Pop Up Parade Juri and Chun Li (SF6)

It was a bumper delivery week at UKA HQ, hot on the heels of Max Factory Chun Li came two figures from the opposite end of the spectrum, Juri and Chun Li from the Pop Up Parade line. Just like the game itself, the characters in figure form are complete opposites.

I've waxed lyrical about the classic Pop Up Parade Chun Li on this very site, but I must say that her Street Fighter 6 interpretation is pretty lifeless. She's affected a sort of "what do you want?" pose, much like the Kimberley figure that was bundled into the game's special edition, but somehow she loses any charm. I can't tell if it's the austere face with the small eyes that puts me off, or the overall outfit which is, to be fair, a bit dull anyway. At least there's a nice wash on the leggings to add a bit of depth and definition to those signature legs. 

For some reason Capcom has decided to make the characters in Street Fighter 6 less appealing than in previous iterations, and they've doubled down with that on most of the standard & DLC costumes. The dress and leggings combo retains some of the classic elements, such as the swirly gold trim, colour palette and bun & bracelet combo, but visually it hasn't got much flare. It needs some verve or a pose that makes the most of the available movement in the costume, but no - she stands there and judges you.

The girls from Street Fighter 6 stepping out

By complete contrast Juri looks great - it's amazing what a small amount of posing can do - like Chun Li she has one hand on her hip, but with the other held up in an aggressive stance and that malevolent grin, she has far more life to her. On top of that, Capcom managed at least one hit in the costume department with an update to her baggy trousers and minimalist top ensemble. The green spikes and zips are a lovely contrast to the black, pink and white colourway that informs the rest of her outfit, with the almost neon colour scheme appearing both modern and fun to look at. The sculpt has all the spikes and zipper details you could want, adding a lot of texture to the figure. Finger and toe nails are painted sharply and there's a lovely sheen to the black and pink areas. Finally, the spider pattern across her body in matte black is sharp and error free. 

I was quite amused at the size of her feet - sure, they're not as big as Luke's from the same line, which are so stylised and large as to be ridiculous, but she won't be borrowing shoes from Kimberley or Chun Li any time soon. 

A very mixed result then. I'd find it hard to recommend this Chun Li, especially with the younger classic iteration from earlier in the line, but the Juri is a knockout at this price point and highly recommended. We get precious few Juri figures so this is a great entry point.

Pop Up Parade continues to offer excellent value for money when it tries, using the budget to maximum effect and granting us cheap and cheerful figures that look far better than their budget would suggest.