Figure Unboxing and Review: Araragi Karen (Banpresto)
To All,
Packaging 7/10
Packaging is really simple, and runs on the theme of white and yellow, with the yellow being of Karen's theme as she's very commonly seen with yellow. It also works with her theme of "bee"/ The title she comes from "Monogatari series" as well as her name "Araragi Karen" and her prize type "A prize" is right down at the bottom of the box.
Other large prizes that come in this Kuji include Araragi Tsukihi and Oshino Shinobu figures as Prize B and C respectively. But do note that Shinobu is 17cm in height while the Araragi sisters are both 18cm in height!
Base 8/10
Simply put, the base is a translucent yellow with patterns all around the circumference as seen. The patterns are similar to the egg yolk clip that is always seen on both Araragi sisters, so much so that it has even became part of their trademark!
The bee that is part of the base comes in a separate piece from the circular base itself, and will be slotted into the gap in it. Not only does it provide additional support to the figure by propping up the shin of Karen's raised leg, it also gives a little more decoration to Karen's otherwise plain yellow base. Of course, there is also a peg to hold Karen into the base.
Posing and Assembly 7/10
As usual, let's first glance at her in several different views.
Karen's pose is extremely energetic, which is really alike her personality. With her arms raised in the air, she looks all ready for a bright and fun new day!
Assembly wise, Karen is easy to set up, with the only steps being to put the figure into the base and the bee stand into the base to support Karen's figure as well, and to prevent leaning due to her pose.
Sculpting and Painting 7/10
Sculpting is done quite well and detailed. Her expression is as energetic as her pose, tying the two together beautifully. She would definitely be a perfect match for Tsukiko's prize B figure as well! The light blues used on her middle school uniform matches the color scheme, and this actually makes the red color of her bag pop much more!
Karen's hair is in motion, with her ponytail spread out behind her. This fits her impression of motion, looking as if she has ran all the way. This is just like the energetic Karen depicted in the series!
Look! Even her hair clip was done really well! There are absolutely no spillage of paint from the yellow yolk part onto the egg white part or from the clip to Karen's hair as well!
The uniform is sculpted well. There are many appropriately placed creases on the uniform to give it more of a motion. The sliver of skin seen between her blouse and skirt is true to her pose where her raised hands caused her blouse to be lifted as well.
The blue ribbon on her chest has a sense of motion and is actually not dead set against her blouse, making it look more like a soft and light piece of fabric, which it is supposed to be.
Now, let's look at her bag in detail. The strap isn't fixed in place and is raised in midair. The bag also has an additional component outside (the flap) so it'll not look like a normal one-piece bag without any designs. The bag has shading and creases as well, reminding me of one of those waterproof bags.
Apart from the main body of the bag itself, the link between the strap and the main body of the bag is also well-made. There is a metal buckle between them, as well as the white strap in place. This is really an exact replica of how most sling bags are. Not to mention that there are even two red dots added on both sides of the white strap so it doesn't seem that plain!
And last but not the least, I'll like to highlight that her shoes are well sculpted too. Shoes, I find, are really easy to leave out in figures, especially prize figures -- and many of them come with a nice sculpt for all parts except the shoes, but not for Karen!
Although the details of shoelace that is linked though the individual holes are not sculpted, the neat sculpt of the tied ribbon part makes up for it. The shoe itself is plain but there are no visible paint spills in my copy.
The socks are good in the sense that they match her (glad that stockings are no chosen instead). Furthermore, they aren't just a plain red or yellow, but the mix of both gives a red that matches her color scheme and a yellow that reminds of the Karen in the series!
The only issue I have is that the socks is slightly too thick, especially for the yellow part, hence making them look rather bulky and uneven.
But back to the praise-worthy sculpt of Karen's shoes, I love how she has a print for her soles that aren't just a rigged base or the absence of any patterns for her soles.
Enjoyment 7/10
As a prize figure, she is incredibly well-made. What made me more happy about it is that I won her with my own hands, which brings a much better sense of enjoyment than just buying her after the kuji ends at a much higher price!
From Your Fellow Collector,
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