Well, what do you know? Our first NSFW figure. Tasty.When I first began collecting, I never thought I would indulge in NSFW figures. I didn't think I could ever display them without blushing my way to an ischemic stroke. Since then, I've realized I'm a shameless appreciater of gratuitous nudity with no self-consciousness.
Excellent.
Hiyori Pixy was released before I began collecting figures, but when she showed up on Mandarake my finger clicked "check out" on its own accord. Seems my subconscious knows better than I what constitutes as a good deal.
As with many figures in my collection, Hiyori's a mystery to me. She hails from the eroge game Chu x Chu Idol, and judging by these pictures she's a shy ditz. Then again, I could be wrong. She seems minor in role, although she's apparently popular enough to warrant a figure.
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| Hiyori is ready to take the stage!...I think |
For such an elegant figure, Hiyori's box is a real let down. Yellow and childish, it laughs in the face of the figure's grace. Then again, Chu x Chu seems bubbly in of itself, so who am I to judge? My main grouse with the box isn't the design, but the size. Hiyori's not a substantial figure, but her package is enormous (no sexual innuendo intended). Blame the pumpkin hat. The awesome, gigantic hat.
You can see why Hiyori is NSFW. Even fully clothed, she's mostly naked. Her gratuitous show of skin and loli appearance is sure to raise some eyebrows (although she's seen with a suit, so I assume she's old enough for the workplace), but she's really too exquitiste to be smutty. I don't find myself minding her substantial garment transgressions much. To me, she's more artistic than pornographic, and yes, it is ironic considering she's from Chu x Chu.
Hiyori is posed in mid-turn. Her expression is just right, not quite shy, not quite flirty. Her gypsy-inspired wear is unlike anything I've ever seen, complete with semi-translucent viel, top-heavy arrangement, conveniently placed straps, and big, derpy pumpkin hat. Naturally, I have to give it plaudits for originality.
Unfortunately, Hiyori's base is plain and turquoise. She can balance without it, but she's not exactly stable on her feet. It's not unattractive, but the colour doesn't quite click with Hiyroi's overall scheme (I want it to be greener).
As a side note, GSC's more recent figures haven't struke me as especially wonderful. Very few have taken my breath away. There seems to be more unnecessary seams in their work (Millhiore, for example). What's up GSC? Please don't go the way of Kotobukiya and start neglecting quality for quantity. I know you have nendos to boost sales, but nendos simply don't have the same calibre as figures. No offense, nendos.
Thankfully, Hiyori is masterfully rendered. I especially love her eyes. They're downright pretty.
Just by her head alone, you can see Hiyori's superb shading. Alter may pump out more colourful figures on average, but GSC can really stick the shading when it counts. Hiyori's hair is varigated blue. She has a slight blush (not really apparent in these photos). I always tell people to look at collars as an assessment of a figure as a whole, and Hiyori's collar is spick span. Clean as a whistle. Not a sign of blemish anywhere.
Hiyori profile is just as wonderful. Her two strands of deviant hair plug into the sides of her head. You have some freedom positioning them, although I don't recommend it. They're really frail.
Let's take a closer look at her "outfit". I'm not even going to ask how it stays on (my bet is magnitism and black magic). Seriously, this is one costume I'd like to see cosplayers pull off. You hear that cosplayers? The guantlet is thrown. Wow me.
Her underwear magically fastens to her vital regions. How it stays in place is up for speculation. Surely it doesn't go in anywhere...
Does it?
Hiyori has one of the finest rears I've seen. It's small and tight and cute as a button. I like that. Shows you don't have to have a table back there to be sexy.
This figure gives an overall feeling of fragility, which can be both good and bad. On the one hand, Hiyori Pixy has a wonderful air if daintiness. On the other hand, you fear for her safety. With such thin parts, it's all too easy to break something. Fortunately, her straps are just flexible enough to stop them from snapping in case she takes a tumble (which she has, in my case). As long as you don't use excessive force, or drop her on concrete, or neglect her in some other ungodly way, she should be ok.
Oh, and the face on her hat? Derp gold.
Hiyori's shoes match her bracelets! Such wonderful pixie style! She has tiny fairy feet. It's a wonder how she keeps from falling over, with her massive hat and all.
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| Hold me closer, tiny dancer |
As usual with cast-offs, I prefer to keep her fully clothed. The extra scuffing and fiddling needed to get the parts off a 1/8 figure is just too much of a hassle for me (unless they look glorious naked), but it's nice that they give you choices.
So, what's your flavour?
Still not naked enough?
Of course, Hiyori can be displayed brazenly naked (except for her odd underwear). GSC gave her body an excellent sculpt, and certanily didn't pull any plugs on making her curvy. Hiyori's not the bustiest girl around, but it's nice to see a figure that's more girl than boob once in a while.
Hiyori looks the best from behind, where she can flaunt that super butt of hers.
Hiyori's skin is rich and full, and flushed where it should be flushed. In most parts, it's on par with the fantastic paint of her hair and outfit, but unfortunately, it's not all perfect.
First, let me draw attention to her nipples.
Wait, what nipples?
That's right. They're so indistinct you can barely see them. Considering GSC bothered to make her a cast-off, it strikes me as strange they skimped on such an essential area. Now I might not be a boob fanataic, but I am a fan of proper anatomy, and no girl I know has such faded areolas (ok, so anime girls have special anatomical properties, but still...)
Oh, and seam lines strike again! Because she's cast-offable, Hiyori's puffy leg-sleeves have bold slits on both sides. They're readily apparent, moreso due to their transparency. The plastic is soft and malleable, and does not quite fit together either. You can see the discrepency in the photo below, where the seam widens closer to the edge.
With the hat, Hiyori's hair is wonderful. Without it, there's also a dark line running across her head. I suppose the assumption was that she would always have her hat on, but that's not really an excuse. Figures like BRS and Alter's Asuka nuke seam lines with gusto. Hiyori...not so much.
While we're on the downbeat, I should also mention that her midget peg and wobbliness. Even on her base she's easily disturbed. She's definitely not to be jostled, given her many thin parts.
Nevertheless, despite her faults, I can't stress enough how much I love this figure. The colours, the pose, the outfit, it all comes together in one beautiful rendition of a beautiful character. How can I really say anything negative about Hiyori when she allows me to take pictures like this?
Hiyori's colour scheme is really (excuse me) fucking beautiful. Her silver buckles, her delicate gold highlights, her huge orange hat, her sleeves and hair, all comes together in one glorious mash of complimentary colours.
Oh, and her pose. She's not brimming full of action, but there's something very alluring about her flirty twist and pointed toe. Hiyori looks like she could float away, with only the weight of her hat to hold her down. (PS brushes courtesy of Techcore-RD, Sha, & Adam Woodhouse)
Hiyori might not appeal to everyone, being naked and slightly provocative, but there aren't too many figures that can top her (again, no innuendo intended) in terms of originality. As a piece of art, she's stunning. Find her at a good price. Buy her. You won't be disappointed.
The Run-Down
Box: 4/10 (Pretty much the only let down)
Base: 6/10 (It's nice, and that's all I can say about it)
Pose: 10/10 (Oooh, it's so delicate)
Sculpt: 8.5/10 (Seams, the seams)
Paint: 9.5/10 (minus some points for her non-existent nipples)
Overall: 9/10 (I'm lovin' it, please don't sue, McDonalds)
Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Price: 7200 yen
Purchased from: Mandarake
Ciao,
Jenn
Jenn
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