Getting your electric buzz on with the virtual idol never felt so... three-dimensional.

Figure Title: Character Vocal Series 01 Hatsune Miku 1/8 scale PVC
Character Name: Miku Hatsune (初音ミク)
Original Character Designer: KEI
Sculptor: YOSHI (とれぱんぐ), assisted by Nendoron
Source Material: Vocaloid
Scale: 1/8 (180mm)
Base:
Color: Transient Black
Shape: Hexagonal
Features: Official Vocaloid Logo
Necessary Removable Parts: None
Removable Parts/Accessories: None
Castoffability: Miku's Skirt
Materials: PVC, ABS
Packaging: Windowed Box, 2 Plastic Interlocking Molds
Extras/Pack-ins: Delicious Chrome Mirror backdrop
Release Date: Late September, 2008
Manufacturing/Production: Good Smile Company
Distribution:Good Smile Company
Approximate Retail Price:≈5,500円
Current Availability: Discontinued at major retailers. Scheduled October Re-release.
Related PVCs: GSC's Nendoroid Miku, Volk's Miku

Foreword:

No mascot character has enjoyed quite the same backing that Miku Hatsune has from the otaku community. The face (and more appropriately voice) of Yamaha and Crypton Future Media's Vocaloid 2 Character Vocal Series, Miku has been the heart throb of Akiba-elite and casual Nico Nico Douga users alike since her hypnotic presence hit the streets in August of last year. Since then, Miku has absorbed herself into mass media as the common man(iac)'s virtual idol, breaking out of her internet meme shell and into the limelight. And, as with any idol, the slew of merchandise is never far behind. T-shirts, food stuffs, whatever tickles the consumer's fancy; there's a Miku version of it. The bishoujo figure microcosm is no exception. Good Smile Company and their Max Factory arm have had a domineering presence over Miku's transition into tangibility, with Nendoroid and Figma versions already produced, distributed, and ferociously consumed. Though there have been numerous garage kits and resin models produced by fans and circles, a scale PVC figure from a major vendor hadn't manifested itself until GoodSmile's 1/8 scale Miku Hatsune PVC. Being the first in hopefully a long line of mainstream Vocaloid PVCs, GSC's Miku has much to live up to.

Sculpt:

The well-established YOSHI is primarily responsible for bringing Ms. Hatsune to life. YOSHI's more prevalent design traits are exhibited throughout the sculpt combining with GSC's spot-on production to deliver, at base level, a well rounded piece. Facial features are kept smooth and simplistic, reminiscent of and concordant with YOSHI's style. Actually, 'smooth' is a good word not only to describe the sculpt as a whole (ignoring wrinkles in her blouse and pleated skirt of course) but a very outstanding feature: Miku's lucsious and iconic twin-tails.
They're spread so far apart from her center that you might not notice their distant embrace at first but once you do, you'll be quite surprised at their flowing curves and immense scale. Wider than Miku is tall, in fact. Not to say her tsunami-esque hair size is to fault though: far from it. It's a feature that adds some unique flair in a dynamic way. However, if shelf space is at a minimum (as I know it is for some collectors, myself included), you might have to find some additional space to accommodate Miku's twin-tails.
While the hair is extraordinarily dynamic, Miku's pose might leave something to be desired for some. With a coquettishly cocked hip, contorted frame, and flared arm, the pose is wholly reminiscent of the sharp and expressive movements of idols on stage. Covering her left ear with her other hand alludes to the musical and lyrical aspects of Miku's character, a nice touch. Aside from these features, which admittedly aren't apparent at face value, the pose is delightfully typical.
But to the most important factor: Yes, panties are visible. They're of the high school girl variety: white with silver lining/trim and have an aqua-blue bow. Besides panchira, fans of zettai ryouiki, twin-tails, pettanko, and armpits will find something to like even if they aren't part of the Vocaloid loyal.

Production:

Not too much to elaborate on here. Good Smile has patted out their production enough to the point where each figure is extremely safe from any kind of error, almost TOO safe. The
lack of any deviation from the GSC norm might put off some but anyone looking for relatively high quality production value, though of a greatly formulistic variety, won't be disappointed.



At a Glance:

☺A must for Vocaloid/Miku fans, luscious twin-tails

☹ Simplistic execution on all accounts, nothing too distinct

Score:

Sculpt: 2.0/5
Production: 2.5/5

Final: 4.5/5