Super Sonico Holy Girl Black Version Review

Hello everyone and welcome to another figure review on Tiro Finale! Today, we will be taking a look at FuRyu's Super Sonico Holy Girl Concept Figure Black Version. Yes, it is indeed quite a handful both to say and type and for that reason, we will just be calling her Holy Girl Sonico. A few days back, I offered a quick teaser of what was install for the review with a quick preview & unboxing. In that, I mentioned that my initial impressions of the figure were indeed very good. But, how does it hold up now against closer scrutiny? For that, we will have to find out in this review! Before that, a quick bit of information you might want to know about the figure.

• Manufacturer: FuRyu
• Series: Concept Figure, Super Sonico
• Price: NA (~1,200 - 1,500 Yen)
• Release Date: 08/2016
• Scale: Non-scale (~160 mm)
• Material: PVC

Front View

First up, I do have to apologize for the quality of the photos. The photos were really difficult to take especially with Sonico's jet black outfit throwing off the exposure so often. While there might not be much of it to begin with, it was more than enough to cause its fair share of issues especially between the start contrast between her dark outfit and her light skin tone.

Rear View

Shifting towards the back, you get pretty much the same thing with Sonico sporting nothing more than what appears to be a very skimpy nun outfit, a pair of gloves and a pair of black high heels. A rather seductive look for a nun by any regards.

Right View

The figure itself is rather simple in both outfit and pose with really not much to talk about in terms of detailing. Sonico's dress, headpiece, gloves and heels are all very simple in design with only two fleur-de-lis design on the lower hem of her dress. Some might consider this a negative on FuRyu's part of design but, I would be to differ. In fact, I think the simplicity works very well with the whole Holy Girl concept. 

Left View

We even see that simplicity carry forth to the choice of colors. Aside from the usual skin tone and Sonico's pink hair, the only other main colors on show are black and white. Just like the detailing, this is a case of less is more put into practice. 

So, Sonico does look absolutely ravishing when viewed from afar. But, how does she hold up to closer scrutiny? Let us find out!

We start with the facial detailing which is absolutely faultless. By now, FuRyu has easily produced the most Sonico prize figures among any other manufacturer and their expertise truly show in the final products. Sonico's eyes are large and bright with the matte decals applied neatly. A gentle blush and smile framed by her signature bangs help to frame the instantly recognizable Sonico look. 

Moving on, we shift our focus to Sonico's hair and its finer finish. In the past, FuRyu has always been rather adventurous with the sculpt for Sonico's hair preferring to go for dynamic and dramatic sculpts. Unfortunately, we do not see that here today with Sonico opting for a more composed look. The front end of her hair flows nicely over her shoulders and over her bust with various individual layers giving a real sense of depth. My only complaint would be that some of the strands look rather clumpy and thick. 

Over at the back, Sonico's headpiece covers up most of her hair with only the tip ends visible from particular angles. Sonico's wonderful flowing pink locks may not be on display here but, the lovely sculpt on the headpiece more than makes up for it. Just look at the way the fabric bends and creases almost as if it was the genuine article. Even the outline of Sonico's right hand is visible through the gentle creases of the headpiece!

The headpiece is non-removable and comes fixed on the figure from the moment you unbox it. Fans who want to pose her without the headpiece would be rather disappointed at the lack of customization options. Nevertheless, I think was a necessary sacrifice in order to save cost and not have to engineer a well-hidden connection for the headpiece. It was either that or you would have the option to remove it and have rather ugly connection point when removed. 

FuRyu has been making Sonico figures for many years now as I have made clear earlier in the review. Over the years, they have improved by leaps and bounds namely in their finish quality and sculpting. But, if there was on thing that has not changed all these years, it is Sonico's headphones. 

These things look exactly the same as they did in the earlier Sonico figures with the same rough silver finish and detailing. It is by no means ugly but, seeing no improvements circa 2016 is rather disappointing. 

Oh, well. At least, it does do a good job of covering up any visible head seams. If it were of this quality and did not cover up head seams, that is when I would truly complain against its implementation. For now, such a drawback is nowhere near enough to be considered a deal-breaker. 

Before we shift our focus to Sonico's svelte black dress, let us put the spotlight on Sonico's accessories. She does not have many but, their presence does do a great deal to break the monotony otherwise present upon closer inspection. The first of which are her two silver upper arm rings. These are an accessory commonly seen in Sonico prize figures, that is because they are the connection point for Sonico's upper arm to her torso. By separating the limbs into different parts, manufacturers are able to save cost while maintaining production quality of the figures. The bangles are not necessary but the lack of it would otherwise reveal an obvious seam. As such, I am more than happy to view this recurring feature.

Tucked beneath her pink hair is a white collar which is hardly visible unless you are actively looking out for it. I like this little touch especially since it reminds me of Bunny Girl outfits which have a similar design. 

Besides her bangles and collar, Sonico also has on a pair of pearl white gloves. These gloves are rather shiny giving them the appearance of silk or satin. It is also really shiny!

A quick look at the other bangle on her left arm. As you can see, there are no visible seams at all. Speaking of seams, check out the upper border of Sonico's dress which neatly wraps around her bust with no deformations or glue marks at all. Pretty impressive stuff!

Sonico's hand is also gloved and pointed towards the back adding balance to the standing pose. Just like her other glove, this too is finished in a shiny pearl white finish. Under the right light, it even shimmers a little. 

Now, we shift our focus towards Sonico's black dress which is no doubt one of the biggest draw of the entire figure. The dress' low cut both on top and bottom do little to hide Sonico's ample bosom! Unlike the rest of her outfit which are skin tight, the fabric for the bust portion of Sonico's outfit does look thicker almost as if they are molded cups with the purpose of containing Sonico's large bosom.

The lower half of Sonico's outfit appears to be significantly tighter, clearly showing the outline of her figure including her navel. Towards the lower border of the outfit is a slit which frees up more space for her assets while serving as a little tease factor. 

If there is one thing you can count out when it comes to Sonico figures is the variation in her body shape. Sonico can be anything from a super-slim supermodel to a well-rounded gravure model as originally intended. While FuRyu often leans towards the source material, we can see her that FuRyu did op for a slightly slimmer look with slimmer arms and thighs. Fortunately, the tight outfit does reveal a slight bit of belly which reassures us that Sonico is not unrealistically thin.

All throughout her outfit are two clear seams that can be faintly seen when viewed up close. I am not sure whether the seam is intentional or a by-product of the manufacturing process. My theory? The seam needed to exist to allow manufacturers to piece the dress together and so, the sculptors decided to form the seam along the line where an actual stitch seam would be present in an outfit. For the most part, I think the execution is pretty well done.

The only decoration present on the entire dress are tow white fleur-de-lis designs at the bottom border of her dress. The patterned design is very neatly applied with sharp edges and defined borders. Moreover, it helps to add some much needed contrast in the design. 

Note the creases along where the slit in her dress is. This is very difficult to notice because of the dress' color and will likely be more noticeable in the blue color variant version. 

Yes, Sonico's dress is far too shot barely covering up her bottoms. Then again, what would a Sonico figure be if not accompanied by excessive sex appeal?

Taking a look at Sonico's back, we can notice the gentle creases in her back where the fabric is significantly looser as it is under less pressure in the front. No surprise as to why there is so much pressure up front.

If you are wondering, her panties are white befitting of the Holy Girl image.

No stockings here, just Sonico's bare legs and pair of black high heels.

Sonico's long slender legs are well sculpted from her thighs to her ankles.

It is nice to see that FuRyu has not forsaken another of Sonico's great features.

Wrapping up the whole Holy Girl look are a pair of black high heels. While not too dramatic in terms of design, these pair of heels at a sultry touch to the entire look. If you look hard enough, you will even notice the slight glitter incorporated into the black paint which is present throughout all the black parts in her outfit. 

The base may be round and black but, it is anything but simple. The white medieval and cobweb patterns contrasting against the black base evokes an almost Halloween-like feel which explains why Sonico is dressed as a nun. A very simple touch but, one that adds plenty of story telling to the entire figure. Design aside, the base also serves an important functional piece where it securely mounts the figure upright. One peg in each leg secures a tight fit meaning you never have to worry about the figure falling off.

Before I come to the conclusion on this figure, we must first discuss the issue of price. Despite being a relatively recent release (August 2016), I only had to pay 1,200 Yen for her which is peanuts when you compare just how much scale figure cost there days. 

But, that is before you factor in the simplicity of the figure's design and the fact that more elaborate Sonico prize figures can be gotten at a similar price point. Suddenly, the issue of value comes into question especially when there is only so much you can spend with a limited budget. 

This is where things start to become tricky when you begin to actively compare one Sonico figure to another. Make no mistake, this is a very competent Sonico figure with flaws far and few in between. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this Sonico prize figure is perfect save for the slightly plain pose and colors. 

So, what do you do? My advice? Unless you really really like the design and nun concept, you should prioritize other Sonico prize figures first. This recommendation is made over several factors. The first, as I have mentioned above, is price where you can get far more intricate and detailed Sonico prize figures for the same price. Secondly, there is the matter of age. Having been released in 2016, this is one of the more recent Sonico figures. As such, it can still be found abundantly in the market. It would be much wiser to focus on the older Sonico figures which may soon be no longer available in the re-sellers market.

Before we end the review, it is important to note that FuRyu also produced a metallic blue color variation of this figure. For all the "complaints" I have about the bland design, the metallic blue variant may just add the touch of uniqueness that I am looking for. I plan to review that version in the future too so, do stay tuned with that!

All in all, the Holy Girl Sonico is a faultless figure. This was a prize figure that I have been looking forth to for a long time since laying eyes on the original illustration. At the end of this review, I can gladly report that she lives up to my expectation and more. And because I have all the Sonico prize figures that I ever wanted prior to getting her, she becomes that much more special upon receiving her.

With that, comes an end to our review of FuRyu's Super Sonico Holy Girl Concept Figure Black Version. I hope you enjoyed it and found it informative in guiding your next figure purchase. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me in the comments section below, I would love to hear what you think. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!