6 September 2008

Max Factory Shana Problems

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(A depressed Shana taken from Random Curiosity)

I was supposed to do a 1/8 Max Factory Shana review/photoshoot today as I thought it's about time to open the box (which is in mint condition), but things didn't go as planned, as my inspection and test fitting has hit a snag.

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All those who have owned this figure would know that fitting the sword through the hair is a pain in the neck, as the hole is barely wide enough for you to push the sword through. Mine is no exception, and I have a constant fear of breaking the sword accidently.

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Before I have begin the attempt on fitting the sword, I have noticed that there are already some scratches on the right shoulder, which are might have come from early test fitting by the factory someone else.

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And for some reasons I do not know, there are already noticeable scratches on the surface of the hair. Fitting the sword through one way is already hard enough, and now I have to reverse it so the handle should tug nicely into the right hand, which would require me to have my nails going against the surface of the hair. This does increase the damage surface as the top layer is already peeling off in the first place...

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Then to my surprise, the handle doesn't go to the hand properly; the angle is not quite right! I've tried pushing the sword a bit more while readjusting the arm to let the sword through, but to no success. I was worried that any part of the ribbon, sword or arm might break off if I continue due to clumsiness. I couldn't take the risk and had to stop.

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For now I've given this Shana a beam sabre to hold on with. It doesn't look too bad for a hasty compromise, as there is something similar in the anime already (from Random Curiosity). Jedi Shana anyone?


As for the sword (or katana) Nietono no Shana...


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A 1/100 Tieren (incomplete) is currently wielding it. Again not a bad compromise either, and I was suprised that it could hold on to it pretty well ^^;;

This Shana was acquired via Yahoo Auction Japan with the help from a friend of my sister in Sasebo. It's claimed to be unopened, and the seller has a very good reputation with no negative feedback from any buyers. I can't exclude the possibility of the figure not being treated well by the seller or from previous owners (if there were any), but I'm still surprised with the problems I've met.

Directly or indirectly, this has been my second problem with a Max Factory product so far (first one being figma Fate for no official distribution to Hong Kong while the majority of the line is available). I guess it's just my poor luck, but I've been wanting this Shana ever since I read Valho's review on it 9 months ago ._.

But rants aside, I'll need to poke around and see whether there are similar problems to this reported and find a remedy to it. I hope I can resume to the photoshoot sooner than I think.

17 comments:

  1. Sad to see you have so much problems with your Shana :(

    But i know lots of people with her and no one even had any problems ...

    I'm sure yours was not new , the marks on the hair are not from factory and the hand is not normal , the arm on your Shana seems not in the good position ... really strange ...

    Really sorry for you about that :(

    But in a happier note , she does look nice with the beam saber ^^

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  2. ... D:

    If you want the sword in, hmm. that is interesting to solve. I would trim fingernails, wait days to let them smoothen out a bit, or wear gloves to blunt nails some, then dunk Shana in a container of hot water, and slowly reform her hand and ease her sword into position, if possible. The water must be quite hot, I imagine.

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  3. i prefer not to get figures off auction sites. some might not be as honest as what they said. unless the figure is really hard to get and no other places has it.

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  4. I have not opened Shana, but will do so soon, reading your article makes me feel that I must open her soon >.<

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  5. Oh wow im really sorry to hear that.
    On the one hand she looks like shes displayed before and on the other hand i cant believe that Maxfactory would release a shana where her hand isnt in the right position.
    I havent heard complaints from user owners from this figure...

    Is it just a Bootleg or a crappy already displayed one? hmmm...?
    Id try to fix her arm the way nanu wrote.Thats the only gentle way i can think of.

    BTW: You should never trust ratings on auction sites.Ive found a seller on Ebay that sells Aninme DVD bootlegs and all customers are happy with that!100% positive rating and he sells them as original for about 5%-10% under the regular DVD price

    I dont know if the people are too stupid to realize that they are buying obvious bootlegs or dont care about that.

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  6. Thinking again about my above approach, there's the risk of the sword warping since it's thinner and weaker :S

    So it might take multiple dunks and trial and error D:

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  7. @ James:
    I do think that someone did play around with it and re-packaged it thoroughly. It's not easy to spot the problems unless you unwrap all the packaging. I fell for it badly, and there was no other places to get it in a good price by now...

    @ nanu:
    It can be risky, but your method sounds familiar to Danny Choo's solution to leaning figure. I'll have a look into it.

    @ gordon:
    This Shana figure got sold out within a month (and that was long before I know this figure), so the only place left to get it is via auction unfortunately. I don't want to but it's pretty much the last resort... -_-

    @ zenical:
    Yours is from Hobby Search right? It should be ok I'm sure, but if you do get dodgy goods you can still return it (with a price), but I can't for mine T_T

    @ blowfish:
    I understand your warning about ratings and bootlegs, but in my opinion DVDs are different to figures - I have lots of friends who would go for bootlegs/pirated discs; some are even in very good quality. They're cheap and readily available, so it's not surprising why they would go for them. Actually some may even give me a weird look if I buy the real ones instead. Different societies different views I guess. : \

    Figures on the other hand are not easily reproducable (even if you have the resources), so it's harder to get and the risk is greater. Max Factory Shana figure is almost like those limited release one as it got sold out blitzschnell and I have heard no news of possible re-release so far.

    The one I got doesn't look like a bootleg at all. It's just poorly treated I suppose. Will try to fix the arm with something warm and gentle like what Nanu has suggested.

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  8. Sorry to hear that your shana figure didn't come in a mint condition. Some sellers are just dishonest so it's a 50-50 chance when buying from auction sites :(

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  9. from the pics she doesn't look like a bootleg copy. Her hand definitely in the wrong position though if you compare it to the photos that I took.
    That arm shouldn't be 90°, maybe try soften the arm with warm water to bend it ? That arm should be made of softer plastic though coz it's impossible to fit in the hilt without bending the arm a bit.
    The hair looks chipped, like it was dropped and the line on the shoulder really looks like it came from someone trying to fit the sword in.

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  10. Q, did my Shana Review, some comments were made to you, do check it out ^^

    http://zotaku.com/2008/09/08/18-shana-max-factory-figurine-review/

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  11. Well Buddy, what can I say? Its tough when you have to put your faith in an auction dealer...trust me, I'll likely be going throug the same when my GP04 Bust arrives. I'm awfully nervous that I'll find the same sort of issues.

    Lots of good suggestions here though. You'll find hot water will work wonders to re-position the arm, and even the hand! As for the hair, I don't know if you' be able to match the coloring so sanding then painting is probably out.

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  12. @ Saku:
    Looking back retrospectively I was worried too when I got my figma Fate via Yahoo Auction Hong Kong. Luckily I had good communication with the seller and the figure was brand new. Not so lucky this time definitely. -_-

    @ valho:
    Thanks for the detailed analysis valho. I've just tried bending it in hot water. Its shape doesn't make it easy for me to dip into!

    @ zenical:
    Thanks for the link - I'll check it out.

    @ Apt-1B:
    I'm currently trying the hot water method. Will take some time but I think it's working. Not sure what to do for the hair just yet.

    Your GP-04 order has been a while, but it's good that you can maintain communication with the seller/maker. Hope you will get it all well and safe!

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  13. Sorry to hear that your Shana fig is in bad shape :(
    I'm hoping to get one too and I know how horrible it feels to have an item that doesn't meet your expectations.

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  14. @ suki:
    It was rather unfortunate indeed. Therefore preorder your figures rather than leaving them too late and resort to auctions!
    Max Factory Shana is very, very hard to get now, but other alternatives such as Kotobukiya's and Griffon's should still be available.

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  15. Preorders are good! Though, the wait for them is quite depressing... T__T

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  16. @ suki:
    I think I really should preorder instead of waiting them to be released next time, but the wait is surely quite a pain to endure. >_<

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  17. >__< Indeed! It's a pain that we all know well

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