There are two things I know about Tamaki Kousaka. One, I really like a certain To Heart 2 illustration from 2004. Two, there are about one gazillion different figures made in her honor, all of them mediocre if we exclude the Max Factory version (reviewed on Tentacle Armada).
This 1/6 scale is available in three different versions; a white, black and pink bikini outfit. To capture the innocence of the character I went with the white option.
Daiki Kougyou was also a new experience and the initial impression was a mixed bag after seeing their figures this year. Some pretty good, some just utterly bad.
A brown circle shaped base is topped with a sand covered layer to hint of Tamaki's whereabouts. That small brown portion of the piece does take away some of the overall feel so it was hidden ever so smoothly.
One thing that was quite annoying was how the manufacturer changed the figure's position from the sample shots. In the retail version the figure stands much closer to the beach shower, which also leans quite heavily. To top that off, the holes where you attach her feet also don't lign up properly.
Remember when you bought that IKEA table and the drilled holes were all over of place? Same deal here. One has to slightly bend her right foot in order to fit her properly, sloppy production sadly.
When all parts are in place though, including that leaning shower of Pisa, the figure starts to shine.
With the visual style of 2004 and production standards of 2011 this is possibly my favourite Tamaki Kousaka to date. The art dated a few years back really helps accentuate the character's personality which Daiki Kougyou brought out nicely in their creation.
Tamaki also sports quite the rarity when it comes to bikini bottoms. The front being a v-front micro side tie usually leads to a thong but instead we're greeted with a regular tanga piece covering her bottom. Not the best paint job here but not the worst either.
Lingering. Curves in all the right places. About to burst. All quality traits of a shower hose.
Fully optional comes a delicate piece of plastic acting as pouring water from the hose, calming those who'd throw a tantrum at the sight of a bare nipple.
I hesitated grabbing this figure earlier this month but seeing it up close makes me glad I reconsidered. It does have its flaws but overall it's certainly a decent figure from Daiki Kougyou. One can only hope they improve on quality control for future offerings.
