Figure Name: ArtFX J Yu Yu Hakusho: Kurama
Figure Maker: Kotobukiya
Retail: US$59.99
Available at: Koto US

Kurama's box is black and magenta to go with the color of his hair. As with Hiei and Yusuke, there are plenty of windows for anyone to peek in, but really, who'd want to keep this lovely thing inside a box? Let's get him some fresh air.

Without assembly, you've got Kurama with his thorn whip. As you can see above, he doesn't need his base either. Kurama's base is red with the rose petal motif swirling around it - a perfect fit for his character. I love that the bases have been clear, small and round, while incorporating the characters' battle abilities and trademark colors.

A note on that thorny whip of his: sharp! Handle with care! I learned this one the hard way, though thankfully I didn't have any skin breaks this time around.

Alright, so Kurama has that whip out, and it's looping around his body attractively while he's caught mid-sway. The figure definitely has that movement going for it.

His robe is nicely detailed and I love the positioning - emphasis on those mile-long legs of his and enough detail to make everything look like proper cloth.

I can't say there's much of a butt shot to admire this time around, though looking at this picture (above), if you didn't know it was a dude you might think (at a glance) it's some sassy female figure swaying her hips. Don't feel too bad, though -- he is sometimes mistaken for a woman when he's in this form.

Going down towards the hem, the robe has some nice paint work for the shadows and then solid magenta. No paint goofs, no messes.

Here's a better look at the side. He has his sash on and the pants are molded with creases, a seam on each side and pockets. The paint job on the torso is rather clean, and you'll notice the arm is a gaping seam there -- it's because that arm can be swapped. You could either have him holding that whip or you could change the arm and have him holding roses:

I rather like this look a little better than the other one, to be honest. Kurama looks so dashing! And I like how his hair looks without his arm covering part of it in the other position. Here, he's holding two roses. They both wedge in between his fingers easily enough, though you'll have to be careful with the rose by his face. It's a little tougher to position that one in a way that it'll stay put and not run into the side of his face.

The flowers themselves are beautifully crafted despite being tiny. I definitely appreciate the attention to detail, and love how dramatic these rose pictures came out. Since they're small, they'll probably make great props for use with other figures! Just make sure you're not playing with them somewhere you might totally lose them should they fall.

The hair itself looks great from the front angle, and from behind, but from some angles it looks a bit stiff since it isn't too voluminous and isn't draped over his back or anything. It's supposed to be flowing in the wind, I know. At first, I thought maybe it was separated from his body because his head turns, but as it turns out Yusuke is the only one of the three with that "ability."

Besides that, I really have no complaints about the hair. It's a nice, solid color and there aren't any pieces that look like they're just glued on as an afterthought. No horrifying seams, either!

Kurama's face is down-turned, so it's a little weird unless you place him on a shelf at or above eye-level. I am not personally a fan of figures looking downwards, but his expression and pose are definitely spot-on for the character. He's got his green eyes trained on some fool that doesn't realize they've already been out-matched.

Kurama has few, if any, flaws. I didn't even do my usual nit-picking this time around because I couldn't find anything to harp on. The figure encapsulates the character well enough, and Kotobukiya does a nice job, as always, to make the most out of any design, however simple. The accessory options are great, and down the line I'll post some new pictures of the big bad trio all together. If Kuwabara ever becomes a figure reality, Team Urameshi (minus Genkai) will be united and I'll have a shelf full of bad-ass to keep me safe at night.

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