Wonfes Summer 2013! (some NSFW content)

Summer Wonfes has come and gone, bringing with it a veritable orgy of plastic goodness to tease and tickle the senses—and what a numinous orgy it was! Here at Poke the Merch, we are solemnly consulting physicians to discover which organs we can safely pawn in exchange for figure funds. After all, we have our priorities straight.

So, given the better-than-expected showing this Wonfes, what did we find especializing tantalizing?

Jenn's List 

The Want

Alter's Aty 

Red, check. Dynamic, check. Alter, check. Glasses, check! Is it any wonder Aty shoots to the top of my watch list? Of course not. I've never played Summon Night 3, but that's neither here nor there. After all, I need as much context to appreciate figures as I need an astrophysics degree to appreciate stars (a.k.a. none). Aty's aesthetically appealing enough on her own to stoke my collector's lust. I will pre-order her with the speed of a thousand octane engines!

Alter's Sonico

Sonico + Alter = Win! It's not opinion, it's math, and math doesn't lie. Besides, it's about time a big company succumbed to Sonico's bodacious charms. Look at those big eyes, those curves, that sweet smile, that fuzzy hood! I must have her. Even as a sculpt, she looks amazing. Knowing Alter, her paint job's going to be spectacular as well. There's little doubt in my mind that I will pre-order her. Girls in hoodies for life!

Max Factory's 7th Dragon 2020 Miku

7th Dragon 2020's Songstress Miku is an odd entry. I can name half a dozen things I dislike like about her. Her head is funny-shaped. Her eyes look sketchy. Her hair looks plastic. Her skirt reminds me of Hacker's.  She's wide. She'll be expensive. Her blue-white-black colour scheme isn't as daring as either of her predecessors', and, well, she's another Miku. Yet despite my misgivings, there is something about the way she comes together that's different, and not in a bad way. Her big eyes, open arms, and almost cheesy strut is oddly charming. Plus Max Factory's quality is undeniable. I expect this figure, much like Samurai and Hacker, to grow on me over time.

Sentinal's Levi

When Sentinal unveiled their Levi figure, I screamed forever. Yes. He's perfect. Levi is always perfect. Sure, Sentinal isn't known for their high quality figures, but Levi will elevate them by presence alone. As long as Sentinal nails his deadpan expression, I don't care what they do with the rest of him. It's his defining characteristic, after all. I'm also keeping an eye on Kotobukiya's Levi. I will get all the Levis. I will carry them around in my pocket. Yes.

GSC's Mikasa Ackerman

Continuing the Kyojin love! Is it a surprise Mikasa Ackerman got a scaled figure? Of course not. Badass without sacrificing her humanity, Mikasa is exactly the sort of female character I adore. Given GSC's female-only policy (disclaimer: not an actual policy, disclaimer: Len excluded), I wouldn't be surprised if she were the only character of the series to get a scaled figure (although if they do a Hanji Zoe, my year will explode out of sheer stupendity). I can't wait to see Mikasa's prototype.Give her a flying action pose, GSC, and you're guaranteed my money.

Native's Margit Suzuki

By Native standards, Margit Suzuki is a simple figure. She doesn't have hair everywhere, or complex props, or an unique outfit (we've all seen the school uniform + thigh high combination before). She has only her lab coat, her red specs, her froggie slippers, and science. Look at her face. She's not embarrassed, she's contemplative. She's not playing with herself, she's engaging in experimental clitoral stimulation, and I must have her. In typical Native fashion, her lady parts are displayed unconventionally—through the feeble censorship of a transparent test tube. My only gripe with this figure is her childish appearance. I like my dirty figures curvier.

Alter's Shinobu 

She's doesn't have a prototype yet, and she's already on my want list. The mere announcement that Alter is picking up Shinobu was enough to send me into spasms of excitement. It looks like she's getting a cute, sunhat too. Yes! Shinobu is one of the few ladies I am willing to shrine, and Alter is one of the few companies in which I have full confidence. Unless something goes very, very wrong, I'll be picking her up.

Amakuni's Marika Katou

Ok, so she wasn't announced at Wonfes, per se, but we did get many more tantelizing pictures. I've been waiting for Marika to get a figure. Mouretsu Pirates seems like a silly premise (school girl pirates in space? Pffft), but it turned out to be an enjoyable run, and Marika is difficult to dislike. She's silly, devious, hard-working, and charismatic all at once. Her costume is a pefect mix of school uniform and pirate captain. Look at her almost-smirk! Oh, and that trailing cape is too cool for skool. I'm a bit worried about her price, given that she's an Amakuni exclusive, but that's really the only misgiving I have about her.

The Maybes

Megahouse's Dragon's Crown figures

I'm on the fence about Megahouse's Dragon's Crown series. I dig their dynamic poses and beautiful faces, but I'm not sure I like their proportions. Even Archer, who is the least stylized of the girls, has a disproportionately tiny head given the size of her body. I wish Alter picked up the Dragon Crown girls, given the fantastic job they did on their Odin Sphere and Muramasa lines, but Megahouse is by no means a shabby company. Still, I will need to see their paint jobs before making a decision.

Alter's Hayate Yagami

Finally! Some Hayate love! I've been waiting for Hayate to get a good child sculpt for years. I'm just disappointed it doesn't vary much from her adult form. She's still got her wide-legged stance. She still has her staff in one hand and Book of Darkness in the other. As much as I love her determined expression, I'm not sure I'm as in love with her as I want to be. She's on my watch list for now, but whether I'll order her remains to be seen.

Kotobukiya's Olivia

My reaction to Olivia goes exactly as follows, "Oh my god, pretty wings! Oh, wait, it's a Koto." Koto, what am I supposed to say? My contempt towards them isn't exactly a secret. After all, they have a history of disappointing me. Their paint jobs have never been spectacular, their sculpts are lacking up close, and they have a tendency to present prettier prototypes than finished products. So yes, Olivia looks fantastic now, but I doubt she'll be mind-blowing in the end. If, if, if Kotobukiya can nail this one, I will put them back in my good books. Until then, Olivia stays firmly in my peripheral vision.

Pulchra's Yukari Yuzuki, Max Factory's Cerberus, FREEing/Max Factory's Senbonzakura Miku

These three ladies caught my eye, but I have no real desire towards ordering them yet. Yukari Yuzuki is one of the gorgeous, V3 vocaloids, and one of my favourites to boot. Pulchra has her sculpt down to a tee, but I'll need to see her painted before making any financial commitments. Senbonzakura Miku may or may not come out fantastic, depending on which company is actually doing her (does anyone know for sure? Is it a collaboration?). Her floppy sleeves and yummy outfit look fantastic, but again, it's yet another Miku figure. Finally, I have no idea who Cerberus is, but she was interesting enough to catch my attention. Puppy dog hand gloves? Wut, wuuut?

Ash's List

Fighting against every basic human instinct for food and shelter for:

Max Factory's Benten

Yes, this prancing confusion of limbs is a guy. He’s from a manga called Zone-00 and the only things I remember about the series are the sexy nuns, and pacing so erratic, it gave me whiplash. Zone-00 is a relatively obscure manga series with no anime, and Benten isn't even the main character. So this announcement is very much a cross-section of numerous unlikely decisions. Max Factory clearly aimed to shock and amaze with this one and they absolutely succeeded. Even if I didn't know who Benten was, I would want him anyways. His design doesn't just hit my buttons, it freaking smashes them. A cursory glance reveals an ethereal being, all feathers, hair and lutes but on closer inspection, you get a glimpse of a tattoo, a cigarette and eye make-up that would shame a hooker. He's a gorgeous blend of grace and grit, like a bewinged pin-up. Based on Aoba and Benten, it's clear that Max Factory is aiming to be a major threat to the male figure collector's wallet.

Megahouse's Ginpachi-sensei

Gintama is my favourite series so predictably, I've set out to grab every scaled figure from the series that I possibly can. It's worth noting that Gintoki figures alone comprise about 20% of my current collection so to say that I'm shrining him is putting it lightly (you can never have too much badass in your collection, after all). The be-spectacled and consumate fetish-fuel, Ginpachi-sensei is one of Gintoki's many personae. He is a teacher at Gintama High and sometimes actually manages to do his job occasionally despite his obvious lack of fucks. I'm digging the devil-may-care stride of this figure. And as though he wasn't delectable enough, he's fetching cake (or books depending on the attachment). Combined with his unruly appearance and a face that screams, "the hell you lookin' at?", he would have been on my must-have radar even if he wasn't already my favourite character.

Alter's Nanase Haruka

When Alter announced that it was going to release Free!'s Nanase Haruka, it came as a shock to a whopping 0% of the fans. Seriously, this show is as famous for its hype as it is for its rampant homo-eroticism. It's only five episodes in and I bet there's already a movie in the works. Nevertheless, this news is definitely not unwelcome. In fact, it's exactly one of the things I'd been looking forward to when I first got into the series. Nanase may be one of the first scaled male swimsuit figures ever and given his preternatural relationship with water, I can't think of a more appropriate character for that honour. When Alter offers me an unrealistically rippled pretty boy in a skintight swimsuit, I don't need a prototype. My baser urges are pretty much in the driver's seat at that point.

Megahouse's Kuroko Tetsuya

Check out that dynamism! It's as though Kuroko's been frozen mid-play. I'm impressed with the subtle sculpt of his musculature and focused expression (no doubt readying himself to troll some unsuspecting player through misdirection). I'm highly delighted with his sculpt already. His clothes and limbs are expertly rendered and I look forward to seeing it painted. Megahouse also captured his face's natural cuteness. The precarious pose is a bit of a concern for me. I love that Megahouse is taking a bit of a risk with this pose but I hope that leaning won't be an issue. With Megahouse taking up Kuroko no Basket, Kotobukiya taking up Prince of Tennis and Alter taking on Free!, I'm looking at a finance-depleting collection of anime athletes and you'll hear no complaints from me.  

FREEing's Senbonzakura Kaito and Len

I have a burning propensity for Taisho era-inspired clothing. It's the enticing combination of clean, power-exuding military uniforms with the floral, swish of traditional Japanese clothing that can utterly rob me of any sense of frugality. Not to mention that I've been waiting for Kaito to get a scaled figure ever since I started collecting. He's my favourite Vocaloid and woefully underrepresented. So imagine the joy-fueled paroxysms I experienced when FREEing announced that they were going to release the Senbonzakura version Vocaloids. I'm a fan of Len and Kaito's Senbonzakura designs so I'm looking forward to seeing the prototypes. Though simply by releasing the first scaled Kaito figure they've secured a purchase from me. Like Sentinel, FREEing doesn't have the credibility that companies like Megahouse, Alter and GSC have but once again, like Sentinel, they have managed to pander to my tastes completely. Speaking of which...

Sentinel's Levi

 

I know Jenn already mentioned him but this announcement bears repeating. His fabulous ornamentation coupled with that annoyed and cold expression sing to me the virtues of my impending poverty. He's sporting a military style but with a roguish flair so I honestly never stood a chance. He's also packing. Is there a single inch on his body that doesn't promise certain doom for any wandering titan? Nope. With just a disdainful glare from the first picture he can probably cause a lesser titan to drop dead from shame. His prototype looks superb so I'll give Sentinel a chance despite their lack of street cred. 

Megahouse's Aladdin

Doesn't it look like he's about to burst into song? I'm tickled by Aladdin's playful dance-like pose but the things that won me over the most were his eyes and expressive face. They're gorgeously painted and exude Aladdin's happy magic. Not to mention the painted prototypes suggest that he's strikingly vibrant where it counts. He's just so wonderfully blue and puffy. His flute and wand are also beautifully detailed. I'm even willing to overlook the fact that Aladdin can come off as toothpick thin because his adorably big smile is just so darn persuasive.

Alter's Jinguuji Ren, Hijirikawa Masato, Kurusu Shou, and Shinomiya Natsuki

I'm not going to get into how I feel about Utapri and its characters. I'll leave that to my Tokiya review. I will say that based on Tokiya (who is from the same series as these four) and that fact that they are from Alter, these gentlemen will, in all likelihood, be technically stunning. It's hard to ignore scrupulous craftsmanship and bright colours and I've very good reason to believe that Ren, Shou, Natsuki and Masato will have all of those things in spades. Whether I'll buy all four, pick and choose between them, or ignore them completely remains uncertain right now. I'll keep these boys in my sights for now and wait for their painted prototypes. 

Kotobukiya's Malik, Yami Malik, and Yoko Kurama

Poke the Merch is very vocal about its criticism of Kotobukiya, but to be fair, they are asking for it. Most of the time their prototypes are deceptively enticing but then they fail to deliver. I suspect this will be the case with Yoko Kurama whose prototype is sublime. So I'm naturally cautious about ordering him. In other cases, the prototypes actually resemble the sub-par product you will ultimately end up paying for which is basically the case for the YuGiOh! line. Unfortunately, Koto knows how to prey mercilessly on my sense of nostalgia. I am sorely tempted by Yu Yu Hakusho's Yoko Kurama and YuGiOh!'s Malik and Yami Malik. In fact, I want all the figures from those series but I can't stand the idea of paying good money for crappy paint jobs and wonky hips. They already got me with their Prince of Tennis figures and now with their YuGiOh! and Yu Yu Hakusho figures baiting me, I'm starting to understand why they don't bother improving their quality. I mean, why bother when they can just as easily appeal to the impetuous little kid in us all? 

Suich's List

Appreciating, but probably not buying:

It's true!  While I most likely will not be buying the figures displayed fabulously at Wonfes, I can certainly appreciate them!  They're all eye candy!

Alter's Tales of Symphonia Line

I'm really glad Alter picked up the Tales of series because it really deserves top quality figures!  Plus the costumes generally look nice.  Alter's definitely captured Zelos' character, though I will admit that he seems geared more towards the female collectors.  I'm not saying the males won't be picking him up but you know Zelos wants a lady judging by his pose!  I'm sure Alter and/or Tales of Symphonia fans will want to add him to their collection.  It's a male figure so naturally he'll be cheaper than all the female figures done by Alter!  Get your money ready, fans!

Good Smile Company's Nendoroid Link

I'll admit it.  I didn't see this one coming.  I didn't expect GSC to pick up a Nintendo character, but I sure as hell am not complaining!  I love Link!  I also love chibi-fied characters, so yeah, I might be tempted to pick this little guy up.  I know a certain hard-core Zelda fan who will definitely pre-order him the second she saw him.  The Zelda series could definitely use more affordable figures, so I'm glad GSC's releasing a Nendoroid of Windwaker Link!  Hopefully they grab Zelda or Midna next!  Link should have a buddy on the shelf!

Can you imagine a Navi Nendoroid?  Not as an attachment for Link.  Just a Nendoroid.  It'd be pretty bad, right?

Megahouse's Aladdin and Morgiana
 

I love how the Magi characters look as though they're dancing!  They're so carefree and happy I can't help but smile when I look at them!

Aladdin, being the adventurous 10-year-old that he is here, looks adorable and full of spirit!  I always appreciate the sense of movement in some figures.  Just look at the "whoosh" in his pose.  His hair bounces out as he lifts himself with the balls of his feet.  I love it!  In addition to that, I believe he comes with a tiny (derpy) dancing Aladdin as well!  Too bad it wasn't on display with big Aladdin.

I actually really like that Aladdin's staff has a bit of texture.  Well, at least from here it looks like it does.  We can't judge him properly unless he's in our hands, right?  In any case, I'm happy G.E.M. Megahouse picked him up!

Next we have Morgiana who looks absolutely lovely here, what with her elegant dancing pose and her smashing smile.  I think most of us Magi fans imagined her in her standard outfit if she ever got a figure, so I think we were taken by surprise here!  Not only is she wearing her dance festival costume but she's actually smiling, which is quite rare!  I think Magi fans all around would be happy having this amazing little lady on their shelves! Until she's ready to be released, you can only gaze upon her unpainted splendor online!  Hopefully Morgiana will come with a mini Mor.  I'm counting on you to do a good job, Megahouse!

And that concludes our Wonfes spazzing!  There were plenty of amazing figures on display this year and chances are our wallets are already weeping. Some figures aren't available for pre-order yet, so it's time to start saving up!

It was a pleasure to see more male figures on display this year.  They're finally getting the love they deserve so let's look forward to seeing more!

What figures are you all looking forward to?

Peace out,
Poke Crew