Tomopop Review: Max Factory's 1/7-scale Azusa Nakano

4:00 PM on 01.03.2012   |   Emily Smalara

I'll get it out of the way right off the bat. I'm not a fan of K-On! I don't like what it did to anime, and I don't like the cross-eyed main character that passes for "moe" nowadays. That said, I'm not too proud to admit when I like a character, even from a franchise that I'm less than fond of. Even K-On! isn't devoid of some redeeming qualities, one of which is the adorable guitarist Azusa Nakano.

One of the few characters I really enjoy, I gushed over this figure when it was first announced some time ago. It was with no small amount of happiness that I got the opportunity to actually review the figure when it came out, and it was met with its own share of surprises, as well! Check after the break to see just what I thought of this look at Azusa during a break from her club activities.

Figure Name: 1/7-scale Azusa Nakano
Figure Maker: Max Factory
Retail Price: ¥7,429
Available at: HobbyLink Japan

At a first glimpse at the box, nothing seems too out of the ordinary. It's a standard container without any real standout attributes, giving a nice glance at the character and nothing more. It does have a cute color scheme that fits K-On!'s lighthearted appeal, but for the most part, it's a box. It does what it has to do, without going above and beyond to really grab your eye. Honestly, most people buying this are K-On! fans anyway, and given the popularity you could probably package her in a brown cardboard box and lose absolutely zero sales.

Removing Azusa from the container, I have to say, "Wow." I'm really pleased right off the bat with how she turned out. She's even cuter than I'd expected, and of course with the added plus of having to not worry about fitting her to the base, she's easy to just settle in and you're good to go.

The only bit of placement you really need to "deal with" is arranging her cushion properly. It has some nice little grooves for her arm and chest to rest against, keeping her securely in place with the added bonus of being quite unobtrusive once she's there. Now, the big surprise that you may have noticed in the previous shot, but is really noticeable here, is the texture of the base. It's carpet!

I had to laugh when I found this out, because given the relaxing nature of the figure, I'd planned to have her set up on a carpet for the gallery shoot anyway. As it turned out, I didn't need to! The base is completely covered in white fabric, and it's very, very soft. It almost feels like cashmere, and it isn't a thin layer, either. While her legs are heavy enough to sink in a little, the fabric is silky enough that even her hair creates a little give. I'm very happy with this, it's a great addition to the whole feel of the figure.

Her little kitten included is probably the only thing that doesn't disappear into the base, content to flop over onto its side to paw at the toy Azusa holds -- despite that rather distracted expression, looking anywhere but at her pet. I have to admit figures with loose little details like this always make me worry about losing them at some point, so if you're the type to rearrange collections a lot you might want to take note that the kitty might slide right off in the moving process.

As for Azusa herself, for such simple clothing she's got a remarkable amount of appeal -- probably because it's an outfit I'd love myself that looks ridiculously comfortable! I'm not too used to figures with more contemporary clothing, but I really like the looks of this one. Max Factory did a nice job avoiding any sort of blending between the stripes of her top, and it's got a very nice fit that manages to be just a bit baggy while simultaneously showing off her figure.

From behind, you can really get a better look at the whole sweatshirt and appreciate the paint job. There aren't any instances of colors overlapping, or missed spots, and again, the colors used are startlingly vivid, adding a bit of vibrancy to the scene as a whole.

When all is said and done, I really enjoyed this figure even more than I thought I would. I think both fans and non-fans alike would do well to grab this one for their collections, and I am absolutely in love with her design. Max Factory did a great job making a character this simple have such great appeal, making a lot of little details add up to one great package!

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