Is Kotobukiya’s 1/8 scale ARTFX J figure of Kocho Shinobu the best version out there? I think so. Let’s discuss.

Unboxing / Assembly / Review

Figure Review

Kocho Shinobu info

I bought it here

Buying Off of AmiAmi

• Invoiced & Paid on 02/24/2022
• Shipped on 02/26/2022
• Picked up at local post office on 03/17/2022

¥5940 (Figuarts ZERO Rengoku) + ¥12400 (ARTFX J Kocho) + ¥8300 (EMS Shipping to the US) = ¥26640 =$231.85

Originally, the ARTFX J Kocho figure was set to release in January, but it got delayed until late February. That actually worked out well, as I was able to combine the newer release of Kyojuro Figuarts ZERO figure in one package. It came in a 140 size box, which was able to fit two 1/7 scale figures of the Gojo Satoru Shibuya Scramble Figure in my last AmiAmi order.

I ended up choosing EMS because the price difference between DHL and EMS was greater than $20 at the time. I’ve been getting EMS shipments usually in about a week. This was the first shipment that took almost 3 weeks. One important tidbit of information to note is that after 3 weeks of no updated tracking, AmiAmi can open up an investigation with Japan Post, regarding your shipment. If it is less that 3 weeks, then you’ll have to wait until that 3 week mark before you can request AmiAmi to do anything for you. *Cough, cough*, I tried asking AmiAmi under that time period and that is pretty much what they said.

Box

Surprise, surprise! A box themed after the actual show? Yep. You can never go wrong taking the art style theme of the show that it is suppose to represent. Here, they took a black and white watercolor theme to go along.. you guessed it! Pictures of the actual figure! With a few simple cutouts of the product box, you get a nice sleek look and presentation for when you open up your $100+ figure. Again, I’m going to stick to the thought process of keeping Kotobukiya’s box and scale figures as the standard to compare all of my future scale figure purchases on. The affordability and availability for the overall quality is one of the best on the market.

Assembly

When it comes to assembling this figure, it comes with 3 different pieces. The figure itself with the base already attached, the sword and the other butterfly base attachment. With it being only 3 pieces, it still comes with an instruction manual!

No Issues With the Base Attachment!

I read around that people were having a little bit of an issue sticking the base attachment into the peg hole, but I didn’t have any issues at all. It fell right into the hole pretty easily and you push it in enough to feel pretty snug. In the video, I actually was tapping the base to show just how tight in place it was.

Inserting the Sword

My experience in inserting accessories in the hand of figures have been quite the headache. Some figure collectors even recommend using a blow dryer to soften the hand to open up to fit whatever accessory. Figures like the RAH Archer and Sentinel’s Sage of Halo figure, I had to do some maneuvering like pushing in the sword the opposite way to get the hand to open up. Then, I would use my off hand and try to keep the opening big enough so I can re-insert the sword or weapon back in.

Thank goodness, this ARTFX J figure was not like that. There was ample amount of space, where the sword just slips right through. But it was still tight enough where the sword wasn’t going to just fall right through.

Aesthetics

Pose & Sculpting

I was re-watching season one, episode 20 of Demon Slayer to get another look at Kocho Shinobu’s best scenes and there was a lot of poses companies could have chosen from. I am glad Kotobukiya ended up going with this pose because it really gives an accurately dynamic look that represents her main abilities and personality. Having Kocho in a stance where the butterflies are swirling around her—adding that quintessential happy exterior, yet sadistic attitude reflected in her face and stance; I think most Kocho fans can really appreciate all the highlights of this character in one figure.

Painting

If there is a concern with the figure, it is most definitely the paint job. While, there is no real major glaring concerns, there are quite a few minor errors if you look hard enough. I have maybe 5+ different spots on the figure, where it really looks abnormal. A lot of the black lines goes into the white circle blob end of the kimono (seen on the last two images below). There are some spots where it looks like too much paint accumulated, where maybe a line of tape was suppose to be blocking to keep the other colored paint off? I’m still a newbie when it comes to a lot of the details and nuances of figures, but I’ll do my best to explain what I see.

Kocho Shinobu Figuarts ZERO vs Kotobukiya

One of the most common questions that pop up regarding figures of the same character is “which one should I get?” Well, if you got the cash(credit card) and given the inflationary resell prices with the Figuarts ZERO being $100+ anyways, I would 100% recommend getting the ARTFX J one—hands down! It’s still widely available, especially for pre-order in the US.

Even with my slight concerns with the paint job on the ARTFX J figure, you are going to get a similar to worst paint job with the Figuarts ZERO one. Just seeing it in person and in the pictures, you’ll notice just how big of a size difference there is. Literally, this Kotobukiya figure is superior in every way: design, size, colors, face, base, you name it.

If you want to see my comparison thoughts on the Alter and Aniplex one, then read it here.

Pictures

Will This Figure Appreciate in Value?

Since, Kotobukiya tends to make their figures not as limited, it will take a while before all of the supply gets off the market. It may even take a year or 2, but I’m projecting this figure will appreciate in value quite a bit in the future—as long as there is no re-releases of course! Looking at the figure options for her, I really do think this is the best one that would appeal to the most people. This is of course all speculation, but at the very least, I expect this figure to maintain its value.

Last Thoughts

This is the first figure since Hobby Max’s Eren Yeager figure, that if someone asked me if they should get it, I wouldn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’. I think all the best aspects of Kocho’s character is represented in this figure. If I had to choose between all the options available this year, then it would be the ARTFX J one.

Otaku Sinh’s collection

Preview