in a swimsuit, so flagged this as NSFW, though she’s not showing anything. 

So let’s first check out the epic base she comes with:

image

Yeah, uh, thanks Aquamarine. 

And here she is, freed from her plastic prison:

image

The first thing that stands out are the colours – they’re very vibrant, and do the anime justice. I’m very happy her hair came out vibrant, which is essential for a NGNL figure. The swimsuit is also slightly shiny, and that works really well too imo. 

Close-up of her face:

image

Her earls look really good, and her hairband has come out well. The hair paint blending stands up to close scrutiny too. Not a big fan of her expression, but it has been done well. I’d prefer it if she at least looked a little happy and not under duress. 

Swimsuit:

image

The details are really nice, as well as the contrasting finish, though the finish doesn’t show so much in this photo. The red details are painted as they’re moulded, but they do sort of suddenly end… which I find a little odd, but not a dealbreaker for me. Do think it would look better if they appeared to carry on underneath her arms. 

Left:

image

Here we can see her HUGE tail, which is very nicely painted, but does have a whacking great big seam mark down the middle of it. Would prefer it if that wasn’t there, but it doesn’t show from the front, thankfully. 

Leg close-up:

image

Her shoes are nicely done, as with the wrinkles in her socks. The base of her shoes is also done with a shiny finish, which gives them a look of quality. 

Robe pattern:

image

She has this detailed pattern on the top and the bottom of her robe. It looks really good, and helps this figure stand out from less expensive figures. The shading here is also lovely, and really helps to add depth. 

Close-up of the shiny swimsuit:

image

Here you can see where the light is being reflected off it, and the wrinkles that have been sculpted and shaded. I think the belly button is a bit overdone though, but this style seems pretty common on Japanese figures. 

Right:

image

Hair still looking vibrant :). And more of the robe pattern. The red detail on her sleeves looks better like this, as you can’t see the odd termination.

Back:

image

The shading from her hair and tail are both really visible here, and look great. You can also see shading on the base of her shoe and on the back of her ears. I love the way it’s all so smoothly blended. 

Close-up of the tail tip:

image

Yeah, this was the first seam mark I noticed. Really rather visible. Would’ve been nice if they could’ve done something about this to make it show up a bit less, but again, not visible from the front. 

Back of her head:

image

Just love the sunset colours.

Detail of the dress from underneath:

image

The edging is done really nicely in gold, plus this pattern printed throughout. Also the dress is shaded under here too, to emphasise the peaks and valleys in the fabric.

Seams in the robe:

image

These are very visible if viewing the figure from beneath, as they’re pretty gappy. Kinda almost wants some filler in there… Again, it is a hidden seam, so you only really see it when you’re looking for it, but you do really see it if you look from the bottom imo. 

Overall, this is a really nicely produced figure, with many things that point to it being a premium product. However, Aquamarine figures are pretty pricey. And it really depends if you want a loli in a swimsuit… I don’t really see her in a pose-y way, so I like this figure, but I know her pose, outfit and supposed age is a bone of contention between collectors. But from a pure-figure perspective, she’s a really nice figure, and I think Aquamarine did a really good job with her.