Atelier Ryza (Reissue)

Thicc thighs. There, let's get that out of the way in the opening - the contentious character design of Ryza all revolves around those rounded thighs, and it had the internet up in arms back when the first game released in 2019 as part of Gust's Atelier franchise. Designed by artist Toridamono and sporting short-shorts, thigh-high toeless boots and a pale daffodil-coloured overcoat, the character (and the game) was an instant hit. Such was the power of Ryza that she earned a second game and a legion of fans - basically, she won the internet.

With that established, Ryza's design will be a love-it-or-hate-it affair, and since I've paid the money for this figure by Wonderful Works, you can safely assume I'm in the former camp. The sculpt absolutely does justice to Ryza's design, with a huge amount of detail worked in - folds in her fabrics, painted buckles, a separate necklace, jewellery, leather patterns and even the soft curve of her thighs as they're squeezed between her shorts and boots make this about as good as it gets for representation of the character.

One of the best aspects of the figure is the face-sculpt. It's not overly-detailed, but the slight blush to the cheeks, the youthful exuberance and overall energy of the character is perfectly portrayed here - the ability of companies to reproduce 2D artwork into glorious 3 Dimensional life is a thing of absolute wonder, and a long way from the garage kits we had to settle for 30 years ago.  

I'm also impressed by not only the level of detail in the hat, ribbon and hair accessories, but that they also added her star necklace as a separate piece. It would have been easy to add this as a sculpted detail, but it looks so much better hanging naturally.

Textured paintwork and the vials on her belt really make the figure stand out, especially when the light hits it

In terms of accessories, she has a detailed base, the only letdown being a reliance on clear plastic blocks to allow her to pose - I'm far more in favour of sturdy metal pins to attach her to the base in order to deliver a seamless and secure connection. That aside, you have to admire the work that's gone into it - the flowers are well-sculpted, the grass has multiple hues and there's pebbles and stones too - it's a lot of effort that blends seamlessly into the stellar figure, her perfectly manicured toes, with the ring details and painted leatherwork not looking at all out of place on such an immaculate stand.

In terms of detail the paintwork on the grass matches the care taken with the varnish of Ryza's toenails. Stunning attention to detail!

She also comes with her staff, which is just lacquered to perfection - a mixture of silver, bronze, steel and wood, it compliments the figure perfectly. She holds it in one hand (the usual trick of removing the tip before sliding into place) and her jacket/shirt flows over it from the back. The whole setup just screams "premium".

Taking a step back from the detail in the sculpt, the overall pose is a recreation of the promotional art, as a playful Ryza stands knees in, feet apart and on her toes, her hand curled to her face in a cheerful manner. Her clothing flows around as if a gentle breeze has lifted her ensemble to create a feeling of movement in the piece. 

This figure is available from HobbyLink Japan and other vendors.