We should all know about Haruhi by now, either through the anime series The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya or by the internet phenomenon that originated the dance craze that is the ‘Hare Hare Yukai.’ There’s lots to like about Haruhi, even if you don’t exactly care for her, but today we’ll do just that.
Haruhi, in the show, is effectively a God. Though she’s never realised it, her feelings tell her that something is not right with the world, and thus goes out of her way to discover the world’s secrets that she is so sure of it having. She forms the SOS Brigade, a group dedicated to (mainly) the discovery of such phenomena like Espers, Aliens, and even Time Travelers. The great thing is, when she chose her members, she unwittingly found these entities, though for reasons unknown to her, they do not reveal their true identities to her. Thus the real fun begins.
So yeah, definitely a show to look into, and with a new series in the works, we can expect to see even more Haruhi hijinks in the years to come. The figma of Haruhi (you know the drill, made by Max Factory, awesome articulation/detail/fun, etc) is about as standard as you can get. But is she any less fun? Of course not, and any self-respecting fan of Haruhi should enjoy this figma.
Kitted out in her sailor-esque school uniform, Haruhi is just as you’d remember her from the show, and with a good swag of accessories, she can also take on other, minor forms. Included with her are a total of five alternate sets of hands, which should allow you to act out any part of the ‘Hare Hare’ if you so please. We also get a total of three faces, one of quiet confidence, one of elated confidence, and one of arrogant confidence (though this one could also go under the category of bitter – she’s quite moody).
Other accessories include her megaphone-type-thingy that she uses to unfairly command her fellow members with biased authority. Fixed to a separate hand, you could even have her hit others over the head with it whenever you’re feeling a bit sadistic. Haruhi comes with two armbands also, well detailed with tiny pins and the fine writing of “Team Leader” and “Super Director” respectively. These can be alternated by removing her whole left arm and sliding them off, which is a minor chore.
Another thing we get to swap around, though a lot easier to do, is Haruhi’s shoes. For those who don’t know/care, students usually have a dedicated pair of shoes kept in a locker near the indoor entrance of their school. It’s here that they will change out of the pair of ‘outdoor’ shoes they’ll wear to and from school, and swap them for these ones, which they’ll wear pretty much the whole time they’re attending. A nice detail that is used on all the Haruhi figma line.
Onto the figure in general now, which, as I said earlier, is classic figma. No fancy extra joints or stand attachments to complete her; when Haruhi’s out of the box, that’s how she is. Her hair – though brown – gets darker as you near the tips, her familiar yellow ribbon is at parts made of a softer plastic, meaning it’ll move slightly and allow it to ‘float’ (the red ribbon hanging from her neck has the same detail). The skirt is short: not too short, not too long, It’s the Goldilocks version; just right. And Haruhi wears knee-high black socks to complete her dress.
The figma functionality is evident here, the range of poses is as per usual fantastic and you’ll run out of ideas before Haruhi runs out poses. Included also is the classic three-joint clear figma stand, which only allows you a great range of poses (who said Haruhi can’t fly?). Though the biggest complaint of the figma itself is her legs, which, while well done and all, aren’t ‘real’ enough. Yes, humans have a natural concave at the back of their upper leg, just above the knee, but this severe? No. And the hyper-extension we can get while pushing her leg as far forward as possible is impossible. Though this is something few will care about, it’s worth noting I guess.
So, there you have it, another fine entry into the series, even if it was one of the first.While the Japanese Yen is absurdly strong against my local Australian Dollar, I can’t recommend that figma are a cheap alternative to the slew rigid models alternatively offered, but if you’re after a Haruhi figure that’s great to display and pose, this is the current pick of the litter.
Originally written 14-12-2008 here.