The figma series is a Japanese action figure line produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. The product series is developed by the CEO of Max Factory, Max Watanabe, as well as Masaki Apsy, and focuses on creating highly articulated hand-sized figures with a focus on popular anime characters. Each figma is sold with various accessories such as exchangeable faces, hands and other optional parts. Occasionally figma figures are based on other subjects such as characters from the Japanese voice synthesizing software Vocaloid, to the popular Nintendo game series such as The Legend of Zelda and the Metroid series. A few figma figures are based on real people, such as a figma of Michael Jackson from his "Thriller" music video.
History
The first figma was a special editionHaruhi Suzumiya based on and bundled with the PS2 game, Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi. It was released on January 31, 2008 with the product code SP001. Later in 2008, the first mass-produced figma, Yuki Nagato from the series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was released. The figma series has now surpassed its 300th release. To commemorate the release of the 200th Figma, GSC announced on their web site, a 2.0 version of the popular vocaloid, Hatsune Miku
Specifications
The figma series is an articulated series of figures made from ABS and PVC. Each figure includes a special stand that is used to hold it up as well as create varying poses. The height of the figures are around 13 cm, but vary depending on the height of the base character. Prices also vary, however most figmas are between 3000 and 6000 Japanese yen. Each figma usually comes with a number of different expressions and optional extras which can be switched out any number of times. Parts can also be traded between different figma figures, allowing collectors to swap parts and create unique combinations. A flexible plastic is used in areas likely to be hindered by poses. The figma motto is Yoku ugoku, kirei which translates into 'Moves well, looks good', which sums up the main purpose of the figma series. According to the official site, the concept of the series is summarized by the following four points:
Allows for both beauty and poseability: The figma series is designed to not only be highly articulated, but also well-sculpted and nice to look at.
Unique customization for every character: Each character is designed separately and in proportion with the original designs.
Hand-size figures: figmas are made about the size of a hand for ease-of-posing and display.
Use of the unique figma joints: The figma joints are highly precise and allow for great torque, allowing collectors to easily create the poses they desire.
Figma products
A number of figma related products and product lines exist, as described below. figma Series The primary figma series is split into three different variants:
Normal edition figmas with three-digit product codes, such as 001
Special edition figmas with three-digit product codes preceded by SP, such as SP001—usually bundled with a video game, manga, or DVD
Limited edition figmas with three-digit product codes preceded by EX, such as EX001, sold at events such as Wonder Festival, a semi-annual event hosted by Good Smile Company, sometimes released via mail-order or through online orders
di:stage The di:stage is a display unit for figma figures. The base unit is a 10 cmx 10 cm stage with multiple joints to create different background landscapes. This base unit can be expanded with additional purchases. ex:ride The ex:ride series is a set of vehicles for figma figures—including bicycles, motorbikes, etc. figma vehicles The figma vehicles line is a set mostly dedicated to the vehicles of the anime Girls und Panzer, which focused on the Panzer IVAusf. D configuration, a World War II-era medium battle tank that was driven by the main cast of the series. The tank is not officially scaled, but the size is roughly of a 1:12 tank model kit. It is pre-built, with some minor assembly. The figma crew fits inside. The first vehicle, the Panzer IV Ausf. D "Finals" version, was released on October 2015, with the price of ¥14,800 .
