Yep! Following our Juku Couture doll review — which was selected as Articulated Discussion’s Review of the Week, hurray! — we’re now reviewing a Twilight figure. Alice Cullen, to be specific. I haven’t seen New Moon — the first movie was dull enough for me to pass on that — but the figure (and Ashley Greene) is quite fetching! And at $3.74, the price was pretty fantastic, too. I even picked up an Edward for the same price (I plan to review that figure too at some point), but I kinda wish I hadn’t since now I feel like I need to get Bella. Twilight-mocking toy comics just wouldn’t be complete — or nearly as funny — without her.

Actually, maybe they would! I have an idea…

Anyway! Speaking of Articulated Discussion up there, DrNightmare recently authored an interview-type piece featuring opinions from a bunch of different toy reviewers. It’d be worth a read even if I weren’t one of the reviewers interviewed, but I am — so that makes it even more imperative that you check it out! All sorts of topics are touched on, the OAFE guys strive to exhibit douchebaggery in the form of nepotism and boastful self-promotion, I do my damnedest to blast a certain video reviewer without mentioning him by name… in short, a good time is had by all. 😛

I was going to write more about the various points in the article and what I agree/disagree with, but I’ll leave that alone for now. I did find it interesting that so many reviewers don’t want to read others’ reviews of the same figure, though. I’ve known authors who are the same way, but it’s never really made sense to me. Yeah, it’s possible that you’ll be influenced by other people’s work, and that could make your work less “unique” (at least as far as you know; Stephanie Meyer mentioned something about avoiding other authors’ work but it sounds like the Twilight saga still managed to be derivative as fuck). But you might also be influenced for the better, such that the quality of your writing, presentation, whatever — even if it borrows from outside elements — will ultimately improve.

And if nothing else, reading other people’s writing might make you aware of things you need to emphasize. For instance, I read Artemis’s review of Alice at OAFE in which he mentions that the figure can’t stand (it can) — but he also doesn’t mention the ankle swivels. So while I had already noticed those points of articulation and would have mentioned them regardless, I felt compelled to point out that they’re helpful for keeping the figure on its feet. Since one would tend to assume that a figure can stand up unless otherwise noted (and since the ankles aren’t the most obvious joints, I can definitely understand someone concluding that the figure can’t stand), I might not have explicitly mentioned that otherwise.

(That’s not meant to be insulting, mind you; I enjoy Artemis’s reviews!)

Anyway, all for now! Stay tuned, since Monday marks the site’s… six-year anniversary! I’m hoping to have at least two new pieces and hopefully three or four up to celebrate — among others, there’ll be the first non-toy review since… August of last year? Wow. 😕