Product Line / The Robot Spirits ⟨Side FRANXX⟩
Scale & Class / Non-Scale Collectible Figure
Manufacturer / Bandai Spirits / Tamashii Nations
Release Date / 2018
Appearances / DARLING in the FRANXX
In early 2018, Studio Trigger and A-1 Pictures released DARLING in the FRANXX, a highly anticipated mecha anime with the promise of a captivating story, developed characters, and interesting mecha designs. Well… let’s just say that it became one of the most discussed series during its run thanks to how the plot went haywire into space towards the end, literally. Needless to say, we still got interesting mecha designs with the FRANXX, robots with female humanoid bodies and a bunch of armor panels. Thanks to the great people over at Tamashii Nations, we got two figures as part of The Robot Spirits line, one being Strelitzia. The thing about Strelitzia, and all other FRANXX in general, is that they’re not your typical mecha that easily translate to poseable figures. Sure, they have humanoid bodies, but all those armor panels add a layer of complexity when considering articulation and its overall play pattern. So, let’s see how Strelitzia turned out considering all these mentioned.
Getting the elephant in the room out there, Strelitzia has a lot going on at the top but has little feet. That makes getting the figure into any dynamic pose a total chore. It does come with a simple display base with a peg to attach a foot and a Tamashii Stage connector, but for photography purposes, it’s still better if Strelitzia can stand without external support. Each foot does have an extending heel but practically speaking, it does little to no help. Posing challenges aside, Strelitzia looks great and is fully accurate to the animation model. Most of the red highlights are done with separate plastic pieces which makes the figure look really sharp, while the painted applications are clean, especially on the very expressive face parts. Articulation is okay, with most of the armor panels and other bits connected with ball joints. Do note that parts will clash and hit each other when putting this figure into poses, especially the large shoulder and forearm armors. Coupled with its signature weapon, the Queen Pike (i.e. a large spear), and you’ll spend most of time getting Strelitzia into a pose that somehow works. This may sound cumbersome but once you get the gist of its articulation scheme, Strelitzia can look very dynamic. Besides the Queen Pike, also included are two replacement facial parts with varying expressions. If only replacing the facial parts doesn’t require basically disassembling the entire front of the head.
