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walw6pK4Alo wrote:

Blackwolf0925 wrote:

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

So, trying to get back on topic, am I the only person who owns and is looking into collecting Queen's Blade figures? MegaHouse's work is extremely impressive, and these are a testament to that, I wish people would overlook the fact that they get naked, they all wear clothing that covers most of their body (most of them), so it's barely an issue.

As for myself, I want Cattleya, Erina, and maybe the Melona. Griffon's figures do see a big inferior in design for the face, but they are bigger.

Nah, I am starting to find the Queens blades figures quite intriguing. I have others on preorder. Airi and Ancient Queen Menus. They very nice to look with clothes and all.

My beef with Airi is that it's just a maid uniform, not terribly inspiring or original compared to some of the others. Also, Melpha and Claudette need figures.

I have a thing for maids and girls with scythes. But the others are very intriguing as well. For some reason I find Reina to be unappealing.

Lonecow wrote:

Also back on topic, the funny thing about these toy reviews is that the whole "mini-statue" or figurine goes back to the earliest forms of art which depicted the female form in the buff. Beautiful pieces that are still considered art to this day even though they are nude. Now we are going back to that and it is seen as obscene. Their nude forms (except for the Revoltech figures) aren't even displayed in a sexual manner. They are just sculptures of nude women. Just like what they have all over Greece and Rome. But for some reason the reviewer says I need to pay $10 and go to a strip club, where the most logical comparison in across the seas in art museums.

Also, most of women back in those times were considered beautiful the... healthier they are as well. Really we are just returning to our artistic roots.

I'll also point out the article ANN ran not too long ago, trying to cause an uproar about publishing rights because some yaoi fangirl tried to self publish a yaoi coloring book and they acted like it was outragous she didn't have the right to do so, but then they get all moral and Christian when this figure arrives on their doorstep.

In my opinion there's a big different between fine art and this bit of commerical art in what you're trying to address. Artist intent comes through in a piece, and it's all in the pose and what is being focused on. The statues you refer to were not of a sexual nature at all, and highlighted the beauty of the human body.

You can claim artistic merit with this statue all you want, and you have your right to your opinion, but in my opinion I see it differently. I already complimented on the figure's more realistic approach at the human body, and I acknowledge the skill put into creating one of these, however that said pornography can have artistic merit too, but that doesn't make it fine art, or any less demeaning for women. These figurines are basically 3 dimensional pin-ups, one you can actually have strip for you. They don't focus on the human body in an asexual way, the artist intent is obvious, which is get fanboy nickers tight, and it does objectify a women. You're not going to be able to get the clothing off Winged Victory, but you can get the clothing off Nanael because of the intent. Sure there are probably some guys buying this thing with a chaste mind, but the majority aren't.

I don't hold it against any guy who surrounds themselves with these things, I'm just stating the purpose of this particular statue. It's not fine art, so don't try passing it as so.

And as I recall it, ANN didn't really show an opinion at all on the yaoi coloring book, they just stated the facts to what happen, and that resulted in the forum users going all moral and Christian. Look at that thread, and prepare to be amazed at the gay bashing. And actually look at what was barred from being printed in the yaoi coloring book, and notice there wasn't any nudity.

Quote:

Sure there are probably some guys buying this thing with a chaste mind, but the majority aren't.

Wow, that's one hell of a generalization!

Well, fine art is in the eye of the beholder. Just because you don't like the concept of castoff doesn't make this any less so...

I also find it intersting how this figure gets trashed due to castoff. Now, if the clothes stayed on, we would have a great review!

I'm finding it really funny how a casttoff figure is now demeaning to women. Is that really the point we are at now...

Wow...seriously?

Yeah, I'll stick to that generalization. I have no qualms with it, and you're free to dispute it. I'm interested in what you can tell me to make me think otherwise.

DPX wrote:

Well, fine art is in the eye of the beholder. Just because you don't like the concept of castoff doesn't make this any less so...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and anything can be called art, but Fine Art is a whole nother category that is created primarily on aesthetic values, and outside of architecture, judged for its emotion/message on top of skill. Not only that, but a piece is usually one of a kind.

There's a weird blurry line in the art world as to what created today is considered fine art but I can assure you that a mass produced figurine created by a company does not qualify.

DPX wrote:

Quote:

Sure there are probably some guys buying this thing with a chaste mind, but the majority aren't.

Wow, that's one hell of a generalization!

Well, fine art is in the eye of the beholder. Just because you don't like the concept of castoff doesn't make this any less so...

I also find it intersting how this figure gets trashed due to castoff. Now, if the clothes stayed on, we would have a great review!

I'm finding it really funny how a casttoff figure is now demeaning to women. Is that really the point we are at now...

Wow...seriously?

Um it's not a generalization it's the damn truth. That is who the figure is marketed for plain and simple. It's who the show is marketed for. That's not a generalization but the truth itself. The majority of the men buying the figure are in fact the target audience which would be the ecchi loving male crowd. Probably in the 16-24 age range as well. That's just simple marketing and fact. A generalization would be if she said no one but oversexed virgin men are buying it and they're doing so to fulfill some fantasy. Now that would have been a generalization.

Also, fine art is NOT in the eye of the beholder. Fine art has quality standards applied to reach that level. Think of it like a cut of meat, not all cuts are prime or choice cuts. Some are select, and some or choice. It doesn't mean it's not all meat and tasty, but they are in fact different. The same applies here. The figure is art, as is the show itself since it is animation and animation is an artistic outlet. However that does not make it fine art which is most definitely not.

Alright, alright, lets me clear the air. I NEVER said Queen's Blade or anime statues were fine art. lol I'm not that blind.

I was simply commenting how back then female nudity was part of their art, and no it is seen as immoral. I'm not saying they are the same.

But for what it is worth, they do both deal with the beauty of the female form, and that is why I pointed out the similar body structures of QB girls and classic art women being plumper, but I wasn't saying they are the same. It's just funny to me, how two time periods can view the female form in two different ways.

Greeks and Romans also had tons of orgy's, so I doubt the statues were totally in chaste nature. They were very sexually changed societies.

Still, in 2000 years the society then might be digging up all our Queen's Blade figures and call them fine art. Laughing

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

So, trying to get back on topic, am I the only person who owns and is looking into collecting Queen's Blade figures?

Nope, I too am interested in these figures, even though I have no interest in the show itself. I'm especially liking the fact that these girls seem to be pleasantly plump. They would look really pretty on my shelf.
The only problem with the Queens Blade figures is that they are quite pricey, and I usually only collect figures from series I've already watched and liked. Oh, and figures of Asuka, of course. Can't forget about my favourite red-head.

Also, adding to the other discussion, I fail to see how depicting nude women is inherently demeaning to women. If anything, I think it's empowering for a woman to be able to flaunt her stuff in a classy manner, especially if she doesn't fit the 'ideal' body type. I do realize that we are discussing pieces of plastic, and fictional characters here, but the same conversation could be had about pinups, or well..cheesecake in general. The old pinups from the 40's are classy, and celebrate a woman's natural beauty. To me, there's nothing demeaning about it.

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

So, trying to get back on topic, am I the only person who owns and is looking into collecting Queen's Blade figures? MegaHouse's work is extremely impressive, and these are a testament to that, I wish people would overlook the fact that they get naked, they all wear clothing that covers most of their body (most of them), so it's barely an issue.

As for myself, I want Cattleya, Erina, and maybe the Melona. Griffon's figures do see a big inferior in design for the face, but they are bigger.

A friend of mine has the Griffon Cattleya on preorder but didn't seem enthusiastic about paying the premium to get hold of the sold-out MegaHouse one at this point.

(Me, I'm collecting the TV series on BD but I'm not much of a figure buyer.)

Quark wrote:

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

So, trying to get back on topic, am I the only person who owns and is looking into collecting Queen's Blade figures?

Nope, I too am interested in these figures, even though I have no interest in the show itself. I'm especially liking the fact that these girls seem to be pleasantly plump. They would look really pretty on my shelf.
The only problem with the Queens Blade figures is that they are quite pricey, and I usually only collect figures from series I've already watched and liked. Oh, and figures of Asuka, of course. Can't forget about my favourite red-head.

Also, adding to the other discussion, I fail to see how depicting nude women is inherently demeaning to women. If anything, I think it's empowering for a woman to be able to flaunt her stuff in a classy manner, especially if she doesn't fit the 'ideal' body type. I do realize that we are discussing pieces of plastic, and fictional characters here, but the same conversation could be had about pinups, or well..cheesecake in general. The old pinups from the 40's are classy, and celebrate a woman's natural beauty. To me, there's nothing demeaning about it.

They're normally priced for other figures of their general quality and make. If you're used to buying even more mass produced Sega figures, yeah, the price jump is quite something, but that's how it goes. Try looking at the prices of Good Smile or Kotobukiya figures, they're not that cheap either.

Annf wrote:

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

So, trying to get back on topic, am I the only person who owns and is looking into collecting Queen's Blade figures? MegaHouse's work is extremely impressive, and these are a testament to that, I wish people would overlook the fact that they get naked, they all wear clothing that covers most of their body (most of them), so it's barely an issue.

As for myself, I want Cattleya, Erina, and maybe the Melona. Griffon's figures do see a big inferior in design for the face, but they are bigger.

A friend of mine has the Griffon Cattleya on preorder but didn't seem enthusiastic about paying the premium to get hold of the sold-out MegaHouse one at this point.

(Me, I'm collecting the TV series on BD but I'm not much of a figure buyer.)

I wonder if the Rana for the GE Cattleya is also castoffable. I'm fairly confident that was a big selling point, and why it typically sold out about a day and a half after the initial release, if Akibablog is to trusted. Again, the figures really aren't too outrageous for domestic buyers, but from our "shipping not included" perspective, they're pretty damn expensive. I guess it also depends on how long you wait, and how many they make.

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

They're normally priced for other figures of their general quality and make. If you're used to buying even more mass produced Sega figures, yeah, the price jump is quite something, but that's how it goes. Try looking at the prices of Good Smile or Kotobukiya figures, they're not that cheap either.

Well, by 'pricey' I mean over the $100 mark. Especially for a character from a show I haven't seen.
Don't get me wrong, I don't overly like buying stuff like the cheapy Sega figures (although I do have a few) I would say a good number of the figures in my collection are Kotobukiya figures. And honestly, to compare the Sega figures with the Kotobukiya ones...well, there's really no comparison. The higher priced figures are definitely worth it. For me, I think the ideal price range for a figure is about $50-$75.
That being said, I like the Nanael figure pictured here enough that it I was able to find it around, I wouldn't mind shelling out a bit extra for it.

Last edited by walw6pK4Alo on Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

Quark wrote:

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

They're normally priced for other figures of their general quality and make. If you're used to buying even more mass produced Sega figures, yeah, the price jump is quite something, but that's how it goes. Try looking at the prices of Good Smile or Kotobukiya figures, they're not that cheap either.

Well, by 'pricey' I mean over the $100 mark. Especially for a character from a show I haven't seen.
Don't get me wrong, I don't overly like buying stuff like the cheapy Sega figures (although I do have a few) I would say a good number of the figures in my collection are Kotobukiya figures. And honestly, to compare the Sega figures with the Kotobukiya ones...well, there's really no comparison. The higher priced figures are definitely worth it. For me, I think the ideal price range for a figure is about $50-$75.
That being said, I like the Nanael figure pictured here enough that it I was able to find it around, I wouldn't mind shelling out a bit extra for it.

The only ones I've seen online that go over $100 without shipping is that new Cattleya from Griffon. The rest are from 65-90 usually. I've seen figures go way more expensive, and being smaller and lower quality by far. I'd say the prices are about where they should be. There's also the demand, they're sought after figures. Take into account that they're not completely static figures either, many come with lots of interchangeable parts, not to mention the huge weapons they all wield. Yeah, when you're comparing that to a plugsuit Asuka with nothing else included in the figure, the price will reflect what's in addition.

Maybe it's just MegaHouse figures, they're all about in that range. The new Sheryl figure is like $80.

Quote:

but I tell you, there's only room for one one-winged angel in my heart, and this chick ain't it.

If you don't mind me asking, then who is?

walw6pK4Alo wrote:

The only ones I've seen online that go over $100 without shipping is that new Cattleya from Griffon. The rest are from 65-90 usually. I've seen figures go way more expensive, and being smaller and lower quality by far. I'd say the prices are about where they should be. There's also the demand, they're sought after figures.

I just remember the prices being a bit over $100 on Hobby Link Japan when I checked. My next purchase is most likely going to be Unity Yuno from Unity Marriage (Rightstuf sold out and canceled my order...oh, woe) which will cost about $80...but she is gorgeous. The floral pattern in her hair is worth the price tag alone. NSFW...but pretty
Anyway, I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out on Hobby Link and Rightstuf for any Queens Blade figures..so far the other characters just aren't as appealing as Nanael is though.

Edit: Just checked again. The prices are in-line with what you said. And...some of the other girls are pretty darn cute, too.

Quark wrote:

Also, adding to the other discussion, I fail to see how depicting nude women is inherently demeaning to women. If anything, I think it's empowering for a woman to be able to flaunt her stuff in a classy manner, especially if she doesn't fit the 'ideal' body type. I do realize that we are discussing pieces of plastic, and fictional characters here, but the same conversation could be had about pinups, or well..cheesecake in general. The old pinups from the 40's are classy, and celebrate a woman's natural beauty. To me, there's nothing demeaning about it.

Gil Elvgren is one of my favorite North American illustrators, a man responsible for many of the memorable pin-ups of the 30s-60s, but the women were never fully exposed. They showed skin, yes, but they did it with personality and, like you said class, and all together most of them are rather amusing. However, a number of them just reinforced typical stereotypes of the era, such a women not being very good at sports, using tools, and there were tons of maids. That demeaned women to a degree.

Yes, Nanael here annoys me with the fact you can take off her clothes. Just answer me this: WHY do you want to take her clothes off? Why do you need to undress this woman? Basically, why do you feel the need to stare at and expose her tits?

As odd as it sounds, if she were to start out nude, I wouldn't care. If she were obviously in the process of removing her clothes herself, I wouldn't care. Heck, if she had different outfits you could put on her like some bizarre overpriced Barbie with nipples I wouldn't care because then the clothing removal would have an "innocent", understandable excuse to remove the clothes. But this figure doesn't. The only reason you have here to remove her clothes is to "appreciate" her breasts.

That is objectifying a woman for her breasts. Claim you appreciate the curves of a woman's body all you want, in a sense you do, but all you have is an expensive doll with the soul purpose of showing you fake breasts any time you want. Like I mentioned earlier the nudity doesn't bug me about this figure. If you take a nude to semi-nude figure from anything else, you can appreciate her nudity as part of the composition as a whole. With this figure your attention is drawn away from the figure as a whole, and drawn to the feature of LOOK! BOOBS!

There is nothing "classy" in this Nanael doll here. You have a figure here where you choose to expose her and gawk at her as a sexual object, and looking at a woman as a sexual object is demeaning. It's not in any way classy or empowering, and is actually a bit disturbing to me.

Last edited by walw6pK4Alo on Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

littlegreenwolf wrote:

LOOK! BOOBS!

Yeah, pretty much. But that is exactly why we buy them and why they're made. Hell, you want sexuality objectivity to a whole new level?

http://www.toyslogic.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=cattleya

Only one character in the series is more stacked, and no figure of her yet, unfortunately.

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