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Black Lagoon was one of my top two anime series of 2008, it was a massively entertaining adult actioner that oozed cool from every pore. Despite its quality though it wasn't really a series that inspired a great deal of merchandise. Yes, there were the usual soundtracks and an artbook, but figure-wise there were only a handful of items, and pretty much all of them are nigh on impossible to get hold of. Future releases don't look promising either - Jun Planning, a Japanese merchandise retailer who held the license to make Black Lagoon figures, declared bankruptcy in May 2009, leaving the license presumably in limbo. So when I saw this figure for sale on the Neon Martian stall at the MCM London Expo, my wallet was out of my pocket faster than you can say Balalaika! The figure is, somewhat predictably, of Black Lagoon's poster-girl - the deadly but sexy Chinese American gunslinger Revy. Cast in PVC, the figure comes fully painted and the only |
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assembly required is to slot her feet onto the pegs on the provided base. Once attached to the base the figure stands at around 25cm (10") tall. Interestingly Revy is depicted not in her usual low-cut t-shirt and denim shorts combo, but in the far more conservative cold-weather outfit she wears during the Fujiyama story arc from the anime and manga. This is a bit of a surprise, and not only because she wears this outfit for just a single story arc. Anime figures are not generally known for being conservative, especially when they are depicting a particularly hot female character. However, in this case when making a figure of an awesomely sexy character that normally wears a tight t-shirt and skimpy shorts, Jun Planning decided to use the one story arc where she wears something less revealing as inspiration. And do you know what? I'm really glad they did. Often with anime figures the sculptors really try to push the sexiness of the character, even if that is not what they are about. I'm not necessarily saying this is a bad thing, but sometimes it means that the figure doesn't really capture the character, or worse, you can feel like a perv buying it. In this case the designers have gone to great lengths to tie the figure into the original source material, in fact they have not only based it on a particular story arc, but a particular scene. In the scene in question Revy is |
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facing down an exceptionally skilled swordsman called Ginji in a fight to the death, and the figure is a perfect representation of Revy as they circle each other at the start of their duel. The figure looks great and captures the anime perfectly, but although the sculpt is excellent, the manufacture is less so. Maybe it's a testament to this figure being produced as the company were sliding towards bankruptcy, but the moulding and painting are not as good as on figures of a similar size and price point. Although the necessary time and effort has been taken to ensure that Revy's murderous glare is captured and the facial features are clean and defined, the painting on the rest of the figure is below par, despite the fact there's not a huge amount of detail work required. A close look also reveals some visible moulding lines even though the actual design of the figure hides the most noticeable joins. It's not awful, but it's a shame considering the quality of the design that the manufacture seems to have been slightly rushed. Imperfections, even minor ones like these, are not something you expect from premium Japanese figures. Nonetheless this figure is pretty good and even with minor flaws the sheer lack of Black Lagoon merchandise makes it pretty much essential for fans of the series. It captures Revy's character perfectly and it's so refreshing to see a company design a figure with an emphasis on accurate representation rather than how much flesh can be shown. If you're looking for cute and sexy figures then this really isn't for you, Revy in this pose is anything but coquettish, in fact she looks like she's going to tear your head off! However, it's pretty cool and makes a hell of a change to the usual figures you can get. Well worth a look, but be quick, with Jun Planning gone these figures are just going to get rarer and rarer. Extras: Comes with a plastic stand, and that's it. If you are that way inclined you can remove Revy's skirt, but considering she's wearing tights rather than just pants there's no point for doing this even if you are enough of a perv to want to. Ratings Feature:
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