phicenfigurefeat

These figures will literally bend over backwards to be your new life model. 

For most artists, drawing something when you have nothing to look at or be inspired by can be tough. Luckily, Japan’s ahead of the game when it comes to providing aspiring artists with references, including material websites and the smash hit, bendable Body-kun and Body-chan figures we featured last year.

But now Phicen has taken that last idea to a whole new level with their “seamless bendable figures“, featuring either a fully poseable 1:6-scale ripped guy or busty gal. While neither figure may be especially realistic when you compare their proportions to your average Jane or Joe, they bend at 26 different points and provide a super-realistic look at how muscles, skin, and shadowing look at an almost endless number of angles—ideal for anime and manga artists!

▼ This is practically Lupin’s Fujiko in bendable form, but with “woman secret parts”.

phicenfigurewoman

▼ And a male version for all you artists out there that might need a guy with a prefect six-pack for a reference as you draw the next big shonen manga thriller. (“man secret parts” not included, or possibly sold separately? :O)

phicenfigureman

Depending on where you buy them from, each figure costs upwards of 10,000 yen (US$88), but we’re sure that’s still much cheaper than hiring a real-life model for reference or multiple pose packs from Manga no Shiryo.net.

Members of the Japanese art community who have bought the figures seem rather pleased with their purchases, too:

“I went out and bought the Phicen doll everyone’s been talking about to use as a reference. Although it can’t be posed in every single way possible, it’s a lot more flexible than I thought it would be.”

“This seamless figure really is more flexible than you’d imagine it would be. I bought the male figure, but now I’m thinking about getting the female version.”

Of course, even if you’re not a serious artist, we imagine either would provide hours of fun at work as an office toy/decoration.

Source: Twitter/@masahiro_lemon, Twitter/@kamimurake via Cupo
Feature/top image: Twitter/@masahiro_lemon, Twitter/@kamimurake, edited by RocketNews24
Insert images: Amazon.co.jp (1, 2)