hmm... so close to making me pull the trigger on this. so close...

How do I check which batch is mine?

Well, all Saber lilies in the market now are the 2nd batch ones, if you can find one
The first batch one is totally gone from the market, i remember how it was sold out everywhere and there was a guy who messaged me and told me he is willing to pay me RM1200 if i sell mine, which i didnt sell. That was even before she got the first re-release.

If you bought yours between year 2009-2011, most likely yours is a first batch. I remember buying mine in year 2010

idk if the "first batch is superior" is true since sometimes seller use that excuse to justify why their's are more expensive when they just wanna keep the scalpers price.
also should be later batches are better since any problem with the first batches should be known and fixed.

but it's just my opinion anyway. i don't really care about the value of my stuff so rerelease is no matter to me, or only matters if i missed the first release.

actually i'm also thinking the same... how can second batch inferior (unless you're talking about 1985 saga)?

Ermm, this didnt came from seller's mouth, i have never had any seller telling me this kind of stuff before. It's from my personal experience. The same shyt happened to BRS original version, it was rereleased once and the 2nd batch one hair color a bit dfferent, it had bit too much blue in it. Im someone who can easily find faults even with kotobukiya's figures, not to mention Griffon or Chara-Ani, even the smallest flaws that GSC or Alter makes, i will notice it.

that one probably not a flaw, but maybe a fix as maybe some complained the hair wasn't blue enough? or something different so people who bought first release also have something to buy the second one lol. anyway i don't think a company would purposely do something wrong that would affect sales.

i also easily find faults in figures.. i rarely find a figure to be perfect i will always find something to complain lol.

maybe i am bias with the case of rerelease as the one i got actually got improved upon. it was yamato's rei ayanami based on the shunya yamashita art. first release was badly sculpted, badly painted, and didn't follow the art (basically yamato quality since they were really bad back then). second release fixed the sculpt, better paint and had an extra part that wasn't available in the first one, and also cheaper than what you'll find the first one selling on the internet lol.

so what was the difference between the first and second release for the saber lily that made the first release better?

Yamato has never been good with quality for most of their releases, so probably they improved on it upon a re-release. The company has now been renamed as Arcadia and their figures are still meh from what i can see so far

Companies aren't doing anything on purpose, the issue here is priorities. Companies often focus on the quality of a product that is new. Some ppl wait until after release for reviews and verdict before buying them, creating a great first impression is important. Re-released products sometimes dont get equal attention on quality control. Regarding BRS's re-release being too blue isn't a defect, probably, but many people didnt like it, me included. And we dont like the fact that the consistency of a product isn't there.

I used to review figures in detail a lot; i still do it nowadays but i dont write lengthy reviews anymore - they are simplified. Over 5 years of reviewing figures, only 4 figures have gotten a 10 out of 10 score from me, i.e. it's both extraordinary and perfect at the same time. Maybe if im richer and buy more figures i might find more figures that deserve 10/10. The highest a Kotobukiya figure has scored in my records is only 7/10 (That includes Dark Angel olivia). Many of the best figures people told me about (i have some of them), they managed to get 8 to 9 points only at most, a very select few managing to get 9.5/10. That's how harsh I am.


The first release was pretty much flawless. The re-released ones actually had minor paint job issues, of course, only on selected units (so, it's up to your luck) but apparent I saw enough complaints on forums and the net. I did personally see one with such defects, though it's barely visible unless u check in detail. Some of the flaws are underneath the armor or when you check her pantsu - some of them is underneath, on the white dress/skirt.

This post has been edited by EXkurogane: Mar 22 2016, 09:35 PM

check her pantsu...

My 1st release Saber Lily does have some minor defect hidden under the skirt.
I used to own one.

https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=ST&f...post&p=28969548

what four figures are those? not surprised a kotobukiya gets a 7/10 since they're just normal imo.
anyway still in my opinion that rereleases should at least be as good as the first release, unless they changed factory or such. (and also sometimes first release gets bonus as an incentive that rereleases won't have but that's another matter)

We're talking about mass produced collectibles here, glorified toys no?
I would think that a degree of imperfection is to be expected la.

Most of us aren't rich enough to afford sotheby's stuff lol.

I suppose they were overlooked over the assumption no one is looking at those parts
Well, as i mentioned, most of the time it's due to luck.

The 4 figures are Saber Lily Distant Avalon (GSC), Insane BRS (GSC), Tohsaka Rin (GSC), Mu-12 (Alter). I don't have the Mu-12, my friend lent me his unit and i went through the figure in detail enough. Following up, a 9.5/10, is Black Heart (Alter), and Ciel Alencon (GSC). Those scoring 9.0 are common - figures from Max Factory, Orchid Seed, Native, Skytube, all scored this high before. Well, remember that i reviewed the Saber Lily and Rin back in 2011-2012, these are pretty high standard figures in the past. In the past 2-3 years, only two figures managed 10/10. If a figure gets 8.0 and above, it already means it's worth buying one in my books.

Alter has a better reputation than GSC in general in terms of consistency, but most of their figures are not "hardcore" enough to earn a full 10/10. If a company can deliver an ultra detailed figure with a unique base without any flaws it scores the bonus points needed for a full score. A simple bikini/swimsuit figure with a plastic disc base, even though it's perfection, will not get a 10/10. One more thing is stability is a big factor in my judging. The figure's foot may have a shittonne of pegs but when u shake it, it wobbles, it loses points.

Hello, may I ask is Big in Japan good? Anyone used them before? Thanks in advance.

sorry guys for off topic but im running really low on cash here guys so i gotta get rid of my highly prized native sasaki kotone. selling for RM500 if interested. i believe its a good price considering current exchange rate.

Personal experience: it's just fine, not spectacular, but nothing to complain about also. Used their proxy service too, which almost everyone recommend due to their rate apparently being the "cheapest", but to me it's really just a few hundred yen cheaper than tenso.com. As for figures, I believe they're more expensive compared to Amiami, but in reality I think it's offset with Amiami's ludicrous shipping fee. TLDR BiJ's okay-ish, just go for it if you found a figure you want there. One thing of note is that the customer service guy I got is apparently French, so he doesn't exactly have the best English around, nor Japanese for that matter.

Dude you're seriously really tempting me here. Thing is I myself am not really in a financially good position now lol.

Bought a few items from them before. They are not too bad except their customer service responds can be slow sometimes. Pricing wise, some of their items can be slightly cheaper than amiami. On the plus side, they always under declare figure value when shipping. Even my RM80 prize figure was under declared . So if you are planning to buy something which cost more than RM500, BiJ is a good option.

Thanks! I actually considered using BiJ because they carry exclusive figures that others don't have. Their under-declare service is also a huge plus for expensive figures.
Thank you for the feedbacks!

come come get it she's perfect