Show and Tell: Good Smile's Hatsune Miku Race Queen Ver. Nendoroid

3:00 PM on 12.04.2009   |   Brian Szabelski

The Nendoroid series has always appealed to me as being absolutely adorable, but even as such, I hadn't been able to bring myself to purchase one. That was, until I saw the gorgeous Racing Queen version Miku Nendoroid. I knew I had to make it mine, but that was only just the beginning, because she wasn't relatively easy to get a hold of ... or relatively cheap.

Hit the jump and check out a little more about this lovely Miku!

Finding this version of Miku wasn't easy, because Good Smile had tied her to being a sponsor for their racing team by making a donation, which was open to Japanese residents only, it seemed. The only way to get a hold of Miku was to go through a proxy service like our good friend Tokyo Hunter, and even then, she was quite expensive thanks to Good Smile's pricing and shipping costs. After all, how many of you have ever spent US$100 on a Nendoroid before?

But alas, Miku found her way to my doorstep, and I couldn't be more happy about it. As both the first Vocaloid and first Nendoroid figure I've ever owned, Miku's tiny little body and adorable expression makes me smile every time I walk past it during the day. She did come with two other faces, but I do prefer the bright, cheery face you see above. And what's more, her pig tails do move, so you can easily create that windswept look ... if they didn't cause her to tip over when she's off her base.

Miku comes with several accessories, chief among those a racing umbrella that fits into an extra arm that comes with her. It features the Studie GLAD Racing and Hatsune Miku logos on it, but what's more adorable is the folded-up version of the umbrella that comes with this Nendo. Why? Because it reveals the true form of the pattern on the umbrella: a leek. SO CUTE :D

Of course, it wouldn't be a Racing Queen Miku without a race car! Her little ride is based on the Miku-liveried BMW Z4 that Studie GLAD Racing is currently driving in Japan's Super GT series' GT300 class. It's a cool item and one you can't find anywhere else, with real rubber tires. The promotional shots showed Miku with her pig tails being blown back, but I have yet to figure out a way to make that work.

Also, as you might notice, the car looks a little blank. That's because it comes with a bunch of decals you have to put on the car so you can customize it. Except they're the water-based ones, and I have a bad history with those. So rather than ruin Miku's ride, I'm leaving it blank for the time being.

However, her car's a little on the underpowered side, so Miku wanted something a little better ...

Ah, this Skyline R34 will do the trick. But Miku, how will you ever fit that large head of yours in such a tiny car?

I don't think that's going to work, hun. And your skirt ...

... yep, striped pantsu. I think you're gonna have to try something else, Miku.

Getting one of these for yourself is not going to be easy. eBay is your only real bet now, and almost all of the ones on there sell for double what I paid. But even the price I paid for this lovely Miku Nendo has been more than worth it, and it's encouraged me to go get her some friends in the future. Maybe Good Smile can release a Race Driver version of Kaito for next year's sponsorship efforts? I'd buy that for sure!