Viva Vita
It’s hard to decide if it is a permanent fixture, a miniturized display of raw emotion, or simply a tribute to an all-time favorite.
But without that imaginary photography studio in the sky, Vita can only sigh and dream of brighter times when she would actually be walking around, being the bundle of energy that she was, and as only as intense as how the fate of worlds rested in the balance. But like her trusty Graf Eisen, there’s something REALLY BIG on the other end of that scale to keep things from tipping over. I call that something heroism, but sometimes you think it may just a very real feeling of longing, of being cuddled by her master.
Oh, right, statues can’t sigh, even.
1/7 Vita (Original Version) by Alter
This is more of a play with a new toy rather than trying to take reasonable pictures of another, equally-new toy. Then again, I hope I didn’t disappoint anyone who was looking for an image-based review of this figure. You really ought to know where to go for this (ie. not here). Don’t we all? (Do we?)
But, yes, this is probably one of the best looking Alter figure I’ve laid eyes on. Just remember that I don’t normally review figures and I only am in possession of maybe a dozen or two figures total, maximum. So let’s get on with the basics and get it over with?
This figure is Vita, of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS. Vita was first introduced into the Nanoha series in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s, and from then on it is history. Alter has produced two versions of this sculpt, one with her red-black motif, regular outfit and the white unison version. Besides the color scheme as a difference between the two figures, the white version comes with Gigantform (flat-headed mallet) where as the regular version has Zerstorungform (heaven-piercing drill) instead. Both versions have the two lesser, non-ultimate forms, just in case you want to put them on at the end of Vita’s stickGraf Eisen instead of the COOL ones.
It’s all about the bunnies.
Again, besides a few spots where I could’ve polished the surface a bit, as well as a few paint edges that could’ve been touched up a little, this kit was nearly spotless despite its relatively dynamic build. The sculpting itself (by Touji Tanaka) captures the bundle of emo joy that is Vita and the fierceness that marks her style in combat.
A couple flaws–one is the mechanical decision to attach the whole figure at one of its corners. Figure lean is probably not a big worry, but if one of the two pegs that goes into Vita’s right foot breaks or bends, it’s gonna suck. When attaching mine, there was a healthy “click” sound to signify full connection as the figure docks with that white bit that you had to assemble into the custom base. I guess that’s better than nothing.
The other problem I have with this kit is that it is kind of difficult to find the right angle to look at the kit “head on.” Maybe that is because she’s in a spin move, but I think it has to do with the angle which the figure was mounted on the base. It’s just off, and if the rectangular base (looks a lot like a plaque in front of a monument…) had to be flush with an edge on your shelf or something, Vita wouldn’t be facing the front all that well. It isn’t to say that she isn’t facing the front, but you just had to look from an angle to get the best perspective over the whole figure.
That obi-like thing…makes her Japanese :v
There were also a couple minor things, like the general lack of defining features on her mouth, but with so much hair and her arms stretching around you can barely see her face half the time. Her frilly, spunky children’s clothes is where money is at.
Lastly, the technical details. I got this figure from HLJ as usual, but since this just released a couple weeks ago, it should be making way to regional retailers like Kid Nemo even if it may be sold out from direct exporters like Hobby Search or HLJ.
Vita is priced at like, 6800 yen. That’s a little higher than average (or is it just inflation?), but I think the workmanship is worth it. The only thing I had to live with was that even though I bought the original version of Vita, it still came with a StrikerS tag which probably means it is licensed under StrikerS. That means I am indirectly funding that disaster which I approves not. But alas, nothing’s perfect.
Since I took this with a new camera, I tried out a few modes. I should just let the metadata in the jpegs do the talking for that. But do note that the lighing is not the same across all the pictures.
So still to come: I’m going to upload the original pics somewhere.
VITA-CHAN *_*
Xam’d 13? Well, I do know for a fact that it’s already out on Veoh…
thanks for the heads up.
:shakes fist at SCEA being slow-ass:
I like it when people show off their treasure!
So the front view is Vita looking over the shoulder and you mostly see her back or a side view? That’s kind of an interesting look from an overall flow, but details are usually on the front of the outfit. In any case I think I prematurely decided to put ordering Nanoha figures on hold.
Domestic release here I come.
You can see the overview pictures at the various store sites and Alter’s own product pages if you want to get a better idea. But the “front” of the figure is more like Vita’s back, with the flowing hair, bow, and adornments on her sleeves as the front point.
I think they also cheaped out a little on the detail right around where her choker and vest meets. I know she’s a total pettanko but there’s just no detail at all in that area. At least it is not a problem because it’s mostly blocked by her arm.
But yes, the details on the front are actually the “back” of the figure. If they didn’t use a rectangle base, this kit would be great to display on a rotating stand.
Oh man, I can’t wait for my Unison ver. :3
Do you only have this version, or do you also have the Unison version?
My (regular) version came in yesterday. ^_^
I ended up rotating the base 90 degrees - it’s still not a straight-on shot, but it’s a three-quarters view rather than an over-the-shoulder one, as it were. I’ve got it up on one end of the mantle, and the GSC Nanoha w/Excelion on the other end, so it actually works out pretty well…
And yeah, they’re getting expensive. The upcoming Hayate and Signum are over 9,000 yen! (Uh… no, they really are. Pun absolutely not intended.)
I’m pretty much giving up on the Signum, but that Hayate is top quality… sigh.