Christmas started early in Japan with the release of the Hatsune Miku Christmas SPM in late October. The SPM (Super Premium) figure is manufactured by SEGA and distributed in arcades, to be won from claw machines and UFO Catchers. The figure stands at 17 cm (~6.7 inches) tall, and comes with a base, three support stands, Miku’s seated body and hair separately and a candy cane for Miku to hold. As adorable as the figure is, there are some key issues with it that prevent it from being the must-have Christmas figure of the year.

What I Love

Straight up, this is probably the most festive figurine I own. Miku’s bright smile and her joyful clutch of the candy cane definitely suits the merry-making ethos of the season. I really appreciated the design that went into her outfit. The dress top is actually just straps, with the coat covering her bare arms. A very nice clothing choice from our always fashionable idol! While I’m not a huge fan of the scarf, as I feel it detracts from her face, I like how it adds a bit of dynamic flare to the figurine.

As a Miku fan, who has many of her figures, I’ve grown to appreciate the tiny details that reflect a true love for the character, the design, and the fans. This figure had quite a few that brought a smile to my face. I adored the ribbons on the boots, polka dots on the stockings, and star on her necktie. I also liked the subtle gradient in her hair, and the way it framed her figure. It really makes for a gorgeous and iconic silhouette.

What Could Have Been Better

As adorable as this figure is, there is one major issue with it, and that is the hair. Miku’s hair came as separate items which must be slot into holes in her head. However, no matter how much I push the hair into her head, it never stays. In fact, it just hangs there in constant danger of dropping off. If I have to repose the figure, or even move it slightly, the hair comes crashing down and so begins the whole process of resetting it. Furthermore, the ‘bulbs’, that need to be pushed into her head and are meant to be hidden, stick out and end up looking very awkward.

A smaller issue, one that seems to affect many prize figures, is the paint job. At first glance, the painting of my figure looked perfectly fine. But, when I moved in closer I found a lot of poorly done spots. There was white paint that I had to wash off on Miku’s tights (done before I took any pictures), and around the hem of her small coat looked pretty awful with white bleeding into the red. For a figure which classes itself as ‘super premium’, it ends up looking cheap.

Season’s Greetings from Miku!

To sum up, the Hatsune Miku 2018 Christmas figure is definitely a cute addition to any collection. But that’s all it is, an addition. It’s not a standout figure and doesn’t bring anything new and innovative to the Miku canon. The hair in particular, one of Miku’s major focal points, is a major disappointment, turning a nice figure into something cheap and awkward. So while it may be a Merry Christmas, it’s not Merry Miku.

If you own this figurine, let us know your thoughts down in the comments! Otherwise, tell us what Miku figure you’d like to see featured next on MANGA.TOKYO.

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