2 Haruka’s, 2 swimsuits, 2 Good Smile Company figures, and a bunch of ribbons.

It is definitely not as cold as other locales, but it has been fairly chilly here in Northern California (especially at night). Despite the need for more than a couple shirts and sweaters, I recently purchased a couple summer inspired Good Smile Company figures. I have never really a fan of swimsuit PVC girls, so this is actually my baptism into the world of beach-fun figure buying. I do own the GSC Tessa figure, but I never really considered that a “swimsuit figure” because it is not as skimpy as other figures out there.

Both these figures came out back in the fall and I have been eyeballing them casually, but only pulled the trigger now thanks to some extra cash. I was actually disappointed in both figures upon opening their boxes, but I have warmed up to them over the last few days.

Good Smile Company 1/8 Suzumiya Haruka

The Next Season OVA really prompted this purchase, as I recalled how much more I liked long-haired Haruka over short-haired Haruka. The figure overall is pretty good–curvy features on her body, nice hair, a very detailed hat. The crimps and folds in her bikini along with a unique base are nice touches as well. Her bracelets look pretty lame and the paint on her ribbon could have been better, but they’re not noticeably bad when you look at it.

There are a couple things that seem to bug me though. First are her breasts. Was Haruka ever this well-endowed? Maybe it is just my perceptions of Haruka’s character as this shy and reserved girl, but I don’t remember her looking this prominant. Maybe it is because she’s eating better after leaving the hospital… However, my second complaint is in regards to her face. It’s off for some reason, and I think it’s her eyes. She had droopier look eyes, and on this figure they look a lot more prominent. I never though Haruka’s eyes were her dominant feature, but they stand out almost too much here. Their color is a sharp contrast to the rest of the figure, which in a way detracts your attention. Also, the way her hair falls over her face is a bit distracting.

Overall, it is not a bad figure by any stretch, but at the same time, it is not one that will blow you away. The pose and some of the details are nice and there are no glaring flaws in either the paint or sculpt, but in the end, it is more on the boring end of the spectrum. However, boring as it may be, there really any many other options of Haruka fans out there.

Good Smile Company 1/8 Amami Haruka

Between the two figures, I like this one a little more. Similar to the last one, the face on this figure isn’t quite right, but it’s more forgivable in the sense that rest of the package makes up for it. I love the pose of this figure. There is quite a bit of “activity” going on despite it being fairly simple. The paint job is good, but (at least on my figure) when you look up close there are a handful of hiccups especially around her feet and the around her waistline.

Although there are not as many fine details as Kiminozo Haurka, what are there done well. Her collarbones and shoulder blades are crafted subtle enough to add rich detail and add a lot of realism to the figure. The rest of her body–legs, torso, arm–are also nicely done. It is a sexy looking figure. Haruka comes with a few trinkets to toss on the base, but I left them all in the box other than her penguin phone. I appreciate that figures come with stuff like that, but for me, unless it’s something that actually gets put on the figure, I leave it out. Too much hassle. I like this Haruka more mainly because she is more fun to look at. She is subtle, yet eye-appealing.

Haruka’s foot in screwed into the base and the figure feels very sturdy despite the pose. However, one-leggedness is always something to be weary of. The majority of my figures get boxed up when the weather starts warming up and leaning has never been a major problem for me. I have had a couple figures lean, but none were one-legged or even notorious for being potential leaners. Regardless though, I will keep a watch, especially when it starts warming.