Manufactured by Aquamarine

Distributed by Good Smile Company

Released 29/05/2017

RRP: ¥14,800

[View the photoshoot for this review here.]

Let’s get something out of the way first – when it comes to Persona 4, Rise is my waifu. …Actually, it would be Margaret, but she wasn’t datable. Boo. Regardless, while I liked all of the girls well enough, Rise stood out to me, for one reason or another.

As you can imagine, I was quite excited to see the previews for this one – an exotic and alluring rendition of Rise Kujikawa, based on one of her outfits in the spin-off title Persona 4: Dancing All Night. Having received the final product, I’m very glad to say that she does not disappoint. In fact, I love this figurine.

Beginning from initial impressions, this is a very attractive piece. Rise is posed provocatively, as if she’s mid-sway, as her hair swings and trails of fabric flutter about her hips. Her expression is playful and inviting, with her fingers framing her open lips. She stands around 8″ tall, so she’s not the largest figurine out there, but she makes good use of her size – she’s a very eye-catching girl.

Rise is mounted on a basic circular stand, with a P4:DAN themed design printed on it. While I find the design a bit gaudy, it isn’t distracting, and I do appreciate the attempt to personalise it. The stand is a bit wide though, and even then it fails to contain the whole figurine in its perimeter. She might munch up a decent amount of shelf space, as a result.

The figurine arrives in a classy transparent plastic box, with gold details and a vibrant purple backing. It has a sort of luxurious feel to it, and it gives a clear view of the contents, which is always nice. Everything is packed securely and it’s easy to get in to, so top marks there.

Inside, you’ll find the figurine and the stand… and that’s about it. Assembly is as easy as you could ask for – you simply push Rise’s foot onto the metal rod and hey presto, job done. Being mounted by only one foot, she does wobble a little, but I don’t think there’s any risk that she’ll topple over.

Now, the main event – the figurine itself. Immediately, the quality is clear – Rise’s sculpting is gorgeous. Her lithe body is meticulous in its details, from the sloping ridge of her spine, to the carefully shaped nails on her slender fingers and toes. Her body sculpt continues down into her trousers as far as you can see, with a tease of her (rather saucy) underwear on show. Her mouth has actual depth, and a small row of upper teeth. Her hair looks thick and voluminous, with plenty of stray strands twisting this way and that to create a sense of motion and flow.

Rise’s clothes are wonderfully crafted too, with excellent attention to detail. The creases and folds evoke the bagginess that comes with Arabian fashion, and the flowing lengths of cloth give an exciting dynamism to the piece. The jewellery and trimmings are all carefully detailed to give Rise’s outfit dimension and depth, making her a joy to look at both up close and from afar. It’s hard to describe, but it looks as though she’s actually wearing the clothes – as if there might be a fully sculpted body underneath, if you could take them off.

The excellent sculpt is complimented by an equally excellent paint job. Rise is vibrant and colourful. Her skin is warm and well shaded, including a slight rosy blush on her cheeks. Details like her lip-gloss and painted nails have been painted very neatly, with an appropriately glossy finish. Her hair has been shaded carefully too, with a finish that catches just enough light to give it a subtle sheen.

Her Arabian Armor outfit is coloured with a mixture of lilacs and blues, with gold and turqoise jewellery to compliment. The fabric features appealing gradients and printed star and heart designs, to evoke a dusk sky. The paint-work has a light glossy finish and the cloth trails have a subtle translucent effect which lets light through. These are nice touches, making the fabric look almost silky – failure here could have made her clothes look plasticky, but they did a good job. As you’d expect, the gold trim has a subtle metallic finish, which helps to catch the eye and set it apart from the fabric.

All of the details have been painted with impressive accuracy. With so many small details, it’s refreshing to see almost no signs of paint where it doesn’t belong, and the patterns are printed sharply.

All that said, there are a couple of small issues . Her hair is just a little bit blobby in some spots, making a few strands look unnatural. The same could be said of the tassles at the end of the cloth trails, which are certainly not bad, but could stand to have sharper definition. Her eyes are somewhat dull, too, especially in comparison to the rest of the figure. I also noticed some very minor production issues – in particular, there’s some dust stuck in the paint on one of the trails. And I must say I’m a bit concerned about getting dust in her trousers…

That said, these are very small nit-picks, and I don’t think they detract from the overall product – you won’t really notice them unless you go looking for them. Any issues are minor, and very few in number.

As I said at the beginning, I love this figurine. Rise dazzles in her Arabian Armor; she looks great up close in photos, or at a distance on a shelf. She’s vivid, alluring and certain to draw attention.

The few problems the figurine has are very small and easily overlooked, especially in the face of the clear quality of production, and the attention to detail in the sculpt and paint work. The craftsmanship alone makes this a figurine worth its price.

If you like Rise, or if you just like the look of this piece, I really recommend picking this one up.

Score: 10/10