12 Days of Anime: #10: Figures

Figures are a key part of a hardcore otaku's life, and I'm no exception to that. Sadly, I could barely afford a basic figma until recently. This, again, connects to the convention, where I doubled the size of my figure collection in one weekend.  What sorts of figures reside on my shelf? Well, I'll tell you, if you'll just be patient...


One of the most affordable types of figures, and easily my favorite, is the trading figures you can get in capsule machines.   These generally cost around $3-5 a pop, and require little assembly.  I can safely say that these types of figures are great for anyone looking to start a figure collection at an affordable price level.

My second-favorite kind of figure is the standard figma.  These are usually poseable, and come with several cool accessories, like weapons and different faces and hands.  Figmas generally cost around $35-45 each, but it's usually worth the investment, as they can command upwards of $90 if you miss the pre-order deadline.

The last kind of figure that I tend towards is the PVC variety that require more assembly than a regular figma.  These can be particularly frustrating to assemble, especially if you have shaky hands like I do.  Slightly more expensive than figmas, you can usually find a good deal on Amazon for this kind of figure.  I'd buy more if I had steadier hands.

I feel like I'd do an injustice to figurekind if I didn't mention Nendoroids.  These adorable figures are super-deformed versions of characters, and come with just as many accessories as a figma.  Nendoroids usually cost around the same as a figma, so it's really a matter of taste whether you invest in figmas or Nendoroids.

Despite the wide varieties of figures, there is one constant: figures for the Touhou Project, of which I am a huge fan, are insanely expensive, and generally add AT LEAST $20 dollars to the price tag.  That price tag is the only thing that stops me from blowing all my money on Touhou figures. I've seen 1/8 scale figures that cost upwards of $150, so it's pretty clear that being poor Touhou fan is suffering.