Kyubey-Rin Plushie

Well... this one is an inside joke between the fans of Gen Urobuchi. (Or the "Uro-butcher" as the fans affectionally calls him.) 

When the show "Thunderbolt Fantasy" first came out (Are you tired of me talking about this show yet?), a lot of the fans who are familiar with Gen Urobuchi's previous works noticed a similarity between the character Kyubey (from "Puella Magi Madoka Magica") and Rin Setsua (from "Thunderbolt Fantasy"). For starters, there's the white hair/fur (?) and the red eyes. Not to mention the uncanny (and unmoving) faint smile they both have on their faces. Then there's their dubious, blue-orange morality. But perhaps the most telling similarity is their almost incredible ability to get an otherwise unwilling person to join their party and their seemingly endless knowledge about... well... just about everything, really. And they can both be so persuasive. Oh, they definitely can...

A few anonymous Netizens in Japan have taken on themselves to create a "Kyubey-Rin". ( i.imgur.com/kgcKt9r.jpg and i.imgur.com/sKjCwcC.jpg ) In some circles, "QB-bird" is sitll the character's nickname among the fans. I fell in love with the designs when I first saw it. After all, it is so bloody adorable and so uncanny at the same time. So... after a lot of research, trial-and-error and blood-sweat-and-tears... I present to you... yup, Kyubey-Rin. 

This is the first time I've taken on myself to build a whole plush toy out of felt. It's also the first time I tried to combine two different patterns together to build one figure. Not to mention all the trouble-shooting involved to add his hair and other head accessories. And would you believe it? He's completely hand-sewn. I think there is a lot of room for improvement for him in the future. But for the moment, I am happy where he is right now. I would really love to hear what you think. Especially for the artisans and crafters who specialize in plush toys. I'd really appreciate it if you can help me out!

「これ、そこな旅の人。まさかその傘を奪うつもりではあるまいな？」

Artisan's Note
1. Material: Felt, acyrlic yarn, craft foam, plastic jewels, buttons for eyes. Synthetic stuffing. Hand sewn. There is a wire in the tail for posing. The rest of the body is soft. 
2. Size: 25cm/9.8" tall (not counting ponytail and headdress), sits 15cm/5.9" wide,  tail approximately 30cm/11.8" long. 
3. Time: On and off... at least 6 days in total. Add another 2 hours for photography.
4. Photography details: Taken in natural light with cellphone camera (no flash). Cropped and assembled with watermark added in Photoshop CS4. 
5. Music inspiration? Yes: Hiroyuki Sawano, Thunderbolt Fantasy OST: "coldsnowcrow" www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJJx4Z…
6. "Thunderbolt Fantasy" and associated characters are property of the "Thunderbolt Fantasy Project", which is a collaboration between Nitro-Plus, Goodsmile Company and Pili Multimedia International, 2016. For more information on the show: 
Japanese HP: www.thunderboltfantasy.com/
Chinese/Taiwanese HP: thunderboltfantasy.com.tw/
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderb…
7. "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" (2011) Produced by Shaft and AniPlex. Written by Gen Urobuchi; directed by Akiyuki Shinobo. 
More information here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puella_M…