Just a quick look at another Mai figure that's also a quirky cultural item in SE Asia.
So, instant ramen is a big thing overseas - unseal, add hot water, close the lid and wait. We have our versions and brands here in Canada/North America, but they all generally suck compared to what you can get in Asia.
These things are so prevalent that companies such as FuRyu have actually made Prize Figures (figures you can win with a claw machine, generally) of characters whose sole purpose is to keep all that heat trapped in the bowl so your noodles will cook properly. These figures are known as Noodle Stoppers (or Toppers). Like with all other Prize Figures, if you're willing to pay more, you can just buy it off the shelf.
Crazy how this one function is enough to spawn an entire collecting crazy. I've seen some eBay auctions for characters such as Morrigan that command over $100. Imagine spending $100 on a Prize Figure with the sole function of helping you make instant ramen.
This particular one happened to show up locally for $20, which I think is about right with regards to MSRP though mine was used so I guess I paid premium. As the picture on the box shows, she's sized to keep even the full sized bowls closed, though clearly it would work on smaller openings.
Nothing fancy pose wise - pretty much just lounging. I think most of the other Stoppers are very similar as they need to effectively sit and flatten, though depending on the pose the figures may only work on the smaller noodle cups.
What's more important is that first off, she actually looks like the promo photos. It's actually not that bad of a looking piece, and quite honestly is better than some of their actual prize figures. This probably ties into point two, which is that the material the figure is made from can actually withstand the expected heat - it would suck if the figure started to warp while performing its intended function.
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