Kuroko Shirai is from the anime series Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun), based on a manga spin-off of the Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index) light novel and anime series. I say this because while Index is popular enough, Railgun is interesting for being popular in its own right, and while Index characters have since got regular figma releases, the Railgun ones are SP exclusive.
Therein lies the question that always hangs above the head of an SP (or for that matter, EX) figma release from a series where other characters have had normal, more accessible availability: does this indeed make Kuroko a special figma, or just an afterthought? Afterthought meaning that since fewer of this figma will be made, the fewer there will be to enjoy. I wonder if Max Factory might then not worry so much about how good it is, and just do enough to satisfy.
We know they’re capable of fantastic renditions, creative approaches, and thoughtful accessories, but all too often an SP/EX release will be lacking in these qualities. I’m not saying there aren’t fantastic or even amazing exclusives in these lines, but there are times when I wonder if they really care, and just what specific reasons they use to determine what line they are delegated. So is Kuroko something worthy of the ‘Special’ moniker, or (in my own words) just an afterthought?
Packed in with the special release version of the To Aru Kagaku no Railgun PSP game, it has been described as an adventure talking game. As far as I can tell, this concerns you using two gameplay phases to progress. There’s Girls Talk – which consists of most of the game where you talk to characters, gather topics and decide on actions or routes to take. There’s also Action Mode, consisting of Quick Time Events to partake in fights and other sequences. So… yeah, not what I’d look for in a game really.
Set in Academy City, the Railgun anime is set before and during events that occur in Index, focussing instead on Mikoto Misaka‘s adventures in the city, utilising her special esper powers, and interacting with her friends like Kuroko. Kuroko is a member of the Judgment committee, dedicated to ensuring peace and order in the city, though her perverted, obsessed crush on Mikoto certainly trips her up. Utilising the power of teleportation, Mikoto can flit about instantaneously and displace objects, like the many nails she has strapped to her legs to pin enemies from a distance.
Wearing the same Tokiwadai Middle School uniform her affluent “Onee-sama” Mikoto does (because – shock horror – they go to the same school), it’s a nice, classy (but not too classy – heaven forbid says Mikoto) uniform, with a fitting tan vest over a simple white collared shirt. A grey-blue short skirt is worn, completed with a pair of white socks and brown school shoes. It’s an effective ensemble, and I’m always prone to vests on schoolgirls (why?). Around Kuroko’s right arm we can attach her Judgment armband, complete with logo and pin. A second band is included to make it look like Kuroko is pulling it on, ready to hand out some justice.
Besides this hand which pinches at the armband, there is another dedicated hand; a left one grasping a set of futuristic handcuffs so Kuroko can take some miscreants in for questioning. These are accompanied by four other pairs of hands: a set of fists, a set of grasping hands, a set of open hands, and a set of fists with three little holes between the fingers to insert the teeny tiny little metal strips that are supposed to be nails. These nails amazingly come on an actual piece of metal, which you punch six out of for use. Thinking ahead, Max Factory made more than what was needed (ten in total) to cover any you’re bound to lose.
You’d be mad to try and push these things all the way into Kuroko’s hands yourself, so I recommend pushing them in far enough so they’ll hold, then carefully pressing them down onto a hard, non-malleable surface to ensure complete insertion. The end result is these cool baby Wolverine claws that you’ll probably never bother trying to pull out so Kuroko to ‘nail’ some goons. A pair of upper legs with those certain straps with nails are included to swap over to complete the look. A school briefcase is here for Kuroko to lug to classes, but has no froggy accessories like her idol. The last included accessory is a closed set of handcuffs, so you can arrest that shifty figma that’s been removing his clothes in public again.
Three expressions are here for young Kuroko to use, including a smart, confident smiling face, a yelling face for when she’s in the heat of battle, and a perverted face whenever she’s close to Mikoto and wants to pin her down and get physically intimate (again, heaven forbid says Mikoto). They’re all suitable faces for her character, and look good on the figma itself, but there was a noticeable gap between the top of her head and the beginning of her fringe on the figma. I’m not sure if this is a bad mould or something found on all Kuroko figma, but it’s there, it’s quite obvious, and I was disappointed. This is a shame, because I didn’t mind the ragged ponytail (on joints) look of this rusty brown-haired mouse.
Another lapse in quality was the wonky ankles and legs that affected my figma, and such Kuroko would easily have some seriously whacky things going on with her feet which were a battle to keep looking natural. Speaking of, when was the last time you saw purple panties? If you get this figma, all the time! While Mikoto had a tinge of green in hers, Kuroko goes all out with proper deep purple ones. How’s that for a pleasant surprise when swapping legs around! So, Special or afterthought? It’s certainly in the middle, with real metal nails and purple panties contrasted with odd legs and a simple mistake on the fringe. Ultimately though? I think even non-fans will find fun to be had from this figma.
