The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series has more merchandise coming out than most people know what to do with. Towels? Check. Pillow cases? Check. Porno parodies? Got you covered.

For those of us you who aren’t as…adamant as the hardcore fans like me who has all those things, there are traditional items readily available, such as action figures. Japanese company Max Factory has launched a new line of figures known as figma, combining both a high number of articulation points as well as a high quality sculpt. The first in this new line of 5 inch figures is Yuki Nagato.

For those of you who don’t know her character, Yuki is an artificial human created by the “Integrated Data Entity” for the purpose of keeping an eye on Haruhi Suzumiya, the titular character of the series. A very quiet girl, Yuki is usually seen with her nose in a book while Haruhi torments the rest of the SOS Brigade. Underneath that quiet exterior lurks some amazing abilities and powers.

 

The presentation of the figure is done with class. The box features a window, allowing you to see Yuki along with most of her accessories laid out in a clamshell tray, which is set against a mirrored background. The package itself features several shots of poses Yuki can be made to do, all done against a white and light blue color scheme that is very easy on the eyes.

The sculpt and articulation on this figure is nothing short of praiseworthy. Yuki has a number of articulation points, all of which can stay tight due to the use of pegs. On that note, some people who prefer these points be hidden may be disappointed with how the figure is presented here, and may complain about the marionette look. That said, I have no qualms with that aspect, especially given the flexibility of poses that can come from this figure. The only minor knock I have against this figure is the neck, which is slightly both too long and too thin.

There’s little to speak of regarding the paint. There is detail on her uniform, socks and eyes, all done very cleanly, but overall each piece of the figure were cast in the color needed.

As you can see, Yuki comes with a number of accessories. You have an alternate face with glasses, another pair of shoes, a chair, and two books, one opened and one closed. There’s also a number of hands with various gestures, which allows for a number of various poses. Best yet is that Max Factory actually included a ziplock bag to keep all of these accessories in. Ingenious. Why hasn’t someone thought of this sooner? I hope other toy companies are follow suit.

A stand is also included, allowing for support in case you want some more dynamic shots.

Overall, there’s little to complain about the figure. The attention to detail, the numerous accessories and interchangeable parts are all of high quality. With the rest of the cast scheduled to appear in the future (Haruhi is next, followed by Kyon), and a number of other shows getting the figma treatment (such as Fate/Stay Night and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), it’s hard to resist the figma line.  I should know - I plan on getting them all!