Characters: Azusa Nakano and Yui Hirasawa
Series: K-on
Manufacturer: Banpresto
Release Date: February 2012
Run: Prize
My Figure Collection: http://myfigurecollection.net/item/87195 and http://myfigurecollection.net/item/87196
With the plethora of K-on figures out there I had a really hard time narrowing down what would be my first static figure of Azusa. I sifted through so many possibilities, some of them landing a spot in my wished list as runners up. In the end I chose this set because both Azusa and Yui looked adorable, and I was very impressed with Mio and Ritsu from the same line.
I am not very fluent in Japanese, so please correct me in I am wrong. This pair is title as the Engeki Taikai set, literally meaning “Big Ocean Theatre”, or at least that is what google tells me. It does look like they are performing for a festival or the like. It is quite possible that it is even a beach festival. When put together the backs of the boxes actually form a stage. That is pretty cute. I do find it a bit strange that Mugi and the second Yui from this line do not follow the theatre theme.
Azusa’s bangs are long in front, but don’t obscure her eyes which is pretty nice. The longer parts on the sides frame her face well. The sculpt of her bangs looks really good.
Her face is very adorable. They did a good job applying her eyes. They are placed perfectly, the design of them is very nice too. They look joyful and full of life. There is a slight bit of blush to her cheeks and it sure does bump up her cute factor. Her mouth looks decent too. Overall I think her expression says that she is having a lot of fun.
It seems a little odd to see Azusa without her pigtails, but the ponytail looks really great on her too. Her hair is very long, and near the end the strands split a little bit, so it doesn’t look to chunky. The hair on the back of her head has sculpted lines showing that is being pulled back by the ribbon. The accessory itself is pretty simple. There is no shading to it, just a plain red ribbon. It is sculpted well, and serves its purpose.
Azusa’s Yukata top is also sculpted really well, but the sloppy paint is a deterrent. I love the white fabric tying her sleeves back. That is such a cool look. Unfortunately the trim around her neckline is a bit off.
The white on the back is even worse. Her collar trim is awful, and the white piece holing her sleeves back doesn’t look much better.
The obi is really cute. There is a thin purple string tied around it, which looks really good against the orange. The purple paint is pretty sloppy too.
There are a couple things about her arm that are interesting. First, the print at the top of her sleeve is applied really well. It does disappear at the seam which looks weird, but it may have been done deliberately to show the sartorial seam line there. I think it is just awkward because it is the only flower on her sleeve or torso, so it looks out of place. The next thing to note is that she does not have an instrument pick. I presume she gave it to Yui….More on that in a minute. Her hand looks nice as she pretends to strum away at her instrument of choice.
I love this arm too. Her fingers are clearly in position as if she were playing her favourite guitar. It looks really cool.
Now here is the really fun part. You don’t really need a pick, or cool finger placements to play a giant paper fan., or at least that is what I assume this is. I get the distinct impression that these girls are having a grand time pretending they are rocking the stage!
The front of her skirt has the pretty yellow and blue designs that we saw earlier on her sleeve. They look like they belong here much better.
The back of the obi has a huge yellow bow, which has very little detail to it. It doesn’t even really look like it is tied. She does seem to have a shapely butt though…
Azusa has cute legs. The shape of them is very nice, and the positioning makes it look as if she was dancing.
Her feet look ok. There is not much definition to her toes, but the sandals look good, the paint is decent, and her heels look great. The sandals are fairly delicate though. I broke the back of one of them pulling it from the cardboard that was meant to protect it. Oops. A bit of glue and she was back in action.
Azusa’s base is huge, which makes it a bit difficult to find space for her, but I always manage. The polka dots match the other figures in the line, and the little tea cup says “just in case you weren’t sure, I am a K-on figure”. Ok maybe it doesn’t say that, but it sure projects it loud enough!
Yui ‘s bangs are great! Her hair has always been a bit on the bushy side and this figure is no exception. The right side of her bangs are way puffier than the left side. She wears two barrettes on the left side holding some of that hair back. The sculpt of her bangs is really good, and very true to her character design.
Her eyes, like Azusa’s, are very lively and bright. She does not have the same blush effect on her cheeks, but her mouth has a bit more detail. Yui has a row of pearly whites. Their faces are spot on, and I love it!
Yui’s hair is also being pulled back, as you can clearly see from lines showing the direction from which it is being pulled. I really appreciate when these lines are added, it saves the figure from having helmet head hair. Yuck! The bun is also sculpted to show several tiny strands all rolled together.
Her red ribbon is no more detailed than the previous one, but I do think the sculpt looks a bit better. Azusa’s bow looked a bit flatter.
Yui’s Yukata top looks pretty good. Marginally better than Azusa’s. The white paint isn’t quite as bad. Her obi is also painted much better. The purple string is crisp and clear.
Wow! Even the back is painted nicer. Maybe my Azusa is just a fluke. Hmmm…The yellow bow still looks really fake. It looks like there is a plush bow velcroed to her back.
Her right arm looks nice. Once again I love the tied back sleeves. She also has a very nice hand. The sculpt looks good. I am pretty fond of her splayed fingers. She has the same pattern on her sleeve. On Yui the white strap obscures the seam line a bit better.
Yui’s left arm is done well. Her hand holding the pick is cute. I really like raised pinky. I still have no idea why she is singing into a pick, or why Azusa is playing a paper fan, but it looks like they are enjoying it, so who am I to judge?
The front of Yui’s skirt has an array of yellow and blue designs. They are all applied well, and look good.
The back of her skirt is devoid of design. Yui is packing a pretty round butt too. I think the sculptor might have over exaggerated their assets a bit, but it looks good none the less.
Her legs are decently sculpted as well. I think Azusa’s are shaped better overall, but Yui’s look good. There is a good amount of detail around her knees and ankles, she also has nice calves.
Yui’s feet are ok too. The toes are not very detailed, but again the sandals look good. Thankfully I didn’t break this one.
Their bases match perfectly, which is pretty cool. Ritsu and Mio’s bases matched as well, but the designs were gold. Yui #2 and Mugi had matching blue polka dotted bases. They all go well together, but it keeps each pair a bit unique. (not that they really needed help in that department)
Since we took a peek at the backs of the boxes up top I will just cover the fronts right here. Both boxes show the full figure on the front, with a close up in the background. They are simple, but nice, and the stage backside makes them pretty awesome. Inside the boxes the girls come wrapped in plastic bags, with thicker cardboard surrounding them.
Pros:
Their poses are great!
These figures are fun and imaginative!
Their expressions are lively.
They have a very nice colour scheme.
The theatre theme is pretty cool.
Cons:
The paint is sloppy on a lot of the trim.
Feet could have been sculpted better.
Overall Enjoyment: 4/5
