Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. Takumi Aldini Mascot Figure

Today is a Sunday and to mark the end of the week, I decided to bring up a little Gashapon figure I got from Tokyo way back in early 2016. This particular mini-figure came from a gashapon machine in Tokyo Skytree that I decided to take a gander with for no particular reason. 

For 300 Yen, my first try landed me with this, Takumi Aldini from Shokugeki no Soma (Food Wars). There were four possible characters to collect and they were Takumi Aldini, Yukihira Soma, Nakiri Erina and Tadokoro Megumi. 

Having no particular character in mind, I did not mind any which I got. Only casually following the series then, I was more curious about how well the mini-figures would look rather than aiming for any particular character. 

To my surprise, the mini-figure was actually fairly well detailed. Aside from having a metal strap to hang it as a charm, there is also an included base which allows Aldini to stand up right. It slots into the back of his feet and is indeed a rather novel solution without needing the traditional round base.

Moreover, the figure was actually pretty well detailed for its size. For starters, the details on the outfit has been nicely reproduced and you can even notice the color gradient in Aldini's hair. 

Facial details are also fairly good with the decals for the eyes being neatly applied. The surface of the hair is not the neatest but, it is molded smoothly. Keep in mind, there is a notable head seam which runs across his head. 

Despite how small the figure is, the details on his chef outfit is actually rather impressive. The buttons are painted neatly as are the cuffs and the collars. You can even notice the crease on his pants!

Here is a closer look at the stand.

Unlike traditional figures, the coating of paint used is rather thin. As such, it is prone to rubbing off especially at the tips of his fingers and hair. Not a big problem when you consider that each only costs 300 Yen to purchase and likely even less to manufacture.

Here is the aforementioned metal chain that screws into the top of Aldini's head. It is a very typical metal chain that is often used for key chains and charms of all sorts. This execution is no different. 

The metal chain can be removed by unscrewing the connection point which allows for the mini figure to be posed without it especially if you opt to display it like a traditional figure.

Of course, removing the screw does leave a hole in Aldini's head. It is not very noticeable so, it should not pose much issues if you do opt to pose it without the chain like I have here.

I do not normally dabble in gashapon figures unless they involve the Madoka Magica series. But, I will admit this was a rather interesting and memorable experience as it was one of the few times I have seen a gashapon only offer four prizes. Essentially, you have a one in four (or 25%) chance of getting the character that you want. 

The figure itself too has been rather surprising sporting good detailing and coloring I would not normally expect from a gashapon figure. It just goes to show how good manufacturers are these days at quality control even in such a small figure. Very interesting indeed!

Who is that in the background?
This is not the only figure I got from the gashapon machine though as a more popular character came out the next time I gave it a go. Who could that be? Stay tuned for all of that and more on Tiro Finale together with our daily content updates. Until the next time, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!

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