B-Club Prepainted Polystone Collection - Lunamaria Hawke 1/7

Just in time for Valentine's Day, how about a little review of one of the most pointless characters in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny? For this purpose I have dug out an old B-Club Polystone figure released in March 2006, at a time when the television series had already concluded the year before. I don't know any additional circumstances surrounding this particular release except that Hobbylink Japan at some point had it listed for $140 which seems crazy.


The figure comes in a near cube-shaped box of roughly 20 cm per side and weighs in well over half a kilo. These polystone figures often weigh a lot, kind of like porcelain. I notice the item code 2529-12800 on the box which lends some credence to the astronomical prize on HLJ. I have noticed that Japanese item numbers like these often bake in a price in yen as the last digit but I sure didn't pay ¥12800 but rather ¥2000 when I scouted it at Mandarake a couple of years ago. This makes it one of the cheapest 1/7-figures I have found but as with many Gundam-themed collector items the problem isn't necessarily the price, but actually finding them.


The Polystone figures typically come in tailor-made polystyrene packaging that can keep them safe on their long and dangerous intercontinental journeys. Notice the special bag containing Lunamaria's trademark pointy strands of hair. At the bottom of the parcel you can see a large circular black base that we won't have any need for in this review, this is one figure that is not in need of any support. In fact, one problem I have with many of these larger figures it that their footprints are usually very large.

Polystone figures lend themselves well to exact sculpting free from the issues that bendy PVC figures tend to have. I also suspect that their longevity will be much better as well. The paintjob is also on point here with distinct and clear anime-style painting with some nice shading where appropriate. While the Z.A.F.T. markings may seem a little plain they are well in style with what is presented in the show.


As crisp and stylish as the figure is, I think it really misses the mark when it comes to the perhaps most import thing; character likeness. I have noticed that smaller PVC figures often do a better job of hitting the right spot, perhaps because their detail level is slightly more granular and that makes it more in line with the drawings from the show? I don't know who the person we are looking at is, but she is clearly wearing Lunamaria's outfit.


The most obvious discrepancy here is the hair colour which has taken on more of a red than purple tone. The eye decals are big and very cartoony but still do not capture the soul of the character very well in my opinion. I can be more lenient when it comes to other facial features because as we all know, anime characters rarely have any which must make them a real challenge to get right.


Lunamaria Hawke may have been a pointless character with no really redeeming features or interesting personal development but that sure hasn't stopped Bandai from drowning us in figures of her; outclassed perhaps only by Lacus Clyne in numbers. There are many better choices out there whether you are looking for smaller or bigger figures and so I'd give this one a pass.

B-Club Prepainted Polystone Collection - Sayla Mass 1/7

I was making really good headway into the Senshi Forte Part 13 review when I realized that I don't have a booklet at hand. That is part of the soul of these figures for me so I had to find a cheap extra from the capsule variant and order. First World-problems, etc. Since this means that the review is on hiatus for a bit I dug up something from the archive instead. Bon appétit!


I don't get around to reviewing as many character figurines as I'd like but hope to grow that section of the blog over time. Today's item is a bit of a rarity I guess, although it is hard to find much information about it. The B-Club brand will be familiar to kit builders looking for rare conversion parts or even rarer garage kit-style resin kits of unusual suits, vehicles or even spaceships. There are also a number of prepainted figures of various characters available, some of which are incredibly hard to find although prices aren't always that painful. This 1:7 scale figure of Sayla in her E.F.S.F. uniform, manufactured by Popy in 2004, is possibly a limited edition that was exclusive to the Bandai Museum but I haven't been able to confirm it. I purchased the figure a couple of years ago for a modest sum of ¥3000.


Polystone figures are quite brittle and easy to damage but as long as you have the original box available it should be safe and sound. The cardboard box contains tightly fitting styrofoam protection that wraps elegantly around the figure, which is also protected by fine paper to help avoid paint scratching or chipping.


So just what exactly is Polywhatnow? Well, it is a compound material where resin is mixed with powdered stone. The feel of the figure is almost like porcelain but rougher to the touch and fairly lightweight. I saw someone comparing it to pumice and I can see where they are coming from. While it wouldn't survive much abuse it should avoid issues like warping or oily residue which is the fate of many plastic figures as they begin to age.


Overall the quality of the figure is really on point but the end result goes into uncanny valley. The proportions and colour choices are really on point and is a fine representation of the cartoon character but... there is something really strange about this pose. What exactly is going on here? Sayla looks lost in thought staring into the empty sky while failing to fully rest her hands on her knees and just what the hell is that base supposed to be? When was the last time you encountered someone sitting like that?


Sayla's expression sits somewhere between "was that really my brother I saw?" and "This lecture is boring me to tears.". I have to say though, the more I study the detail of the sculpt and paint applications the more impressed I am. If this had been a Converge figure for example, the uniform paint would have bled onto the neck and the gold trim would have been all over the place and so on.


Interestingly, this very figure also has a smaller sibling in the Gundam Heroines Selection 1 series (there was only one set) also made by Popy in 2005. While I didn't include it in the picture here that figure comes with just the same type of ugly base.

Overall the Sayla figure carries a kind of vintage quality to it in way of the artistic style - it feels very much in tune with the artwork from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series artwork. This becomes really evident when you compare it to more expressive and idealized figures, such as this MegaHouse RAHDXG.A.NEO figure from 2015.