Figuarts Mini VS Nendoroid: A Comparison Guide
Ever wondered what’s the difference between a Figuarts Mini and Nendoroid figure? Which should I get? Check out this simple comparison guide for the answers to these questions and more!
Update March 2022: Figuarts Mini Tsukasa and Kohaku is out for pre-orders! GSC’s Gen nendoroid is also out for pre-orders!!
Howdy folks! It’s time for yet another entry in the G.T.F. Geeky Goods Guides. ^ ^
When you start watching anime and/or reading manga, you will inevitably start to buy goods and collect figures. There’s no point denying it. IT WILL HAPPEN. ^ ^
And before you know it, you are knee-deep in merchandises and your wallet starts crying.
Seeing how there’s so many goods and merchandises in the market nowadays, it can get a little overwhelming for new collectors (and even seasoned collectors as well, for reasons entirely different).
With figures, the choices are even more mind-boggling, especially with so many different lines and companies making figures nowadays. Prices and Accessibility also varies greatly.
Happy problems but problems nonetheless.
So that’s where I come in! ^ ^
As part of my quest to share some of my knowledge and experience with fellow fans, I’ve decided to start a series of figures and goods comparison posts within my Geeky Good Guides.
Many of you who followed my Instagram (Thank you!) and read my blog posts know that I’m a nendoroid fan and collector. However, due to me getting into anime/manga at a very early age (even before I started school lol) + being in so many different fandoms, I actually bought figurines from quite a few different makers over the years.
For example: I used to buy SD Gundam plastic kit models, as well as the pricy but excellent Kotobukiya ARTFX models. I’ve also bought Figma, Furyu, Sega; Orange Rouge, Bandai figurines just to name a few. Look out for my future posts/guides on these goods!
Since I so happened to have both the nendoroids and figuarts mini version of Ishigami Senku from Dr Stone,I figured (pun intended) – Why not do a comparison guide between these two types of Figures?
Plus I’ve actually received quite a few private questions and requests in the past few months for advice on which of the two types of figures to buy, so I reckon a mini guide might be helpful.
So I will generally be using Ishigami Senku from Dr Stone as the basis for comparison, while throwing in some general facts about Nendoroids and Figuarts Mini.
Before delving into the comparison, I’ll first share a little about the two figure lines.
Page Contents
What is Figuarts Mini?
Figuarts Mini is a relatively young line from Bandai Tamashii Nations. These are palm-sized, super-deformed (chibi-fied) versions of popular anime/manga/game characters.
A special hallmark feature of the Figuarts Mini figures are its brightly coloured “glittering eyes”.
Using some high-definition printing technology (I assume) + the eyes are not directly printed onto the face plates but are instead, separate parts inserted from the back of the face-plate, the Figuarts Mini figures have, in their words, a more 3D feel to their eyes.
I will be doing up a guide on Figuarts Mini soon, so watch out for that as well!
In the meantime, for more information about Figuarts Mini, please visit the official website: https://tamashii.jp/item_brand/figuarts_mini/
What is Nendoroid?
Nendoroid (ねんどろいど or 粘土人) are chibi-fied figurines of anime/manga/game characters produced by Good Smile Company (GSC).
They are about 10 cm in height and generally can fit in the palm of your hands.
Each nendoroid comes with optional parts – such as interchangeable face parts (for different expressions), body parts (for different fixed poses) and/or weapons/effects.
To find out more about Nendoroids, please refer to my extensive guides: Nendoroids: A Guide on Buying Nendoroids and Nendoroid Guide: The Readers’ Questions Edition
Comparison
Please note that this is not a post to determine which is better (Nendoroid or Figuarts Mini) but rather to help all (budding) collectors to have a better idea of what these figures are like.
For ease of reference, Figuarts Mini will be abbreviated as F.A Mini. Good Smile Company will be abbreviated as GSC.
As always, if you have any questions about anime goods and/or manga, feel free to ask away. I’ll try my best to help you. ^ ^
Oh and if you find my posts and guides useful, do let me know. It’s always nice to know that people are reading these posts. Thank you. ^ ^
Box (Packaging)
Both types of figures come in a box with the figurine housed securely inside a plastic frame.
However, as you can see from the photo, the Nendoroid box is much bigger in size than the Figuarts Mini box.
To be fair, Nendoroids have more accessories and parts than Figuarts Mini so it’s not surprising that the box itself is bigger. (See Section on “Inside the Box” for more details)
Personally, I really liked how small and compact the Figuarts Mini box is. I was pleasantly surprised at how cute it looks too. The small size really allows for easy storage and display.
By the way, some of you might be wondering why the size of the box is worth mentioning in this guide?
Well, one fun fact about nendoroid collectors is that a lot of us actually still have our nendoroids unopened in boxes. Strange as it might sound, this is actually a very common phenomenon among nendoroids owners. ^ ^
As such, storage of boxes can be rather problematic once you start buying more figures.
Case in point:
So yes, I do have a GSC nendoroid box storage problem because I never throw the boxes away. And more than half are not opened too. Hey, don’t judge me. I’m pretty sure some of you will (soon) have this problem too.
Fun Fact: GSC Nendoroid boxes used to be much bigger. They actually reduced the width of the boxes in recent years to make it more compact for storage.
Figure Size & Detailings (Nendoroid VS Figuarts Mini)
Height
Interestingly, the height of the two Senku(s) is about the same. (You wouldn’t have think so by looking at them in their respective boxes!) Although that could be the hair. ^ ^
Why do I say this? Simply because when I put F.A mini Gen with Nendoroid Senku, the height difference becomes somewhat bigger.
However, putting aside the crazy hair of Senku (XD), Gen’s face plate is about the same level as that of Nendoroid’s Senku, so my assumption is that the height difference between the two type of figures isn’t really that big.
Aside from height, Nendoroids are wider in width … or “bulkier”, for lack of a better word than Figuarts Mini figures.
When you place them side-by-side, you can see that the F.A Mini Senku and Gen looks “slimmer” than nendoroid Senku.
Figure Base
Another point to note is that Nendoroid Senku comes with a square clear base whereas Figuarts Mini Senku comes with a circular clear base. The F.A base is smaller and thinner.
As the nendoroid base is “thicker” than the F.A mini base, nendoroid Senku on its base ends up being “taller” than F.A mini Senku.
Oddly though, even on their bases, the difference in height of the two figures isn’t really that big. Although, that could again just be because of Senku’s hair (LOL).
I will add another comparison photo when I have another character in both nendoroid and Figuart Mini.
Fun Fact: By default, the base for Nendoroids is now the square translucent base you see in the photo. Circular bases with special motifs, if any, are usually exclusive GSC Shop bonuses.
Inside the Box (Parts)
With a much heftier price tag, it isn’t surprising that Nendoroid Senku comes with more parts and accessories than Figuarts Mini Senku.
Let’s take a look at what’s inside the respective boxes:
Note: Different nendoroids and Figuarts Mini figurines will have different accessories and parts. It all depends on the characters that they are based on.
Nendoroid Senkuu
All nendoroids typically comes with 3 interchangeable face-plates and a clear base stand. The exception to this ‘rule’ are the Nendoroid Dolls. (Do note that the Nendoroid Dolls do not have the interchangeable face-plates) .
To learn more about the difference between Nendoroid and Nendoroid Dolls, please refer to my guide: Nendoroids – A Guide on Buying Nendoroids
Nendoroid Senku has 3 face plates in total, 3 hand-parts, a detachable test-tube beaker, the de-petrification sap and a stick. The base stand is the standard issue that is clear and transparent.
In Senku’s case, they even included the cotton candy prop! Although it’s really just some cotton wool LOL. It supposedly fits on the “stick” that they included as one of its accessories
Figuarts Mini Senku
Looking at the released F.A mini figurines from the Tamashii Nations, the standard issue seems to be an additional pair of arms + a clear base with every figurine. (Similar to GSC Nendoroids, bases with special motifs on it are the exception rather than the rule)
For Figuarts Mini Senku, he comes with an additional pair of interchangeable arms, with the accessories attached to the hands. There’s the clear circular base and stand included as well.
Figure Quality & Details
Detailing and Colour
Both figures do have a close likeness to the actual Senku, which is great! ^ ^
Both figures also come equipped with Senku’s trusty tool belt, pouches and of course, his iconic E = mc2 tonga clothing.
In terms of “colour”, I find that the colours for the F.A Mini Senku is much brighter, with the detailing, such as the stiches on his clothes, more pronounced than the GSC nendoroid. The stitches on the GSC nendoroid are white while those on the Figuarts Mini are brown. The colour of the “shoes” differs as well.
F.A mini Senku’s hair is also a shade darker than his nendoroid counterpart. If I have to be really technical about it, I would say that the F.A mini Senku’s colours are closer to that of the anime Senku.
It’s kind of like a Matte VS Glossy type of situation?
Well, I’ll let the photos explain. ^ ^
Movable Joints
Happy to note that both the GSC nendoroid and the F.A Mini figure of Senku are really well-made and feels solid to the touch. The joints are sturdy, moves easily and the overall paint job is good.
However, Figuart Mini Senku has limited mobility in its arms and legs. The hands and arms are basically just up-down movements and that’s it.
In comparison, Nendoroid Senku has far more flexibility, with its arms and hands being able to rotate and do more “actions“. Both figures have somewhat similar limitations in their leg mobility.
So what does this means for (budding) collectors and buyers?
Generally, it seems that Tamashii Nations F.A mini figures have limited mobility compared to the Good Smile Company’s Nendoroids. I mean you can still turn the head, move the arms and legs, of course.
However, in terms of flexibility and poses (for photo taking etc), Nendoroids are honestly much more flexible, with its joints being able to move in more directions, depending on the parts provided.
Another bonus point in Nendoroid’s favor is that the accessories provided are generally removable (detachable), thus opening up much more possibilities for display and video/photo-taking.
The downside of having flexible joints is that the hands/arms can fall out easily, which can be an annoyance at times.
To be fair to F.A mini, most collectors generally don’t change the parts or play with their figures often, so having limited mobility isn’t necessary something bad.
Nendoroid More
One additional plus factor, complementing the Movable Joints, is GSC’s “nendoroid more” range, where they sell parts and accessories that your existing nendoroids can use or play with. This includes additional arms, hands, accessories, “clothes”, face-plates, dioramas and much more.
For example: additional interchangeable faceplates allow for more expressions for your figures, thus allowing for more “scenarios” and mood pieces when playing with them. ^ ^
To find out more about “nendoroid more”, do check out my comprehensive guide on all things nendoroids: Nendoroids: A Guide on Buying Nendoroids and Nendoroid Guide: The Readers’ Questions Edition
Mini-Rant: As a somewhat seasoned nendoroid collector, I personally feel that the quality of nendoroids has become a tad uneven in recent years. I think its because they are churning out so many different nendoroids in a single year that their Quality Checks differs greatly from studio to studio.
For example, I really like the Touken Ranbu nendoroids by Orange Rouge (OR). The attention to details is stunning and the quality and build of every successive nendoroid is consistently good.
Their nendoroids, especially the Touken Ranbu ones, feels exquisite to the touch and is just really well-made. Their scale figures are fantastic as well.
However, I have had nendoroids like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures (which I love) where the quality of the nendoroids are a tad uneven. Jotaro, Kakyoin and Dio, Joseph and Caesar is really well made, however Giorno’s one is really bad. I’m not sure if I got a defected one but his parts keeps falling out. The feel of the Giorno nendoroid I received is also really not that great. It just doesn’t feel as solid as the other nendoroids that I have.
Thankfully, GSC track record is still pretty good. I do hope they pace themselves more and devote more time to QC checks as they did in their early years. And yes I’m still collecting nendoroids. ^ ^
Display Box (Nendoroids VS Figuarts Mini)
Remember how I mentioned how quite a number of people (re:me!) don’t throw away the boxes of their figures or are still unopened?
Well… here’s some good news for us!
The F.A Mini boxes have a bonus feature: It doubles up as a very cute and functional display box!
I really like the thought and creativity that went into designing the boxes. Kudos to the design team!
The boxes have a side opening, which makes placing the figures really easy. Also, the “display” clear plastic area allows for a good portion of the figures to be seen.
Plus the way the printing on the box is laid out?
The team definitely gave some thought into what would be the best way for collectors to display the figures inside the box.
In comparison, the GSC nendoroid box isn’t really suited for displaying the figures.
Again, to be fair, the original Nendoroid concept was probably NOT to display the nendoroids inside the box. After all, Good Smile Company has also launched dioramas and play-sets where you can display your nendoroids in.
Nendoroids are generally designed to be “played” with.
Moreover, the stand on the bases are adjustable, which means that I can technically adjust Senku (nendoroid) in a higher position so that the full figure can be seen in the box.
Nonetheless, for collectors who are running out of space, having a box that doubles up as a great display box would be an attractive bonus.
Price Tag
This is probably the one factor that will largely determine which of the two type of figurines you are likely to buy.
One especially attractive factor about Figuarts Mini is its price point.
Most of its figures are priced at a much more affordable 2400yen to 3000 yen (before tax), compared to the much pricier GSC Nendoroids retailing at around 5000 yen to 8000 yen (before tax).
Therefore, not taking into account shipping costs and/or pre-order discounts from shops, this often means that you can actually buy 2 F.A mini figures at the price of one nendoroid!
However, it is important to note that Nendoroids usually have more accessories and parts than their Figurearts Mini counterparts.
GSC also have a larger range of added-on accessories and play-sets you can buy to “play” with your existing nendoroids.
Variety/IP licensing
In terms of variety, I would say the chances of your favourite character/series appearing as an Nendoroid is higher than that of a Figuart Mini. (This is as of September 2021)
The simple reason being that as of 2021, there are over 1300 nendoroids with many more different characters and titles in production. Many more are being released and announced as you read this post.
As Figurearts Mini is a relatively new line from Bandai, the range of characters/titles is understandably much lesser than Good Smile Company. However, Bandai does hold a lot of anime and manga licenses, and just looking at the speed that they are releasing and announcing new characters, I dare say we will see a dramatic increase in the next few years.
One thing that I especially like about the F.A mini line is that Tamashii Nations generally will release two or more of the characters of the same series at the same time.
For example, in Dr. Stone case, Senku and Gen were both up for pre-orders at the same time!
One of the biggest reason why I decided to pre-order the F.A Mini Senku and Gen was because Tamashii Nation brilliantly launched the both of them together. And honestly, the figures looks really good in the various advertisements.
As of September 2021, I have no idea if GSC would be producing a Gen’s nendoroid. Looking at their slew of line-up, it seems not likely or I would have to wait a super long time. *sigh* As a reminder, nendoroid Senku was released in July 2020!
Therefore, one point in (who’s counting?) in Bandai’s F.A Mini favor is that the company often releases multiple characters of the same series together or in relatively quick successive releases.
Take for example, Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer). F.A mini has already released several figures and pre-orders are also up for all the pillars. Even some of the villains have been announced as well. (But where’s Sabito?! Hopefully Tamashii Nations will consider to release a F.A mini of him since we are getting a nendoroid Sabito).
GSC Nendoroid, on the other hand, takes the somewhat annoying teasing approach, opting to release one character of the same series at a LONG time.
Despite the many IP licenses held by Good Smile Company, the time taken between announcing prototypes and pre-orders of characters in the SAME series is rather long. More often than not, you get only 1 or 2 characters being released and you don’t see any other from the same series for a long time, if any at all.
Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventures (JoJo) is an exception because of its sheer popularity globally and they all sell really well, so you get to see relatively quick succession of characters being announced and released.
As of September 2021, there are 14 JoJo characters’ nendoroids, 4 character nendoroids in production, with another 3 character announced. And you can be sure that more will follow.
As a JoJo fan, I’m really happy of course. Here are some of my JoJo nendoroids. ^ ^
But that’s just for JoJo. I have other fandoms that I’m into and I would love to see more of the characters getting nendoroids as while, instead of that lone one or two figures that I have at the moment.
While I do understand that its largely base on sales and projected profits, it can be rather frustrating for fans. If you are someone like me who likes to collect her figures in pairs and CPs, it is doubly frustrating.
However, thankfully GSC seems to be improving slightly in this regard for newer line-up announcements. Recent announcements have seen them at least preparing to debut more characters in the same series at the same time, which is a positive move.
For example, they announced both Phoenix Wright AND Miles Edgeworth (Ace Attorney) together! (Definitely pre-ordering!)
Side-note: If you are a fan of Ace Attorney, check out my visits to the Ace Attorney x Capcom Cafe in Japan. ^ ^
Conclusion
And that’s it for the guide! ^ ^
Thanks for reading! I hope this mini comparison guide is useful to you when you plan to start your own collection of Nendoroids and/or Figuarts Mini! ^ ^
As shared at the start of the guide, this isn’t a post to determine which of the two: Nendoroid and Figuarts Mini is better. Or which of the two types you should buy.
It’s mainly a guide highlighting some of the features of the two type of figures vis-à-vis each other.
That said, I’m pretty interested to know if are a Figuarts Mini Figures Collector or a Nendoroid Collector, or you are planning to buy both! Do let me know in the comments. I would love to know your preferred choice in this matter.
As for me, I am, and will continue to be buying nendoroids of some of my favourite anime/game/manga characters. (I’m a nendoroid fan, after all!)
However, Figuarts Mini really impressed me with their quality and cuteness of their figure line.
I’m really happy with the Senku and Gen Figuarts Mini figures. It also helps that Gen is my favourite character in Dr Stone and the F.A mini line really did a superb job with him.
I was also pleasantly surprised at how well-made and solid the Dr Stone Figuearts Mini figures felt to my touch. The colours are really vibrant and the paint job is really done well.
If you are a Dr Stone fan, you can really consider adding them to your collection.
Senku and Gen was definitely a great introduction to this product-line under Tamashii Nations. Therefore, I should be buying more figures of my favourite characters, if F.A mini have them. ^ ^
So… I’m more of the camp that will buy both the GSC nendoroids and Tamashii Nations of my favourite characters. ^ ^
That said, if you are just starting out buying figures and especially if there are budget constraints (e.g. students), F.A mini is a relatively more affordable option than GSC.
All in all, nendoroids and figuarts mini are a great starting place for you to embark on your figures collecting journey! ^ ^
Update March 2022: F.A. Mini has Tsukasa and Kohaku out for pre-orders. GSC has Gen’s nendoroid out for pre-orders too! I’ve already ordered mine. ^ ^
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Check out my other Guides, Reviews and Escapades!
Geeky Good Guides
I’ve also done up a few guides on purchasing anime goods/figurines and the list will continue to expand. Do check them out as they might be useful for your own fan- collection journeys!
- Geeky Goods Spotlight: Forwarder, Buying Service & Proxy Bidding (Anime Goods)
- Nendoroids – A Guide on Buying Nendoroids
- A Kuji Guide: All You need to know and more!
- Demon Slayer Gift Guide: Best things to buy for a Kimetsu no Yaiba Fan!
Really comprehensive insights! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi! Thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂 I really appreciate you letting me know that you found the guide useful. Thank you.
Hi! This guide is very neat, thank you for the detailed comparison. Would you know if the FA mini’s head can be attached to a nendo doll? Thank you!
Hi! Thank you for the kind words! Happy to know that my guide was useful and informative. To your question, yes the FA mini head can fit a nendoroid doll body and also an OB11 doll body. However, for the nendoroid dolls, you would need a different or customized neck connector because the nendoroid neck joint is slightly larger and so it won’t fit all the way through. For the OB11 dolls, the head can fit the existing neck joints but you need to do a little customization to keep it stable. Hope this helps!
Absolutely amazing guide. Extremely informative and you did a great job of not being too biased. Really appreciate this article!
Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed the guide and found it useful! 🙂