Photoshoot – Mio Akiyama from K-On!

A few weeks ago I got a new figure and finally got around to taking some pictures of it so I wanted to post them.  It’s FREEing’s 1/8 scale Mio Akiyama in her “Moe Moe Kyun” maid’s outfit.  I pre-ordered this figure back in February and have been eager to get it in.  Thankfully it’s just as nice as I thought it would be.

FREEing did a really great job in capturing the feel of Mio from the anime where she does her “Moe Moe Kyun” pose.

If you haven’t seen this before you really should be watching K-On!  But so you know what I’m referring to, here is a You Tube clip of that scene:

The pose is very dynamic which is something I really look for in a figure.  I’m not sure why some manufacturers take the time and pay for the license to create a figure based on an anime character and then just create a figure where the character is basically standing there as if they are waiting in line to buy a burger…  That’s not the case with Mio.  Her hair is flying back, her dress and apron are twirling up, and she’s leaning forward into her pose as her hands come together to make the classic heart shape.  Very cute.

The only negative thing I can say about this figure is also one of the things that makes it so striking – it’s black.   It must be some special formula of black that FREEing came up with as well, it’s not just regular black.  This black has extra special dust collecting ability not found in normal black paint.  I completely dusted this figure before taking pictures.

First I used a Giotto air blower that I have for my cameras.  This thing really works good for your figures as well since it takes air into the bottom of the black squeezable body and only shoots air out fo the red tip.  This makes sure your not just sucking in dusty air and blowing it back onto your figure or camera.  Since it’s “squeeze” powered there is nothing to plug in or refill.

Next I used a large soft watercolor brush I have to make sure any stubborn dust got removed and then followed up with a few last puffs from the Giotto.  It was perfectly clean a few minutes before taking pictures but after 5 or 6 minutes some more dust started to land on Mio once again!!!  Maybe it’s a sign I need to clean the room again.

As for the store, things are moving along quickly but I still have a few last things to finish up.  I’ll be posting soon when it goes live.

**James.