For every hero, there must be a villain and this no less true for one of the latest releases from Good Smile Company; complimenting Canaan is Alphard, her nemesis. It is clear that they were designed to outfit each other’s presence. Both are captured in the heat of battle, guns out and dodging out of harm's way. In this review, I will only elaborate the Alphard figurine and judge whether it is a worthwhile product on its own. Further in the review, I will judge how they complement each other and if there are any noteworthy differences. Note however that GSC probably intended the sale of both for each consumer and that similarity in sculpt style is inevitable.
Like Canaan, the overlying themes are similar. Both aren't designed to be flashy with bright colours and shiny materials. Matte colours were deliberately chosen to better set the base and character settings. Given Alphard's character design, there are more elements present compared to Canaan's.
Unlike Canaan, there are no 'extra' pieces that stand alone from the character. Instead of a cloak, Alphard uses the waistcoat she wears to create volume.
Starting from the base, it is pretty much the same as Canaan's; generic desert with textures. It is a simple look, but of good quality. There aren't any faults with the base. Once again, the figurine needs support from a metal pole attached from a depression on the base into Alphard's foot. Despite its fragile appearance, it is quite impressive that it manages a decent balance.
Alphard's trousers fit tightly on her legs with folds across the back of her knees and hem. These folds are small and a welcome detail. Boots are a touch plain.
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I do like the straps attached on the top of her trousers. Due to the curvature of her back, the strap is tight from behind. Although most of the waist-coat covers it, under it is a glorious view of her back, trousers slipping ever so slightly to engage the viewer.
In order to counter Canaan’s brown cloak, attention has been given to the waist-coat. It flows like something out from ‘The Matrix’ and the folds can be found everywhere. This extends to the arms, collars and shoulders. Darker hues of blue have been used in the valleys while lighter ones are used in elevations. Zipper teeth line the hems while the pockets seem to be attached to the coat itself.
Alphard’s hands have been given some thought, although due to their small size there are evident issues. The glove’s fabric when touching the gloves are not perfect, fingernails don’t have a clear colour to them but in general, it’s a good effort. The diamond holes are actually cut, so it feels that the glove is its own layer. The gun in her right hand, the FN Five-seveN USG is perfectly rendered, more so than Canaan’s.
Alphard shows a lot more skin than Canaan, so more attention has been paid to colour saturation and consistency. Due to the lack of evident shading on the skin, the figurine relies more on the source of light and other features of her clothing. Being a trained mercenary from a young age, it is fitting that her athleticism is demonstrated by acute muscle tones across her lower back, hips and abs. In fact, she has a six-pack that can be seen clearly in photographs. Small elevations across her stomach help and can be felt by touch. Her hips stand out at close inspection as they curve into the body. It’s a successful attempt at anatomy where it counts.
Further up towards her torso, the tank top has folds between her breasts and a certain bulge can be seen under the waist-coat. Seams of plastic hidden by the waist-coat are pretty evident. Collarbones are well formed with the strap following its curvature
The lighting and shadows cast from her clothes really helps highlight different aspects of her torso
To the face now; solid 360 degree consistency, great profiles especially the shape and definition of the nose and clear details with the eyes. Mouth is superb; the wry smile definitely suits Alphard’s character and fits with all angles. Hair is decent, but has a couple of flaws due to plastic seams. More refinement would be nice.
To conclude, Alphard is a nice figurine. The details to her clothes, body, athleticism and pose complement each other very well to fit her character. That being said, it doesn’t really take your breath away. For what it does well is sheer dynamic, pose and expression, but it is, for the lack of better words - plain at first glance. There are some great features here, but only at close inspection. It’s a worthwhile addition to your collection not to mention one of the most dynamic and if you liked Canaan, it’s a worthwhile purchase
Now to whether the two figurines actually complement each other like they did as characters from the series. Given their stances and expressions, it is really quite something to have an imaginary still-life gun battle on your desk. The bases match up as do features such as cloaks or coats to create excessive dynamic. One thing Good Smile nailed with both of these releases is the consistency in overall visual aspects. This consistency ensures that not one figurine ‘fights’ for visual attention and that personal preferences are due to the characters and not the build quality. However, you may be unlucky and may have one figurine that looks generally better than the other due to a manufacturing fault
Like the product description in Good Smile’s Company site, enacting the battle between these two characters is the reason why you get both and not one or the other. Ultimately it’s made just to get that more money out of you, but the same can be said other releases (Yes I am looking at that Kannagi release)
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