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Kyoko Sakura
figma - Good Smile, Max Factory
1/12 scale articulated figure
Review posted: 01.26.2024
I'm a huge fan of the Madoka Magica universe.
I have the PMMM books. The statues. The Magia Record books. The Fluffy Puffy flocked Kyubeys. The Homura Tamura books. The Bandai Proplica soul gems. The Oriko, Suzune, Tart, Kazumi Magica books. The tattoos. More books!
Above all of those, however: I have some articulated figures.
Starting with figma #128 (damn girl, you old), let's see how this Madoka Magica figure has held up against the never-ending forces of time.
Overview
Ready for action!
Kyoko looks great in motion and action-oriented poses.
Her variety of hands and face options allow for some great expressions.
Snack City
The hungry gremlin bears a faithful resemblance to her on-screen counterpart, Rockys included. Studio Shaft's art style carries over well to this plastic representation.
Box & Packaging
Kyoko comes packed in the larger, "old-school" figma packaging.
The figure itself is clearly visible through the large plastic window with photos of Kyoko decorating the sides. The backside showcases some fun poses while excluding a clear layout of all of the included accessories. Thankfully you can see most of her option parts through the window.
This figure is old enough for me to not remember if she came with her parts individually wrapped (plastic sheet under the hair, dress, etc.) but I'm going to assume she did. Good Smile typically pads these little dudes with enough protection to survive even the harshest shipping conditions. Yes, I put her back in the box just to take these photos. I'll be doing that a lot as I write these reviews.
You may notice that my Kyoko's box is not in the best shape. Blame age and time, don't blame me.
Accessories
What's in the box?
Chainspear Woman comes well equipped with many little bits and bobs. The standard clear figma storage bag was also included but I forgot to photograph it and we're well past that part in my process so please imagine its presence in the above photo.
She'd walk a mile for a Rocky
Faces
3 different face plates for your enjoyment.
Pick between open mouth, angry open mouth, and Rocky Eater.
The included loose Rockys are a fun addition, although super easy to misplace.
Hands + a Friend
11 hands! That's way more than she can use at once.
2 hands have accessories (food related ones, of course) already attached to them and are non-removable. To the left of the above photo, you can see a hand holding a package of Rockys and another with a Taiyaki.
One of these gripper hands is meant to hold Kyoko's canonical BFF, Kyubey (most likely for pets and snuggles). It's quite the challenge to get that hand to fit around Kyubey's ear. I'm going to blame time and age for that one, though, as I don't recall it always being so difficult.
love this little rat bastard
Spear
The signature chain spear!
A variety of parts allow for building, twisting, spinning, wrapping, and stabbing with only your imagination holding you back.
Kyoko's hands hold the spear segments well. The weight of the chain spear may lead to some poses being a challenge, however.
Stand
It's the figma stand.
I'm not sure why I photograph these for every review.
Articulation
It's crazy to examine this figure side-by-side with a more modern figma. Not because it makes Kyoko look bad, but because there are not many differences compared to a brand new figma released 12 years later.
The articulation scheme, rife with ball joints, swivels, and hinges galore is largely unchanged. The most notable differences can be found with her shoulder and wrist joints, both utilizing the now phased-out designs. Due to her age, she has that old-fashioned figma hand style, where the pegs are attached to the hands rather than using a ball joint sunk into each wrist cavity. It's a bit of an eyesore after becoming so accustomed to the modern wrist and hand engineering figma is known for, but they still serve their purpose well enough.
Kyoko's dress is a rubber slip around a ball jointed torso, so while there is a small amount of range you can move her body... it ain't much. The rubber dress will stop any dramatic posing from keeping its form, let alone happening. The back of her dress folds up, down, and around using the classic large figma joints as anchors to her lower back.
Kyoko's hips are limited by the plastic underskirt of her dress, but not so bad that it inhibits the enjoyment of the figure.
The large ponytail is a bit cumbersome and requires finesse to look natural and still use the figma stand. However, I much prefer this style of ponytail as opposed to the "hair-on-a-hinge" method figma has been pumping out lately.
Conclusion
Still a good purchase?
If you're on the hunt for articulated, 1/12 scale figures of Kyoko... there are not many choices to be made. In fact, this is the only choice I know of.
Medicom makes a 1/6 scale Kyoko in their Real Action Heroes line but that is one hell of a big toy with a big price tag to match.
I don't know if I'd say the figma Kyoko is a great figure, but she's not a bad figure either.
A little outdated? Sure. Some wonky articulation? Unfortunately. Good sculpt and paint? Absolutely.
The pros outweigh the cons with Kyoko and if you can find a good deal on her (let's say: under $50 USD), she is still worth purchasing, even if you don't have the rest of the crew.
I would love to see a 2.0 of this figma. One with more modern engineering, newer wrist joints, and a non-rubber dress (I fear for the longevity of any figure that incorporates rubber or silicone). Maybe with the release of the upcoming Madoka Magica movie, Walpurgisnacht Rising, we could see 2.0 verisons of our favorite magical girls. Good Smile: you better give us the entire Holy Quintet. I will not settle for less. Oh—and give the girl some damn apples. Stop reserving the best accessories for a lesser version of the same character.
Let the girl eat! She does NOT want to talk to you right now.
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