By Christopher Troy
Happy belated Labor Day FP readers. I’ve returned from Dragon*Con in Atlanta,GA, spending 4 days drunk and looking at people in odd fitting costumes. Now that I’m back, I’m here to feature some more cool toys from our store’s import section. Today’s selection is from Max Factory’s Figma line, which is the main competitor to the Revoltech line. While Revoltech tends to focus on mecha and sci-fi, Figma tends to foucs on what series/characters are super popular in Japan, such as Lucky Star, Code Geass, K-On and Haruhi. I’ll be focusing on three entries from the Fate/Stay series.
Series Origin: Fate/Stay Night originated in Japan as a Visual novel for the PC created by game developers Type-Moon. While it’s origins lie in the adult-game genre, the novel proved to be so popular that it spawned a hit anime series (currently available in a box set published by FUNimation) and a on-going manga brought over to the states by Tokyopop.
Legacy: Aside from the series and manga, there have been several video games for the Playstation 2, and Playstation Portable, that have both expanded and provided alternate outcomes to the source material. A full-length motion picture was released earlier this year in Japan and expected to reach the States (legally) sometime next year. There have been a number of figures/statues/dolls released of the cast, mostly focusing on the female leads Saber and Rin Tohsaka.
Appearances and Equipment: Left to right, these are the 3 characters we’ll be looking at today: the newest F/S Figma Saber Alter, a dark version of heroine Saber, Rin Tohsaka in the middle, and Saber’s master, main hero Shiro Emiya. Male Figmas are a rare occurrence, so his presence in the line is welcomed. From the get go, you can see the figures are all very well sculpted, painted and very articulate. Worth mentioning is the there are Revoltech versions of Rin and Saber Alter, but they’re based more on the novel versions of the character, and aren’t as well made as the figures we’re looking at today.
I took a picture of what each Figma is packed with, and needless to say, you get your moneys worth. Each character comes with an extra face, a plethora and changeable hands, as well a storage unit for them, and in Rin and Shiro’s case, and extra weapon and changeable limb. In addition to those, packaged with the figured is a clear, sturdy stand that fairly poseable in terms of displaying your Figmas, and a clearly plastic baggy for storing your extra pieces, which is extremely useful, and ensures that no pieces get lost.
Overall Impressions: 
I’m kind of a Fate/Stay fanboy, so a company has to do a lot to impress me. I initially bought the Revoltech F/S figures as my options were limited, but since the introduction of the Figma versions, they’ve been replaced by their newer, superior counterparts. Although Shiro and Rin are simplistic in their designs, the amount of accessories they’re packaged with makes up for it. Saber Alter, on the other hand, has a fantastic sculpt and less accessories, so it’s still a great figure, just for the reserved reasons.
Currently at the FPNYC store we have the Shiro and Casual Saber figmas in stock for about 30-40 dollars, which is pretty good for Figmas. We have other F/S merch, as well as other Figmas in stock as well, so feel free to check out fpnyc.com to see what we have in stock on our webstore if you’re not close to the NYC location!
