It's been not only a long time since I've posted here, but it has been a long time since I shared photos of my place. The last time you guys saw where I lived I was still living at home with my parents. It was back in 2012, so easily 4 years ago you saw my collection. Now you can see not only has my… [more]
So since I've moved into my new apartment I still hadn't set up my photography studio. Seems work has me busier than I thought I would ever be, however I took some time this past weekend to set up my studio so I could take some photos of my latest purchase, Alter's 1/8th Melty from Shining Hearts. Now… [more]
![[Alter] – Melty Review](https://howagirlfigures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/IMG_9095.jpg)
Pre-ordered this figure the moment she was released for pre-order. I needed for for multiple reasons, she's sexy/half naked, plus while she's not Sora she reminds me of Sora from Yosuga no Sora! But she's Yuki from Maid Yome and she's pretty amazing. The only issue is her adorable mouth really looks… [more]
![[Orchid Seed] – Yuki Review NSFW](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/11004311995_a056263bc7_o.jpg)
I recently went on a trip to a magical place, The Container Store. Ok it's not really magical, but I happen to have discovered a love for organizing my home. I tend to prefer Ikea and Daiso but we went to The Container Store on a whim and I discovered this lovely storage container! I've been needing… [more]
Today it’s Volk’s Japanese Mail Order figure 1/8 Shiranui Mai. This is my first Volks figure and while she’s very nicely done she does have some things that could have been fixed. I was able to get Mai at Comic Con this year for an amazing price and wasn’t able to pass her up!
She’s got a cute face, but doesn’t seem shy enough for someone who is trying to cover herself up after a wardrobe malfunction.
You can tell they tried to do their best with her hair and to give it amaizng detail, but it does bug me how they used a shiny paint for her hair.
I do like her eyes and the bit they added for blush
Love the bright colors for her Kimono. I believe it’s a Furisode, but i’m not entirely sure…
I say Furisode since it’s got the long sleeves, but then i’m not entirely sure. If i’m wrong let me know!
no undies on either? poor girl can’t afford much clothing can she!
Very Nice Rack!
I love the stuff in her hair!
I doubt i would have gotten Mai if it weren’t for her amazing price. In the end i’m glad I got her since she’s just so pretty. I love the Kimono and would love to see it on her properly. Her hair does bug me a tad bit and her base is just a plain black oval but she doesn’t really need it which is nice since you save space.
-Figure Info-
Manufactured by Volks
1/8 Scale
Initial release in April ’09
Price of 6,500 Yen
Mai may be a tad bit difficult to find but not impossible! Check out these fine retailers to find your own!
beNippon
HobbyLink Japan
Hobby Search
J-list
Kid Nemo Company
Otaku Fuel
Play Asia
Toylet
You can now follow me on 
And Like Howagirlfigures.com on Facebook
I’m normally not interested in half-naked figurines, but I really like this one. The concept is the same-old “Oh no! My kimono’s falling off! I need to cover my boobs in a sexual way!” kind of pose, but with a twist. It’s as if she wants to look sexual, but she ends up looking coy and innocent without playing the moe card.
same, i don’t usually get these kinda figures but she was just too pretty to pass up
Hmmm… I’ve got a love/hate relationship with Volks, but this one seems like a positive to me. As for their other figures, well… overpriced and crap.
gonna have to agree with you there, which is why this was my first Volks figure and i only got her since she was an amazing price
Sweet kimono there. But is it just me, or does her hair kinda look like its made out of chocolate?
To be completely honest though, Mai walks around half naked most the time anyway, so having her suffering a massive wardrobe malfunction is pretty much par for the course -_-
oh it does look like chocolate! now i’m tempted to eat her hair!
Y’know, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a fetish for that before
now i’d only eat if it were real hair
I don’t any Volks figures, but Mai does look good (some ugly seams on the back though). I also don’t own any half-clothed figures such as her. I should remedy that ^^;
you should pick up your own Mai then
Wow, I absolutely love the flowers on her kimono. It looks really nice! Loove the background, too!
thanks, the background was just a place mat i had
I see you really are picking up with your reviews. I also remember this from a while back, really liked the pose too.
trying to make sure i keep my readers interested with new posts!
When I first learned about her I decided I wanted to get her, but she was a limited preorder with Hobby Japan. Later I canceled her preorder, and was glad I did so due to Alphamax’s.
Still, I have her…or rather, her limited 2P color form. Of course, lol, that cost way more. Anyway Volks could, of course, for their PVC figures, always do a better job, but she looks fine enough indeed. I have yet to unbox my limited.
the other colored version is pretty snazzy as well
Loving the kimono, but yea hair should never be gloss a finish. The pose it is all that original but for some reason I can’t put my finger on this on pull it off well. Maybe it’s the facial expression.
yeah i feel that i’ve seen this pose done before somewhere else as well
I feel like she’s looking back at someone “Excuse me, I’m changing, please leave me alone” XD
yeah like being all coy and shy
The new Volks figures, from La campanella della benedizione, at least and especially Agnes Boulange and Chelsea Arcot (I covered them here), look spectacular.
But then again, you never know what happens in the transition from resin to PVC.
i hope they do make that Yoko into a PVC
I like this version, because she is so cute and sweet in her kimono. But it’s a Volk figure, and often, the price is high ^^
the prices on volks figures can be a bit high sometimes, but i was lucky and found her for cheap
I’ve got a few Volks figures and while the quality isn’t super great, I think they make up for it with interesting poses and characters. Mai looks really nice here, although she seems a bit demure; I think this figure was based off of a Queen’s Gate illustration, but she also strikes a similar pose before battles in the King of Fighters video games (third picture) where she is anything but bashful.
well seeing those gifs gives me a tad bit more insight onto her character
I gotta agree with you on the hair, but she is one smexy figure. Love the kimono/furisode lol. I remember seeing the proto shots of her months back. And that is a very nice price, specially for a figure in these times.
lately figure prices are just crazy expensive!
They are!!! 8800 yen for a 1/8th scale is bloody crazy… Don’t see how they rose so high so quick…
some i understand when you see the overall jump in quality, but others are just high to piss us off
I, too, couldn’t pass this one up, and pre-ordered it from play-asia.com back in Nov. 2008. I received her back in June, but I have yet to remove her from the box. I guess I need to find a proper spot to put her first.
Anyway, I ran across this ebay listing the other day, and according to the pictures featured in the listing, Mai does have have undies: http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120446077891
Who knew??
how do you remove her kimono them?
Well, I decided to investigate for myself (forgive me, Mai, for peeking!). It looks like the only way she can be displayed without her kimono is to separate one of the (super) glued joints that holds it together.
I wouldn’t recommend breaking a glued joint on any figure just for the sake of cast-off. Irreversible cast-off is not true cast-off, and I hate when folks advertise a “new” figure as such when it’s not. All this proves is how the figure was assembled in the factory.
But since cast-off is the latest rage, it does make one wonder why this figure was not designed for real cast-off in the first place — especially for the higher prices nowadays.
most likely it was originally designed as cast off but when it went into a approval they denied it. So instead of just re-designing it they glue down what was meant to be cast off and keep the original design. well at least this solves the mystery!
i’m more a fan of her P2 blue version actually…..i found both versions in akihabara for about $60usd….my boyfriend bought the same one you have. you make me regret not buying her.
the blue version is very nice, but i’m a fan of pink myself
I’m waiting on my first Volks figure myself! I ordered the Horo one coming out this fall and I really can’t wait. I expect it to be FAR superior to my Cospa one!
that horo does look pretty snazzy
Wow pretty slick looking figure!
she is pretty awesome
Your photographs are splendid. 🙂
May is in my wishlist, she’s beautiful. Her face is very fine.
Nice one !