I purchased this a while ago, so I have a lot of experience with her and her little palico friend! They're still beautiful after all this time!
FuRyu really captured the feeling of the hunt in this piece. The hunter's momentum is conveyed by her flowing hair and graceful pose. One hand raises her bow while the other reaches for her quiver. It looks less like a hunt and more like a dance. Her happy expression and jumping palico certainly lend to that!
She comes with two hands, one empty, open hand, and another that holds her bow. You can put anything you want in her empty hand, so it's quite fun!
Overall, there is very little dimension in the paintwork. It's mostly flat color, but we all know flat isn't necessarily bad. It does justice to the simple sculpt. There aren't many folds or wrinkles in the clothes, so the lack of dynamic shading isn't really missed. There is shading on the scales, hands, ropes, and the palico's fur. Anywhere with more intricate sculpting, really. There is a nice balance between simple and complex!
Speaking of complex, the diorama base is a welcome sight. While it would be nicer if the ground and water covered the whole base, the grey that is showing doesn't stand out. There are connection pegs and slots hidden throughout the base, from the bubbles propping up the palico to the tree trunk and splash keeping up our hunter. Unfortunately, with time, the unpainted bubble in the center of the water has yellowed significantly. It's very noticable, as all the other clear parts are dyed or painted. It's the only part of the figure that has yellowed.
The figure itself is quite sturdy. My cat pulled it off the shelf and it hit the ground quite hard, and it only suffered minimal damage. The palico's umbrella came loose, but didn't fall off. I'm very proud of my big, strong girl for helping with the review. Let's all say thank you, Susie!
If you are a fan of monster hunter, new or old, I think this is a golden gargwa egg that you need in your collection. Don't fumble it, order it! ...if you can afford it.
