I’ve always been more than a little tempted by the robotic figures from the Virtual On video game series. With the addition of a Miku Hatsune design to the line, I decided to check out the rather lengthily named Composite Ver. Ka VR-014/HD Fei-Yen HD and have it for today’s review.
Aside from knowing it’s a video game series published by Sega, I’m not too familiar with the Cyber Troopers Virtual-On games. I have thought about buying a figure of the female robot Fei Yen though. Although the overall design of her armor seems to stay mostly the same, the colors and style of her outfit have a wide range. She’s been everything from a hot pink Maid to a tiger striped cat-girl.
Fei Yen’s newest figure has a template based on the virtual singer Miku Hatsune. Personally I think it’s a fantastic blend of the two characters, with neither one overshadowing the other. The body sculpt is plainly Fei Yen’s armor, but the added touches like the necktie, sleeves, and hair are definitely Miku. There’s even that suspender-like strap that hangs off her left hip.
Fei Miku comes with two heads. The first is robotic look of Fei’s design, which I actually prefer. She’s got a visor with a translucent teal strip covering the eyes. This piece would have looked really snazzy with light piping, but instead you have to catch the light at the right angles. She doesn’t have a mouth, but she does have Miku’s headphones/microphone.
The figure’s second head has the cute look of Miku wearing the Fei head like a helmet. I really like the idea behind this sculpt, and I also found it really interesting that Bandai chose to give Miku’s face the same expression exuberant expression as her Figma figure. I’m assuming it comes from some sort of promotional art, but I’m surprised they didn’t try to give the figure a unique look.
Fei Miku also comes with two different styles of hair sculpts. Her normal hair flows downward, expanding into large curves. Something I really like about these pieces is the translucent green panels that run along the inside. If this figure could light up she’d have some really amazing effects from all the clear colored bits.
Miku’s second hair sculpt is more of an action pose, and it depicts her long metallic locks billowing out and flowing around her. For some reason there are no green panels, which I really do miss on this piece, but I really like how much more expressive this hair makes her. Continue to page 2…
Ah, Virtual On Cybertroopers. Years back, it was one of the best games at capturing the feeling of being in a mech, hovering at Mach speed and strafing the crap out of people, or speeding in and meleeing them to death. That game almost made me buy a Dreamcast solely to play it.
The old figures from Kaiyodo are a sore point for me – a few of them started my love affair with articulation, though there was an ocassional durability problem. To this day, I search eBay for an Apharmd figure, only to be met with disappointment.
Looks like the Composite Ver. Ka figures are getting better. It’s too bad that they haven’t made anything I’m interested in; not a fan of Virtual On, Code Geass, or SRW, that Gurren Lagann doesn’t impress me, and there’s really no room for Haruhi in a mech suit in my collection. At least it looks like it’ll be safe to buy once they do make something I like.
Also, glad to see someone else that dislikes those bases. They’ve been using that same base since the old Gundam Fix Figuration series. Now that they have the Tamashii Stage, there’s really no reason to use that old stand. Hell, if they want it pristine and white, just mold the stands in white plastic.
Man…WALL-E looks kinda sad in that last pic…and adorable at the same time….
Another nice review that makes me want to spend money I shouldn’t.
Sadly I’m reminded of how the head of my Fei Yen Tiger version toy came off a few years ago, shortly after I got it.
They need to make a new Virtual On.