Review: figma 023: Asakura Ryoko

Finally after a long hiatus comes the figma for Asakura Ryoko (朝倉 涼子)  Don’t worry, she won’t stab you… too hard ;)

Asakura is a standard Haruhi-style figma, with the figma base, set of figma hands, and an extra face.  Also included is the knife she used to threaten poor Kyon with.  The hands for holding accessories are of a slightly different mold than the usual ones, as they were molded to hold the knife, so the the thumb is slightly extended.  Asakura’s extra face is a smiling face with closed eyes so you feel at ease as she is stabbing you ambien violently.

Also included is this extra hand.  Notice that the slot is flat.  Whatever could it be used for?  To see, let us return to the scenario from the anime…

<Asakura> I’ve grown quite tired of observing a static subject.
<Asakura> That’s why I’ll kill you and see how Haruhi Suzumiya responds.
*Asakura slashes at Kyon with the knife*

<Kyon> What is this?
<Kyon> No wait, what’s going on here?
<Kyon> Why is Asakura trying to stab me with a knife?
<Kyon> Hold on a sec, what did Asakura say?

<Kyon> Kill me?  Naze? Why? For what reason?

<Kyon> Stop joking around!  That’s really dangerous!
<Kyon> A fake would be enough to scare anyone!

 

<Asakura> You think that this is a joke?

<Asakura> You don’t want to die?  You don’t want to be killed?
<Asakura> I really don’t understand the concept of death for organic (tramadol) life forms.

<Kyon> I don’t get it!  It’s not funny!
<Kyon> Just put that dangerous thing down!

<Asakura> That’s impossible. *niko*

Ok, let’s skip the next section and get to the good part:

<Asakura> Now die.
*explosion*

And that’s how the extra hand is used.  It’s for Nagato so she can grab the blade of the knife to protect Kyon.  I’m going to skip around a bit more, but hang in there, there’s a point to including this scene…

<Kyon> Are you really okay?

<Nagato> Processing power was redirected to data manipulation and transformation.
<Nagato> The regeneration of this interface was placed in queue.

<Nagato> It is running now.

<Kyon> What’s wrong?
<Nagato> I forgot to reconstruct glasses.

<Kyon> I’d say you look cuter without them.
<Kyon> And I’m not really a glasses man.
<Nagato> What is a glasses man?
<Kyon> …nothing!  I’m just babbling.
<Nagato> I see.
<Taniguchi> Uiiiisu~ WAWAWA Wasuremono~ UWA!!

Which brings us to the other bonus to purchasing the Asakura Ryoko figma: the head of Taniguchi (wow that sounds really morbid…)  The head can easily be affixed to a Kyon figma (of which yes, I have two) to reproduce this famous scene.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t come with an UWAA!! face XD

Pros: Bonus Taniguchi head, blade grabber for Nagato, Knife, and Asakura’s *niko* face are great extras for this figma.  It seems the sculptors are doing something different with the removable bangs that come off so you can switch faces.  Instead of a log tab that runs the length of the bangs, the tab is split in the center and is much more secure than with other figmas (yes, I’m looking at you Nanoha Takamachi >.>)

Cons: Unlike the Konata and Tsuruya figmas before her, Asakura’s figma doesn’t have a hole in the hair for posing purposes.  Thus, in order to pose with a stand in action poses, you need to slip the stand under her hair as such:

Your other option is to pose her without the stand, which proves to be difficult, since moving her head even in the slightest shifts her center of gravity so drastically (because of the weight of her hair.)  Taniguchi’s face also seems to be able to be switched, but for some reason, his bangs don’t come off.  This makes it difficult to take off his face, but it doesn’t matter right now since he doesn’t have any alternate faces.

Asakura will cost about $30 with the current state of the economy, and can be found at most online stores such as HLJ and Hobby Search.  Unfortunately, Asakura herself has moved to Canada, and has not left a return address, should you wish to thank her for posing for this figma sculpt ^o^v