If you’ve got your eyes on Asuka, she’s got her eyes on you too.
Anime figures are generally made out of plastic, which presents a problem when the characters and clothing they’re supposed to be representing obviously aren’t. Most manufacturers try to solve this dilemma with special paints and finishes meant to disguise the material, but anime merchandiser Bandai has a much more innovative solution for its Figure-rise Labo line, for which figures are made with complex multi-layer pieces that allow the color of inner layers to show through the top ones.
Previously, we’ve seen how this can create incredibly lifelike skin tones, and now it’s being applied to a new purpose: recreating the iconic plugsuits worn by anime franchise Evangelion’s mecha pilots.
The cast member getting the Figure-rise Labo salute is Asuka, in her appearance seen in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, the second of the soon-to-conclude Rebuild of Evangelion movie series. While there’s very little exposed flesh, the Figure-rise Labo construction is used to render the plugsuit’s famously snug fit.
As with many high-end anime figures, there aren’t any articulation points, so the figure isn’t something you pose or play with so much as an interior decoration to be admired by those appreciative of Eva’s character/costume design aesthetic. Oh, and while you’re looking at Asuka, she’ll be looking right back at you thanks to the figure’s “eye tracking injection,” a clever trick the designers employ on the shape of Asuka’s irises so that her eyes seem to follow you no matter what angle you’re looking at her face from.
▼ The cross-section is a little disturbing, but if you’ve watched all of the Evangelion anime so far, you’ve seen freakier stuff than this.
The photos seen here are from a prototype for the figure, and there will also be a “special coating” version with a brighter sheen for certain parts.
Both versions go on sale November 10 (7,700 yen [US$73] for the standard version and 11,000 yen for the special coating one) through the Bandai Hobby Online and Premium Bandai online stores, with shipping scheduled for March.
Source: Bandai Hobby Site via IT Media
Top image: Bandai Hobby Site
Insert images: Bandai Hobby Site, Premium Bandai
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