With the 1/6 stuff out of the way, I now head back to my usual hang out - Figma, Figuarts, and other similar sized figures. On the top of my list, Figma 366: Fate/Grand Order Ruler - Jeanne D'Arc, or if you're English speaking, Joan of Arc. If you know the name Fate, you know the deal - Heroic Spirts of various historical and, in more recent times, fantasy based, characters brought into various realms to battle on behalf of those who summon them. Sometimes (OK, most of the time) there's even a gender bend involved, but ultimately you end up with a visually slick character design that sell a boatload of character goods. The fact that the Maid of Orleans had a very successful Figma run shouldn't surprise anyone, with at least four different styles... I still don't have a clue what a Ruler class attacks with, though. I can't exactly remember when (thanks, COVID), Goodsmile reissued a few of them, which included our lovely lady here. Saw an easy grab from Amiami and here she is. Well, technically here she's been, as she arrived at the beginning of December, sitting there and taunting me.
Originally released in 2018, the 2021 reissue, at 8,800 Yen, slightly more than the 8,000 Yen of the first release, though even now you're still able to find the reissue with some good savings applied. Contents are fair given the price point, as the complexity of the outfit also needs to taken into account:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 3 x Face Plates (Smiling, Shouting, Embarassed)
- 8 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 1 x Sword HIlt
- 1 x Sword
- 1 x Flag/Spear end
- 1 x Rolled Up Flag
- 1 x Unfurled Flag (Luminosite Eternelle)
- 1 x Flat Tip
- 1 x Figma Base/Stand
Due to the weight of the braid and the skirt, Jeanne tends to fall over backwards... a lot. Throw into the mix the heavy flag she carries, well you're gonna have a fun time tryin to pose Jeanne freestanding. The usual deviations from accepted proportions, though I'm pretty sure she's still bustier than most of my Figma ladies, though strangely this doesn't seem to extend to her beach wear figure. Dressed in a fashion similar to that of Artoria, you get a nice combination of armoured sections and fabric robes. Detailing on the parts
In theory, Jeanne has all the standard Figma 2.0 joints, including the expanding shoulders for greater range of motion. Various parts of her outfit are jointed as well, namely the silver panels on the hips, and that panel on the back. There's also a dedicated set of joints for moving the braid. They even gave her a working waist joint.
In practice, however, the costume does induce limits to range of motion. The shin armour prevents the ankles from tilting the body forward, The asymmetrical opening of the skirt and rigid nature of the side panels limit leg movement. Expanding shoulders improve range towards the back of the body, but the bust is too large to really have any forward effects. The braid movement does allow for improved range of head motion, though.
I like how they made the wrist guards out of a flexible rubber, allowing your to maintain that connectivity but at the same time allowing for basically full range of motion of the hands.
The overall result is you get some decent poses upper body wise, but lower body wise, you're really not going to get too many deep lunge type poses.
Unlike my previous Aegis Gear Figma, there was no world wide quality memo released. Thus, Paint Apps are basically what you'd expect from a Goodsmile release. Silver for the armour parts are smooth. Masking is done well, with the usual margin of error when it comes to accuracy. There's no overspray to note on the figure or the accessories though for some reason it does seem like either the paint is a bit thicker or they applied an extra layer, though none of the underlying detailing on the sculpt was buried. Work on the face is crisp and clean.
Build Quality is also consistent with the usual Figma expectations... mostly. Finishes on parts are good, there are no limb length issues, hands fit on, and there are no horribly squeaky joints. The main issue I have with my figure, and boy is it ever annoying, is that I think the tolerances on my hair pieces aren't right, resulting on the front hair falling out very, very easily. So pretty much every time my figure toppled over because it was too heavy, I'd have a chance of scrambling across the floor to find a missing hair piece.
Another solid Figma, another solid entry in the Fate line up, awkward articulation and all. While I do miss the ridiculous range of motion that the seamless bodies , it's nice coming back to figures that take up so much less footprint, as well as having interesting joint designs to maximize playability. The backlog is also about get a lot bigger, so it's a good time to get started again so I can get rid of some of these shipping boxes.
Onward and upward!
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