After an indefinite wait, figure manufacturer Yamato has finally green-lit a PVC release of the Amanda Werner Niθ Illustration garage kit they announced back in August of this year...

It was uncertain whether Yamato would step up to the plate and give fans the home-run they were craving by releasing Toi Fuijiura's sculpt of Amanda Werner, the main heroine of Gonzo's Blassreiter anime, as a PVC; up until today, that is. Yamato revealed plans for an Amanda resin kit a few months ago but little else of concern for those low in tactile dexterity. With this PVC announcement, however, Fujiura's erogenous piece can now find its way into the digits (however unskilled) of fans the world over. Amanda will be added to Yamato's Creator's Labo series, a figure line celebrating famous illustrators the likes of Jun Tsukasa, Shunya Yamashita, and Mine Yoshizaki. Based on an original illustration by famed artist and Nitro+ eroge character designer, Niθ (pronounced Nishii), Amanda is the second Blassreiter PVC to be released since the series aired in the Spring 2008 season. The first being Megahouse's 1/8 scale Elea PVC which is also worth a look, especially if you prefer less "corpulent" figures.

Amanda lies at the center of a strange series of connections conglomerating to form powerful earning potential for Yamato: Nitro+ ( co-producer of Blassreiter) is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Niθ (Amanda's character designer) is taking part in the festivities, and Funimation recently licensed the Blassreiter anime with an expected release date for Volume 1 on the 20th. If Amanda was being released at the end of this month with other November figures, there would certainly be an influx of cash flowing through the collective veins of Nitro+, Gonzo, and Yamato. But, unfortunately, she has a pending public unveiling during April of 2010. Another potential deal breaker: her price point of 12,390円 (around $140). Now before your jaw crushes your keyboard, Amanda ranks in at 280mm in height (around the price and size of most 1/5 scale figures) and is listed as non-scale. Her assets aren't the only things of consideration given those numbers.

There's been a palpable concern over this figure's design, and a resurgence of those feelings now that the PVC is becoming conspicuous. The root of the matter is a distinct difference between Niθ's original illustration and the Amanda present in Blassreiter's narrative. While both are actually designed by Niθ, certain... liberties were taken with Amanda's XAT uniform in the original illustration, and figure translation, we see here. In reality, Niθ has been portraying such an expository Amanda since the series' airdate, from centerfolds in Newtype, to an Amanda dakimakura cover and telephone card released almost a year ago. She may not be quite the same dutiful character fans have become accustomed to, but Niθ's seductive spin on Amanda allows her to let her hair down, literally and otherwise.