Welcome to the Solaris Blog! ヾ( ʚ̴̶̷ .̫ ʚ̴̶̷ )ﾉ”
As part of our Halloween extravaganza, we’ll be featuring a few figures from the Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo series.
First on the list — two versions of the lovely Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (✿˵◕‿◕˵)
Oh no, you’re Leatherface’s next victim? More like oh yes.
ɿ(｡･ɜ･)ɾⓌⓗⓨ would you turn a fictional serial killer into a beautiful lady? Well, why not? Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo Statue collection is based on illustrator Shunya Yamashita’s reenvisioning of a gamut of characters from all types of franchises. And we mean all types.
This collection has thrown everything from Lady Loki to Twilight Sparkle at us with no signs of stopping, but the horror series feels especially inspired; it takes a certain type of genius to take a character like Leatherface and reinterpret them as a drop-dead gorgeous lady.
Leatherface has gone through a series of evolutions since The Texas Chain Saw Massacre first came out in 1974 and these two versions are by far the sexiest. (o＾皿＾)
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at both!
Yeah, we hyped it, but don’t let their looks fool you — the overall design of this “Bubba” Sawyer genderbend is a killer tribute to the original character.
We love that they’re curvy and the pose is giving us off-kilter Marilyn Monroe vibes thanks to their tousled hair and fluttering butcher’s apron. It’s as though Leatherface is mid-swing while fashionably stumbling toward their next victim. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
There’s also something about their dazed expression that lands us somewhere between terrified by Leatherface’s crazed violence and pity for how circumstances have warped their personality.
Oh my, she’s fancy. What better to accent the gloss of bloodstained hands than a chic accessory? If the overall deranged look didn’t make things clear enough, Pam’s bracelet is an eerie reminder of what this character is capable of.
We take that gif back. This is legitimately unsettling.
Leatherface looks completely devoid of a soul with the “Killing Mask” on. However, what we’re most impressed with is that the “skin” of this mask is close enough to Leatherface’s own skin tone that the figure almost looks normal from a distance. This makes the uncanny valley effect absolutely wild once you realize what’s going on.
Like, this is on the level of coming home, seeing this figure, and doing a double take because you know they weren’t wearing the mask when you left.
Anyway, moving on. (,,꒪꒫꒪,,)
We’ll say it; the choice to forgo pants was a great decision. (◕˽ ◕ ✿) The ’70s silhouette of their original look wasn’t doing Leatherface any favors so we fully support using their baggy shirt to highlight their curves and show off some leg.
We’ve already gone over the signature mask, but it’d be a crime to ignore the titular chainsaw. Kotobukiya’s blog post about this figure even makes a point of highlighting the amount of care that went into recreating it.
Kotobukiya’s master sculptor Mitsuru Hoya opted to “take a million screenshots of the film and identify the chainsaw model based on the details shown.” Much like the decision to use a real chainsaw in the actual film, we appreciate this level of commitment (and the booty pop).
The paint job also adds a gruesome layer to the hyper-accurate chainsaw. The apron stains are one thing, but we can’t look at the chainsaw for too long without feeling a little queasy. (´ж｀;) There’s a whole spectrum of gore along the blade that goes from watercolor smears to sickeningly coagulated — we can almost hear the blood slowly dripping off the blade.
With so much care put into Leatherface’s accessories, it’s no surprise that the base is just as detailed — dust, feathers, and bloodied bone are strewn across the Sawyer home’s grubby floorboards.
Would you believe us if we told you that the same sculptor who worked on Kotobukiya’s My Little Pony figures brought this disturbing scene to life? (๑°o°๑) That’s some range.
Now that we’ve gone over one figure, we’ll leave it to you to decide if Leatherface is top-tier waifu material.
What we will say that this is homage done right. The same goes for the Chainsaw Dance version!
Again, we’re not questioning it, but we’d love to know how things jumped from “let’s adapt the final scene!” to “yo, but in a sexy way.” Just in case you need a refresher, yes, Leatherface is a hot mess at this point:
So Kotobukiya’s interpretation isn’t technically wrong.（；^ω^）
This is just a different type of hot mess.
That said, this sensual look has a lot going for it — one of our absolute favorite details is the chainsaw wound. It makes sense that the sculptors included it, but it still makes us happy. Also, bonus points for not making Leatherface look frumpy; the flip of their blazer and dorky tie really sell this “dance.” (o^-')b
Thick thighs...end lives? We almost don’t need that strategically placed rip because, dang girl, all that cardio from hunting down teenagers is paying off.
Impressive sculpt aside, It’s small details that — true to the Horror Bishoujo name — really make this Leatherface a perfect balance of terror and beauty. The scalloped lining of their bra and the flecks of blood on their wrist that trail up toward the bloodied chainsaw handle (we really hope that’s not slippery) aren’t necessary, but they really make this figure sing...
...and ramp up the nightmare fuel level! ☆⌒（＊＾∇゜）v
While their “Killing Mask” gives Leatherface a deadened expression, the mismatched eyes of the “Pretty Woman Mask” make them look straight up demonic.
It’s a maniacal parody of femininity and kudos to Kotobukiya for making a purposefully terrible paint job freak us out in the best possible way. The smeared lipstick and the mouth-in-a-mouth thing is all sorts of wrong and the loose fit of the mask looks almost like sagging skin. (ﾟДﾟ;) Pass.
Get out of there, Sally! As the pickup truck speeds off with the film’s only survivor, Leatherface comes unhinged. As with the other figure, we adore that Kotobukiya used the base — a part that’s often considered a throwaway — to further immerse us in this recreation of the final scene. (*´꒳`*)
Whew, thanks for sticking with us! We hope you enjoyed our first Horror Bishoujo post and you love these Leatherface figures as much as we do. If that’s the case, don’t forget to pre-order one (or both).
Until next time! o(^▽^)o
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