My job here at Tomopop is pretty demanding. I play with and write about toys; it's a hard knock life to be sure. So today, I played with the new Final Fantasy Trading Arts Mini figure set #2. Not being a fan of RPG games in general, you might think me ill suited to review these gems and that our resident Chocobo wrangler Colette would be better versed in such matters, but just because I don't play the games doesn't mean I can't appreciate good design and great craftsmanship.
 
Hit the jump to see what I have to say about undead monks, Judd Nelson and hot boxer girls.

Final Fantasy is a series I never really got into like some people have, but when Square Enix started introducing toys based on the games I was head over heels for them. With every subsequent release, I'm more and more addicted. With the Final Fantasy Trading Arts Mini figure #2, set we see such seminal favorites as Tifa Lockhart, Squall Leonheart, Auron and Ashe.
 
These figures are everything you've come to expect from the Enix, tight accurate representations shrunk down into a two inch onslaught of cute! These great sculpts have just enough detail to remain faithful to their full sized game counterparts while maintaining a respectable level of super deformed awesomeness. Of note is the attention to paint, which is something you don't see often these days as companies tend to care about quality control as much Uwe Boll does about making a decent movie.

By far the cutest of the set she, screams "hug me!", but don't squeeze too hard because you might smash her! The best thing about this figure is the understated pose, feminine without being slutty. I know our own Brian Szebelski will be disappointed, but there are more then enough castoff figures coming down the pipe to satisfy his lust for vinyl flesh. Ashe is both classy,cute and begging to adorn your toy shelves.

Squall Leonheart reminds me of a FF universe Judd Nelson (Bender) from "The Breakfast Club". He seems like a bad boy with a heart of gold fighting the good fight, just in this case its not detention or a guy in a Barry Manilow suit. Also, he comes with the classic (and completely bad ass) Gunblade!

Auron is definitely one bad ass undead dude. This guy has it all in my book, smooth salt and pepper hair, a keen sword for chopping up the baddies and on top of all, that he told Hades to shove it when he resurrected him cause he's that tough. Anyone that tells the devil (or an equivalent demon or spirit) to piss off deserves a place of esteem on my toy shelf. Who says monks aren't cool?

And last but not least, my favorite character from the FF series...

This is one of my favorite character designs from the FF universe. Shes got the hot tough ass chick thing going on: she might kick your ass if you get out of line, but also, she's incredibly hot. I love Tifa, but I have one gripe about this figure in relation to all the other figures of her out there: she has the same pose in almost every iteration I've seen. I wish they would have taken it to the next level and done something a bit more dynamic, but the classic pose will do for now. I'm sure Square has some tricks at the ready that will wow us in the near future.
 
Initially you might be a little bummed that you're only getting 4 figures and not the usual 5 that Square has put together in the past, but believe me when I tell you these are fantastic and you wont miss having that extra figure. Small in size but big on everything else, the Final Fantasy Trading Arts Mini figure #2 set are a must have for figure collectors and game junkies alike.