The World of Figures - Discover What You Enjoy About Figures! [2/3] | Featured News | Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM) Shop: Figures & Merch From Japan

Longing for your favorite series, nostalgia, artistry. What do you want from a figure? “I want to create a link between my reality and the world of my favorite series.” “I want to recreate a moment with a beloved character.” For some, figures are items that allow them to fulfill these kinds of wishes.

There may be some people out there who say they aren’t interested in figures. But I’d like those people to keep this in mind: Everyone starts out as an amateur when it comes to figures. The road to becoming a figure otaku begins the moment you buy your first figure. But be careful. There are people who say that once they buy one, they can’t stop. Once someone begins to appreciate the beauty of figures, it becomes a diabolic beauty difficult to resist. To anyone saying, “I’m fine!” or, “I’m already a figure otaku!” I’d like you to keep reading.

Figures are objects of art based on characters from anime, manga, and other media produced by a specialized designer (and I call it art for a reason). Once you discover your own way of appreciating them, collecting figures becomes twice as fun. To find what you enjoy about figures, think about what you want from one.

Looking at it normally, it may just seem like a non-descript piece of solid rubber, but if you incorporate your feelings and knowledge of the anime as you view it, the figure becomes more appealing. It’s ordinary for different viewers to have different feelings and ways of looking at the same figure. It’s the same as how people have different levels of appreciation for works of art in the Louvre in Paris like “Venus de Milo” or the “Mona Lisa.” The figure can even become a mirror for the viewer.

With that, let us take a look at some different examples of figures. First, we have a figure from the popular anime Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan by Capsule Q Characters (Note: This is not for sale.)

In this scene, Survey Corps member Eren Yeager encounters the Colossal Titan and gathers his nerve to prepare for attack. Eren looks heroic as he uses a device to fly into the air.

By turning your attention to the Colossal Titan, his viciousness and fearsomeness become the focus. It’s ordinary for different viewers to have different feelings and ways of looking at the same figure.

Next, let’s take a look the bishoujo figure Alice 1/8 Scale Boost Designer Color Ver. from the TOM Premium Shop.

This figure is from Hobby Japan Co. Ltd. Its distinctive qualities are the curve of the whips and the almost human-like texture of her skin. It’s also great that her awesome pose is perfect for a picture.

The figure gets a different feel to it just by changing the viewpoint. The swell of her hair and the natural curve of the whips stand out. The pose, which seems to capture her as she moves, also draws the eye.

ﾟДﾟ)＜S, Sexyyyy!! The quality of the textures almost gives the impression that she’s real.

Just as the manager of Gaocchi in Japan’s Nakano Broadway who has been selling figures for 15 years said, even if the figure is small, if it’s well-made it will be able to represent the work it’s from. Though the figure below of the popular Evangelion character Rei Ayanami is only 10 centimeters tall, by looking at it up close, you can get a new perspective.

Evangelion Rei Ayanami figure. It’s small at a height of 10 centimeters.

In this photograph, I tried to capture Rei’s bottomless eeriness. By changing your perspective, the figure will give a different kind of impression.

I’d like to point out the proportions of figures. Figures with body proportions close to actual people feel realistic, but those with miniaturized proportions emphasize cuteness.

These Sword Art Online figures are Petanko Mini! Trading Figures: Sword Art Online (Pre-Order).

The Hatsune Miku Type 2020 (Pre-Order) figure below it is sinfully beautiful!

The hair is brilliant. It’s even artistic.

The figures shown here are only some examples. There are also action figures that recreate a moment of intense action or mecha figures that capture the beauty of machinery. Figures can be enjoyed in as many ways as there are people to enjoy them. A single figure can be interpreted in endless ways. Why not find a figure of a genre or series you like and discover the various ways you can have fun with it?

Figures of every kind keep coming in! Head to the Tokyo Otaku Mode Premium Shop for more!
Bishoujo Figures
Action Figures
Mecha Figures
Chibi Figures
Other Figures

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.