The Chasm

KonoSuba, or “God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World” is an Isekai light novel, manga, and anime series centered around Kazuma Satou, a game-obsessed shut-in who dies and is reincarnated into a fantasy world. In his new life as an adventurer he gathers a “party” consisting of the goddess that oversaw his reincarnation, an Arch-Mage who can only cast one spell, and a masochistic knight that can’t deal damage but can take it in spades. The Arch-Mage—a Crimson Demon able to cast the most powerful of spells: Explosion Magic—has only enough mana to cast it once a day, becoming unable to even walk until her magical power recovers. This wizard of wizards, this paragon of anime characters, is the magnificent Megumin.

Ratings

It’s important to note what category Good Smile Company‘s Pop Up Parade series of figures fall under: the vast majority of them sit at the ¥3300 price point and I have yet to see any figure listed at MSRP go over ¥4000. Quality is good but not excellent, packaging is colorful but simple, and the figure bases tend to be low-detail, solid color shapes (usually circle, square or diamond). On my scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, my ratings for the Pop Up Parade line in general is:

Box Quality – 5
Box Graphics – 4
Figure Paint Quality – 5
Figure Detail – 5
Base Detail – 2
Base Quality – 2

This particular figure, “POP UP PARADE KonoSuba Kurenai Densetsu Megumin Winter Ver. Complete Figure” rates at:

Box Quality – 6
Box Graphics – 4
Figure Paint Quality – 5
Figure Detail – 6
Base Detail – 2
Base Quality – 3

“Wagana Wa Megumin!!”

This particular figure features Megumin in her “winter outfit” as seen in KonoSuba Season 1 Episode 7: “A Second Death in This Freezing Season!” A skin-tight, black thermal suit is topped with a poncho, mittens, boots, and a winterized version of her iconic hat. I pre-ordered the figure from my usual supplier, AmiAmi, in January of 2021 for ¥3300 with ¥1400 shipping, coming to a total of ¥4700 ($42.66 USD). The figure shipped in June 2021 and was received an about two weeks, as is the norm for AmiAmi’s “Air Small Packet” shipping.

Upon arrival, the box was in impeccable shape thanks to AmiAmi’s expert packers. Construction was of clear, flexible PVC plastic with its support coming from the molded PVC blister pack inside. Simple graphics on thin cardboard provided all of the marketing and consumer info, using colors unique to the figure itself. Small pieces of clear tape secured the top and bottom folds.

The benefit of clear packaging allows for you to see the figure inside and relieves the producer of the responsibility of displaying images on the packaging which saves them money and helps to keep prices low. However, had this figure been made and left in storage near sunlight, the clear packaging would allow for yellowing of the product as opposed to the protection of a fully-enclosed box. For a figure of this quality, the packaging methods are acceptable and expected.

As seen from outside the box, Megumin’s staff comes in two pieces while the rest of the figure comes pre-assembled. The base is also separate but uses the usual “Foot Pegs” style of mounting. Megumin isn’t heavy and I don’t foresee any sagging occurring from this mounting style.

Overall it’s a beautiful figure; Megumin’s powerful pose and flowing poncho and hair really add a dynamism to this figure that stands in stark contrast to a lot of cheaper figures’ static-looking stances. The painting of major parts is solid, but as you get into the finer details (like the buckles and tooth pattern on her poncho, or buttons on her hat) you start to notice some spillover. Unfortunately, the lack of fine detail is par for the course on figures of this tier so while I can call it out for the sake of review it’s not unexpected to see, and when stored in a display cabinet on a non-eye-level shelf it’s hardly noticeable.

The base is a point of contention for me, as it is with all Pop Up Parade figures. The prototypes are always shown with low-profile, clear circular bases which would really go a long way towards making these cheaper figures appear more “premium”, but when released they’re packaged with much cheaper looking colored plastic bases. Megumin’s is a translucent red with a tiering feature which is admittedly better than an opaque, solid block of neon red, but given the theme of the figure I would’ve hoped to see white base with a little snowy texturing around her feet.

One interesting thing to note is that Megumin’s poncho is a separate cast, and thus, castoff-able. This isn’t unheard of with figures like this, but when removed the level of detail is preserved which I found to be a nice touch. Simply lift gently on her head to remove it and the poncho will come right off. With how easy it is to remove I would’ve liked to see a second hatless head option included, but at this price point I understand why it was passed over.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend this figure to any Megumin fans, or really anyone looking to add a new, cheap KonoSuba figure to their collection. AmiAmi still has stock at MSRP which means you’ll probably be able to find stock at any local anime shops or conventions close to the ¥3300 price tag as well. The painting on each figure is unique so yours may look a little better or worse than mine, but don’t forget that a little sandpaper goes a long way in removing topical painting defects. Either way, display her proudly and show the world that you’ve chosen to walk the path of explosions with Megumin!

EKUSPLOOOSION!!