#kiritomode

(This post is backdated. To see how he turned out, check out his makeover.) Kirito-What-Will-Be Yuuri. . . Or "Yuurito", as I sometimes like to think of it. But yes, today, after waiting since May, THIS finally showed up at ten-to-five:

BOX OH GLORIOUS BOX

It had much bubble wrap. I had fun stepping on it while I unpacked him.

He's got one of them slider boxes, and this one has a nice pearly finish to the cardboard.

Forgive me, but the dolly plastic wrap always kinda cracks me up--it reminds me of how bouquets of flowers are wrapped in cellophane. "Yes, I'll take one dozen Dollfie Dreams, please. And throw some baby's breath in there for contrast."

And unwrapped! His mouth is actually not nearly as close to his chin as Volks' photos made it look, but he does have a pretty big forehead--gonna have to be careful when I buy/make his slicked-back skating hair.

I was surprised that I actually like his default eyes--and then was struck by the irony. Could I have liked Fate's, Nanoha's, or Miku's, where I wanted to keep them as those characters? Nooooo, it had to be the one I wanted to change to someone else right out the gate. Also, his eyelids are a bit deep, albeit not as deep as Miku's; he'll probably do better with lighter-colored eye options because of that.

I heard some people want to turn him into a girl, so here he is in Agatha's hair for s***s and giggles. You're welcome.

OOOH STUFF! . . .by the way, those instructions are nigh useless. That lovely "booklet" in the bag with his grippy-glove hands? Yeah, that's not a booklet. It's one sheet, and only the back actually has instructions on it. It basically only helps for putting his swords on his back, and that's it.

Starting to get him dressed. Do he got the booty?

Hm. . . .we need more data. . .

HE DO!

Shirt opens all the way down the back with teeny tiny black snaps. At least you don't have to take his head off? You do have to take his hands off for this thing though.

Pants are. . . interesting. For one, the fly uses that infuriating hook-with-a-bit-of-thread closure Volks loves so very very much, while the belt gets a much saner snap. And the fly is. . . on the left hip, not the front. Yeah. I don't know either. Also note that the belt doesn't have the buckle on it. I spent a while combing through bags wondering if I was missing a part.

"What is this? Why am I dressing like an early 2000's middle schooler?" Yeah, his pants turn into low-riders if you don't tuck his shirt in.

The "hard goods" came in these clamshells inside a white box. Seems to have done its job fairly well in keeping the swords secure.

Sheaths hid underneath the swords. And. . .hold on, what's that little bit up there??

AHA! THERE is the belt buckle! Incidentally, the belt buckle is supposed to just sort of clip to the belt, but when I tried it was so tight that it started tearing at the belt rather than going on, so I basically said "screw it" and just dressed him without it.

"Look Ma, no hands!" The coat is run through with wires, but the wires are thinner and softer than the ones Fate and Nanoha have in their outfits. I honestly think this is an improvement, because sometimes getting their stuff to lay right is a fight, and this is much easier. (FYI, he did not come with those socks. I put them on him because who the hell wears boots without socks?)

And speaking of the boots, I can now officially confirm that his boots are actual, y'know, boots, instead of replacement foot parts. I had kind of thought they were, but couldn't tell for certain from the promo pics. In this case it works pretty well, and keeps me from having another pair of disembodied feet cluttering my dolly drawers when I decide it's badassery time.

Downside of the boots is that they have virtually no tread, so getting him to stand in them is pretty tricky. They just slide on many surfaces.

Volks, why did you put just one hand in one bag, and then stick the bagged hand and an unbagged hand in another bag? Did you hire Yzma as a consultant??

YAY, HAIR! I'm low-key in love with that little tuft on the top that sticks up. I'm pretty sure it's deliberately styled that way, and even if it isn't, it's staying, because it's adorable. That said, his wig was super tight, as tight as Miku's even though it's not as stiff. So, that was an adventure.

And now, SWOOOOOOOOOOOORDS Seriously, these are cool. Crisp molding, pearly paintwork, love these things. (I kinda feel like I need to get some hooks and make a mini weapon rack for my wall, because between these, Nanoha's Raising Heart staff, and some odds and ends I've picked up, I've got some fun stuff that I feel sad just leaving in a drawer when not in use.)

Standing next to Agatha (DDDY-II in fairly high heels). So, he's reasonably tall--comes up to the same height as Ags even when she's rocking heels. Unfortunately I found at this point my individual Kirito has loose elbows, and even looser glove-hand wrists, so he's gonna need some screws tightened and some thin coats of superglue added to things. So, that's why he's just kind of. . .stabbing the furniture.

And now Abby joined the party! She wants to be the healer, but honestly, with her ADD she'd probably be better on DPS.

I am so thrilled with his face, 1000x better in person than in Volks' shots. Yes, mine could use a bit of a tune-up in the arms and wrists, and his default outfit is a bit baffling, but the face is what counts in the end, and I am more than happy with that! Now to plot his ice-skater-ization. . . Also I almost forgot to show pictures of the aftermath.

Terrifying, isn't it? Wait a sec. . .

Toothless!? What are you doing??