Dead or Alive - Figures
Dead or Alive began as a fighting arcade game looking to carve its own niche within the genre. That niche happened to be a cast of voluptuous female fighters in physics-defying skimpy outfits. For some, it’s an inside joke within the genre, but it definitely worked. Dead or Alive’s cast of iconic fighter girls has inspired hundreds of posters, body pillows, and bishoujo figures. Most of these feature the plot regulars, like series mascot Kasumi, and stand out stars like the tiny lolita Marie Rose. Three figures showing three of the series best girls over the ages are “Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Marie Rose Bunny Ver. 1/4 Scale Figure,” “figma Dead or Alive Kasumi C2 Ver.,” and “Dead or Alive 6 NiCO Fuzichoco Ver. 1/7 Scale Figure.”
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Marie Rose Bunny Ver. 1/4 Scale Figure
This beautiful figure from FREEing shows Marie Rose as a sweet and deadly bunny girl. She stands with her feet turned inward slightly, bent forward at the waist. She holds her hands out in front of her recreating a cute character pose from the game. Her bunny outfit is sculpted in a suit jacket style with coattails and two white flaps coming out of the top over her chest. The texture is painted to look like a deep blue vinyl. She wears a collar adorned with a crossover tie and sailor-style blue-trimmed cuffs on her white gloves. Her blue heels have mini white poms on top of them matching her bunny tail and two cute bows on the back. Her fishnet tights are made with real fabric for added visual dimension. Her iconic twin tails flutter behind her complete with her black ribbons and x-crossed hair pins.
Product Name: Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Marie Rose: Bunny Ver. 1/4 Scale Figure
Manufacturer: FREEing
Sculptor: FREEing
Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, 1/4th scale PVC figure with stand
Height (Approx.): 330mm | 13"
figma Dead or Alive Kasumi C2 Ver. Figure
Max Factory recreates one of Dead or Alive’s most famous figures in figma form. Kasumi wears her white fighting tunic original to the Dead or Alive arcade game. A pink sash wraps around her waist, cinching her tunic in place and holding a sheath for her short sword on her back. She wears white thigh-high socks under her red-trimmed white shin guards, tied on with a yellow cord matching her wristbands and sword tassel. Her copper hair hangs loose, blowing behind her in an unseen wind. The figure comes with two expressions: a gentle smile and a neutral expression matching the original scale figure. Along with the articulated joints, certain parts of the figure are made with a softer, more flexible plastic for better combat poses. The figure includes an additional hair piece, draping down to the side, and hands to recreate the original figure pose.
Product Name: figma Dead or Alive Kasumi: C2 Ver.
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Sculptor: Max Factory (Seki)
Specifications: Painted, articulated, non-scale ABS & PVC figure with optional parts and stand
Height (Approx.): 135mm | 5.3"
Dead or Alive 6 NiCO Fuzichoco Ver. 1/7 Scale Figure
This scale figure from Wonderful Works recreates an illustration by fuzichoco. The Cybernetician NiCO stands with her legs apart and arms held in front of her to guide her plasma attack. The plasma effect can be removed. Her hands are sculpted in her classic “Right Hand Rule” pose, thumb perpendicular to her index finger, and middle finger straight out. The figure includes two hairstyles, each made out of semi-translucent material to match the glowing effect of fuzichoco’s illustration. One covers her left eye while the other is held back with a red clip. Her outfit is recreated in wonderful detail, with the black lacing on the front of her bright blue shorts and work ID clipped on her chest. She even has all of her rings exposed next to her metallic fingerless gloves. The figure also includes an illustrated backdrop of her research lab.
Product Name: Dead or Alive 6 NiCO: Fuzichoco Ver. 1/7 Scale Figure
Release: December 2020
Manufacturer: Wonderful Works
Sculptor: iTANDi/Yamakatsu
Paintwork: Hiroshi Michikawa
Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, 1/7 scale ABS & PVC figure with base
Figure Height: 240mm | 9.4"
Dead or Alive Series Story
Dead or Alive is a gaming franchise focused on fast-paced fighting style gameplay. The series attempts to replicate real martial arts moves in a 3D emulation setting. Gameplay emphasizes quick combos and air juggles, though it also introduced an advanced countering system to the fighting genre. The overall premise involved a worldwide martial arts tournament called “Dead or Alive” run by fictional corporation DOATEC. The initial series protagonists, Zack, an eccentric DJ fighting for money, and Kasumi, a runaway ninja seeking revenge against her uncle Raidou. Kasumi’s development and relationship with her family through the DOA tournament remains a recurring theme in the series. Although the series features both male and female fighters, its scantily clad female fighters carry most of the fanbase.
Dead or Alive Series Development
Development for Dead or Alive began when Temco faced financial hardships in the mid-1990s. The company wished to capitalize on the success of Sega’s Virtua Fighter series, yet unique enough to stand out in the fighter genre. Designer Tomonobu Itagaki emphasized violence and sexuality equally to create a more provocative game. The arcade version Dead or Alive came out in 1996. It proved a massive financial success, pulling Temco out of bankruptcy. Temco released a version for the PlayStation in 1998 and the sequel Dead or Alive 2 in 2000. The sequel improved on the original’s graphics most notably in the infamous advances in breast physics. The series remains a classic among the arcade fighting style genre and female character design enthusiasts.
Links
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Marie Rose Bunny Ver. 1/4 Scale Figure
figma Dead or Alive Kasumi C2 Ver.
Dead or Alive 6 NiCO Fuzichoco Ver. 1/7 Scale Figure
Dead or Alive Label
Kasumi Label