As collectors, you're generally focused on the present, or you're a retro collector. Me? I'm pretty much just a Toy Junkie in general, and ultimately it's about the value proposition, or more specifically, what neat things my cheap ass comes across, and the surprises are often quite astounding.. or at least they are to me. Take the subject of this article, the Medicom Real Action Heroes Chun Li 1.0.
So about a decade ago or so, I learned of, and purchased, the 2.0 of the aforementioned figure. Even as of Spring 2024, there have only been two official 1/6 dolls of Chun Li, and only one of Cammy. The 2.0 and Cammy were released under the Ultra Street Fighter 4 license. The Chun Li was effectively an apology of sorts from Medicom for the rather barebones nature of the 1.0, though arguably speaking for the price requested of 19,800 Yen (about $200 USD at the time) the contents were a bit weak, but hey, that's the power of licensing.
While the 2.0 and 1.0 shared the same base body and outfit, the headsculpts were completely different, and I had always wondered what the 1.0 was like in hand. Well, over this past weekend, I was able to finally answer that when I answered a local Classified ad that was asking $100 CAD for mint condition 1.0 figure.
So if you thought the 2.0 was expensive, wait till you get a load of this. Released waaaaaay back in 2008, this figure was a whopping 15,800 Yen, or about $150 USD, which doesn't sound like much these days but back then that could buy a lot of figure if it were a Hot Toy - in fact I believe my DX 02 was about that price. And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Other than a Base/Stand that isn't pictured, this is what 15,800 Yen got you - the figure in a fabric outfit, and a pair of open palms.
Medicom made a White costume version of this figure, and I have absolutely no idea how or when I'll get my hands on one of those.
So first off, out the box. Now, while the price was a bit out of touch with reality, there were a few things that at least would qualify the figure as being a luxury release. Looking at the overall figure, naturally this is Chun Li, and I know it sounds stupid, but during this time period there were many trainwrecks masquerading as toys. The boots are a bit tiny though.
The outfit, as mentioned, is fabric and while the body itself isn't perfect for the character, the tailoring on the outfit is actually pretty good and hugs the contours of the body perfectly - the leggings are a bit loose but they're also not see through. In fact, it should probably be said that while the outfit isn't exactly great by your typical Hot Toys standards, it is still leagues better than many of the modern day Phicen "outfits", and even has wired front and back waist flaps.
Speaking of the body, as mentioned it's pretty lacklustre for being a Chun Li body, which honestly is still a problem even at the time of this writing. However, Medicom should be given credit for at least attempting to recreate the incredible muscle mass that is her legs. The thighs, quads, calves, all bulge and save this body from looking completely like a generic female Medicom body. She has no ass, however, and the upper body is just kind of there.
So the only real difference between the 1.0 and 2.0 is the head (extra accessories are add ons as opposed to differences) and while the 2.0 went for the Ultra SF4 aesthetic, this figure was more generic, licensed under Street Fighter. Since this was 2008, you really only had two choices for the Classic Chun Li outfit - SF2, or SF3. This head is clearly modelled after the SF3 look, specifically the Kinu NIshimura artwork though they didn't quite capture the eyes perfectly. What you do get is a portrait featuring some very delicate features. tightly wrapped up hair (ala SF3), her trademark hair tassels, and a porcelain like complexion, the standard for Chinese beauty. It's actually quite a nice sculpt, even if it is old. The current Phicen heads for Chun Li kitbashes don't even attempt to replicate an animated look, opting to go straight for those generic Chinese faces but with different hair.
So Articulation wise, it's a mixed bag. The legs are relatively uninhibited, mainly having bulk to deal with. The double jointed knees don't allow for that nice deep bend we like to see, instead tapping out at slightly past 90 degrees. But the hips are uninhibited as are the thigh twist and of course, the ankles. The torso itself is a different story.
Like with Ryoko, the body from waist upwards is wrapped in a pliable rubber, though her breasts are made of a hard plastic. Now, I know the intent was so that the outfit had something to drape over that didn't look like an open box of Legos. From that perspective it worked out great. Unfortunately, this rubber layer tends to restrict the articulation of any joints contained within , and as such I will never be able to truly discern if Chun Li can twerk. The butterfly shoulders however, are not interfered with in any way.
Shoulder rotation is strangely limited by the outfit, though the bicep swivel, double jointed elbows and wrists work as designed. The neck articulation allows for head tilts but arching back doesn't seem to do anything. The tassels feature a single point of articulation to recreate more dynamic looks/move stuff out of the way.
Paint Application wise, I don't believe the flesh tone is painted on, relying on the colour of the plastic, which to be fair, is actually a nice complexion for Chun Li. From what I can tell, paint is the head, bracelets, and boots. The boots are actually white plastic with some shading applied, with the actual paint work being on the soles. Facial detailing, along with the hair and buns are nicely painted, with the buns having a white with a gloss pearl finish, which gives a slight shimmering effect.
Finally, Build Quality wise, the body itself was certainly less fragile than I remember the 2.0 being, or maybe I was overworried about it. Handled the posing just fine and nothing was damaged, even the outfit. The figure tends to come apart at the biceps though you can squeeze it back in easily, and I think it relies on the full length of the shoulder puffs to keep enough friction on the upper arm and keep it together. The only legitimately delicate part would be the tassels, hanging on by that one ball joint to the head. Wouldn't want to yank that too hard and rip it out or something.
Overall, your more recent additions to the one sixth collector world are not likely to be impressed with this figure, and I completely understand that. It doesn't help that these figures are stupidly expensive in the aftermarket, and it'll be interesting to see where prices go when Iconiq finally announces their Chun Li. But for a relic hunter like myself, I like adding pieces like this for the right price, as it's not ancient enough that I worry about it turning to dust, but it's old enough to show me how things have evolved to their present day forms, whether that be from an engineering perspective, or an artistic one.
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