Going back to my collection, I decided to go ahead and do another "2.0" review on my #Bishoujo X-Force Psylocke. This is another beauty I have had for a long while now and I want to give it proper love by going over its details again in this blog. Without further adieu, let's get right into the Bishoujo review.
The box is somewhere but I don't have easy access to it at the given moment. It's nothing special. It's a white box like most Bishoujo statues and it's not a SDCC exclusive or anything like that. I suppose the only thing really different about seeing it unboxed is the immediate clue that this statue is more horizontal than it is vertical; gives you time to look at your spacing.
As usual, there is a sense of dynamic with this statue. Psylocke is crouching down, her posture suggesting that she just landed ready to go for the kill. And yes, kill, the is X-Force Psylocke. Betsy Braddock might be very lethal and deadly in this particular outfit but Kotobukiya ensured that the level of sexiness is still intact. The pose, while does works out for what she is doing/about to do, does serve to entice. The way her legs are placed, the natural way her assets just jut out (both front side and back). Her arms are also placed well and both doing drastically different things: her left hand between her legs, helping her maintain her balance and her right hand holding her katana in the air. The one thing that Kotobukiya does well and I don't think I have talked about as much (or in detail) is that they have an amazing way of showing strain in muscles, most notably on her armpit. And overall, Bishoujo is good at showing anatomy even if they are a bit stylized and exaggerated to fit fan service. The clothing also helps appeal to a certain preference. I love that her top is being stretched out due to her breasts. The tautness of the straps on her arms and legs also do a fine job showing friction between clothing and skin, which, is part of the appeal for sure. The wrinkles on other areas that are stressed due to body movement are also apparent. Again, it's Bishoujo's way of really paying attention to detail.
Of course, Bishoujo doesn't lose their touch when it comes to adding dynamics on something like hair or loose clothing article. Psylocke's hair and sash are both moving due to the implied moving. It's something I can appreciate, that's for sure. If there is one thing lacking it's going to be the base; the snow looks a bit odd but I don't mind them not giving it as much attention as the rest of the statue. Though to be perfectly, it's a detailed enough base compared to some other Bishoujos.
The paint job will get very little qualms from me. It is as impressive as the other Bishoujos I have touched lately. Despite Psylocke having very little color variation, they still managed to add depth in the areas that they could. The suit doesn't have a lot of paint detail but the color that it is given allows for light to play its own illusion due to it being able to take in light organically. Though I'm not sure Betsy would want a reflective suit when stealth-ing around, it does work on its own right as a PVC statue. Her skin gets shadowing in areas that would need it and her face is just well done (more on that). Of course, we get the signature hair trick and what I mean by that is simply stating that Kotobukiya gave X-Force Psylocke the transparent tips.
While not looking like an exact replica of my favorite Psylocke look (the Jim Lee days), she is beautiful. The cool thing about the way they decided to paint Psylocke is that she has this killer look to her, which definitely harkens to her X-Force mindset: killing is a must in their line of work.
Close and far, this statue is a beauty in my collection.
There is a SDCC exclusive back in 2014 of this same statue. It goes back to Psylocke's traditional X-Men color which, by all accounts, looks amazing. I posted the promotional shot but looking at in-hand pictures, she looks just as amazing. They added that psi-blade like effect just to give it more incentive for a collector to buy a repaint. Any die hard Psylocke fan would definitely bite, but unfortunately, I had to pass.
In conclusion, X-Force Psylocke is another win in Kotobukiya's long list of successful Bishoujo statues. Well sculpted, beautifully painted, nicely posed, she's splayed out and definitely demands the attention of one's shelf as she deserves. So yeah, can't sing anymore praise to this. Psylocke also happen to be one of my favorite Marvel gals so that's always a plus. To any Bishoujo collectors out there, if you are able to find her for a decent price I highly recommend doing so. Other than that, it's all I got!
Until Next Time!
