Building a collection of anime and video game figures is an expensive hobby. The small collection I have (some of which have been covered on The Otaku’s Study) has easily cost me a few thousand dollars to acquire over the last couple of years. Therefore if you are someone whose favourite characters shift with every season or prefer mainstream characters, and don’t have some form of disposable income, then it might not be the hobby for you. While the most popular figures will sell out during their pre-order period, in situations where you do have the luxury to do so, knowing a figure is tailored to your preferences is essential to ensure you get value for money.
As I have had to pull back from purchasing any new figures for the past couple of months, rather than write reviews of new releases, I would like to share a look at my current figure collection through this new photographic series. I hope my sharing these may help you in deciding whether purchasing a particular figure is a wise decision or note.
Released in late-2018, this figure is based on Mirei Hayasaka, a character in Bandai Namco Entertainment’s long-running The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls smartphone game and multimedia franchise. In recent years, many manufacturers have taken just some of the 200+ idols in the franchise and adapted them into dozens of figures – with more being released every couple of months. Manufactured by Chara-Ani and sculpted by Maou; this particular one is 1/7 in scale and adapts the Makeup★Impact+ artwork featured in 3D mobile rhythm game The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage.
While I do wish I had a lighter photo studio (which I plan to order shortly) for this figure, there is much I love both around this quick photoshoot and the figure itself. The base is a highlight, giving the view that Hayasaka is blasting music as she sings. I also love the cape, which in my chosen lighting setup glows neon pink/green.
Although I don’t use Mirei Hayasaka in-game, this was a figure I pre-ordered immediately upon being able to, and still I have no regrets doing so.
