Hot House Shouko-san
January 27th, 2008
Sweat arose from Shouko-san’s skin, rising up against the uncomfortable heat pouring into her room. The thermostat was broken and the windows of the old Victorian held fast. Just as well. Shouko wanted to be alone and cut-off from everything. It was a free day made for lounging. A free day just for her. Cell phone in a drawer, land line unplugged, television off, just Shouko, a soft pint of Haagen Daaz, a melting box of chocolate, and the beaten voice of Jeff Buckley swirling in the dizzy heat.
Review of Shouko-san from Kotobukiya
I picked up this alternate version of Shouko the other day. I felt that I needed another figure based on a Shunya Yamashita illustration. When the original version of this figure came out, I passed on it. The coloring of the original figure, at least in the promo shots, didn’t seem to do Shouko much justice. In part, I think the quality of the paint job shown in the promo couldn’t pull off the look of lingerie with a light purple. On the other hand, the black used for the alternate is a lot more forgiving.
Shouko-san is in a classic pin-up pose that shows off her legs and derrière. She’s proportioned well in the figure and from the eye-contact viewing angle it looks well done. Some of it seems ignored or clumsy in areas where you have to look at it from a weird angle, like the lower stomach area between her legs is just flat rather than shaped like it should — come on, we will look at every part!
Shouko is fused to her base. The box claims that Shouko comes apart so that her teddy can be modified to reveal her torso. Mine seems to be held fast. It looks better with the teddy intact anyway, but I would have liked to have made some shots featuring her back though. Her slippers are detachable.
Shouko is a 1:7 scale figure (I’m glad that 1:7 is gaining in popularity). The figure quality is pretty good for Kotobukiya.
The Pictures
The thing I wanted to do in the first set of pictures is to make her skin seem glossy like coated with sweat or body oil. Rather than fight the glossy PVC used by Kotobukiya why not emphasize it? The style I was going for might look odd on your monitor. I imagine it will on some.
The first set of pictures with the patterned background is just Shouko taken from the inside of the box insert. Now that’s some great package design! Too bad it wasn’t bigger.
22 Responses to “Hot House Shouko-san”
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January 27th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Such a gorgeous lady! I was not very attracted by the first pink version, but this one looks… just wooow! ^^
Last picture emits such a warm feeling. That’s beautiful.
Cleavage shot = approuved! hehe ^^”
January 27th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
This is really nice… I can’t believe I missed this one. ^^;
January 27th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Strange, I’ve never seen this figure before. A very lovely figure at that and it is definitely a classic pinup.
January 27th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
very lovely photos
great angles too, 2 thumbs up d^_^b
January 27th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
damn, your photoshots makes even bland pvc looks sexy.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I almost bought the original one at a local comic store, but it was too expensive…I’m glad I passed on it because if I do get her I’d rather get this alternate one…
January 27th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Oh wow, I know that Kotobukiya has some fairly glossy figures, which kind of put me off most of them, but you’ve done a great job on this one. XD
January 28th, 2008 at 2:16 am
Nice pics, as always.
I love the cheesecake feel this figurine gives off. It reminds me of the WWII girls sprayed on the noses of old fighter planes. I own the pink version (the pink teddy is detachable), and I’m fairly happy with it, so I think you probably win regardless of which one you buy
January 28th, 2008 at 5:43 am
I have the original colour version and didn’t fancy the alternate one at all, but she looks utterly delightful in your set. (And Jeff Buckley incorporated into a Shunya figure review, doesn’t get better than that.)
January 28th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Thanks.
Byaku-chan…it’s too bad he died way too soon.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Not one of my favorite Shunya figures, Needa is much better looking than this one if you ask me
January 29th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Hmm at first glance in promo photos this figure didn’t really appeal to me, but I gotta admit, you make her look really good lol. She looks absolutely delectable!
January 29th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I know the promo shots turned me off of the figure and probably quite few others as well. Shouko is a nice figure and hopefully these shots got some people to think so too.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
nice job on the glossiness, and i am impressed with the lighting you chose. nice pictures ^^
January 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I have ten Yamashita figurines and I think Shouko is my favorite one, at least until Arisa arrives. I have some photos of my collection of Flickr, but nothing as good as we see here.
Nice work!
January 29th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Great pictures! Makes Shouko-san look prettier… I think this version of Shouko-san is nicer than the other (the one with blue/green hair).
January 29th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
She looks sexy but the pose looks a bit funny to me, this is because of the way her legs are arranged. It looks a bit unnatural to constantly stick your legs up in the air like that, especially for a pose, maybe if she crossed her legs would it look more natural, for me at least lol.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I imagine that it would take abs of steel to hold that pose.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:51 am
You passed oil in it? Or the paint is gloss in this manner?
January 31st, 2008 at 11:30 am
Persefone, no oil used on it. The plastic is just glossy. I used the lights and some adjustments in Photoshop to try and make her skin look sweaty in the first four pictures.
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:18 am
Awesome… seriously awesome.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Glad you dig it.