Category: Figures

DoubleSama’s Anime Figure Collection

DoubleSama’s Anime Figure Collection

It’s DoubleSama.com’s 6th anniversary today! So, I figured I should do something special. You know, not your run-of-the-mill anime review. And, years ago, I used to do articles covering my top 10 anime for anniversary articles. But, since my top 10 doesn’t change all that much year over year, that got boring.

If you’re a long-time DoubleSama.com reader, you may know that I used to do anime figure reviews. Well, the last time I did one of those was back in 2019. So, for this year’s anniversary post, I’m going to go through all of the figures I own.

I’ve collected quite a few more since the last time I did a dedicated figure review. Today, I have 27 figures spread across five brands. But, as you’ll see, the majority of my figures are Nendoroids, my favorite type of figure.

If you’d like to purchase any of the figures in this article, I’ve added affiliate links to the titles when available.

Nendoroid Figures


Kyouko Sakura

I have to start off with my Kyouko Sakura Nendoroid. This is the first anime figure I ever got. Kyouko is my favorite character from one of my favorite anime, Madoka Magica. She’s awesome. And, of course, as one of my favorite characters, this isn’t my only figure of her.

Kyouko Sakura Nendoroid figure
Kyouko Sakura

Before I got this Kyouko figure, I wasn’t sure if anime figures were for me. I never had any anime merch before this. But, once I held this figure in my hands, everything changed. My eyes were opened. This figure is what triggered my love of Nendoroids.

Sayaka Miki

Next up, we have another character from Madoka Magica, Sayaka Miki. Now, I don’t have Nendoroids of all the Madoka girls. But, I had to get Sayaka. Why? Because she and Kyouko belong together. It wouldn’t be right for me to only have Kyouko. They’re a pair.

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid figure
Sayaka Miki

I know that many people have some strong (negative) opinions about Sayaka. I did too when I first watched the series. But, over time, and after many rewatches, I’ve come to appreciate Sayaka a lot more. Her story is the most tragic of all the girls.

Mordred

The next series I have Nendoroids from is Fate. I think I’ve seen the majority of the Fate anime. And I’ve been playing Fate/Grand Order since 2017. So, you could say I’m a bit of a fan. I also have four Fate anime figures, the first of which is this Mordred Nendoroid.

Mordred Nendoroid figure
Mordred

Mordred is, in my correct opinion, the coolest Fate character. I love her armor — especially her helmet (which I don’t use on the Nendoroid). And, she has a cool personality, too. Of course, I also have her in FGO and use her all the time (fully armored).

Tamamo no Mae

Tamamo no Mae is a very special Fate character, to me. She’s the reason why Arts is my favorite card type in FGO. She released in the game pretty soon after I started playing, and I got her. And, she was the only meta-support servant I had for a very long time. So, my playstyle evolved around her.

Tamamo no Mae Nendoroid figure
Tamamo no Mae

Oh, and it’s not only the normal Tamamo no Mae I like. In FGO, I’ve summoned every Tamamo servant to release. Naturally, since I have this important connection with Tamamo, I wanted a figure of her. And, I have to say, this Nendoroid is one of my favorites.

Korone Inugami

These next two figures are a little different in that they’re not from anime. They’re Vtubers. Korone Inugami was the first Vtuber I started watching. She’s the one who initially resonated with me. She likes Madoka Magica, she likes older games, and she’s very funny.

Korone Inugami Nendoroid Figure
Korone Inugami

I haven’t watched Korone, or any Vtuber for that matter, in quite a while now. The vast majority of my time goes toward working on this website and Discord bot development. So, I don’t have as much free time as I used to. But, I still consider myself a Korone fan.

Pekora Usada

My other favorite Vtuber is Pekora Usada. I’m not sure if I like her or Korone more. Pekora might be funnier than Korone. But, the difference is that she’s unintentionally funny. Korone makes jokes and they land every time. Pekora’s mere existence is funny. And, that’s what I like about her.

Pekora Usada Nendoroid figure
Pekora Usada

This Pekora Nendoroid is my favorite figure that I own. The detail and quality of this figure go above and beyond. When looking at all of the figures side by side, this is the one that stands out. As you’ll see later on, I’m not entirely thrilled with the quality of some of my other figures.

Aqua

As you might know from my old top 10 anime articles, KonoSuba is one of my favorites. It’s probably the best comedy anime out there. And, Aqua is one of my favorite characters from it. I get it, she’s useless. But, that’s part of what makes her so funny.

Aqua Nendoroid figure
Aqua

I don’t think I still have the picture. But, years ago, I found a toad in my backyard. So, what did I do? I ran inside to get my Aqua Nendoroid and posed her in front of the toad as if she were running away from it. That was a classic; it might be somewhere on my Twitter.

Megumin

Of course, my favorite KonoSuba character is none other than Megumin! I don’t think I need to explain why I like Megumin. We all know why she’s great. She even got her own spin-off series. Though, admittedly, that wasn’t as good as the main series.

Megumin Nendoroid figure
Megumin

Why is the Megumin Nendoroid great, though? It’s simple. She has a large witch hat. And that’s something she has in common with the next two figures in this article. But, before moving on, I have a complaint about this Nendoroid. Megumin doesn’t grasp her staff very firmly. If the display case gets shaken, she’s dropping it.

Akko Kagari

Before I got my Pekora Nendoroid, my Akko Kagari Nendoroid was my favorite. This Nendoroid isn’t the most detailed. It doesn’t look the best. But, it has a lot of character and a lot of extra pieces. Of all the Nendoroids I have, this is the one that came with the most props and parts.

Akko Kagari Nendoroid figure
Akko Kagari

Something else I really like about the Akko Nendoroid is how dynamic the poses can be. Being able to have her ride her broom is a game changer. I had a lot of fun trying out different poses when I was originally setting this one up.

Elaina

The third Nendoroid witch I have is Elaina. In my opinion, more people need to watch Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. It’s not a great anime. But, I enjoyed it. And the reason I enjoyed it is because of Elaina’s character. I love how self-centered she is.

Elaina Nendoroid figure
Elaina

Of my three witch Nendoroids, Elaina is the most detailed. So, yeah, she looks better than Megumin and Akko. But, that makes sense when you consider that she’s the newest. Unfortunately, being newer doesn’t mean she’s without her problems. My Elaina Nendoroid came missing different hands for one side. So, I couldn’t pose her how I wanted.

Mayoi Hachikuji

Of course I have a Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid. Did you seriously think I wouldn’t have a figure of my favorite character from my favorite series? What’s surprising is that I don’t have more Hachikuji figures. And, actually, it’s surprising that this is my only Monogatari Series figure at all. I’ll have to work on that.

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid figure
Mayoi Hachikuji

There was a time when I wanted to get the Shinobu Oshino figure, as well. But, she cost $600, and I wasn’t about to spend that. As far as I know, her price has gone down. However, the last time I checked, it was still too high.

Renge Miyauchi

Everyone who’s seen Non Non Biyori knows how cute Renge Miyauchi is. That’s why I had to get a Nendoroid of her. In my opinion, the main appeal of Nendoroids over other kinds of figures is their cute factor. So, it makes sense to want Nendoroids of characters that are themselves cute.

Renge Miyauchi Nendoroid figure
Renge Miyauchi

The highlight of the Renge Nendoroid is that it also came with Gu, Renge’s “pet” tanuki. Unfortunately, it didn’t also come with Fatty the frog (toad). I guess that would have been too powerful. And, if I had to pose her holding Fatty, I couldn’t have her playing her recorder.

Akari Akaza

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character from Yuru Yuri. Kyouko’s the funniest. Chinatsu has my favorite character design. And Akari exists. We don’t talk about Yui; she’s boring. Well, I decided to go for the Akari Akaza Nendoroid specifically because I like her “Akarin~!” segments from the show.

Akari Akaza Nendoroid figure
Akari Akaza

I also think Akari has the best gifs. If I’m going to use a Yuru Yuri gif on Discord, it’s most likely going to be one of Akari. Well, unless I’m using the gif of Kyouko turning into a duck and then the number 2.

Mitsuha Miyamizu

This next Nendoroid is one I’ve wondered why I got. I liked Your Name. It’s an extremely good movie. And, I like Mitsuha Miyamizu. She’s cute. But, did I need to get a figure of her? Probably not. I’m not all that attached to the movie or to her as a character.

Mitsuha Miyamizu Nendoroid figure
Mitsuha Miyamizu

With that said, it’s not like I want to get rid of this figure. I still like it. It’s just that I got this one more on impulse than the others. The other Nendoroids I have were figures that I had been looking at for a while before deciding to get them.

Sakura Haruno

As I would hope everyone knows, I’m a huge Naruto fan. And, I like Sakura Haruno. She gets a lot of hate. But, she’s actually not as useless as people like to say she is. The problem is that she’s being compared to Naruto and Sasuke. Compare her to other characters, and she’s quite strong.

Sakura Haruno Nendoroid figure
Sakura Haruno

Anyway, of course, I needed a Sakura figure. So, I decided to go for the Nendoroid. This isn’t the flashiest of Nendoroids. But, I still like it. And, remember, if you’re getting an anime figure, the most important thing is that you like it.

Megumi Katou

If you haven’t read my review of Saekano the Movie: Finale, you might not be aware that Megumi Katou is my waifu. If you want to learn more about that, go read the review. Or, you could stay here if you want to keep reading about my figures.

Megumi Katou Nendoroid figure
Megumi Katou

You can’t really tell from this picture, but I have Megumi’s hair up in a ponytail. Her Nendoroid comes with a few different hairstyle options. I believe there’s long hair, short hair, and a ponytail. The ponytail is my favorite. It’s one of the more optimal hairstyles, up there with twin-tails.

Potato Molcar

Rounding out my Nendoroid collection, I have the Potato Molcar Nendoroid. Pui Pui Molcar took the world by storm when it released. If you haven’t heard of it before now, you’re missing out. It’s a stop-motion anime about guinea pig-car hybrids called Molcars. What more do I need to say to convince you to watch it?

Potato Molcar Nendoroid figure
Potato Molcar

There are a few reasons why I opted to get Potato. First, I don’t know if there are Nendoroids of any of the other molcars. And second, Potato is the “main” molcar of the series. So, if I was going to get any molcar, it had to be him.

Pop Up Parade Figures


Madoka Kaname

With the Nendoroids out of the way, let’s move on to the Pop Up Parade figures. I have five of these, with the first being Madoka Kaname. Without scrolling down, can you guess what characters the other four Pop Up Parade figures are of?

Madoka Kaname Pop Up Parade figure
Madoka Kaname

Yeah, so all five Pop Up Parade figures I have are from Madoka Magica. That’s not a coincidence. I didn’t feel like getting Madoka, Homura, and Mami Nendoroids. But, I still wanted a full set of Madoka figures. So, I opted for the Pop Up Parade set because their bases all fit together.

Homura Akemi

I know everyone loves Homura. But, I’m here to tell you that she’s not that great. Over the years, I’ve come to the realization that Homura might be my least favorite of the five girls. Madoka’s cute, Kyouko and Sayaka are gay for each other, Mami has a nice design, and then there’s Homura.

Homura Akemi Pop Up Parade figure
Homura Akemi

Homura’s Pop Up Parade figure only reinforced this for me. Of the five figures in this set, hers is the least interesting. Madoka’s isn’t very interesting either. But, at least she has her bow, which is cool. Homura doesn’t even have a pistol — only her little time shield thing.

Kyouko Sakura

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Kyouko Sakura Pop Up Parade figure is the best one of the set. She has a little bit of the Shaft head tilt going on. I like how she’s holding her spear behind her back. And, her hair looks cool blowing in the wind.

Kyouko Sakura Pop Up Parade figure
Kyouko Sakura

Everything about this figure is so much better than either the Madoka or Homura figures. Even if Kyouko wasn’t my favorite character, I still think I would say this is the best of the set. Though, one of the remaining two is up there, as well.

Sayaka Miki

If you thought I was going to say the Sayaka Miki Pop Up Parade figure is my second favorite, you’d be wrong. Yes, she’s the girlfriend of my favorite character. So, sure, that gives her bonus points. But, her figure isn’t nearly as interesting as Kyouko’s.

Sayaka Miki Pop Up Parade Figure
Sayaka Miki

Overall, I’d put the Sayaka figure on the same tier as Madoka and Homura. Her cape is cool and I like that she’s not just standing there. But, something about this figure doesn’t look as nice as the others. I’m not sure what it is. It could be the little extra platform under her right foot.

Mami Tomoe

The other top-tier Pop Up Parade figure is Mami Tomoe. I already mentioned how I like Mami’s character design. And, I think this figure does a good job of showing it off. She also has a cool pose and I like that she gets more than one of her guns.

Mami Tomoe Pop Up Parade figure
Mami Tomoe

Maybe more weapons are what the Sayaka figure needed. I know she usually only uses one sword. But, she has access to more than one. In fact, her Nendoroid came with multiple. I think it came with six in total. Anyway, Mami’s figure is nice.

Figma Figures


Mordred

I have three Figma figures, and the first one is a character we’ve seen before, Mordred. Mordred is the third and final character I have two figures of (along with Kyouko and Sayaka). After all, as I said earlier in this article, Mordred is the coolest Fate character.

Mordred Figma figure
Mordred

As a cool character, I needed a non-Nendoroid figure of Mordred. Nendoroids are cute. But, I wanted a cool figure of Mordred, as well. And, I think this figure was a good choice. I’m not a fan of most Figma figures. However, they work well for armored characters, like Mordred.

Jeanne d’Arc Alter

Next, we have another Fate character, Jeanne d’Arc Alter. She’s partially armored, which is good. But, she doesn’t have as much armor as Mordred. And, to me, that’s her biggest downside. I don’t like what her face looks like and her joints look too much like figure joints.

Jeanne d'Arc Alter Figma figure
Jeanne d’Arc Alter

Overall, this is the figure I regret getting the most. Unless you’re a huge Jalter fan, I wouldn’t bother with it. It looked way better in the pictures on the listing than it did once I unboxed it myself. Unfortunately, that happens sometimes. But, luckily, most of my figures look good in person.

Goblin Slayer

The last Figma figure I have is also the first male character figure I have, Goblin Slayer. I really like this figure. It’s probably my favorite of the Figma figures. And, of course, the fact that Goblin Slayer is armored is a big part of why that is.

Goblin Slayer Figma figure
Goblin Slayer

Looking at the Goblin Slayer Figma restores my faith in the brand. Looking at the Jalter Figma does the opposite. If I ever get more Figma figures, which I might, I’m going to make sure to only get fully-armored characters. A full helmet goes a long way toward making these figures look cooler.

Other Figures


Kakashi Hatake

My final two figures are from different brands, and I received them as gifts. These weren’t figures I sought out. But, they’re still cool figures of cool characters. And to illustrate that point, the first one is a Banpresto figure of Kakashi Hatake. Is anyone going to argue that Kakashi isn’t the coolest guy in the Hidden Leaf?

Kakashi Hatake Banpresto figure
Kakashi Hatake

What I like most about this figure is that it’s of Kakashi during his time in the ANBU. He has his ANBU vest, his ANBU mask, and a short katana on his back. This figure also has a cool pose that shows off his Will of Fire tattoo.

Yuuji Itadori

Lastly, I have a Taito figure of Yuuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen. Originally, I thought this figure and the Kakashi figure were the same brand. But, they’re not. And, once you know that, the differences between the two make more sense.

Yuuji Itadori Taito figure
Yuuji Itadori

Both figures have similarly shaped bases. But, Itadori’s is thicker, glossier, and has a pattern on it, which I like more. Itadori is also in a cool action stance, like Kakashi. But, unfortunately, the quality of this figure seems a bit below the Kakashi figure. But, maybe the issue is actually just that Itadori isn’t as cool as Kakashi.

Wrap-Up

So, what do you think of my figure collection? Do you have any anime figures? Do you have more figures than I do? What’s your favorite kind of figure? And, did you enjoy this special 6th-anniversary article? I had a good time writing it.

If you liked this article, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out DoubleSama.com/support.

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Akko Kagari Nendoroid

Akko Kagari Nendoroid

Introduction

There’s no episode of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind today, and so #FigureFriday is back! I’ve actually had today’s figure since March, and I got another figure in April, so there’s a bit of a #FigureFriday backlog.

Sure, I could have just done this post on another day of the week, but then it wouldn’t be #FigureFriday, so why even bother? I also could have moved one of my JoJo’s Part 5 episode reviews, but I like to keep to my schedule as much as possible.

So, the next #FigureFriday should come after JoJo’s Part 5 concludes. If you want to see a sneak peek of the figure which will be featured in that post, you can check it out over on Instagram, but only if you promise to follow me while you’re there.

For now, let’s jump into this look at the Akko Kagari Nendoroid from the Little Witch Academia anime series.

Packaging

Akko, like many of the more recent Nendoroids I’ve acquired, has a fairly standard package design. The base color is the same purple as her outfit, and it has pink and yellow highlights to reflect the colors of her belt and buckle. There’s also some white, but I think this is mainly for balance and not specifically to reflect her bunny ears.

The sides of the box each have a circular window, again, like many of the more recent figures. Inside the box, the “background” is simply a bright yellow with no designs featured on it other than her product number, 747. However, this color really makes the rest of her outfit pop out as we’ll see later.

Akko Kagari Nendoroid front packaging (from the anime series Little Witch Academia)
Akko Kagari Nendoroid front packaging

I also found it interesting that her full name, Atsuko Kagari, was listed on the box rather than her nickname, Akko Kagari. From what I remember she isn’t actually called Atsuko all that often, so it feels a bit strange to have that as the name on her box.

This is somewhat similar to how Mordred’s packaging referred to her as Saber of “Red” rather than by her actual name. Sure, in her case that is what she’s often referred to in Fate/Apocrypha, but it still felt a bit strange considering her actual name is much more unique than her title.

Akko Kagari Nendoroid back packaging (from the anime series Little Witch Academia)
Akko Kagari Nendoroid back packaging

On the back of the box we’re shown three possible ways to assemble the Akko Nendoroid, with additional options pictured on either side. Again, this particular figure doesn’t really have anything that sets its packaging apart from the other Nendoroids I have.

Pieces

The pieces that come with the Akko Nendoroid are what really make her stand out from the competition. She has a lot of optional pieces, and that means there are a lot of different ways she can be customized, which is something to consider when looking at the price of a particular Nendoroid.

On the other hand there’s the Sakura Haruno Nendoroid I have, which came with a very limited selection of optional pieces. Compared to her, Akko is a much better deal, especially since they’re both roughly the same price.

Akko Kagari Nendoroid pieces (from the anime series Little Witch Academia)
Akko Kagari Nendoroid pieces

So, what are all these pieces Akko comes with? The additional pieces include two faces, two legs, five arms, bunny ears, a hat, a broomstick, a wand, and the Shiny Rod. That’s a lot of pieces, especially since there are two different pieces of headgear and three different handheld props.

Assembly

Despite all of the assembly possibilities, I knew exactly how I wanted to set up my Akko Nendoroid as soon as I got it. For the truly iconic look, I needed Akko to be wearing her hat, riding her broom, and holding the Shiny Rod. Luckily, this is all possible at once, as pictured below.

I id also do a more standard pose with her holding her regular wand (a picture of which can be found over on Instagram), but I basically just did that for the picture. I mean, just look at how nice the dynamic pose I chose instead is; it’s clearly the superior choice.

Akko Kagari Nendoroid assembled (from the anime series Little Witch Academia)
Akko Kagari Nendoroid assembled

Interestingly, even in this dynamic pose Akko fits pretty nicely in my display case. The reason this matters is because Megumin doesn’t exactly fit due to the size of her hat, so I figured I was going to have the same issue with Akko.

So, here’s a piece of advice for anyone looking to get a display case for their figures: I recommend getting one that’s at least 4in. deep if you you’re using it for Nendoroids and plan to close the glass.  Mine is 3.5in. deep, and it’s a tight fit for a few of my figures.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m really happy with my Akko Kagari Nendoroid. There’s a wide variety of pieces which all look great, and she can be put into some pretty dynamic poses.

It’s also important to mention that her pieces fit together pretty well. I can’t say that this will always be the case, since each individual figure may have minor differences, but she was much easier to put together than some of the others I have for which the pieces are either stuck together too well or are too loose.

If you’re looking for a new Nendoroid to add to your collection, I highly recommend Akko. She may not be my favorite character ever, but her Nendoroid is definitely my favorite one that I own.

And, if you enjoyed this #FigureFriday “reboot” then be sure to click the like button ❤ down below. You should also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content or updates.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about becoming a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Mordred Nendoroid

Mordred Nendoroid

#FigureFriday

It’s been a while since my last #FigureFriday, but I’ve acquired a new anime figure so I’m bringing it back this week while there’s no JoJo’s Part 5 episode in the way. For those of you who may not be familiar, Figure Fridays are when I showcase one of my figures, historically Nendoroids, and briefly discuss them.

As the name implies, they’re also always on Fridays, because otherwise I couldn’t use that fancy alliteration.

Today I have the Saber of “Red” Nendoroid from the anime Fate/Apocrypha. Now, I haven’t seen Fate/Apocrypha yet, mainly because I’ve heard it isn’t good so it’s not really a high priority, but I do know this character from Fate/Grand Order.

Saber of “Red” is also known as Mordred, and (s)he’s the bastard son(daughter) of King Arthur(Artoria/Altria). As her title implies, she’s a part of the saber class and is the five-star saber I use in FGO.

While she may not be my favorite servant to use in FGO, she definitely has one of my favorite character designs. I’ve actually been eyeing some other Mordred figures, and even have one pre-ordered already, which I’ll talk about a bit more later on.

Packaging

The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the packaging for this Nendoroid is that it’s pretty plain. This is what I like to refer to as the standard Nendoroid box. Other figures in my collection with similar boxes are Aqua, Megumin, and Mayoi Hachikuji.

On the other hand, Kyouko Sakura, Sayaka Miki, and Sakura Haruno all have boxes with a bit more decoration, which I think makes them look much nicer. I’m not quite sure how it’s decided which Nendoroids get fancier boxes, but if you’re the kind of person who leaves them in the box, this may be more important to you.

Mordred, Saber of "Red," Nendoroid Packaging (front) from the Fate anime series
Mordred, Saber of “Red,” Nendoroid Packaging (front)

The box for Mordred is also the same size as that for Sakura Haruno, which is to say that it’s thinner, shorter, and deeper than the boxes for the others I have. Considering these two are the newest Nendoroids in my collection, at least from a release date standpoint, both being numbered in the 800’s, this may just be the new style of box.

However, Mordred, like Sakura Haruno, doesn’t actually come with all that much, and so this too could be part of the reason their boxes are smaller than the rest. For example, Megumin has the largest box, and this is likely due to her hat being just as big as the rest of her.

Mordred, Saber of "Red," Nendoroid Packaging (back) from the Fate anime series
Mordred, Saber of “Red,” Nendoroid Packaging (back)

As for the back of the box, again, it’s just as standard as the front. The only real distinction here from other generic Nendoroid boxes is that in the background of the large image of Mordred there’s a command seal design.

I also have to say that I’m not really a fan of that greenish-blue color used for the background behind the picture of Mordred on the front and the outline of the main image background on the back. It doesn’t have anything to do with her character design and makes the box feel even more generic.

Mordred

Taking a look inside the box, we find that Mordred comes with a second face plate, two versions of her sword Clarent (one being her Noble Phantasm, Clarent Blood Arthur), other arms, hands, and legs, her helmet (Secret of Pedigree) and another shoulder piece with crossed arms.

Despite these surprisingly few pieces, she can actually be manipulated into a wide variety of different poses. With Nendoroids that have a lot of pieces, only a relatively small amount of them can ever be used at one time, and so they don’t really have any advantage over Mordred.

Mordred, Saber of "Red," Nendoroid Pieces from the Fate anime series
Mordred, Saber of “Red,” Nendoroid Pieces

What I found most interesting about these pieces were the extra shoulders piece and the detachable spiked pieces on her original set of shoulders. As for the extra shoulders which feature crossed arms, this would normally just be extra arm pieces, but I like how it’s one whole section of her body rather than multiple.

Because the arms are already crossed and attached to the shoulders, you might think this is bad because they aren’t as posable as you may at first want. However, crossing individual arms on your own would be a real challenge, so I like that it was made easier in this way.

As for the detachable shoulder spikes (which unfortunately you can’t see in any of these pictures), I believe you’re supposed to take them off when equipping her helmet so they don’t get in the way. That said, I tested it, and the helmet doesn’t seem to have any issues regardless.

Mordred, Saber of "Red," Nendoroid Assembled from the Fate anime series
Mordred, Saber of “Red,” Nendoroid Assembled

Pictured above is the setup I opted for in the end. I prefer Clarent over Clarent Blood Arther simply because it’s coloration makes it more recognizable as a sword, and I prefer helmetless Mordred as far as the Nendoroid version of her is concerned.

While the helmet is an entirely separate head and so doesn’t actually fit over the head you see in use in the picture above, it’s still extremely large. It seems as though they made it large enough to fit her head inside of instead of simply making it the same size, and I think that makes it a bit too big compared to the rest of her body.

That said, the other Mordred figure I have pre-ordered is a Figma, not Nendoroid, and I do plan to have the Secret of Pedigree helmet equipped on that figure. So, in the end I’ll have versions of Mordred both with and without her helmet on.

The final thing I want to say about the Mordred Nendoroid is probably my favorite part of it overall, even though it’s nothing exciting. Mordred’s hand actually wraps entirely around the hilt of her sword!

I’m not sure if any of you have had this issue, but most of my Nendoroids which hold props can’t actually do so reliably. For example, Megumin and Sayaka Miki drop their staff and swords respectively any time there’s a small bump, despite Sayaka Miki’s sword supposedly sticking into her hand (it doesn’t).

When I saw that Mordred actually had a closed fist that the hilt of her sword fit into, I was amazed at the advances of Nendoroid technology. Hopefully all future Nendoroids which hold props will have hands that grip like this instead of the old model.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d have to say that Mordred is probably the most well-made Nendoroid I have in my collection, which should be the case since she’s also the newest. All of her pieces fit together well and she was extremely easy to assemble, which isn’t something I can say about all of the others.

If you enjoyed this “episode” of Figure Friday, then be sure to let me know by clicking the like button ❤ down below. I’ll leave links to the other Figure Fridays at the end of this post in case you want to go back and check out some of the other figures in my collection.

As always, you should also follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama because it’s the best way to stay up to date with all the new content I put out. And, if you’d like to help support DoubleSama.com, then consider checking out Patreon.com/DoubleSama for more details.

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid packaging (front) from the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Sayaka Miki Nendoroid Packaging (front)

Sayaka Miki from Madoka Magica is my sixth, and most recently acquired Nendoroid figure. While Sayaka isn’t my favorite character from the series, I do think she’s a well written one. However, the real reason I wanted her was to go with the Kyouko Sakura Nendoroid I already owned.

Sayaka appears to have had a difficult time arriving in the U.S. from Japan as she was multiple weeks late, and the left side of her packaging was significantly damaged upon arrival, but arrive she did.

From the pictures above and below, we can see that the design of her packaging is the same as that of Kyouko Sakura. These Madoka Magica Nendoroids have the most decorative boxes of all the Nendoroids I have. We also see that she’s number 209, making her the oldest figure I own.

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid packaging (back) from the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Sayaka Miki Nendoroid Packaging (back)

Unlike some of the later Nendoroid boxes, Sayaka’s does not come with any side windows or a logo/number printed onto the backdrop within the box. However, the back and sides feature images of the figure assembled in various ways as usual.

Although I currently have her set up in a different pose (which you’ll see below) I’m likely to change her to the one featured on the far left of the back (pictured above). With this pose, she appears much more dynamic, and will pose better with the Kyouko Sakura Nendoroid.

This may be in part because of the age of this figure, but Sayaka doesn’t appear to have as many unique ways to position her as my other Nendoroids do. Even Sakura Haruno, who has no accessories, is a much more poseable figure.

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid pieces from the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Sayaka Miki Nendoroid Pieces

Sayaka comes with two additional faces, two additional arms, an additional arm piece, and an additional hand. Her accessories are her cape, and eight swords which each come with their own stand to position around Sayaka. There is only one ergonomic arm to hold her figure upright, and it’s specially designed to fit under her cape.

While all those swords gives the impression that you can do a lot of things with this figure, as I mentioned previously, the poses are rather limited. This is because she relies on the swords to make her poses interesting. Also, if I didn’t use the swords, I felt like they were going to waste.

Because of that last point, I settled on the pose pictured below, but as I mentioned, I plan to change this so she can pair better with Kyouko Sakura.

Sayaka Miki Nendoroid assembled from the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Sayaka Miki Nendoroid Assembled

I attempted to use all eight swords in this pose, but quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be able to fit them all, at least not while having her base at an angle like I tend to do (Mayoi Hachikuji is the only exception). Her cape simply got in the way of the swords I attempted to put behind her.

Due to this, I decided to use just five of the eight swords. Speaking of her swords, I think she should have only come with one, two at the most. That would have made room for more accessories such as her soul gem or CD player. It also would have been cool to have Sayaka’s witch form as a backdrop piece.

Kyouko came with her spear which could be assembled in either the rigid or chain forms, and a taiyaki. Those accessories alone give Kyouko a wider variety of poses than Sayaka has.

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid (from the Monogatari series anime)
Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid Packaging (front)

It’s once again Figure Friday and today we have the Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid from the Monogatari series! Maybe one day there will be a full size Yotsugi Ononoki Nendoroid from this series too, but for now she only comes in petit form.

As you can see from the image above, Mayoi is Nendoroid #368 which puts her between Kyōko Sakura and Aqua. Her box is primarily white on the front, top, and bottom, with orange on the back and sides. Both blue and pink are used as highlight colors.

Like the boxes for the Aqua and Megumin Nendoroids, Mayoi has circular windows on either side of the box. While I originally assumed these side windows were specific to the KonoSuba Nendoroids, this may instead just be a style of packaging adopted some time after Kyōko, which was then stopped before Sakura.

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid (from the Monogatari series anime)
Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid Packaging (back)

As usual, the back of the box shows a variety of assembly options for the figure, with more being shown on the sides. Mayoi is unique among the Nendoroids I have in that she’s possible to assemble in a seated position as well as the standard standing positions.

To achieve this sitting position, Mayoi comes with an entirely different lower half rather than just some interchangeable legs (pictured below).

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid (from the Monogatari series anime)
Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid Pieces

Aside from the separate sitting position lower half, Mayoi comes with two other faces, seven other arms, two other hands, another leg, and, of course, her signature oversized backpack. Due to the nature of her sitting and standing poses as well as her backpack, Mayoi’s stand is also somewhat unique.

She has the typical ergonomic stand arm that the rest of my Nendoroids have, but this can only be used if she doesn’t have her backpack equipped. When the backpack is equipped, she has three different stands which can be used depending on if she’s sitting or standing.

Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid (from the Monogatari series anime)
Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid Assembled

I originally set her up in a sitting position because I wanted to try it out, but there was always only going to be one position I was going to ultimately leave her in (pictured above). Since this is a standing position with her backpack equipped, I had to use one of the rigid stands, not the ergonomic one.

These rigid stands, however, aren’t exactly the most user-friendly pieces. There’s one for the sitting position which I originally missed in the box and almost threw out (it’s a small clear disc in a clear plastic bag with some other small clear pieces). That stand is easy enough to use, though.

The two other rigid stands are the issue. There’s a short one and a long one. I used the short one, but it’s still at an awkward angle even though I have Mayoi standing. It’s unclear to me in what situation you’d ever use the long stand unless Mayoi is hovering for some reason.

These two longer rigid stands also didn’t go into the allotted hole in the bottom of the backpack very easily, but that’s probably something that’s slightly different from Nendoroid to Nendoroid. Overall, I’d rather have pieces which are a tight fit than pieces which are too loose and fall apart like what I got with some of Megumin‘s.

Finally, the inner cardboard layer of Mayoi’s box has her Nendoroid number printed on it unlike how Sakura had the Hidden Leaf symbol. As I said I would last week, I checked the other three boxes, and none of them have graphics printed onto their inner cardboard layers.