1/7 Kureha Touka swimsuit ver. (Max Factory)

Kureha is cute, cute, cute. I don't know why I find her so inexplicably adorable, especially since she doesn't have the big-eyed, doll-faced, moe-moe look.

Since the release of the Shining swimsuit line, I wanted to get my hands on Kureha (it sounds dirtier than it is, really). Her pose is adorable. Her expression is adorable. Even her fingers are adorable. Plus, I'm a huge fan of wavy hair. We need more wavy-haired girls in life.

After Clalaclan's let down, I suffered a minor Max Factory withdrawal. Luckily, I gave them another try. When Kureha emerged from her tropical-blue confines, I was delighted. She's warm and round (Wut? Yeah), and far better quality. Oh, and she's cute. So very cute. Faith somewhat restored in Max Factory by Kureha's innate aww-factor, I'm almost willing to let Clalaclan slide, almost.

Kureha's box is much like Xecty's and Clalaclan's, so once again, I'm not going to post pictures. Her base is yet another sand circle. I wish Max Factory had sculpted a little spray of sand coming off her foot. That would have been darling.

Kureha's girlish pose and colourful bikini adds to her sunny exterior. Her crossed legs accentuate her figure and give her an extra feminine zing. Her pose is shy and playful, and cute. I'm not sure what she's trying to do with her straps—adjust them? jiggle her woman parts?—but it seems more innocent than seductive. I know nothing of Kureha, but I assume she's the type of be naively sexy (I'm right, right? RIGHT?)

There's something alluring about Kureha's face. Max Factory did a beautiful job with her expression. Her closed-lipped smile is oh-so-endearing. Her brown eyes are soft and attentive. At certain angles, she almost seems mischievous.

Of Max Factory's Shining bikini girls, she the only one who looks like she's having a good time.

Kureha strikes the perfect balance between sexy and realistic. Her boobs don't creep me out (as Clalaclan's do), and she's just a tad more curvaceous than Xecty. She got the best of both worlds! I'd give a lung to have a body like hers. Not my lung, mind you. Just a lung. 

As with the other two girls, Max Factory did a splendid job on her body. Her muscle tone is quite spectacular.

There's been some complaint that Kureha doesn't have an ass, that her butt is as flat as a plateau, that, oh boo, she doesn't have enough junk in her trunk—

Really? Then what do you call this?

Looks like an ass to me.

My, that's a fine behind. To compliment her beautiful rear, Kureha has a fine set of ladies up front. I like that she isn't as perky as the other two girls. I have nothing against perky nipples, I just shiver every time I think of how cold they have to be for them to stand like that. Kureha's boob-squeeze is adorable.

On a side note, take a look at her delicately curled fingers. Aren't they darling? Pinky up, mates.

There isn't a lot of detail on bikini figures, but there's enough detail where it counts. Kureha's bikini top is decorated with lace, and her individual straps are deftly sculpted. Her boobs don't just look like two melons hanging off her chest (again, Clalaclan). They look soft, and bulge a little out of her top.

There's a plethora of bikini straps on Kureha's back. No bikini would realistically have those arm bands, but it adds a nice touch to detail to an otherwise "boring" design. Her swimsuit is the brightest of the three girls, and I enjoy the bold colours. It's difficult to pull off such a bright (and what some would consider garish) colour, but Kureha works it with natural ease.

If you look closely, you can just see the buckle on her left strap (the ones that allow you to adjust strap length). It's sculpted even though her hair covers them. Now that's dedication. Kudos to Max Factory on that one.

Looks like there's som fraying on her left arm straps though...

Have some underboob! Also, take a look at the pull-lines they give her bikini (both top and bottom). Again, detail where it counts.

I'm not sure how Kureha`s bikini bottom works. Is it just me, or does it look like she's wearing two bottoms? As little sense as it makes, it works well with her overall design, so I'm not too bothered by it. I kind of wish they gave her bottom just a little lace to match her top, but I guess that would encroach upon Xecty's design.

Bellybutton...

Kureha's shading is spectacular. Her lines are crisp and clear. There's no sign of paint bleed anywhere. Her paint job is top notch...

...until you get to her hair. While I love wavy hair, Kureha's could definitely use more depth, especially near the top (where her head begins to resemble a fawn-coloured bowling ball). Lighter shades of brown emerge from under darker tones, but the effect isn't very stunning. The shading of her hair is the only painting-related complaint I have for this figure.

Kureha's sculpt is near perfect. While she does have an occassional seam line in her hair, they're not very pronounced. The thickest seam is along her bangs (of course), where the seam is not only noticeable, but also strangely wavy. Like with Clalaclan, the rest of the seams in her hair are well hidden, and can't be seen unless you look for them—mostly. There are a few that poke out here and there.

When you put the three girls together, Kureha's superior skin tone becomes obvious. Compared to Clalaclan, she's deliciously warm, and compared to Xecty, well, her shading's a little fuller.

Kureha is probably my favourite out of the three. Her playful pose and expression are appealing, and I can't get over how cute she is! Look at her pluck at her bikini straps! It's adorable. I just want to pinch her cheeks. She's like a happy little mango.

In case you're like me, you wonder what Kureha would look like with a different colour palette. Well...

I don't know. Kureha's hair might be a good match for a delicious olive-green bikini, but it just doesn't have the same pop as her original yellow.

Boy, am I glad I managed to grab Kureha. She was sold out everywhere, so I had to resort to eBay. I don't usually buy from eBay, considering it's as safe as punching napalm, but I've had my eye on Kureha for a while and missed out when she was released. Luckily, I managed to find her at around store price (and new to boot).

After Clalaclan's let down, I'm glad I gave Max Factory's figures one more chance. Kureha's paint and sculpt have put them back in my good books. If you're looking for a cute bikini figure that's not too embarrassing to display openly, Kureha's a good way to go. Again, she appears to be sold out everywhere, but there's always the chance of a re-release sometime in the future.

Keep your eyes peeled.

The Run-Down
Box: 6.5/10 (A box is a box is a box)
Base: 6.5/10 (Cookie sand base)
Pose: 6/10 (Cute, feminine, albeit static pose)
Sculpt: 9.5/10 (Very few objections)
Paint: 8.5/10 (Wondeful on her skin, could be deeper on her hair)
Overall: 7.5/10 (She's cute, so very cute)

Company: Max Factory
Price: 6476 yen
Purchased from: eBay

Cheers,
Jenn