Mercedes Sif Ex (Odin Sphere, Yamato)

A war is brewing and the fairies prepares themselves for battle. The forest is their home and lives, without the phozons the forest casts, the fairies will wither and die. Despites the commands of the queen the general commands the dwarves to forge a forbidden blade. In meanwhile the queen’s daughter, the princess, Mercedes has borrowed her mothers bow. Out in the woods she had practice her skills, hunting frogs. When she returns she finds her mother preparing for combat. Quickly she takes the bow up her feet, so heavy she can barely carry. Her mothers smiles and questions her intention.

Mercedes face rises when she looks up to her mother. “Help ofcourse”,  she says. Her mother smile wary, ‘my dear’, she says, ‘do not go to battle when you do not know the reason to fight’. Her daughter looks to her. a bit confused first, but then she asks “So, why what do we battle for”. Her mother let out a small laughter, she doesn’t want her daughter to get mixed up in an battle between the fairies and the demon’s lord daughters, the Valkyries. So she waves her help away and set foot the her troops. The battle will start as Mercedes grants her mother a unknowing last eye. The queens energy would flow back into the woods, giving birth to new plants and other lifeforms when she returns …

Mercedes as appeared in the official art book

A passage of the ‘fairies’ chapters in the PS2 RPG game Odin Sphere¹ of Square Enix. Square has a tendency of creating their figures themselves, but in this case Yamato takes up the long shot (as a partner of the game) and creates the graceful and fierce, but yet so innocent princess Mercedes.

Sculpted by: Makoto Kobayashi
Publisher: Yamato US
Released: August, 2009
Scale: 1/8
Length: ~180mm
Price: €93 ($138)
Other blogs: kotaku, tomopop

As the short passage may tell you. Mercedes isn’t a capable leader who will win the fight for her mother, right? Mercedes youth and it’s innocent just emits from her. The huge crossbow in her hands bestows her sad fate and responsibility. Her story, like all, is full of emotion. Good story, you should play the game sometimes.

There is one more thing you need to know before I start reviewing. The princess did lost her crossbow, but a talking frog have surfaced her bow from the depths of the swamp. I won’t spoil too much, so for now you need to know the frog does follow Mercedes because he wants to be rewarded of his good deed.

Well let’s get to the figure review shall we.
Fairies have graceful wings. Their wings are always semi transparent and glitters in the bathing sunlight or the dozing moonlight. Fairies, beyond Elves, are connected to nature. So does Mercedes looks like. Her wings are well done, but the material used is too hard. Yamato have choosed to use hard materials for the wings, which makes it firm and strong, but it doesn’t ‘glow’. It’s not too bad, but I think the black material is way too thick, or too firmly looking.

I can’t mutter on the clothes. The leaves on her skirt are well detailed and above all any painting seems to be great.

The pose might seem kinda dull, but I like it. She has a bit of childish curiosity pose with all the innocences she can draw from it. The huge crossbow on her right arm does well appear heavy. The wood truly likes wood as less the iron glimmers.  The huge Psypher² (the purple jewel).

The frog aside from Mercedes completes the figure. I do think he belongs there.
Did you already notice the base, shaped as a white lily with a pearl of two in front of the camera? It is one of the beautifulest bases I have right now. I love it when a base isn’t just a plate on the bottom of the figure. Something more and more publishers seems to understand, finally.

Recommendation, if you still think the pose is kinda dull. Watch out for Alter Mercedes.

¹ In Odin Sphere you play with several (five) characters. All of these characters have their own story, but their stories are all connected. You will find yourselves loving the Valkyries as they prideful expand their kingdom. On the other side, you will be astonished how they could attack the small group of fairies and how a dark knight finds his way to true love. If I were to review the game, I would definitely grant it a 9/10. Story and graphics are great, the gameplay is good but you must like the system.

² A Psypher is an huge crystal created from the crystals of the Netherworld. This powerful weapon pierces through the dragon blades and summons magic to rain hell to foes or heal the casters wounds. The psyphers are feared as well beloved for their power. Just a paradox which lives in the world of Odin Sphere as well in ours.