Figures: Centre of Tokyo-3 Asuka and Mari

In early November last year, Sega released the first two figures in a set of arcade prizes called Evangelion Vignette Centre of Tokyo-3 based on poster artwork from the Rebuild of Evangelion. Following that release of Rei and Kaworu (check them out here) comes the next pair: Asuka and Mari. The four figures come with bases that line up with each other to form the titular vignette, and combined they form quite a nice display. While it unfortunately seems like Sega has no plans to release a Shinji figure to complete the core teen cast of Evangelion with this set, the characters that are here are, thankfully, well represented with sculpts and paintwork of a standard that belies the figures’ incredibly affordable price tags.

Mari stands at around 18cm on her base, with Asuka slightly shorter because of her pose, and both figures have a pretty solid feel to them. Colours are accurate to the source with Asuka’s hair appropriately fiery (and thankfully not as bright as depicted on the figure’s box, seen above) and Mari’s a more solid brown as seen in Evangelion 2.0 rather than the purple tinge present in a lot of other artwork. Fine detail on the paintwork is quite good as well, from the pattern on Mari’s skirt and the emblem on her shirt to the red ribbon on Asuka’s uniform (which looks a little edgy in close-up photos, but perfectly fine to the naked eye). The glossy sheen on Mari’s shoes is a nice touch, and shows a level of thought and care that may not always be present in arcade prize figures.

As with the previous two figures in this set, one of the biggest strengths is in the accurate presentation of the characters. The faces are pleasantly accurate, and the body proportions seem just right. There’s very little – if anything – to complain about given the price: these figures range from around ¥1100-1500 depending on your store of choice. Nice figures at a very nice price make for a great bargain, and the ability to combine all four to create a unified display makes Sega’s Centre of Tokyo-3 an even better proposition for Evangelion fans. There are plenty of Evangelion figures out there but whether you’re looking to expand your collection of troubled teenage mecha pilots or just starting one, this set offers excellent value for money.