Fate/Stay Night EXQ Gilgamesh Prize Figure

 

Some Fate series Banpresto prize figures have been sitting on my shelf, gathering dust and waiting for a proper review, and I figured I'd start with Gilgamesh in his Fate/stay night casual outfit. This figure was released during the Heaven's Feel movie trilogy, so it felt only fitting to finally crack it open before working through the rest of my Fate prize figure backlog.

Considering the King of Heroes has remained one of the franchise's most popular Servants even after Fate/Grand Order has been running for years, it's somewhat surprising that his Fate/stay night casual outfit received a figure at all. Caster Gilgamesh and Ruler Gilgamesh are far more likely to receive new figure releases, making this casual version a rather uncommon choice. Banpresto took advantage of the Heaven's Feel movies to release a figure that otherwise might never have happened, and I think the timing worked out perfectly.

To be honest, the EXQ Gilgamesh is far from the best rendition of the King of Heroes, as it lacks the regal aura and commanding presence that define the oldest hero of mankind. Even so, it remains one of the most affordable figure representations of Gilgamesh available and is still a much more faithful interpretation than some of the more questionable designs released in recent years, such as the recent Honkai: Star Rail-inspired rendition.

Although I doubt Fate/Grand Order will receive many more prize figures given its declining mainstream popularity, I still wouldn't mind seeing a Summer Caster Gilgamesh prize figure someday if Banpresto or other manufacturer ever decides to make one.

Fate/Extra Last Encore EXQ Gawain Saber Review

 
I recently had the chance to go through my backlog of Fate series Prize Figures, which gave me the perfect opportunity to review Gawain, the Saber-class Knight of the Round Table Servant. Fate/Extra Last Encore was a bit of a mixed bag as an anime, but it did give characters like Gawain a physical representation. Alongside Nero, Nursery Rhyme, and Drake, Gawain was one of the lucky few to receive a Prize Figure, produced by Banpresto under their EXQ lineup.

In the Fate series, Gawain stands as one of the foremost Knights of the Round Table, alongside Lancelot. His martial prowess is unrivaled, especially under sunlight thanks to his special blessing. As a knight, Gawain’s loyalty to Artoria is unwavering even to the point of overcompensation due to failures in faithfully serving her in life. In the Fate/Extra series, Gawain proves to be one of the toughest opponents Hakuno faces, and in Last Encore, he once again serves as a formidable penultimate challenge.

Among Banpresto’s lineup of Fate series Prize Figures, Gawain is one of the better specimens. He captures a combat-ready pose with solid craftsmanship that really embodies his character. While the figure’s medium naturally limits fine detail, it pairs beautifully with Sega’s Prize Figure of Lancelot, making for a striking Knights of the Round display.

Fate/Grand Order 1/7 Archer Durga 2nd Ascension

Fate/Grand Order has now endured for nearly a decade, and its merchandising scene remains remarkably strong. At this point, one might expect the merchandise pipeline of a long-running gacha game to slow down or fade away, but not in FGO’s case. Among the latest additions to its PVC figure lineup, Durga finally makes her debut in 1/7 scale, courtesy of Kadokawa. Released in her Second Ascension form, the 1/7 Durga is scheduled for September 2026 with a price tag of 29,800 yen.

Judging from the prototype, Kadokawa’s 1/7 Durga perfectly captures the cold, indifferent visage of a goddess who deals in destruction, fitting for the alter ego of the goddess Parvati. The “Sakura-face” variants have enjoyed a long and successful run in FGO, and Durga stands out as one of the strongest renditions, rivaled only by Kama. Sharing the Archer class, 1/7 Durga also makes for an interesting contrast with previously released Ishtar PVC figure, representing the divine incarnations archetype of Fate’s Sakura and Rin respectively.

That said, despite her revealing outfit and striking divine beauty, one would be foolish to entertain any impure thoughts toward FGO’s Durga. After all, she remains the consort of Shiva, she had what it takes to swiftly destroy any mortal reckless enough to test their luck.

I might have considered picking up this version of Durga if I had money to spare, but for now, I’ll just patiently wait for a Nendoroid rendition instead.

End Year 2025 Loot

Wrapping up the end of 2025 with a bang! there’s really no better way to close out this year's rollercoaster ride with a proper loot post! This entry is a particularly big one, as it represents the accumulated hauls from the past three months, with equally solid from both Chinese and Japanese hobby products.

As you may have noticed, this loot photo was taken at new place, making it the first haul post after completing the move into my new apartment, an exciting milestone in its own right. It feels especially satisfying to unpack and photograph everything in a new space.

Overall, this is a very solid haul. While the May loot still  the most wallet-breaking one, this one is no less impressive in terms of both quantity and quality. The undisputed stars of the haul are the 1/7 Aniplex Arcueid and CCS Studio Alteisen. Close behind are the Apex Studio 1/7 Chen Alter, Gattai Granbird, and Yolopark Shurato Ryoma, all of which make a strong showing. On the Chinese hobby side, Soskill B-Duck is every bit as massive as expected, and JoyToy’s 1/24 Mecha stands out with particularly unusual packaging this time around. I’m curious to see whether future releases will follow this same design direction.

Lastly, I’m very glad I managed to secure the 30 Minutes Fantasy Liber Lancer and Wizard kits at a relatively affordable price, especially since preorders were unavailable for reasons still unclear. With the move now complete, I’m hoping this new transition will free up a bit more personal time—though, as usual, my work life remains as hectic as ever.

Fate/Grand Order Kotobukiya 1/7 Caster Anastasia

During the peak of Fate/Grand Order, the franchise received a generous number of premium scale figures including Kotobukiya. Among those releases, one solid entry I initially overlooked was Caster Anastasia, the lead Servant from Lostbelt No. 1. Sculpted in her Caster outfit at 1/7 scale, this PVC figure was originally priced at ¥17,800 and hit the market in November 2020.

With the Christmas season rolling in, it feels like the perfect moment to revisit this particular figure of Anastasia even if my relationship with FGO these days is complicated. While I have plenty of frustrations with how the developers handle the game, I still genuinely appreciate many of the character designs. And Anastasia’s is one of the few that truly deserves the spotlight.

Given how crowded the Caster class, especially within the SSR tier, has become in FGO, it’s easy for Anastasia to get overshadowed. Yet she remains a dependable AoE DPS, capable of performing remarkably well when delegated on right missions. In figure form, her voluminous winter-style royal dress translates beautifully. Kotobukiya’s sculpt captures her elegance with surprising value, especially considering that a figure like this would probably retail closer to ¥25,000 if released in today’s market.

I may have missed my chance to grab this particular version, but hope isn’t lost. There’s always the possibility of picking up her eventual Nendoroid or perhaps Kotobukiya will treat fans to a re-release someday.

Fate/Grand Order 30 MS Caster Artoria

It has been several years already since Bandai Model Kit division tried their chances on anything with FGO series after Petitrits. However, for some reason, maybe due to FGO 10^th anniversary they tried their luck once again. Growing confident with their waifu plamo lineup with 30 Minute sisters running for several years, This time they release Caster Artoria as 30 MS Model Kit. Scheduled for February 2026 release, 30 MS Castoria will be sold for 4600 Yen.

Overall, 30 MS Caster Artoria is a decent substitute for those who find her figma version unaffordable with sculpt quality as tradeoff. Castoria’s 30 MS version does also come with her goofy angry expression which is one of her trademark behaviors. But I would say 30 MS version selling point would be the customization option available for her considering she will get plenty of accessories pairing with 30 MS previous release, so I could see some sort of mecha musume version of Castoria with exoskeletons to be not far off in the future. Personally, I really doubt Bandai possess any long term interest with FGO series but lets see if there will be more FGO related model kit when they still feel like it.

Fate/Grand Order Plamatea Berserker Artoria Caster

FGO overall fortune probably not as good as it used to be that It accepts other medium for their action figure lineup apart from Figma. This time Berserker Artoria Castoria in her 2^nd ascension made it as Plamatea! Scheduled for June 2026 Plamatea Castoria will be sold for 8800 Yen.

The Plamatea lineup certainly offers cheaper alternative compared to figma, considering the same rendition of Berserker Artoria Caster would be easily around 12000 – 14000 Yen price range these days. The overall sculpt looks fine but the Joint issue would be rather glaring.

Fate/Grand Order Aniplex 1/7 Morgan Lady of Water

 
With how horrible my FGO 8th year ended up, I was highly considering to ragequit this sorry excuse of Gacha Game, if it is not for Morgan. Since her inception in FGO's 6th year, Morgan remain's one of the best waifu from FGO. Fast forward 4 years after her debut, Morgan's Caster 3rd Ascension makes it as the 1/7 Scale figure by Aniplex! Scheduled for August 2026 release, 1/7 Morgan Lady of the Water will be sold for 36000 Yen price tag.

Morgan Lady of Water is the final ascension 8th anniv banner servant, Tonelico who is her Caster class counterpart. She is essentially the summer servant waifu who is shoved into anniv banner which will be the same thing that happened to Summer Ereshkigal. Lady of Water basically serves as the closure version of Morgan's character after the sort of tragedies that befell on her role in Lostbelt 6, bearing slightly more peaceful and cheerful expression of the much beloved FGO waifu. 

The Aniplex version of the Scale Figure is pretty much the 1:1 rendition of Caster Morgan 3rd Ascension illustration. Given the elaborate amount of the prop that this figure had, naturally the price got to be expensive. Considering my current economic circumstances, I will be unlikely able to obtain this Scale figure but I will look forward to Caster Morgan Nendoroid rendition which is highly likely and wouldn't even mind to double dip for her Tonelico version. Interestingly Aniplex reserved an extra faceplate for their website preorder bonus, the longing face expression certainly amplify the wife factor of this Caster Morgan manyfold which you can see below.

Fate/Grand Order Figma Jalter 1st Ascension Review

Over past few months, I have pretty much given up on Fate/Grand Order due to strings of horrible gacha burns over this year. 8^th year might be the worst for me despite I had my share of gacha burns with FGO in the past, but perhaps I just no longer have the patience to put up with this FGO’s bullcrap. I might still do the daily login but I don’t even bother to do the weekly quest for measly 3 SQ by this time which might continue for a long time. Given how fed up with FGO’s nonsense, I think there will be no more yearly progress report for this game either which I had consistently done every year. I am simply disappointed with Kinoko Nasu for letting their franchise to stagnant into shriveled up cash cow without proper effort to revitalize the series.

Despite I utterly despise FGO by this time mainly due to Aniplex management, I will still cherish the memory I had with FGO despite its imperfection caused by corporate greed. Therefore, I still bother to reminisce with this series with Figma Jalter and her cape add on for her 1^st ascension version.

A rather short review this time but Jeanne Alter was quite special servant for me. She was my 3^rd oldest SSR servant who had served me well in melting Berserker or Ruler class enemies. I had her raised to Level 100 and would have love to get her reach NP5 if not for overpriced payment scheme of FGO. Actually, I had taken a thorough photoshoots for Figma Jalter back then on par with past FGO Figma reviews. But due to personal dissatisfaction I scrapped the review and do a redo with 1^st ascension look when I got the figma cape accessories.

As expected, 1^st Ascension Jalter is her best look after all since something just feel missing from her 2^nd and 3^rd Ascension look. The recent animation update for Jalter certainly makes her value even higher. Her Kit might be rather basic compared to recent Avenger class servant. But with proper support she can still carry her own weight just fine.

FGO is one of the closest thing to gambling for a Gacha game and I have utterly given up with the future of this game as long as handled by Aniplex. Even so I will still commit to review more of my FGO related collection which many are still sitting in the dust.

Honkai Star Rail x Fate Collab

 This has to be one of most highlighted event in Gacha game industry since Mihoyo's announcement last year and Fate collab event for Honkai Star Rail is here! In the celebration of the event landing, I am writing this post to pay a homage to the milestones achieved by Fate series. Personally, I am not particularly fond of Mihoyo due to their treatment on Genshin Impact but it is certainly a noteworthy achievement to score a collab with Japanese IP on the level of Fate/Stay Night considering the latter are very well known to be elusive in scoring a collab. Through the Fate x HSR collab event, we got ourselves Saber Artoria and Archer Emiya as playable characters in Honkai Star Rail. Saber Artoria is available as SSR character whereas Mihoyo is generous enough to make Emiya as welfare character.

 

Because my mistrust toward Mihoyo, I will never bother to install Honkai Star Rail for Fate collab. However as Type Moon series fans, this Fate collab event gives out the glimpse what Fate/Grand Order would look like if it got long due makeover treatment which didn't happen due to Sony and Aniplex greed to constantly milk FGO without allocating proper resources to get QoL Updates. Mihoyo probably spent a sum for this collab stunt around the anniversary period of FGO and try to show that Chinese developer does have what it takes to properly make use Popular Japanese IP like Fate instead of relying on Japanese constantly aging talent pool. I do hope Lasengle will learn something from this particular move by Mihoyo to strive on giving better experience with FGO. 

Fate/Stay Night 1/7 Saber Artoria - Garden of Avalon -

 
 By this time, there are tons of quality PVC Figure for the Eternal Heroine of Fate series, but this is another great new addition for Saber Artoria! Released by Goodsmile Company, this one is 1/7 Scale featuring Saber in her servant form without her combat armor in sitting down position and dubbed Garden of Avalon. Scheduled for August 2026 release this 1/7 Saber Artoria - Garden of Avalon will be sold for 23000 Yen price tag.

 Most Saber Artoria PVC Figure usually have Stoic face expression in her combat getup, but this one is unusually very serene. Artoria's untied hair and the veil really amplify the particular pure maiden quality that Artoria possess. On top of that, this is one of the few Saber PVC Figure that use Calibarn for Artoria's sword instead of the usual Excalibur. For 1/7 Scale figure standard, 1/7 Saber Artoria Garden of Avalon is not exactly too expensive and definitely a worthy addition whether for Seiba's Enthusiasts who still desire new addition for their Collection or a casual Fate Fans looking for their first PVC figure Candidate for this eternal heroine.

Fate/Grand Order Figma Caster Artoria

It is like 4 years have passed since Lostbelt 6 story made it to FGO JP and Finally we got Figma for the main actress of the Singularity, Caster Artoria! If FGO didn’t go hard into decline due to Sony mismanagement, we probably could have this product available back in 2023, nonetheless this joyous occasion still worth to be celebrated after all. Scheduled for February 2026 release, Figma Castoria will be sold for 12800 Yen.  

 Debuting back in FGO 5^th Anniversary, Castoria is one of the more special Heroine that ever graced FGO as she essentially reprise the Main Heroine role in FGO just like what her Saber counterpart did in the original Fate series even to the extent being a strong contender for Ritsuka love interest. It is only the limitation of FGO as the medium that prevents Castoria to reach the same popularity with her OG version. When it comes to gameplay, Castoria is still one of the best Premium Support Servant to this day. As she is still pretty much the core essential part of Arts Farm team having popular memes of getting overworked. Not to mention Castoria’s kit is pretty good even for Challenge Quest due to True Invulnerability buff from her Noble Phantasm.

Even if FGO had went past its prime, I still hope the series would still get some more Figma addition in the future as I would love to see Morgan follow up with a Figma as well considering she totally deserves one.

April 2025 Loot

 
 Probably the first time Realm of Darkness being active for a whole month and might as well wrap up with a loot post with another strings of Great Haul! Over past three months as my Big ticket items started to pour in during this period which started to put some serious dent on my wallet. Unlike most of my haul these days, for once this month's haul is mostly dominated by Japanese stuff with Kotobukiya's model kit begin to trickle in along with KD Collec Konosuba as well as Figma Ciel quietly joining ini. The main attraction from this lot is definitely Diaclone Diabattles X-1 and Hot Toys John Wick which seems to blend in with the crowd quite well just like the character himself. I think I might consider to let got of the Konosuba KD Colle since they just appear to be slightly improvised version of Pop Up Parade. Given the incoming batch of my preorders, next month's haul might get even more sumptuous than this one.

Alter 1/7 Saber Alter Star of Twillight version

 
 When it comes to Fate series figure, Alter is still one of the reigning champ especially in the Waifu category. Then recently Alter decided to add a new entry for their illustrious Saber Alter lineup with her 3rd Ascension version in sitting position dubbed Star of Twilight. Scheduled for March 2026, this version of Saber Alter will be sold for 37180 Yen.

While it is understandable that current Japan economic situation inevitably affect the production cost, the price tag for this figure is probably too high for anyone to consider getting one save for devout Saber Alter fan. Just like the popular previous version of 1/7 Saber Alter, Star of Twilight rendition really put Salter waifu quality to the top! The combination of petite figure with Pale white skin contrasted with her Jet Black dress is a winning combination for Salter to make her irresistible for her collector. On top of that, Star of Twilight Saber Alter has the Short dress version available just like her FGO Final Ascension illustration. While I have more than enough Salter in my FGO collection, I actually don't mind a Figma of Salter in this 3rd Ascension, whether it is the Long dress or the short dress version.

Tsukihime Max Factory 1/8 Arcueid Brunestud - Piece of Blue Glass Moon

 
 Not sure what kind of special Occassion that Tsukihime had, but the Moon Princess Arcueid Brunestud got yet another Luxurious PVC Figure treatment by Max Factory! Perhaps it is in the anticipation of Tsukihime 25th Anniversary, but this is the second time in a year that Arcueid in her True Ancestor princess getup got a PVC Figure treatment! Scheduled for January 2026 release, this particular version of Arcueid will be released in 1/8 Scale and sold for 34800 Yen.

If this particular figure for Arcueid was made in 1/7 Scale for 35k Yen which was very possible in 10 years ago, It would have given the Aniplex version that was announced in Early 2024 a run for their money. But as the product ends up as 1/8 Scale, it is just a viable substitute.

Compared to the Aniplex version, this version of Arcueid got more color warmth with her and evoked more emotion compared to the former even if the pose simply a mirror job. For some reason, this version of Arcueid reminds me of Jalter Dress version and perhaps the Sculptor is still the same person which means the Hair part will be very heavy. In any case we could probably expect more Tsukihime merchandise within 2025 if Aniplex is somewhat competent in milking Typemoon's IP and perhaps we could even see Ciel and Akiha's PVC figure popping out.

Fate/Grand Order Nendoroid Rider Iskandar

 It has been more than a decade since Fate/Zero airing and It took another 9 years after FGO JP released that we got to see one of the old friend from Fate series make it as Nendoroid. Easily one of the popular character from Fate/Zero, Rider Iskandar aka Alexander the Great finally make it as Nendoroid along with Waver Zhuge Liang! Scheduled for June 2025 release, Figma Iskandar comes in Regular and DX version which will be sold for 7300 and 11800 Yen respectively.

For a 4500 Yen price difference, Iskandar got himself a Bucephalus as the extra accessory. But for a Price tag that almost cost as much as a Figma, Nendoroid Iskandar feel rather not worth it. Probably it has to do with Japan's weakening economy but back then we probably could have got the Chariot of Heaven as extra accessory for this kind of price 6-7 years ago. Consdering even Lartoria and her Alter DX version was still under 10000 Yen with their steed as accessory. With Iskandar got his Nendoroid, I think Berserker Lancelot still have a good shot too given he had even more collectibles before. Even if I feel this one rather overpriced, Might considering getting this one if Iskandar happened to be the GSSR that I got in the upcoming new year lucky bag.

Fate/Grand Order Lostbelt 6 Avalon Le Fae Clear

Took me more than a year to complete this particular supposed peak of FGO Lostbelt chapters. But as I did promise to myself when I got Arcueid in FGO 7^th anniv and LB7 is looming over, I decided to clear Lostbelt 6 Avalon Le Fae over past 2 weeks. Actually, I would have made this sort of FGO article for LB5.2 if Olympus was not an utter disappointment compared to LB 5.1 Atlantis which remains to be my personal favorite for the abundant Heroism from the casts in that one.

Overall, I felt Lostbelt 6 is a drag to finish with pacing issues all over again despite it has some good moments which are not utilized to the fullest. But given this particular Lostbelt chapter has great significance with Morgan, easily one of the most popular waifu in FGO and personal favorite as well. I decided to make a full fledged article in regards to my experience with this supposed High points in FGO.

Seven years with Fate/Grand Order

 Surviving yet another year in Gacha Hell with this once great dying Gacha game. Almost give up with FGO with the nonsense I encountered early this year but still saved by my commitment and persist on. Ultimately my patience do get rewarded by the time Anniversary arrived only to have it crash and burn again on my last destination of this year's Gauntlet. 

Fate/Grand Order 1/6 Ruler Summer Melusine 1st Ascension

  Still one year to go for FGO 8th Summer, but Goodsmile already have something in hand to prepare for this anticipated yearly occassion and it is the beloved Dragon Waifu Melusine who is getting the turn! Quite sure there were several Summer 8 Servants merchandise already but this might be the first one for the PVC figure to come out. Being the most popular Morgan's Tam Lin Knights, It is given that Melusine will be getting the Prime Spot if not Caster Morgan or Berserker Castoria. Scheduled for September 2025 release, Summer Melusine in her 1st Ascension Ruler Class will be sold for 18500 Yen in 1/6 Scale.

For its value, actually this version of Melusine PVC figure price range is quite reasonable for a 2024 product given how bad Japanese economy is performing right now. The Figure certainly capture the slender physique of this beloved Dragon Waifu and the character's bratty behavior who wants to monopolize Chaldea Master's attention for herself even if it means NTR'ing her own lord, Morgan. Personally I liked Summer Melusine 2nd Ascension the most and next year's gauntlet will be a brutal one yet again. I will probably wait for Summer Morgan figure if she ever get one, since she is my main target for FGO Global 8th Anniv Gauntlet banner and she deserves all the love from FGO fans with what she had went through in LB6.

FGO Babylon SPM Ishtar Prize Figure Review

Digging up another of my Old photo batches that never made it to the Review few years ago. During FGO Babylon airing, Sega did pick up several Servant characters to get a Prize Figure treatment. One of them is the popular Tohsaka Rin clone in useless goddess flavor, Ishtar in her Archer Class. By far this is probably one of the most plain renditions for this Archer Class Damegami especially when compared to the Aniplex version, but you still got her "defenseless" fanservice as part of the deal. In near future probably I will do some catch up with my Copy of SPM Ereshkigal which remained unopened for years already.