Ballerina Asuka Langley

Review by Heather Amaral

Ever since I entered the anime community, long before I started to invest in figures, I was bombarded with images of the red jumpsuit-clad Asuka Langley from “Neon Genisis Evangelion.” Without seeing an episode of the mecha-centric series, I could pick Asuka out of a line-up with her orange hair and her ridiculous amount of feisty or, fan favorite, naughty posed figures. 

I purchased the figure solely based on the fact that she was gorgeous and from a popular anime to boot (one I had almost no knowledge of until recently). Upon hearing this an “Eva” friend quickly educated me via the first two movies. This led me to an alarming revelation: for such a tsundere badass, the Ballerina Style figure from Kotobukiyabuyika is the farthest you can get from the familiar Eva pilot. 

And yet, despite having completely transformed a pigheaded, cocky, foul-mouthed-pilot into a dainty flower of a ballerina princess, this truly is a beautiful piece. 

Set in a classic ballet pose, the figure is almost sugary sweet with Asuka done up in soft pinks and whites that are more revealing of her ‘assets’ then either of “2.22’s” plug suits combined. A plunging neckline manages to display a corseted bust, while her stiff tutu gives a clear view of the leotard beneath. But the all around innocence to the figure completely negates any perversity both views would normally offer. I honestly could see this sitting on a little girls nightstand without a single eyebrow being raised. 

Her stand is clever in my opinion with her back foot attached to the pink diamond base with a single screw. 

The detail in her clothing is fantastic. From the lacing of her corset and double layers of her tutu, to the bows at the back of her toe shoes and choker, extreme care went into these details. Her normally wild hair is swept up into poofy wrapped pigtails with a little white tiara atop her head. Even her nails are painted a pretty pink to finish off the alternate dimension vision.

One part I wish had been given more attention is Asukas face. For a character so full of fire and verve, the ballet figures face is lacking extremely. Her expression is soft and serene, to the point that it’s completely vacant like someone decided to reboot her brain along with her body after “2.22”. Make no mistake, it’s still a beautiful job. It’s just not Asuka.