G’day Everyone! Today I’m reviewing and unboxing Nendoroid number 836: Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. I can’t wait to open this up and see what she’s like in person! If you’d like to watch my video, you can check it out on my YouTube channel or watch below.
Ariel is from the Walt Disney Pictures’ 28th animated film, The Little Mermaid, which released in 1989 and is a story of a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human.
Box
The box is more compact than previous Nendoroid boxes I’ve had. But that doesn’t mean there are less things inside. I’ll have more on that soon. The box design is very sweet with happy pink and teal accents which go well for the theme of Ariel. The pink reminds me of the pink dress she wears when she has dinner with Prince Eric.
The sides of the box show different pose examples you can create with the included accessories and there is a fun sparkle bubble design to add to the underwater motif.
Inside the Box
Yay! Time for my favorite part! Opening up the box! I like how compact the pieces are stored, it seems much more efficient than previous packaging. Once we take out the main plastic piece, we can see more clearly the background. Let’s take it out and get an even better view of it.
Oh, this is really nice! I love the image they decided to go with! It’s a lovely under water scene which is very reminiscent of the Disney film. This could be a nice display backdrop if you wanted. The colors are so pretty and vibrant compared to the usual solid background.
There is an instruction booklet that lists all the included parts and some tips on how to assemble some of the pieces. It comes in both English and Japanese.
Now to check out the main packaging! I can already see that there are some fun accessories in here! Oh and check this out! The stand is a pretty crystal blue! I haven’t seen that before, I really like that touch. We also get a package of arm pieces. Looks like we’ll have a lot of variety in arm poses.
Mmmm, I love the smell of a brand new Nendoroid 😀
Of course we have to go for Ariel herself first! She’s covered with protective plastic to keep her safe and pristine during her travels. This is especially helpful since she has such vibrant red hair. I really appreciate the level of care she’s been packaged with to make sure the coloring from her hair doesn’t get on her skin.
Oh my gosh! She looks so cute! I really love how they’ve sculpted her. She is just adorable! You can definitely tell immediately who this is with her long flowing red hair, wide blue eyes, green mermaid tail, and purple seashell bikini top.
She has joints at her shoulders, neck, and tip of the tail which can help add more of a dynamic pose to her underwater adventures.
Goodsmile has definitely done a great job with her hair too. It really does look like it’s flowing underwater.
Taking a closer look at her arms, we can see that there are two full set of arms and an additional arm able to hold the fork which we’ll see shorty.
Awww, here’s good ol’ Sebastian! Hey mon! He looks like he just came directly out of the movie. I’m glad they went with this happy look. He is so detailed and the colors are solid.
Can’t have Ariel without her trusty buddy Flounder! And he is looking super adorable with these cute lashes and happy-go-lucky smile. Wow, the sripes on him just look so good! So crisp and accurate and vibrant. The detail never ceases to amaze me. You can even see detail on the top of his fin!
Here we have a second tail for Ariel. This will be perfect for cute sitting poses. I can already envision some cute arrangements. The fin on this tail is also moveable. A fun note about her extended tail is that you can flip it around to have it face either way. I’m not sure if they designed it this way or if that’s just a fun extra, but I like it!
Yay, time to check out Ariel’s other expressions! This one is pretty fun and shows her spunky and rebellious side with a slightly raised eyebrow and smirk of the mouth. It also works really well for a determined look.
Aww this is a cute look. With her eyes closed and a sweet smile, Ariel can show off her innocent side. I bet this is a look she would give while walking next to her crush Prince Eric.
Let’s check out this unique stand a little closer. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a unique color for a Nendoroid stand. Its a really vibrant crystal blue color too, it actually looks really nice. Even the stand arm that hold Ariel is colored blue! And something extra special about this stand arm is the attachment piece for Ariel. Instead of the usual connector piece, this one is curved and seems like it’s been designed to have less interference with her hair. The accessory stand arms are the usual standard clear and we get two: one for Flounder and one for Sebastian.
The last thing in the stand package is the extra nendoroid joint piece which has the classic Goodsmile smile. I always love that little detail.
Now let’s check out this teeny fork!
Oh, I mean a dinglehopper 😛 This is such a tiny and lightweight piece. Definitely make sure you take this out in a clean area so the chances of losing it are small. Again, the detail here is so impressive! It looks like it came from the sunken ship Ariel searches. It fits perfectly in her hand but can still fall out without too much effort so be careful. I kept the tape so it would stay secure and wouldn’t get lost.
The last pieces we can check out are the different arm options we get. First up we have what I call the delicate arm pose. Her arm is slightly bent and the flingers are relaxed but in a cute kind of way, kind of like a dancers hand: relaxed but with energy and purpose.
I call these arms the hugging arms because there is a special cut out for Flounder’s fin so he can be snuggled closely without falling away. It’s pretty cute!
So what does Ariel look like in action? Let’s make some scenes!
Pose Examples
Ariel is just as cute as can be! She loves to sing and dance and you can definitely achieve that look with this Nendoroid.
Sebastian and Flounder make for some great accessory pieces and really bring the scenes to life. Also! I noticed later, that Sebastian’s claw arms can be moved! How cool!
I think Ariel and the dingle hopper are almost too cute for words! She’s so proud of her discovery and I can relate to her desire to collect things because I love collecting these adorable Nendoroids!
Ariel isn’t all smiles all the time though. One of the unique aspects of her personality is her spunky feistiness and hard headedness. She doesn’t just blindly listen to everything Sebastian or her father tell her and has a rebellious, independent streak.
Although she does seem to have a soft spot for her buddy Flounder. And I think it is just so sweet that specific arms were included to allow her to tightly cuddle him. Heart melting moment!
Conclusion
The Ariel nendoroid set does a great job conveying the underwater appearance as well as capturing her cute but feisty personality. There are lots of ways you can pose her and there are two friends she can hang out with. She doesn’t have the most accessories I’ve ever seen, but she has quite a few arms, 3 unique face plates, and a second tail which allows for lots of fun poses and being able to get creative in making different scenes. However, I do think it would be pretty fun if she came with a set of human legs.
As always, I’m so impressed with the quality and attention to detail Goodsmile puts into their creations
And so with that, I’m giving this Nendoriod a definite “love” and would recommend her to anyone who enjoys The Little Mermaid, Ariel, mermaids, Disney, or Nendoroids.
Thank you so much for checking out my review. Your kindness and support means so much and I am forever thankful. Remember to follow your own dreams and until next time… Take care <3
