Bandai Namco USA's online shop has officially released and shipped out the Repede resin figurine in celebration of Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition!
The Packaging:
The outer packaging contains a sleeve so that the lid of the box is held in place. Instead of the standard card board box that Japanese PVC figurines contain, this figurine follows the pattern that most North American statue creators use. There is no plastic window showcasing the actual figurine, as resin statues (heavy by nature) need to be protected and held in place between two styrofoam pieces.
The Contents:
We have a total of 3 pieces that must be "assembled." Sad to say, there is no Certificate of Authenticity or other inserts included.
The Assembled Piece:
The only irritating part of getting everything together is the chain. His tail pinches up way too close to the back of the head, making it difficult to slip the chain around his neck. You have to carefully lift the tail a bit in order to slip it in. Doing this can be quite horrifying, as the tail is NOT supposed to move and may snap off of his body. As for his pipe, it slips in easily without issue but is also quite fragile.
The final highlight of this figurine is the base. While Repede is indefinitely stuck onto it, the sculptor took a more decorative approach with grass scenery. Most of the Alter/Kotobukiya figurines have fancy clear paintings and designs, but nothing too dynamic like what we see here. Overall, it's very different from the Japanese PVC figurines we're used to from the last couple of decades. While it makes a great display piece, he unfortunately does not scale well with the Alter line of Tales of Vesperia PVC figurines.