Tomopop Review: Kotobukiya's Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh

6:00 PM on 04.07.2010   |   Brian Szabelski

When Kotobukiya first announced they were doing figures based off the lovely ladies of Azumanga Daioh, I was ecstatic. Not just because I was a fan of the show, of course, but because there just aren't many figres from the show around, if any. And of course, they had to make them all swimsuit figures and pick on my other big weakness. 

The one I wanted most was Sakaki. I always enjoyed her character — who looks oh so serious and adult but is actually a kind-hearted animal lover — and the pictures I'd seen of her figure were just fantastic. My wish came true, though, and thanks to some very kind people, Sakaki and her swimsuit arrived at my front door.

Hit the jump to check out this figure and see if it lives up to Kotobukiya's reputation! And be sure to check back later for our reviews of the other Azumanga Daioh figures!

As always, we'll start with the box. Here, Kotobukiya's given us a very nice design that shows off the entire figure through the window, which is always nice. There's not special box illustration, just a picture of the same figure inside the box. You can also see the Legend Girls lettering, which is the name of the line Sakaki is part of and a very good choice for a name, I might add. There's a hole in the plastic packaging to let us see Sakaki's face clearly, which is also very cool, and the packaging itself is easy to open up.

Out of the box, the first thing you'll notice about Sakaki is her lines. The sculpt is very well constructed and natural looking, with no noticeable flaws in the design. That's certainly good, because in Azumanga Daioh, Sakaki always had to bear the burden of being the most grown-up looking one in her class, big boobs and all, and she certainly looks that way in this little bikini. And speaking of which ...

It's a gratuitous shot, perhaps, but it's also a nice chance to get a closer look at Sakaki's two-piece swimsuit. The swimsuit is a bit revealing, but not so much that it ruins the figure or takes away from the overall sculpt. Again, everything looks as natural and realistic, like Sakaki and the Azumanga crew were designed to be. Her arms are positioned in a way that doesn't seem awkward and supports her pose.

Likewise, her legs are well proportioned and in a pose that seems both natural and realistic. I mean, look at those lovely legs. Rawr! Those little black dots are pieces of sand, by the way, not imperfections on the figure.

As for the face? Dead-on and flawless. Every part of her face, from her eyes to the slight smile on her face, is exactly as it appears in Kiyohiko Azuma's original illustrations. It both looks like Sakaki and, with that slight smile and those big eyes, kind of captures her personality, too. She looks a bit intimidating when she's looking at you, but she's got that tiny bit of a smile that's the real Sakaki.

The coloring job on Sakaki has been handled well. There aren't any splotches and the coloring on her swimsuit is also within the lines. For those who've ever owned a Kotobukiya figure, though, it shouldn't be a surprise: the Isoroku Yamamoto figure I reviewed from them didn't have any coloring issues, either.

So yes, Sakaki lives up to Kotobukiya's reputation. She is nothing short of perfect, as no detail's been forgotten and her sculpt seems as natural as could be. It's hard to say I don't have any complaints about this figure because I tried to find one, but I honestly could not. Azumanga Daioh fans would be foolish to pass up Sakaki and the other two Azumanga swimsuit figures, Osaka and Kagura. Since she's been out for a bit now, finding her is going to be a bit more of a hassle than before, and she does retail at 5,800 yen (approx. US$62), but it's money that'll be well spent.

Thanks to Kotobukiya for providing our review sample!