How hardcore are you when it comes to collecting figures? For some people, they’ve got some anime or video games they love that they’d be happy to have any character from in figure form. Others might have a very specific character who they love, though, and will only make space on their shelf to get a figure of that fav. Or, perhaps, many figures of that fav. Other people might take pride in having the entire cast of a series represented on their figure shelf, especially if they’re all releases from a specific manufacturer. That type of fan, in particular, is likely to be salivating at the latest announcement from Kotobukiya, especially if they’re a fan of Fire Force.
Last week, we reported on the announcement of a new figure by Kotobukiya depicting Shinra Kusakabe, the protagonist of Atsushi Okubo’s shonen fantasy battle manga and currently airing anime Enen no Shouboutai (Fire Force). It’s an absolutely gorgeous statue oozing with fine details and exquisite paintwork. Now, collectors can get a matching figure to go with it in the form of a newly announced statue of Fire Force character Tamaki Kotatsu.
If you aren’t familiar with Kotobukiya, they’re a long-running figure manufacturing company that specializes in high-detail sculpts of iconic characters from all sorts of media. Look at any of their various figure lines, and you’ll see a huge variety represented. Their Ani*Statue line focuses on popular and iconic anime characters, while their Bishoujo line delivers busty and sometimes gender-bent versions of Marvel superheroes, fighting game icons, and famous horror movie killers.
Their ARTFX J line is where this figure of Special Fire Force Company 8 Tamaki Kotatsu comes from, and it’s one of their most impressive lines of products. It’s a series of figures depicting the latest big names in anime and Japanese video games, as well as some old-school favorites, in ultra-premium detail. Crisp paint and hyper-accurate molding are used to ensure the figures capture their characters in incredibly vivid and shockingly high-quality poses. When applicable, the figures also have special material in their sculpting or unique functionality as well. Much like the Shinra Kusukabe figure from this line, special fluorescent paint was used on the blue parts of the Fire Force uniform that Tamaki wears. This means that under black light or dark lighting conditions, her jacket will actually glow with the same neon hue it has in the anime.
There’s plenty of other sharp detail to be impressed by with this Fire Force figure, too. Her face is softly sculpted and gorgeously painted, giving off a cute and relaxed yet also chillingly focused gaze that’s sure to either melt your heart or freeze it. Maybe both. It’s hard not to call attention to the incredible anatomy on display thanks to her open jacket and minimal upper-body clothing. Her stomach has beautifully sculpted definition, while her chest is equally detailed and distractingly large. Beyond natural body detail, the care put into metallic pieces like her Fire Force emblem and firefighter gloves add some incredible variety to the already impressive figure.
The smoke billowing around Tamaki’s feet is impressive, too. There are thick plumes at the bottom and thin, wiggling trails along the sides and top as it dissipates. There’s a beautiful color and sheen to it that gives the effect of the smoke being thick and voluminous. The smoke spirals, as well as the pose that Tamaki Kotatsu is in, are heavily inspired by the cover illustration done by Atsushi Okubo on the original manga’s 7th volume cover.
Fire Force started in 2015 with an impressive run in the Weekly Shonen Magazine. Published by Kodansha, the manga has managed to amass an impressive seventeen full volumes as of July 2019. It was also in July that the anime adaptation of the series premiered, produced by Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime icons David Production. Despite a rocky start after making the decision to delay the airing of some episodes and edit further ones in response to the deadly Kyoto Animation arson attack, Fire Force has managed to maintain momentum and become a huge hit with anime fans this season. While the Shinra Kusakabe ARTFX J figure ships in January 2020, Tamaki Kotatsu fans can grab her figure for $129.99 on March 30th, 2020.
