Project - Asami Yamazaki (from Audition)

Stryker2011 wrote:Really nice job on the straps. I applaud your attention to detail.

ukshaun wrote:
Audition (1999)

I figured Asami Yamazaki from the 1999 movie Audition was never in the same league as Freddie, Jason, when it comes to popularity, thus would never be made by the likes of Sideshow, Hot Toys etc.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, I gave the idea some thought, and set about creating a 1/6th scale figure inspired by Asami Yamazaki.


Audition - Asami Yamazaki - Fan Art

Asami Yamazaki is slowly coming together. But what I thought would be quite straight forward has proved difficult. The original plan was to assemble the figure using various off the shelf components.  Time and time again, quite what I wanted, did not appear to be available? Needless to say, my Asami Yamazaki is never going to match the might of a Hot Toys product.

Another thing, I found many of the items I wanted to be located in China. For some reason, shipping from China takes ages?!


The first item I ordered (which I am still waiting to arrive) is an Asian portrait.
I searched and searched and searched, and it was difficult to find what I wanted.
#compromise became a key word.

Key features included:
Long black straight hair (that could be cut to correct length)
Non smiling mouth.
Asian style eye’s.

Many of the portraits I found featured smiling faces. The eye’s failed to look Asian. The nose looked too pointy.

I found an Asian portrait by Kumik. Using Photoshop I re_imagined the portrait with lips repainted a different colour and made slightly wider. Nose spot added. Slight darkening under the eye’s. The Kumik portrait has a lot of black eyeliner. That might need toning down.

Coming from China, will I receive what is in the photo? ..or a low quality fake. Time will tell.


Asami Yamazaki (left) Kumik Asian Headsculpt (centre) Photoshop Mock-up (right)

I guess further down the line, it might be possible to obtain a custom head sculpt. The Kumik solution will do for now.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:i bought the same Kumik head and have to warn you that I was very disappointed in the quality.  First off, what passed for a neck joint was just a ball of some hardened putty with a hole drilled in it.  Not only was the hole off center, it didn't go in deep enough to allow the head to be pushed down all the way on the TBLeague steel head peg. To boot, the TBLeague figure was one of the smaller S24's with a shorter and narrower peg.  I had to take a power drill to drill down into the putty just to be able to get the head on the body.  It would have looked nice with that smaller body, had I not discovered that just handling it wore the paint off many of the edges...nose, brows, ears.

So my suggestion to you is that if you get this head, be prepared to do a bit of work to fit it on whatever body you place it on and be prepared to completely repaint it then coat it with a finish that won't wear off.  Like I said, it l seemed to look right on the smaller TBLeague pale bodies, but that's subjective.  It might also look right on a larger one.  I personally, would look for another head sculpt if I were doing the same project.  

ukshaun wrote:Can you post an image of the one you have.
I thought Kumik were supposed to ok / good quality given the price.
Until mine arrives, i do not know if it will a the same as the head pictured, as the Chinese have a habit of copying products.

What other makes of head do you recommend?

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:I have to check to see if I still have the Kumik one. It could be that mine was a cheap knock-off, though it came in a Kumik box and others had warned me about the paint wearing off, so I was not alone in finding this.  In the meantime, perhaps you should consider this one from YM Toys, which I find are good quality.  You would have to cut the hair to length however

(link removed)

I don't know if you already have the body yet, but this one is a Suntan, and darker than the Kumik that I received, which was a bit on the orange side, but closer to the Phicen pale than to suntan.

ukshaun wrote:I found someone who does 1/6 head sculpts, and asked what the price would be for the character in question.
They came back with: 1200 USD

Slightly out of my price range

I wonder how much K.A.Kim charges? double?

Stryker2011 wrote:

ukshaun wrote:I found someone who does 1/6 head sculpts, and asked what the price would be for the character in question.
They came back with: 1200 USD

Slightly out of my price range

I wonder how much K.A.Kim charges? double?

Kim probably wouldn’t do a one-off, and if she did my guess would be double. I’ve paid over $500 USD for one-offs — expensive, but I’m desperate for stuff that isn’t being done — plus, it usually takes a LONG time, as the sculptors have other (larger and better paying) sculpt jobs that get priority.

ukshaun wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:

ukshaun wrote:I found someone who does 1/6 head sculpts, and asked what the price would be for the character in question.
They came back with: 1200 USD

Slightly out of my price range

I wonder how much K.A.Kim charges? double?

Kim probably wouldn’t do a one-off, and if she did my guess would be double. I’ve paid over $500 USD for one-offs — expensive, but I’m desperate for stuff that isn’t being done — plus, it usually takes a LONG time, as the sculptors have other (larger and better paying) sculpt jobs that get priority.

$500 ..Ouch!
Was it worth it?

Stryker2011 wrote:

ukshaun wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:

ukshaun wrote:I found someone who does 1/6 head sculpts, and asked what the price would be for the character in question.
They came back with: 1200 USD

Slightly out of my price range

I wonder how much K.A.Kim charges? double?

Kim probably wouldn’t do a one-off, and if she did my guess would be double. I’ve paid over $500 USD for one-offs — expensive, but I’m desperate for stuff that isn’t being done — plus, it usually takes a LONG time, as the sculptors have other (larger and better paying) sculpt jobs that get priority.

$500 ..Ouch!
Was it worth it?

It is to me. Opinions may vary, of course:

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2380-logan-s-run-logan-5-jessica-6-sneak-peak?highlight=Logan

Stryker2011 wrote:No. The paint job for Logan was another $75 + shipping to and from Ukraine.

ukshaun wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:No. The paint job for Logan was another $75 + shipping to and from Ukraine.

ok.

I thought i read (after i had posted)
I had the head painted by Den Kazakov (formerly of Kazakhstan, recently moved to the US)

Stryker2011 wrote:The earring could even be a tiny pearl, but as you say — very hard to tell. One of those micro dots should work, though, since at normal viewing distance, it’ll be impossible to tell what it is at this scale.

skywalkersaga wrote:You're certainly putting an impressive amount of detail in this!

The size of the studs look fine to me, from a realism perspective. Trying to get things to be 100% screen-accurate is often just not possible, and I wouldn't stress too much over that particular aspect. The studs give the impression of the film outfit and definitely add a really nice touch. In other words, looks great.  

Btw, I had been looking for studs like this for a long time now, and I had forgotten about the nail art, so I really appreciate you mentioning what you used for those. I've ordered some myself in both sizes ....hope I can actually manage to use them and not drop them everywhere.

Stryker2011 wrote:This is coming along nicely. The studs and straps look really good. — I don’t know if I’d have the patience for dealing with those tiny studs.

GubernatorFan wrote:Great work on those straps and studs. Your patience and effort are paying off.

About the head -- looking at the screen image and your head sculpt images, I'd say something that might improve the resemblance would be to paint over/away much of the eye make up (from the outside inwards).

Ephiane wrote:fantastic job at all the details. Can´t wait to see the figure finished. I love the drawing You made.