Review: #96
Name: Oerba Dia Vanille
Brand: Play Arts Kai
Line: Final Fantasy XIII
Year of Release: 2009
Volume: 1
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS:
As per always, let's start with the packaging. Again, as per the norm, the packaging is classy and elegant. Since Vanille is a Vol. 1 figure, the box is bigger since it includes a display stand.
The back shows the usual stuff, including poses and cross-sells other figures in the same line.
A close up shot of the poses...
Once again, the box feels like it's mostly empty, since you get the figure and then these tiny accessories surrounding it. Why do I care? Well, I don't, I just wanted to point it out.
And lastly, a shot on the side picture, which has a different pose. Overall? Very nice packaging.
With accessories, you get two extra hands (left and right), and two weapons, one is in the 'normal' configuration, while the other is in a closed form for storage when not in use.
Here's the display stand, same as the other figures in the line, not that useful mind you. A decent amount of accessories, enough to keep me happy at least.
FIGURE:
Onto the figure itself, it has the level of detail you would expect, that is to say, amazing. Every nook and cranny of the in-game model is faithfully reproduced here. The did a wonderful job with the colouring of the beads.
The fur pelt around her waist is made from soft plastic, so it doesn't hinder leg articulation much. She stads around 21.5cm tall.
Like all the other figures in the line, the face falls down flat. It doesn't resemble Vanille that well.
I'm going to get the stand over and done with. If it was terrible for Lightning, it's even worse here. I said it in the other review, but the stands are generically designed, and it shows here. You cannot clamp it onto Vanille's waist via the back, as other stuff gets in the way. The best I can do is with the above, it's very annoying (and the stand falls apart easily). It's tough to get the arm angled in such a way as to let both of Vanille's feet touching flat on the surface.
The first of the accessories is the closed up weapon for storage. It's modeled off the Binding Rod version in the game (and the default one that Vanille uses in the cut scenes). Like many other Final Fantasy weapons, if you don't already know what it is and how it works, you're hardly going to work it out by looking at this.
The whole point of having the closed version of the weapon is that you can store is on Vanille's back, like she does in the game (well duh...). There's two rubbery clamps that loop over the weapon, and you can peg them in. It takes some effort to plug the two pieces in though since it just does not want to stay plugged in.
Of course you get the opened form of the Binding Rod. Surprisingly, you don't have to switch out the default hands to hold it. Annoyingly, the hand's clamped in a fist, you have to pry the fingers out and slot the weapon in which is kinda alarming, since the fingers can easily snap off. Plus, it doesn't hold it firmly at all... The extra hands are too open to hold the weapon, I'm surprised it doesn't use a peg and hole system like the other figures.
This figure was by far the easiest to swap the hands. Maybe it's just mine where the plastic was molded a bit wider, but it was just way easier than Hope and Lightning. I suspect it may be the way the hole is in the forearm, not the hand, like the other figures. Either way, I don't have to freak out every time I want to change hands.
There is a lot of articulation here, albeit not as much as Lightning, there's not 'shoulder flex' here. The double jointed knees once again look weird when bent too far.
The head is also very stiff, not because of the joint, but because of her hair. It's too long and gets in the way of the shoulders when you're turning the head. They're not adjustable at all, so Vanille pretty much have to view head on most of the time (at best, a tilt to one side).
Interestingly, her feet are tapered, which can be a problem when trying to achieve more dynamic poses.
Nonetheless, a lot of personality in this figure, and obviously good for your display.
OVERALL:
Whilst she is an annoying character in the game (and I don't really like her design too much), the figure is decent. There are no major or breaking flaws, of which I am thankful for. She does not feel fragile, there's quite a bit of versatility. A fun figure.
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