Kotori Minami Love Live! - Figures
Over the course of Love Live!’s popularity, Kotori Minami has remained a fan favorite. Even after subsequent generations of new school idols, the original designer continues to be as adored as her in-universe maid personality, Minalinsky. As with most idol properties, Love Live! has inspired figures for every featured idol in the franchise. Kotori figures are in high enough demand to inspire multiple re-runs for her adoring fans. Three of the loveliest figures that also display Kotori’s famous fashion sense are “Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami 1/7 Scale Figure Re-Run,” “Chibi Kyun Chara Love Live! Lesson Wear! Vol. 1 - Kotori Minami,” and “figFIX Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami Cheerleader Ver.”
Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami 1/7 Scale Figure Re-Run
This scale figure from Alter depicts Kotori in a highly detailed, regal pose. She wears her secondary image color, a saturated cool green. She stands in a cute pose with one knee raised in front of her as she leans forward toward the viewer. Her hair and ruffled outfit flounces with her springy movement as she holds her staff out in front of her. The varied texture in her outfit adds depth and visual interest to the figure. Particularly, the glittery, almost translucent appearance of her skirt and staff ribbon contrast with the rich, deeper green of her shoes and pinstripe ribbons. The difference in fabrics comes through with the sculpting detail, as the implied weight and flexibility represents a range of different materials. Kotori also wears a shiny emerald crown slightly askew on her head that matches the small crown on her image bird on the staff.
- Manufacturer: Alter
- Sculptor: Taka (comaccow)
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, 1/7th scale PVC figure with stand
- Height (Approx.): 230mm | 9.1
Chibi Kyun Chara Love Live! Lesson Wear! Vol. 1 - Kotori Minami Figure
The Banpresto Chibi Kyun Chara line features Kotori in extra small form, ready to train for an upcoming live performance. Kotori’s multi-layered practice outfit is faithfully recreated with her tall socks, leg and arm warmers, slouchy t-shirt, and ruffled gray skirt. She clutches a yellow notebook to her chest and playfully kicks her leg back behind her. Her iconic hairstyle has been maintained with her green bow securing her looped side ponytail in place. The sculpting even shows the gather of her hair across the back of her head drawing up into the ponytail over the rest of her long locks. Her bright amber eyes have been painted with highlight details for a sparkling dimension. The figure includes a stand with her bird icon in her image color, gray.
- Manufacturer: Banpresto
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, non-scale figures with stands
- Height (Approx): 6cm | 2.4”
figFIX Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami Cheerleader Ver. Figure
Max Factory’s figFIX line shows Kotori in her playful cheerleader costume from the mobile game. Kotori stands with one roller skate-clad foot forward and the other leg bent back behind her. She holds her arms out in front of her, holding her silver pom-poms close together. Her image color, gray, is represented in the silver of her pom-poms and the stripes on her thigh high socks and gloves. The rest of her outfit uses a pastel pink and mint color scheme on the cheerleading uniform and skates. The large number of ruffles adorning the skirt and hem of all outfit components are delicately sculpted, lightly pulled away from her body. Painting detail stands out in the ombre of her skirt and the polka dots on the bow near her waist.
- Manufacturer: Max Factory
- Sculptor: mffp / moineau
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, non-scale ABS & PVC figure with stand
- Height (Approx.): 125mm | 4.9"
About Kotori Minami
Kotori Minami is the secret maid, public fashion icon, and costume designer for µ's. Kotori has been close friends with Umi Sonoda and Honoka Kosaka since they were children. Known for having her head in the clouds, Kotori struggles with making decisions and taking initiative, often letting Umi and Honoka decide things for her. She also struggles with admitting her true feelings and desires since she prioritizes the feelings of others over her own. Through performing with µ's, Kotori learns to chase after her own desires and stand up for her beliefs, especially in the face of adversity. While her name is written in hiragana, she is often represented by small bird imagery since her name sounds like the reading of the kanji for “baby bird.”
Other Important Love Live! Characters
Umi Sonoda is µ's main lyricist, original trainer, and cool beauty of the second-year members. Umi encompasses the traits of a “Yamato Nadeshiko,” or traditional Japanese lady, represented by her family’s involvement in traditional Japanese arts. She is very disciplined, logical, and reserved at first, but secretly exhibits an easily flustered, overly honest characteristic. This is most obvious during her archery practice when she imagines herself giving a trademark pose and catchphrase, “love arrow, shoot!”
Honoka Kosaka is the leader and founder of µ's, as well as the central protagonist of the anime. Honoka is an adventurous optimist who will throw herself into a project to the point of collapse. She gets the idea to form a school idol group after hearing her beloved school is set to shut down at the end of the year. Initially, she faces a lot of push back. However, her persistence eventually draws more members, resources, and support. Despite her hardworking personality, Honoka is prone to slacker behavior regarding subjects that don’t interest her, such as school.
Links
Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami 1/7 Scale Figure Re-Run
Chibi Kyun Chara Love Live! Lesson Wear! Vol. 1 - Kotori Minami
figFIX Love Live! School Idol Festival Kotori Minami Cheerleader Ver.
Love Live! Figures
Nico Yazawa Figures
Rin Hoshizora Figures
Love Live! Label
Kotori Minami Label
Nico Yazawa Label
Maki Nishikino Label
Nozomi Tojo Label
Eli Ayase Label
Honoka Kosaka Label
Umi Sonoda Label