So this past Sunday, DHL delivered something that I'd been waiting quite a while for - the two Wolf Girl entries from Snail Shell. From what I can gather, Snail Shell is a relatively new player in the figure game. I stumbled upon their existence as an accident, really, from the Facebook. I liked the aesthetics and the various promises made by the figure, so when the Bikini version was offered on Amiami, I jumped on that. Then, as a miracle, the armoured version was re-reissued so I figured why the hell not?
As I was saying... my history of Snail Shell is pretty sketchy. The company itself is one of many new players from Mainland China.
From what I can gather, they've released three figures under the GN Project line. There was a version of Wolf Girl which I believe was more of a prototype for this one. Then there were two mass releases and at least one con exclusive version of this heavily mechanized version. Finally, there is the Bikini one that I've yet to open. As for GN Project itself, I believe it's an IP that is specifically meant for this product line.
So what did I get for 8,250 Yen + shipping?
Like most new players to the field, the first couple entries are always jam packed with goodness to get you addicted to their wares. Compare this to any similarly priced Figma, Figuart and you'll see what I mean. Contents include: - Main Figure
- 2 x Faceplates (one neutral, one shouting)
- 3 x Pairs of Eyes (left facing, right facing, center)
- 2 x Holstered Pistols (pistols are removable)
- 1 x Rifle
- 1 x Cybernetic Belt Attachment
- 2 x Tail (neutral, dynamic)
- 2 x Claws
- 8 x Posing/Holding hands
Basically everything you'll probably need, with the strange exception of a stand. There are two accessory holes on the back of the figure (one at waist level, one at the upper back) to look like they could accommodate your typical Figma stand.
To me, the inclusion of guns was a weird one because lets face it ... who would use that when you've got large claws. Especially when the guns don't mount on the gauntlets.
Rather than having rotating eyes, Snail Shell has gone old school and made the insert. Not as slick of a solution as the aforementioned rotating eyes, but at least gives you some degree of freedom in posing.
Having spent some time with this figure, I would classify it as more in line with the various Armoured Girl releases than your straight up Figma or Figuart. Obviously, it has the action figure aspects of your typical release, but according to the manual, it appears that pretty much everything can be detached from the main torso, allowing you to create your own unholy creatures. There are also two accessory holes on the back of the body, and in the case of this particular figure, there are also two holes on the thighs which are occupied by the holstered pistols.
Overall, figure mashups aren't exactly proprietary to this line, but I suspect that is main design criteria and sales gimmick. So, I fully expect there to be multiple releases of the same main body but with different accessory sets.
The actual design of the character is striking and unlike anything on my shelves - though, to be fair, there aren't exactly designs like this in Fate, my usual go it, nor are DC and Marvel stepping up to the plate either. Wolf Girl has a human torso and head, with very Metal Gear - esque cyborg attachments. None of that sleek stuff you see Ghost in the Shell. The actual human parts are pretty typical anime waifu material, though I feel they missed a opportunity to make her stand out a bit more by giving her glowing eyes. Expressions are adequate, and colour pallete is on the subdued side, which if they're going for a more serious character, works well. Unfortunately, the way the body is divided up screws with the curve of the hip area, though the ab definition helps to make up for that.
From a size perspective, I don't have the data needed for a scale, but I can safely say that she is big. Wolf Girl towers over your typical female Figma/Figuart, and is even slightly taller than Destro. Overall, my ruler shows she about 6.5 inches from heel to top of the ears, and a quick comparison to the Bikini version shows it isn't the Cyborg parts giving her extra height.
Articulation wise, Wolf Girl is packing some impressive joints, which I will confirm, generally doesn't seem to be limited to this release. There's toe, ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, thigh twist, hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with extra spacing to accommodate lateral movement, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, double ended ball joint at the base of the head, hair at the back of the head, ball jointed attachment for the tail, and a few other functional articulation points on the outfit, most notable being the claws.
Snail Shell gave Wolf Girl die cast metal feet, which somewhat help with balance. To summarize my posing experience, I wish that the forearm had some ability to rotate and that there was some neck movement but beyond that Wolf Girl is a pretty capable figure. The actual range of motion for the joints that are provide is quite good.
What I see being a bigger issue, at least for those who are new to these types of figures is that people will most likely freak out over the visible seams and gaps that allow her to pose so well. Possibly most distracting would be the thigh twist joints on anything that is remotely light coloured, followed by unnatural looking body misalignment issues.
One of my biggest worries was actually paint. After all, unproven company and all that. Turns out my fears were 99% unfounded, as the only messy paint application I could find was where her Bikini bottom was painted near the butt cheeks. What's more interesting, I'd say, is actually the lack of paint. To my eyes, like with Nicee, the vast majority of Wolf Girl is whatever plastic colour they moulded her parts out from. This seems to work out fine for her "organic bits", but I feel that a coat of semi gloss Gunmetal Grey on the Cyborg bits could have helped to make it pop even further. Of course, it's not exactly a surprise move given the price point.
At least the decals for the eyes were on point.
Finally, there is Build Quality, the other area of concern when it comes to a new player. It was SO close to not having me complain about it. The overall is actually quite good. Couldn't find any issues with finishes on parts, gaps appear to be uniform, and the body on the whole fit together well. Overall material choices are solid, with no real concerns regarding fragility, even with my rough handling.
What did annoy me, however, is the design of connection on the tails - it's such a small joint and the tail is quite heavy, so that is prone to falling out. On my particular figure, the right knee is actually ridiculously loose, making posing anything other than a straight leg somewhat of a nuisance.
All-in-all, an interesting first product. Certainly much better than I was anticipating, which is probably indicative of third party company quality on the whole, seeing how many start off as consultants or production facilities for better known brands. I have to wonder if my bum knee was the result of overproduction wearing down the tooling or something. I'll have to see how the Bikini version ends up.
For full gallery, visit:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/22877494@N02/albums/72157719162615046
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