Character: Link
Series: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Manufacturer: San-ei
Release Date: February 2014
Run: Standard
My Figure Collection: http://myfigurecollection.net/item/187803
It looks like this year is going to be a pretty green year for Tekizen and I. In the past four months we have played Skyward Sword, Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, A Link Between Worlds, Wind Waker, and now Phantom Hourglass. So what better way to celebrate the fun we have been having than with more cool Zelda merch? This time around it is my first plushie of the series.
There is no way I could have passed this guy up. I had found a medium sized one on Hobby Link Japan listed as backordered, so I tried. While I was still waiting for him to come in stock they listed a re-release of the 11 inch version. Heck yeah! It had already been a month, and my medium one didn’t seem to be coming in so I ordered the big one as well. It was a couple of days later that the store notified me that they could not get the medium one in. Nice save on my part, ordering the big one!
He is sooo adorable. His blonde hair is huge and puffy. san-ei did a great job bringing his hair to the realm of 3D plush. It is cute, and the seam lines are not out of place at all. I am especially fond of his little yellow eartails.
The back of his hair didn’t fare quite as well. There are seam lines everywhere. I do realize he is made of fabric, and seams are inevitable, but I am not fond of the back of his hair. Where the poofy part at the bottom really bothers me. It looks out of place with the flat blonde bit underneath.
Link’s hat is pretty cute. It is almost as long as he is. What I really like about it though, is the stitching on the underside.
They pinned it together with a couple of stitches to cause the cute little fold near the end. The end result is perfect.
His face is fantastic. Link’s giant eyes are embroidered on perfectly. The rest of his facial features are also stitched on. This is always a better option than the fabric decals that were used a few years ago. Plushies have come a long way as far as quality is concerned. The only part of his face that I do not approve of is the seam line along his chin.I find it very distracting.
Then there are his cute little Hylian ears. They are so tiny. I love them! I am not sure why, but they make me think of the Keebler elves.
Link’s torso and arms are made of a very soft light green fabric. The collar is a bit high, which makes him look like he has no neck, but otherwise it has a nice appearance.
Both of his hands are good. He has all five fingers, which are formed by stitched lines.
Link’s tunic is very simple. A darker shade of the same fabric as his shirt was used for his tunic, which loosely covers his undershirt. Link wears a brown felt belt with a swirly buckle.
His legs are also made from the same fabric, this time white for his leggings. It is a bit cheap that his clothes make up his body, as opposed to covering it, but it wasn’t a particularly costly plushie. It serves it’s purpose, and looks nice doing so.
Link’s tiny brown boots have no details. They are very plain, but do not detract from his overall appearance. I love the shape of his little round feet.
This plushie also has a couple of bonuses. He comes fully equipped with his sword and shield. The sword is made from what feels like really stiff felt. The fabric is painted to look like a sword. Not the worst effort, but not the best either. It bends easily, so be very careful with it if you plan on getting one for yourself.
His shield is permanently affixed to his back. It is also made from the thick felt-like material. This time though it is covered by a nice printed piece of cloth depicting the armor’s design. It looks quite nice. If I remember correctly this is the shield that you get from Granny, which makes it pretty special.
Though he is a pretty simple plushie by design standards, he is pretty damn cute, and a great addition to any Zelda collection. I am pretty happy to have brought him home!
Pros:
He is very cute.
He is super soft.
His face is stitched on perfectly.
Cons:
The sword feels cheap.
Seams could have been in better places, especially the one on his chin.
Overall Enjoyment: 4/5
