I still totally dig the Black Rock Shooter. To me she’s a style and a design. Because that’s sort of what she was. Because I’ve chosen not to learn more about her. The bliss of ignorance. Knowing isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Stuff in your head sometimes trump the facts, especially when it’s something that’s just for fun. I’m a little wary, or more like wondering should I bother, about learning more about a character design that’s captivated my imagination. Maybe if there was universal praise for the BRS OVA, I’d find a way to see it. The mixed signals I’m getting tells me to enjoy the mystery and fantasy of this stylish chic with a big fucking gun blasting through the bleak corridors strewn with rubble and chains of my imagination. Do I need anything more from her than that?
This is a sweet figure, everything about it, from how she’s rushing forward ready to swing that BFG around (I’d love a figure with her in a blast somethings head off position, blaster pointed full forward), the flying chains, that slick pleather hybrid tracksuit trench coat hoodie, hits me where I want to be hit. I also have the first BRS figure that GoodSmile released and like having both. There isn’t a feeling of redundancy since the sculpts depict different things.
One of the interesting things about these figures is how the diorama base and the cannon perform a role in carrying over the style. Most of the BRS artwork, Huke’s in particular, use a lot on grungy texture as part of her image, which presents a problem when transferring the qualities of the 2D artwork to a figure. How exactly do you put the grunge texture on her skin and on her clothes? That texture isn’t exactly on her. It’s just part of the medium of the image. So the base carries the grunge. These shots, being clean, are more shots of a figure than BRS images. I think someone with PS skills could grunge photos of a BRS figure and shift them into being BRS images. It’s just a random thought I had typing up this review.
Given how much these things cost these days, something like forgetting a detail like the star on the front of her coat, which GoodSmile Company forgot, can be bothersome. I’ll just insert a placeholder comment about the trajectory GSC figure quality here and move on. In any case, if you are fortunate enough to secure the star decal, Tier has a decent suggestion on where to slap it on this bad girl.
Black Rock Shooter (Animation Versions) has a number of good viewing angles. The cannon-side view has a strong x-shape, along with the lines of her coat and hair, it reminds me of power in the sense of a motorcycle in shape. The sculpt could probably be at home as a hood ornament a la Jaguar, except mounted on a BRS themed itasha car. If only I were eccentric enough. I need to add two more zeros in my bank account to flawlessly pull off eccentric vs. man, there’s something off about that guy.
Anyway, unlike the first one where I think she looks better without the flame-eye, this version looks better with the flame-eye, at least from the front on view. In the shot below, the way the eyes line up from that angle gives her more of a moody expression vs. a straight deadpan.
With the exception of this last shot, I tried to keep the contrast down on these photos. In general, I’ve been trying to hold up on the contrast a little bit. Not by a lot, since a number of these have some pretty hot highlights. Contrast does create visual interest.
Been a long time since you shot a figure ^^; I love your shots as usual, very dust free, unlike mine! Hope I can get my hands on one of her!
.-= kodomut´s last blog: Cows came home =-.
Work has kept me very busy. Not been online as much as I used to be.
I’m obsessive about dust, blowing off dust every few minutes…basically anytime I see dust while shooting I’ll clean it off, keeping a box of ear swabs on my table to pick up stray bits that might land.
I need to do that for my shots as well, i always forget until I’m editing pictures and am so frustrated with myself I don’t both to re-shoot >_< For some Reason hobby Search has yet to send me mine along with Dead Master, haven't gotten my payment request, just been waiting… Hopefully when I get mine I'll get the star but as a friend pointed out, maybe not having the star will eventually make her more collectible, I will bet anything that GSC will issue a re-release of this figure in a few months with the star and so having no star will mean you had the first batch which will make it a collectible in later years.
If I ever get a star sticker (still haven’t asked HobbySearch for it) I’m pretty sure I’m not going to put it in the proper place. Anyway, I do wonder if these things would ever be “C” collectibles in some bizarre antique roadshow kind of way. To be real collectibles though like American comic books, the characters would have to stick around for a long while and most of these characters don’t really do that, but it would be cool if they did or if people were still interested in these figures 30 years from now.
I share the same sentiment about the whole BRS line. I like the design the unique aesthetic they have, that’s what keeps me interested in these figures.
I opted to skip BRS in favor of DM since I liked her design more. Looking at these pictures I’m regretting that a bit, BRS animation version is starting to grow on me. Plus a figure that looks good in so many angles really tickles my fancy.
I skipped the second shooter, but pretty much have ordered everything else. I’m so looking forward to the deathmaster.
I’ve come to the same sentiment regarding her background; I felt compelled to watch the OVA but I dunno, it feels like it cheapens the figure somehow. Like their ideas for her didn’t come close to what they could have done. There are some characters that I really want a figure of based on what I know of them; this is a figure that I bought that I’d rather know less than what I do.
On that note, I think I’ll put on hold my plans to watch the various Nanoha television series and simply base my impressions of the characters from the various home-made comic books that they’ve been featured in; I’ll probably be much more satisfied that way.
.-= Tier´s last blog: Buddy from Voices from Har Megiddo =-.
If it’s good, I’d definitely want to know more. Trouble is you don’t always know. As far as Nanoha…it didn’t hold the same mystique for me as BRS. The shooter was mysterious and I kind of want her back story to be worthy and different. Nanoha is a little different, she is supposed to be this nice girl you’re supposed to want as your friend or something. I saw the first TV series and found it kind of mediocre. There was a couple of really cool moments. Nanoha and Fate were pretty much as I thought they would be. Whatever impressions I got from the figures and through osmosis via fans of the show was pretty accurate. I’ve heard good stuff about other incarnations of the series.
Hmmm, she is a lovely figure indeed. I was quite pleased with my BRS Blade version and it looks like this version is every bit as awesome.
I know what you mean about BRS as a character. I became fascinated by the her through the many excellent fan illustrations of her. In fact, I didn’t listen to the song until after many months of enjoying art of BRS. And for me, that’s what’s she’s still about. I haven’t watched the OVA and may never. Heard it was pretty mediocre from several friends. I’d rather not spoil my image of her character
Anyway, love the photos. Excellent as always!
.-= anonymous_object´s last blog: Art Watch 7 =-.
I might get the blade version since I’ve gotten the others, since again it’s different from the two I have, but not a must get. With most of what I ordered in Sep-Oct being delayed, Nov-Jan is kinda sick on that front. I still hold some hope for a blasting away pose, which I would definitely order. Hadn’t kept up with stuff from WonFes and other festivals this year, so don’t know if any had been shown. I think I am still waiting (in vain) for stuff from two years ago to show up.
The incredible thing about these figures is that, as you said, they don’t feel redundant even though they depict the same design. I guess it’s a combination of a lot of things; Huke’s unique illustrations, different sculptors, different companies. I don’t follow the figure scene closely enough to know the sculptors but I imagine the BRS products have some big names working on them.
The chains really caught my eye in that sideways shot (the one with the canon). It’s very… dynamic? It’s like a shot from an action scene frozen in place. I know BRS was never a standard bishoujo character, but for the amount of generic figure poses I’ve seen, it’s refreshing to see something so alive despite being static.
.-= ETERNAL´s last blog: Style and Aesthetics in ef – a fairy tale of the two =-.
There really only a couple of figure sculptors that I know of, mainly the ones that have done work with GSC, Alter, MaxFactory. Their history/status as sculptors who release their garage kits, fan made sculpts that are sold as model kits that people paint and assemble, is mostly a mystery for me, save a couple of sculptors. All of the PVC statue figures commercially available seem to be from GoodSmile. Among the 3 shooters and 2 dead masters released/up for order, they’ve been made by two sculptors. Considering the inertia of this character, I’d imagine they’d want to tap a big talent for this line, but there’s different ways a sculpt could make it to a completed pvc figure.
The pose on this figure is fantastic. It’s definitely all out and breaks out of the standard figure mode, moreso than even the other two BRS figures. I’ve got a lot of figures and this stands out it so many ways. Kawanishi Ken used the lines so well to create a sense of motion. Kawanishi Ken is a sculptor I’d like to see more from.
These are really nice and interesting looking pictures, especially the pictures where it seems like she can stand without help.
before this Anime Version figure was announced I was not very thrilled by the other BRS figure because the pose was not my cup of tea.
As soon as I saw the Anime Version figure with her overwhelming cool pose
I thought I have to get her no matter what
unfortunately my figure is this in the shipping process , I hope that I will also get my star sticker in the next few days.
I liked the style of the OVA, there wasn’t much information given about the BRS character itself maybe her voice could ruin the image of her a bit, well she wasn’t very talkative to begin with.
.-= Fabienne´s last blog: Dressing up PVC figures =-.
Before the OVA was released I was wondering if they were going to have her talk at all, sort of like Aeon Flux back in the 90s. I think releasing a few short animations as teasers to keep us interested until they had developed a good story might have worked better as a commercial for the property than the OVA that was released.
welcome back!! i thought the blog had died! =D.
Thanks! This blog generally dies twice a year…usually coinciding when my massive semi-annual projects at work are going on.
Very nice pics. The highlighted areas are accented pretty well. Seems like I missed out when I didn’t pre-order this BRS. Nice to see you back.
I’d like to say I’m back to regular posting, but work just isn’t cooperating.
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