Ten Characters That Should Get The Bishoujo Treatment

I’ve never made it a secret how much I love Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo Collection. Combining the stylized Bishoujo (or “pretty girl”) design, courtesy of Japan’s leading Bishoujo artist Shunya Yamashita with classic pin-up girl sensibility, Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo collection offers a unique take on the top ladies of pop culture. The collection started with Marvel and then DC heroes and villains, but has since expanded to include video game characters from games like Mass Effect and Tekken, as well as movies such as Star Wars and Ghostbusters. With the line going strong and the quality and intricacy of the statues improving with each new release, I wanted to present my wish list of the top ten ladies of pop culture who deserve their own Bishoujo statue. From comics to games to movies, Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo collection keeps getting better and here’s my top hopefuls for the future!

10.) Spider-Woman

Jessica Drew is one of the top heroines of the Marvel Universe. With a long and rich history (including a stint working for the villainous organization Hydra), Spider-Woman has risen to a new level of prominence in the past ten years, as a core member of the New Avengers. Jessica is a sleek, sexy hero and I’d love to see her Bishoujo clinging to a wall, ready to pounce on her foe!

9.) Zatanna

This one’s pretty obvious. The heroic magician has a place in many fans’ hearts as one of the cutest ladies in the DC Universe, and her costume (complete with those iconic fishnet stockings) would translate brilliantly with the pin-up vibe of Kotobukiya’s series. I’d love to see her leaning forward on a stage base, playfully pulling a trick out of her tophat.

8.) Darth Talon

Kotobukiya’s first foray into Star Wars is Jaina Solo, Princess Leia’s daughter, and I like the idea of sticking to the Expanded Universe. I can’t think of a better candidate than the sinister Sith lord Darth Talon. With her striking red and black skin, the leather and flowing robes of her costume and that wicked lightsaber, this Jedi slayer needs to be realized as one of the hottest and most dangerous looking of the Bishoujo collection.

7.) Madam Hydra

Keeping with the villain theme, one of my personal favorite Marvel bad girls is Hydra’s number one villainess, Madam Hydra (AKA Viper). I’d love to see a Bishoujo take on Viper pulling straight from her 60’s Jim Steranko look, with a skin-tight green costume and plenty of guns. Set her up on a base including Hydra’s iconic skull and tentacles logo and add some trippy, psychedelic colors to complete the retro-evil vibe and Madam Hydra would be one un-missable Bishoujo!

6.) Janine Melnitz

With the Ghostbusters franchise, Kotobukiya lead off with an all-new female character for the Bishoujo series, Lucy. She’s a great way to mesh the pop sensibilities of Ghostbusters with the Bishoujo feel, but I say give the cute, nerdy Janine her chance to shine in this collection. Speaking from experience I don’t know many guys my age who don’t have a “thing” for the cute and geeky Ghostbusters receptionist, and she moved into full-on Ghost Busting herself in the 80’s cartoon, so that would be a great design choice for a Bishoujo. With the bright red hair and librarian glasses, the sarcastic crush of many 80’s-born geeks would be a home run in this series.

5.) Wonder Woman (New 52)

I know, I know– Wonder Woman already has a Bishoujo (and a great one at that!). But the Amazonian Princess Diana recently got a redesign as part of DC’s New 52 reboot, and her new look is one of the best designs. With a more warrior-appropriate costume, complete with armored breastplate and strudier gaunlets and boots, a new 52 Diana would be the perfect “second take” on the character, much like we saw with the new Black Widow Bishoujo coming later this year.

4.) Samus Aran

There are few video game characters more popular than the Metroid heroine. With a beauty just as fierce as her fighting skills, Samus has a huge following both in and out of her iconic gold and red armor. I’d love to see the best of both worlds, with a Bishoujo take on the bounty hunter in the middle of gearing up for her latest mission. The incredible level of detail Kotobukiya puts into their sculpting would ensure the armor looks incredible, and Samus herself would look great in her blue undersuit and a determined look on her face.

3.) She-Hulk

I’m a little shocked that She-Hulk hasn’t made the cut for a Bishoujo yet, but I’d say she is long overdue. As one of the premiere heroes of the Marvel Universe, Jennifer Walters is strong, sexy, and a mainstay on teams like The Avengers and formerly the Fantastic Four. The gamma-irradiated beauty has been portrayed in a playfully sexy light many time in the past (including the infamous naked jumprope issue of her own series), and has just the right mix of cute, fun and badass to make a centerpiece of any Bishoujo collection.

2.) Black Canary

DC’s hard travelling heroine is another major DC character who would lend herself perfectly to the Bishoujo treatment. With her leather jacket, tall boots and fishnet stockings, Dinah Lance would look amazing in mid-use of her ‘Canary Cry” attack, ready to ward off oncoming enemies. Set her up in a pose ready for action, on a base that includes a green arrow on the ground– or any little nod to her on-again/ off-again relationship with Green Arrow, and Black Canary would be a winner for sure.

1.) Red Sonja

The ultimate warrior woman is the savage barbarian Red Sonja. With her belief that going into battle in her metal bikini will distract her enemies– and protect her way more than armor ever could– Red Sonja may be the best realization of fantasy pin-up sexiness, and true fierce heroics. There’s so many ways a Bishoujo version of the barbarian could play out, but either way I am completely confident that Yamashita-sensei’s rendition would be breathtaking… and an absolute must-own statue.

What do you think of our choices for worthy Bishoujo candidates? Would you buy Kotobukiya’s renditions of these pop culture heroines and villainesses? Let us know in the comments below!