Figure Name: Tekken Bishoujo Asuka Kazama
Figure Maker: Kotobukiya
Retail: US$59.99
Available at: Koto US

Here's my obligatory shot of the box! Unlike the other classes of Bishoujo figures, Tekken boxes are black rather than white. Besides this, there's nothing too different than usual, and her box is only as big as it needs to be. Nice and slim. 

Now that we've freed her, let's take a look at the turnaround. My immediate reaction is "whoa, nice abs!" All three Tekken Bishoujo girls have been sculpted by Busujimax, and all three of them have had solid, muscular bellies. 

Once I was through staring at her abs, I got to noticing her cute and lively pose, lovely haircut and huge eyes. Many of the complaints I saw about this figure prior to release had to do with her face, the pointy chin and the lack of girlish chubbiness. I think she might have looked kind of ridiculous if her face had come out much rounder, though. Just think of this muscular, womanly body with a much younger-looking face. 

So she's got this zippered top with some cleavage showing, elbow pads and gloves, then shorts with her signature jacket tucked into it. Everything is black, white, or varying shades of blue and purple, with a little green on the boots -- a beautiful palette combination that's easy on the eyes and photographs well. 

Here's a better look at her jacket. It's just hanging there, and it isn't flexible enough to fold up for a look at her butt or anything. It isn't removable either. This isn't a complaint -- I'm just saying. 

Her top has the haltered ribbon and a thin strap in the back. I like the touch with the ribbon as it adds a bit of movement and volume to the view from the back. The strap digs in to her skin a little bit -- just enough to add that touch of realism. 

She's got those elbow pads and gloves on her arms. The sculpt and paint work, as usual, are stellar here. This time around, our spotlight girl is wearing a very light pink nail polish, which is hardly noticeable. It's a nice touch, and I'm glad a color like white or blue wasn't chosen. 

I don't know what it is about her boots, but I love them. She's got these socks and sneakers with shin guards on them, going all the way up to just below the knee. They're serious business -- ready for most sports and very cleanly detailed. The purple to blue gradient in the back is attractive and adds a nice splash of color there, too.

Asuka's face has been the subject of much ... contention? Debate? throughout her production. It is definitely not as chubby and young-looking as the original illustration portrays, but I personally enjoy the changes. Her big eyes and thin face make her look a bit older, and the flip haircut compliments it amazingly well. Her pose with the hand over her eyes and the winking is cute, and like most Bishoujo figures these days, she's easy on the make-up, only wearing some bright pink lipstick. Her mouth has a nice shape to it and going back to the hair -- the seam is well-hidden. 

I hardly have any complaints about this figure. In fact, I didn't notice any paint goofs besides one minor blemish on the strap of her top, and if I really wanted to be picky, I might have something to say about this woman's diet. Get her a burger! But in all seriousness, if you're not too hung up about the designs over her classic Tekken portrayal, she's a wonderful addition to the Bishoujo line and looks much better in person (and on your shelf next to her co-stars Christie and Alisa). 

The next Tekken girl in the line is Jaycee, which features new posing options (masked or mask-free face) and a very interesting costume. I'm looking forward to it!

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