Subdued Figures: Sentinel's BRAVE-ACT Levi Review

Last year, figure company Sentinel was the first to capitalize on the popularity of Levi from Attack on Titan, unveiling a prototype scale figure at Summer WonFest 2013, and then made waves again when pre-orders for the figure sold out in seconds at most online shops. I got lucky about a month later and was able to grab a preorder for him at slightly below SRP. So, how does the first release of the BRAVE-ACT line hold up?


First of all, I have to say that this figure is the most difficult to photograph out of everything else in my collection so far. Nothing seems to do it justice. In person, this figure captures the personality of the character pretty well, but in photos if the angle isn't just right, then the face looks flat and odd. Part of this is caused by very heavy contouring applied along the jawline on one side of the face while the other side has none, making finding the correct lighting for photography more difficult than it needed to be. Not to mention the fact that Sentinel made a significant change to the detailing on his face just before release: the dark shadows around his eyes that were in the promo pictures, the prototype that went on tour, and even pictured in the instruction manual are missing from the final release. Personally, the lack of the shadows didn't bug me too much, but since it was a deciding factor for other collectors, it's a big enough change to mention.

   
As a whole though, the detailing on this figure is gorgeous. I have zero problems with the body sculpt, even though it's a static pose (look at the folds in the clothing!). The few problems it does have come down to the paint. There are blotches on the leg straps that are pretty obvious, and the work on the side and front patches looks smudged at best. The back patch is gorgeous, but there are some random blue lines running down one side. However, this only became obvious when I looked at it close-up. I also like the base a lot, since the rubble is very fitting for the Attack on Titan series, despite not being very detailed (and also more paint smudging).

  
The only accessories that Levi comes with are a second head (not pictured because the only difference between the two is the lack of a scowl), a cloak, and the 3DMG. The whole thing attaches pretty easily by following the very clear pictures in the instruction booklet. The only part that I had trouble with (and eventually gave up on) was trying to attach one of the boxes to the sliver line that's supposed to fit at the end. I couldn't figure out how to do it without potentially snapping it, so I left it as it was. (You can see it in the second image above.)


The wires attaching the blades to the rest of the gear are their own bendable plastic parts and are very fiddly. I spent nearly a half an hour trying to get them all attached, since there's no way to attach those first before putting the whole thing on the figure without them falling off. The end result is nice, but I can't help but wonder if there was another way.

 
Levi's head is connected on a ball joint, allowing for the head to turn any way you like (rendered slightly pointless by the contouring problem mentioned above) and also for easy removal to put the cloak on over the whole figure. I've seen pictures with the cloak sitting above the figure's shoulders for some reason, like the photographer was afraid to push it down all the way. However, it fits over the collar very easily, and the back flares out enough to accommodate the 3DMG wires without knocking them out of place. (If it had, I would've screamed.) The movement of the sculpt in the fabric is very nice. My only problem with it is that the seam lines are very obvious from the side, which is a shame, since this figure was designed to be viewed from exactly that angle. It's not so bad in certain lighting, but it does bug me a little bit.


Finally, the figure also has a second pair of hands so that he can hold the blades backwards. This was probably one of the most nerve-wracking things I've ever done with a figure, since it required me to shove the handle of the blade through the hand and then turn it until it fit over the fingers. The entire time I was sure I was going to break something, and I'm still amazed that I didn't. The overall effect is pretty nice though, and this is how I've chosen to display him.

Overall, as the first Levi figure I've gotten, I'm really pleased with him. The details are fantastic, the look really captures the character (in my opinion), and I've got a new challenge to improve my photography skills. However, I do not think that this figure is worth the $100+ markup that I saw after the first round of preorders sold out and after the official release. If you do want him, be careful to not pay too much! Also, there are a literal ton more Levi figures being released this year, so it doesn't hurt to wait around to see what else turns up. In the meantime, I'll be laughing at height differences.

Images by me. This post is also available on OASG.