Figure-rise Standard

Overview

One of toy manufacturing giant Bandai’s multitude of lines, Figure-rise Standard is a branch of their expansive Figure-rise toyline, focusing on a variety of anime, tokusatsu and video game characters. Starting in 2016 adapting Dragon Ball Z and Active Raid characters, Figure-rise Standard has since gone on to feature characters from a variety of franchises, such as Kamen Rider, Ultraman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Sword Art Online, Digimon, 86 and Uma Musume, with the odd distinction of sharing Tokai Teio with 30 Minutes Sisters.

As an aside, there are also other Figure-rise lines of note:

• Master Grade Figure-rise, Master Grade-scale (1:8) Figure-rise kits. Thus far, only Dragon Ball Z, Kamen Rider, One Piece, and Tiger and Bunny received kits from this line, with the latest being a P-Bandai exclusive CycloneJoker kit released in 2021.
• Figure-rise Bust, assembled character busts consisting of characters from Gundam, Macross Delta, Love Live Sunshine and Active Raid.
  
• Figure-rise Mechanics, a robot-and-mechanic themed line focusing on Haros, as well as adapting characters from Dragon Ball, Doraemon and Dr. Slump.
  
• Figure-rise LABO, non-poseable model kits adapting characters from Gundam, Love Live and Evangelion as well as Hatsune Miku.
  
• Figure-rise Effect, focusing on effect parts and action bases.
  
• Figure-rise 6, a predecessor line to Standard, which only produced kits from Accel World (I would pay through the nose for a FRS of either version of Kuroyukihime, personally), Tiger & Bunny (based) and Kamen Rider. It would pass the torch to Standard in 2016.

On top of this, Figure-rise Standard itself has multiple sub-lines:

• Figure-rise Amplified, focusing on redesigned characters from anime and other media such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Batman and Digimon.
  
• Cinema-rise Standard, which thus far has only had two model kits released in 2024 from Toy Story, Woody and Buzz.

This guide will only feature Figure-rise Standard and will only focus upon that for the moment, as it is the most relevant of their toylines here, given that it’s the current one and, more importantly, the one that most fits this guide’s definition of girlpla.

Construction and Engineering

Figure-rise Standard is an odd duck to talk about with regards to this section, because unlike most of the other lines we discuss (or companies in the case of Nuke Matrix and MS General), Bandai never maintained a consistent engineering philosophy in this line, going for the “whatever works” approach for each kit.

While the plastic quality has always remained high, the engineering can veer from absolutely horrible in the early stages in the mid-2010s to pretty good as the kits begin to take from their sister 30 Minutes Label line. The Gundam girls in particular benefit from being repackaged Sisters kits tweaked to fit the unique looks of each girl, a trait they share with the Uma Musume trio.

The only thing you can be sure about is the engineering will at least be functional, if not amazing.

Aesthetics:

The real appeal of this line is having a model kit of your favorite character. Of course, unlike the relatively consistent PLAMATEA or Kadokawa Plastic Model lines, the quality of the appearance of the average Figure-rise Standard has been inconsistent and can be a crapshoot. The Kamen Rider kits in particular are excellently detailed kits that lovingly replicate their respective Rider in 1:12 scale, while the earlier Dragon Ball Z kits leave something to be desired.

On the other hand, the Uma Musume girls suffer from some design issues caused by their attempt to make them capable of assuming the same running stances as they do in the series. Most kits in this line will fall somewhere around the middle of these two stances. Fear not, however; you will probably avoid the absolute monstrosities that were the HGBF “MS Girl” kits.

Ease of Acquisition:

With such a wealth of kits and more than a few having been discontinued, it really depends on what ones you’re looking to buy. The Gundam girls have remained in constant production since release, as have the Kamen Rider kits, while the older Dragon Ball kits and Active Raid kits can be almost impossible to source.

Price points will generally be in the range of ¥3000-4000 (£14-19/$19-25) for currently available kits, potentially higher for larger kits and for discontinued kits acquired second-hand. Anywhere where Bandai rears its head, Figure-rise Standard will not be far behind; as such if you can see Gunpla or Sisters there, you can probably find Figure-rise Standard.

Personal Verdict?

As a line fundamentally focused on selling itself as merch of the characters the kits portray, your mileage will vary. From an objective standpoint, the Gundam, Uma Musume and Kamen Rider kits are the standouts, but this is a line you buy for the sake of having the merch of your faves, not for its own sake.

Personal Recommendations:

That said, we loved Chuchu, Silence Suzuka and Kamen Rider Hibiki’s kits a lot.

Official Site: https://global.bandai-hobby.net/en-us/brand/figurerise-standard/