Review: #91
Name: Hope Estheim
Brand: Play Arts Kai
Line: Final Fantasy XIII
Year of Release: 2010
Volume: Vol. 2
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS:
Let's first start with the packaging, and since this classified as a collectible, the end result is that it feels like a premium product. It looks great and perfect for those who likes to display their figures in box.
I have to say that the box is heavy in it's own right, heavier than I expected, and the cardboard used is pretty thick. The layout of all the text and artwork is decent.
The packaging, as you would have noticed by now, is a window-type packaging, showing the figure, and some accessories. That said, there is a lot of empty space. The packaging is also smaller than the Volume 1 Play Arts, as it does not contain a stand this time around.
The back shows some (awesome) poses of the figure, however, whether you can replicate them yourself is another matter.
Also one more decent photo of the figure on the side, the photographers sure know how to pose these figures.
Accessory wise, it's very bare. You only get a spare right hand (for holding his weapon) and his weapon. I would have loved to see the other design of his weapons included, even if it was just one or two extra, since his weapon has like seventeen designs in the game.
FIGURE:
I'll provide a little back story, this figure is my first exposure to these Play Arts Kai figures (since I was interested in the XIII-2 Lightning figure and Dissidia Squall figures), and if I liked what I got, then I would have gotten some other ones. So, when I saw these Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts Kai figures at one of my local toy shops, I grabbed it straight away. It didn't hurt that they weren't priced with too much of a premium, costing me only as much as it would have costed me if I got them when they were released with added shipping.
First impression was... I was amazed at the detail used on the figure. The outfit looks exactly like the game's design, down to every last detail. Hope was a pretty big figure too (bigger than I expected at least), standing at around 20cm tall (I prefer metric measurements...).
One of my complaints? The face just doesn't look right, from afar, it does look like Hope, but if you peered more closely, the shape of the face and nose feels weird somehow. Also, this is one of the things where it's better not to look at it at close range, coz the hair look icky and bad, whereas in real life they're decent-ish.
Let's have a look more closely at some of the detailing. The jacket and that piece of cloth that drapes over his shoulders are made of soft plastic, so they don't limit the range of motion the arms have.
The strips of fabric dangling on the back of his pants are also made of soft plastic. Without experience in other collectible figure lines including previous Play Arts figures, I cannot say if the plastic quality is good or not. Personally, I think it's pretty good, but it could be stronger, especially around the joints. For example, the elbow joints feel brittle and easy to snap.
As if you need more convincing, just look at the shoes, every single part is detailed and painted well. The feet have some good articulation, I can only find two joints, which help him stand flat on any surface and in poses (but I saw somewhere that he is supposed to have three).
Time for the weapons. I think the weapons are the highlight of each figure, it's really well painted. The design is based on the 'Air Wing' model, which is what Hope wields during the cutscenes in the game. Plus, it's also one of the better looking models too.
Just like in the game, there's a joint that allows the boomerang to fold up. Too bad there's no way to store it on Hope's body. It would have been great if you could have attached it somewhere on his back.
In order for Hope to wield his weapon, you must switch out the right hand for another one. Personally, I hate the process as it's a pain. Pulling the hand out requires a bit of force, and putting the other one in requires more force to it to slot in correctly. Anyway, this other hand has a peg which corresponds to a hole on the boomerang, which is good coz it attaches really securely.
I know a lot of people complain about the smearing of paint, and flashes of plastic that could have been cut cleaner. However, the one thing that's most important to me, and to the point where I can ignore the other two things I've mentioned (provided they're not terrible) is quality control. I had hear so many horror reports that it have put me off purchasing XIII-2 Lightning and Dissidia Squall. I am happy to say... that it seems the Final Fantasy XIII Play Art Kai line doesn't have such a widespread QC issue...
That being said, a lot of my joints are stiff. That might sound like a good thing, but it's not when they're too stiff, to the point where you can't even use the joints for fear of breaking it. Actually, I was trying to bend the right arm when I heard a huge *crack*, this was not good news... After studying it, and looking at the left elbow (which bent perfectly), I tried again, another *crack*, and it finally managed to bend. I checked around and nothing seem to have broken or cracked, flash of plastic? Couldn't be paint as it doesn't have paint there. Regardless, that is something to be careful of.
Now the articulation, obviously, as a figure whose whole purpose is for posing, it is pretty good... in theory. I don't know if I got a dud one or not, but I find it hard to dynamic poses with Hope, he's got the joints, and most of the range, but the joints are stiff to the point where it hinders the range of motion.
I also found it somewhat hard to balance him when trying to go for more dynamic poses, he tends to want to fall over flat on his face. I really wished they could have included a stand.
It's also much harder than I thought to try and recreate the poses he had in the game. Well, it's probably that I just suck as posing. Honestly though, I see some pictures of him posed like this, yet the legs on mine can't even bend that much!
The boomerang looks great, and is versatile enough for a range of good poses anyway. I don't like the design of the double jointed knees, as when you bend him the joints show up, and it makes the legs very unnatural.
A figure that looks great and high on detail, and quite fun to pose and play around with.
OVERALL:
Obviously, there are good and bad points of the figure. The detailing is superb and paint applications are good, they didn't skimp on that, and this is what you're paying for. However, I think the quality could be improved, and it's also possible to make it more durable. That said, I'm impressed enough to purchase more from this series.
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