Tomopop Review: Ilfa Kunoichi ver. 1/8-scale figure by Kotobukiya

4:00 PM on 10.24.2011   |   Kristina Pino

Ilfa here (Manaka de Ikuno!!) is one of the more beautifully colored figures I've ever had the pleasure to handle. I really love it when they use nice pastel blues, purples and reds cause it gives well-molded fabric such a great look and feel to it! This figure is no exception, and there really is a lot of emphasis on her clothing since it billows around her so much.

Earlier this year when the pre-orders surfaced, I feel like our community was pretty underwhelmed. What's the deal now that the figure has been released, though? Hit the jump and find out!

Figure Name: Ilfa Kunoichi ver.
Figure Maker: Kotobukiya
Original Release: June, 2011
Retail Value: ¥8,800
Available at: AmiAmi | Kid Nemo | BigBadToyStore

Let's start with the box, as usual. I was actually a little bit confused with this box since there are so many windows on it, but on the other hand, it's great to just showcase the figure instead of having empty print space all over the package. We've just got the figure name, game logo and some illustrations besides all the other usual stuff. The box isn't bigger than it needs to be, which is great, and I really like this thing Kotobukiya does where they cut a hole for the figures' faces while the rest of it is wrapped in clingy plastic.

I'm skipping the tray this time around since she required very little assembly, just getting the weapons on which was a simple task (they pull apart, the come together over her hands). She's already attached to the base, which is simple, round and white. I'm not sure why this choice was made, cause it doesn't do much of anything for the figure. At least make it a clear plastic or black base?

Besides the weapons, she comes with one optional part being a piece of her turban which could be either how you see above or covering half of her face like in the box art. Both are nice, but I'm not one for covering figure's faces, so most of the review does show with the original set up.

Above is the turn-around, so you get a view of her body from the back and both sides. We'll go more into detail later, but I do really like the overall look here. I did complain about the base, but on the side shots, you could barely tell the foot peg is there in the images, and I really like the effect.

Why yes, that is under-boob. I wonder how that works? Those straps in the middle there can't be comfortable, but she doesn't seem too phased by the discomfort so much as shy, she's been caught in the act of ... slicing up some evil-doers? Whatever she's doing, she looks cute doing it. Scarecroodle also mentioned previously that her eyes seemed a bit misplaced (back in the pre-order stage), but I think they look alright in terms of being true to the style. If you consider the style of the anime, similar to ToHeart2's Summer Memories Silfa (reviewed), it matches. What gets me with this style is the ultra-detailed hair, which is faithfully reproduced in the figure, but to me doesn't look right even in the animation. It's just a personal preference on my part, in other words.

The belt and sash she has got on there are of simple design as well. She's got her skirts bunched up under a purple belt and then a different shade of purple is layered over it (same color as the straps and cape/scarf), then a pretty little bow to tie it all together. Nice ensemble!

Here's a look at her lower body now, front and back. She's got this loincloth thing going on in a material that makes it look very thin and silky with the shading and molding job. It's a neat effect and as usual I like to point out when the figure depicts character movement really well. This doesn't look stiff to me at all, and while her ultra-light skin might usually be a stark contrast to such a colorful figure, somehow it matches perfectly when I look at her like this. Though, I'm sure if she were more tanned she'd look just as great.

May as well go all the way down while I'm working my way there. Here's a view of her feet and the base again. It's very simple in pose and style, and she's got these dark sandals on which match her outfit. I noticed no paint splotching issues here. You also have got a better view of the base without me hiding the peg in the other images.

Let's check her out from a different angle ...

Like I said in the introduction, I absolutely love this figure's color palette. It photographed so beautifully and I had a great time looking through all my images afterward (I actually took closer to 70 pictures of her and had to cut it down immensely for this review). In the image above, you've got a good view of the side of her turban with some flowers and ribbons coming out of it, as well as some billowing fabric she's got on both sides. Is it a cape, which looks like it comes together like a scarf around her neck? Whatever it is, I like the tassels.

These two shots are of the other side. I couldn't trash one or the other, so I decided to just combine them like this. I liked the shape that the cape had on her right side (outlined to the left), but I also wanted to show off the molding with the folds and all that (shown at the right). It turned out really great!

Sticking with the right side, we see more of the detail on her hair, as well as her left arm, and those flowers and ribbons from the other side. I suppose you also have a good view of her weapon here, but I'll have a better image for you soon.

At this angle, you just see her nose and a little bit of a blush mark peeking out from the side of her hair. I really enjoyed this image because I like mystery! I did mention I don't like things covering the face, but this doesn't really count, ok?

Let's take a brief look at the back before I go into her pointy objects. Her top hangs loosely in the front and back, apparently, so while you can't see it from this angle, once you get past the obi and sash you could see some of her back in the flesh. The real point of this image, looking back, is the ribbon coming out from the side of her head, there. I liked the shape and pattern on it, so there it is.

Here are her weapons installed on her hand. The way they work, and you can see the seams is the hilt separates from the rest of the blade and then can be put back together again over her hand. It matches her wrist bracelets, and it also looks really pointy, sharp and painful. Geeze, I wouldn't want her on my bad side ...

The last bit of detail to mention of course, is the alternate fabric for her turban. It's just that small piece at the front, which took a bit of effort to pull out and replace. It covers her mouth, giving her a more serious look. Let's check out the alternate fabric from the side:

And, there you have it. It goes in seamlessly and you can't even tell it's a separate piece. I love that, but of course it goes into what I said before about it being a bit hard to swap.

This concludes my review! Like I mentioned before, this figure was a joy to photograph, and like others I've handled lately, she isn't as fragile as she might seem with all the thin pieces all around her. Her price point, though, is a bit high for what you're getting, though compared with the other figures in this grouping, I think she's a bit more detailed and is probably worth it.

This isn't the sort of figure I would have gone after on my own, but I'm glad I got the sample and could share it with you all! I'll also probably be giving it away, so if you were deterred by the price but still think you'd really love her in your collection, be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Since I'm not too avid a fan of the ToHeart series or collect its figures, be sure to leave your comments below with your thoughts and feedback! Since there wasn't such a great reaction to this figure previously, but I am giving it a great review, I definitely am interested in knowing what the community thinks.

[Thanks to Kotobukiya for providing Tomopop with this review sample!]