autaku

Up until recently, my Figma collection consisted solely of two Haruhi Suzumiyas: the regular version and the summer uniform version. I’d often considered the thought of collecting all of the Figma Haruhis, but there was one thing that got in the way: the limited edition Figma SP-001 Chouyusha (or “Brave”) Haruhi. Without it my collection could not be complete, and I’d rather stick with just two than a collection that’s missing just one. Of course, the reason this very post exists is because I’ve managed to get Chouyusha Haruhi for a great price thanks to comrade Fabrice. I suppose this means I’ll be going for a squad of Figma Haruhis after all!

Chouyusha Haruhi was released exclusively bundled with Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi (The Perplexity of Haruhi Suzumiya) for PlayStation 2 which was released in early 2008. The game included a variety of settings and game styles, which explains the RPG-style outfit this Haruhi figure is wearing. In addition to being an exclusive it was also the first Figma to be released, so I guess you could call it a collector’s item both for Haruhi fans and fans of the highly successful Figma line in general. I don’t think there’s much I can say at this point about the Figma line that hasn’t been said before (including by myself, regarding my two other Figma Haruhis) but I will add that Chouyusha Haruhi is somewhat more impressive than her school uniform counterparts thanks to a more detailed outfit.

As would become standard for Figmas, Chouyusha Haruhi comes with an assortment of extras including a posable stand, a set of various hands, two different faces (which are the same as two of the three faces included with regular uniform Haruhi) and a weapon that I suppose I would call a small lance (it’s certainly not a sword, at least). Please note that the two faces shown in the photo above are those which came with the figure, but I’ve used faces from other Haruhi Figmas for some of the photos in this post. I should also mention that the large ribbons on the back of Haruhi’s uniform are jointed so they do have a (small) range of articulation. It’s not enough to ensure that all poses will look natural and the long flowing sections aren’t bendable, but as they are they do maintain a fairly pleasing aesthetic.

I’m really pleased that I managed to get my hands on this figure, not only because it should allow me to assemble a complete set of Figma Haruhis but also because it’s simply a really nice figure. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I prefer the look of fixed-pose scale figures when it comes to human character, but Max Factory certainly do a respectable job with joints with the Figma line. In this particular case the design of the outfit itself takes care of hiding the joints pretty well, though to my eye they’re still unavoidably obtrusive – but much less so than in some cases, and certainly bearably so even for someone like me who generally prizes unobstructed aesthetics over articulation. In short, this was a great way for Max Factory to launch what has since become a very successful line of figures and is well worth adding to your collection if you can find it for a reasonable price. Now, I guess I should get to ordering those other Haruhi Figmas…