First Four Figures Taki (Regular edition) Review

For Blog #144, we'll be transcending history as we take an in-depth look at First 4 Figures' Taki 1/4
scale polystone statue (regular edition).

But, before we begin, I'd like to warn everyone that, due to the nature of the Taki statue,
I'm deeming the following content:

                        




Now, on with the review!

As part of Soul Calibur's 20th anniversary campaign back in 2017, First 4 Figures announced
the release of the second statue in the company's Soul Calibur II line: the demon huntress Taki.

The shipping box stands at 22 inches tall (55 cm). The weight of the box is roughly 16 lbs.

The front of the packaging depicts Taki in her Soul Calibur II stage Kaminoi Castle - Sakura-Dai
Gate.

The right side of the box with a different angle of both Taki and her stage's backdrop.

The left side of the packaging features three extra shots showing off the detail of the Taki statue.

A close up includes a small disclaimer at the bottom of the box.

The back of the packaging.

A close up of Taki's biography is included as well as some product information.

Taki's quote "I cannot ignore your evil deeds" was actually lifted from the sequel Soul Calibur IV,
not Soul Calibur II.

Included at the bottom of this side of the box is the specific product number. My statue is numbered 84/300 pieces total.

The styrofoam packaging complete with the First 4 Figures logo, Taki's name and the Soul
Calibur II logo.



The front of the "Authenticity Card". My card contains the "Authenticity Code" TAKISCRE00390555.
(Taki Soul Calibur Regular Edition....)

When authenticating your statue on the First 4 Figures website (membership sign up also required),
you have to use the entire code. Letters and all.

A scan of the back of the card.

First 4 Figures really went the extra mile with detail here as the back of the packaging contains a full-body imprint of the regular edition Taki statue.

Included in the box is an advert for other First 4 Figures statues. Characters include Spyro The
Dragon, Solid Snake, Alucard, Shovel Knight and Crash Bandicoot to name a few.

The back of the advert that provides instructions for the authentication process. While I purchased
my statue back in 2018, I was still able to authenticate it as of yesterday in 2021.

A seal on the styrofoam packaging stating my statue passed QC (Quality Control) along with
the signature of a member from the production team.

The packaging has been opened. This end contains Taki's swords, sheath, arm and head sculpt.




The other half of the packaging contains the display base and Taki's body.

The foam cube packaging that holds the Taki head sculpt.

When opened up. There's even removable foam protecting Taki's ponytail.

The Taki head sculpt.



Included is Taki's forearm, diecast sword and sword sheaths.

Exclusive to the standard edition is a black display base with the Soul Calibur II logo
engraved into the surface.

Most of the weight of the Taki statue comes from this durable (and heavy) base.

The underside of the base contains a hand-numbered statue number (once again, matching the
edition number listed on the back of the packaging) along with four fabric pieces to reduce
surface scratching.

A small Silica Gel packet is also part of the box. From yourstory.com:

"Silica gel serves to eliminate humidity by eliminating moisture from the air creating a dry and moisture-free environment for custom product packaging like electronics, cosmetics, medication, and apparels, etc. that are at higher risk of damage. Leather gets mold if not kept dry properly."




Taki's body before the additional pieces are connected.



Taki's right forearm must be attached along with Taki's sheaths which connect to two
holes along Taki's torso.

When fully assembled.

The statue is made of polystone and is the second statue in First 4 Figures' Soul Calibur II line
(the first statue being Nightmare).

Taki stands just under 20 inches (50 cm tall), making this the largest figure ever made of the
kunoichi ninja to date.



                                               

The specific pose of the Taki statue was lifted directly from an official Soul Calibur II
illustration of Taki's in-game 1P attire.

A close-up of the Taki statue.

In comparison to Taki's SCII illustration, the sexuality of this statue has been toned down
somewhat, adding less emphasis on the busty Ninja's upper torso.

The bone of contention for many Soul Calibur fans is the accuracy of Taki's head sculpt. Primarily,
Taki's bangs looks closer to Taki's appearance in Soul Calibur IV.



Taki's in Soul Calibur II and Soul Calibur Lost Swords (which uses Taki's Soul Calibur IV attire).

Noticeably, the bangs are even longer on the Taki head sculpt.

While Taki has been unmasked ever since the first Soul Calibur game (Soul Edge/Soul Blade),
Soul Calibur II would mark the first time Taki would ditch her signature ninja mask entirely
between all three of her in-game attires.

Interestingly, Taki's shoulder armour also contains a green hue over the in-game grey.

I especially like the gritty detail to Taki's leggings and knee armour.

To help Taki stand in her iconic Soul Calibur 2 pose, the sole of the statue contains an elevated
riser.

The sole of the statue contains a metallic peg which connects to the Regular Edition base.

The wind decals on Taki's thighs are also faithfully recreated.

Contrary to popular belief, Taki's skin-tight bodysuit isn't painted on; as indicated by the fabric-like
effect etched into the Taki statue's attire.

My favourite angle of the Taki statue. First 4 Figures has done an excellent job of bringing the
Soul Calibur II illustrations to life; all the while adding new perspectives to Taki's classic pose.

Taki's gauntlets contain the same gritty, metallic texture as her knee guards. I believe both of
which may also use the same die-cast material as Taki's exposed sword.

Viewed from the back.



Only one of Taki's swords is unsheathed. The other sword remains within it's hilt.





The rope texture from Taki's sandals is noticeable on Taki's upper sheath.

I love how there's even detail at the tips of Taki's sheath, upper arm bangle and a leather-like
appearance of the straps that connect to Taki's breast plate.





Instead of being hollow, the empty, upper sheath is filled in. A small detractor in terms of
realism, in my opinion.

Taki's shoulder pads also contains the Japanese Katakana "タキ" (Taki). Another small detail
faithfully recreated from Taki's Soul Calibur 2 1P attire.

Obvious asset aside, Taki's right sandal is raised with a wood-like appearance on the sole.

Another splendid angle showing the great amount of effort First 4 Figures went to in order
to craft the Taki statue.

I particularly appreciate the rust finish on Taki's gauntlets.

The opposite angle shows off more of Taki's muscle definition.

Design-wise, the only difference between the Regular and Exclusive versions are the different display bases. The exclusive version contains a lotus design that raises the height of the Taki statue to an additional 3 inches. Personally, I would have preferred a base that resembled Taki's stage
Kaminoi Castle - Sakurai-Date Gate instead.

More muscle definition from the front.



A glimpse of Taki from Soul Calibur II (2002) and Soul Calibur VI (2018).

With every instalment in the Soul series, Taki's muscular definition is constantly improved upon.
The physique of First 4 Figures' Taki statue is a reflection of this sentiment; bringing Taki's
Soul Calibur II attire and look up to date.



Another change I've noticed between Taki's in-game model and First 4 Figure's depiction is the different coloration in Taki's breast plate armour. Instead of only a hint of gold (bottom portion),
the crest is entirely coloured gold while the band itself is darker in colour.



Interestingly, the nails around the band retain their original metallic colour.



In Namco X Capcom (2005) Taki appears as a playable character while retaining her SC II attire.
Notice the gold design in Taki's breast plate.




Three Taki figures produced during Soul Calibur II's original release. Left to right: a
model kit (that requires assembly & painting) along with two gashapon style figures
from the "Namco Real Collection" featuring Taki in her 1P and special 3P attires made
by Yujin.

The latter two figures are more widely as part of the Namco Girls series figure line outside
of Japan.

                    
                     
Along with the release of Soul Calibur II HD Online (2013), Taki also retains her Soul
Calibur II 1P attire in the promotional art for Soul Calibur Unbreakable Soul (2013).


Closing thoughts:

At the initial price of $434.99 USD  +S/H (for the Regular version), the First 4 Figures Taki statue is one of the most expensive pieces of Soul Calibur merchandise available. With First 4 Figures selling out both the standard and exclusive versions of this statue as of writing this review, the price for both variants has only gone up in value since then on the secondhand market.

Beyond the cheaper price point, I chose the Regular version for it's sleek and stylish display
base. Not to mention, the fact that the base provides plenty of room for other figures to be displayed alongside Taki.

Having the Soul Calibur II logo engraved into the base itself is just the icing on
the cake.

Though, nothing comes close to the level of craftsmanship and detail First 4 Figures has provided
here. Granted, there are some flaws in terms of accuracy from the original source material, but for
die-hard Soul Calibur and fighting game fans alike, the First 4 Figures Taki statue is a real sight to
behold and a fine addition to any figure collection.

In one year from now, we'll be celebrating another milestone: the 20th anniversary of Soul Calibur
II's initial arcade release.

                                                                             "DESTROY!"

Mitsuharu Misawa GHC Heavyweight Championship figure review

For Blog #143 we'll be taking a look at Mogura House's Mitsuharu Misawa GHC Heavyweight Championship figure.

Besides making multiple variants, Mogura House also updated the packaging of their figures.

The packaging of this variant makes good mention of Pro-Wrestling NOAH's Global Honoured Crown Heavyweight Championship.



The back of the packaging states the significance of the GHC Championship.

Let's take a look at the Mitsuharu Misawa figure from out of the packaging:

Misawa is depicted with chinstrap facial hair circa early 2000's.

The included GHC belt accessory contains the words "GHC Heavyweight Championship" on the front.

The wording on the side plates could be improved upon.

The GHC Championship accessory is removable.

More figure reviews coming soon!

Antonio Inoki 60th Anniversary Pure Gold Figure review

For our next figure review, we'll be looking at a figure that is out of reach from all but the most affluent of Wrestling collectors. Get ready to enter high-end territory and jaw-dropping prices with blog #142: the Antonio Inoki 60th Anniversary figure.

On February 19th, 2021, Japanese Pro-Wrestling legend Antonio Inoki made an announcement over his official facebook page regarding the pre-order of a pure gold figure:

In Japanese the name of the figure is アントニオ猪木 初”の純金フィギュア化
(Antonio Inoki First Pure Gold Figure)

In the the above picture, the three golden circles state that the figure weighs 23 grams, is 1/48 scale (about 1.5 inches or 40 millilitres) and is limited to just 60 pieces; making this figure one of (if not the rarest) Inoki figures ever made.

The poster also mentions that five customers will be chosen at random in a special lottery to win a card signed by Antonio Inoki himself.

                                        

With hands raised, Antonio Inoki is ready to test his fighting spirit.

Inoki is no stranger to lavish figures made in his image. In the 1990's for example, statue maker MAN SPORT also released several bronze figures of Inoki (you can google them yourself with these keywords アントニオ猪木 MANSPORT).

The Antonio Inoki pure gold figure is just one of several pieces of merchandise created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Antonio Inoki's debut as a Pro-Wrestler.

While there are no watermarks or logos of any kind on the front or back of the figure, a serial number is said to be engraved on the back of one of the Inoki figure's boots.
.

The official item description mentions that the pure gold Inoki figure is 24 karats and is solid (not hollow).

Included with the figure is a stylish display case and base. The plaque on the base reads:

アントニオ猪木   (Antonio Inoki)
デビュー60周年  (60th Anniversary Debut)

You can check out the official video promo here:

Expensive golden figures are nothing new to Japanese collectors. Similar pricing and scales can also be found for Godzilla and the Gundam Wing series, too.

And if you're wondering how much this luxurious figure costs: 660,000 円 ($6,000 USD).

The official store selling the Pure Gold Inoki figure can be found HERE

Pro-Wrestling Keshi from Japan Part 9

Hello again, readers.

A lot has changed over the last few years since our last blog post. From the devastating effects of the Corona Virus to the ensuing collapse of many businesses as a response to the global pandemic. 2020
is a year that many of us would rather forget.

While this blog is going to stay up as a resource for other Puroresu figure collectors, there's still plenty of items left to cover. Which brings us to today's figure review - an unfinished draft that goes back to 2019 and another look at the wonderful world of keshigomu figures.

Better late than never, right?

For Blog #141, we'll be taking a look at Character Product's PANCRASE-X Keshi figure set.

In 2003, Japanese toy maker Character Product released a special six figure set of two inch keshigomu figures to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the PANCRASE promotion.

All six figures are re-releases from Character Product's 2001 line of Keshigomu eraser figures with
one important little addition: they've been painted.



From left to right: Ikuhisa Minowa, Masakatsu Funaki, Minoru Suzuki and Kengo WatanabE

From the Japanese flag on Maskaatsu Funaki's trunks to the chest and shoulder tattoo on Kengo Watanabe, the paint job on these small figures is immaculate.

On the left is Sanae Kikuta. On the right is Yuki Kondo. Both fighters fought each other on May 18th, 2003 in Kanagawa Japan for the Hybrid 5 event. The event served as a title defence for Kikuta's 2001 Light Heavyweight Championship victory.

The decals on Kikuta's gi (complete with a Pancrase X on Kikuta's left pant leg) are appreciated.

Also enclosed is an exclusive Pancrase ring which I believe is a similar scale to the various ring sets that were made available with Character Product's series of Pro Kaku Heroes Mini Big Head Figures.

The back of the packaging reads:

"PANCRASE - X
Pancrase 10th Anniversary Figure Set (2 kinds)

Year 1993
The flag-raising event was held at Tokyo Bay NK Hall on September 21. Killing in seconds became a buzzword.

Year 1994
The match between Minoru Suzuki and Masakatsu Funaki was held. The belt (non-discriminatory weight class) was established.

Year 1995
Introduced the ranking system and held the 1st Neo-Blood Tournament in July.

Year 1996
Yuki Kondo debuted and was called a supernova with his breakneck success.

Year 1997
New dojo established in Tokyo. Ikuhisa Minowa debuts at the Neo-Blood Tournament.

Year 1998
Kengo Watanabe, a hot newcomer from the college rugby world, makes his debut against Bas Rutten in the September tournament. Shocking debut.

Year 1999
Sanae Kikuta, a big freelance player, joins the team.

Year 2000
A third force, GRABAKA, is formed with Sanae Kikuta at the center.
Founder, Masakatsu Funaki retired after his match with Hickson Gracie in May.

Year 2001
The rules of GRABAKA were changed to gloves and rounds, and Manabu Yamada retired.

Year 2002
Tokyo Dojo and Yokohama Dojo were reintegrated into Yokohama, and renamed Pancrase ISM.

Year 2003
Sanae Kikuta fights against Yuki Kondo at the 10th Anniversary Hybrid Tour 5.18."


Closing thoughts:

Going back to the heyday of keshi figures in the 1980's, hobbyists young and old alike would paint their own keshi figures. Fast forward two decades later and Character Product have done all of the heavy lifting themselves with the company's own painted figures.

Though, Character Product wasn't the only company releasing painted Keshi figures. By 2003, BANDAI would release their own painted Keshi figures as part of the Ultimate Muscle Micro
Wrestler line outside of Japan.

As the back of the packaging states, there is also a second set that features different colour variants for the included figures.

The two aforementioned Pancrase sets would be the last keshi figures ever made under the Character Product banner.

All in all, an essential set for Pancrase purists and a brief glimpse of what could have been if only more legends were added to Character Product's line of keshigomu figures.