With the Mikasa Ackerman Figma proving to be as popular as it is (at the time of writing its second reissue has just been announced - making that three separate releases on one year) there was no way Max Factory was going to settle with just one Attack on Titan figure. And now that the main female character is out of the way (who was naturally going to be picked first) it's time to bring on the boys! First up of course the central protagonist of the show - Eren Yeager. And even though it's only been a few months since his release he is proving to be just as popular as Mikasa - his initial April 2014 release was quickly followed by a second shipment of the figure a month later.
As before, collectors who purchased this figure from Good Smile Company's online webstore would have also received a special rooftop di:stage. Preferring to get the figure for a cheaper price elsewhere, this review will not cover said stage.
With Figma boxes having now adopted this brand new uniform style of packaging, there isn't a lot to say that wasn't already said in my Mikasa review. This time the background colour scheme is a darker blue, which doesn't feel quite as fitting to the series as Mikasa's dark red did. The pictures on the sides and back look absolutely fantastic though, so if you're one to display the boxes like book spines these new style ones are going to be just perfect for you. One disappointing thing I forgot to mention in my last review is that with these new style boxes the inside backing cards are also now one solid colour - making the cut-out di:stage pieces painfully dull if you're planning to use them.
With Figma's 200 (plus extras) strong back catalogue being made up of mostly female anime characters, it was quite surprising to see that Eren surpasses Mikasa as far as sculpt goes. Sure he only beats her by a very narrow margin, but sculptor Masaki Apsy has really outdone himself here. It's the same uniform as Mikasa but here its on a distinctly male body, the tunic being the instant visual indicator that it is not the same sculpt. Little areas like the neck line and collar bone really stand out, making it seem less like an action figure and more like an almost statue-quality collectable. Believe the hype - these really are some of, if not the, best figures Max Factory have produced in the entire Figma line.
Sculpt features that remain across the board for the Attack on Titan range are soft plastic jackets complete with the survey corps logo, moulded and painted straps/buckles across the body/legs and of course ball-jointed wrists with easily removable hands. This hand system is quickly becoming my favourite of all the Japanese toy lines I've handled, and its amazing how much difference that longer peg makes in switching them in and out without any hassle whatsoever. Going back to the Survey Corps logos, the back one still has that rather obvious hole in it so if that's going to bother you be sure to use the included stand when posing/displaying.
Like Mikasa, Eren is jam packed with accessories. However when you actually inspect what they are in becomes quite clear what the biggest drawback of buying multiple Attack on Titan characters is going to be...they're all coming with exactly the same things. Other than the faces, Eren's accessories are completely identical to the ones Mikasa is bundled with. Admittedly there aren't a whole load of 'unique' accessories they could come with, but even if it was just a case of shattered swords or different effect parts it would make each release seem that little more special.
Before we move onto the 3D gear and all that entails, Eren comes with three alternate faces (determined, angry and "remembering that moment my mother was killed by a Titan), 10 changeable hands and a 'flowing' soft plastic Survey corps poncho.
What looks like potentially flimsy plastic 3D Gear attaches firmly to Eren's body, plugging into not only his lower back but also in four holes in the waist and upper legs. Balancing is possible without the use of a stand, but with those tiny feet you're probably better off using one. Not that you'll probably have him standing on ground with this thing attached anyway...
The rest of Eren's accessory count is all directly tied in to the use of the 3D Gear. While the blades can be used separately, the handles are meant to plug into the bottom of the loose wires so that everything connects together in one neat system. Additionally, the blades themselves can be ejected from the handles just like the characters do in the show when they're in need of a new one. Then of course there are three gas/smoke cloud effect parts - one long trail to plug in between the Gear and stand, and then two smaller ones to go either side of the attachable (plastic) launching grappling hooks. Finally there's two proper plastic hooks on string which can attach in the place of the faux hooks for actual wall climbing action. Handy if you're running out of shelf space and/or want somewhere unorthodox to pose your figures.
Whether this is your first experience with the Attack on Titan Figma or you happily bought Mikasa and wanted more, Eren is another winner. The sculpting is flawless, and the accessories are aplenty even if there's a complete lack of variation from the last release. Whether that fact becomes a bit more of an issue with Armin and Levi is yet to be determined, but for now this Eren has pretty much everything you'd want from him. The AoT Figma continue to be some of the hottest releases of 2014, and hopefully bode well for the future of the line as a whole.
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