Room for contrast: Aniimo, Naruto & BLEACH
Issue No. 26 · Cover: Kuchiki Rukia – Hakka no Togame Bankai
A strong shelf needs contrast as much as spectacle.
Rukia brings stillness, Naruto and Sasuke bring scale, and Aniimo leaves room for smaller displays.
The Edit
- 01
Kuchiki Rukia - Hakka no Togame Bankai
Price range: $299 through $339 · Pre-Order
Pale robes and curling ice give Rukia a composed, luminous silhouette.
View piece - 02
Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha - Six Paths
Price range: $209 through $409 · Pre-Order
Complementary colors make Naruto and Sasuke a natural display pairing.
View piece - 03
The Desire to Evolve Budsquire & Wisptis & Helmut - Aniimo
Price range: $69 through $169 · Pre-Order
Three distinct weapon silhouettes offer a flexible Aniimo grouping.
View piece - 04
Instant Transmission Super Saiyan Son Goku Bust — Dragon Ball
$129 · Pre-Order
The angled bust concentrates Goku’s farewell into a narrow display.
View piece
Current issue: No. 27 — Frames and wings: Pokémon, Dragon Ball & Monster Hunter →
Editor’s Letter
We would build this week’s shelf around contrast: Kuchiki Rukia – Hakka no Togame Bankai gives the eye somewhere to rest. Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha – Six Paths brings a more expansive pairing, with separate silhouettes that can face across a display.
Read the full letterClose letter
The smaller pieces deserve deliberate space too. CUB Studio’s Aniimo figures turn distinct weapons and stone bases into a group that can grow from one character to three. We like that flexibility beside the larger battle scenes, where effects occupy as much visual territory as the figures themselves. Our preference is to give one energetic composition the main position, then use an upright figure or a portrait to slow the rhythm around it. That makes the collection easier to read from across a room while preserving details worth approaching. Dimensions and configuration matter more here than matching every character to the same nominal scale.
Why Now
01
Aniimo reaches mobile
Aniimo launched on iOS and Android on September 23. That gives CUB Studio’s Budsquire, Wisptis and Helmut a timely franchise connection; our interest is in their distinct weapon silhouettes and selectable grouping, rather than any claim about demand for these figures.
02
Naruto heads to New York
VIZ announced an October 10 NYCC panel featuring Naruto and Sasuke’s Japanese voice actors. We see a reason to revisit the pair together, with Six Paths offering a contrasting two-character arrangement and Pain providing a much smaller alternative from the same series.
03
Rukia and Ichigo share a new spotlight
The September 10 BLEACH Mirrors High announcement names Rukia and Ichigo in its preregistration reward campaign. Our two selections explore those characters through different display moods: Rukia’s composed Bankai form and Ichigo’s relaxed streetwear interpretation. The statues are separate releases from the game campaign.
Chapter 01
Battle scenes: Naruto, Katsuki Bakugo & Toji Fushiguro
Bakugo rises through orange blasts. Dark Deku spans 49 cm with 188 pieces stated; portrait inclusions remain unspecified. Toji’s edition is 168 pieces, with a limited-time Dagon bonus whose cutoff is unlisted.
Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha - Six Paths
Naruto and Sasuke work as a pairing because their effects pull in different directions. Orange surrounds Naruto’s upright staff and blue Rasengan; purple frames Sasuke’s darker gesture. The individual statues stand 40 cm and 37 cm tall respectively, giving both characters a clear presence without identical outlines.
We would leave a little visual separation between them so each base remains readable. The range offers either character individually or both as a Combined Set, with the Seal of Reconciliation bonus reserved for that set. The fluorescent details shown under UV light add another viewing option.
Best for: A paired display with contrasting color and character silhouettes
Price range: $209 through $409 · Pre-Order
View piece
Katsuki Bakugo - My Hero Academia
Bakugo’s upward blast trails turn his airborne pose into a sharply rising composition.
$349 · Pre-Order
View piece
Dark Deku 2.0 - Izuku Midoriya
Deku’s broad black tendrils frame the forward drive of his battle pose.
$369 · Pre-Order Close
View piece
Toji Fushiguro: Heavenly Tyrant vs Dagon — Battle Series Vol. 1
Toji’s close-quarters clash with Dagon creates a dense, layered battle scene.
$499 · Pre-Order Close
View pieceChapter 02
Quiet anchors: Kuchiki Rukia, Altria Pendragon & Ichigo
Upright poses give action-heavy shelves a pause. Ichigo offers dark or light blue trousers; One Piece’s Page One keeps his masked portrait and cape at the center of a simpler stance.
Kuchiki Rukia - Hakka no Togame Bankai
Rukia’s downward sword and upright posture give Prologue Studio’s 1/6 release a calm center. Pale robes, looping ribbons and ice effects widen the outline without disguising the figure. At 34 cm high, 29 cm wide and 20.5 cm deep, the composition has enough breadth to read clearly beside darker statues.
The main display combines figure and base, with breathing, steady-on and strobe lighting modes. A separate Accessory Pack adds an interchangeable portrait and illuminated bust. We favor the main figure’s restrained posture as a visual pause between busier scenes, especially when the surrounding collection uses strong reds or blacks.
Best for: A composed focal figure beside more energetic displays
Price range: $299 through $339 · Pre-Order
View piece
Altria Pendragon (Saber)
Altria’s armored stance balances a downward sword against the sweep of her blue cloak.
$259 · Pre-Order
View piece
Streetwear Series Ichigo Kurosaki - Bleach
Ichigo’s 99-piece streetwear release pairs pocketed hands with a relaxed vertical line.
$189 · Pre-Order
View piece
Tobiroppo 04 Page One - One Piece
Page One pairs two bases and a numbered badge with a restrained masked silhouette.
$189 · Pre-Order
View pieceChapter 03
Small displays: Budsquire, Hornet & Pain
Small figures can carry distinct gestures. Hornet, from Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Pain have measured compact formats; Pokémon’s Manaphy has unspecified dimensions, with a tilted Poké Ball supplying the visual lift.
The Desire to Evolve Budsquire & Wisptis & Helmut - Aniimo
CUB Studio’s Aniimo release makes a convincing group through differences. Budsquire holds a blue weapon across its body, Wisptis stands behind curved pink blades, and Helmut sits beside an upright sword. Each has an individual stone-textured base, allowing the arrangement to keep its rhythm without a shared platform.
Each character is approximately 12 cm tall, with a figure, base and corresponding weapon accessories. The options cover one chosen character, any two, or all three; the starting price is for one figure. We would space the weapons apart so their individual outlines remain easy to follow.
Best for: A small character group assembled one selection at a time
Price range: $69 through $169 · Pre-Order
View piece
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Hornet
Hornet’s needle and pink effect trails give the 12 cm figure an extended sense of motion.
$99 · Pre-Order Close
View piece
Pain — Deva Path WCF-Scale Figure
Pain’s extended palm and rubble scene give an 8.5 cm figure a decisive gesture.
$69 · Pre-Order
View piece
30th Go! Vol. 5 Manaphy
Manaphy’s raised arms and curved antennae balance the tilted Poké Ball beneath its blue silhouette.
$39 · Pre-Order
View pieceChapter 04
Character studies: Son Goku, Levi Ackerman & Scratchmen Apoo
Portraits carry this group. Levi offers Version A, Version B or both; Apoo’s DJ base is optional, and its bonus hand accompanies the figure-and-base set.
Instant Transmission Super Saiyan Son Goku Bust — Dragon Ball
EM Studio’s Instant Transmission bust brings this Dragon Ball gesture close. Goku’s turned torso, fingers at his forehead and rearward arm form a compact diagonal, while the relief portrait beneath him carries the father-and-son context into the pedestal. The 1/5-scale release measures 29.4 cm high, 11.4 cm wide and 16.6 cm deep.
The PU bust sits on a polystone base and includes a collector card, with a stated edition of 99 pieces. We like the way the narrow footprint keeps attention on the expression and hands. Beside a full battle scene, it offers a more concentrated character moment.
Best for: A narrow portrait display centered on a recognizable gesture
$129 · Pre-Order
View piece
Wedding Bust Chi-Chi & Son Goku — Dragon Ball
A 288-piece wedding release pairs warm expressions with a solid wood display base.
$149 · Pre-Order Close
View piece
Black Street Levi Ackerman - Attack on Titan
Levi’s 128-piece formalwear release uses a glove-adjusting gesture for a restrained character study.
Price range: $129 through $279 · Pre-Order
View piece
Scratchmen Apoo — Onigashima Showdown 020
Apoo’s headphones, lifted hand and broad grin give the small figure a musical character.
Price range: $69 through $99 · Pre-Order
View pieceThree Ways In
Starter
$69
Pain — Deva Path WCF-Scale Figure
Pain’s extended palm and rubble scene give an 8.5 cm figure a decisive gesture.
Pre-Order
View piece Centerpiece
From $299
Kuchiki Rukia - Hakka no Togame Bankai
Pale robes and curling ice give Rukia a composed, luminous silhouette.
Pre-Order
View piece Grail
$499
Toji Fushiguro: Heavenly Tyrant vs Dagon — Battle Series Vol. 1
Toji’s close-quarters clash with Dagon creates a dense, layered battle scene.
Pre-Order Close
View pieceFinal Take
Give each silhouette room to speak
Kuchiki Rukia – Hakka no Togame Bankai is our clearest choice for a shelf that already contains plenty of motion. Her pale, upright silhouette offers contrast without needing to dominate through size. Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha – Six Paths suits a different intention: a deliberate pairing with space between its two effect-heavy bases.
For a smaller addition, we favor CUB Studio’s Aniimo grouping for its selectable characters and separate bases. Goku’s Instant Transmission bust is the more focused portrait choice. We would choose the role the display needs first, then decide which character best fills it.
Leave space between strong shapes, and even a small addition can change the whole shelf.
How Pre-Orders Work
Collector Figures coordinates your reservation and order updates with the studio. Read the pre-order policy.
R18+
Nothing we'd recommend this week
This week’s mature candidates include a school-character pair and a character whose adult status we could not establish from reliable references. Neither meets our requirements for a mature recommendation.
We are leaving both out of the mature display selection.
Next
Build a small Aniimo grouping
Explore the Aniimo collection to compare character shapes and available configurations. Budsquire, Wisptis and Helmut offer three different weapon-led silhouettes, with individual bases that give a small grouping room to develop.
