Fantasy Figure Gallery - TOUCH OF ICE

[JeffSaylor]

Yamato USA once again taps the talent of artist Luis Royo...

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Yamato USA's series of hot female PVC statues - Fantasy Figure Gallery - has been a sizzling success since their debut in early 2009 with "Akira". Some of that success can be attributed to the stellar selection of fantasy artists Yamato has chosen to base these attractive sculptures on. Take Luis Royo for example, an artist whose dark, sensual work practically defines this statue series: Exotic scantily clad babes brandishing hard steely blades. It's sexy fantasy art at its best.

Yamato USA certainly likes Luis Royo's work. Following "Medusa's Gaze," my favorite Fantasy Figure Gallery to date, comes the recent release "The Touch of Ice". In November, fans will be treated to "Black Tinkerbell" and Comic-Con revealed future plans for Luis Royo's "Dead Moon" and "Dancer of Pain". That's a lot of Royo... a lot of gorgeous Fantasy Figure Gallery statues.

In stores now, The Touch of Ice is Yamato USA's second Luis Royo Fantasy Figure Gallery release. The statue (and art) depicts a female warrior kneeling in some unknown land, her eyes staring off into the distance. In her right hand she firmly clutches an ornate longsword while her left hand gingerly lifts the corner of her cowl, as if to disrobe. Is this mysterious woman lost in her own personal fantasy, or is this the beginning of an erotic interlude with someone (or something) sight unseen?

The Touch of Ice is a tastefully done, sultry sculpture. It's not Medusa's Gaze steamy, but the subject is equally sexy. Yamato did a fine job with all the minute detailing, including paint work on her exquisite tribal tattoos, dangling jewlery and body piercings. Expertly applied airbrushing gives her skin (which there is plenty of) a soft, realistic hue. The somewhat pale flesh tones contrast nicely with the dark, earthy colors of her outfit - an interesting combination of tough leather and delicate lingerie. The array of swords further define this piece. The steel color of the weapons plays off her steel jewelry quite well, while the sword in her hand acts an excellent focal point. It's also a very cool looking blade.

Composition on The Touch of Ice is excellent, the statue looking good from a variety of angles. You can display her looking straight ahead with her sword planted firmly in front of her. Or you can rotate her looking off to the side, her tattoed body front and center. A circular base is provided to enhance your display, though whether you use it or not is purely optional. There are no pegs or unsightly peg holes, The Touch of Ice stands well all on its own, but the base does feature a nice nameplate that adds a museum-like sophistication to the piece. On the plate is the statue's name and edition number. The First Edition run is limited to only 2500 pieces produced.

Good looks aside, The Touch of Ice does have one thing going against it: Size. Unfortunatley, the Fantasy Figure Gallery has had a bit of a problem with scale lately. Recent releases like "Golden Lover" and "The Touch of Ice" are drastically smaller than previous statues such as "Akira" and "Medusa's Gaze" - a good 6 inches or so. As statues on their own, size is no issue. However, for those collecting this series in its entirety, the radical flux in scale is alarming and makes for an awkward display. To be fair, the price on these smaller scale statues is lower. Touch of Ice retails for an SRP of $89.95 while a larger piece like Medusa's Gaze cost around $119.99. Regardless, I'd much rather pay the additonal $30 difference to have my statues all be the same scale.

Despite its smaller size, The Touch of Ice IS a beautiful statue. Having some of today's top fantasy art - especially the wonderful work of Luis Royo - represented as a collectible statue is nothing short of amazing. Anime and manga babes have had more than their fair share of the spotlight. It's refreshing to see a new form of sexy art steal the stage.

Want to add this gorgeous statue to your collection? Enter our Yamato USA 2010 SDCC Giveaway today for a chance to win The Touch of Ice for free! Hurry, contest ends August 8th!


Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Sample Courtesy of Yamato USA

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