Miku has been released as the third Figure-rise Labo kit, and she's quite the talked-about character. Since the first and second kits — Fumina — shared the same structure, this is essentially only the second distinct Figure-rise Labo kit. Being such a massively popular character, there was a ton of anticipation even before it launched.
The overall package stays true to the line's concept of "a figure model kit that pursues the best straight-build visuals through advanced injection technology." Unlike Fumina, where layered injection was used to bring out a nice semi-transparent skin tone, this time around layered injection has been applied to the hair, creating a gradient effect and a semi-transparent look.
That said, compared to the excellent skin tone expression in the previous kit, I can't shake the feeling that this one is a bit less impressive. It does pull off a gradient feel to some degree, but it doesn't come across as all that spectacular, you know? On top of that, the nature of the process means gate marks tend to show up quite a bit, so it's hard to give it high marks in terms of finish. The face uses the same level of layered injection as seen in Figure-rise Burst/Labo, and the effect on the face and eyes is still enough to make you marvel at Bandai's technology.
Beyond that, gloss injection has been applied to the hair, stockings, and skirt, giving them a nice shiny finish, and the skirt — split into parts in a three-layer structure — also looks pretty impressive. Size-wise it feels a bit more compact compared to Fumina, though in absolute terms it's still quite a substantial, voluminous kit. A small number of seals and dry decals are included, and even if you're not a fan of dry decals, the quantity is small enough that it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. One thing worth noting though — the tips of the hair are surprisingly sharp for Bandai, who typically avoids pointy parts due to safety regulations. It almost feels like something out of Kotobukiya..
The biggest point of contention isn't really about quality, but more about the overall visual feel. Personally I think it looks pretty good, but with so many excellent Miku figures out there, it's naturally going to invite comparisons. A Miku-obsessed friend of mine reacted with "This isn't MY Miku!" — and given that she has one of the most devoted fanbases of any character out there, personal taste is just something you can't really argue with.
That said, as a figure model kit overall, I think the level of quality is excellent. Personal opinions on the looks aside, if you're a Miku fan, I think taking on this kind of buildable figure is definitely worth a try. There's a certain feeling to it that's clearly different from a pre-painted figure. :-)
Figurerise Labo Miku | 2019. 12 | ¥6,000
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
![Figurerise Labo Miku - Together with the previous kit, Figure-rise Labo Hoshino Fumina [The Second Scene].](p/frl03_18.jpg)