This is ARTFX Yamashita. Long time no see!
Today, I’d like to introduce this product:
MARVEL INVISIBLE WOMAN ULTIMATE BISHOUJO STATUE
Release Month: October 2024
This is a recreation of the June 2011 MARVEL BISHOUJO STATUE INVISIBLE WOMAN. That’s right–not a reproduction, but a new, commemorative product in 1/6 scale to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the BISHOUJO series!
Let’s start with a basic character introduction. A member of the Fantastic Four (Marvel’s first ever Super Hero team), Invisible Woman’s real name is Dr. Susan "Sue" Storm Richards, or Sue Richards.
Like her other teammates, she gained her powers after being exposed to cosmic rays during an experiment in space. Her ability was initially to make her own body invisible, but later she was also able to generate a force field and use it for defensive attacks.
The original product was sculpted by Gotaro Takeuchi. Even today, details like the sculpt of the muscles and metallic shading on the body are still classic features that haven't faded with time.
Thirteen years have passed since then, and we once again faced Shunya Yamashita’s illustration and took on the challenge of bringing Invisible Woman to life with our current figure manufacturing technology.
However, this was not just a mere resculpt–it was the creation of a completely new product!
When bringing her back to life once more, we decided to increase the scale from 1/7th (approx. 23cm in height) to 1/6th (approx. 30cm in height) out of respect for the original product, and also because we wanted a larger canvas to showcase the technology we’ve cultivated up until now.
In numbers, this may just be one level up, but when you line them up like this it’s actually a difference of around 7cm, which feels much bigger than anticipated!
Let’s take a look at the hair!
Each lock of hair can be sculpted out with more detail and expression than ever before thanks to the larger, 1/6 scale. We can also combine both clear materials and pearlescent materials together to create a sense of lightness from her blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
You can see the transparency of her hair especially well from this angle.
Additionally, the details in the printing of her blue eyes have also been made into 1/6 scale, which provides even more depth and expression to the statue.
Before, we experimented with the “gyokugan system,” which is a technique used with Japanese dolls where the eye and face parts are made separately, and the eye parts are inserted at the back of the face part.
The eye area of the previous 1/7 scale BISHOUJO statue was comparatively smaller to that of anime figures, since these statues were made to have a more realistic facial balance. We utilized this technique in an attempt to solve the printing issue, as it was difficult to convey the depth and curvature of the eyes and the details in the irises with such limited space when printing directly.
With this new 1/6 scale, the size of the eyes has increased from around 4mm to 9mm! Not only can we print the eyelashes, but we can even print the shadow of the eyelids falling on the eyes, and also print large and small highlights to recreate the luster and glow of the irises!
Her lips, which have a gentle smile, have a soft pink color with a sense of fullness, and we were even able to recreate the details in her mouth, such as her teeth and tongue.
While this kind of detailed expression can inadvertently make the figure look unpleasant, at the hands of the incredibly capable sculptor, jonji, we were able to achieve the perfect balance for this statue.
Even the corners of the mouth have been upgraded, so that the sculpt reflects a sense of dimension from multiple angles, making yet another feature that we hope you’ll check up close.
The costume on the original product was a dazzling contrast of black and stunning metallic blue, but this time, a close-up view of the new statue clearly shows the updated parts, such as the expression of each muscle, the transparency of the clear parts for her fingers and tips of her hair, and the textured surface treatment on the neck and waist areas.
In particular, the “4” mark on her chest has been recreated with more dimension so that it pops out more, which brings the statue closer to the illustration.
The base has also been made more transparent to better recreate her force field. While the first product is an homage to Mole Man from the original comic “Fantastic Four #1” that was published in 1961, this new statue has a marble-like pedestal, reminiscent of a historical sculpture that would be displayed in a museum, with a luxurious atmosphere that perfectly matches this piece.
Up until now, I’ve focused closely on various aspects of the figure, but when it comes to a statue like this, it’s of course important to look at the full picture!
Just like the old quote that they often reference in Japan, "God is in the details," I think one of the best ways to enjoy this statue is to alternate between looking at it up close and farther back.
Take a step back and gaze at this statue from afar, then come closer to inspect the details. I hope that you’ll be able to experience this piece as the culmination of the history of the BISHOUJO series, as well as the future it holds going forward.
As I mentioned earlier, the BISHOUJO series is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year! Add this commemorative piece of the series history to your collection today!
© 2024 MARVEL
What is the BISHOUJO Series？
The BISHOUJO series reimagines characters from popular comic books, games, and movies from a Japanese perspective and transforms them into unique “BISHOUJO” style statues.
Based on art by illustrator Shunya Yamashita, the series aims to provide figures inspired by Japanese art to fans throughout the world.
Since release of the first BISHOUJO statue in 2009, the series has continued for fifteen years and will continue for many more!
Keep an eye out for more exciting additions to the ever-expanding BISHOUJO world!
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