Good Smile Company News

Welcome, my fellow AnimeVice members, to this my fourth installment of the Weekly Figure Preview feature here on the Vice. Last week, we previewed three anime figures (Charlotte, Mio, Makise) along with one nendoroid (Kirino Kousaka), and this week will feature the same preview formula. All of the figures/nendoroids that will be featured in this preview can be found on Play-Asia's site. For any figures that are not on Play-Asia, I will provide a link for the product at the end of the figure's respective article. Due to my current enrollment at Butte College, all future previews might be shortened or even moved to another date (from each Thursday to each Friday) in case I need to better comply with my busy schedule of homework and studying. The line up for today, as follows:
 

1. Bakemonogatari 1/8th Scale PVC: Hitagi Senjougahara (Good Smile Version) (Good Smile Company)
2. Fate/Stay Night 1/7th Scale PVC: Saber Alter (Vortigern Version) (Good Smile Company)
3. Strike Witches 1/8th Scale PVC: Erica Hartmann (Re-run) (Kotobukiya Corporation)
   
4. Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Nendoroid PVC: Kuroneko (Good Smile Company) 

 
I will give the readers a preview of each figure, complete with two images, descriptions, price, and my overall thoughts on each figure. 

Bakemonogatari 1/8th Scale PVC: Hitagi Senjogahara (Good Smile Version)

Produced by the Good Smile Company and licensed by Shaft Studios as part of their official line of Bakemonogatari products, the 1/8th Scale Bakemonogatari PVC Hitagi Senjougahara figure is currently available on the global market since January 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 9,900 Yen (excluding taxes). It is sculpted by the talented figure sculptor Hironori Tokunaga with cooperation from Takayuki Kawahara for the Good Smile Company.
Being new to the Bakemonogatari anime as well as the Bakemonogatari franchise from Shaft Studios, I had to go and research more about the franchise and for Hitagi Senjogahara, the main female protagonist of the Bakemonogatari franchise. I came across this unique figure on the Good Smile Company site several weeks ago when looking up additional images for the Black Gold Saw preview I did two previews ago, so I decided that I would get around to featuring this figure, which caught my attention with all of the stationary falling out of her lifted skirt. She comes with a second swappable skirt as well as swappable hands that allows her to hold two staplers in her hands and the cascading stationary can be removed to how the collector wishes to display it in their collection. I really like the amount of effort and detail that both sculptors Hironori Tokunaga and Takayuki Kawahara along with Good Smile have put into this figure, from the flowing purple hair of Hitagi to her overall outfit and to the cascading stationary that rains down from beneath her lifted skirt. She would make a wonderful addition to anyone's figure collection who is looking for a high quality figure that is both eye-catching and unique to all who lay eyes upon it. Bakemonogatari was on my "To Watch" list in 2009, but sadly I never got around to it. Perhaps it is time I looked into it after all...
Height: 210 Mm (21 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently available on Play-Asia since January 2011. Still in stock as of 8:00 PM on 2/2/2011)
Price: 9,900 Yen (roughly $119.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Bakemonogatari franchise, Hitagi Senjougahara, or the collector that is looking for a high quality addition to their expanding collection that will capture the attention of all who lay eyes upon her. 
 

Fate/Stay Night 1/7th Scale PVC: Saber Alter (Vortigern Version)

Produced by the Good Smile Company and licensed by TYPE-MOON as part of their official Fate/Stay Night line of products, the 1/7th Scale Fate/Stay Night PVC Saber Alter figure is expected to see global market release in April 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 9,490 Yen (excluding taxes). It is crafted by the talented figure sculptor Hiroshi (Sakurazensen) for the Good Smile Company.
For the first time since the 2nd preview, I am finally doing a preview on a figure that I am somewhat knowledgeable about, having read the Fate/Stay Night manga and watched some of the anime show last year. This figure's take on the lead female protagonist Saber is her Alter version, which is what Saber becomes when tainted by a evil shadow that corrupts her standard form. Filled with dark energy and poised to strike at her enemies with her powerful sword Excalibur, Saber's face is covered with a wicked mask that adds to the incredible job that both Hiroshi and Good Smile have put into this figure, from the details of her overall armor to her sword Excalibur down to the rugged terrain that makes up part of her base. She also comes with the Vortigern, the wicked blade that forms when Saber Alter summons up all of the dark energy in her system that can be swapped with her Excalibur and the mask on her face is removable to reveal the sinister glare in her now golden eyes. If you are a Fate/Stay Night fan or not, she would make a great addition to your growing figure collection due to the amazing job that Good Smile did in producing this incredible figure. This is the next figure that I will be investing in later this year, and hopefully you too will add her to your collection. I should get around to finishing the anime one of these days...
Height: 175 Mm [without the sword] (17.5 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected for global release in April 2011)
Price: 9,490 Yen (Roughly $114.90 USD) 
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Fate/Stay Night franchise, Saber, or anyone who is looking for an amazing figure that will become the new centerpiece of your expanding collection and does not mind the higher price that comes with the quality. 

Strike Witches 1/8th Scale PVC: Erica Hartmann (Re-Run of May 2010 Figure)

Produced by the Kotobukiya Corportaion and licensed by AIC Spirits Studios as part of the line up of official Strike Witches products, the 1/8th Scale Strike Witches PVC Erica Hartmann figure is currently available on the global market since January 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 7,010 Yen. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate the information regarding who crafted it on Play-Asia, Neko Magic, or on Kotobukiya's own site (it seems that they removed their Strike Witches section from their site), so sadly I do not know who exactly crafted her.
Now, I know that some of you that read last week's preview might be thinking "Hey, another Strike Witches figure? We saw the ALTER Corporation Charlotte Elwood Yeager one last week!", but one of the reasons that I choose to feature this Strike Witches figure is to compare it quality-wise to the incredible figure that the ALTER Corporation established in their Charlotte figure. I am not knocking on the quality of Kotobukiya Corporation's figures, but I am trying to compare their offering of a figure from a hit series to another figure of the same series from another company. Having roughly educated myself last week about the Strike Witches franchise and Strike Witches anime through research, I was aware of who Erica Hartmann was, but needed to look up more info regarding her character before previewing this figure. As stated in a prior preview, with me being a certified sucker for anime girls with guns, that was probably the main reason I first decided to feature Erica in this week's preview. She comes with swappable blades for her striker unit (one pair of stopped blades and a pair of spinning blades), the military hat on her head is removable to whatever the collector wishes to display her with, and her position can be altered slightly from the support that rises from her blue base. The detail that Kotobukiya has put into her is respectable, from her black military outfit to her machine gun that she wields into battle with the Neuroi forces. She would make a great addition to anyone who already owns Strike Witches figures or for anyone who is looking for a good quality figure that is not big of a hit to the wallet as some other figures can be.
Height: 220 Mm (22 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently available for sale on Play-Asia since January 2011. Still in stock as of 8:00 PM on 2/2/2011)
Price: 7,010 Yen (roughly $84.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Strike Witches franchise, Erica Hartmann, or the collector looking to add a interesting figure that is of good quality that will catch the eyes of those who look upon it. 

Nendoroid Corner: Non-Scale Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii ga Nai! PVC: Kuroneko

For this week's installment of the Nendoroid Corner, we will be looking into the other nendoroid featured by the Good Smile Company from the hit anime/manga series Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii ga Nai. Today, we will be previewing Kuroneko, one of several female characters from Ore no Imouto and the otaku friend of Kirino Kosaka, who was featured in last week's preview. Produced by the Good Smile Company in cooperation with Nendoron and officially licensed by the joint association of Aniplex and ASCII Media Works, the Non-Scale Nendoroid PVC Kuroneko is expected to see global market release around April 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 3,460 Yen (excluding taxes). She is crafted by the talented figure sculptor Maruhige for the Good Smile Company.
Still being relatively new to the Ore no Imouto anime and the Ore no Imouto franchise, I had to look up more information regarding both the franchise and Kuroneko, one of the female characters of the popular anime franchise that Good Smile decided to make a nendoroid for in a collaboration with the Kirino Kosaka nendoroid that hits the market later this month.  She comes with several swappable facial expressions (Happy, Relieved, and Concern), a attachable set of kitty ears, as well as several swappable arms and legs to change up her pose to what the collector wants her displayed with along with a DVD case of her beloved "MASCHERA: Lament of a Fallen Beast" for her to hold in her hand. As I have stated before, I am not much of a fan of nendoroids in general, but Good Smile is slowly winning me over with all of these high quality nendoroids that I have been featuring lately. She would make a great addition to the nendoroid collector that is looking for a great quality figure that is both eye-catching and customizable to their needs. Still don't think that I will ever give the Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai anime a try, but at least you can own part of it...
Height: 100 Mm (10 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expecting a global release in April 2011)
Price: 3,460 Yen (roughly $41.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai franchise, Kuroneko, or the nendoroid collector that is looking for a great addition to their collection that is decently priced and will attract the eye of most who look in it's direction.
 
That wraps up Weekly Figure Preview: 2/3/2011. Next week's line-up is currently TBA (should announce final lineup by Sunday).
 
* William Anderson is currently attending classes at Butte College in the process of earning a Radio/TV/Film Bachelor's Degree by 2012. He writes short stories, regularly contributes to both AnimeVice and Giant Bomb's wiki databases, and is trying to catch up on the anime shows that he has fallen more than 3 months behind on. If you have any questions or figure requests, please PM me today!

Welcome, my fellow AnimeVice members, to this my third installment of the Weekly Figure Preview feature here on the Vice. Last week, we previewed three anime figures (Maxima, Yuri, and Black Gold Saw) along with one nendoroid (Makise Kurisu), and this week will feature the same preview formula. All of the figures/nendoroids that will be featured in this preview can be found on Play-Asia's site. For any figures that are not on Play-Asia, I will provide the link for the product at the end of the figure's respective article. Due to my current commitment to college, the next couple of previews might be shortened or perhaps not appear as scheduled. The line up for today, as follows:
 

1. Strike Witches 1/8th Scale PVC: Charlotte Elwood Yeager (ALTER Corporation)
   
2. K-ON! 1/7th Scale PVC: Akiyama Mio (Max Factory Version) (GoodSmile Company/MAX FACTORY)
3. Steins;Gate 1/8th Scale PVC: Makise Kurisu (Kotobukiya Corporation)
   
4. Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Nendoroid PVC: Kirino Kosaka (GoodSmile Company) 

 
I will give readers a preview of each figure, complete with 2 images, descriptions, price, and my overall thoughts on each figure. 

Strike Witches 1/8th Scale PVC: Charlotte Elwood Yeager

Produced by the ALTER Corporation and licensed by AIC Spirits Studios as part of their official line of Strike Witches products, the 1/8th Scale Strike Witches PVC Charlotte Elwood Yeager figure is expected to see global market release around May 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 7,800 Yen (excluding taxes). It is crafted by the talented figure sculptor Munetoshi Kajio for the ALTER Corporation. 
Being new to the Strike Witches anime as well as the Strike Witches franchise from AIC Spirits/GONZO, I needed to look up more information regarding both Strike Witches and Charlotte Elwood Yeager, one of the many girls that appears in the franchise. I stumbled across this figure on ALTER's site last week when browsing their upcoming figures, and it quickly caught my interests to the point that I felt that I should preview it this week. I am not quite sure what about this figure caught my attention, but I was impressed by the quality that both ALTER and sculptor Munetoshi Kajio have put into this figure, from her overall appearance of her outfit to her striker gear down to the combat rifle she wields in battle. As a certified sucker for anime girls with guns, that is perhaps the reason why I took interest in her in the first place, since I had not known anything about her prior to looking up information on Monday. The blades on her striker unit are swappable with both still blades and spinning blades depending on what the collector wishes to display with. She would make a great addition to anyone's figure collection who is looking for another high quality figure that will attract the attention of all who lay eyes upon her in your growing collection. Perhaps I should look into Strike Witches one of these days....
Height: 210 Mm (21 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently available for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected for global release in May 2011)
Price: 7,800 Yen (roughly $94.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Strike Witches franchise, Charlotte Elwood Yeager, or the figure collector who is looking to add a high quality figure to their expanding collections that is modestly priced compared to other similar-sized figures on the market. 

K-ON! 1/7th Scale PVC: Mio Akiyama (MAX FACTORY Version)

Produced by the GoodSmile Company in their continued partnership with MAX FACTORY and licensed by Kyoto Animation as part of their official K-ON! line of products, the 1/7th Scale K-ON! PVC Mio Akiyama figure is currently available on the market in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 7,640 Yen (excluding taxes). It was sculpted by the talented figure sculptor Nakayaman for MAX FACTORY. 
Being new to both the K-ON! anime as well as the K-ON! franchise from Kyoto Animation, I had to look up more information regarding the K-ON! franchise and Mio Akiyama, one of the five main female characters that is in the K-ON! franchise. I came across this figure when checking out the newest figures uploaded on GoodSmile's site, and decided since I had put off the other K-ON! figure that I had meant to feature last week (Tsumugi Kotobuki), I would feature Mio in this week's figure preview. Although I am not much of a fan of the moe or slice of life anime genres, this figure won me over with the high quality that both MAX FACTORY and their sculptor Nakayaman have put into her, from the details on her maid outfit to the flowing black hair and her slightly embarrassed expression down to the intricate details on her prized bass guitar Elizabeth. She would make a perfect addition to the figure collector's collection who is looking for a good quality figure that is attractive to the eye and priced at a affordable price that will not put the squeeze on your wallet. Still not sure if I will ever give the K-ON! franchise a try, but perhaps one of these days I might try it out and see what everyone is talking about.
Height: 230 Mm (23 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for sale on Play-Asia's site)
Price: 7,640 Yen (roughly $89.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the K-ON! franchise, Mio Akiyama, or figure collectors that are looking into a good quality figure that is easy on the wallet and will be a eye-catching addition to their expanding collections. 

Steins;Gate 1/8th Scale PVC: Makise Kurisu

Produced by the Kotobukiya Corporation and licensed by the joint partnership of 5pb. and Nitro+ as part of their official line of Steins;Gate products, the 1/8th Scale Steins;Gate PVC Makise Kurisu figure is currently available on the market in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 7,880 Yen (excluding taxes). She is sculpted by talented figure sculptor MIC for the Kotobukiya Corporation.
Again being new to the Steins;Gate anime as well as the Steins;Gate franchise, I had to look up more information regarding both the Steins;Gate franchise and it's main female protagonist Makise Kurisu on AnimeVice and on Wikipedia. I featured a nendoroid version of Makise Kurisu in last week's preview, and I decided to feature the 1/8th Scale offering from Kotobukiya on this week's preview since I have been gaining interest in the Steins;Gate franchise since I looked it up last week. I was not sure of the overall quality of this figure (since my 1/8th Scale Valkyria Chronicles Alicia Melchiott figure also came from the Kotobukiya Corporation, and it had some rough patches on her legs and minor artifacts from production left over on her hands), but what amazed me the most about her was the unique base that Makise sits on and how it adds to the overall appearance of the figure, down to the cold and emotionless expression on her face. She comes with the base, the complex, intertwining cogs/gears that she sits upon, and her trademark cell phone that is attached to one of the gears. Makise would make a good addition to anyone who is looking for a unique, stand-out figure that delivers good quality and will become a appeasing addition to your growing collection. The price is a little steep for the quality in my opinion (I would have priced this at perhaps 6,200 or so Yen if it was up to me), but I can't argue about it without being a hypocrite. I really need to look into the anime one of these days, and perhaps the XB360 game if I had a XB360 and understood Japanese. 
Height: 220 Mm (22 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for sale on Play-Asia's site)
Price: 7,880 Yen (roughly $94.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of Steins;Gate, Makise Kurisu, or the figure collector looking to add a unique figure to their growing collection of figures. My only issue is the price and perhaps some overall quality concerns.

Nendoroid Corner: Non-Scale Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai! PVC: Kirino Kosaka

For this week's edition of Nendoroid Corner, we will be looking into the popular female protagonist Kirino Kousaka, the 14-year old main female protagonist of the hit Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai! anime. Produced by the GoodSmile Company in cooperation with Nendoron and licensed by a joint association between Aniplex and ASCII Media Works as part of their official lineup of Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai! products, the Non-Scale PVC Kirino Kousaka is expected to see global market release in February 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 3,500 Yen (excluding taxes). She is sculpted by the talented figure sculptor Katou Gaku for the GoodSmile Company. Once again, I am new to both the Ore no Imouto anime and the Ore no Imouto franchise, so I had to look up for more information on both the Ore no Imouto franchise and Kirino Kosaka on AnimeVice and Wikipedia before starting this preview. She comes with three swappable faces (Grumpy, Excited, and Confident) and several swappable arms that allow for several poses along with as a copy of her favorite shojo Meruru DVD , her cell phone, as well as her infamous bag of dirty doujinshi magazines for her to be displayed with. This is another great nendoroid that both sculptor Katou Gaku and GoodSmile have put great effort into, and it shows in the overall appearance of this nendoroid. I am not sure that this series is quite my cup of tea, but I do know when I see a great quality product on the market, and this nendoroid fits into that department with ease. She would make a perfect addition to the figure collector looking to expand on their nendoroid collection with a high quality figure that is reasonably priced and will not put the squeeze on your budget.
Height: 100 Mm (10 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently sold out thru pre-orders on Play-Asia's site and is expected to see release in February 2011)
Price: 3,500 Yen (roughly $42.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai! franchise, Kirino Kosaka, or the nendoroid collector looking for another high quality addition to their collection to display to all who lay eyes upon it.
 
This concludes this week's figure preview. Next week, Bakemonogatari, Strike Witches, Manaka de Ikuno!!, and a Kuroneko Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii ga Nai! Nendoroid. 
 
*William Anderson is currently attending classes at Butte College in the process of earning a Radio/TV/Film Bachelor's Degree by 2012. He writes short stories, regularly contributes to both AnimeVice and Giant Bomb's wiki databases, and is trying to catch up on the anime shows that he has fallen more than 3 months behind on.

Welcome, my fellow AnimeVice members, to this the second installment of the Weekly Figure Preview feature here on the Vice. Last week, we previewed three anime figures (Dizzy, Tenshi, Nanoha) along with one nendoroid (Archbishop), and this week will feature the same preview formula. All of the figures/nendoroids that will be featured in this preview can be found on Play-Asia. The line up for today, as follows:
 

1. Shining Hearts 1/8th Scale PVC: Maxima (Kotobukiya Corporation)
2. Angel Beats! 1/8th Scale PVC: Yuri (GoodSmile Company)
3. Black Rock Shooter 1/8th Scale PVC: Black Gold Saw Animation Version (GoodSmile Company)
4. Steins;Gate Nendoroid PVC: Makise Kurisu (GoodSmile Company)

 
I will give readers a preview of each figure, complete with image, descriptions, price, and my overall thoughts on each figure.

Shining Hearts 1/8th Scale PVC: Maxima

Produced by the Kotobukiya Corporation and licensed by SEGA as part of their official Shining Hearts product line, the 1/8th Scale Shining Hearts PVC Maxima figure is expected to see global market release around May 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for roughly 6,640 Yen (excluding taxes). It is crafted by talented figure sculptor Keijiro Migakida for the Kotobukiya Corporation.
Being new to the Shining Hearts game and the Shining franchise from SEGA, I tried to look up information regarding Shining Hearts and Maxima, who is one of the games characters that Kotobukiya has selected to create a figure for, but I most information that I found was in Japanese, I could not use it. So, I will use a small exert from the product description on it's Play-Asia page:
 
"Maxima Enfield is shrouded in mystery, this girl leads you into schemes and gives you hints, but reveals nothing about herself." 
 
Personally, I like this figure due to the high quality that both Kotobukiya and Keijiro Migakida have put into this figure, from the minute details on her outfit, the sword and card that she holds in each of her hands, and to the silently confident expression on her face. To my knowledge at this point, there are no removable/changable parts on her. She would make a great addition to anyone's figure collection who is looking to score a quality figure that won't break the bank in the process. Makes me almost want to purchase a PSP and buy a copy of Shining Hearts just so I can get to know more about this promising JRPG franchise.
Height: 215 Mm (21.5 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected to release May 2011) 
Price: 6,640 Yen (roughly $79.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Shining Hearts game, Maxima Enfield, or the anime collector who is looking for a quality addition to their collection that is easy on the wallet while delivering a great product.
 

Angel Beats! 1/8th Scale PVC: Yuri

Produced by the GoodSmile Company and licensed by the joint association of P.A. Works, Dengeki G's Magazine, and Aniplex, the 1/8th Scale Angel Beats! Yuri figure is expected to see global market release around April 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for 5,810 Yen (excluding taxes). It is crafted by talented figure sculptor Sanzigen for the GoodSmile Company. 
Being a big fan and follower of the hit Angel Beats! anime when it aired last year, I was quite excited when GoodSmile began taking pre-orders for a Yuri figure on Play-Asia towards the end of last year. As with the Tenshi figure that I featured last week, Yuri was made with a sophisticated 3D/GC rendering program that GoodSmile and their sculptors used to create a highly detailed take on the the spirited leader of the SSS Brigade. What impresses me about this figure is the amount of effort that GoodSmile has put into Yuri, from her overall appearance down to the details on her outfit and the Beretta M92F pistol she wields. I also managed to find one of the images of what the Yuri figure looked like when in the 3D/CG rendering program, and here it is:

Overall, Yuri is another quality figure that the sculptors at GoodSmile have put impressive effort into, and she is one figure that any Angel Beats! fan should not pass up on if they have the chance to own her. With the decent price, she makes a great addition to anyone's figure collection and won't put the squeeze on your wallet in the process. 
 
Height: 195 Mm (19.5 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected for release in April 2011)
Price: 5,810 Yen (roughly $69.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Angel Beats! franchise, Yuri, or anyone who is looking to make a quality purchase to add to their collection that will not put a major hurt on your budget. 
 

Black Rock Shooter 1/8th Scale PVC: Black Gold Saw (Animation Version)

Produced by the GoodSmile Company and licensed by the Huke/BRS Project, the 1/8th Scale Black Rock Shooter Black Gold Saw figure is expected to see global market release around June 2011 in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for 9,540 Yen. It was crafted by the famed figure sculptor Ken Kawanishi (known by some as Grim Rock!) for the GoodSmile Company. 
I first heard of the Black Rock Shooter project around March of last year and after viewing some of the images and reading about the upcoming Black Rock Shooter OVA and movie that arrived later in the year, I quickly became a fan of the BRS Project and I was excited when I found several Black Rock Shooter figures for sale on Play-Asia recently. When I heard of the new Black Gold Saw figure that was due for release later this year from GoodSmile, I took immediate interest in it and decided to include it in this week's preview so that others could see the newest addition to the Black Rock Shooter product lineup. Armed with her massive, serrated sword that she calls King's Saw, Black Gold Saw lunges forward to strike at her foes with her wicked blade, the action captured by GoodSmile in this highly detailed figure. From the flowing black hair and the details of her outfit down to the base with the shattering stones and black chains rising up and around her, the effort that Ken Kawanishi and GoodSmile have put into her is amazing. The price might be a little steep for some figure collectors, but the high quality and amazing appearance of Black Gold Saw will make her the center of anyone's figure collection. 

Height: 290 Mm (29 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edition: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected for release June 2011)
Price: 9,540 Yen (roughly $114.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Black Rock Shooter franchise and figure collectors who are looking for a premium quality addition to their growing collections if they don't mind the higher price.
 

Nendoroid Corner: Steins;Gate Non-Scale PVC: Makise Kurisu

For this week's Nendoroid Corner, I am taking a look into the newest Steins;Gate nendoroid of the main female protagonist Makise Kurisu. Produced by GoodSmile Company and licensed by the joint association of 5pb and NitroPlus, the Non-Scale Stein's Gate PVC Makise Kurisu figure is expected to see global market release later this month in Japan and on Play-Asia's site for 3,310 Yen. It was crafted by talented sculptor Maruhige in cooperation with Nendoron for the Good Smile Company. 

I had heard of the Steins;Gate game that saw release on the XB360 and PC on the Playfire forums earlier this year, and I have the anime on my waiting list as far as shows to watch in the next couple months, so when I saw this nendoroid on Play-Asia the other night, I decided to feature it in this week's Nendoroid Corner. She comes with multiple swappable faces that feature happy, embarrassed, and upset expressions. She also comes with several changeable arms that allow the owner to use several poses and utilize them with the included cell phone and folder that she is seen with from time to time in both the game and anime. Coming from GoodSmile, the effort and quality that they have put into her is something that I can appreciate from them. If you are looking for a nendoroid that is quite affordable and would make a interesting addition to your figure collection, then this is one nendoroid that you can make yours later this month. 

Height: 100 Mm (10 Cm)
Availability: Limited (Limited Edtion: Currently for pre-order on Play-Asia and expected to see release by the end of this month)
Price: 3,310 Yen (roughly $39.90 USD)
Who It is Recommended For: Fans of the Steins;Gate game, Steins;Gate anime, Makise Kurisu, or anyone looking for a quality nendoroid addition to their growing figure collection.
 
Thank you for reading this week's Weekly Figure Preview. Next week's line-up: K-ON!!, Bakemonogatari, Strike Witches figures as well as another "surprise" nendoroid!. 
 
Written by Will Anderson.

As the chibi-sized Nendoroids from Good Smile Company continue to try and woo with its adorableness, a prototype has been spotted of Mio Akiyama from K-On!.

Her little bass and amp are lovingly detailed and I hope to see the other characters become Nendoroids too. Personally, I'd rather have Figma versions of them but the Nendoroids are too adorable not to pass up.



Now the real question is, will she have shimapan (striped panties)?

[Picture source]