The Good: Great sculpt, Decent accessories, Nice base
The Bad: Hmmm . . . Looking, none that I can find . . .
The Basics: Perhaps the best Cordelia figure made, this sculpt accurately captures her look from "You're Welcome" and will be coveted by fans!
So, I have a shelf of action figures in my kitchen that represents the strong women of science fiction and fantasy. Yup, there's my deep, dark geek secret for those checking me out in the virtual world. I'm an unabashed geek and I have a particular fondness for women who are presented in science fiction and fantasy as smart, resourceful, clever and strong. But not just any figures end up on that shelf. I'm pretty discriminating in what I consider a worthy figure for that shelf.
At least, that's what I thought until I brought someone to my inner sanctum and they asked, "What's with the Cordelia shelf?" Sigh, yeah, out of the ten figures currently on display on that shelf, five are plastic recreations of Cordelia Chase from Angel and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Perhaps the current highlight is from the newest set, the "You're Welcome" Cordelia.
Basics
"You're Welcome" Cordelia is one of the exclusive action figures from the Angel figure line from Diamond Select toys. This Cordelia get up was only in Angel, NOT Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the figure comes carded on the red Angel card. She is a 6 1/2 inch tall action figure featuring a sculpt of Cordelia Chase as she appeared in the 100th episode of Angel, entitled "You're Welcome." This is the episode where Cordelia wakes from her coma with vital information for Angel and marks her final appearance in the series.
The sculpt is an excellent one, capturing a more determined look and subtle smile than some of the other Cordelia figures. The figure looks like Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, which is a step up from many of the earliest Cordelia figures, which looked more like Eliza Dushku as Faith than Carpenter's Cordelia. As strange as it may seem to say, they got Cordelia's lips right and that's a nice level of detail.
The detailing on the button down shirt is impressive and whomever designed the figure had a keen appreciation for physics. Yes, this is a realistically endowed Cordelia figure that has all the curves in all the right places. Yes, it's a good sculpt.
As well, the coloring is realistic and well done. The shirt has an impressive level of detail in the stripes and mine was perfectly painted. Moreover, the skin tones are well presented, even if they are uniformly colored.
Accessories
Cordelia comes with three basic accessories: the base with Wolfram & Hart secret room wall, a katana and a pile of books. All three items fit the figure well in that they are emblematic of items from the episodes that Cordelia was last seen in, especially the katana.
The wall is a decent plastic base that is a 3 1/2" square base that has a 7" wall behind it. This is essentially a recolored wall like the one that came with the Illyria figure, down to the weapons stuck to the wall. Despite the base not having any foot peg (there is no corresponding foot hole on the figure, so this makes perfect sense) it is a fine support piece that makes for a decent display stand.
The books/tape is an admittedly weak accessory given the lack of support play environments. The tape is a video of Doyle shown in the episode that nicely foreshadowed the end of the episode, but does nothing as an independent accessory. But the book and the tape fit the character and they will fit in one of Cordelia's hands if she is not holding anything else, so it's a fair wash.
The katana, though, is an awesome accessory and it is one of the few weapons to come with a Cordelia figure, making her a true action figure! This is a direct reference to the episode and the sword comes with its sheath. As someone who grew up on toys in the early 1980s, I remain constantly impressed by the level of detail on things like the scabbard, which has the appearance of a strap wrapped around it going up to the handle. The sword fits easily into Cordelia's hand and she looks good wielding it!
Playability
"You're Welcome" Cordelia is surprisingly well-balanced for a toy that rests on boots with heels! I suppose that's the benefit of wider feet (in comparison to the high heels on the Pylean Princess figure) and flat feet.
But "You're Welcome" Cordelia is also strengthened in posability by her impressive articulation. Cordelia is articulated at fourteen points: knees, groin joint, shoulders, elbows, biceps, wrists (one is cleverly hidden by the bracelet the sculpt possesses), waist and head. The head is kept on via a ball joint, so the figure's head can move with incredible articulation and range of motion.
Nothing prevents "You're Welcome" Cordelia from having an extreme range of leg motion, yet this figure is remarkably stable for displaying. Stand Pylean Princess Cordelia up and she remains standing! But moreover, she is balanced well enough that she does not need to be kept in the rigid, factory-approved stance!
It is not difficult to see how this Cordelia would be fun for play. Truth be told the Angel audience that is likely to purchase "You're Welcome" Cordelia is much more likely to leave the figure in the package (a shame given the quality of the sculpt) or set in on a shelf in a pose as a display piece than actually sit and try to play with it. But of all the Cordelia figures, this one is ideal for play between the articulation and accessories.
Collectibility
The "You're Welcome" Cordelia was a Diamond Select exclusive figure and was therefore mildly limited in comparison to other figures in the Angel line. The limited edition nature of the figure, in combination with the quality of the sculpt would seem to guarantee that it continues to appreciate over time, though currently it's still possible to find this figure for under $20. One suspects that should Carpenter be cast as Wonder Woman or have a similarly huge starring role on screen, that this particular figure would skyrocket in price.
Overview
Fans of Cordelia Chase will enjoy the concept, because this was Cordelia's final appearance and quality of the sculpt of "You're Welcome" Cordelia is impressive. Diamond Select Toys did the figure amazingly well and it is one that is bound to please fans, even if the general populace is unlikely to "get" the figure.
So yes, this might well be the best action figure representation of Cordelia Chase and a must-have for fans of the Buffyverse!
This figure represents Cordelia as she appeared in her lone appearance in Angel - The Complete Fifth Season, reviewed here!
For other Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel toys, please visit my reviews of:
Puppet Spike doll
Pylean Princess Cordelia Chase
“Fear Itself” Anya in bunny costume
10/10
For other toy reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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