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.
There is a lot to love about the ‘science adventure’ line of Japanese visual novels, from their creative use of science and technology in its storylines to its use of conspiracy theories which prove to be more non-fiction than fiction. Steins;Gate and its many sequels are the most notable instalment in the series, following the adventures of the Future Gadget Lab and their associates as they become embroiled in the compilations surrounding time machines. The decisions made by the group as they manipulate time impact both them and the world, as they are led almost helplessly down the path of either a New World Order or World Ware III.
With Steins;Gate boasting a large cast of primary and secondary characters, there are bound to be one or more who catch your attention. For me, that character is easily the intellectual, calm and collected secondary main character Makise Kurisu, an eighteen-year-old researcher from America who encounters the main character, Rintaro Okabe, when they attend the same conference on time travel. Her popularity is at a level where she has received dozens of figures, from those in different forms of apparel (including her lab attire) to more fanservicey garments including maid uniforms and bunnysuits.
The above figure was manufactured by Kotobukiya, depicting Makise Kurisu in her standard lab attire featured in both Steins;Gate and its sequel Steins;Gate 0. While it not the best figure in my collection, I love it because nothing is chic as a crisp white lab coat! But also, the base features the gear design which is synonymous with many of its opening themes.
The figure comes in at 24.5cm (245mm) in height, making this a 1/8 scale figure. Priced at 12,000 yen when I originally purchased her in late-2018, this was not the most expensive, but neither the most affordable figure I purchased around this time. Availability pre-owned can vary considerably, so keep an eye out on stores like amiami.com for if/when she becomes available or is re-released.
