Reviewer:	Larry J. Brackney
Kit:	Fewture - Nina Gillman Suit
Scale:	1/6
Material:	Resin
Parts:	14
Genre:	Science Fiction
Sculptor:	Yuji Oniki
Price:	$125.00
Updated:	January 22, 1998
Reviews:	Larry J. Brackney
Buildups:

ome characters have proven popular enough to inspire multiple figure kits. Many of Ray Harryhausen's critters have made the transition to vinyl or resin on multiple occasions, as have characters such as Giger's Alien, the Predator, Frankenstein, and many others. The japanese market is certainly not immune to this phenomenon either - case in point the almost ridiculous redundancy in Kaiju (giant monster) and anime kits that are available overseas. What's perhaps more interesting is the fact that many collectors are quite willing to acquire as many variations of a character as possible. I'm certainly not immune to this "affliction," as evidenced by a growing number of Nina Dolono kits in my collection. Nina is the "heroine" in Yasushi Nirasawa's Manga "Phantom Core," a leather clad goth-chick, ready to dish out carnage on a grand scale. One of Nina's more interesting traits is her wardrobe of interchangeable arms that allow her to deal with different situations. Typically, there is a special outfit that complements each arm, providing Nirasawa with a nearly endless supply of fresh costume design opportunities. No fewer than three garage kits have sought to capitalize on this variety. Fewture's Gillman and Spider suit Ninas as well as Begul's Black Muscle suit version are all available as resin kits. Fewture has also released a tiny (1:30?) resin kit of Nina and Steeve Oil. Nina Gillman Skin While the character design is still Nirasawa's, this time, the sculpting chores are handled by Yuji Oniki. While I am unfamiliar with Oniki's work, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for other offerings from this talented sculptor! This Nina features her in a skintight outfit stylized from the monster in "The Creature from the Black Lagoon." Nina stands casually on an elaborate ocean floor base that features the carcass of a weird prehistoric fish. It's hard to believe that a sexy female and the scaly Gillman could be melded so seamlessly, but it WORKS! The Gillman Skin kit is cleanly cast from ivory and clear resin in 14 parts, some of which are optional. A swatch of dyed rabbit fur is included for detailing Nina's hair. Compared to the crude sculpting of the Spider Suit, the sculpting in this version of Nina is simply stunning. The scales and webbing in the legs, bikini, and arm coverings are all incredibly detailed. Likewise, the face (although hairless) is a thing of beauty. The sculpting in the base is equally noteworthy. The fish creature on the base is REALLY interesting, and should be great fun to paint. Oniki has also included real sea shells in the base. The kit may be built with your choice of clear or ivory resin back fins and left hand. The idea being that you can achieve a neat transluscent effect with the webbing between the bones in those pieces. A third set of back fins features an entirely skeletal look without webbing. An intricately detailed knife is meant to be mounted on her hip, but could just as easily be omitted. After a bit of dremel work to remove pour spouts from the legs, arms, body, and head, the parts fit together nearly perfectly. All of the parts are clearly keyed, and will require minimal puttying. The fingers, toes, back spines, etc. are delicately sculpted, yet all pulled cleanly from the molds - no easy feat IMO. Most of the parts appear seamless, or have very light seam lines. However, like the Spider Suit, the Gillman Suit body has a substantial mold line across the thighs which will require careful cleanup. The sky's the limit when it comes to painting this piece. Any number of color schemes for the Gillman suit would look terrific. There's plenty of definition in the scales to make for great drybrushing, and the webs are well recessed for washing as well. There's plenty of exposed flesh for airbrush fans to go crazy with too.

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