Attack on Titan Funko Pop Vinyl figure review

The latest anime craze to sweep the globe, Attack on Titan is easily the most high-profile Japanese 'toon to burst onto the international scene since Neon Genesis Evangelion first turned mecha fans' heads inside out back in the mid-nineties.

A bit like marmite, anime is something people either love or hate, but Attack on Titan is a series that has broken out of its tiny niche to attract the kind of audience most anime series can only dream of. Refreshingly, it is a series that avoids some of the genre's more niggling tropes - not to say that it doesn't wholeheartedly embrace others - and its low-fantasy setting, grimy atmosphere, and gruesome plot feel right at home in our post-Games of Thrones' TV landscape.

Now, I only watched the series very recently, and despite some dodgy pacing and a script that's occasionally clunkier than a washing machine full of rocks, Attack on Titan's raw atmosphere and unpredictable plot scratched an itch I haven't felt since watching Berserk many, many moons ago. As is customary whenever a series tickles the geek centres of my brain, after finishing the show I immediately hit the 'net in search of some goodies.

As an avid Pop vinyl hoarder collector, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that Attack on Titan had been given the Funko treatment. Exercising my usual lack of self-restraint, I ordered the lot and then sat, Scott Pilgrim-style, staring at the letterbox waiting for them to arrive. Many hours and one extremely sore arse later, I finally have these gruesome little beauties in my hands, and have decided to post a quick review for any AoT fans out there who may be deliberating over whether or not to open up their wallets.

By Funko standards, the Attack on Titan line of vinyl figures is quite small, weighing in at just four figures. Both main characters, melodramatist Eren Jaeger and Titan-slaying badass Mikasa Ackerman, make the cut, as do Jaeger's Titan form and the Colossal Titan.

My pick of the bunch has to be the Colossal Titan. With its slimy, flayed torso and grinning death's head, the Colossal Titan is a seriously cool looking design, and the Funko version really nails the look of the character, right down to the stringy striations criss-crossing the slabs of exposed muscle all over his body. Unlike most Pop figures, CT stands over six inches tall, with a head that's bigger than my fist, and looks pretty imposing when lined up next to his smaller siblings.

Next up, is Eren Jaeger in his Titan form, complete with pointy ears and rippling abs - clearly, turning into a Titan beats three nights a week at the gym. There are two versions of this Titan Eren figure on the market, and I opted for the Hot Topic exclusive 'rage mode' variant. If you ask me, the rage version looks a lot better than the regular Funko release, which just looks like a big ol' naked elf dude.

Thankfully, this variant looks a lot less cute, and its whited-out eyes, crackling veins, and Jersey Shore-orange skin, bring the design more in line with the bestial brute found in the series. Like his Colossal buddy, Eren is nicely detailed, and feels very solid, but lacks a bit of visual punch. I guess this can't be helped as he is essentially just a big naked dude, but I can't help wishing Funko had livened up the sculpt with a more dynamic pose.

Last up, is Eren Jaeger, this time in scrawny human form, and sister-in-arms Mikasa Ackerman. These guys both look extremely similar, in fact, apart from a few small details - Mikasa's trademark cherry-red scarf and Eren's slick-looking Survey Corps cloak - they're more or less identical.

Luckily, the sculptors at Funko did a fantastic job on their outfits, in particular the lovingly detailed mini omni-gears that gird our heroes' hips, and every belt and buckle is present and accounted for. They even have accurate-looking disposable blades clenched in their tiny fists, as well as the correct insignias on their tiny, ill-fitting jackets. I've always wondered about those jackets; seriously, guys, it's no surprise that the Titans are kicking humanity's arse if you're having this much trouble just finding jackets that fit.

All in all, if you're a fan of the Attack on Titan series or manga, these Funko figures will certainly warm your cockles. As always, Funko's Q&A isn't the best in world, so if you're not prepared to put up with the odd scratch, scuff, or misapplied blob of paint, you might be better off getting your Titan fix elsewhere. My Eren's also a touch unsteady on his feet, so have a lump of blu tack on hand, just in case. These minor quibbles aside, I think these look great on the shelf, especially the Colossal Titan, and I have my Titan-sized fingers crossed that we'll get more AoT-themed figures from Funko down the line.

Are there any character's from the AoT-verse you'd love to see get hit with the Funko ray? Let us know below!