Wednesday, October 28, 2015

S.H. Figuarts vs Figma as drawing manequinns


Comparing the S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set versus the Figma Archetype He and She, in terms of drawing models, is a little difficult without physically testing out their articulation, side by side, but I can try to compare what we can see from their official photos.  (S.H. Figuarts Man DX figures in gray; Figma Archetype He and She figures in flesh tones.)


The female figures seem pretty much the same to me, except for the articulation at the toes, which are available in the S.H. Figuarts, but not the Figma Archetype.  The S.H. Figuarts waistline has an actual seam delineating it at the natural waistline, while the Figma Archetype She dips the seam to allow the midriff to be a more continuous sculpt.  (This may also allow for more leeway in articulation, but that's just speculation.)  The hip joint sockets for the legs are also a little more visible in the S.H. Figuarts, than the Figma.  The torso seam on both S.H. Figuarts are much lower and allowed to be visible, while the Figma Archetypes try to hide the seam under the bustline.  But without physically comparing their articulation in person, the female figures seem very much the same.  And without comparing those differences, I have no problem skipping the female S.H. Figuarts, since I'm already getting the Figma Archetype She.  (Except for my collector-minded completionist tendencies.  @_@ )  So, unless there is a big difference in actual articulation, or if a collector/artist is swayed by that toe articulation, then a collector/artist can probably just get one female figure, without also buying the other.  


Now the male figures, on the other hand, are much more drastically different.  I was always annoyed with the look of the bustline seam on the Figma Archetype He, while the S.H. Figuarts Man's chest is much more aesthetically pleasing.  But is it better for sketching as a model?  That may depend solely on each artist/collector's preference.  The Figma's pectorals seem more pronounced, while the S.H. Figuarts' pectorals seem flatter.  But while I have an aesthetic preference for the S.H. Figuarts's chest piece, its hip area is a little awkward.  The hips' joints with the legs are extremely pronounced, and while all the extra seams clutter the hips, it could enable superior articulation, for all I know.  But strangely, the S.H. Figuarts' feet (for both genders) are sculpted like the figures are wearing shoes, even though the rest of their bodies are sculpts of bare muscles.  The Figma Archetypes (for both genders), on the other hand, include feet sculpted as if they were bare.  

I already pre-ordered both Figma Archetype figures, so now it’s just a matter of convincing myself to buy or not buy the S.H. Figuarts.  Maybe if Bluefin Tamashii Nations had such a convenient international official online store, like Good Smile Company, I would have already pre-ordered these S.H. Figuarts.  But I’m kind of glad it wasn’t that easy to order, because I really should save my money.  Especially since I’ve already pre-ordered extremely similar figures in the Figma Archetypes.  But in all honesty, I prefer the male S.H. Figuarts and the completionist figure collector in me can't just leave that female S.H. Figuarts as the only one I leave out of my collection.  So even though I am considering also pre-ordering the upcoming Figma Archetype Next He and She, I will probably pick up the S.H. Figuarts Man DX Set if I should see it.  ^^; 

Picture sources:
https://www.facebook.com/Tamashii.USA/timeline/story?ut=43&wstart=0&wend=1446361199&hash=-389610718224917035&pagefilter=3
http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/5177/figma+archetype+she+flesh+color+ver.html
http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/5176/figma+archetype+he+flesh+color+ver.html

No comments:

Post a Comment