Figure review backlog

Okay, it's been an awesome long time since I posted. Sorry for that, also, thanks to my good-for-nothing lazy *ss colleague oaf of an admin.

Here's the backlog of figures that still need to be reviewed. I've included one picture of each, just as a sort of preview. Will review them soon (when my laziness subsides).

Mizuho Kazami -- Max Factory



Bought in summer 2006. It was hot. The weather. And still is. The figure. Wonderful detailing, unbalanceable pair of glasses. Mizuho-sensei was on my desk during midterms, she was great company. Picture taken with Canon Powershot A640.

Genshiken: Saki & Ohno -- Gargoyle Gashapons



Bought at the FACTS 2006 convention. Was on top of the world about this. Great genki and detailing for such a small scale. Especially Saki looks great, worthy of one of the coolest female characters in anime. And of the great Yukino Satsuki. Picture taken with Canon Powershot A60 (pwning with 2MP)

Cloud Strife Resin -- Kotobukiya



Also bought at FACTS. Ultimately a bit ugly, but cool to be had whenever replaying FF7. Picture also taken with A60.

Tomoko Hoshina -- Kotobukiya



Bought this just for fun. Very inconspicuous in every way, but decent delivery and detail. Also quite cheap. Picture taken with Canon EOS 350D dSLR.

Tsukishiro Meena -- Sega



Cheap PVC from Sega, who are also known for their flood of cheap Evangelion releases. This figure is actually very good, a copy of the famous figure that donned the desk of Densha Otoko. Great "gambatte ne--" pose! A60 shot.

Ignis -- Max Factory



One of the winning designs of 2006, from the galge "Jingai Makyou". In all respects, the best figure in my collection. Pose, face, hair, body, detail & production. Looks great from all angles, she absolutely loves the camera. Shot with A640.

Tessa & Chidori -- Bome/Kaiyodo



Getting this set was extremely difficult. Released in Japan in May 2006, it was always quickly sold out at most Japanese webshops. BOME figures usually get US/overseas versions, which are often cheaper than the original Japanese releases. In this case, the Japanese was 6800 yen at HLJ (45 eur, with tax and shipping this would become 70-80 eur) while the overseas version is 40 eur including shipping. The overseas version was slated for august 2006, so I put down my preorder. In one of the worst tests of patience ever, this date kept being pushed back, the last date I've seen is March 2007. So I decided to switch to "crazy I-don't-care-about-the-money collector's mode" and ordered with HLJ, at one of their sporadic restocks. My sample was the last (currently "discontinued") of their stock.
The figures themselves are quite exquisite. While not as expressive as other figures (as with most BOME releases), this Chidori is the only Chidori worth getting. The Atelier Sai version is bigger, expensive and ecchi, but ugly. And the Good Smile version is poorly balanced (she's holding a bazooka whilst standing on one leg) and only in bikini.
The detail levels are very high, with subtle creases in the clothes and very crisp hair. Chidori is also holding the big paper fan, one of the most hilarious accessories in any anime. The skin PVC looks a bit "rough", creating the illusion that these figures are handcrafted as opposed to being mass-produced. Tessa-chan's hair is of the grey-blueish semi-transparent sort, similar to the hair of KOS-MOS of Alter.
Pictures taken with Canon A640.