Back when I was in college, and also in anime club, I happened upon a show called Yakitate!! Japan that was all about bread and filled with laughs (Solar Hands, lol). I became a bit of a fan of the series enjoying the first two seasons of it before we ended up switching series. I also happen to like girls in swimsuits because they're cute. So when I saw Alter's 1/8 scale figure based on Yakitate!! Japan's Tsukino Azusagawa, the granddaughter of the owner of the story's main setting, the Pantasia chain of bakeries, I knew I had to have her.

How does Alter's take on the Yakitate!! Japan character turn out, though? Hit the jump to find out!

This is the box Tsukino comes in. It's pretty run-of-the-mill except for the images of different breads on it, just in case you forgot you were buying a figure from Yakitate!! Japan. There's little plastic packaging on the inside and no twist-ties to deal with, so you can have Tsukino out of the box and ready to display in all of about 15 seconds.

The figure itself is well-crafted and certainly drool-worthy. Tsukino's pose is fairly tame and doesn't look unrealistic at all. Her bikini, in the colors of her Pantasia uniform, reveals just enough without revealing too much. Add in the fact that the pose helps her stand on her own without any aid, and things are looking good so far.

From behind, you get a good glimpse at Tsukino's hair and her butt. Even some of the smaller details, like her toes slightly curling as she presses them against the ground, are not left out of the sculpt.

Tsukino's face is a match for how she appears in Yakitate!! Japan, and the slightly hesitant expression upon it is good, but with one small tweak - perhaps a slight smile instead of the open mouth she currently has - it could be that much better. The placement of her left hand, brushing back the long hair draping behind her, is a great little touch from Alter and makes her seem like she's trying to get your attention. She definitely has mine.

There are two big complaints I have with this figure, one of which is a small aesthetic issue. The first of which you can kind of see here: her hips are a little too squared off around her groin, to the point that it really looks unnatural. The only good thing is that you can only see this if you're looking at her from a few certain angles; viewing her head on, she seems fine. Still, it's a bit of a careless mistake on Alter's part, and one I hope they would make sure doesn't happen again.

The other one isn't such a small deal, and that is the figure's optional base. It's supposed to be beach-themed, and Alter's done a good job recreating a sand-like appearance to it. But if you can't tell what the problem is, here's a hint:

That grainy surface is absolutely awful for Tsukino's knees and ankles. I initially had my figure displayed on the base for about 4 days after I got it, and when I went to check on it for the first time, I found that the base had actually created noticeable depressions in the plastic near Tsukino's knees. Terrified I had ruined the figure, I immediately took her off her base and never put her back on, but thankfully, the depressions in the plastic are no longer there. I'd highly suggest not using this base if you choose to display her.

Fans of Yakitate!! Japan and those who like girls in swimsuits would be well advised to look into adding Alter's Tsukino to her collection. But you're expecting a catch, right? Well, here it is: within the past few months, most major online retailers - like Toylet, where I made my purchase - decided it was time to make room in the warehouse for new figures, and Alter's Tsukino was one of many figures that were put on clearance. There are still quite a few Tsukino swimsuit figures available on eBay, but you're going to be paying quite a bit, upwards of US$45-50 at a minimum, to get one of these.