Zettai Junpaku: Mahou Shoujo – Kuramoto Erika (Native) – Review

INTRODUCTION

This time we’re taking a look at something really special! From adult figure manufacturer Native (short for “Naked and Creative”) comes Kuramoto Erika. Erika is one of the stars of the H-manga Zettai Junpaku: Mahou Shoujo, created by popular illustrator Honjou Raita. It’s well known that I’m a pretty big fan of Raita’s work, particularly his work for Fate/Grand Order.

The quality of this figure is immediately impressive, and it does an excellent job capturing the appeal of Raita’s work. For the same reason, though, it might might not be for everyone – Raita does take some creative liberties with proportions, which has been divisive in the past. Still, it would be hard to deny how well made Erika is. Native have done a top notch job this time.

ASSEMBLY

Erika is 1/7 scale and stands about 28cm tall, if you include her staff. She comes in a very classy box that is not only attractive, but compact and secure. Inside the box you’ll find Erika, along with her staff, wings and optional face and bikini parts, as well as her base.

The base is the only thing about the figure that I don’t really like. It’s a big, bulky circle of black plastic that looks a bit cheap when compared to Erika herself. That said, Erika stands entirely on her own, so you don’t need to use the base if you don’t like it. She doesn’t even attach to it.

Assembling the figure is a bit tricky. To facilitate her cast off features, Erika splits into several parts. Her upper torso, right arm and head are all removable. The bikini of choice then fits into a small gap between the two halves of her torso and the figure reassambles. Unfortunately, this gap does make displaying her sans bikini a bit less appealing.

It’s not so much that it’s difficult to follow (instructions are included) but some parts fit tightly together and can be quite hard to separate. Coupled with how slim and delicate some of the figure’s features are, it can be difficult to get a good grip without feeling like you might break something. The staff in particular had me sweating – I’ve broken a staff or two before! I also couldn’t get her wings to fit all the way into her back, but it’s not too noticable and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

SCULPTING

This is a seriously lewd figure! The way her bikini is pulled tight against her breasts to show the shape of her nipples, the fact that her naughty bits are always peeking out at the back… Let’s just say that you probably won’t want to display this if you’re shy about your collection.

I was especially impressed with the subtle grooves of her rib cage – you can just barely see and feel them, but they’re there. It’s serious attention to detail, and very true to Raita’s illustrations. From her thick and shapely thighs, to her vast and volumous curves, everything is smoothly and seamlessly crafted. If you like big butts, Erika certainly delivers.

Even aside from her nudie parts, the figure has a lot going for it. Rather than being thick and blobby, her wings and hair are crisp and finely detailed. The decorated tights are slightly raised so that they look and feel separate from her thighs, rather than just painted on. And in all of this, I couldn’t find a glaring production flaw.

Perhaps my only complaint is that her open mouth can look a bit awkward at times, but that’s not exactly unique to Erika. Overall, a very impressive sculpt.

PAINTWORK

Erika’s paintwork is high quality, too. Her skin features subdued and subtle shading, with much of the definition work left to her excellent sculpt. Her clothes and hair feature much more apparent shading work, with a pleasant colour palette. The paint finishes are well used too, with a slight glossy finish on her outfit and a metallic sheen on her accessories.

Her wings have very appealing gradients which play warm purple against cool blue to create contrast between the layers of feathers, and add more interest to what could have easily been flat white or grey. Her areolae softly blend into her skin, with a soft gloss that makes them look right out of a drawing. They even added a warm tint to the spots where her bikini pulls around her nipples, making the bikini look ever so slightly see-through. There’s a lot of attention to detail here!

Of course, her facial decals are sharp and cleanly applied. She even has a little sweatdrop that adds a touch of comedy to her surprised expression. Perhaps my only gripe with the paint at all is her tongue, which is too glossy – it makes it look like she has a plastic ball in her mouth. You’re not likely to notice it most of the time, but it’s worth noting.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you couldn’t tell by now, I really like this figure. It’s an impressively crafted piece of work, and it captures Raita’s style almost perfectly. While some might not appreciate the unusual pose and exaggerated proportions, I feel it delivers as a playful and naughty figure that would stand out in any collection. What few flaws it does have are very forgivable.

At it’s RRP (around ¥16,000), I’d certainly say that Erika is worth the money. However, Native’s figures tend to have inflated aftermarket prices – an unfortunate effect of their high quality and limited availability. Erika is no different – at the time of writing, you could be looking at a ¥35,000 purchase if you wanted to pick this one up.

Whether she’s worth that much to you is purely subjective, but I will say that Erika is an excellently made figure with a lot of charm points. If you decide to take the plunge and pick this one up, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.