The Get List Gaiden: Pokemon Tea Party Pikachu Figure ~Pikachu Sweets Collection~

In which I spend way too much in order to, uh, not spend so much. Or something. It made sense back then.

I mentioned Banpresto’s Pokemon for Grownups Too in a recent entry, and today’s figure comes from another subset of that line, called Pokemon Tea Party. It consists of lots of plush and a few home goods type items, and this figure that I liked as soon as I started seeing it pop up in game machines — the Pokemon Tea Party Pikachu Figure ~Pikachu Sweets Collection~.

Since I’m generally not good with anything involving a box in a crane game machine, I figured it was better just to buy one used than to try my luck. So when one showed up on amiami for about $20 new in box (some box corner damage), I went for it. And what I got was pleasing, but probably not $20 pleasing.

In terms of design, there’s little to fault. The box itself is adorable:

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I do like the use of different colors and textures to show the different types of candy and cookies involved, and I can’t really fault any of the construction or color work; it’s really a very nicely made figure. But as with so many other game figures, the stand doesn’t do it any favors — it rather actively detracts from the overall thing. It’s just so….big. And white.

I don’t know. For a figure that’s a little under four inches tall, I feel like everything would be fine if there just wasn’t that huge amount of white space in front of Pikachu. But with the base the way it is, it almost looks like the figure is missing something. To be honest, I’ll probably find some Pokemon + candy themed toy or something eventually (goodness knows, I’ll buy whatever with those designs, so this is bound to happen) and stick it on that stand and then like it very well.

But even a candy pattern or any color other than endless, oppressive white on the stand would have been helpful in avoiding this feel. And while that’s admittedly the most common complaint I hear about game figures, that their stands aren’t great, the fact that this is the only figure in this collection means this isn’t a case of needing a generic base that suits several figures.

It also seems to me like the lollipops are bent back ridiculously far. I’ve seen other figures as examples, such that it doesn’t seem like there’s something wrong with mine in particular, and I understand why they would be bent a little, but this seems a bit excessive.

Do I like the figure? Yup. Was it worth it? Nah. But at the same time, if it pops up for a decent price and you think you might like it, I wouldn’t fight too hard to dissuade you. I keep feeling like there’s a place in our house for this one — I’ve been thinking maybe I’ll set it by the Echo thingy, since pretty much the only thing I use it for is timers for cooking and the “talk to Pikachu” skill!