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Mayoi Hachikuji Bakemonogatari - Figures

The Monogatari franchise began as a series of light novels written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Vofan. The first volume of the series, Bakemonogatari , was a collection of short stories that were first published in Kodansha's Mephisto magazine in 2005 and 2006, and later compiled into a single book in late 2006. In the summer of 2009, the anime adaptation of Bakemonogatari, produced by studio Shaft, aired on television, reaching an entirely new audience. Its particularly wordy dialogue and unusual storytelling method allowed it to become a cult hit among viewers, creating a demand for collectibles. One such form of merchandise is figures of the various characters that appear in the series, one of these characters being Mayoi Hachikuji. Among the various figures of the character, some of the most popular include the "Bakemonogatari Mayoi Hachikuji: Repainted Ver. 1/8 Scale Figure (Re-run)", the "Nisio Isin Daijiten EXQ Figure: Osuwari Mayoi", and the "Mayoi Hachikuji Nendoroid".

Bakemonogatari Mayoi Hachikuji: Repainted Ver. 1/8 Scale Figure (Reprise)

This Kotobukiya scale figure recreates Mayoi's design from the Bakemonogatari anime adaptation and adds as much detail as possible. She is posed standing on one leg as she looks happily ahead. Her outfit is based on a Japanese elementary school uniform and consists of a white shirt and a navy blue skirt attached with matching suspenders that go over her shoulders. Mayoi also wears a pair of pink shoes and a pair of green ribbons that are used to tie her twin pigtails. Of course, her pink backpack is also faithfully recreated and looks like it's full enough to burst at any moment.

Product Name: Bakemonogatari Mayoi Hachikuji: Repainted Ver. 1/8 Scale Figure (Reprise)
Series: Bakemonogatari
Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Sculptor: Koei Natsunaga
Features: Painted, non-articulated, 1/8 scale figure with base
Height (approx.): 175 mm

Mayoi Hachikuji Bakemonogatari - Figures, near Japan, figurine

Nisio Isin Daijiten EXQ figure: Osuwari Mayoi figure

Unlike the previous figure, this rendition of Mayoi draws more inspiration from her light novel design than her anime counterpart. Additionally, this figure is one of Banpresto's many Osuwari EXQ figures, "osuwari" being a phrase that means "sit!" in Japanese. As the phrase suggests, this figure depicts Mayoi sitting with her legs out in front of her. Rather than her classic school uniform, this version of Mayoi wears a blue dress with a white polka dot pattern on it.

Product Name: Nisio Isin Daijiten EXQ Figure: Osuwari Mayoi
Product line: EXQ
Manufacturer: Banpresto
Features: Painted figure, non-articulated, non-scale
Height (approx.): 12 cm

Nendoroid figure Mayoi Hachikuji

This Nendoroid figure takes Mayoi's already adorable design and gives her an even cuter chibi twist. Her head is much larger than normal, while the rest of her body is smaller and chubbier. While many elements of Mayoi's design are smaller, this figure still features plenty of detail, like the tucked pleats in her skirt and the bandage on her knee. Like many other Nendoroid figures, this item also includes additional parts for further customization. These parts include facial expression plates, her signature backpack, and a stand.

Product Name: Nendoroid Mayoi Hachikuji Figure
Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Features: Painted, articulated, non-scale figure with extra parts and base
Height (approx.): 100 mm

About Mayoi Hachikuji

Mayoi Hachikuji is the spirit of a lost elementary school-aged girl whom the protagonist, Koyomi Araragi, finds one day. The following passage provides a brief glimpse into her character.

Background

Mayoi grew up in a house where her mother and father shared a bitter relationship, which eventually led to their divorce when Mayoi was still incredibly young. After the divorce, Mayoi lived with her father, who prevented her from seeing her mother as much as possible. This led Mayoi to forget many things about her mother, including her appearance. At one point, Mayoi decided to find her mother herself. This attempt, however, ended tragically, as she ended up in a car accident that resulted in her death. In the Monogatari series, which deals with the supernatural, Mayoi didn't simply die but rather became a ghost.

Personality

Mayoi died very young, and her personality is largely that of a child. She generally has a childlike cheerfulness and curiosity and is hesitant to trust strangers. She also has a tendency to confuse people's names, especially Koyomi's. Mayoi also has moments where she acts much more mature than an eleven-year-old should, as she gives Koyomi advice when he has problems that go far beyond the scope of a normal child.

Other important characters in Bakemonogatari

As a lost ghost who ran away from home, the number of characters who can actually interact with Mayoi is generally limited to those who are also running away from home. Thus, Mayoi only truly interacts with two characters at the beginning: the protagonist Koyomi and Tsubasa Hanekawa.

Koyomi Araragi

Koyomi Araragi is the central protagonist of most of the Monogatari series. He is a high school student who was transformed into a vampire by an injured Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade (who later becomes known as Shinobu Oshino). Through numerous trial battles, Koyomi regains most of his humanity, though he is still technically a vampire hybrid. Due to his unique situation, Koyomi often finds himself confronting numerous supernatural beings over time, one such entity being the lost ghost, Mayoi.

Tsubasa Hanekawa

Tsubasa Hanekawa is Koyomi's class representative and one of the few characters he regularly speaks to at school. She is also widely known for her incredible wisdom, which often becomes a great resource for Koyomi when he can't find the solution to his problems on his own. Her distant family connections prevent her from returning home around the same time Koyomi meets Mayoi, which also allows her to see the young ghost.