Originally posted on MyFigureCollection (Mar 17, 2022)
BIG GRAIL REVIEW: BASARA NEKKI 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Soundtrack for this review: Totsugeki Love Heart by Fire Bomber, Fukuyama Fire!! ver.
I'm going to try to remain as objective as possible in this review, but it's fair to mention beforehand that this IS my favourite show, however I am well aware of it's flaws. This review contains no spoilers.
Macross 7 is absolutely nothing like it's predecessors, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross or Macross Plus. That is most likely why it gets such a bad rep - people went in expecting what is basically the opposite of what they got. Macross 7 is a heavily character-driven show and it takes it's time away from the plot to really develop it's characters, which is something I personally thought SDF and Plus criminally lacked.
Macross 7 is absolutely nothing like it's predecessors, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross or Macross Plus. That is most likely why it gets such a bad rep - people went in expecting what is basically the opposite of what they got. Macross 7 is a heavily character-driven show and it takes it's time away from the plot to really develop it's characters, which is something I personally thought SDF and Plus criminally lacked.
INTRO WHERE I TALK ABOUT BASARA
When ITEM #919648 was first announced, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people who commented both on the figure's page and on my page, being excited for me finally being graced by a long-overdue scale figure of my favourite character. I still think this is one of the most wholesome things that ever happened to me online. I mean... just look at all these:
Y'all... ToT
For those who don't know me since my activity in the articles has dropped a bit in the past years, Macross 7 has been one of my favourite shows for some years now, and Basara has been an extremely important character for me. I won't go into too much detail about it again, as I've written a long post about him years ago, and if you want to see even more, I've also written a massive analysis of his character here on my fan site, but to keep it short...
I am very emotionally invested in this character, as I relate to him very much. I believe him to be one of the best written artist-type characters I've ever seen in anime and he is a huge inspiration to me, as his ideology very closely matches mine. He is someone who, despite his own tendency to be somewhat of a reclusive introverted loner, truly believes in the good in humanity and, through his aggressive pacifism and his songs, actively does all in his power to make people just get along. He's someone who doesn't like being around people, yet he loves them, and he wishes they could love themselves and each other as well - that's what nearly every single one of his songs is about, and why his catchphrase is calling out for you to hear him out.
I am very emotionally invested in this character, as I relate to him very much. I believe him to be one of the best written artist-type characters I've ever seen in anime and he is a huge inspiration to me, as his ideology very closely matches mine. He is someone who, despite his own tendency to be somewhat of a reclusive introverted loner, truly believes in the good in humanity and, through his aggressive pacifism and his songs, actively does all in his power to make people just get along. He's someone who doesn't like being around people, yet he loves them, and he wishes they could love themselves and each other as well - that's what nearly every single one of his songs is about, and why his catchphrase is calling out for you to hear him out.
I often find myself in a similar boat of being thoroughly exhausted with humanity, yet willing to give so much benefit of the doubt. If I can make someone's day brighter, it makes my day. If my art can make someone happy, I achieved my goal. I love Basara Nekki because I get him and I completely understand what he is all about, which is sadly not something I can say for many Macross fans.
There are very, very few characters I've loved as much and for so long as Basara Nekki - so that might put into perspective of just how excited I was to finally be able to receive a figure deserving of his character!!
There are very, very few characters I've loved as much and for so long as Basara Nekki - so that might put into perspective of just how excited I was to finally be able to receive a figure deserving of his character!!
Aight, to the review now! IKUZE!!
PRELUDE
I received notice of an arrived package, but as it's common in these parts, no package in sight. I had to go get it to the post office which would usually be a bit of an annoyance seeing as I don't own a car, however it was different this time. This time I knew exactly what was waiting for me at the post.
I rushed home as fast as I could so that I could open the box and see that glint of vivid red
And.... there he was
REVIEW: BOX
Basara came in a nice big BRIGHT RED box, as appropriate for his fiery temperament.
The box features several angles of the figure, and on one of the sides, the figure is shown through the silhouettes of all three forms of Basara's Fire Valkyrie, which I thought was a cool inclusion, since his Valk isn't shown on anything else related to the figure, yet it's an important part of him!
The box features several angles of the figure, and on one of the sides, the figure is shown through the silhouettes of all three forms of Basara's Fire Valkyrie, which I thought was a cool inclusion, since his Valk isn't shown on anything else related to the figure, yet it's an important part of him!
At the bottom of the inside of the box was a charming little surprise.
There is a running gag that occurs in every single episode of Macross 7; the flower girl.
There is a running gag that occurs in every single episode of Macross 7; the flower girl.
Every episode she tries to give Basara a bouquet of flowers, and every episode she fails, up until the final one, where she throws her flowers and Basara, who finally catches them. Every episode, the bouquet is different, and this particular white lily one is the same as the bouquet from the final episode. <3
Another thing you can see on the inside of the box is the band's drummer, the gorgeous and stoic Veffidas! As much as I love her, I would've preferred the keytarist Rey to be in Basara's box, as he's his father figure, but seeing as he's featured in Mylene's box, I assume they wanted to mismatch the genders of featured characters.
Y'know, I never expected I'd have so much to say about the box, but the little things they paid attention to really made me happy <3
Now let's look at the actual figure...
Another thing you can see on the inside of the box is the band's drummer, the gorgeous and stoic Veffidas! As much as I love her, I would've preferred the keytarist Rey to be in Basara's box, as he's his father figure, but seeing as he's featured in Mylene's box, I assume they wanted to mismatch the genders of featured characters.
Y'know, I never expected I'd have so much to say about the box, but the little things they paid attention to really made me happy <3
Now let's look at the actual figure...
REVIEW: POSE
The figure has a great dynamic pose going on.
My man's got a power stance, gripping his iconic guitar with one hand, and a microphone with the other.
My man's got a power stance, gripping his iconic guitar with one hand, and a microphone with the other.
The microphone is only touching the base with one leg, making the pose look much more like it's caught in-between motion, a freeze frame taken straight from a concert.
There's a slight inconsistency regarding the style of the microphone, as Fire Bomber are usually seen using futuristic flying microphones like this;
There's a slight inconsistency regarding the style of the microphone, as Fire Bomber are usually seen using futuristic flying microphones like this;
However, in the Macross Dynamite 7 OVA they decided to switch to classic microphones which I honestly greatly prefer, so I'm glad to see that's what they went with for the figure!
By the way here's the Dynamite 7 intro for your listening pleasure.
(NOTE: at the moment I'm copy-pasting this review to this site, all MD7 openings were taken off YouTube, along with a bunch of other Macross stuff.)
By the way here's the Dynamite 7 intro for your listening pleasure.
(NOTE: at the moment I'm copy-pasting this review to this site, all MD7 openings were taken off YouTube, along with a bunch of other Macross stuff.)
Lastly here I just want to mention the base, which is overall a relatively plain one;
It's a black base featuring the logos of the band Fire Bomber, the show Macross 7, and of course Basara's name. I would've preferred a base with a cool fire pattern or something, but this does a good enough job.
REVIEW: DESIGN
The accuracy of Basara's outfit on this figure is an absolute delight to the eyes.
The front of his suit looks fantastic. The colours absolutely pop and all the elements work together marvellously, truly doing justice to Haruhiko Mikimoto's beautiful design.
The golden parts are extremely vivid and have a very nice sheen to them, the black parts have subtle blueish highlights, and the orbs on his shoulder pad things are painted in a way that makes them look almost opalescent. The colouring on this figure is truly second to none.
I am also a big appreciator of Basara's mesh undershirt and I am very glad to see such solid representation of it lmao.
The golden parts are extremely vivid and have a very nice sheen to them, the black parts have subtle blueish highlights, and the orbs on his shoulder pad things are painted in a way that makes them look almost opalescent. The colouring on this figure is truly second to none.
I am also a big appreciator of Basara's mesh undershirt and I am very glad to see such solid representation of it lmao.
There is less going on in the back of the outfit, but I'm very happy to see the little button thingy on his back has also been included.
A better look at his waist where you can see the belt and his little pouches, also very nicely recreated.
The shoes look absolutely wonderful as well, with the inclusion of his little heel and some excellent wrinkle gathering at the heel level.
Last thing I'd like to point out here that I appreciate, is that I love that Basara seems slightly tanned when compared with other figures of the more commonly used skin colour! That is something that was not taken into account with his various prize figures, but also something that is indeed accurate to his design, albeit quite inconsistent across the show and official art;
Last thing I'd like to point out here that I appreciate, is that I love that Basara seems slightly tanned when compared with other figures of the more commonly used skin colour! That is something that was not taken into account with his various prize figures, but also something that is indeed accurate to his design, albeit quite inconsistent across the show and official art;
REVIEW: DETAILS
Pretty much every aspect of this figure is beautifully sculpted and painted, so I want to go over a few of the parts that caught my eye.
The hands are sculpted delicately and with amazing detail.
The hand that's grabbing the microphone is not fully gripping it yet, adding to the dynamic positioning of the microphone being in mid-movement. It seems like he is about to fully grab it and pull it closer to his mouth.
I also can't not point out that his nails are not only sculpted, but also pained with a slight gloss, giving them a realistic look!
The hand that's grabbing the microphone is not fully gripping it yet, adding to the dynamic positioning of the microphone being in mid-movement. It seems like he is about to fully grab it and pull it closer to his mouth.
I also can't not point out that his nails are not only sculpted, but also pained with a slight gloss, giving them a realistic look!
The other hand is equally detailed and in mid-movement, as well as holding down two strings on the guitar.
Speaking of her, Basara's iconic guitar looks amazing!
Different 'textures' of paint are used on different parts, making the sea foam coloured parts matte and pearlescent, the turquoise orbs are glossy and opalescent, and of course the metal is shiny and metallic. It gives a great impression of varying materials on the guitar.
Different 'textures' of paint are used on different parts, making the sea foam coloured parts matte and pearlescent, the turquoise orbs are glossy and opalescent, and of course the metal is shiny and metallic. It gives a great impression of varying materials on the guitar.
The hair sculpt.
I would like to respectfully shake the hand of the poor bastard that was given the task of figuring out how the hell Basara's hair should look like in a more realistic manner.
The hair looks absolutely AMAZING and stays entirely, 100% true to his original 2D anime design. I am thoroughly impressed and smitten and in love with the way his hair turned out. Mega mega kudos to the sculptor.
I would like to respectfully shake the hand of the poor bastard that was given the task of figuring out how the hell Basara's hair should look like in a more realistic manner.
The hair looks absolutely AMAZING and stays entirely, 100% true to his original 2D anime design. I am thoroughly impressed and smitten and in love with the way his hair turned out. Mega mega kudos to the sculptor.
I'm nearing the end of the review so it's about time to address the cne big design discrepancy Macross 7 fans might notice is, that Basara's glasses look different from his anime design.
Basara's glasses are generally depicted with black frames and blue lenses, making a lot of people assume he's wearing sunglasses. Not me tho. And with this figure, I am winning LMAO
Basara's round glasses are a pretty clear reference to John Lennon but aside from that, I think one of the Macross 7 Plus shorts makes a strong case for him actually wearing prescription glasses. I won't go into detail for my reasoning but you can read about my in-depth analysis here and partially here because yES, of COURSE I wrote an analysis about whether my fave wears shades or prescription glasses, who do you take me for??
Either way back to the figure, Basara is depicted with gold frames (matching his outfit nicely) and clear lenses. One tiny detail I love is that the gold of his frames and his outfit are NOT the same shade of gold, which makes sense, as they would not realistically be designed with each other in mind.
I believe the choice to change his glasses was likely made to keep dark colours off his face, as lighter colours look more delicate, while black frames would probably turn out looking a bit too chunky.
Last but not least, and somewhat fucking heartbroken*, I do have to talk about his face now.
Now.. from what I've seen on other people's photos of him, by all accounts and purposes his face looks really damn good. On most figures. Not on mine tho. Because I am nowhere nearly lucky enough to have the most anticipated figure in my life arrive to me in perfect condition.
I'm not sure how this problem came to be, but it appears like the inside of my Basara's mouth somehow came out.. wrong.
Basara's round glasses are a pretty clear reference to John Lennon but aside from that, I think one of the Macross 7 Plus shorts makes a strong case for him actually wearing prescription glasses. I won't go into detail for my reasoning but you can read about my in-depth analysis here and partially here because yES, of COURSE I wrote an analysis about whether my fave wears shades or prescription glasses, who do you take me for??
Either way back to the figure, Basara is depicted with gold frames (matching his outfit nicely) and clear lenses. One tiny detail I love is that the gold of his frames and his outfit are NOT the same shade of gold, which makes sense, as they would not realistically be designed with each other in mind.
I believe the choice to change his glasses was likely made to keep dark colours off his face, as lighter colours look more delicate, while black frames would probably turn out looking a bit too chunky.
Last but not least, and somewhat fucking heartbroken*, I do have to talk about his face now.
Now.. from what I've seen on other people's photos of him, by all accounts and purposes his face looks really damn good. On most figures. Not on mine tho. Because I am nowhere nearly lucky enough to have the most anticipated figure in my life arrive to me in perfect condition.
I'm not sure how this problem came to be, but it appears like the inside of my Basara's mouth somehow came out.. wrong.
As you can see, the entire inside is moved leftwards, with his teeth not being symmetrical and with there being an odd line on the right. I'm genuinely like. hurting while writing this lmao
I don't know if this is something I can ask for a replacement over, but I reached out to Solaris Japan several times about it with no response so I'm just giving up at this point. Maybe if I'm rich someday (haha.) I'll buy a replacement because I would really want to have this figure in a flawless condition, but as it is, I'll just have to settle.
Thankfully the issue is only really notable if you look at him straight on, while the figure is best displayed looking sideways.
Aside from the mouth being lopsided, everything else looks absolutely marvellous. His eyes and eyebrows are spotless, he's got his little sideburns, even his ears are sculpted with nice detail.
Oh, despite the issue i DO want to mention how much I appreciate that they included Basara's inconsistent sometimes-fangs!! I love old anime's tendency to include random vampire fangs LMAO
I don't know if this is something I can ask for a replacement over, but I reached out to Solaris Japan several times about it with no response so I'm just giving up at this point. Maybe if I'm rich someday (haha.) I'll buy a replacement because I would really want to have this figure in a flawless condition, but as it is, I'll just have to settle.
Thankfully the issue is only really notable if you look at him straight on, while the figure is best displayed looking sideways.
Aside from the mouth being lopsided, everything else looks absolutely marvellous. His eyes and eyebrows are spotless, he's got his little sideburns, even his ears are sculpted with nice detail.
Oh, despite the issue i DO want to mention how much I appreciate that they included Basara's inconsistent sometimes-fangs!! I love old anime's tendency to include random vampire fangs LMAO
OUTRO
Welp, apologies for being a bit of a downer in the end there, but I felt like the error was too obvious to write this review pretending like it wasn't there.
Not counting my specific figure's problem, I think this is otherwise basically a perfect figure. The details are truly spectacular, as are the colours and of course, Basara's overall design.
He is a beautiful spotlight centre holy grail of my Basara shrine, which now really feels complete. Unless he ever gains another figure or I manage to get my hands on the fabled garage kit, I genuinely think that this is it for the shrine. I can't think of anything else I could add!
Not counting my specific figure's problem, I think this is otherwise basically a perfect figure. The details are truly spectacular, as are the colours and of course, Basara's overall design.
He is a beautiful spotlight centre holy grail of my Basara shrine, which now really feels complete. Unless he ever gains another figure or I manage to get my hands on the fabled garage kit, I genuinely think that this is it for the shrine. I can't think of anything else I could add!
Thank you very much for reading my review!!
Peace!
☮︎
Peace!
☮︎
* I have since gotten over the defect and am no longer fucking heartbroken. Defects make figures unique, and this little lopsided teeth Basara is thus distinctly mine and I love him.