So, if you take enough risks like me, you will eventually end up with a product that defies your expectations, failing to meet that expected quality level. It happened for Figma during COVID, and from my understanding, I'll run into the Figuarts one soon. If this can happen to such established brands, it should be no surprise that this happens to newer kids on the block like Snail Shell.
Yes, THAT Snail Shell, the company that made such memorable figures such as the House of Sand sisters, Milk T. Girl, and the ultra curvy Assassin. I figure that by this point, they should be OK, so when there was a crossover announced with Grey Raven, a relatively new Chinese IP, I figure while I didn't like the Animester efforts at the line, at least it should be a decent figure, right? Especially when the figure is of Rosetta, a cybernetic Centaur.
The box this figure comes in is quite impressive. Despite being a 1/12 figure, the actual box is bigger than most 1/6 figure boxes. Some nice line art is present, and at this time I was feeling pretty optimistic about things.
Contents of the box are. decent. You basically have the main figure, then all the necessary parts to convert said figure into a cybernetic Centaur of doom. There's also 6 additional hands and two additional faceplates, all of which can articulate the eyes. There is also a Base/Stand to keep things stable.
Things started going downhill as soon as opened the box. So the main figure doesn't quite have what we'd call a "typical human body". This is of course a character design thing rather than a Snail Shell thing, so no harm no foul. Proportions are awkward (the chest can expand and make the torso taller) and she's definitely not on the "sexy and curvy" list, but visually it's a very interesting looking figure. A bit of a spoiler, the legs were incredibly floppy, at the hip and especially at the knees. This combined with the light weight nature of the figure make stability somewhat of an issue.
Besides, as awkward as this looks, it's still better than Apex Arctech Lucia figure.
Paint Applications on this set aren't bad. Masking work is generally quite good, with some slight overspray observed predominately on the weapons No rough textures observed. Decal work is sharp and applications are on point.
Faceplates are fairly well done, which traditionally have been strengths of the Snail Shell lineup. Detailing on the hair also appears adequate for this figure.
Articulation isn't going to win any awards, but you get the typical articulation points and range of motion, including ab crunch and back arch. There are no issues with bulk interfering with the operation of any joints. You're not too bad off, but based on the included accessories, this really isn't the primary display option.
Centaur mode is of course where it's all at, and the good news is that the combined form is certainly more stable than the main figure itself. The rear half the figure is actually very well articulated and, better yet, not a floppy mess. The tail is articulated, and there were some wire things I didn't put on as I had no idea where the other end would go. You can also insert wings into the back of the main figure. The extended upper body raises the head slightly so it looks more natural in this form.
So, keep it in this form, and all your problems will go away, right?
While the combined for IS more stable, that's not where my problems end. It's only stable if y ou can keep the two halves together, and it really doesn't help when the main connector is a single articulated peg that goes right up the asshole of the main figure. This single connection point is kind of flimsy, and to make matter more annoying because the ass plate on the figure is meant to be swappable, there's a pretty good chance that the combined figure will separate from that point as well.
Centaur mode also is meant to work with these giant Lance type weapons, which again, would be great if they didn't find a way to annoy me. After all, the arms have decent articulation - what could go wrong?
Well, turns out to enjoy having the weapons, you need to actually be able to arm the figure first. In their infinite wisdom, Snail Shell designed this figure to require bracing of the weapon. Ok fine, it's big so you'll need it for stability. Then they went and made it such that to do so, you need to add some bracing parts ONTO the weapon, plug it into a tiny cavity under the forearm, then somehow squeeze the handle of the weapon into the tiny hands. I generally could not get all these to align, and on the off chance I did, the connections weren't stable enough to hold the weapon in place anyway.
So, a set that had good potential, only to have engineering and quality control suck all the joy out of owning such a unique looking set. Certainly is one of those figures that will elicit interest and conversation, though I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take long before things turned sour on that part.
For Full Gallery, please visit:
Comments