Hunting the Elusive

This will be the first of two consecutive posts, each of which will cover a Kureha figure I got recently. By doing this, one will have a better grasp of the differences in approach between the figures. This first part will be a review of the E2046 version of the Max Factory Kureha. Scale 1/7, sculptor Shunji Hagii, completed and painted garage kit.

Why did I choose to get a E2046 version of the figure, when a PVC one was available not so long ago? Certainly, I make no secret of my ethical disapproval of E2046 in their blatant piracy of figures. It's unfair because with the exception of a few of their activities, E2046 avoids the design R&D and the licensing costs that the Japanese companies must bear.

That said, their Gathering section does execute a pretty fine job. As with all ethical boundaries, mine are subjective. In terms of them bringing rarer figures (or kit-only figures) to the masses, I have no problems. But I do have problems when they attempt to corrode the sales of PVC.

Then again, by the time I got this version of Kureha, the Max Factory PVC version had long ago sold out. Another reason is that Windbell (Moeside) has already done a quality review of the PVC, and I don't like duplicating stuff from my immediate circle of blogs. So if you expand your horizons a bit, you can even make this a comparison between THREE versions of Kureha, and look at whether E2046's claim of superiority over PVCs can be substantiated.

This figure seems to be rendered much more "adult-like" in terms of the structure of the face and the proportions. The pose is rather static, as the character is just standing there. But it is immediately apparent that the shading is done rather well, especially on the clothes, and on the hair. The skin's shading is subtle.

Yellow was never one of my favourite colours, but in this case, the maple-leaves connotation of the figure's sleeves makes great and elegant use of the colour.

When the figure first came, I didn't like the look of the face, but the sunlight seems to have done wonders. Different angles of course make the figure look different, but there doesn't seem to be an angle where the face looks wrong.

It seems they used the same decals for the eyes as the PVC version, and it kind of matches the eyes that Tony Taka draws. Note the print motif on the dress -- that would have been done with a template of masking tape, I believe.

Overall, I cannot find many flaws in the material used. There is a slight glossiness, but it's within the acceptable range, considering it was under full sunlight. The figure came with the arms detached and you can make out a little gap there where a bit of slippage has occurred -- this can be rectified with superglue of course.

Note the shading on the "leather" skirt.

Like the PVC, the base has a logo for Shining Wind, although the print quality is like that of a bubblejet printer.

The white boots are realistically sculpted with the curves of sagging. The bow in the E2046 version comes with little nubs which are meant to fit in the hand. I'm not sure how well they do the job: the bow seems to hold anyway.

From the side. Again, no flaws are visible from this vantage point, except the joining seam between the clothing and the chest, which needs filling.

But it's not so serious that you can't explain it away. I think this figure possesses some Reimu qualities in the "charm area" (Touhou fans will know what I am talking about).

The hair part is divided in three sections which are masked somewhat. It all seems to be down pat though, so all's well.

(Left photo used flash). The pack of the figure shows good sculpting on the back, as well as one of the holding nubs on the bow.

The bows use a rather loosely threaded fishing line as the bowstrong. These seem to be somehow embedded in the tips of the bow.

Grainy and at an awkward angle for that extra bit of authenticity?! (Notice the two sets of shadows, indicating use of flash)

Last but not least, some of the faces of Kureha. I think one of the problems is that not enough paint was used for the mouth, resulting in the face looking almost worried sometimes.

Conclusion:

I'm always reluctant to praise pirates, but E2046 has done a good job on this figure. The built-kit nature of this figure means they were able to eliminate most of the material problems that PVC figures sometimes face, such as seam lines on legs, or little casting scars. This is an adult rendering of the character, and even though the pose might be overly static, it comes across as elegant and serene.