Outside of Instagram and the small bio I have on this website, I rarely mention how much of a MASSIVE Evangelion fan I am. That includes pretty much everything – from the shows, movies, rebuilds, and various spin-off manga that continue to be produced. My entire online identity (Red) is an homage to the one and only Tsundere Queen, Asuka Langley. So, I’m excited to review an Evangelion figure (finally!). It’s not Asuka (wah-wah), but that’s ok because I love Mari Makinami Illustrious, too.

Mari isn’t the most popular Eva girl. She was introduced in the Rebuilds to shake things up in the first movie. After that, even Hideki Anno was unsure how to develop and place her character into the series. If you haven’t seen the Evangelion Rebuilds yet, I’ll spare you any spoilers and say that though Mari’s appearance in the first three rebuilds is sparse, she’s an interesting character. She has a good dynamic with Asuka. The last installment and supposed “end of Eva,” 3.0 +1.0 : Thrice Upon A Time, will hopefully be released later this year. Originally slated this January, it’s been delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

So that’s that! Enough blabbing! What about her figure??? WELL, this Mari is part of the Flare Shunya Yamashita set. I already own Asuka and Rei (long before joining PVCWaifus) and they, like Mari, are some of the best quality figures that I own. If you aren’t familiar with Shunya Yamashita’s pin-up style illustrations, I implore you to check out his Twitter

Mari, like Asuka and Rei, closely resembles the original illustration. And before you go ham on the “THE EVA GIRLS ARE ONLY 14” rhetoric, stop right there. Yamashita’s illustrations are 18+ aged versions of the girls, or rather, adult cosplayed versions of them. Think of them as separated from the canon girls.

Flare’s quality is tops. Mari has the soft skin finish on the small bit of leg meat she is showing off, and her latex suit has the appropriate amount of squeakage and sheen. Although the plug suits aren’t super detailed, they are clean and precisely cut. The best thing about Mari, though, is her face. She sports Yamashita’s classic pin-up girl look, with glossy eyes, a sparkle on her lips, and sculpted nostrils. Why are nostrils a big deal? Most anime figures don’t really have them, and Yamashita’s inclusion of them on the final product looks realistic and suits her face nicley.

Also, check out that sniper. I almost felt like a dirty binch pulling that thing out of Mari’s HUGE box. For some reason, Flare decided to model a whole ass gun rather than separating it into parts. It’s impressive and, most importantly, will fit in and on your detolf shelf. I do wish they had considered connectable pieces. With the gun as long and large as it is, Mari’s box is way bigger than your average anime figure box. Because of the shipping problems overseas due to COVID, expect ridiculous shipping costs. Mari with DHL from Japan cost roughly $80.00 just to ship. So take that into consideration when purchasing.

Aside from my issues with the gun, Mari’s base is simply too big. She has a wide stance, so I understand the length, but the overall circumference is a shelf killer. Compared to Asuka and Rei’s bases, you’ll need to get creative with staggering the figures together or finding differently sized risers to make cohesion. If you aren’t buying the set, Mari will take up most of one detolf shelf with some room on the corners.

But none of that matters because Mari is an absolute femme fatale beauty. Would it be weird to tell you she could snipe me? She can snipe me and then step on me with them heels. Top shelf waifu figure, hands down.