|
|
|
|
|
|
|
KotoCollectors Review: Niniane (Art of Shunya Yamashita) Fine Art Bust Collection Review and Photography by Jeffrey A. Gouse (SithLord0498) Sponsored by Razor’s Edge Collectibles Review Date: August 3, 2009
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
If one were to poll collectors worldwide and ask them what first comes to mind when hearing the name “Kotobukiya”, the terms “vinyl model kits”, “Star Wars”, and “craftsmanship” would most likely constitute the bulk of people’s answers. For years, Kotobukiya’s largest presence in the western world has been its pre-painted and easy-to-assemble vinyl model kits (ARTFX statues) based upon hot pop-culture licenses with the majority of their products coming from the Star Wars license. In recent years, Halo, Indiana Jones, and Marvel Comics have joined Kotobukiya’s stables. However, Kotobukiya’s entry into the collectibles market did not begin with these hot properties. It wasn’t even their King Godzilla kit in 1985—their first licensed kit. No, Kotobukiya’s transition from a retail store into a collectibles manufacturer began in 1983 with products designed in-house. Twenty-five years later and with a global presence, Kotobukiya continues this tradition of producing products based on original Kotobukiya properties. One such property is The Art of Shunya Yamashita series. Yamashita is a renowned Japanese illustrator known for his pin-up artwork and his character designs in games such a Final Fantasy X and Depth Fantasia. For this original series, he has produced illustrations exclusively for the company, which are being translated into a series of fine art mini busts. Today’s review showcases the second bust in this series: Niniane, the mythical Lady of the Lake responsible for bringing the sword Excalibur out of the watery depths and into the hands of King Arthur. KotoCollectors is proud to bring you this in-depth analysis of the Niniane fine art bust—thanks to our sponsor Razor’s Edge Collectibles who graciously contributed a sample of Niniane for this review.
PORTRAIT: Above Average (Bordering on Excellent) For honesty’s sake, I am not a fan of anime—animated or illustrated. It’s just not my thing. That being said, I quickly found myself absolutely blown away by the beauty and craftsmanship found in Niniane, and it was her face that captured my appreciation (yes, seriously, it wasn’t anything else). In-house solicitation photography truly does not do her portrait justice. There is so much personality and beauty that can be siphoned from it—both in person and through more artistic photography. Key to Niniane’s ensnaring beauty are her eyes. Kotobukiya’s artists modified her gaze ever so slightly from the Yamashita source, but it makes a world of difference. The shape and positioning of her eyes in the illustration burden her with a subdued and sleepy demeanor. The sculpture’s eyes have a almond shape, and her gaze is now facing northwest. The result is a more dynamic feel. While close inspection reveals the slightest bit of a lazy eye, it has no impact on the overall effect. The paint applications are simple yet precise, and there are no incidents of muddled or smudged paint. Kotobukiya was more faithful to Yamashita’s art when sculpting and painting Niniane’s mouth. The illustration’s open-mouthed expression and impish lips survived the translation from paper to porcelain, and the soft pink paint has a gentle layer of gloss. This sealant is a clever touch because it makes her lips appear moist, which furthers the sculpture’s realism.
Niniane’s hair serves two purposes. The obvious purpose is its strategic use as cover for one of her breasts (the sword conceals the other), making the blatant nudity tasteful and disarming in its sexuality. The other purpose is to reinforce her untamed nymph-like qualities. The sculpting is simplistic in the back and lacks any true sense of depth. The front is where Kotobukiya’s sculptors did a good job. Her tussled banks add character to her face, and the longer tresses have a very fluid quality as they spill over her curves. Considering the heavy doses of praise heaped upon her thus far, the question has likely occurred: “Then why an ‘Above Average’ rating??” There is a seam running longitudinally through the middle of Niniane’s head. It is where the two halves of her hair connect. It looks unsightly bordering on plain ugly, and its presence is a glaring reminder that this is a mass-produced sculpture. That it only slightly mars the portrait’s rating is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of Kotobukiya’s artists.
Niniane’s smooth complexion and nymph-like features give her a childlike appearance, and that can be understandably disconcerting given the sexuality of the sculpture. However, one gaze into her eyes shows an allure and maturity far beyond such youthful years. Therefore, a more appropriate prism through which to view Niniane is that Yamashita has given her an ageless appearance. This is an entity standing outside of time. Consider her this way, and that discomfort vanishes. And now we come to the greatest strength of her portrait. Naive. Cunning. Alluring. Sultry. Through changes in lighting and angle, Niniane embodies them all because the individual elements of her portrait work together to convey such a broad range of personality and emotion. This chameleonic quality puts it light years ahead of the original illustration in which, quite honestly, she appears dazed and lost.
BODY: Excellent Fantasy-based anime art has a distinct body style best described as an idealized pin-up girl, and Niniane encapsulates that concept. However, the term “ideal” is relative based upon personal tastes. Let’s instead consider her physique an exercise in fluidity because that is exactly what she appears to be. There is nary a straight line to be found on her body. There is curvature to every contour, creating an aesthetically beautiful shape. Niniane has a streamlined hourglass figure with the curve of her breasts and hips appropriately capping a slender waistline (even if it is too thin to be physically healthy in reality). Her shoulders slope effortlessly into thin yet toned arms, following gentle rolling curves that extend right to the very tips of her fingers. From the back, Niniane has a well-defined and shapely rear that manages to be provocative without becoming vulgar or perverse. Viewing her in profile on the left-hand side, one can see additional details that are exposed only through the interplay of shadow and light. These details are the subtle presence of her pelvic bone and naturalistic creases between her breasts and raised left arm, details which ground her with a dose of physiological realism.
With regards to her armor, there is very little of which to speak. The most substantial element is also the most detailed—her forearm guards. The design etching is intricate but a tad soft in its detailing, and the metal straps are convincingly sculpted around her arms. The single bicep ring is nothing more than a ring-like strap on her arm, and it is unnecessary because Yamashita’s illustration does not include it. Why Kotobukiya added it to their sculpture is a mystery. The last piece of armor is a Heavy Metal-esque thong, and the quality is on par with the forearm guards. Very close inspection exposes some sloppiness in the sculpting due to minute cracks where the “metal” and “flesh” meet. While you can easily spot this in the review pictures, they are much less noticeable to the naked eye.
Ultimately, the best way to describe Yamashita’s Niniane is that she is a warrior nymph version of Jessica Rabbitt but without the overly voluptuous physique. Kotobukiya even managed to sidestep the only truly exaggerated portion of Yamashita’s original illustration. To be perfectly blunt, Yamashita gave her a very large butt, and the one given to the sculpture is a more believable size.
SWORD: Above Average (Bordering on Excellent) Considering her mythological and literary origins in the Arthurian tales, it’s a reasonable assumption that Niniane’s fantastical sword is an anime interpretation of Excalibur. Yamashita’s involvement as a designer for game developer Square Enix provides a background for the design because it clearly has a Final Fantasy vibe to it. Naturally, this asymmetrical weapon’s battlefield potential is absurd. It is far too massive and unwieldy, and the dainty Niniane certainly could never lift it. But that’s the point of fantasy. We accept these improbabilities because it makes for a more exhilarating visual display. So…yes, it’s excellent from a conceptual standpoint. What about its execution? That falls a tad short. The majority of “Excalibur” is faithful to the illustrated version. Particularly accurate are the hilt, the calligraphic swirls on the blade, and the recessed circle and line etchings near the rounded portion covering her breast. The spikes are definitely as sharp as those portrayed in the artwork. Press the tips against your fingers, and you will feel it. The scale is close but does look a tad undersized. The biggest criticism and the reason for “Above Average” is the softness of the detailing. The etchings are too shallow at times, and many edges are not as defined as they should be. Look at the illustration, and the details jump out at you. Look at Kotobukiya’s sculpture, and they seem to bleed into each other. Your eyes have to work hard to focus in on the subtleties. A more minor flaw concerns the sword’s three large spikes. Yamashita gave them a subtle curve as if they were razored animal claws. Kotobukiya’s version opts for a straighter edge. The benefit here is that you would never notice this by looking at the sculpture alone, so this is a criticism in principle only and doesn’t sway the categorical rating at all.
DISPLAY BASE: Above Average This time, let’s tackle the downside first. Niniane is one of the many names attributed to the “Lady in the Lake”, and Shunya Yamashita depicted his interpretation of the lady standing in a lake with the water cresting midway down her thighs. So where’s the water?! The sculpture meets the base in the appropriate spot, but there’s nothing on the base to simulate that portion of the artwork. Kotobukiya made a gross oversight in neglecting to sculpt a thin translucent layer of rippling water. The absence of this aquatic element does make the piece feel incomplete. On a more positive note, this is one of the classiest display bases currently used for mass-produced collectible mini-busts. Kotobukiya made an excellent choice by crafting the base as a distinctly classical style pillar, and they gave it a subtle yet convincing faux-marble paint deco. The edges are smooth and roll naturally into the pillar’s multiple levels, and the chain of half-circles that run around the perimeter has adequate definition.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent For someone who has always reviewed movie-based collectibles, Niniane proved to be not only a refreshing change of pace but a piece of art which more than holds its own against the more mainstream pop-culture collectibles produced by Sideshow Collectibles, Gentle Giant, and even Kotobukiya itself. Everything that can be said about its quality has been said already, and the pictures convey Niniane’s beauty and craftsmanship far better than any written analysis. Niniane also showcases just how incredible Kotobukiya’s artists are when freed from the limitations of popular recognizable licenses (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.). Finally, we arrive at the most important question of all in this day and age—is it worth the money? Times are tough, and every penny truly does count. The average going rate for Niniane is in the $50-70 range, and the answer is “Yes, it is worth it.” It’s worth it if you are a fan of this style. It’s worth it if you appreciate beautiful craftsmanship. It’s worth it as a one-off curiosity in your collection. And yes, it’s even worth it if you want a half-naked girl on your shelf. It’s just plain worth it.
|
|
This fan site is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated in any way with Kotobukiya. KotoCollectors.com is owned and operated by Kid4Life LLC. All Rights Reserved.2009
|
