Figma's take on Saber is even better than the Revoltech version

Figma, for those of you not in the know, is Max Factory’s answer to the Revoltech Fraulein line. They are poseable action figures but they are not just limited to female figures (but lets face it, most of them will be).

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Saber is actually the third release in the Figma line, but it is the first one we are covering here at CDX. No, it is not mecha, but they are really nicely done action figures and we think they are worth checking out.

Saber comes courtesy of Angolz.com, our sponsor for all our Figma reviews.

You may remember our previous Saber reviews from the Kaiyodo Revoltech 2G line. We loved those – they were done really well. Imagine our surprise when Max Factory comes out and does one BETTER.

That’s right; I think the Figma version is better than the Revoltech version.

Saber comes with a bunch of accessories, including a load of variant hands, 3 different faces, 2 different hairstyles, 2 different swords (with sheaths) and a display stand.

The faces can be swapped out easily by removing the front part of the hair, and can express all kinds of rage.

The hands easily plug into the arms, and each also has a swivel joint at the wrist. There are hands that can grab the swords, and hands that just look cool. And as an added bonus, included is a holder for all the extra hands (like Microman figures come with).

Both swords are intricately detailed, even with etched runes on the blades. Each blade slides nicely into the included sheath.

Saber is really constructed solidly, and all the joints are tight. They don’t click like the Revoltech ones do, but they don’t really need to. The way each joint is cut allows for a fantastic range of motion, especially in the knees and hips. Watch the video, you will see what I mean.

In addition, the armor of the figure is actually made out of several layers, and made out of different kinds of material. For example, the silver chest armor is actually a rubber-like material, and underneath it is a fully detailed and sculpted costume. The flowing skirt is a mixture of rubber and plastic, with the individual parts of the skirt being jointed independently.

The figure is just done right on so many levels.

The stand is clear plastic with the figma logo embossed on the base. The jointed arm is secured by screws at the hinges, and connects to the back of the figure. It’s tight and solid, enabling a variety of poses.

But by far the coolest thing included with this toy is one of the simplest things. I’m surprised more people don’t do this, and I hope more follow suit.

A plastic bag.

Figma includes a plastic zip-lock bag with the Figma logo and a large white writable area on it. Toss the box, because all your parts now fit in here, and you can label it so you know which fists each one goes with. How cool is that?

The Figma Saber figure is highly recommended. If you collect Revoltech figures, Moe figures, or just action figures in anime, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Saber can be found at Angolz.com.

Saber can be found at Angolz.com.

The second release from Revoltech's Fraulein lineup is Rin Tohsaka the very talented and powerful Mage from Fate/stay night (-gratuitous panty shot inside - you've been warned you dirty pervs...)

At this point I think most of our readers know what to expect from a Revoltech figure; above average sculpting, high level of poseability, and a decent price point. There good, cheap, robot lovin’ fun.

But Kaiyodo was not content to keep it to just robots and has launched the Fraulein line to encompass popular female anime characters. Josh has just recently reviewed their other offerings from this line, Asuka and Rei from Evangelion. Since I’m not much of a fan of the series I passed on those but decided to give Rin Tohsaka from the animated series “Fate/stay night” a try.

From the package:

Fraulein Revoltech is an exciting new series of female action figures. It consists of new idea of figure system called “E.L.F.” producing beautiful body lines and motion as natural as real lives.

So basically no matter how sophisticated the packaging is and no matter how high profile the line is, it’s a series of “girly” figures. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

This girly figure is Rin Tohsaka from the series Fate/stay night. Now I only recently watched a handful of episodes of the series so I can’t speak too much to it but essentially it centers on the coming “Holy Grail War” and the Magi involved in finding the Grail and winning the war. Each Mage conjures a servant to fight for them. Rin is not only a high school student but apparently a very powerful Mage.

So with all that said, “How’s the figure?” Not bad. It’s very poseable with an excellent level of detail; I do find it odd that for all its poseability you can’t get the figure to go into a sitting position. Other than that, the sky is the limit as far as poses go. Her pigtails even have Revoltech joints in them.

Since Rin is primarily a spell caster she doesn’t have a ton of accessories. The figure comes with a fantastic stand to pose the character flying/midair (which she does quite often in the first few episodes I saw), a sword and some alternate hands.

Overall it’s more Revoltech goodness with no real surprises or disappointments for collectors of the line. With that said, I really don’t think this is a figure for non-Fate fans because as a “girly” figure (yes you can look up her skirt, yes she has panties on…) it’s pretty tame for those that collect those things and obviously Rin doesn’t transform into a giant robot or a jet I think it’s a pass for most Revoltech collectors. Fate fan’s however can and should buy Rin with confidence.

You can get all your Fraulein Revoltech figures at Angolz.com.

If you were holding off on the original because it was too girly, this is the one you want to get!

Saber Alter (セイバ) is the second figure to be released as part of the new Revoltech 2G line. This line branches off from the original line by showcasing different styles of characters and different sculptors. Saber Alter arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan.

This figure is an “evil” version of the character from the “Fate/stay night (フェイト／ステイナイト)” game and TV series. In the series, Saber is possessed by a spirit of pure evil and turned into Black Saber, or Saber Alter.

The figure is very similar to the first version of Saber, but I have to say I like this version much better. The styling is edgier and I like the overall dark appearance. Despite being the same character, this is an entirely new sculpt.

Saber Alter comes with two different swords. One is black with red detailing, the other is normal.

She also includes a stand and a variant visor headpiece. To switch the headpiece, you actually pull the front part of her hair off and replace a larger section. It looks really great.

I can’t decide whether or not I like the zombified look or the visor look better.

The larger feet make Saber Alter much easier to pose, and all the joints are tight and smooth.

Saber Alter is not without its flaws. There is a bit of discoloration in the face near the nose which looks like a flawed paint application. You don’t really see it with the visor off but it is a little disappointing. If you look at the promotional pics you can see a second red vein on the face that goes up near the nose – mine has the faintest smudge at the bottom – indicating a flawed paint application.

I also wish there were a variety of hands – the only hands are the ones you see on the figure.

Providing the paint issue is just on my sample and not widespread, Saber Alter is a great buy. If you were holding off on the original because it was too girly, this is the one you want to get! Order yours now from HobbyLink Japan.

Saber (セイバ) is the first figure to be released as part of the new Revoltech 2G line. This line branches off from the original line by showcasing different styles of characters and different sculptors.

Saber arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan.

This articulated figure comes from the Japanese video game “Fate/stay night (フェイト／ステイナイト)”. I’ve never played this game, so I don’t have the first clue as to what it is about. Even after reading the Wikipedia entry, I am still clueless. However, Saber is a fan favorite character, with legions of otaku in love with the character.

The beautiful sculpt is provided by Tomohide "eyewater" Enoki. This makes Saber the first Revoltech figure NOT sculpted by Yamaguchi. The figure looks as if it just leapt off of the screen. The face is smooth and beautiful, while the armor looks worn like real metal.

In keeping with the theme of the Revoltech series, the figure is incredibly articulated. When I first saw pictures of this toy, I saw that the elbow joints were not Revoltech joints. I was concerned that these 2G figures use fewer Revoltech joints. Thankfully this is not the case. Saber has 14 Revoltech joints and 20 points of articulation. The joints are hidden well so it still looks like a regular action figure. One of the innovative uses of the new double Revoltech joints can be seen on the waist skirts.

Possibly another theme with the 2G line is that Saber comes with few accessories. Include are two swords and a display stand. One sword (Excalibur) is fully painted and the Caliburn sword is transparent. The hilts of the swords are long enough to be held by both hands.

This is a really great action figure. It manages to be cute, but you don’t have to feel like a perv buying it. Saber is available now at HobbyLink Japan. Be aware that this figure costs a little bit more than the standard Revoltech figures, but for a figure of this quality it is worth it.