REVIEW: Pop Culture Shock Chun Li Mixed Media Statue

[Malevolus]

Player 2, Ready, Fight...

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First introduced over 20 years ago in Street Fighter II, Chun Li is the first well known female fighter in a video game and one of the most popular characters from the Street Fighter franchise. Now, thanks to Pop Culture Shock and Sideshow Collectibles, die hard fans of the baddest woman on the block can pick up this Limited Edition "Player 2" Red Qipao Chun Li Mixed Media Statue.

PACKAGING

As with previous Pop Culture Shock statues, Chun Li comes packaged and ready for shipping and storage in a durable cardboard box with attractive graphics on all sides. The external graphics provide a look at the standard edition Blue Qipao Chun Li Statue as well as a number of stylized drawings of other characters in the collectibles line, including Ryu and Ken.


The 18-inch statue is housed inside a large form-fitting Styrofoam insert which holds the statue's four pieces securely. Inside, the pieces - including the base, the main body, and each of the hands - comes wrapped in tissue paper and ready for assembly. Each of the hands easily attaches to the arms using embedded magnets, which work wonderfully. There were no issues with the assembly of the statue and it was display ready in seconds.


SCULPTING & STATUE CONSTRUCTION

As always, Jerry Macaluso - found, owner, lead designer and sculptor at Pop Culture Shock - brings to life this character thanks to a combination of gorgeously sculpted parts and beautifully designed and fabricated clothing. While the full body is sculpted, the exposed portions of the figure include the head, hair and face, arms and hands and boots. The portions of the figure covered by clothing include the dark brown tights, the red qipao and four hair streamers.


Posed in her attack stance and ready to unleash the fury of her trademark Hyakuretsu Kyaku lightning kick, this mixed media statue brings to life the iconic beauty of this Chinese Interpol agent in glorious form. In fact, everything one would expect to find in a Chun Li statue are present: her calf-high boots, metal spiked wrist cuffs, simple beauty, penetrating eyes and massive, muscular thighs. What makes this statue unique compared the the standard version is Chun Li's Qipao is beautifully tailored from high quality fire-red satin and features gold silk screening with custom embroidery at the mid-drift. Gorgeous to behold, this is one collectible every die-hard Chun Li and Street Fighter fans won't want to miss.

PAINT APPLICATIONS

While much of the statue is covered in tailored clothing, the face, hair, head, arms, hands and boots are exposed and expertly painted to ensure seamless beauty. Chun Li's dark brown hair and eyes contrasts well her tan skin. Likewise, Chun Li's smooth arms flow from shoulder to wrist and feature the bold silver-metal spiked black wrist cuffs which she so expertly wields while defeating her enemies. Lastly, her solid white boots feature minute blue tinted highlights which provide a subtle contrast to the details sculpted there. Overall, the painting is beautifully done with zero sloppiness.


COST & OVERALL IMPRESSION

Originally priced at $324.99, the Chun Li Mixed Media Statue is on sale now at SideshowCollectibles.com for $274.99. While the original price might seem high to casual fans, considering the size of the statue (18-inches), its impressive construction from poly-resin covered in finely tailored satin clothing, and the beautifully painted details make this a high-end collectible worthy of centerpiece status for any dedicated Street Fighter fan. Chun Li fans especially will appreciate the multiple color options and "Player 2" variant, exclusive to Sideshow Collectibles.

The Pop Culture Shock Chun Li "Player 2" Mixed Media Statue is available exclusively through Sideshow Collectibles for $274.99 and is in-stock now and ready to ship.

Be sure to check out our PHOTO GALLERY, with over 60 images, HERE.