Jaina Solo was actually released quite a while ago around January 2013. Considering the new Mara Jade statue has only just been released around May 2014, I really hope that's not the wait until the next Star Wars Bishoujo, because these statues are AWESOME!
Read on for more details on this gorgeous statue! :)
Packaging:
After seeing the previous box art from the Bishoujo line, I was actually a little disappointed in the boring standard black/grey Star Wars styling of this statue. I guess Lucasfilm is dictating a standard look across all figures/statues, since the Sideshow figures come in this style too.
The back has the usual blurb with photos of the statue. The big standout for me with these Bishoujos is always the prototype artwork on which the statues are based. Luckily the original artwork is still shown on the back, with a larger version on the side of the box. Love the playful nature of the pose, and it has translated well to the statue.
Assembly:
Some minor assembly is required, and it does get a little scary. The top and bottom halves are separated, and join together fairly easily. At first the white hip area did not fit in perfectly with the orange lower half, but the instructions do suggest using a hairdryer to warm up the pieces. After doing so, I was able to push the top and bottom halves of the body together for a perfect fit that showed no seams.
The scary part was actually attaching the left and right forearms. Both forearms are gloved, and her hands hold the helmet and the flight vest. Since these parts do seem fairly delicate, it's hard getting a decent grip to push them into the upper arms and click in. Again I used the hairdryer, and then with more effort this time they both clicked in. But I would still be very careful where you put your fingers, as I was quite worried I was going to snap or break something off from her hands.
For the stand, you just insert her feet into the knobs on the stand that fit nicely around her slightly heeled shoes. It's a solid grip and very stable. The stand also comes with two plastic inserts, one with just the Star Wars logo, and the other with what I assume to be her squadron insignia. I chose that one since it's a little more colourful.
The final item to attach is the lightsaber. The artwork actually has her tossing the lightsaber into the air, but of course that's impossible for a statue, so they have a fairly good compromise. The pinky finger on her right hand has a tiny knob, which can be inserted into a tiny hole in the bottom of the hilt. With some adjustment, the lightsaber can then be positioned in a similar way to the artwork tossing the lightsaber.
Statue:
Once all put together, she looks absolutely gorgeous! I don't think I've ever really been disappointed with a Kotobukiya paint app before, and this is no exception. The Bishoujo skin tone is incredible, giving a clear but almost luminescent style to the face and arms.
The head sculpt, from her beautiful facial features to her tousled hair, is fantastic. This truly does personify the Bishoujo title meaning "beautiful girl".
The detailing on the helmet is also nice, with sharp details and very little paint bleed. Even the orange plastic on the visor looks great.
The flight vest has also the molded detail you'd expect, but it does look a little bland with so much grey. I would've preferred a little splash of red or yellow, but it's still pretty nice.
The molding on her outfit is really nicely done and painted. The white torso is cute, and I love the pose with the orange outer layer splayed down her sides. Playful, and yet totally sexy.
The variations in orange to accent the folds in the material is done realistically, and looks great from all angles. Even her boots are nicely molded, with nice details all around.
The lightsaber too is nicely detailed, and actually looks like a cleaner paint app than Sideshow (eg. the Yoda lightsaber). However, it still doesn't match the beautifully detailed paint work of Hot Toys (eg. DX07 Luke lightsaber), but at this price point it's still pretty awesome.
Overall, this is a fantastic addition to any statue collection, especially if you're a Star Wars fan. I already collect the 6" Black Series and 1/6th scale figures from Hot Toys and Sideshow, so didn't feel the need to get the other Kotobukiya Star Wars statues.
But this Bishoujo line gives something a little different, with characters that aren't straight out of movies, but are inspired by them. They're gorgeous to look at, and really do stand out when placed together in a collection. I can't wait to get more of them soon :)
For the full video review, head on over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! The link to the video is below, so I hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your own thoughts! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment