If you follow us on YouTube or Instagram, you may have seen that I promised you guys this review and unboxing of Prime 1 Studio’s ⅓ scale Guts statue a couple weeks back, but with the sad news of Kentaro Miura’s passing, I decided to push it back out of respect for his family and friends who are grieving his loss.
I want to touch briefly on how thankful I am for everything that Kentaro Miura has given us over these many, many years. He created my favorite manga of all-time, Berserk, and brought one of my favorite characters, Guts, to life on page. He’s left an incredible legacy behind, and because of that, he will never be forgotten but he will forever be missed.
This statue of Guts already meant a lot to me, but now it has taken on an even greater meaning. It really stands tall in my collection and celebrates a man and a series that has greatly impacted my life. I was going back and forth at first with what scale I wanted to collect the series in, but I’m glad I went with the ⅓ scale. Because Berserk is my favorite, I really wanted this statue to be a forefront in my collection and I’m excited to see what other ⅓ scale Berserk statues Prime 1 Studio will be releasing in the future.
Before I get into the review, I also want to note that there is a Standard Version and Deluxe Version of this statue. I went with the Deluxe Version because I had to have the two extra interchangeable portraits that it came with and the extra right arm display option for holding the Dragonslayer Sword up over his shoulder, and I love that it came with two Pucks as well to display with him.
With that all said, here’s my review of the Prime 1 Studio Guts ⅓ scale statue. As always, I’ll be reviewing this statue in the following areas: Shipping and packaging, design and concept, and paint and sculpt. I’ve also included our YouTube unboxing below, so you can get an all-around look at this statue and all of its details!
Prime 1 Studio Guts 1/3 Scale Berserk Statue Unboxing
Shipping & Packaging
So I actually didn’t buy this statue directly from Prime 1 Studio. I picked it up at Comic Concepts. This isn’t an affiliate link or anything, but wanted to mention them for those of you who like collecting licensed statues from studios like Prime 1 Studio, Figurama, and more, because of how much cheaper their shipping is for collectors based in the US. I’ve had amazing experiences with their customer service and shipping and just wanted to mention them real quick because I’ve saved money buying my licensed anime statues from them due to their lower shipping costs.
As far as shipping goes, this statue arrived fast from Comic Concepts. I got a notice that it shipped and it arrived much quicker than I expected, so no complaints in terms of shipping. As far as packaging goes, Prime 1 Studio has the best and most secure packaging I’ve ever seen.
This statue came shipped in a total of 2 boxes; One that included the base and another that included the rest of the pieces. The art boxes feature images of the statue, which look menacing, and they also have various Guts quotes, including one of my favorites, on them.
This is my first statue from Prime 1 and the way they package their statues is above and beyond. The pieces were even wrapped in this satin-like fabric instead of the tissue paper I commonly see used. All in all, I am thoroughly impressed with the packaging of this statue.
Design & Concept
I really like that they chose to display him in the armor and outfit we see him wearing in one of my favorite Berserk arcs, the Conviction Arc. The base is one of my favorites in the collection so far because it ties everything in so well and gives Guts a glorious platform to stand upon. The pool of blood atop it has this swirling effect throughout, which hides the LEDS they have installed underneath in a smart way.
I really enjoy the look of this base, because it’s not so much a base as it is like a pedestal. It’s made to look like or allude to the Berserker Armor and it has so many nice details throughout. The base adds a lot to this statue, especially with the Brand of Sacrifice right in its center, which is outfitted with LEDs and has this pulsating effect that’s cool.
All of the lights can be turned on with a button that’s hidden in the back and are powered by four batteries that are hidden behind the Brand of Sacrifice badge. I really like how they included the LEDs on this statue, especially in the pool of blood that Guts stands in, which looks even more amazing when illuminated.
Another thing they hid really well is seam lines, especially in the areas where his arms key in. Both arms fit into the sockets perfectly and the seam lines are smartly hidden by the armor on his chest, so they aren’t visible. Since there are no seam lines visible, this is a well-designed statue.
I also really love the mixed material they added with that addition of his fabric cape. The decision to make this fabric is one that I really applaud. Fabric is not something I am used to seeing on statues as an anime statue collector but I really wish this is something that would be incorporated on more statues after seeing how great it looks on this one.
With all of the elements they added and the pose they displayed him in, this is a powerful looking statue that has become a new favorite in the collection.
Paint & Sculpt
Detailing, sculpting, and painting are areas in which Prime 1 Studio really shine on their statues and this became clear to me even more so after looking at all of the pieces and elements on this statue. I guess I’ll start with some of the most important pieces, Guts body and head sculpts.
There is a lot going on on Guts body sculpt, which I am really happy about. He is shown with his criss-crossed leather belt across his chest that holds all of his throwing knives, which are some of my favorite details on his body sculpt. It even has metal buttons adorning it and they are attached to his belt with chains, which are painted to look somewhat weathered.
The different textures of his outfit from the metal of his armor to the leather straps and belts and the chain and buckle details are all immaculately done on his body sculpt. How they were able to achieve the look of all of these different materials in a way that makes them look real is incredible.
They also added dents and dings to his armor to show they are worn from battle and they painted his armor in different metallic colors to further show wear and tear and add variation to them. The silver touches on them add highlights that allow them to stand out more. His armor really shines in the light, which helps give it the look of real metal.
When you look at his back, it has just as much detail as the front does even though it is covered by his fabric cape. There are more leather straps and holsters and many chains that hook into the large strap that holds the Dragon Slayer. There are also a lot of pouches and bags around his waist that feature more of that nice leather texturing.
From front to back, the sculpt and paint featured on Guts body sculpt are top-notch. That same level of care and detail continues on his portraits. The Deluxe Version comes with a total of 4 head sculpts that feature his characteristic expressions. The texturing they’ve achieved on his skin and the gloss they’ve added in his eyes makes this statue look real. The sculpting of his hair with all of those spikes is absolutely phenomenal as well. You also have the Brand of Sacrifice on his neck and the way they did this makes it look as if it really is branded into his skin.
The main reason I decided to buy the Deluxe Version was for the portrait that shows him maniacally grinning. When I think of Guts, this is the first expression that pops into my mind. Prime 1 Studio were able to get the likeness on not just one or two portraits right, but four of them, which is unbelievable.
The DX Version also comes with two interchangeable right arms, one that shows him with the Dragon Slayer out in front of him and lodged into the base and another that shows him with the Dragon Slayer up over his shoulder and behind his back. I’m also really happy with the look of the blood splatter, which is up his arm and on his bandaging. I’ve never seen a statue with as realistic paintwork and texturing on the skin as this one. The veins and all of his muscles also look amazing.
You also have his cannon arm. At the top of his arm, you have the shoulder armor. And then you have the device that functions as a prosthetic arm, but also as a secret weapon. The hinges and springs they added look real and functional even though they aren’t. You can even see the opening of the cannon underneath his mechanical hand, which is really cool. The mechanical hand is also made really well and I love that they chose to sculpt it in a clenched fist.
This one also comes with two display options for the Dragon Slayer. One has a lot of bloodstains on it, both new and old as shown by the different colors of red they used. It has nicks and dings all over it too. It really looks like a heap of raw iron and it’s massive looking like it should be.
The two display options (one that shows him in his chibi form and another that shows him in his standard form) for Puck is another reason I had to have the Deluxe Version. I absolutely love Puck. He’s really funny and always provides some much-needed comic relief.
His standard appearance shows him in a spunky hand on hip pose that’s full of attitude; Much like Puck himself. He is tiny, but they managed to get so much detail on him, especially in his wings, which are translucent, and his head sculpt. His chibi-like form is also adorable and humorous. I love that they also included the burdock that he uses as a weapon and you commonly see him hitting enemies with in this appearance.
As far as the base goes, I really love that the metallic silver color of the metal is coming through in some areas, so that it adds some highlighting to the base. The texturing they achieved and the way they layered the armor on the base looks really nice and then it almost claws up over the top where Guts stands in this gruesome pool of blood.
The pool of blood atop it is made out of clear resin, which has been painted in this deep red color. Within the pool of blood are three skinless, gnarly looking corpses. These look absolutely grisly with their veins popping out at you and the look of their muscles. The glossy paint they’ve added makes that skinless look appear even more realistic.
No matter where you look on this statue, the paint and sculpt are amazing. Out of all the statues in my collection, none are as meticulously and cleanly painted as this one. I actually have nothing negative to say about this statue, which is a first for me.
Final Thoughts
I have heard how amazingly detailed and high quality Prime 1 Studio’s statues are, but seeing their Guts ⅓ scale statue first hand has really put into perspective just how incredible their work is. This statue really embodies Guts unwavering spirit and strong presence and does one of my all-time favorite characters justice.
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