Wood Guardian Kureha

Every forest is full of mysteries, secrets, and has its own legends. And there is a wood which is told to be guarded by an wonderful fairy, who got an evasive and melancholy gaze. She is also said to have gorgeous yellow orangey clothes from which a sweet heat emanates, amplified by some sumptuous wings her large sleeves draw. Some even pretend that she always carries a long bow finely sculpted into a strong wood.

Kureha

This keeper would be named Kureha, and the legend says she likes to blend in the shades naturally created by plays of light between the sun and leafages.

Kureha

Kureha

Kureha

Each legend has its share of stories and other testimonies, reporting some encounters with this shy fairy. Here is an abstract of one of them.

“[...] While I had already lost every single hope to find my way back home before the night arrives, a glimmer arose amid the thick darkness of the forest. The light decreased slowly, revealing a young and beautiful girl whose warmly colored clothes were twinkling intensively under the few sun rays which broke through the leaves. [...]“

Kureha

“[...] then she suddenly disapeared, to reappear few steps farther, still enlightened by the piercing beams of the sun. She seemed to want me to follow her [...]”

“[...] I was starting to be exhausted by the little hide-and-seek game, but finally that strange pursuit ended when, before I even realised it, I arrived at the entrance of a vast glade. The girl was here, contemplating the amazing view expanding in front of us. [...]“

Kureha

“[...] She faced me then, and while she was trying to avoid my look, she pointed to a direction with her finger. There was a little path through another wood, that allowed me latter to back home. But during that brief moment I was looking at the way out, my pretty saviour vanished one more, and last time. [...]“

Kureha

Hard to describe with precision the part this spirit with human appearances plays in this forest. Is she aimed to guard the woods from visitors, or guide lost souls through this maze? Nobody can tell it yet, since afterall, this is just a legend.

However, I want to believe that one day, I will have that chance too meet her too, in this magic forest.

Figure review

Hehe did you enjoyed my little story? I had a lot of fun taking pictures of this great figure in such a lovely place, and imagine that little scene.
Moreover, those first photos are in my opinion the best I ever done outside. So I hope you like them as much as I do.

Most of us already relished super rats‘ and Danny Choo‘s amazing pictures, so I also hope that none would be fed up with those pics of mines. The fact is, this Kureha figure is such a pretty model, it would have been a crime if I didn’t took pictures of her. I have some more pictures, not published here but on my Flickr galery, but I guess they are less interresting, and maybe not visible for everyone due to Flickr restrictions… well, nevermind.

Kureha

Like Danny said, pictures speak for themselves. There are of course few failings due to mass production, but only scrupulous eyes would notice them. The only things that disturb me a bit are the bow’s string which seems very fragile, and the hazardous way she stands on here base. But I guess it’s just me who is a bit too affraid of breaking something each time I have a figure between my hands.

Kureha

Kureha

Kureha

As additional but well-known informations, Kureha is from the game/anime Shining Wind, and has nothing to do with the little fictive story I invented. The figure kit, based on an illustration of maestro Tony “T2″ Taka, was sculpted by Hagii Shunji, who also created Shenhua‘s model.

Ho and I’ve just realised that with Ayu Tsukimiya, that makes two Max Factory figures of characters voiced by Yui Horie I grabbed at the same time. Must be a sign ^^

Product Information

  • Manufactured by Max Factory
  • 1/7 scale completed pvc/abs figure
  • First released in October 2007 in Japan
  • List Price of 7,200 JPY

Kureha

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  • http://pvc4me.wordpress.com/ shinohai

    Absolutely stunning man, the shadows give off some really nice atmosphere in the first few pics. Really gets the viewer into the scene and feel. Great stuff!

    Still waiting on my Kureha and Ayu (they’re being shipped together too ^^b), wasn’t exactly in a hurry to receive them since I don’t have space at the moment, but after your back-to-back shoots, I’m getting kind of impatient :p

  • http://www.otadesho.com/ ron~

    can’t wait for my kureha to arrive :D

    seems like this one is the kind of figurine that everyone have ^^;

    I like the last picture, bright colors but not pale

  • JB

    Nice photo shoot… she looks right at home ;)

  • http://animestuff.wordpress.com/ Belela-san

    Nice shots ^^ definitely a must have figure for figure lovers (but not on my buying list though), the environment definitely works out on this one, I keep saying outside pictures have another sort of atmosphere around them

  • http://animesugoi.animeblogger.net/ AS

    The picture with her back facing you was my favorite, it went so well with your story. Stories are always nice to read, but not always easy to come up with lol. But it just comes to mind as you look at the background lol. It would be funny if she absorbed energy from the suns rays like Birdman ^^.

  • http://toysworkz.wordpress.com/ valho

    very nice outdoor pics lu-k, I especially like the second shot, the lights and shadow is just perfect on that shot. I am still waiting for my Kureha, hopefully I can get her by this weekend

  • Gilgamesh

    Kureha is everywhere these days! not a bad thing IMO, except for that disturbing post at dannychoo xDD But anyways, lovely pics of Kureha, I really like the 2nd one, it looks like she is walking out of a shadow spot.. awesome! I hope to get it later next month, since I had to cancel it because I spent a lot this month T_T

  • http://www.happysoda.com/ super rats

    Yeah, that base does seem a little treacherous. For some odd reason such a short skirt paired with long legs makes it difficult to get “the shot” unless you’ve dug a hole in the ground fifteen feet deep. It defies logic! In that one shot she’s like, my undies are safe, he’s still above sea level.

  • http://www.gamekult.com/blog/shango37/ shango37

    Tiens, toi aussi tu l’as reçu… J’aime bien tes photos dans les bois, c’est sympa et très bien faite…
    Nous on attend Ayu… (et Clalaclan vient d’arrivée).

  • http://www.mukyaa.com lu-k

    shinohai : thanks dude! Those two arrived quickly here, since there was another Kureha and the MegaHouse articulated Misa, for a friend, so due to the package value, HLJ chose EMS for the shipment method.

    ron~ : yup, this month Max Factory best-seller, for sure!

    Belela-san : that’s right, and this is interresting too to swtich between indoor and outdoor pictures. It breaks the “monotony” ^^

    AS : ahaha yeah, didn’t think about that. Btw, how do you proceed? This time, I already had in mind the place I wanted to go, and the kind of pictures I wanted to take. And that story came while I was shooting photos. The hardest was to write it in english hehe ^^;

    valho : Thanks. I have to admit I put a lot of efforts. It was funny to take pictures lying on the ground (but I wasn’t as funny after when I had to wash my clothes) ^^;

    Gilgamesh : don’t remind me those pics… never! It was a huge traumatism to me… xD

    super rats : hahaha yeah, but that’s pretty sexy to me, not to be able to see her white secret so easily ^^

    shango37 : Merci! J’ai vu que vous (Lince et toi hein, je fais pas dans le vouvoyement hehe) l’avez reçue presque avant tout le monde hehe ;)
    Les autres personnages m’attirent moins sinon, meme si Clalaclan semble superbe. Peut etre Seena à la limite, mais j’ose croire que Max Fact. va sortir la sienne.

  • http://zeroblade.wordpress.com/ Zeroblade

    My Kureha still hasn’t arrived yet ;_;

  • http://abstractnonsense.info/moe/ Aya Kyunik

    Ah, nice outdoor photos, the last few are my favs~ The first few’s shadows also have a nice effect in an artistic way, I may have to experiment it like you XD

    It’s nice to see outdoor photoshoots from time to time, as they were the reason I started to take photos of my figures.

    My Kureha still isn’t here yet =/
    Maybe tomolo?

  • http://animesugoi.animeblogger.net/ AS

    @lu-k: I too usually have a place in mind before I take figure pictures. Usually places I’ve come across at least twice before I decide to take the picture there. Then I decide which figure fits best in that type of background. I usually take pictures at random from different angles if I can, around 20 pictures usually. Then I decide what kind of story I want to write about before I choose which pictures to post so I know which angle would fit the story the best. Then based on the pictures, I decide which picture goes into that part of the storyline. After all that do I actually come up with a story lol, sometimes it freely comes out but other times it takes a bit of time to come up with certain scenes in the story. I think your English is very good ^^.

  • D_Blade

    Like many said before, there seems to be some rule with archers… Their favorite environment seems to be the forest. Maybe to help them to camouflage themselves, gain height and have the necessary time to aim and attack?

    Kureha indeed follows this idea, but she is so beautiful it is not a problem for her to be in the meadows. I know it’s not very practical for her though.

    On a more serious note, this figure is so awesome it looks like she has different face expressions depending on the angle.
    My favorite photographs out of the bunch are the first ones. The semi-light, semi-shadow aspect gives her more style (for me, the second one in particular).

    One of the best female figurines ever. Enough said. ;)

  • D_Blade

    By the way, I like female warriors with spears. This was confirmed with Balsa from Seirei no Moribito. And no, it has nothing to do with some Freudian unconscious fantasy. *laughs*
    Swords are a close second. Why? I don’t know.

    I have never been a fan of bows… This leaves few place for defense or reaction time. Think practical.
    As for hammers and axes, this reminds me of berserkers, strength, lessened feminity… so no.
    And… I’ve never been a fan of guns.

    Sorry for the double post, but some force compelled me to give more of my personal impressions. ;)

  • http://blog.iveanime.org/ rain

    Archers are great, but I’m a sword/melee person – doesn’t mark down points for Kureha though, I think her bow makes her pose really impressive. Received the pretty lady from a dealer yesterday, and took some time off from my studies to assemble her. First thing that caught my eyes was her face. As many have said, she has a mesmerizing expression, those eyes really catch you and stop you there.

  • http://alafista.com/ alafista

    wow that is really nice, especially the fourth picture

    Alas, my Kureha is taking ages to arrive, I might end up having to go rob some store.

  • http://www.mukyaa.com lu-k

    Hope you won’t wait too much more guys. At least, this leaves you some extra time to find her a special place in your collection ^^

    Aya Kyunik : having the subject between light and shade is really interresting indeed. But I have a lot of pics that are too much dark ^^;

    AS : ok ok! Good to know sometimes how it works for others ^^
    And thanks about my English haha ^^;
    I actually spend the majority of the time I write an article trying to translate it the best I can.

    D_Blade : yeah instinctively archers are set in forest background.
    I actually also prefer girls with spears or kind of halberd or voulge. And I am really looking forward Shuraki’s fifth figure ;)
    I don’t mind gigantic axes and/or hammers, especially when they are handled by cute little girls like Presea in Tales of Symphonia.
    Bows aren’t my cup of tea, at all, but Kureha is an exception ’cause of her beauty ^^

    rain : her gaze is impressive indeed. Hard to resist ^^

    alafista : thanks! I also like this one since her face is in the shade and her lovely body appears in the light.

  • http://www.moemoerabu.net/ Adun

    My Kureha is somewhere in shipment. But damn, everyone is getting their figure before I do. Great photos, but I think there is too much shadowing in the first two pictures and still too much light. But good to see you’re using the tree’s shade for the photos, because I usually do the same thing.

  • http://www.mukyaa.com lu-k

    Thanks Adun! Yes I still have a lot to learn about how to manage sun light ^^;
    Australia seems to have some difficulties for figures transport :p
    This isn’t the first time I see you’re complaining about delays.

  • http://www.dannychoo.com/ Danny Choo

    Gorgeous pictures!
    I see you didnt Bukkake your figure either ^^;

  • http://www.nekoguchi.com/ dice

    Gosh! I’m already sturggling with just indoor shoots on a level ground. I think outdoor shoots are 10 times harder to do. Really takes the toil out of you especially so if the sun is playing hide and seek and the ground is not level or if the wind is too strong and either your figurine or your tripod falls.

    Great job lu-k! I think you brought out the essence of Kureha. She seems in her own place in the woods! I find the thrid pix a ‘lil funny. Kureha seemed a little skeptical and afraid. Probably starring and wondering why the leaves around her are so huge. LOL The 6th is my favourite though. Wonderful depth of field there. I’m getting all emo looking at her starring out at the fields. haha!

    Anyhow, Nice shots! Thanks!

  • http://sparechangeanyone.wordpress.com/ aka_ugly

    Wow Lu-k, looks like your just as skilled at outdoor photography as indoor setups xD The 7th pic is just stunning. I loves it ^^
    I’m happy Kureha lived up to her lofty expectations. 3 cheers for Max Factory! Hip! Hip! Kure! xD

  • http://www.mukyaa.com lu-k

    Danny : Don’t tell me you were expecting me to do that… x_x

    dice : ho thank you a lot. These kind words really move me ^^
    Glad you enjoyed those pictures!

    aka_ugly : haha well… I try to find good places, proper sun light, then use the few settings I know… and the camera does the rest ^^;
    Nice wordplay haha, made me laugth ^^