Playarts Kai: Fran FFXII

After reviewing some 'classic' Playarts, I finally get to a more recent Playarts Kai in the form of Fran from FFXII! For a long time now I've been longing for a Fran figure. Out of the FFXII crew, her, Ashe, and Balthier enticed me the most and we have a Balthier and an Ashe Playarts already(if they make a Kai version of Ashe, I might pick her up) so when I found out that there's a Kai version of Fran out, well, it was mine for the taking! So, how does she fare?

It's been sometime since I have handled a Kai. Having Fran in my collection reminded me how awesome Kai boxes are!

I like the silhouette picture of Fran on the side of the box. It's very Final Fantasy-like. The back of the box shows some cool poses for Fran as well as special effects that are not provided.

Fran comes in a 'window' box that can be closed with the use of velcro. I'm telling you, getting a good shot of this angle was not as easy as it looks since I had to use something to prop the window 'door' open.

Fran comes with a bio about FFXII's world and a little something about herself. Honestly, Fran and Balthier was the reason I found the game interesting. Ashe was cool too but she was such an echo of Yuna in terms of looks that it was hard to latch on to her. But, at least we got Fran!

I've been talking about how Playarts didn't really supply in terms of accessories and when I get my first Kai in ages, I get a lackluster set of hands, her bow and arrow(SINGULAR, NO EFFECTS). What makes this even more disappointing is that her bow can't bend to allow for the more 'archer' poses. One thing I wish she came with was an alternate weapon and fisted hands; if we got those, I'd probably complain less in this department. Still, this is still decent and not a complete loss. Oh, and she gets the Kai stands which are half annoying, half useful.

Now to talk about the figure herself. One word: amazing. The details are superb and the color tones used to make her more 'accurate' to her game counterpart is just stunning. One thing that Playarts Kai is always good about is making intricate designs (whether it be original character designs or existing canon character designs) translate well into plastic. Just every rivet, every corner, and ever sculpting on Fran's 'armor' are just well laid out.

And as I mentioned, the paint details on both armor and skin tone is just carefully placed to represent some kind of 'realism'. The shadings on the hair are one of the most impressive parts, and that's saying a lot since whole thing is amazing! Mold wise, Fran lives up to her game counterpart: tall, lanky, sexy, and very anthro-looking. Those bunny ears!

One thing I will point out that I am not completely sold on is her face. It's not bad, nor is she even close to being 'ugly'... it's just that it's a bit off. I can't quite put it. Fran has a distinct face for a Vierra, and I don't think it translated as well to figure form as the rest of her did. I can't quite put my finger on it, but perhaps it's the fact that Fran in-game has a rounder face and the Kai version has a longer face. I guess the easiest way to describe this in an unorthodox (and hilarious) way is the difference between Bert and Ernie. Ha! Anyways, still a gorgeous face, just not completely Fran-like.

Let's talk about Fran's articulation. Having reviewed some older Playarts(Rikku, Vincent, Sephiroth, and Dagger), it's nice to get into a current figure that offers some pretty awesome articulation. Playarts Kai compared to Playarts is a pretty wide gap so one will definitley be able to get Fran into some familiar poses. Right off the get go I will mention that her hair does offer a good range of motion. The pony tail piece has a hinged joint so one can really get some dynamics with it. The ears don't offer any movements, sadly, but that isn't something to truly gripe about. And since Fran's choice of armor is very 'liberal', I do say that there is no hinderance to any of the pieces. Even the 'see through cloth' on her stomach isn't at all a nuisance. Though Playarts Kai has some weird ankle pivots since one has to twist the feet to get either the ankle pivot OR the up and down hinge for the foot. Can't have both at the same time. 

The accessories provided offers some more dynamic poses. However with the bow unable to bend like it should, there isn't much archer pose one can get Fran in. But what we are able to get, is pretty adequate.

And I know I'm not a big fan of the Playarts Kai stand, but when they are doing their job, they do their job. One can get Fran into some action poses.

And here's Fran next to the Playarts Baltheir. Yeah, compared to her "Han Solo" partner, she is colossal! I know Fran is taller, but this is just out of scale beyond belief! But then agian, that is the difference between Kai and none-Kai Playarts.

In conclusion, I adore this figure! Fran has always been one of the few FF characters that I like despite her respected Final Fantasy not on my top list of FF. However, while this figure definitley was an awesome addition, she is missing something that makes Playarts Kai like Supergirl worthy to be on the top candidates for the year. With her accessories not meeting the expecation for a Kai and the slightly off face, I can't say that Fran is overwhelming in terms of 'amazing', but with the great details, the sexy stature, and a character I have been wanting in figure form, I do believe that Fran is a great addition to my collection.