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Now Naruto is out in the UK, Bleach has officially taken up its mantle as The Next Big Thing. The supernatural action series is already hugely popular in both Japan and America, and as with all popular series it has a host of merchandise available for it! The problem with series like this is that so much merchandise
is produced that the quality suffers, and many of the Bleach figures I have seen
haven't been that great. However, Megahouse's Excellent Model Series
figures are a definite exception. |
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There are two figures in the first series of the Bleach Excellent Model range, and as you would expect they are based on the main characters - Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki. The figures come pre-painted and require some simple assembly, and once slotted together stand at approximately 10" (25cm) tall. As you can tell from the picture on the right these figures look damn good (click on the image to see a bigger version), and that's not the half of it. They aren't called Excellent for nothing, not only do they look stunning at a quick glance but the quality of the painting, design and sculpting is equally good. The pose picks out each character perfectly, with Ichigo looking typically moody as he brandishes his immense sword and Rukia pulling on her spirit glove. Not only are the poses familiar but it is incredibly impressive how closely the figures resemble their anime and manga counterparts. Every detail is perfect. From the costume, hair and accessories to the body shape and facial expressions, they look like they have walked straight out of the series. It's very hard to capture the characters so well when transferring them from the 2D environment of the screen or page to a 3D figure, but Megahouse have managed it. Everything about them oozes class, from the strong |
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design through to the awesome level of detail and great painting, even of fiddly areas such as the characters' eyes and Ichigo's straw sandals. There are very few visible joins either, not even on the hair which is rarely the case even on the best of figures. It must be said that the Ichigo figure is more striking than the Rukia one, but together they make a great pair. PVC models like these make resin statues nearly redundant such is their quality, and the Bleach Excellent Model Series 1 is amongst the best I have seen. If you are a fan of the series you have to get these figures. They are well made, well painted, a good size and best of all look incredibly good - better in fact than figures twice the price. I have seen a lot of Bleach figures and merchandise but none is better than these, they're an absolutely essential purchase for any anime fan. Extras: A striking plastic base which has the Bleach logo and character's name (in English) on it is included with each figure, but that is not all. The Ichigo figure comes with a removeable sword and scabbard, but the Rukia figure is better extras-wise as it comes with a bonus figure of possessed teddy Kon! Both figures connects flush to their base and are very stable once connected. Shame there's no alternative clothing, but it's good stuff nonetheless. Ratings Feature:
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