Tomoe Mami Ichiban Kuji C Prize Review

Let's Review: Tomoe Mami Ichiban Kuji C Prize 

Time again for another review! This time we're back to Mami and a figure I thought I'd never due to it's sheer size. What I mean by size isn't the scale of the figure itself but, the width it takes up to fit the entire setup into a single frame. You'll understand what I mean a few more lines down the review. Before we get into the review though, let's gloss over some basic information about this epic Mami figure.

As the title mentions, this particular Mami was offered as the C Prize for the Madoka Magica Ichiban Kuji lottery held in June last year. The same one with Ultimate Madoka offered as A Prize and Devil Homura as B Prize, it was a very sought after Kuji even till today! Manufactured by Banpresto, Mami stands roughly 160 mm (6.2 inches) tall. What's impressive isn't so much the height but, the width of it all. That's what you get from having 7 muskets provided!
 

Front View

Starting off the review with a look from the front view, we have Mami posing with her signature percussion locked muskets. Two of them in fact and they're both removable. You can opt to pose with or without them although, admittedly she looks very incomplete without them.

Rear View

Moving to the back, we can see just how well detailed Mami's magical girl outfit is down to the ribbon which is slightly flexible too! Mami's skirt in all its frilly details looks absolutely lovely which matches her pose perfectly. 

Left View

As for the muskets, Mami comes bundled with 5 other muskets that can be mounted into the base. The tips of each musket barrel is bent allowing it to be mounted firmly into the base and replicating the same fighting pose Mami does in the anime. 

Right View

Because the musket Mami holds don't have the bent tip barrel, this means it can't be mounted into the base. Not that it mattered anyway because there are only 5 holes in the base for mounting the muskets. Similar to the one held by Mami, the muskets are an optional part and you can opt-out on it although, let's be fair, you're not going to want to do that. Especially after you've seen the image below.

Such a commanding pose!

Take a step back, zoom out and that's the view of the entire figure. Mami herself is surprisingly slim but, the muskets are so long that from end to end consume so much width. This is, and likely will continue to be for a long period of time, the widest footprint for any figure I have.

With all the basic views covered, let's take a close look at the finer details beginning from the top and making our way down. Along the way, I'll point out a few points of interest here and there and finally, wrap up the review by going through all of my favorite points of this spectacular Mami figure.

Beginning with the facial details, Banpresto has gone with a slightly different facial design for Mami as opposed to what we're used to. The less prominent nose ridge and sharper jawline hark back to the original designs by Ume Aoki which we really don't see to much of. The eyes are still very much Ume Aoki styled with the signature pencil sketch style. A winking expression really helps complete the entire pose too!

Moving onto Mami's hair, beginning with the color, I have to say Banpresto got it spot on with Mami's hair. The blonde color of Mami's hair is neither too saturated or dull, achieving perfect marks in what other Mami figures usually fall behind in terms of.

Of course, the hair isn't just about the color, where detailing and finish matter too. Well, good news as Banpresto does now disappoint in those two categories either. Mami's twin drills are the sculpted perfectly with its asymmetrical design and illusion of volume. The matte finish is also done smoothly with no signs of clumping or imperfections.

Then there is Mami's signature accessories too, let's not forget her huge Soul Gem that she has in the form of her hairpiece. Shaped like a flower, the gold hairpiece is finished of with a clear plastic gem in its center. No complaints about the gold finish but, I would've preferred if the gem was colored in a brighter orange. This way, the colors would really pop and stand out.

Finally, we move on to Mami's beret-styled cap which tops of her entire outfit. You needn't fear about losing the cap as it is permanently glued on. The cap and its accompanying fluffy bit are both just the right size fitting Mami nicely. Not to mention, the finish is good too as there aren't any visible glue marks or paint spillage either.

With the upper portion complete, let's take a close look at one of the more colorful magical girl outfit for Mami. There are two tones of orange used, one for the ribbon, collar highlights and center strip while, the a lighter tone is used for the vertical strips along the side of Mami's corset.

Every little detail in Mami's outfit is taken into account and reproduced surprisingly well. From the oragne ribbon to the fluffy sleeves, they're all very well sculpted.

Even the straps in front have various accompanying holes for the buckle! Then, there's the white ribbon which moves horizontally across her outfit from the front;

And meeting in the back where it joins to form a knot at the back. Note the folds on the side of the corset and the textured patter of the white ribbon, now that's some fine detailing.

What's next? That's right. The muskets!

Each musket is 150 mm and that alone is more than 90% of Mami's entire height. Put both of them together and you're looking at a 300 mm width just from the muskets alone. 

Each one is mounted into Mami's hand by slotting it in with the thumb and index finger as guides. There aren't any pegs to securely fasten the musket and as such, the grip can be pretty loose. I used Blu-Tack to strengthen the grip on the left musket as that one kept falling off. The right one is fine though.

Along with the two she holds, Mami also has an array of muskets behind her ready to take the place of the one she just fired.

Five in total to be exact, each can be swiveled left and right freely upon mounting.

Aside from its length, each musket is extremely detailed too! Each and every ornament along Mami's musket are reproduced faithfully and painted neatly.

Even the finer details along the barrel and flintlock mechanism are present. Each one painted without any sign of paint spillage. Definitely one of the centerpieces for this figure.

Last but not least, we move down to Mami's legs. Knee high boots accompany her striped stocking both of which are nicely detailed and painted. 

If there was on gripe I have for this figure, it would be that her legs are too thin especially around the thigh areas. I don't expect them to be like Sonico's but, these are just much too slim.

From top to bottom and now back to the top again, as I go through all my favorite aspects of this figure before ending my review. 

The Pose. Mami with 7 muskets and such a commanding stance, it's hard to go wrong with that.

That Hair. Simply magical. Also, have you noticed there's no head seam?

That Wink. The perfect Mami expression.

The Little Details. This little hairpiece on the left and various other minor details all over the figure come together to complete the entire figure.

Lastly, those Muskets! Need I say more?

Personally, I'm not fit to make a perfectly objective assessment of this figure. Being the Mami fan that I am, I'd always be inclined to liking any figure of Mami. Nevertheless, if there is one important piece of advice that I can give. That is, if you're planning to get this Mami figure, place it on top of your priority list. She's extremely difficult to find these days and even when she does pop up, it tends to be sold out shortly after. Back then, I only spent 2000 Yen. Now though, you'd be looking at north of 5000 Yen. So, if you're planning on getting her, I suggest you do it soon. 

Well, that's all for today's review. A 360 view will be coming up shortly after. I hope you've enjoyed reading this review and, once again, thank you so much for reading till the end. Until then, have a great day and weekend to come everyone