G4 Is this Twilight Kotobukiya real?

[PinkBlur]

TL, DR: There's 1 and a half mistakes here that may be due to sculpting/intense heat while travelling, or due to it not being real.

Hello, everyone! Sorry for being away for so long, and for leaving some sellers hanging, some deeply emotional things happened last year and I forgot all about this site. But I'm doing better, and the collector grind begins again!

I bought a Twilight Sparkle Kotobukiya from eBay. This seller has about 3000 positive reviews, plus an online store based in Japan, as well as a YouTUbe channel where they unbox stock. Once I received the figure, I noticed that the hair strands go in front of the Elements of Harmony book, rather than behind it. I'm sure it's a mistake, as everything else seems genuine, even the box, but it's still nagging at me. There's also a slight mistake in paint on the hair (all pictures provided).

I asked some fellow Australian MLP collectors on Facebook what they thought, and they're all unsure either, but seem to be leaning towards a mistake in the sculpt. I decided to email Kotobukiya customer support and got this reply which from what I understand, claims it isn't real and encourages me to speak to the store.

I just wanted some other opinions before I do that, as the eBay return process can be long and these are getting more expensive (I missed her pre-order). More photos will be provided upon request. I included some comparison photos with the Glitter Twilight I bought from Sideshow, and the official Kotobukiya photos.

Thank you!

 

[StormMaeker]

I’ve been a bit out of the loop with anime figures for a while but I can see why you may be concerned. I remember seeing the figures when they’re announced and they always look really good

To me, I don’t see many errors especially on the paintwork which is usually the place to look if one is fake. It looks all fine to me
I had a quick look about and I found this picture when I went to MyFigureCollection

The promo photos like the one you have for comparison are sometimes the painted prototype so they usually say don’t expect exact colours because it could change for the final product.

I haven’t heard of fake Kotobukiya MLP figures yet but as I’ve said, I haven’t been following well in recent years of anime figures but from what I remember when I did go comparing fakes and reals, she looks fine to me
I hope there’s a comparison somewhere of real and fake but I also hope not because it would be great if there were no fakes

 

[PinkBlur]

I’ve been a bit out of the loop with anime figures for a while but I can see why you may be concerned.
To me, I don’t see many errors especially on the paintwork. It looks all fine to me
I had a quick look about and I found this picture when I went to MyFigureCollectionView attachment 35857I haven’t heard of fake Kotobukiya MLP figurea yet but as I’ve said, I haven’t been following well in recent years of anime figures but from what I remember when I did go comparing fakes and reals, she looks fine to me
I hope there’s a comparison somewhere of real and fake

Hey, thanks for your reply!

I actually have seen a few fakes! Two friends of mine received a fake Pinkie Pie, and the Twilight I bought before this one was a fake. They refused to refund me, luckily eBay took my side.

As for the photo, I can't believe I missed that! That's from the Sunset Shimmer product page on Kotobukiya's website (last pic in the gallery). It seems mine is a little more to the right, but still seems real! I wonder why Kotobukiya said it isn't real? I also emailed Kotus and Kotobukiya some photos of the box to get some verification, so I'll wait for their response as well.

 

[my little pony collector]

oh Yes it's vary real I wish I could afford her so bad she is so gorgeous they have all of the main 6 and just started to make luna and celestia thay are so good looking it like they came out of a manga

 

[StormMaeker]

Hey, thanks for your reply!

I actually have seen a few fakes! Two friends of mine received a fake Pinkie Pie, and the Twilight I bought before this one was a fake. They refused to refund me, luckily eBay took my side.

As for the photo, I can't believe I missed that! That's from the Sunset Shimmer product page on Kotobukiya's website (last pic in the gallery). It seems mine is a little more to the right, but still seems real! I wonder why Kotobukiya said it isn't real? I also emailed Kotus and Kotobukiya some photos of the box to get some verification, so I'll wait for their response as well.

I hope there are some comparisons for the fakes soon then because it’s vital we all know.
With the Sunset Shimmer, they must’ve swapped Twiley out for the final product for the later photos because she’s the more finalised version

It like they came out of a manga

The manga isn’t too bad with the style. I think even if they went off the manga version for the ponies, they’d still look the same

In my opinion, the Kotobukiya versions look way better than the Equestria Girls style. Even the referenced clothes look better to me

 

[PinkBlur]

oh Yes it's vary real I wish I could afford her so bad she is so gorgeous they have all of the main 6 and just started to make luna and celestia thay are so good looking it like they came out of a manga

Yeah, I have all of them including the Limited Edition ones so far! I've pre-ordered Sunset, and plan on getting Luna and Celestia. I'm very fortunate to have a well paying job with good hours, so I can spare a bit for the figurines. I hope you get one one day!

 

[Tak]

They’re all so gorgeous. I wish they were even realistic for my budget.

 

[my little pony collector]

I hope there are some comparisons for the fakes soon then because it’s vital we all know.
With the Sunset Shimmer, they must’ve swapped Twiley out for the final product for the later photos because she’s the more finalised version

The manga isn’t too bad with the style. I think even if they went off the manga version for the ponies, they’d still look the same
View attachment 35858
In my opinion, the Kotobukiya versions look way better than the Equestria Girls style. Even the referenced clothes look better to me

I love manga and pretty much read manga everyday when I find out about the my little pony manga I can't stop talking about it to the point I was annoying my family with it still can't afford it but wanted so bad two of my favorite things manga and My Little Pony together

 

[StormMaeker]

I love manga and pretty much read manga everyday when I find out about the my little pony manga I can't stop talking about it to the point I was annoying my family with it still can't afford it but wanted so bad two of my favorite things manga and My Little Pony together

Me too but I haven’t been following as many series as I used to. I used to follow a lot of series but now I’m just unable to follow as many as I used to. Had to drop a load because I could no longer keep up. Same with anime, I can’t just watch a bunch like I used to. I keep up with ones I know I like and if there’s one that especially catches interest, I’ll watch it. With buying series I’ll instead just stick to films because of the price and shelf space.
I don’t own the MLP manga either but I did read some of it at the time I saw it uploaded somewhere. I don’t remember if it was all of it or not

 

[PinkBlur]

They’re all so gorgeous. I wish they were even realistic for my budget.

I'm sure they're reasonably priced for Japan in America, but here in Australia they're over $200 each, and that's not including shipping. Lucky they look good!

 

[Tak]

I'm sure they're reasonably priced for Japan in America, but here in Australia they're over $200 each, and that's not including shipping. Lucky they look good!

They’re $100 if you can get them when they come out, I think. However, they get bought up instantly and resold on eBay and such for $175-200.

 

[PinkBlur]

They’re $100 if you can get them when they come out, I think. However, they get bought up instantly and resold on eBay and such for $175-200.

No Australian retailers sell them! I've only found one that can only get them if you ask them to specifically, and even then it still works out to about $200.

 

[Tak]

No Australian retailers sell them! I've only found one that can only get them if you ask them to specifically, and even then it still works out to about $200.

Well, if it helps, it’s all online only. We don’t have any nearby stores that would carry them even if I was a happy shopper. I’m getting downright agoraphobic as I get older.

 

[chii]

Unfortunately, I agree with the Kotobukiya representative you spoke with. The shape of the skirt and incorrect flow of the hair are common telltale signs of a bootleg. There is a youtube video that shows the unboxing of this Twilight Sparkle. The person says the figure was purchased directly from the Kotobukiya store, so there is no question of bootleg. The skit is more dynamic and the lock of question goes behind the book. Sometimes you can find bootlegs with beautiful paintjobs, but they get lazy with other aspects, such as the shape of the hair. (There was a Shining Hearts figure I wanted that had some amazing bootlegs on eBay for a fraction of the price of the legit one on the second-hand market. The box looked the same and everything. Only way to tell it was a bootleg was the hair and ruffles in the skirt. Took five years of searching Nakano Broadway, but I managed to get Real Neris for a decent price! XD)

Here's the video, if you're interested:

I'm not sure if you're familiar with these stores, but Mandarake and AmiAmi both sale used figures. (Rumor has it Mandarake accidentally sells bootleg used figures, but it's not very common. I've personally never had this happen with any of my purchases. I've never heard anything negative about AmiAmi. So far as online shopping goes, I've personally had great experiences with both stores.)

 

[Sugarberry]

Bringing this back up because I just discovered this thread. It’s looking like the Twilight Sparkle I bought from Amazon is also a fake, though it doesn’t look bad. It looks like the one next to the Sunset Shimmer figure posted earlier. The box would certainly pass for the real thing.
Some here have mentioned fake Pinkie Pie. At this point, I’d assume there are imposters of all the figures, but does anyone have comparison pictures of the fakes after Twilight? The hair and the book are cues, but what should I be looking for with the Pinkie Pie?

 

[chii]

Sadly, it doesn't look like anyone has done comparison videos for the whole series. Sometimes companies like Alter will make a site dedicated about what to watch out for when they know bootlegs are in circulation. Doesn't seem to be the case here, though.

Here are some images of a Pinkie Pie bootleg I found.
First off, notice how her pose just plain feels off? Her center of balance isn't right. Figures that stand on one leg are hard to make balance correctly. Something is off with the tilt of her head/neck and the way her back is twisting. It's a very minor error in the angle that makes the whole thing seem not quite right. Her upraised hand is also twisted too far. It should be facing forward just a little.

The paint job is also terrible. When people talk about terrible bootleg paint jobs, this is what they mean. See the pink paint on poor Pinkie Pie's teeth? The shoe laces are also sloppily done.

No time was wasted on sanding. While even the legit figure has seams on the bangles, the hem of its skirts are smooth. But not so with this! You can seams from the casting. (I actually pre-ordered Pinkie Pie from AmiAmi, so I was able to check my figure on this point!)

Now for a photo of the legit Pinkie Pie!

So this is the prototype, which some sites still have up. I wanted to include this because the base has a white rim. Some bootleggers who see this photo may go off this photo and sell theirs this way. HOWEVER, Pinkie Pie's base actually has a PINK rim.

This is how she is actually sold. As you can see, her hair is more delicate than the bootleg version. Her head is tilted correctly in both this version and the prototype version. Likewise, her upraised hand faces forward slightly. It could just be me, but I also think Human Pinkie has a slightly different shaped mouth than the bootleg version. (Perhaps due to poor sanding?) That might just be the paint job, though. It's definitely different colors.

If all else fails, look at the price. Bootlegs are generally priced cheaper than the normal going price. If everyone else is asking $100+ and someone is selling her for $30 new, it's most likely a bootleg.

 

[Sugarberry]

Thank you Chii! I bought my SE Pinkie from AmiAmi, so I’m not concerned about that one. I got my Twilight from Amazon last year. She wasn’t cheap though- she was about $120. My husband bought Rarity for me for Christmas, also from Amazon. I haven’t yet gotten the others, and now I’m wondering about it because Amiami doesn’t have all of them available any longer and many sellers are using stock photos. The advice you’ve provided on Pinkie will help when I go to look for the next one.

 

[chii]

Thank you Chii! I bought my SE Pinkie from AmiAmi, so I’m not concerned about that one. I got my Twilight from Amazon last year. She wasn’t cheap though- she was about $120. My husband bought Rarity for me for Christmas, also from Amazon. I haven’t yet gotten the others, and now I’m wondering about it because Amiami doesn’t have all of them available any longer and many sellers are using stock photos. The advice you’ve provided on Pinkie will help when I go to look for the next one.

No problem! Hope I was able to help a bit. Stock photos definitely make it a lot harder to tell the bootleg from the legit when buying. If it doesn't have the box, then that is a pretty big red flag. (You'll see that a lot on ebay.)

I've always been really happy with AmiAmi! Sometimes their shipping can be a bit pricy, but they do such a nice packing job, I'm willing to let that slide!
It's really sweet of your husband to get you Rarity for Christmas.

If you're currently looking for any, AmiAmi is currently selling the pre-orders for Sunset Shimmer. They also have a rerun of Applejack available. If you go to Mandarake and search for My Little Ponies, you can see both available and sold ponies. For anything sold, there is the "Alert" button. I've used this to get some hard-to-find figures, such as the Kingdom Hearts II Static Arts Sora. (Sometimes patience is required with this function.)

 

[PinkBlur]

Unfortunately, I agree with the Kotobukiya representative you spoke with. The shape of the skirt and incorrect flow of the hair are common telltale signs of a bootleg. There is a youtube video that shows the unboxing of this Twilight Sparkle. The person says the figure was purchased directly from the Kotobukiya store, so there is no question of bootleg. The skit is more dynamic and the lock of question goes behind the book. Sometimes you can find bootlegs with beautiful paintjobs, but they get lazy with other aspects, such as the shape of the hair. (There was a Shining Hearts figure I wanted that had some amazing bootlegs on eBay for a fraction of the price of the legit one on the second-hand market. The box looked the same and everything. Only way to tell it was a bootleg was the hair and ruffles in the skirt. Took five years of searching Nakano Broadway, but I managed to get Real Neris for a decent price! XD)

Here's the video, if you're interested:

I'm not sure if you're familiar with these stores, but Mandarake and AmiAmi both sale used figures. (Rumor has it Mandarake accidentally sells bootleg used figures, but it's not very common. I've personally never had this happen with any of my purchases. I've never heard anything negative about AmiAmi. So far as online shopping goes, I've personally had great experiences with both stores.)

Hi! Sorry for the late reply, I'm not sure I updated this thread but after sending more photos to Kotobukiya, they confirmed that their initial response was a mistake and this is a more finalised version and is indeed real. Thank you, though!

 

[StormMaeker]

Glad to hear she’s authentic!