Taito Prize Figure: Tatsumi Kanji and Shirogane Naoto

It's persona time again, this time with Taito's Persona 4 Arena prize figures!  It's a fact that I like a good prize figure and I love some Persona 4 Kanji and Naoto merch, so naturally I had to pick these up.  I preordered the pair for 30 some dollars and then completely forgot about them until they showed up at my house a couple of months ago.  It's finally time to open these up and see what we have going on:

First up is a quick look at the boxes.  Not too shabby, simple Persona 4 Arena design with photos figures on the outside parts. Also, for whatever reason, the Atlus sticker is on the bottom of these boxes, so that makes it difficult for purchasing online on ebay or something like that.

First up Kanji!  I love this guy, he is one of my top ten all time favorite characters, and this figure would be a knockout of him if it didn't have so many tiny problems!  Now he is a nice figure, he fills up the space on the base, he has a nice action pose, and the painting on his clothes is ideal.

 My major issues with this one have to do with his hair and his chair.  The hair seams are far to noticeable and the paint is blotched on the front! noooo....  I'm happy to report in other comments and reviews they didn't have this blotch problem, but it's pretty bad on mine.  As far as the chair goes, it is well done and a neat addition, but when in his hands it looks more like he is resting it on his head than being threatening with it.  I'm not sure if this is a warping issue or if I just got a bad draw on him.  Otherwise, man I really dig this figure, the flowing coat especially. 

I'm happy to report that the chair can fit in a variety of ways, so it's been fun to play around with that.  I gotta say... I know yellow is the color of Persona 4 through and through but I'm not feeling the base on these.  They are a little too large and a little too plastic looking for my taste.  Again, for a 15 dollar figure, he is still considered a good figure (not the best, but not the worst either) in my book.

Up next is the detective, who looks surprisingly well done.  The oddest parts however have to do with paintwork.  The stripes on the hat, the lines/buttons on the coat, the handgun; they all have a bit of a fuzzy feel to them.  A little sloppy.  Truly odd considering how dead on the pants are compared to the rest of the outfit.  Still no major complaints, Naoto is a lovely addition to have with Kanji. (I wasn't even planning on getting this one; it was a choice on a whim!)

 I dig the shoes and the outstretched hand in the back, they are nice details for a prize figure.

All in all that's the scoop!  I'm pleased pretty much with these (wish Kanji had better hair, but it's ok)  I suggest if anyone out there wants to pick these up, don't spend more than 20 bucks on either of them.  It's nice that prize figures fill the role of providing fans with the less popular characters, but these are prize figures through and through.  I've had really amazing luck with some prize figures and way less quality with others.  Look online for more images of these two that are not promotional shots before making a choice.  For now I need to find a spot on my shelf for these two.  I'm out!

Taito Real Figure: Galaxy Express 999 Conductor

It's time to change things up with a prize figure review.  This is a figure I've been considering for a long time.  It's nice to finally have it in my collection, since he is one of my favorite characters of all time: The Conductor from Galaxy Express 999!

I have to say, it was really really exciting to get this figure in the mail the other day.  I know it's difficult to find a lot of reviews of this guy, so I took a lot of box pictures to show off for anyone interested in looking for one of these.  Just look for the "Taito" logo in the upper left corner of the box.

The box is 11 inches tall, and the figure itself is 8 inches. It's heavy also, since The Conductor, also known as "Sancho-san" (syasyo on the box), is solid instead of hollow like newer figures.

The inner package is really nice, the plastic is supported by cardboard and he is taped in so he won't come loose. The base is separate and a simple black round with the Galaxy Express 999 logo molded onto it.

He looks great right out of the box.  The sculpt is what really sells me on this figure, because he is true to the chracter from every angle.  especially the clasped hands behind the back.  Its a little plain pose wise, but then again, it's hard to make a dynamic pose with a character that tries so hard to remain official.

It's the details that bring out the "prize figure" background on this figure. For example the hat is perfect and the emblem is spot on, but his eyes aren't light enough to bring out the "glow" that they usually give off in the series.  You can also notice while the blue and red of the paint work are flawless, the yellow rims on the hat and clothing is spotty in places.  The hands again look great and do have a solid paint job.

The back revels a little chunk missing in the collar rim and the 999 logo is a little misaligned, but at least it's completely there.  The band also has some scuffed paint, but it can be fixed when I get a chance.

 The buttons are beautiful but have some spotty paint on their edges.  It's not too bad until you get up close to them.  They are the right size, shape and color so this is forgivable.

 Honestly though, he looks so good.  a lot of what I am pointing out are just nit picks.  It is nice to let people know what they are getting.  I just wish his eyes were a little brighter.

 Again I love how he looks from all angles.  This is a very true profile of the beloved Sancho-san.

Despite the little paint flaws I point out, I'm super pleased with this one.  I know people are down on prize figures but this is one I would recommend to any 999 fan.  Especially since this is one of the only larger figures of the Conductor.  Its solid, well done, and a great representation of the character.  I picked this one up for about 30 dollars. I had to hunt around online for a long time, since this is an older figure from 2007/2008. If you can find him I would get him right away.