The Art of Shunya Yamashita: Mirei-san (Blue Abyss Ver.)

Product Information/Specifications

Introduction

As a lot of people have a Mirei-san figurine in their collection, I think I was one of the few that didn't have her.  There are so many versions of her in limited number due to special conventions like one in Hong Kong.  The version that attracted me (& the only one that can still be obtained) was the Blue Abyss version.  Although it's a Amazon.co.jp exclusive, YesAsia managed to have some in stock.  I finally got Mirei-san when she was on a clearance sale.  I was actually waiting for a price drop on her since she was priced high on YesAsia.  So finally, I'm part of the " I got a Mirei-san figurine" group.

Some of the pictures aren't clear & good.  If I have time, I'll redo the bad ones & repost them.

The Review

Mirei-san Figurine in box

Mirei-san is part of Kotobukiya's ARTFX series.  Also, she is part of The Art of Shunya Yamashita series & I think she was the first figurine to come out. 

The box is the same one used for other Mirei-san figurines.  Plus, I think this is the US version as it has the Diamond Comics logo on the bottom of the box & the multiple warning labels.  But without the US UPC.  The only difference from the other Mirei-san versions is the "Blue Abyss Ver." sticker on the front window on the top right.

I found the box to be unique as it opens from the sides than the top.  I actually like it since it's somewhat better to take the plastic packaging out & put back in, particularly this one since it has two parts.

Mirei-san out of the box

Mirei-san comes with one extra right arm, a pen, extra set of back hair to make it a ponytail, a office chair, & her loose right high heel shoe.  Some of the accessories are placed in a separate plastic tray & sealed with a plastic resealable tape-like substance.  Very nice as it's easier to take out & put back the stuff.

When you remove Mirei-san out of the box, you need to remove a fair amount plastic casing as she seems to be well protected.  After pulling her out, you need to place her on her office chair.  The chair has some grooves for her to be placed properly.  It was hard to understand at first due to the hand part, but it was easy once I figured it out.  Keep in mind that the chair has move at the base.  But the wheels don't turn.  Then you have that shoe to hang on her right toe.

Mirei-san from different sides

I'm pretty amazed in myself as to why I didn't get Mirei-san earlier.  She does have sex appeal for sure in that tempting static pose.  Now, the figurine doesn't match Shunya's illustration for some reason.  I'll explain this as I go deeper in the review.  But the first one to point out is the right shoe.  She doesn't have it hanging in the original illustration.  Instead, it's put on.  The 3D model has it hanging on her toes.  Because of the shape of her foot, you can't put it on.

The paint job on Mirei-san is pretty good.  I've moved away from Kotobukiya for a long time, but manage to see some drop in quality during the time I stopped collecting their stuff.  But this one is pretty good.  The pearl blue paint really shines & matches Mirei-san.  In fact, I like this version than the others including the original. 

Back to the paint work, there are hardly any bleeds noticed.  Very clean.  The only problem I have about the paint is the red exposing bra.  It's flat.  So it does stand out a lot with the pearl blue.  Not sure if this is on purpose so people can stare at her breasts.  The other flat colour is the stockings which isn't a problem since they usually are dull coloured. Another thing that I don't like about the paint job is the fingernails.  I'm no fan of those since they usually come out ugly to me personally.  But I have to say that it is hard to paint them due to the small size.

The molding job isn't too bad.  The creases on Mirei-san's clothing is pretty good.  Gives the skirt that tight look.  The detailing on her bra shows how much attention has been put into it.  But the problem with the molding is the panel lines.  You can see where the connecting joints are very clearly.  You can see it on the front of Mirei-san's right loose shoe & the sides of her skirt.  With that dark blue colour, it's surprisingly noticeable.  The molding on Mirei-san front hair is nicely done, but somewhat simple looking.  But the ponytail accessory is nicely done.  I like how it's shaped.

Continuing to the accessories, one of them doesn't match Shunya's original illustration.  Instead of Mirei-san holding glasses in her right hand, she's holding a pen in the 3D version.  The pen is a bit hard to put in at the start. The gap space in her right hand is small, so you will need to put some force.  But you need to pay attention to the distance of the pen to her mouth.  Because of the way she's positioned, you need to get the pen close to her mouth to make it look good.

The next accessory is Mirai-san's extra right arm.  Changing the arm requires some force as well in pulling.  It's really a tight fit. After changing her new arm, you will notice how her hand really doesn't touch her leg.  I could see the reasons behind this being easy to change the arm & not scratching her leg.

Back to Mirei-san's ponytail, again it's another forceful pull in changing her hair.  You actually need to pull her head out first to change.  If you don't, it's going to be really hard.

Mirei-san's face really captures Shunya's unique design.  The most noticeable is the shape of the eyes & nose.  The nose isn't pointy like many PVC figurines & the eyes have a different flavour.  With the exception of Mirei-san's lips, everything on her face is etched in & it's very clean.

Overall Conclusion

Mirei-san really is must have figurine for Shunya fans.  In fact, I think it's great to own if you aren't a have of his works as well.  I can really say that I'm glad that I got her.  Currently, I have Mirei-san displayed on my top shelf of my desk.  I would like her need my computer monitor to make things interesting, but I don't have the space.

Mirei-san receives an eight out of ten.  The figurine met my expectations & the hype I heard on how good she is.  The paint job is good & the pearl blue effect really stands out.  But this sexy figurine does suffer with the visible areas where the molding joints are.

This Mirei-san figurine won't be a walk in the park to find.  Although this is the probably the latest one from the lineup, the figurine is actually old.  Even with so many different versions available, they won't be easy to find.  Depending on which version you go for, prices actually vary.  Some are higher than retail & some are lower.  For this version, I've actually seen the price being lower.  This version wasn't highly sought after.  It's either because of the colour scheme or the fact that a lot of people have her in different versions & don't want to spend money getting her again.

Photos were taken using Canon EOS 40D with EF 28 - 135mm lens.  Photos were reduced in size for easy browsing.

Last updated on September 22, 2008