In the month of June, I went to Denver Comic Con, where I purchased my very first Funko Vinyl figurine, one Octavia Melody from the show "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". I choose to review this product because it's a loved character of mine from my favorite show.
Funko was founded in 1998, and its mission was to bring back nostalgic characters and icons to the new generation of technology. The first character brought to life as a figure was Big Boy, as in the mascot for the fast food burger place. Today, Funko makes hundreds of characters, anything from super heroes/villains, TV drama actors, to cute animated characters. In the MLP Funko collection, there are over 20 variants of different characters. What I'm focusing on today specifically is Octavia Melody from MLP Funko collection.
To start off, let's analyze the box our dear Octavia arrives in. On the box, there are subtle character references. For instance, the classic MLP logo is done in the colors of the pony in the box(Purple, Pink, Gray, White, and Black). I personally enjoy this because it gives Octavia her own attention, and that's symbolic because she's actually just a background character in the show. That's something you really don't see with the official Hasbro (c)* produced merchandise. Not only is it beautiful, the box is rather sturdy as well. As soon as I made the purchase, I made a vow to never let dear Octavia get banged up. I immediately broke that promise, as I dropped the whole box onto the solid ground of the convention center. After letting out quite possibly the most girlish scream ever, I picked up the box to discover that it sustained zero damage. If that wasn't proof enough, when I got home that night, I left the box on my couch, where my brother sat on it. Sadly, the box suffered a small rip on the bottom-left corner, but nothing else was damaged! This box is just perfect! Who says that beauty doesn't hold strength?
Now, let's get to what we really want: The figure. The night I purchased Octavia, I unboxed her(Which was hard, considering how badly I wanted nothing to go wrong) for my first interacting session. The first thing I was looking for in the vinyl was it's weight. My initial belief of the figure was that it was dense, weighing around 3/4 of a pound. However, it comes to a stand alone weight of 7.5 ounces, which is not very heavy or light, just neutral. I wish it was slightly heavier, but I really can't complain much about it. My next criticizing category was size. From height to base, Octavia measures 5'' x 5 1/2'' respectively. I rather like this sizing. First off, it gives her an okay weight, and she doesn't look out of place in a work environment, like a desk or shelf. Maybe this is a coincidence to the fact that nearly 70% of the consumers of this Funko series are of the working age? Either way, It works for me! Second, her size allows her to have show-accurate characteristics that her Hasbro (c) counterparts lack. The "Blind Bag" Hasbro (c) figures have a height of 2" and a base of 1 1/2", so details have to be sacrificed in order to keep their mark-up costs at a low $2.99. However, this Funko figure is able to retain many show found features, like appropriate hair length, leg sizes, muzzle dimensions, eye shape, Cutie Mark* on both sides of her hind, and unique articles like her pink bow tie and white lace. To keep ponies like Octavia and others so show-accurate, Funko has to sell each unit at a cost of $14.99. That may seem like a high price, but many members of the Brony* fandom agree that it's definitely a fair price for such a quality product. My final critique of the figure is its material. The entire thing is made of vinyl*. Ya know, like, records, tablecloths, car interiors, even dresses? The vinyl construction of the figure is totally appropriate, honestly. Vinyl is cheap, strong, easy to clean, and allows near perfect imitation abilities of other materials like skin, hair, metal, etc. Any fears I have of breaking/dirtying/misshaping Octavia are laid to rest just by knowing she is made from a great material.
So, if you haven't wandered away in disgust because an 18 year-old guy is reviewing a toy from a girly TV show, then you'll hear my final verdict on the Funko figure. The way I see it, this product is a perfect investment for a fan of MLP(I'm sure if you like a character from a popular series, you can find a Funko figure of them that you'll love too). It is of great quality, being strong and detailed, and nice to have around. And while it's a little bit pricier than other pony merchandise, you can see where every penny(or Bit) has been used in the product. I encourage any fellow nerd reading this to Google any character you love to see if you can find them in Funko form!
Highlighted Words:
Hasbro (c)*: Basically the overlord toy company responsible for rebooting My Little Pony into the greatest generation yet. Often a controversial topic for us fans to discuss on the off-seasons.
Cutie Mark*: A symbol that a pony receives on its hind quarters when that pony discovers its special talent. Think of it kind of like an ass tattoo that represents what you are good at. Often, low quality merch uses one Cutie Mark on one side whereas the real ponies have one on each hind leg.
Brony*: Any fan of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic that is not part of the intended demographic(Girls, 3-12).
Vinyl*: A plastic material used in many different products. Also, the name of Octavia Melody's friend, Vinyl Scratch.
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