Professor Layton - Revoltech

Who can resist Layton--sorry Professor Layton, when he has those beady eyes and that awesome top hat? I only played part of the first game and then stopped because I'm not that great with puzzles, but I definitely loved Layton because, let's face it, he's an awesome character who runs around solving puzzles for a living. I have to say Revoltech did a pretty swell job making this figure. I only have a few small complaints about his flexibility.

I've never owned a figure that had adjustable limbs before. Okay, Petit Vocaloid nendoroids don't count. I meant something along the lines of Figmas. The sculpt quality is quite impressive for an adjustable figure. Sadly, my Kotobukiya one coin figures (the ones that don't even move) aren't as impressive. Layton's coat is actually flexible so you can shift it a bit if you want, and you don't have to worry about it breaking off. The fact that I can make Layton sit in a chair as well as stand makes me quite happy. I can change his pose whenever I want and he'll always look awesome.

Layton comes a variety of awesome attachments. You get a nice set of hands (to hold objects), an extra face with a different expression, two teacups (one that tips), a pen with a surprisingly sharp tip, a little book that opens and closes (nifty, right?), a tiled floor, a table, and a chair. In addition to all that, you also receive a small semi-transparent orange box that holds all of your extra Layton pieces so nothing gets lost. Props to Revoltech for thinking ahead!

Ever wonder what Layton would look like without his hat? I've joked with friends before that a giant afro would be hiding underneath that top hat. Well, it turns out I was wrong anyway. You get a nice layer of brown hair and two surprisingly big nubs.

The hat needs to stay on...

At first I didn't know how to remove his face. I had to Google/Youtube it because I was afraid of breaking my Professor Layton figure on the first day if I pulled something the wrong way. That would have been bloody depressing. So for those of you who want/own the figure but don't know how to remove his face, you have to remove his hat first. Then place your thumb under his chin and push his face off. It's a tad stiff, but that's a good thing. You don't want Layton's face to be loose.

Now we all know the horrible truth!  Professor Layton is secretly a robot!
Just like the village people!

Professor Layton would be fun to play with if it wasn't too hard to move his limbs. I think that's my only gripe with it at the moment. I mean, occasionally, if I shift his shoulders a certain way, I can get his elbows to bend at the angle I want. Unfortunately I can't move his hand to his chin...yet. No thinking pose for Professor Layton (not for me anyway...).

Layton is not pleased!

Let's move onto the attachments and accessories.

I'm quite fond of the little book that came with Professor Layton. You can close it or you can let Layton hold it by swapping one of his hands out.  There's a little hole inside the hand which allows you to attach the book to Layton.  I like that there are little scribbles inside because it seriously beats a blank notebook.  I mean, it would be really boring for him to just hold an opened book with white pages...unless it's part of a puzzle/mystery!

He has very interesting handwriting.

I quite like the texture of the floor included with the Professor Layton figure. There are small cracks in certain areas, but it adds to the overall presentation. It's unfortunate that the floor isn't large enough to fit both the table and the chair included with the Layton figure.

The table and chair are the perfect size for Layton.  He doesn't actually sit on the chair though.  It's really his coat holding him up, which I find silly.  But if you look at him from most angles, it really does look like he's sitting properly. Well, only if you have the table in front of him.  I like using most of the accessories when he's sitting down though.  I have his chair, table, a teacup on a plate, his pen and his book all out on my desk right now.  It really is a shame that the floor isn't big enough to hold the table and chair.  The nice furniture Layton came with would look better on that nice tiled floor rather than my plain table.  The pen is surprisingly sharp.  I accidentally poked myself with the tip while I was attaching it to his hand.  Cool pen though.

Sadly, my particular figure has an awful flaw that irritated me quite a bit while I was trying to take photographs. One of Layton's hands tilts too much when I try to adjust the angle. When Layton holds the teacup with the fake liquid tipping, his wrist slides so the cup is almost upside down. I understand if the manufacturers were trying to make sure the hand tilted but it goes too far at times, making it seem as though Layton is trying to pour tea all over himself.

Oh dear...

Aside from a few small flaws, the Professor Layton figure is lovely.  All of the accessories work perfectly with his character.  I can always change his happy expression to one that judges me every time I look at him (which I probably won't do often).  It was a great purchase!

Summary
Pose: 7.5/10 (Could be a bit more flexible, but I'm glad you can equip Layton with a variety of accessories.  He can sit too!)
Sculpt: 8.5/10 (He's sculpted nicely.  It looks exactly like Layton in the games! I only wish I could move his limbs a bit more.)
Paint: 10/10 (There are no noticeable paint leaks anywhere)
Enjoyability: 9/10 (It's a great figure to put on display on the desk! This is an awesome Layton replica!)

Overall: 8.8/10

Layton wants YOU! (To buy one of his clones)

I highly recommend picking up the Professor Layton figure, even if you're not a huge fan of the series. He's 50% off at Hobby Link Japan right now. After shipping I only ended up paying about $25.00 CAD for this little guy. Awesome for a figure with interchangeable hands and face. Despite not being a character from a fantastical series like Tales of Xillia or Kingdom Hearts, he fits in really well with all the figures on my desk! Professor Layton is just amazing!

Manufacturer: Revoltech
Purchased from: Hobby Link Japan
Price: 1143 ¥ (Original price: 2286 ¥)

~Sui Chee