As 2009 is coming to a close soon, which PVC figures have captured our hearts and are worthy of our hard-earned money? Here is Otaku HQ's own list of top PVC Figures of 2009!

 

First, two important ground rules:
- Figures released between December 2008 to November 2009 will be considered. (anything released in December will never reach us in North America until next January at the earliest anyway.)
- We will only look at figures that are listed in our figure database.

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY Fate/unlimited codes Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~ 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

Priced at 9800 Yen, this surperb rendition of Saber Lily from the Capcon game is worth every penny a collector pays for. Originally planned for release in June 2009, unexpected delays push the final release date to October. She comes with a sturdy box to keep her safe, it is indeed a must-have for Saber fans everywhere!

 

Availability: most online stores have stopped taking order a long time ago. You can still find a lot of them on eBay, but it will cost you north of $150 USD including shipping. Consider it an unlikely candidate to get a re-release, which means get it while you can!

 

KOTOBUKIYA ToHeart2 AnotherDays Kousaka Tamaki -Yuwaku- 1/6 PVC Figure (Details)
KOTOBUKIYA ToHeart2 AnotherDays Kousaka Tamaki -Chouhatsu- 1/6 PVC Figure (Details)

Kousaka Tamaki a.k.a. "Tama-nee", is one popular character for PVC figures, and KOTOBUKIYA has gone the extra mile with great quality under the new "4-Leaves" figure line. Based on the original illustration for a mouse pad that comes with Dengeki G's Festival Deluxe Vol. 3 magazine, not only is Tama-nee so sexy, it also comes with a soft cushion as a base for crying out loud! It is one popular item among Tama-nee fans, so much so that a second production run was done.

Of course, it also spawns the alternate black-underwear and naughty-looking version, doubling the pleasure!

 

Availability: both versions are still available online.

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY To LOVEru Konjiki no Yami 1/8 PVC Figure (Details)

We certainly like Yami-chan from To LOVEru, and GOOD SMILE COMPANY certainly delivers, capturing her coolness without losing her sexual appeal. Not to mention that her right hand can be swapped with the long blade!

 

Availability: some eBay sellers are still selling it at a reasonable price, but should be a goner soon.

 

 

ART STORM Yamashita Shunya Character Series Vol.2 Nasuka 1/6 PVC Figure (Details)

While ART STORM may not be as well known as others, they certainly deliver this figure based on an original character by Yamahita Shunya. Nasuka may not be your typical anime / game character, but she certainly appeals to those who like original designs.

 

Availability: a rare item.

 

 

WAVE My-Otome 0~S.ifr~ Lena Sayers 1/10 PVC Figure (Details)

Let's face it: there are not that many figures being released from the Mai-HiME franchise, and certainly not too many we can consider good enough. WAVE managed to butt the trend (as well as its own track record) with a fine release of Lena Sayers in bikini. It certainly helps that Lena has nice curves, and her bikini just makes it even better... while our opinions on WAVE products are not always on the plus side, this time we do have to say they nailed it with the right sculpter.

 

Availability: a very rare item.

 

Orchidseed Mabinogi Nao Adventure Ver. 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

Nao, from the Korean MMORPG game Mabinogi, has centainly seen her fair shares of PVC releases. The latest from Orchidseed based on the special safari outfit for Nao certainly brings out her charm, not to mention her sexy curves...

 

Availability: a rare item already.

 

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Takamichi Nanoha Swimsuit Ver. 1/4 PVC Figure (Details)
GOOD SMILE COMPANY Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Fate T. Harlaown Swmisuit Ver. 1/4 PVC Figure (Details)

Takamichi Nanoha and Fate T. Harloawn from the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise have seen their share of releases for the last several years mostly in their battle costume, just not in any swimsuits. So imagine the reactions from the fans when GOOD SMILE COMPANY decided to release both of them in sizzling hot bikini, in the gigantic 1/4 scale! Based on the original cover art for the Megami Magazine September 2007 issue, what more can we ask?

 

Availability: rare items for both.

 

WAVE CLANNAD AFTER STORY Fujibayashi Kyo 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

One of the better figures from WAVE this year, Fujibayashi Kyo in her PE uniform, as seen in the first TV series. There are only three different PVC figures for Kyo since the release of the PC game, but we have to say this one just get it right.

 

Availability: a rare item just two months after being released.

 

 

Griffon Enterprises Queen's Blade Reina DX Colour Ver. PVC Figure (Details)

Reina in her sexy armor outfit, and the sculpter managed to make the armor plate look a bit small on her breast, just like the original character designer intended...

 

Availability: still available on eBay.

 

 

The following four figures does not make our top picks list, but for different reasons:

 

ALTER Sengoku Lance Ikusa Hime 1/8 PVC Figure (Details)

This version of Ikusa Hime from the PC game Sengoku Lance looks fine... but we are more interested in her stand, namely, those three fierce-looking white snakes! The fangs just look deadly... yep, simply the best PVC figure stand for the year.

 

Availability: a rare item.

 

 

ALTER Penguin Musume Heart Nankyoku Sakura Maid Ver. 1/8 PVC Figure (Details)

The Otaku fan-girl Nankyoku Sakura from the web-anime series Penguin Musume Heart is not the cutest-looking girl around, but her neko-style maid costume sure brings out her good points... the best PVC figure of the year in a maid costume.

 

Availability: still available on eBay.

 

 

Griffon Enterprises Queen's Blade Combat Instructor Alleyne 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

There are not too many elf characters that get to be released as figures in 2009, except for Alleyne from Queen's Blade... while the sculpters at Griffon always managed to create figures with a certain signature style for facial expressions, we love the way Alleyne looks, and of course, her sexy outfit. She is our obvious pick for best elf character PVC figure of the year. By the way, we certainly do not like the alternate version... she just does not look right with that colour scheme.

 

Availability: still available on eBay.

 

KOTOBUKIYA Hayate no Gotoku! Kasura Hinagiku Swmisuit Ver. 1/6 PVC Figure (Details)

This version of Hinagiku is not really our favourite. In fact, we have yet to find a version of Hina-chan figure we like. However, this figure is one hot seller. So much so that KOTOBUKIYA has re-release twice since the first production run... the only reason we can think of is that there are just too many fans in Hina-chan's fanclub. Of course, the other reason is perhaps best summed up by the author himself here, although I doubt Hina-chan will be pleased with that...

Simply put, she is our market-demand pick of the year!

 

Availability: still available on eBay at a hefty price because of her size.

 

In our top action PVC figure of the year, this top pick is not a figma nor Nendoroid:

 

KOTOBUKIYA Ichigeki Sacchu!! HoiHoi-san LEGACY HoiHoi-san 1/1 Plastic Kit (Details)

Finally, a better-than-decent action figure of HoiHoi-san! While we are not going to use her to perform any bugs eradications, she works just fine as a display model... too bad KOTOBUKIYA did not included the fake charger stand.

 

Availability: available everywhere with a second production run.

 

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY K-ON! Nendoroid Akiyama Mio (Details)

A worthy second-runner as a top action PVC figure, simply because it is Mio-chan from the popular K-ON! TV series. We like the different facial expressions included, but the one we want the most (scared face) is not... that's why it is not our top pick.

 

Availability: expected to be one hot item everywhere.

 

 

Now, a short list of PVC figures that are so popular that are backed by popular demand:

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY VOCALOID2 Character Vocal Series 01 Hatsune Miku 1/8 PVC Figure (Details)

A 1/8 scale of Hatsune Miku, the must-have item for Miku fans! Long sold out after the initial release, it is the same when the second release was out. Today you will be lucky to find one priced at the original... even luckier if you can find one at all!

 

Availability: off the market.

 

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY Nendoroid Hatsune Miku (Details)

The one that start it all for the Miku-mania, this must-have deformed version of Hatsune Miku is one of our favourite Nendoroid here, and after five releases, it is the only PVC figure with the most re-releases, ever. Of course, huge popularity also means buyer-beware: there are so many fake and pirate versions being listed on eBay that we no longer track who is actually selling the real ones... although we certainly know how to spot a fake listing!

 

Availability: too many fake and knock-offs means rare item.

 

ALTER Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Reinforce II PVC Figure (Details)

A rare PVC figure that is not scaled (even though we all know the scales are a bit arbitary when it comes to figures), but Reinforce is just too cute for us to ignore her... ALTER did a great job with her, and the fans agree.

 

Availability: still available on eBay.

 

 

Aizu Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Nadia Southern Island Ver. 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

If there is one thing that work against Nadia's popularity, it is timing. Being a popular character in the early 1990s does not help when all you can have is un-painted, un-assembled garage kits... and over the years not a lot of Nadia figures were being released, and many of them are just below acceptable, except this one from the small player Aizu. Finally, a Nadia figure the fans can be proud of...

 

Availability: rare item even after two releases.

 

 

KOTOBUKIYA Shining Wind Blanc Neige 1/8 PVC Figure (Details)

There are quite a few of Blanc Neige figure based on the designs by Tony for Shining Tears, but when Shining Wind comes along, we find ourselves a new, better-looking and sexy Blanc Neige, and KOTOBUKIYA delivers. Too bad she is just a supporting character in Shining Wind, or we could have seen more releases based on the new designs from Tony...

 

Availability: widely available on eBay.

 

 

KOTOBUKIYA Please Teacher Kazami Mizuho Swimsuit Ver. 1/7 PVC Figure (Details)

Kazami Mizuho has long been one popular character as garage kit figures over the years, even long after the anime series was pretty much an after thought for many. So imagine our surprise when KOTOBUKIYA decided to re-release her five years after its first release in 2004. Well, you cannot beat the hot Kazami-sensei in a bikini...

 

Availability: rare item.

 

 

Finally, one figure that has the potential to change the industry upside-down (or fall-flat in our faces), and we certainly have high hopes for it:

 

GOOD SMILE COMPANY Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS actsta Subaru Nakajima (Details)

A normal PVC figure meets figma, and we have actsta: a new line of PVC figures from GOOD SMILE COMPANY that features the best of both worlds: high quality of a PVC figure with the mobility of a figma action figure. This is perhaps the ultimate toy for Otakus. Whether you are a fan of Subaru or not, this figure may shape the future for all PVC figures down the road. Of course, the price will work against her, but we just have to see how nimble Subaru can be... after seeing such a great demonstration from a prototype.

 

Availability: just released as of writing.