Renko Usami & Maribel Hearn - Bell Fine - Re-Release

From Bell Fine comes a super cute double figure of Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn from Tohou Project. The latter is a series of dōjin-shoot-’em-ups, rather simple video games developed by Team Shanghai Alice, formerly known as ZUN Soft. This company is actually only one man who calls himself ZUN and is producer, programmer, character designer, composer and much more in one person.

Tohou Projekt takes place in the near future at a place named Gensokyo, a fantasy realm which is inhabited mostly by youkai, hidden from the rest of the world by a great magical barrier. The entrance is the Hakurai Shrine, but only very few people from the outside world, meaning our normal one, know about it. Gensokyo is somewhere in Japan, which is why Japanese is the local language.

Renko is a student of physics at a university and sees things in a logical and objective light, but is interested in paranormal phenomenons. She has the ability to know the place and time by looking at the night sky. Together with Maribel Hearn she is in a necromancer club, although this club is not very much about necromancy, but more about investigating spirits and other paranormal things. The two belong to the few people or are even the only ones who know about Gensokyo. Maribel has visited this realm often in her dreams, as she is descended from a long line of persons who can see magical barriers. Little by little these abilities seem to become stronger so she can even influence and cross barriers and is able to travel into the fantasy realm together with Renko.

This statue of the two girls is not only beautiful, but also holds some symbolism, which can be discovered bit by bit. The base is designed like a yin and yang sign, from which the two girls lift off. Renko in her black dress seems to fly away backwards and reaches out for Maribel, who follows her. Maribel wears a light dress in white and lavender and looks very young in this portrayal. At her feet there is a black creature, maybe a nightmare, trying to grab her. The more you look, the more lovely details are to be discovered!