Ah, yes! It's the #Figma Elsa that I wanted so bad way back when! Over the years, I have gone through some love-and-hate with this action figure. Well, without going too much in the intro, let's get into Figma Elsa's review 2.0!
Elsa's box is definitely the biggest and widest Figma box I have come across so far. It's actually comedic that Figma had to accommodate this size due to Elsa's 'accessories'. Though is it justified?
Clearly, I have already opened the figure and taken Elsa out of the box. Just imagine her there, eh? But despite the gigantic box that I feel unnecessary, it's quite a decorated thing. It actually does a fine job paying homage to Elsa and her world, her lore, and her theme. It makes me slightly curious why they didn't give Elsa her famous ice castle as the backdrop rather than Arendelle. Guess it might be too much blue? Maybe?
And typical Figma fashion, the back of the box showcases some of the things the action figure is capable of. Most of it is, of course, popular Elsa poses we have seen through stockpile images and/or marketing. But it is nice to see them replicated in plastic form.
As far as Elsa's accessories, she comes with a decent amount. I don't collect Figma as much as I used to (if at all), but I would say this is standard with a bit of flare (more on that). One 'magic snow' effect did break on me and it's the one shown on the top picture. The little pegs and the hole on her hand really don't mesh as well as it should. Another gripe I have is that one pair of hands is near to useless--the 'holding' hands--unless she's going to be holding Olaf's hand (or Anna's, who Figma did not make), to me, it's a useless alternate hand.
The alternate faces are just fine. They actually resemble Elsa quite well. The three options given to us are adequate. She has a smiling face that is just heart warming.
A singing and/or yelling face. My least favorite but still looks like Elsa.
The last face is the 'confident/sassy' expression. Something that I adore so much. Out of the three, this is my favorite. And all three faces have the eye articulation function. A feature that annoys me in most action figures but with Elsa, I actually quite like!
Then the last 'accessory' is Olaf. Now, Olaf is definitely a big accessory. He can't exactly be called another figure because he has very limited articulation and the details are not the most extravagant--not that Olaf needs a lot of details, but to justify an Olaf 'action figure' to a collector like myself, one should give him a lot more.
Just like Elsa, Olaf gets the articulated eyes treatment. And honestly, from what I have experienced with this kind of gimmick, Elsa and Olaf provide a much more satisfying experience. Easy to move with the 'pick' provided and much easier to line up the eyes so they're not crosseyed or anything. Still, one has to be extremely attentive or you'll get an Elsa completely offputting. Olaf having 'derpy' eyes is actually quite in character so that's fine.
Now on to the Snow Queen herself! As usual, I will point out that her "Let it Go" dress is not my favorite outfit she wore. I actually like her Coronation outfit way more--but of course, this is the outfit that she got famous for and that hairstyle... it's definitely my favorite style! But I understand why Figma decided to go with this outfit. It is her iconic dress and from Halloween costumes to lunchboxes, posters, etc, this dress is the money maker so Figma followed the trend. Also, I'm not griping that much since it did allow me to have a Figma Elsa.
Now as much as I like Elsa and as much as I appreciate this action figure, there are some areas that I really do not find as pleasing as it should. For one, the joints on this gal are just too obvious. I don't mind the elbow joints but the ones on her shoulders are just jarring at times. Her signature cape is probably one of her most annoying parts because it is stiff, it falls off her back easily, and since it's 3-pieces, it just falls apart way too easily. Though, honestly, other than going with real cloth, I'm not sure how else her iconic cape would go in Figma form.
Though the sculpt is quite good. Her hair especially. It's Elsa's signature braid. Her long skirt is done well too. Wish some of her snowflake designs on her sleeves were sculpted on. But hey, can't complain since her face (all three) are executed well!
Then there's a paint job that is... questionable in some areas and fantastic in others. I'm not sure what it is but the colors don't coincide as fluidly as I would like between her cape, her sleeves, and her dress. I know what they were going for but the dress and the sleeves look a bit too matted. Compared to the cape that is transparent and glossy--again, it just doesn't flow as much as it should. I know it's hard to pull off, but the consistency and the mystique of Elsa's 'ice-dress' was always part of the appeal. I say the bust is the only thing that really got that idea. Everything else is okay. Her hair could be a little brighter, but it's fine. Her face is fine.
Articulation is decent until we get to the legs. Now I can't take away from Figma too much since Elsa doesn't do a whole lot of dynamic stuff (Frozen 2 Figma, please?). She runs, she sings, she runs, she cries, and she does a small little battle segment. I didn't expect a whole lot of articulation but there are too many things hindered. Her legs, forget it. There's a small gap on her dress that allows for a 15-degree movement, but other than that, it's not there. Her cape is also stiff and flimsy--falls off too easily and I can't really pose her without it coming off.
The usual swivels on her hands, elbows, waist, and head work fine. Standard Figma stuff. There is a small hair articulation--I wish it can fully rotate to go behind her rather than fall on her left shoulder; can't really fault Figma for that since Elsa's signature braid always falls on her left shoulder throughout most of the film and through promo pics.
I am glad that the eyes gimmick is around. It does allow options to pose Elsa.
Here is Figma Elsa next to some of my Elsa collectibles; Sega Elsa & Bruni and POP Dark Sea Elsa. She looks good next to them, though there is a sense of clunkiness with her next to her others. Know what I mean?
Hard to recommend this Elsa. When I initially bought her, she was just as pricey as your current day #Bishoujos without the fancy details. She's cheaper now in most places but still a hard buy. Don't get me wrong, I like Figma Elsa but just too many things going against it. If Figma ever does anything with Elsa, I think they have a good base with Frozen 2's default outfit for Elsa. I'm hoping. Otherwise, I'd prefer my Elsa with POPs or with high-quality statues. Other than that, it was nice to revisit this figure though. She still stays in my main display so obviously she has something going for her.
Until Next Time!
