Vol. 4 Halloween-chan

Product Information/Specifications

Introduction

Based on Ramiya Ryo's original design, BOME turned it into a 3D figurine.  In fact, volume 1 - 4 of Monsieur-BOME Collection Series is based on Ramiya's drawings.  BOME must really like her works a lot.

I brought my Halloween-chan from J-Hobby.  It was cheaper than ordering it online.  Originally, I didn't want to buy it due to the price & its design.  There is a Diamond version available in North America & this figurine was mass-produced.  This version here is the Japanese version.

I have sold Halloween-chan away & is no longer in my collection.

The Review

Halloween-chan in blister card packaging

You probably have read this from my other reviews, but I hate those blister card packaging Kaiyodo uses.  Although it's nicely sealed, I hate opening them without damaging the card.  I put Halloween-chan in her card & in my storage until Halloween season & put her back when it was over (yes, I'm that goofy!) before I got rid of her.  I read from a web forum how to keep the package intact.  You cut the bottom of the window from the sides & bottom.  Afterward, pull out the plastic holder it's in.  It's actually a good method.  Problem is that you need to use a lot of force to cut the plastic & you may cut the holder by accident.  But you won't cut any parts of the figurine.

Halloween-chan out of the package

Included with Halloween-chan is a nice display base with stand & a pitch fork.  Here's one reason why I hesitated in buying Halloween-chan: it's the base.  She attaches to the stand, which makes her float in the air.  That stand looks fragile to me, so I had concerns of it breaking.  You need the base in order to display Halloween-chan because her tail curves down in a loop from the back to the front & that tail looks fragile too.  I believe her tail will break if you try to display her without the base.  Also, her hair runs lower from her feet.

Assembly for Halloween-chan is simple.  Put her on the base & stick the pitch fork on her right hand.  The pitch fork required some strength.  It was pretty tight when I tried to put it in.  Best is to pull the pitch fork from the bottom than push it in.  The fork has some flexibility, but it feels like it can break.

Close up of Halloween-chan

Halloween-chan is a succubus & a cute one at that. The bright colours really make her stand out.  Since this figurine was mass-produced, I suspect some paint job & molding problems with it.  When I went to my hobby shop, I saw two of this figurine.  They were different in quality.  I hesitated to buy it & left the store.  It was only until a couple hours later that I decided to buy it.  When I returned to the store, there was one left.  That one was the bad quality one.  Take a look at her clothes.

Pulling Halloween-chan out of the package, I found that the tail was indeed quite fragile.  Although it has some flexibility, I feel it's going to break if you don't handle it carefully.  The tail is hard, not soft.

The base is very nicely done since the design is etched in.  As for the stability of it, it's quite solid than I suspected.  However, putting Halloween-chan on it & displaying it will require some caution.  She actually swings on it when you move the base.  Because of her weight & the swinging action, there is a good possibility that the stand holding her can break.  The figurine is actually 14.5cm tall.  With the base, she measures at 17.5cm.

The purple straps show some paint bleeding on Halloween-chan's skin.  The bleeding isn't too bad, but it does causes some unevenness to the straps.  The molding isn't too bad actually.  It feels solid & durable.

A cute evil jack o' lantern

The jack o' lantern in Halloween-chan's hand is molded very good.  It looks like one piece.  Although it's simple, the paint job is excellent; especially the face.  No bleeding.

OOOOH!!!!

Anime & manga characters are usually known for their big eyes, but this is the biggest I have seen so far in my collection; current or used to be.  For a mass-produced product, the eyes look very good.  The pupils are balanced very well for eyes that big.  It feels like I'm looking at an actual anime character.  The facial expression is cute too.  Halloween-chan is more of a cute succubus than a dark one.  I really like that expression she has & the excellent paint job done.  The pic on the left is Halloween-chan still in packaging, while the right one is when she is taken out.

Overall Conclusion

Finally pulling Halloween-chan out of her packaging, I was pretty glad I brought her.  The durability of the stand on the display base to hold her up is really a problem as I suspected.  I've been displaying her every Halloween season & put her back in her package when it's over.  That was before I sold her.

Halloween-chan gets an 8/10.  This is due to the paint work & cute face.  The lost points are from the stand on the display base & the uneven purple straps of her clothing.  I did mention about her molding problem before, but for some reason it's not noticeable after displaying.

If you are looking for Halloween-chan to be part of your collection, you can easily find her.  I have seen the Diamond version before & it looks like the paint is duller than the Japanese version.  She looks more darker & it doesn't seem to give that bright energy she is suppose to give.  However, if you have a small budget to spend on hobby collecting, the Diamond version would be your choice since the price is much cheaper than the Japanese one.  But if you want a brighter coloured Halloween-chan, the Japanese one is the way to go.

I'm thinking Kaiyodo made a bad move in releasing Halloween-chan in January instead of October.  The theme of this figurine is no doubt for Halloween.  Hence, this could be why the sales for this product was slow.  I don't know if sales boosted when Halloween season arrived.  My guess is no.

Photos were taken using Sony DSC-F828 digital still camera.

Last updated on February 12, 2008