Square Enix Trading Art volume 2

While we're on the topic of toys, here's one more. Square Enix Trading Art volume 2's secret, Childhood memories. I've been searching for this figurine for soooo long. This is the only one of Al in human form ever made! Well, OK, so are the kids.

Actually, I've been meaning to upload this to my toy site for a while. With the evil silver version, I didn't want to invest in this set. Luckily I was able to get 3 loose opened ones and one of them was the silver version of this figurine. Since then I've been searching for the coloured version, until about 2 months ago, finally got a set from auction. It's missing the silver Ed so the price was right. The silver set immediately go on consignment at a store. (^_^)

As usual, I'd like to photograph them for my toy site, but somehow my energy seems to be running low. Right now, 4 out of 6 are still unopened.

At first glance, they look good! But the truth is... Square Enix is trying to get away with whatever they can! The design sucks. They took the idea from a shot in the second end credit, but rearrange it so that the composition doesn't work! The paint job is only acceptable with plenty of bleeding. The sculpt doesn't have enough details for 500 yen level. The eye sockets aren't molded. (Today, even the Bandai 200 yen level have molded eyes!) The straps of the bags are unbelievably thick. The poses are really stiff and there are no knees or elbows. The palms are dead flat! The base doesn't fit together without shaving the pegs!

I am happy to get this figurine, but at the same time, also upset at Square Enix.... They could have easily done a waaaaay better job. Why didn't they?!