It's been too long since I last updated this blog... apologies for those who came in to check on my blog from time to time, I was wrapping up my experiment, writing my thesis and preparing for the defense in the past two months, so things got a little hectic for me. Anyway, I got all of that out of the way now, so I can start getting back to my weekly routine. I also bought a crappy little Sony HDR-XR160 camcorder for myself, and I think it's about time that I start doing some video/photo reviews of my figure collection, please look forward to those =)
Anyway, for the first post of 2012, I'll start off with a video game tsundere, Rita Mordio, from Tales of Vesperia (ToV). Heh, another Tales character, you ask? Yup, it's my favorite series, and the figure is made by Alter, so I'd gladly hand over my money just for these two reasons alone.
Rita is a 14-year-old genius mage who's absolutely obsessed with research. She doesn't have any friend until she met Yuri's party. As she travels around the world with them, she becomes more caring (that doesn't mean she doesn't give a damn about anything around her, but her tsun nature is kind of in the way) and dependent, especially towards Estelle, the female lead. Rita carries a large scroll/whip with her all the time; when she casts spells, she rolls it out and whirl/spin it into some complicated pattern, which looks quite unique. Oh, did I mention she can cast Indignation, THE most badass magic in Tales history? Check it out here:
Now that's epic. I literally shit my pants when I first saw it in the trailer for the PS3 version. But enough background education, let's get started with the preview.
Like Yuri and Flynn, the current 1/8 Rita comes with a main figure and a miniature figure (originally an in-game accessory for Repede).
The overall detailing of the figure looks pretty solid. Her pose isn't exactly exciting, but it's in a similar form as when she's casting spells, so there's not much to complain, really. It's definitely a lot more dynamic than Flynn, who's just standing there with his sword.
Rita has quite a few decorations/accessories on her, although it's currently unclear whether or not they can be detached. I believe the notebook "pendant" on her neck should be removable. The book on her waist, however, looks like it has been fixed in place permanently.
Well, that's enough guessing on her accessories, time to move on and examine her face more closely. I believe the expression on her face was based on the opening anime of ToV. It gives off a confident, somewhat haughty vibe. Personally, I prefer a more tsun-type expression, but that probably won't look good with her current pose...
It might've just been my imagination, but I think I saw protrusions near the chest region! *GASP* I thought Rita's flat like a washing board... otherwise, Raven wouldn't have rated her a 2 out of 2 billion points. XD
Moving down to her slim legs... the detailing on her left long-socks is impressive. Aside from the meticulously colored stripe patterns, the folds and crevices appear natural and realistic. The sculptor is definitely putting efforts into this figure.
Like Flynn, Yuri, and the upcoming Luke... Rita also comes with a unique base, which I believe is a reproduction of the grounds from Shaikos Ruins.
Last but not least, there's the chibi-Rita... or bousou kenkyuuin (Overdrive Researcher), an in-game attachment accessory for Repede. It's damn cute, and some of the bits and pieces on her clothes are retained in this miniature version.
So for about $100, thanks to the crappy exchange rates these days, you're getting a figure and something close to a Nendoroid Petite... a decent deal. As a Tales fan, I can't recommend this figure enough. I own both Yuri and Flynn, and the quality is simply superb; hence, I don't expect anything less from this one. Back then, both Yuri and Flynn sold out in less than a month, and their prices skyrocketed everywhere thereafter. Thankfully, Alter announced a re-release of Yuri, so if you're a Tales fan and still haven't grabbed him, here's your chance.
