I have been travelling by train quite a lot this past year, and have therefore found myself becoming more immersed in the world of online games. One of the major time sinks for me has been Granblue Fantasy, the RPG developed by Cygames for both iOS and Android platforms. While the game isn’t officially available over here in Australia, the game does feature an English localisation of its user interface and (most of its) storyline.
Like many other Japanese mobile games out on the market, Granblue Fantasy doesn’t lock you to a default set of characters. Instead, you can build your party with hundreds of characters which are acquirable through free and paid gacha systems. Many characters have distinct designs which could loan themselves to figures, and we have recently seen a couple receive just that. One of the most recent characters is the “Small Holy Knight” Charlotta, which has been manufactured by Kotobukiya, with a sculpt by Mitsuru Hoya.
Ultimately this figure was a last minute impulse buy for me, and it arrived just last week after going on sale earlier this month. But was it worth the (approximately) ¥14,800 price tag? Read on to find out.
Before we begin…
DO NOTE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF QUALITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO FIGURES OF THE SAME TYPE. THESE COMMENTS ARE BASED ON THE FIGURE I POSSESS, AND MAY OR MAY NOT BE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE SHOULD YOU ORDER YOURSELF ONE.
Concept & Design
As mentioned above, this figure is based on one of the many acquirable characters in Granblue Fantasy – Charlotta. The chosen design is not based on her default artwork, but rather her arguably more impressive five star design. The designers have clearly done their darnest to recreate the pose and appearance in 3D, including the large wooden box as a base, her overly elaborate attire, and many streams of energy which are easily attached to the base.
For a character this small, one concern might be that the figure at its 1/8 sale might ultimately be small for the asking price. Taking advantage of whats present in the source artwork however, including the base and the oversized crown adorning Charlotta’s head, the figure comes in at 225mm in height.
While the figure may be small to some if you don’t factor in the crown or base, based on the design alone, this ended up being a well thought out and designed figure from my perspective.
Build Quality
The overall build and paint quality of this figure is of a consistently high standard. From the multiple layers of her clothing (both front and back as per the images above) to the extra accessories which are both attached and detached, there wasn’t much I could fault from a distance. It is in my opinion a figure which can look great at any angle. Going up closer, the paintwork was almost flawless in my perspective, whether it is the sharp glare of Charlotta’s face or the small details which went into her sword/shield combo.
While neither are deal-breakers by any means, there were a couple of minor issues which stopped the build quality from being flawless. The first issue is that up close, the large crown isn’t as well detailed as other parts of the figure. The second is more of a personal peeve, which only came to light while taking photos. Source artwork for this figure has a small white glare on Charlotta’s fringe, which has been recreated in this figure. Although this glare does work in the artwork, it does initially give the impression of being a small, unpainted patch on the figure.
There is some assembly required for this figure out of the box, although nothing which will require you to either translate the included manual or spend more than a couple of minutes putting together. Charlotta’s shield is already attached to her arm, while the sword is separate and simply goes in her free hand. The four bursts of energy are also easy to handle, and simply fit into four fairly discreet slots on the base.
The Base
As per the original artwork, the base has been designed as a wooden box, which the main figure is already attached to out-of-the-box. While not actually wooden, it is very sturdy and manages to support Charlotta without any risk of her tipping over. As mentioned above, the bursts of energy exuding from her are also attached at four separate locations on the base. While they are somewhat discreet should you decide to not attach them, in my experience they were constructed so the peg attachments won’t fall out easily.
Final Thoughts on Granblue Fantasy – Small Holy Knight Charlotta 1/8
Although ¥14,800 may be a little bit pricey to some, especially for a 1/8 scale figure of an already petite character, the size is somewhat made up for by excellent paintwork and build quality. It also helps that this figure is downright adorable, and captures the charm and elaborateness of the original in-game design. This is a figure I will happily have displayed on my figure shelves for a long time to come.
Where to Buy
One issue with even newly released figures is that it isn’t always easy to purchase them. As of writing, where I purchased my figure from is currently out of stock. While I encourage you to shop around for both the best price and a store you are happiest to purchase from, of stores I am personally familiar with, Play-Asia and Solaris Japan both have it in stock.
