Max Factory Chun Li (Akiman)

Oof, it's been a hard wait for this one. Ever since Max Factory posted the resin prototype images of Chun Li based on the illustration by Street Fighter superstar artist Akiman, I eagerly awaited the pre-orders to go live. It's a limited release too, so only a few of the usual suspects were able to list it, thankfully I managed to get in fast through AmiAmi and secure myself this lovely figure of one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. 

Rarely do I engage FedEx to get orders to me super fast, but in this case the 3 day service was cheaper than Airmail, so it made little sense to wait. When she arrived, unceremoniously dumped behind the gate, it was clear the figure was something special. It's a heavy box, and part of that is due to her cardboard prison. No window, very thick gold embossed card and some lovely photography make this feel super premium, and it's almost good enough to display with the figure. You also get a little book that's meant to contain your medical information. It's an odd inclusion, but I do like the illustrations.

The box tells you this is something special - the thick card and gold embossed lettering scream "premium".

And what a figure. Sat on a shattered concrete base, Street Fighter has always had an industrial feel to it, with the off-kilter locations and colourful characters providing sharp relief, none more so that Chun Li in her traditional qipao dress, paired with boxing boots and spiked bracelets to provide a feminine allure to her hard edges.

The sculpt couldn't be any more accurate, with every concrete crack, buckle, printed sash and those powerful legs looking impressive at every angle. The folds in her dress, connecting pieces and even her undergarments showing in the right places, with layers to everything - none of the details are painted on as an afterthought, it's just superb. She also comes with a little water bottle, which is delightful.

Backing this up is the paint, which is pin sharp - there's no overspray or missed areas, and this is all covered by a light blue wash on every part of the figure to add additional depth. The face has a pastel hue, with gloss added to the lips. She's certainly alluring!

If there's one element that feels underbaked, it's the base. The figure comes with a gloss-black round base to plug into, and I'd have loved to have seen that paints to match the concrete. It's not a mood-killer, but it is the only thing that feels basic for a figure that shines brightly in every other area.

At just shy of 11", the figure won't prove a problem for display on most shelves, though she is bigger than my previous "main" Chun Li figure, her Street Fighter III incarnation from Embrace Japan based on the art of Kinu Nishimura. I hadn't realised just how big this new figure was until I placed them side by side. While the watery colours are certainly nice on the Embrace figure, I think I prefer the more solid look that Max Factory have plumped for (though why choose when you can have both?)

Max Factory (left) and Embrace Japan (right).

So of course, I'm going to recommend this figure. It's based on a much-loved illustration, has a perfect sculpt and beautiful paintwork that lift it well above its price point. I can see the aftermarket on this getting very silly indeed (as it was with the 3rd Strike Chun Li I compared it to) so if you do want this, I'd recommend getting in early. It's absolutely worth every penny I scraped together for it, and she's one of those designs that never seems to age - this one is a keeper.