Review of Jaina Solo - ArtFX Star Wars Bishoujo Statue

Introduction

Who knows exactly what Disney will do with Star Wars - for all we know, we cold end up with Cartman Skywalker. But most of us are hoping to see a continuation of the universe, following after Episodes IV, V and VI, much like we've seen in the books and comics.

In the Expanded Universe, Han and Leia have twins themselves, Jaina and her brother Jacen. Jaina has seen a few collectible incarnations, and Kotobukiya has just released her as one of their ArtFX model kits (statues!). She's done in the Bishoujo style, with the anime look that we've come to love with the Marvel and DC licenses.

You should be able to snap her up for around $60 or so, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
While this is a Bishoujo style, it hangs with the traditional Star Wars design scheme for the package. In other words, it's the same boring colors that we see from any company producing a Star Wars collectible.

Fortunately, Kotobukiya makes up for it a bit of that by using a great window pane on the front and top so that you can see the statue that your buying. That's a plus, since buyers won't be playing Russian roulette with their cash - as long as they are buying from the local comic shop.

These don't come with a Certificate of Authenticity, but there is a small instruction leaflet, and the clear inner trays are completely collector friendly.

Sculpting - ***1/2
If you're looking for a realistic representation of Han and Leia's favorite daughter, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is part of their Bishoujo series, which means she has that cute, anime chick look to her, most notably in her facial features.

She's damn cute though, with a feeling of the girl-next-door mixed with manga sweetheart, a combination that's practically fanboy kryptonite.

This statue is not a single piece, but rather in the 'model kit' style like that of the other Star Wars ArtFX statues. You attach her torso to her pelvis, and pop on both hands. The hands are already holding the vest and helmet. These can be tricky to get on, and is my biggest gripe in this category. Be careful and insure you have them lined up properly to avoid any damage.

There's also the clear stand that attaches to her feet, and you can skip if it you don't find it attractive or useful. The clear base has two decals that you can insert inside - one with a simple Star Wars logo, and one with the more colorful logo. That's a nice touch, and allows for some basic personalization.

Finally, there's the silver hilted light saber, which rests in her left hand. There's a small, white post on her pinkie that fits inside a tiny hole on the saber. It's very tough to get it to fit though, and is my other minor gripe in this category. In the close up photo, the hilt is just laying in her hand so you can see the white end of the pinkie for reference.

She's in line, scale-wise, with the other Bishoujo girls, coming in at 8 1/2 inches tall with the base.

Paint - ****
The paint work is impeccable, even better than the usual Bishoujo statue. Everything is super clean, with excellent cut lines, and a soft, realistic appearance to the skin tone and clothing texture. No lazy eye here, and certainly no slop of any kind. Even small details are clean, although there's only a few, mostly n the vest and helmet. Some of the work is tampos of course, but it's still quite well done.

This is the sort of paint job that can be overlooked at first. It doesn't call itself out, but supports the sculpting and style by being so good that you almost forget it's there.

Value - ****
You should be able to pick her up for $50 - $60, tops. Considering how well done this statue is, that's an excellent price, and much better than the $90 you'll pay for a similar Cover Girls statue.

Considering that many Star Wars ArtFX statues were close to $100 several years ago, it's great to see these at such a low price point. The older statues are a slightly larger scale, but there's no denying these are a good bargain.

Things to Watch Out For -
When attaching the hands, be sure to have the wrist posts at just the right angle. They are cut to fit only one way, and you can damage them if you try to force it.

Overall - ****
While I have a couple minor nits, I really do like the quality of this statue, especially at this price. The Kotobukiya kits are a hard plastic, not resin, but are a much, much better deal than the other resin statues on the market in a similar scale. Since the sculpt quality is just as good, and the paint quality is often better, it's hard to make a case that these aren't far superior.

It's going to be important though for Kotobukiya to do more Star Wars females in this style. If they don't, poor Jaina is going to look lost and lonely on the shelf. With a few more sorority sisters, she'll be a terrific addition to the Bishoujo lineup.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Value - ****
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $65.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Bishoujo statues include Huntress, Power Girl, Poison Ivy, Harley, the black costume Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Phoenix and Rogue.

Other ArtFX Star Wars statues include Yoda vs Palpaltine, Commander Bly, R2-D2/C-3PO set, TIE Fighter Pilot, Snowtrooper, and the Boba Fett.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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