Figures: Nendoroid Puchi Death Note Case File #02

I loved the first set of Death Note Nendoroid Puchis, so ordering Case File #02 was a must for me. They’ve arrived, and they’re just as adorable and well-detailed as their Case File #01 comrades. This set expands the Puchi Death Note collection to include characters from later in the series such as Near, Mello and Mikami as well as offering new versions of the core trio (Light, L and Misa). It’s a somewhat more lighthearted set with tennis outfits and some great facial expressions, so I think it may appeal to Nendoroid collectors who aren’t fans of Death Note a little more than Case File #01 did, but Death Note fans certainly won’t be disappointed either as it rounds out the character selection nicely.

With the full collection of Death Note Puchis now at a grand total of 22 figures, I’m not sure Good Smile will be releasing a Case File #03. Certainly there are a few characters left who would be welcome additions – Kiyomi Takada and some more of the Kira Investigation Team – but all of the major spots have been filled. If you’re the kind of person who likes re-creating scenes or putting together stories with your Nendoroids, there’s more than enough inspiration here and quite a few different combinations of costumes and facial expressions for the main characters. For those who aren’t so familiar with Nendoroids, you can actually take them apart almost entirely to swap parts around: the arms, legs and head are removable, and the head comes apart to allow you to swap faces and hair too.

In addition to some great design choices, Case File #02 features one significant improvement over #01. In the first set, the secret figure was just a slightly altered version of one of the regular L figures from the set. That was a bit disappointing. This time around, Light gets the secret figure treatment and benefits from an entirely unique body as well as a different facial expression. The design and pose are taken from a piece of artwork that most Death Note fans will recognise, which is pretty cool in its own right but I was just glad to see the secret figure actually being a different figure altogether rather than a simple variation.

Case File #02 is a great compliment to the first set, though depending on your tastes may have less immediate appeal on its own. Case File #01 benefited from including Death Note’s most recognisable characters – including the shinigami – but Case File #02’s more playful designs, worthwhile secret figure and almost complete expansion of the character line-up prove that there can be room on Death Note and Nendoroid fans’ shelves for both sets. With a collection of this size – 22 figures, all up – it’s just a good thing they’re Puchi rather than regular Nendoroids.

Gallery
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