Pre-Order Mio Now and save 10%!

Welcome to the Solaris Blog! ヾ( ʚ̴̶̷ .̫ ʚ̴̶̷ )ﾉ”What makes something cute? It is a very simple, but difficult question to answer. Could it be soft, rounded features? What about big eyes? Both of those are usually a yes. One feature that is commonly used with much success is kemomimi (animal ears). Xenoblade Chronicles’s Mio is the perfect example of character design that takes cuteness to the next level, in no small part to adorable cat ears.

Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles is a series of ARPG games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. The series began with the original game for the Wii back in 2010. It was pretty successful and fans enjoyed its expansive world design, music and interesting story.

In 2022, the latest installment, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was released. The game takes place in the world of Aionios, where two nations, Keves and Agnus, are in perpetual conflict. At its core, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a narrative about unity, peace and understanding. The story follows a group of soldiers who are uncovering the truth behind the endless war.

The Heart of the Game: Character Development

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 shines in its character development. Mio, one of the soldier protagonists from the nation Agnus, is a standout with a backstory full of sorrow and the looming shadow of a limited lifespan. Mio is an incredibly likable character thanks to her serious yet gentle personality.

Mio's story is one of conflict and introspection. She has been reborn countless times, each life bringing its own challenges and revelations. The current incarnation in the game is burdened by the memories and sacrifices of her past lives. This becomes Mio’s main motivation in her quest for peace in a war torn world.

Kemomimi You Can Touch

It has taken 2 years but thanks to Good Smile Company, we finally have a scale figure available for pre-order. And man, was it worth the wait! The figure is based on an illustration by Saitom, the series character designer.

The figure is a great representation of Mio, showcasing her strength and grace. The pose oozes confidence and accentuates all the right features.Her hair has nice detail giving it a layered look and Mio’s kemomimi are on full display. Her big eyes are nicely painted and she has a charming, gentle smile.Her outfit is incredibly well done, giving the impression of a variety of textures. The glossy silver paint gives good contrast to her jacket and gives it a realistic appearance.Mio’s simple costume design of a tank top and skirt has just enough depth to be visually interesting but not draw focus away from the overall image.Mio’s boots and gloves have a leather-like appearance, adding further contrast to the tank top and jacket.In battle, Mio’s combat style is a dance of death, swift and precise. She wields the “Dual Moonblades,” which Good Smile faithfully recreated.
The base features the Zephyr icon, the mark of her initial class. From photos it does look a little cheap and plasticky but I would rather they skimp out on the base and keep prices reasonable.Overall this is a really nice figure of Mio. The pose adds some elements of bishoujo figures with the arched back and slight bend at the hips without being overbearing. There are plenty of doujinshi featuring more lewd images of her but in terms of figures, this is exactly what I would want! I am expecting plenty of tasty nsfw mahoako figures in the future, so have to save some space on the shelf for those.What do you think about this figure? Did Good Smile hit it out of the park or would you prefer Mio a little different? Leave a comment or tag us on X!
Thank you for reading!