Tomopop Review: Max Factory's 1/7 swimsuit Seena Kanon

3:00 PM on 08.27.2010   |   Call Niero

Seena was having what can only be described as a perfect day before the rain started. "I guess we won't get to go swimming then." Her friend sighed, kicking fruitlessly at a puddle on the porch. "Why?" Seena smiled, looking out at the rain. "We planned on getting wet anyway, does it really matter where the water comes from?" Seena always had an unusually cheery disposition and tried to make everything seem better, but she looked genuinely happy about the downpour.

"Huh. I guess you're right, Seena. It just seems ... gloomy out there." 

"It's beautiful." Seena was beaming, as if she could want nothing more in the world than to go swimming in the pouring rain. "Perfect, don't you think? Come on, let's go!"

Fancy boxes seem to be all the rage these days, and Seena definitely follows that trend. I got Seena in the same shipment as Momohime, and I have to say that Seena's box is just as pretty as Momo's. Different, yes, but the theme really works with the figure and I love the cutout bubble design used on the window.

The original art by Tony Taka is on the side of the box, and makes for a nice way to compare the figure to the source material. 

I have heard a lot of people say that Seena is their favorite figure in the Max Factory Shining swimsuit series (including the original 4) and it is easy to see why. There is something special about this figure of Seena, and she comes to life in a way that most figures can't achieve. 

Part of this is due to the fantastic work Max Factory did on her face. There is a subtle blush to her cheeks, adding some life to her face, and the eyes are just perfect. They are a bit different from the illustration, but overall the changes made are definitely positive. I do have one complaint, that her hair is not really that shaded. The prototype had a lot of shading in the bangs, and that seems lacking on the production run.

Seena's back view brings me to my major concern about this figure. Seena looks very much like a leaner. Her foot is in the base on two very short plastic pegs, and though she is naturally tilted to the right a bit I am afraid that this "natural lean" is only going to become more pronounced over time. If you look at Foo-Bar-Baz's review, you can see that their Seena is already tilting more! I plan to add another support under her other foot to keep her balanced. 

That being said, Seena is a gorgeous figure. I am genuinely sad that she might lean because she is a real gem. She is also *gasp* shaped like a real-life person for the most part! The length of her legs is stylized, yes, but Seena has a normally sized bust! The detailing on her top is really well done, and there is a lot of shading. It's funny that most areas of Seena are fantastically shaded, including her skin, but they seem to have forgotten about her hair. 

From the top Seena is almost uncannily realistic. She has all the musculature and fat a normal (albeit thin) girl would, and you can clearly see the amazing sculpting they did on her torso and hips. She has a little bit of a belly and her hip bones are actually sculpted, a nice change of pace from the oddly flat and smooth look that many figures have. 

Because she is a swimsuit figure, Seena does not have much in the way of clothing going on, but what she is wearing is pretty phenomenally executed. The folds and pleats in her shirt are just awesome.  The little crosshatch pattern is perfectly applied with no overlap or bleeding paint.

The skirt sits pretty high on her hips, and you can see a bit of the swimsuit bottom underneath from the side. To remove the skirt you take Seena apart from underneath her bikini top, not at the hips like most figures. You don't get that unsightly gap at the hip area that often happens, so this is a welcome change to the usual cast-off style. Velvet also came apart the same way, and it really makes a difference!

I definitely prefer Seena with her skirt on. She looks too much like every other swimsuit figures with the skirt off, at least in my opinion, and the skirt gives her that extra charm that makes her stand out so much. Although if you like your figures skirt-less, Seena still looks pretty great without it. 

Of course without the skirt on you get a much better view of Seena's backside. For such a slim girl, Seena does have a bit of a booty going on. There seems to be a trend of small to flat chested figures with nice butts, which is kind of funny, because older figures are the exact opposite (large breasts, no butt)! Seena is also pinched a tiny bit by her swimsuit bottom, and I am kind of amazed that they would go to such lengths to accurately represent her body. Figures seem to be getting more and more realistic looking, which I definitely appreciate!

Seena's delicate hands were a highlight of this figure for most people since the first teaser of her was released. It's a cute, coy touch to add to a figure and it seems very natural. Seena's pose in general feels natural and not forced, and seems very much like something you would see a girl on the beach doing.

Though the supports on Seena's base are a cause for concern, the base itself is very nice. It has a sandy look and is nice and small, so it doesn't take up much room. Though Seena is a tall figure at 1/7 scale and about 9" high at the tip of her head, she doesn't take up a lot of room. Her compact pose and base are a godsend for a person (*cough*me*cough*) with a crowded collection. 

Even though I have some reservations about Seena's ability to stay upright, this can be fixed in many different ways. It is not a reason not to buy Seena, but simply something one should be aware of if they want to purchase her. Seena is a stunning figure, and definitely one of the best swimsuit figures ever released. Because of her popularity and low price (she was $55 at AmiAmi!) Seena is sold out at all the Japanese retailers and most of the U.S. ones as well. You can still buy her for a bumped-up price at Toylet (the cheapest option) or HobbyFan, Kirin Hobby and Discountz. You can always try your luck at eBay, Yahoo Japan and Mandarake as well, because Seena is really a worthwhile addition to your collection!

Thanks as always to Stephen for taking these beautiful pictures! It was obviously raining when we did the last few (the others were shot on the porch of my aunt's house), and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to take her to the pond even though it was pouring! I think it added a lovely effect though, so be sure to check out the rest in the gallery!