Despite the fact that spending money at NYCC was kind of like pulling teeth, there were a few deals to be found, though you really needed to do you homework. Like with most conventions, these deals are random, and generally show up for things no on your shopping list. One such item for me would be Figma 40: SSSS Gridman - Akane Shinjo.
SSSS Gridman is modern continuation of the original Gridman series, which was brought to English speakers as Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad. Unlike that first series, this one is an anime and if you've ever watched the American version, you'll be able to tell that the showrunners took some of the concepts from there into this new series, most notably starting with the name.
Akane is effectively who you'd call the villain of the series, though if you've watched anime you can probably guess a few of the twists and turns. She, along with a few other characters from the series, were immortalized in Figma form. There were two versions of the figure - this standard one, and a DX editon which came with additional accessories include a chair, as well as the body necessary to actually sit in it.
While Gridman and Gridknight are relatively easy to find, Akane and Rikka are a pain to procure, so much so that the $90 USD requested from the vendor was actually a steal.
As one would expect, the contents of the standard figure set are, well, standard:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 3 x Face Plates (Neutral, Smiling, Grinning)
- 10 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 1 x Cell Phone
- 1 x Knife
- 1 x Kaiju Statue
- 1 x Glasses
- 1 x Handbag
- 1 x Base/Stand
This is not one of those figures you buy for curves or anything even remotely resembling sexiness.
Now, typical Figma loss of proportions aside, this figure also loses some accuracy because it aims to recreate half unzipped hoody, Overall, she's definitely no vixen, and more accurately resembles Velma from Scooby Doo.
The head and various face sculpts, on the other hand, are generally on point. Each of the face plates features a notch for you to insert the eyeglasses effect piece in, with the connections hidden under the bangs. This is definitely a much preferred method compared to other figures I've seen in the past where you need a microscope to find the hole in the temple or something.
In case it wasn't obvious, the articulation on this figure are pretty awful. Pull down hips are there, but the skirt gets in the way, and articulation of the arm is effectively contained within the holes created around her shoulders. Yes these pieces can be moved out of the way, but because they weren't designed to do so, you're going to end up ripping glue apart or causing rips in the body. Basically anything that isn't a generic standing pose is gonna end up looking kind of weird. Adorably weird, but weird nonetheless.
Paint Applications are solid, as always. Everywhere you look, you basically see strong paint work, with minimal masking errors or overspray, with the strange exception of one thing. Even the stripes on her sweater line up, which is great. Having said all that, something happened that caused the purple of the sweater to rub onto the white of the right shoulder.
Build Quality wise, everything is as expected for a Figma release. Joints hold, pieces fit together nicely, no weird finishes on any of the parts. The whole figure looks awkwardly cut and all that, but as mentioned this is a result of the outfit.
Ultimately, Akane is one of those figures you buy this because of either love for the source material (usually the case) or you want something that looks incredibly cute and dorky. The articulation is pretty bad, and lets face it, she's got the sex appeal of a Bulldozer. Only true dedication would actually make you willing to drop current market price on this piece.
For Full Gallery, please visit:
Comments