Limepie 1/8 Unicorn (Angelic Nurse Ver.) by Apex Innovation

Another day, another review I meant to have done way earlier. I suppose that's what happens on this site. I should probably stop sticking to such a strict schedule however, because I was told that the only person who thinks things on my site are late is me. But I suppose that's what happens when you're used to being on pretty strict schedule.

Anyways, schedule woes out of the way, we're looking at an Apex figure today. As someone who's wanted to order quite a few of their stuff but just doesn't have the space (mostly because their Genshin stuff seems pretty big), I'm happy to have my first Apex figure in hand, Unicorn from Azure Lane. She's part of their Limepie line, which is once again, budget figures. However, I'm going to confess: Nothing about this figure feels all that cheap, past her initial price tag. She was around 6k yen off of Amiami, which came out to less than 40 dollars. And for the quality they offer based off their budget line, I'll gladly keep buying from this company.

I suppose this is the part where I admit that I don't actually play Azur Lane. I've watched a friend play Azur Lane, and I played the similarly themed Kantai Collection. But I've never pulled the trigger on actually playing AL. I suppose part of it is gacha exhaustion, but at the same time, who knows, I could find myself picking it up one day. If my commentary on said figure seems a bit off, it's 100% because I do not really know the source. I apologize. I don't tend to pick a lot of figures up where I don't know the source that aren't OCs, but every once in a while, I make the exception. As in, this is my 2nd exception.

With that out of the way, let's take a look.

And here she is. Honestly for a budget figure she looks great. I legitimately did not know she was budget until I clicked on the Limepie page on MFC and saw it under a club for "budget figures." 100%, I was fooled.

So here's a shot of her box. Considering the fact that most of my experience with budget lines comes from prize figures and Pop Up Parades and the boxes on most of those are subpar, this is another huge part of why I was fooled. Box looks pretty legit, like a standard figure release. There was nothing goofy and even a sticker for authenticity. Generally, I like the little corner window and how light the box generally looks. It's really simple, but sometimes simple is best.

Standard blister here. Pretty secure. Lots of plastic though.

And here's a full 360 of her. As you can tell, it's a pretty simple pose, and there's her little unicorn pet on a big metal rod. Normally, I'd complain that the rod isn't clear, so it looks invisible. However, having dealt with some figures that have rods vs some that have plastic sticks instead, I think I'd rather deal with the metal rod. They're a lot more sturdy, as well as not being a hassle to insert or remove. Amakuni Jyudai suffers from this the most, so despite not liking the look of the rod, it's fine that it's there.

Let's move onto the details.

This figure quite honestly has a lot of intricate sculpting, notably on the sweater. Considering the sweater doesn't have the most shading in the world, it still feels really nice despite that. The paint on her as well feels quite nice. The gradient on her hair is gorgeous, and all the colors on her really pop. The shading is light, and not super noticeable, but it's definitely there. It stands out the most on her dress & tights. Honestly, it's why I couldn't help but go "woah, this is a budget line?"

I also love how the designs on her really pop. The hearts on her dress, the design of her clipboard, and the ribbon in her hair are all super cute. The paint on her shoes is also really good. It's such a small touch, but I'm glad it's there.

The base here is simple. Round and clear, with the logo on top. I really like the way they tied it into the general palette of the figure, as well as having some of the logo just being clear silhouette of sorts. For a plain-ish base, this isn't bad at all. She inserts onto her base through more metal rods, supported by plastic wedges. Feels very secure.

I'm pretty happy I got this figure. She's super cute and was well worth the money. I specifically wanted her to go with Sweet Toxic Eve, who sits right next to her on my shelf, and even though they're not remotely close in scale, I think they look great together.

The Positives

• Generally a good price for a budget line. 40 might be on the higher end of budget figures, but considering that Good Smile Company's budget line is also around 35 or so, I think this is the better deal considering what you get.
• Doesn't feel budget. With the shading and general care taken towards the sculpt, she feels very much more like a regular 1/8 scale.
• Her base isn't super big, nor is she, meaning she can slot pretty well onto shelves and not take up too much room.

The Negatives

• The sweater lacks some shading. Can make it seem a bit one dimensional
• The metal rod might not be to some people's preference. I feel a bit ehh on it myself, but considering the alternative, I'd rather be able to remove a rod rather than fight it to come out or feel like I'm about to break it because it's plastic instead.

Overall, I'm very impressed with Apex's Limepie line. It doesn't feel budget as all. Considering there's a few Persona figures coming up, as well as them usually having Mihoyo stuff, I'll gladly order from them again. I can't wait to see how their regular scales feel, if this was their budget line.

I also want to note that there's a limited variant of this figure. She was exclusive to WonFes Shanghai, and has an alternate palette that has her sweater & dress in pink. I don't think I'll be seeking this version out personally, as I'm pretty happy with the one I have. That, and I'm trying not to get alternate palettes of figures anymore. But if you wish to seek her out, just know she exists.

Either way, I'd generally recommend her. Her price isn't bad and considering what you get, she feels beyond worth it.