Kotobukiya are a company famous for its amazing variety of statues of varying sizes from different source material. Their categories of statues include the ArtFX, ArtFX+, Fine Art, and Bishoujo lines which cater for all collector price points, from the sub-$100 ArtFX+ 1/10th scale line to the larger Fine Art statues of several hundred dollars. But no matter the price point, Kotobukiya has developed a well-earned reputation for awesome sculpts and incredible paint applications.
The source material has always had a heavy focus on Japanese anime, comic book superheroes from Marvel and DC, and have now branched into other high profile pop culture icons such as Star Wars and 80s classic horror movies such as A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Their Bishoujo (Japanese for “beautiful young girl”) line of statues has been around for quite a few years now, with lots of classic and iconic female characters from comic and anime source material. This line has now only just started branching out into the Street Fighter franchise, which has a huge cast of beautiful female fighters! Why it has taken so long for Street Fighter to make it into the line is a mystery, but once I got the first Chun-Li statue in hand, I was very glad indeed that it has finally arrived, with more on the way!!
Statue:
Of all the female Street Fighter characters, none is more iconic than Chun-Li, and so it’s fitting that she is the first in the Street Fighter Bishoujo line. The sculpting of the statue perfectly replicates the prototype artwork by master Japanese illustrator Shunya Yamashita, with Chun-Li in her famous kicking pose.
The pose is both strong and playful, fully showing off her huge thighs that have come to be synonymous with her. The detail in the sculpt is great, with lots of little accents in the blue qipao and gold trimmings, as well as her hair buns and wrist gauntlets. The more delicate parts of the statue appear to be a soft plastic to prevent any accidental breakages, but most of the statue is made from a hard lightweight material.
No matter the angle, the sculpting is beautiful. The flow of the skirt with the bends and wrinkles really conveys a great sense of dynamic motion. The statue is attached to the clear stand via a peg in her right foot that is quite sturdy but easy to take off. The stand itself comes with two pieces of artwork that can be placed inside – one with the prototype art, and one with simply the Street Fighter logo.
As with all Kotobukiya statues, the paint application is a stand out, and her facial features are as perfect as they come! The likeness is a great representation from the game, and the soft almost translucent skin tone is beautiful up close.
Perhaps the only fault with the paint application is the positioning of her eyes. When looking at the prototype artwork, you can see that her eyes are firmly focused on her foot, as they would be when performing this strong kick. But on the statue, the eyes have been painted to be more front on, so seem to be focused not on her foot but somewhere to the front of her. It’s a minor quibble, and her face overall is beautiful, but this minor change would’ve made it more faithful to the original artwork.
Perhaps the only fault with the paint application is the positioning of her eyes. When looking at the prototype artwork, you can see that her eyes are firmly focused on her foot, as they would be when performing this strong kick. But on the statue, the eyes have been painted to be more front on, so seem to be focused not on her foot but somewhere to the front of her. It’s a minor quibble, and her face overall is beautiful, but this minor change would’ve made it more faithful to the original artwork.
Final Thoughts:
If you’re a fan of Street Fighter and its female characters, then this line of statues is perfect for you! The price is not excessive, but still comes with all the incredible Kotobukiya sculpting and paint work. This Chun-Li statue comes highly recommended and is a perfect start to the line.
Kotobukiya have already teased their upcoming statues. The next one in the line will be Cammy later this year, and as you can see by these new photos, she looks to be just as, if not more, dynamic and beautiful than the Chun-Li statue.
Kotobukiya have already teased their upcoming statues. The next one in the line will be Cammy later this year, and as you can see by these new photos, she looks to be just as, if not more, dynamic and beautiful than the Chun-Li statue.
Then slated for 2015 is Juri, another sexy character from Street Fighter 4. Her prototype artwork has now been shown, with a great pose as well. With so many other beautiful female fighters in the Street Fighter universe, such as Ibuki, C. Viper, Rose, and Poison just to name a few, there seems to be huge potential in making this Bishoujo Street Fighter line a centrepiece in any statue collection!
If you haven't already, check out the full video review below of the Chun-Li statue on the Kool Kollectibles youtube channel! :)
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