1/8 Triela (GSC)

I woke up this morning to find a package waiting for me (no, not that sort of package, don't be dirty). Inside was MMD Miku-lat and a small girl with a big gun. I squealed a little inside. I spazzed. I reviewed.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to my newest lovely, rifle-totting, witty, level-headed, cyborg child assassin, Triela. What isn't there to like about her? Even her name sounds lovely, like some splendid bird tremelo.

I knew from the get-go I would adore this figure, and I do, I really, really do. How many figures out there have trench coats? That alone was enough to sell me.

Triela comes in an economical box. It's not much to look at, but I rarely have anything nice to say about boxes anyways. The T-shaped window is a cute touch. T for Triela, of course.

Triela's pose is not the most exciting considering her career, but I'm not sure a full-out action shot of Triela is the best way to represent her in the first place. Gunslinger Girl struck me as a show of subdued melancholy. It was slow-paced and heart breaking—not in a maudlin boohoo way, but in a slow, dysthemic drawl that really lent the show an overarching atmosphere of despondence. It's the type of atmosphere-becomes-character show I really appreciated.

The quiet loneliness Triela exudes is breathtaking. She hugs her rifle as though to draw comfort from it. Her base is ripped from cobblestone road. The dead leaves curled on the base is an extra nice touch. It's as though everything in this figure does its utmost to portray the solitude of autumn.

Triela has a reserved expression—with a touch of determination. She's resigned to complete whatever job she's assigned. 

When production photos first emerged, I was iffy about the brightness of Triela's eyes. They made her seem inhuman (I mean, even moreso). Fortunately, this didn't turn out to be an issue. Triela's eyes are more muted than production photos led me to believe. They're piercing, but not about to shoot lasers (she's not that type of cyborg, after all).

Triela's Tunisian, ergo the darker skin tone. She's the only girl with darker skin that I have on my shelf. They're a bit of a rarity in the world of anime, and it's refreshing to finally have a figure that's not corpse-pale. I would have preferred if the ruddiness in her skin was toned down just a bit (as of now, she looks more tanned than naturally dark skinned), but Triela's skin tone is difficult to get down, and GSC does a respectable job of mimicking it.

Triela certainly doesn't have the copious hair of many anime characters, but her twin tails are by no means boring. Each strand is crafted in detail. It's also beautifully shaded. GSC managed to capture her hair colour perfectly. She's not too blonde, but just blonde enough.

She's also one of the few characters to have a realistic amount of hair.

There's some roughness on Triela's bangs that appears even in production photos. Thankfully, it's just a minor hiccup.

The details GSC's put on Triela's rifle is astounding. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as companies have been sculpting tiny toy guns for ages, but it's nice to see they didn't skimp on her weapon. If anything, Gunslinger Girl was too specific about their guns. Triela's rifle is a Winchester M1897 Trench Gun, by the way. 

While I can't speak for her gun's accuracy, I can appreciate the details.

I'm very fond of Triela's boots. I wouldn't have minded a figure of Triela in men's clothing, but then she wouldn't have such darn amazing boots. Take a look at the attention paid to her boot buckle. The bit of silver peeking out is just excellent.

Triela's coat is one of my favourite aspects of this figure. Then again, I'd say the same about every other part of her (I really do like her a lot). The folds are superbly sculpted. GSC does a remarkable job of making her coat seem just stiff enough. I'm glad they didn't choose a shiny finish for her coat. The matte finish definitely suits her better.

GSC doesn't make too many mistakes, but I do have a complaint about the seam lines on her back. I'm not sure any coat would have a seam line running all the way up to the collar (I should check my own coats...), but the seams for her sleeves could have been less obvious. There's some unevenness along these seams as well.

I lied, by the way. I said I had a complaint when I really had two.
 
Triela is cast-offable.

I fully support the flirtatious panty flashes, given it's the right time and place, but on a figure with such beautiful desolation, it seems tasteless. It's overkill. No part of Triela displays any sensuality. There's no flirtation whatsoever. The cast-off seems out of place and awkward. And that's just speaking in an aesthetic sense. Then there's Triela's history. I won't go into it, since I'll probably ramble my way into righteous indignation, but trust me, it's rather inappropriate.

Seriously?

She'll definitely always have her skirt on while she's with me.

Overall, I'm impressed with Triela. Her reserved expression, pose, and muted colours really make her stand out. Her sculpt and paint job are definitely solid. The addition of the worn cobblestone base helps accentuates the lonely atmosphere of this figure. I really love when companies decide to personalize a figure's base to its character, and GSC seems to be amping up their base quality as of late.

Triela's not a very large figure. Here's Triela side by side with Miku-lat type. They both stand about 18cm tallat the head. (Anyone want to guess who I'll be reviewing next?)

Triela is still available at AmiAmi, and HobbySearch for a very decent price. I would highly recommend her for fans of the series, or even if you're just a fan of girls with big guns. She certainly unique, and she's a GSC, so you're practically guaranteed quality.

The Run-Down
Packaging: 6/10 (A box, a good box, a boxy box)
Base: 10/10 (Lovely cobblestone)
Pose: 8/10 (Not dynamic, but great atmosphere)
Sculpt: 8/10 (Minor issues with the seams)
Paint: 9/10 (Great job on hair, somewhat flatter on skirt and sweater)
Overall: 8.5/10 (I'm very impressed)

Company: Good Smile Company
Price: 6477 yen
Purchased from: HobbySearch

With fondess,
Jenn