Touka Kureha and other babes

Everyone likes a bikini. Except me, really. Most of my figures are not bikini figures, mostly because one of the things that I like about figures is the clothes that they wear, while a bikini figure... well, there isn't really all that much to it. The sculpting, in that case, goes in a wholly other direction. Occasionally, though, a figure comes along that forces me to sit up and take notice, and the Shining Wind figure set from Max Factory certainly did that.

Admittedly, I took little notice of them when they were first announced, but after the large buzz they created in the scaled figure community, I thought I would try one out. And after it arrived, I was so blown away that I snapped up the next, once Hobby Japan happened to have another in stock. This is that figure. Touka Kureha hails from the video game which later spawned an anime series. I watched only a couple episodes, and was not terribly impressed, but when you have Tony Taka doing your character designs, at least you know you'll have cute girls (and boys!) to look at. Note how her bikini bottom cuts into her hip a little, adding the idea of plumpness.

AT 1/7th scale, she's starting to get up there. Of course, I'm spoiled; my first figures were 1/6th scale, and now anything less than 1/8th is unbearably small. I still can't understand why anyone would make do with a Nendroid. Anyway, she's nicely sized in all the proper ways, and since there aren't clothes to speak of, I get to focus on her body instead. I adore the sculpting of her stomach. Kureha, from my understanding, is not the type to have ripped abs, and so she doesn't. Though, I think some opportunities for definition were missed; her knees are almost nonexistent. She does have very nice legs, and the kneepits from behind are quite nice, but I would have liked a bit more pronouncement there.

I love her smile. It's one of the best smiles I've seen in awhile; just the right amount of playfulness, coy sexiness, and a knowing smirk. The way she's tugging at the straps of her bikini without overtly taking it off helps, as well.

This is normally where the panty shot would go, but there is no skirt, and the pictures I tried to take of her rear were rather unflattering. Actually, if there is a single disappointment in this figure, it's that the derriere is somewhat lacking. Which is a nice way of saying that she's got no butt. Baby definitely does not have back, and as a noted aficionado of that particular bit of anatomy, I can't help but be unhappy. Still, what there is is rather nicely done.

I'll note here that her feet are exquisite, which is notable considering Tony has been criticized in the past for unrealistic feet. These are, I think, just about perfect. Also note here the base, which gives a sandy impression, and in my opinion, must better than the 1/10th WAVE models. Or, for that matter, the plain white bases my 1/4th Nanoha and Fate have.

One of the nicer figures that I've gotten in awhile. And probably my favorite, in a bikini. Though there are the aforementioned Nanoha and Fate, but I'll attend to those later.