Armitage III (3D Animation from Japan)

So why does it fail to catch my imagination? Well, for a few reasons.

First, the underwear on the outside. It reminds me very much of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and the truly bizarre Tim Curry in lingerie. I’ve got nothing against people wearing lingerie. In fact I can often be found leafing through the latest Victoria Secret catalogue marveling at what they’re doing with fabrics these days, but I’ve always found it a little disturbing when it’s worn on the outside. Second, while the sculpt is good and the detail high, she just can’t be posed very well. She almost looks like a hunchback, leaning off to her right. Couple this with limited articulation and you get poseability problems. Position her left arm in the "firing" position, with her gun hand hanging at her side. That’s my recommendation. You can have her gun hand in the firing position but her arm looks funny because of the sculpt.

Her gun hand is molded to easily hold the gun. The sunglasses fit snuggly to her face thanks to a groove on either side of her head. The last accessory, the handcuffs, don’t really have any place to go and they’re so tiny that they’ll soon be lost. (Check the vacuum cleaner.) Then there’s the whole leather/lingerie combo that kind of puts a different spin on the handcuffs.

Playability is low. The lack of articulation is the main reason, but her "jetpack" also affects the score. It is easily ripped off, and nearly impossible to repair. The articulation doesn’t allow much variety is what you can do with her. As already mentioned, the accessories are small so you might consider gluing them in place if you’re going to play with her. She is in good proportion to other figures in the Anime line so she’s not a total loss.

In the end, you’d best be served by installing her on her circular base and putting her on display. Definitely one for Anime fans, and not little kids.

- Omni