Say Hello on My Figure Collection

Whew! Things have been busy, but my collecting tendencies have not declined in the meantime.  I've had a snafu with my camera, and I'm currently waiting to get it back.  For now I'll put up some preview shots of my September orders.   Man.... I can't wait to properly photo shoot these, they are great even still in the boxes! Plus some more goodies are coming along the way still.

Before I go further I wanted to extend a welcome to anyone else who has a page on MyFigureCollection.net

I recently got on the site and found it to be a wonderful place for friending fellow collectors, seeing beautiful pictures, and getting news on upcoming figures.

Here is my profile:   http://myfigurecollection.net/profile/Inknpaper

Stop by and I will say Hello and check out your collections!  I'll try to post other pictures, and put up more of my collection past what I have posted on this blogger account. (Although my book, alternative figure and game reviews will be on here)  I just thought I would share if anyone was interested : )

And for the rest of this entry I'm going to put up pictures of prototypes that makes me excited, or are just pain cute/funny.  Feel free to guess who is who~  Enjoy:

D-Arts Persona 3 Thanatos Figure

OK so when this figure was announced I knew I had to have it, and it is the perfect compliment to a previous D-Arts figure of mine.  Here is the fantastic Persona 3 Thanatos.

So here is the box.  Also a lovely box with a side door and design similar to the game design.  This is one box I suggest keeping, because if you ever have to move the figure you'll want this for protecting the figure in the move.  Which I am currently doing at the moment.  Moving and packing away a figure collection is not fun.

 

Onto the figure:

So he comes in a lot of pieces: figure, base, stand arm, sword parts, coffin support rim parts and the row of coffins (and a couple of shoulder parts that connect the chain to the figure you have to attach).  Once all together it becomes the mighty Thanatos.

 

The details are again very nice, as with Izanagi.  No missed paint spots or difficult joints.

The coffins are an especially impressive portion.  Not only do they match the in game design, but they are also posable.  I like to keep them in  this simple out of box pattern for now.

Here is the plastic support that attaches the coffins too Thanatos.  It can seem distracting at first, but after a while it's easy to accept it as the necessary part that it is.  Personally I love the tiny real chain used along with the coffins, it looks sharp. 

I love the way this figure looks from the back as well as the front.  Just for the details on Thanatos' head, neck and attachable shoulder parts.  You can also see how they coffin supports attach in the holes on his back.

The Base is again like the Izanagi and Aegis I posted before.  Again it is large, but given the weight  of Thanatos it will be necessary as well.

The difference is the stand arm, which is meant to be stronger, but bends and falls under the weight.  So sometimes it can be difficult to pose Thanatos and requires more time and patience than I had to give Izanagi or Aegis.  Once you can find a configuration that works you can achieve similar impressive poses.

Thanatos also came with a swords, one in the scabbard (with a detachable handle) and one with the sword fully out.  I only have the scabbard combo on at the moment as I had to pack him up after these shots.  So instead enjoy some detail shots of this fantastic figure:

My final thoughts on Thanatos: He makes me enjoy the D-Arts line even more.  They pull out great characters for their line and give them the kinds of details and their fanbase asks for.

As far as being better or worse than Izanagi from this line? He is equivalent in terms of posing, paint, and sculpt.  He matches his in game design and is a lot of fun despite a few base issues.  I am not sure where he can be purchased from at this point in time, but I will guess conventions and the normal figure sites may or may not have it.  Do a little internet digging if this review has peeked your interest in D-Arts Thanatos.

Once I've moved into my new place, I'll have to pose him in battle with Izanagi, but until then enjoy these shots.

For the next few weeks it'll be impossible for me to film any new figures (maybe Smoker if I can work it out) Otherwise I will post different reviews like games, books, and figure news.  Hopefully that will be better than nothing!

D-Arts Persona 4 Izangai Figure

Here we are! Bringing it back to figures, and specifically video game figures.  Now, Persona 4 has long been a favorite game for me.  With the anime coming out, it is finally gain in popularity. This means many people get some of the dream figures they always wanted. Lechau (the one who would be my partner in crime if we chose to drop normal lives and rob banks instead) was the one who introduced me to this series of games. I can't thank Lechau enough.  In one of our discussions about the characters (and game, plot, etc, etc, etc...)  I clearly remember saying how Izanagi would make an amazing figure, and how I would pay crazy amounts of money for an awesome Kanji figure. 

Well cap my social links, because both are too happen, and especially with the first.  Izangai is kinda like Aegis, in the way that we are seeing a flood of figures of him.  So here is the only Izanagi I need:  D-arts Persona 4 Izanagi Figure:

Fresh out of the box and he is wonderful.  Imposing and classy.  I still have a soft spot for bad asses with good hearts.  Izanagi is all hero despite his "Gang Leader" look about him.  Also this is the box he comes in.  It's easy to spot and follows the game scheme to a T.  The TV window, box art, and the side open panels are nice touches.  This box is a nice size, and isn't larger than it needs to be, making it easy to store.

Izanagi is fully posable, and comes with three sets of hands (holding weapon hands, relaxed, and outstreched).  The are easy to change out, and just pop on and off.  They aren't as tight as chogokin Aegis parts but they work well.  I will say the joints are easy to manipulate, but sometimes the dip or don't stay.  So posing Izanagi with his weapon can be tricky.

Here are some side and back shots.  The last shot looks like he is getting hit, and it also shows off his joints in the legs, arms, straps, and the stand.  If you are interested in collecting posing figures, D-arts Izanagi is the way to go.

Izanagi also comes with effect parts.  The first adds onto the sword for the swing attack, but it is heavy and can really pull down the arms when it is on the sword.  If you balance it right it can be higher, so it's not that bad.  The other is the blue fire (from when Izanagi was first summoned) in a curved shape that sits on the base.  Both look wonderful in the light. With enough shine and transparency to be realistic.  I also really love how they are molded so no pegs are needed on the sword or the base.  Plus you can interchange them onto other figures and bases.

Speaking of bases, basically Izanagi has the same base (size and shape) as the chogokin Aegis.  This was a nice surprise.  They look really good next to each other, and they are from different makers! Just to show how large these bases are in comparison to their size, I put Plex Zoro next to them.  Basically his hexagon is the same size, even though he towers over them. Zoro looks good with his base on fire, too.

Some battle shots just for fun.  Pretend this is that new Persona Vista Game coming out, I guess.  I'm so happy I can display these two together. So my final thoughts?

Despite some posing issues (minor though) This is really a wonderfully sculpted, painted, and displayable figure.  Izanagi is really easy to buy, and available at most figure shipping stores (amiami, hobbylinkjapan, etc.) as well as online shops and conventions.  Be warned though, some places are really jacking up his price, so hunt around before you place your order!