Dance in the Vampire Bund is a fun series. And not just because it has loli vampires. Those are always enjoyable--vampires are, imo, at their most terrifying when they're the young, childlike ones who look like they belong in elementary school but really got turned back in the tenth century. No, it's fun because it has pleasant music, is done by Shaft, and has a rather engaging little plot. Unfortunately, it's also a series I fell behind on, this year, and so I'll have to wait until it shows up on DVD here to properly finish it. Assuming, of course, that I choose to do so; the reports that it would be censored for the US market, which I find quite annoying in this day and age, may chill me somewhat. In any case, this is the only figure for the series, to my knowledge, and it's a doozy.
I don't normally do box pictures, mostly because I tend to throw the boxes away almost on receipt. They take up too much space, and are burdensome besides. I wish I had for this one, though, because the box art is really quite pleasant. Someday I'll figure out how to take pictures like that, but until then you'll have to make do with these.
Mina Tepes, if you're not familiar with the series, is a vampire, of course, though she's stuck in a very young body. As such, this makes it easier to do typical anime things like go to high school, and have a sex interest, and all the like. 
The figure is sculpted by Kotobikuya, which is definitely a good company, but not normally held up to the standard of, say, Alter. Still, the detail on this one is stunning for any figure; note the definition of the back. Marvelous.
And here, the wrinkles in her stockings. The whole figure is full of little details like that, and those are how I tend to separate the really good figures from the simply okay ones. And as it is, I was somewhat on the fence about ordering it; I think the fact that it was such a cute pose did it for me.
I love the way she sticks her tongue out. Mina is, at times, a very playful and mischievous character, and those are my favorite. Well, favorite when they're also prone to fits of limb-ripping rage. Which can also be cute.
I also rather like the satiny finish to her gloves, stockings, and choker. I'm not sure how they did it with the paint, but it really is well done, even if it makes trying to use flash photography a total pain. I shall have to work a bit on my lighting, in the future.
Her pose. It's a bit racy, perhaps? Especially in the panty area, though I couldn't manage to take a picture of it that I liked, again because of the lighting. But the drawing of one knee up is both cute and sensual. The panties are a side tie variety, which also adds charm points.
If there is a single thing I would complain the most about? The base. You can't tell, but the base beneath is plastic, contoured more or less to her posture. There are three divots, as well, into which her feet and right elbow would neatly tuck into... if it weren't for the red cloth that she also sits upon. There might be a way, perhaps with double sided tape, to make it stay in place, but as it is, it's childishly easy to knock the figure off the base, which is of course exactly what should happen.
Other than that, though, it's a lovely figure, and one of the surprise gems of my collection. Plus, it has toes. Cute toes. In stockings. Seriously, what more can you ask for?
No comments:
Post a Comment