Once again Otaking lend me some help and advise about the text for this review, I’m quite grateful about the help.

I probably haven’t logged into my Kancolle account since 3 years, but I have fond memories of the time where I played actively and took care of the adorable ships girls. Too bad that I was forced to use an VPN every time I wanted to play.

Today I will show you one of my older grails that I always wanted since it’s release. I recently purchased this Kouwan Seiki, She is also known as Harbour Princess from the Kancolle game. This figure was manufactured by Max Factory and released in 2017. She’s been sculpted by Akimof and is scaled 1/8 with measures 155 mm in height.
On release her price was around 18.000 yen, which still was a lot at that time.

The figure is also part of the Wonderful Hobby Selection line of Max Factory. In 2016 I received the Sorceress from the WHS line which was a bad joke partially. The figure of course looked great, but arrived with a broken peg that prevented me from setting up the figure, Max Factory was kind enough to send a spare part, but that also arrived broken … .

That experience actually prevented me from preordering. You can probably imagine how I felt when I opened that figures package earlier this year, but fortunately everything was fine and without flaw.

Kantai Collection is not at its prime days anymore, nevertheless the character design hasn’t lost it’s appeal. Kantai Collection has been a super popular gatcha game that convinced figure manufacturers that gatcha game characters attract more customers than purely anime based characters.

If anyone of you wonders about the sparkles in the pictures background, it is a polycarbonate board with sculpted water droplets on the surface, with the right amount of DOF (depth of field) and light it creates a lovely bokeh.
To match the figures partially eerie atmosphere I decided for purple as main color. As flooring I used a small white carpet and spread some bigger and smaller rocks above, to create some ocean bottom. I thought that the fishing net would be a matching addition to the set.

Coming up with a stage has always been kind of a challenge, compared to earlier years figure photography became more challenging and ambitious. I think I became a little bad recipient, it’s really frustrating. Some fellow figure photographers invest an immense amount of work to create diorama like settings, it’s amazing! I always see myself debating about how much work I want to invest in a figures set and if it is worth the effort.

Figures of antagonists are generally a rare event, except they are especially remarkable. Kancolle has cool designs, also for the Abyssals that were turned into figures, like Kuubo Wo-kyuu or Senkan Re-kyuu, Kouwan Seiki convinced me the most.

Since then the gatcha game character based figures keep growing in numbers. As anime enthusiast this trend is regrettable for me, since less figures based on anime are made, but it can’t be helped these days.

Harbour Princess is a pretty figure with her ghost like white skin, the huge claws and pointy horn on the forehead, she is obviously a monster, but a cute one. The character design of Harbour Princess has been illustrated by Akira (アキラ)

Her shy and vulnerable expression are anything less than adorable. I really like the heavy eylashes design, they are even sculpted and not just lines from a brush, I’m also a big fan of the dramatic makeup anyway. The long hair is nicely done, it has smooth looking long strands and a cutely cut bangs. Her red eyes are very pretty and mesmerizing.

Haurbour Princess is dressed in something called “virgin killer sweater” which was a popular meme some years ago. The outfit has some dark grey weathering, living in the vast ocean surely has a few disadvantages for the Abyssal’s. Furthermore the sweaters vertical creases accentuate the characters dynamite body with the ample bosom, thin waist and quite wide hips. The sweater is also equipped with decorative black armor pieces, the style and pattern looks very interesting and pretty. As shoes she has some kind of kneesock boots with black sole.

Part of her outfit are also the separate sleeves, they have the same vertical creases as the sweater and those pretty black armoir bits, because of her big hands the sleeves have a huge opening, the mechanical claws have a nice roughed up look and intimidating design. Kouwan Seiki is portrayed as mature character with a well endowed and attractive body. Obviously, she also has nicely sculpted big boobs, the outfit also reveals a bit of sideboob which is a little bit risky, but nothing when compared to the shameless hotties from Azure Lane. The figure has really nice thighs.

The figure has been put in a kneeling pose, encircled by a muddy looking base, that intentionally shows traces of wear and destruction painted in shades of black and rusty brown. She is holding onto the remaining pieces of her once proud airfield. I like the tiny particles that have been applied on the runway, they give the illusion of glowing sparks.

Next to the main figure, sits the runway monster with its huge jaw, compared to Kouwan Seiki that is a really nasty monster with teeth and grey tongue.

Final Words

I like the figure a lot, she looks great and has an unique design, a bishoujo monster girl is something I didn’t have in my collection so far. It’s a great design with the dramatic makeup and the overall visual presentation is very well done. Is this figure worth the Wonderful Hobby Selection tag? I have a specific opinion about it.

Max Factory figures are already well done in general. WHS should bring something more. I think that the WHS manufacturing quality is not outstanding enough to justify it. A label like WHS should indicate the highest level of craftsmanship, and I don’t see this big difference on Kouwan Seiki and I definitely didn’t saw it at the Sorceress figure. They both had problems that take away from the overall quality. Nevertheless I’m really happy to have the Kouwan Seiki WHS in my collection now.

I normally write these posts, that focus on the recently available figures on the market like every 3 months. After part 31 in early June, the figure manufacturers decide to launch an impressive number of quite desireable preorder items near the end of this month.

Ordered Items

Shortly before my remaining preorder number was close to drop below 4 I could not resist anymore. For starters I placed my order for the new Sora and ALTER’s Nozomi.

Yosuga no Sora – Kasugano Sora – Bunny Style

I preordered this one, because she looks amazing, I already was sure that bunny style Sora would look nice with some paint on her as her notice her during the previous Wonderfestival, but ordering the figure wasn’t really planned. Her face is beautiful and the seductive direction is a nice extra, too. I also like the overall presentation, the attracive and nicely dressed figure sitting on this high stool while her extra long twintails are hanging down. I’m not really interested in these kinds o bunny costumes, but Sora looks so nice in one. Good that it is a December release, so it might become a christmas present I might not need to pay by myself.

manufacturer: ALTER – scale: 1/7 – release: December 2016

Love Live! School Idol Festival – Toujou Nozomi

It took a little longer for me to finally order this fabulous Idol. At first I was a little upset that Nozomi only had one open eye, she looked awesome for sure, but it slightly bothered me. Nevertheless I never lost interest, her release was initionally sheduled for June and my June was already a nightmare, I had to pass. “fortunately” Nozomi’s release was changed to July, my birthday month and fortunately she was still available. While ALTER’s Love Live! School Idol Festival cost a fortune, all girls have amazingly detailed outfits and look wonderful.

manufacturer: ALTER – scale: 1/7 – release: July 2016

Original Character – Magic Bullets – Pin-Up Girl

It’s no secret that I love curvy swimsuit figures, I like to buy those and having them around. The figure named Pin-Up Girl is art based on an illustration by Sasaoka Gungu, this explains the unique but beautiful style of her facial features. She also is what I would call a dynamic bikini figure, she has this elaborately articulated pose. I admit she also is of course sexy with the detailed buxom body and attractive tan lining. Unfortunately, the “bikini figure of my dreams” is sheduled for the busy month October. After some calculations I ordered her now.

manufacturer: Kalmia Project – scale: 1/6 – release: October 2016

Interesting figures

I haven’t ordered these figures, but at least I find them overly interesting and like to list them. Tell me which one you like or which not, or which figure you would like to see in a review

Kantai Collection ~Kan Colle~ – Kouwan Seiki – Wonderful Hobby Selection

Kouwan Seiki or Harbour Princess is one of the cuter Abyssal characters in Kancolle, she is not evil, she just wants a hug :D. Max Factory created a nice figure based on her design, I really think she is adorable and the body is dynamit. The figure has the WHS tag, figures tagged with WHS (Wonderful Hobby Selection) are always very expensive, not really because they are much nicer than normal figures. I bought a WHS figure recently, I was very exited since I really liked the concept, mine unfortunately arrived slightly damaged, fortunately the GSC support was very understanding and helped me very fast. But after that experience I’m not willing to spend 20,000 Yen + for a figure again, maybe if I would buy figures less regulary.

manufacturer: Max Factory – scale: 1/8 – release: April 2017

Kantai Collection ~Kan Colle~ – Prinz Eugen

“einen schönen Tag” Ahh the Germans! Haha, all right a cheaper but not less attractive Kancolle figures is Prinz Eugen, the petite and sporty looking heavy cruiser girl. Prinz Eugen is a very cute character, I really like her hair and the pretty face. Her machine parts are nicely compact and create a slender appearance. But I hope there is no swastika somewhere.

manufacturer: GSC – scale: 1/8 – release: January 2017

Oshiete! Galko-chan – Galko-chan

It’s Galko! I hope you are all familiar with the short anime, big girl Galko might dress like a broad, but she is a good girl and has a heart of gold. Of course I like her buxom appearance and additional volume. Max Factory even went the extra mile and made her 1/6 scale size. In the casual school uniform Galko looks very nice, well her skirt is short and fickle, you might see something while the figure climbs the stairs of her base.

manufacturer: Max Factory – scale: 1/6 – release: January 2017

Kyonyuu Fantasy Gaiden – Isis Petrovna Elenskaya

One first glimpse you’ll that this pretty woman named Isis is based on a hentai game, long hair, big boobs and a nice big butt XD The boobs might be bit much, but I like her face and the detailed front hair and won’t deny a purchase by default.

That might be too much info for my innocent readers ^^ The breast armor can be taken off seperately and also the top part of the suit can be removed to expose her nude balcony. She will have inverted nipples underneath, which often looks very pretty in “anime related media” I will have to see additional pictures before making a fix decision about ordering or not.

manufacturer: Lechery – scale: 1/6 – release: September 2016

Upcoming figures I’m interested in

Love Live! School Idol Festival – Sonoda Umi

I will repeat myself ALTER’s Love Live! School Idol Festival are extremely alluring, just look at this amazing Yukata outfit, even Umi turns into a moeblob Lv 9000 in this announced figure prototype. The “drill instructor” Umi  was turned into a beautifuly, cuddly cute Idol, she’s just perfect in my eyes. With her, Nozomi and Nico I would have three of these cuties, yay!

manufacturer: ALTER – scale: 1/7 – release: …

This sums up the “emergency” New Preorder Post. Lets wait for the next pretty figure Avalanche. Was there anything interesting for you in the last few weeks? Or is there something you are looking forward to? Let me know in the comments, see you ^^.