Saturday, February 6, 2010
Review: [Good Smile Company] Black ★ Rock Shooter
Figure Info:
Manufacturer:
Good Smile Company
Series:
Black ★ Rock Shooter
Scale and Height:
1/8 (actual height, top to base bottom, not measured yet; will update once measured)
B★RS?
She looks like Miku doesn't she? Well, frankly speaking, BRS's first major world debut was through Miku's song entitled after her, a character illustrated and created by huke, she has a story of her own but we have yet to see an anime adaptation. But some time last year, a 3D PV of Black Rock Shooter was released which presents a slight story of BRS wherein her sister betrays and stabs her and luckily she survives, goes on a quest on now a ruined countryside only to find her sister, Dead Master, again. She later on confronts her and was forced to kill her. This short plot was said to be the inspiration of the upcoming BRS anime in April. So, til then, not much character background.
Below is an artwork by huke which was the basis of the figure...
Time to review my holy grail... I'll keep it as opinionated as possible :p
Box/Packaging:
At first glance, you might say something like "Wow, she's huge!" or something similar, coz' her box is really big, but don't get your hopes up, GSC is really known for having quite a small figure for a 1/8 scale, once you see through the window, you'll notice that BRS is really just around a little less than 2/3 of the box both width and height wise. But hey, the box is designed after the chess-like tiles with a matching huke's original art provided at the side. But space wise, I didn't like it.
Face and Photogenic Appeal:
Frankly speaking, the original reason why I didn't hesitate on ordering her was because of GSC's way of showing the previews... Glowing eyes... Definitely a win, those eyes instantly charmed me into getting one, and what's more, the fact that she looks like Miku has a nice factor to it, it's like seeing a badass Miku for a change XD but in the end she's still not Miku, anyway, yeah, the face is a total win, the eyes really do glow and her face is as good as how the preview showed it, no flaws here... Below is my favorite shot.
As for photogenic category, the eyes contribute much to make her wonderful in this category, though I didn't realize I didn't take right side close up shots but heck yeah, she pretty good in any angle, and if one looks awkward, try attaching the flame eye headpiece (see bonus features section) and she'd still win it all. By far, BRS is one of the most contenting shoots I've done throughout my figures.
Body and Details:
Now, this part is where a lot of people have been criticizing something. Well, to sum up, the details are really good, the texture of the rock cannon, the folds and how jet-black her jacket looks like, a really nice flow of her hair which was done remarkably unlike some figure I know which ultimately failed in the hair department. Every detail was ALMOST done the same as the how the preview promised, except... her scar... The preview showed a truly more realistic feel of the scar and patches on her body and a lot of people seemed to be disappointed with it but I'm not, it still pretty much doesn't affect the figure's overall greatness. Well, yeah, the scar looks fake but heck view it from afar, you wouldn't even notice it, besides... her scar really doesn't look as bad as it looks IMO, for one, you really should expect some difference when the actual product is out. Anyway, that's it. Detail shots below:
Bonus Feature:
BRS is quite known to be a character with a flaming left eye as the song shows it near the end and this figure of course, comes with it since the base art shows BRS possessing the flame eye, though the flame eye looks pretty nice in shots, in actuality, I don't like it that much especially for display. But the flame eye is really nice for shoots just not that good for display if you ask me.
Another feature is the included chain. Though, GSC provided an instruction manual on how to attach it, no one can stop the owner on how to put it on BRS, which adds a little playability to this figure. But in reality, following the GSC manual would lead into something like this:
Base:
Now this! This is one of BRS's main wonders, the gigantic base well made with heavy floor cracks and a layer of earth with a texture that almost looks like a real rock. If you ask me, the base I think is heavier than BRS herself, mind you, the main weight of this figure lies in that base as the rock cannon is extremely light while BRS herself ain't that heavy. Anyway, probably one of GSC's trademark nowadays would be really well made bases, straying from the typical boring single colored/simply designed base. As for me, the more epic the base is, the better since it would contribute to the overall beauty of the figure once it is safely in your display cabinets.
Overall:
Well to be released late last year as the year ends, BRS is definitely one of the best figures ever produced last year but of course, it's price is not really friendly, being probably the most expensive 1/8 scaled figure released last year. But still, I find this figure really worth every peso I've spent for it.
Remarks:
Face and Photogenic Appeal - 10/10
Body and Details - 9.5/10
Bonus Features - 10/10
Base - 10/10
Price - 9/10
Average: 9.7/10
BRS dishes out her magnificence!
Well, for me, BRS is by far the best figure I possess and I've been waiting for her in ages, good thing she arrived after a month of her release. For a fact, and to stray away from my personal biases, BRS currently is still the 1st in tsukiboard's figure on fire list. Her price range is slowly but surely going insane right now in online stores. And really, there's no lose in buying her figure, unless of course, you don't like small 1/8 scaled figures but still, what the heck, BRS is BRS! So, I definitely recommend this especially to those who are planning a BRS shrine; she's still the best rendition out there as of now but let's just wait for the anime version which will be showcased tomorrow at wonder fest winter. :p
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