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As soon as one big thing is released in the UK, everyone seems to look for the next one. That next big thing appears to be D.Gray-Man, the latest Shonen Jump title making waves in the UK. The anime will probably come out here in 2009, but the popularity of the series - bolstered by less legitimate viewing channels than the ten manga volumes released so far by VIZ Media - has led to an increased interest in D.Gray-Man merchandise. The latest set in Konami's J-Mini figure range takes its cues from their earlier Figumate figures. Like the Figumate range the J-Mini figures stand at about 3" (5cm) tall and each sealed box contains one from a range of six figures. Each figure is ready painted and comes with a stand to connect the figure to, and some characters come with accessories as well. The characters included in the range are Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, Yu Kanda, Lavi, Tyki Mikk and a secret version of Allen with his Innocence invoked. Each figure is done in a 'chibi' style, making them extremely cute and matching the style of the previous Figumate and J-Mini |
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ranges. The level of detail and the faithfulness to the original manga is pretty good, and despite the cartoony style of the figures each one is instantly recognisable. It's also nice to see that a couple of the figures - Lavi and Yu Kanda - come with their weapons from series, which can be inserted into the figure's hands. The only problem with these figures is that some of them, Allen and Tyki Mikk in particular aren't that striking. Lavi stands out from the rest because of his colourful hair, scarf and headband, but the others are quite drab. I know that it's not Konami's fault that the characters dress in black and have black or white hair, but you feel that maybe a different coloured base or some kind of coloured accessory would make them stand out more. The figures are otherwise very good, the base has the Black Order's crest on it, the figures are extremely cute and also the same scale as previous J-Mini and Figumate ranges, but as display figures it's only really Lavi that stands out. At the end of the day D.Gray-Man fans will lap these up, and it can't be said that they aren't extremely cute, but to be honest there are |
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more impressive looking figures out there. The level of detail is good and the painting and moulding is decent enough, but you buy these for the look and in that department they could be better. It's also worth noting that the shaft on Lavi's hammer is pretty thin too, so you have to be careful when attaching it to ensure it doesn't snap. It's good to see J-Mini figures with accessories like this that can be attached to the figures, as some of the earlier ranges (Negima in particular) didn't have this luxury, but the big drawback of the J-Mini range is its limited poseability, and these do nothing to really change this. If you like D.Gray-Man then these are pretty cute and worth a look, but they lack colour and impact, and could be better. Extras Ratings Product:
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