Alright, here we go! #Banpresto is now making another entrance into my fandom! It's also a character from the anime called Sword Art Online that I hardly talk about since I didn't get past episode 2. It had some interesting things going for it and maybe one day I'll get around but unfortunately, I just have bare-bones knowledge. But some characters do look awesome and Asuna is one of them. So with that said, let's check out her Ban Presto counterpart, shall we?
This isn't her default outfit, obviously. And as far as I know, with all of the promo and fan art I have seen, I can't remember ever seeing this outfit. And I'm not sure if the whole "blading" title has any relevance. Regardless, this is the figure and the box. Pretty standard stuff.
The lack of windows does save plastic and I think Ban Presto is all for it. So we get promo pics to put our faith into, eh? So let's open her up.
Here she is! Assembly required. VERY minor assembly. Just put the blade in her hands as if she is making love to it.
The pose is quite nice even if it's slightly sexualized. And if one is familiar with my blogs and my content, I don't mind a bit of provocativeness and lewdness. This is somewhat tamed but still highly leaning. I do like it though since it is real estate friendly within my lack-of-space anime shelf.
As far as its sculpt, there are some selling points as well as opportunities. While the ridges and line work are present for the hair and the clothing (skirt and the likes), it's definitely not as organic and as sharp as what I'm used to. There are also some odd things like proportions--her forehead and feet definitely not exactly looking right even if we are talking about anime standards. I would also say that it's not too bad if it's not for the fact that I immediately honed in on them the moment I took her out of the box.
Strands of hair do look odd in some angles but for the most part, they do their job. Still, the sculpting is definitely one of the weakest points of this figurine.
I'd say the paint and choices of plastic color aren't going to win any awards but they do their job and are more than passable. I do like the contrasting colors and the choice of red for her skirt and boots are a nice mix with the brown leather and white hues. The metallic silver is a nice juxtaposition to the rest of the color scheme. The hair is definitely not that great though. Skin tone is just fine but the eyes are well done.
I'm not going to lie and say that this was a satisfying purchase or a mediocre one. It's kind of disappointing and truthfully, I've seen better work from Ban Presto. The lack of windows on a box is something I have gambled with for some time now and this is the first time I'm really disappointed. Still, for any SoA fans, I think there's something here. But honestly, best to find and pay a bit more for an Asuna figurine.
Until Next Time!
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