(Editor’s Note: Kon-ni-ni-ni-ni-chiwa! Welcome to my first ever figure review! The article you are about to read went through a lot of self-inflicted hardships before getting published here: lazy time, panic moments beating deadlines, production costs, etc. This is the first and hopefully not the last of my monthly review of Fairy Tail figures, so I hope you get something from it and convince you to start your own collection! Now without much further ado, let’s get started!)
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“Open! The gate of the Maiden!!! Virgo!”
Gracing the blog’s pilot review is none other than Good Smile Company’s (GSC) Lucy Heartfilia. Being the first ever figure that I got to own, GSC’s Lucy holds a special place in my heart, and that is enough reason for her to kickstart this blog’s reviews section.
Aside from being my first figure, GSC’s Lucy is also the first ever scale figure of the celestial wizard. That is, if we are not counting Sega’s or Taito’s prize figures Lucy. She was released in 2013 and was followed by a couple of more Fairy Tail wizards from the same company a year after.
Back in 2013, there was a limited choice of figures from Fairy Tail, so when GSC announced and opened the pre-orders for Lucy, I immediately dug in. GSC basically shed the light for us fans to actually own a decent figure from series, and eventually had us hope for more. And now that she is here, it’s a dream come true…
Having that said, let’s cut the drama and get the ball rolling!
Packaging
When I first laid my hands on Lucy, I was very amazed with her box. Being my first figure, it was the first time I saw an actual box of a scaled figure, so of course it was memorable. Plus, she stayed inside her box for more than 2 years, so I was only able to stare at her through the plastic window until very recently.
Anyway, I was impressed by the window on the front part with a visible Fairy Tail mark at that moment, and the printed LUCY in blue is catchy. I like how they added the logo’s “tail” on the text as well. And as usual, an image of the Lucy figure is also printed.
The back shows more images of Lucy from the official promo shot.
If there’s one thing to comment about the box, it’s the choice of color GSC used. I mean, why orange? I think it tells nothing about Lucy’s character. Personally, I prefer boxes that tell something about the character, so it will be worthy to keep. But anyway, it’s nothing important and looks nice so I guess that can be overlooked.
Posing
GSC’s Lucy is based on the cover illustration of the manga’s 9th volume which shows the celestial wizard in her signature summoning pose.
I must say Masa, the sculptor, did a pretty good job showing dynamism to the figure in some little ways. Despite the source material being just in a standing and slightly leaning position, dynamism can be seen in the actual figure with Lucy’s skirt fluttering about and her hair slightly waving in midair, thus implying movement albeit small.
Her left hand stretching while holding one of her celestial key also added to the overall feels of this figure.
It is a well-known fact that Lucy is not a melee type wizard that goes hand-to-hand in battling, as she relies on her celestial spirit to fight in her stead, so it is quite challenging to show her in action. But the choice of pose GSC opted to do is already satisfying for me. At least, they did not rely on Lucy’s fan-servicey side so it’s a win-win for me, who is not a fan of that aspect of the series.
In addition, the choice of clothes is a plus point for me. I like Lucy in her classic outfit better. It reminds me of how I fall in love with the show when I first watched it.
Paint Job and Details
As expected from GSC, they pulled off an excellent quality when it comes to the paint job and details for this figure.
The paint job was very neatly done, with very little to no messy parts at all. The shading on her outfit as well as in the other parts was nicely executed too.
The little details in this figure like the creases on her top, the folds on her skirt and the details on her belt says a lot about the company’s top-notch works.
One thing I really like the most about this figure is Lucy’s guild mark. In my opinion, GSC was very spot on with its color, and of course it was neatly painted on the back of her hand.
Another exceptional work worthy of mention is the paint job on Lucy’s boots. GSC opted to listen to the fans when they pointed how off the black boots were during the announcement of the painted prototype. And so they changed it to a glossy brown paint, which added a different splash of color in this figure.
And of course, the sculpt details is amazing.
In addition, it’s worth noticing how GSC paid attention to little details like in Lucy’s leggings. Those were neatly sculpted instead of just painting parts of her legs black. As a result, it added a nice touch to the figure, as if her legs were being pinched by the tight leggings.
The shading, muscles and curves on her legs were also nicely done.
In the picture below, you will also notice her pink finger nail. Each finger nail was painted with pink, which is a very nice touch. Such details are very impressive.
Head Sculpt
After a few years in collecting, I’ve come to appreciate details and what to look for in a figure. And the head, specifically the face plays the biggest part in the totality of my satisfaction for an item.
As for this figure, I must say there are some points worthy of mentioning to improve the overall quality of Lucy.
Looking at her face, the first and foremost I noticed was her mouth. It is very striking that it will leave an impression to you, whether it’s good or bad. And for me, it slightly put the figure off in some ways. I guess they could have just stuck with her lips just being also white, or lined it with a lighter shade of black somehow?
I am no expert in proportionality or whatnot, heck I even suck at drawing and arts, but I guess the face could have been slightly improved if they made the eyes a little edgier instead of rounded. I think this aspect is slightly off from the original source, which will make you have second-thoughts if this is really Lucy, if not for her hair and outfit.
Although one good point about the head is her hair. It is very Lucy and the bow added to the overall cuteness and appeal of this figure.
Very nice details at the back of her head.
I may just be being too meticulous when it comes to the face, but overall it’s not a really bad thing. GSC still did a nice work for their take on Lucy, so cheers to that!
Base
Another thing that catches my attention when seeing a new figure is the base. In my opinion, the base adds a lot of feels to the totality of the figure, so overly detailed bases are instant plus points for me. (I’m looking at you, Tsume’s Gray and Lucy!)
With that said, the GSC Lucy’s base doesn’t make much of an appeal since it is plain and simple. But being plain and simple has its own merits too.
The simplicity of the base, in my opinion, suits the actual figure very well. I mean it’s not too flashy to take the spotlight away from the figure, and it’s not too boring for it to be left out. Personally, I like the color combination used in this base.
I’d also like to point out the pegs in the base. It is removable instead of the usual fixed ones, and I am not sure what it is for. I think I would have appreciated it more if it was fixed, since it’s kinda annoying that it often gets removed every time I try putting Lucy in place.
The only thing that should have been considered carefully is the license text being clearly visible from the upper part of the base. Since the base uses clear plastic, the license text can be clearly seen from this angle.
Bonus Accessories and Features
GSC’s Lucy comes with a few accessories which is another additional point for me. You have the option to display her with her celestial key, a belt pouch and a hand bag.
Lucy is not Lucy without her celestial key. Like everyone else, I also noticed how the golden key she has came simple without much detail like how a celestial key should be. It is understandable since it is really tiny, but it is always better if we get more details for things like these.
On the contrary, her matching belt pouch and hand bag are both impressive.
The belt pouch, which holds her celestial keys, has nice details and neat paint job, although you have to take note that you cannot actually open it.
Also, putting it on her waist can be quite a challenge, since you will have to split her body in half to place the belt pouch. Pulling off her lower body from the upper part is simple, but removing and placing back the skirt is tricky. I was very careful when I’m assembling her, because I don’t want to end up ripping her skirt like what happened with my Gray’s shirt from the same company. But it seems pretty sturdy, so no worries.
Then her hand bag, like the belt pouch, cannot be opened as well. But it is enough to appreciate the details and quality made for this accessory.
Unlike the boots, it has a matte paint which is perfect for a leather look.
One downside of the hand bag is that it doesn’t rest perfectly on her shoulder. The strap keeps falling every time you move her that it gets frustrating sometimes.
I was quite pleased with the accessories, since this is the only figure so far which has this much accessory that came with the character.
Moreover, this figure is also a castoff. You can actually remove her top and skirt, which requires a lot of efforts to do. However, as I’ve said previously, I am not a fan of the fan-servicey side of the figure, so I’m not putting images of her in her underwear. If you want it, then it is time to snag a copy of her and see for yourself, or search the net if you badly want to witness her in pantsu.
Scale and Price
I’m no expert when it comes to scale comparisons, but I think Lucy seems small for a 1/7 scale (approximately 210mm in height). She is almost as big as Tsume’s 1/8 Fairy Tail figures, and smaller compared to Kotobukiya’s 1/7 scale figure I own.
But if I will be asked, I guess her retail price of ¥8,381 is justifiable for its superb quality. I’m not really paying attention to prices when it comes to figures I like, so it’s up to you if the price is just about right.
Final Thoughts
GSC’s Lucy might not be the flashiest figure you can ever own, but she sure is a nice figure for every Fairy Tail fans out there (and I think she might be the most decent Lucy so far). She is very pleasing once you get to own her, always giving you that familiar vibe that the Fairy Tail guild is known for.
If you are planning to get Natsu and Gray from the same company, getting Lucy is definitely a MUST!
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RATINGS
Head Sculpt: 7
Posing: 8
Paintjob: 9
Base: 7
Box: 8
Credit Points: +0.5 (cast-off-ability), +0.5 (accessories)
OVERALL RATING: 8.0
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Pros: Superb quality | Nice set of accessories | Cast-off-ability
Cons: Face is a bit off (for me) | License text visible on the clear base | Height seems small for 1/7 scale
Check out the full gallery below for more photos. (Click on any image to launch a slideshow)
Fairy Tail Corner 