Written by Ross Locksley on 19 Apr 2022
• Manufacturer Goodsmile • Price £69.99
Normally I don't review individual figma releases - if I did, this would be the UK Figma Network, such is the volume of these poseable figures that have invaded my office in the last 12 months. However, this release is a bit different, principally because it's the first figma I've seen in hand that comes with "soft goods", which are, to the uninitiated, genuine cloth accessories. And in the case of Fate's Saber Ukita, that's the blue robe she's wearing in the first shot. With string accessories and a wire running through the hem, it's easy to pose and get a more realistic flow to the material.
To put this on, you remove a plug from her back, slip the robe over her arms, and then line up the hole in the robe with the one on her back, pop the plug back in and smooth everything down. The end result is actually rather good - the texture of the robe is a welcome change to the smooth plastics that usually comprise the clothing on these figures, and the ability to pose using the wire adds a certain dynamism and flexibility you're usually not able to achieve with figures this size.
Saber sans Robe is the usual high Figma standard
This cloth robe only comes with the more expensive DX version. Other extra accessories include a choice of sword (black or white) and the god and silver characters that I'm not familiar with. Whether or not these accessories are worth the extra investment will largely depend on how important they are to you, but given how the extras allow for more photography options I'm pleased with my purchase.
Even if you opt for the standard version, there's a lot to like here. The design is the usual Fate standard, a pretty girl in a sharp outfit, Type Moon never turns out an ugly character and Figma rarely makes a mis-step when bringing them into three dimensions. The crisp white, aqua blue highlights and black accessories/boots are a great combo, and the poseable scarf, which uses ball joints for articulation, ensures that even the basic version has plenty of dynamic display options.
Saber Okita poses beautifully with other figma, especially those that use a similar theme such as Musashi here.
As you can hopefully see from the pictures I've cobbled together, it's very easy to get a good pose with this particular figure. Figma are pretty light and easy to manipulate/balance, and the only real complaint I have is that we have yet another Saber, when there are other characters I'd like to see in this range more - a figma version of Hassan of the Tranquility would be a complete dream.
So do I welcome soft goods into the realm of Figma? I think so, yes - possibly not if it's the only option, I do like the sharp moulded detail of the plastic clothing, but where it fits and has purpose, I think the team at Goodsmile has earned my trust.
Ross founded the UK Anime Network waaay back in 1995 and works in and around the anime world in his spare time. You can read his more personal articles on UKA's sister site, The Anime Independent.
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