Nendoroid vs Nendoroid Doll vs POP UP PARADE: Good Smile Company Figure Lines Explained

Nendoroid, Nendoroid Doll and POP UP PARADE are three figure lines from Good Smile Company. A Nendoroid is a chibi, roughly 10 cm articulated figure with swappable face plates; a Nendoroid Doll puts a Nendoroid head on a taller, doll-like body that you dress in cloth outfits; a POP UP PARADE is a non-articulated, ready-to-display statue that typically stands around 17–18 cm.

Nendoroid

Nendoroid is Good Smile Company's chibi figure line. Its old official site summed it up as "Cute to look at, fun to play with and great to collect." Each figure is a painted, non-scale, articulated figure with a stand included, approximately 100 mm tall, and it does not balance on its own without that stand.

The appeal is the parts. A typical Nendoroid comes with several face plates and a set of optional parts. Nendoroid Revy from BLACK LAGOON, for example, includes a smiling face, a combat face and a serious face, plus her cutlass pistols, a sword and an M79 grenade launcher. Swapping faces and optional parts is how you change the scene.

The line goes back to 2006. In Good Smile Company's own product archive, the first entry is Nendoroid 000, Neko Arc: Convert! Grumbling Face Edition, released in February 2006, followed by Nendoroid 001, Neko Arc: Convert! Mysterious Jet Flight Edition, in April 2006. Today the numbering runs into the thousands, and not every Nendoroid is made in-house: Nendoroid Enrico · P from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, for example, is released by Medicos Entertainment and distributed by Good Smile Company. Browse the full range in our Nendoroid collection.

Nendoroid Doll

Good Smile Company describes Nendoroid Dolls as "palm-sized action figures" that "feature the same heads as standard Nendoroids, but alternate doll-like bodies that are highly articulated and can easily be dressed-up into different outfits." So the face is the familiar Nendoroid face; what changes is everything below the neck.

Character Nendoroid Dolls are listed as painted, non-scale articulated dolls "made with cloth, magnets and plastic," approximately 140 mm tall, with a stand included. The clothes are real fabric. Nendoroid Doll Yor Forger: Casual Outfit Dress Ver., for example, comes with a dress, tights and boots with magnets in the soles, interchangeable hands and a magnetic base. Good Smile Company also sells blank "archetype" bodies, Nendoroid Doll outfit sets and accessories, so the line works more like a doll wardrobe than a single finished figure.

The practical differences from a standard Nendoroid: the body is longer and less chibi, outfits are fabric instead of sculpted plastic, and you spend your time dressing rather than swapping arms. Good Smile Company also notes on its product pages that the doll does not balance on its own and that clothing displayed on a doll for a long time can transfer color to the body. See the Nendoroid Doll collection for dolls, outfit sets and parts.

POP UP PARADE

POP UP PARADE is the statue line. In Good Smile Company's words, it "is a series of figures that are easy to collect with affordable prices and speedy releases," and "each figure typically stands around 17-18cm in height." The series site adds that it is meant for everyone from a seasoned collector to someone picking up a first figure, under the tagline "Bringing figures closer to everyday life."

Each standard figure is a painted, non-scale complete product with a stand included. There are no joints: you take it out of the box, put it on the base and it is done. Heights vary with the character, which is why Good Smile Company calls the sizes a general guide; on its product pages, POP UP PARADE Blake Belladonna: Lucid Dream is listed at approximately 175 mm and POP UP PARADE Legoshi at approximately 195 mm. Start with the POP UP PARADE collection.

POP UP PARADE L, XL and SP

The POP UP PARADE series site splits the line into several sub-lines, each with a one-line description:

• Standard: "An easy-to-collect series."
• L Size: "A series with the presence and impact of scale figures." POP UP PARADE Guts (Berserker Armor) L Size, made by Max Factory, is listed at approximately 280 mm including its vignette base. Browse POP UP PARADE L Size.
• XL Size: "A series that is sure to impress you with its sheer size." Good Smile Company introduced XL as POP UP PARADE "in stunning 40cm XL size"; POP UP PARADE Lucy Heartfilia XL and Natsu Dragneel XL are each listed at approximately 400 mm. See POP UP PARADE XL Size.
• SP: short for "Special," described as "a special series featuring detailed sculpting and paintwork that transcends the bounds of regular POP UP PARADE figures." See POP UP PARADE SP.

The site also lists themed sub-lines such as Swacchao! (figures displayed sitting on various surfaces) and BEACH QUEENS (a reboot of WAVE's swimsuit figure series).

Nendoroid More and Nendoroid Plus

Two more names turn up next to Nendoroids. Nendoroid More is the accessory side of the line. It started in 2012 with the Nendoroid More Clip Stand and Suction Stand, new ways to display Nendoroids, and now covers things like Face Swap face-plate sets, Dress Up bodies, furniture such as bean bag chairs, and even companion figures like the soft vinyl Nendoroid More Krang.

Nendoroid Plus is merchandise based on Nendoroid designs rather than articulated figures: the official Nendoroid site filed rubber straps, plushies and charms under it, and more recent Nendoroid Plus releases include apparel, rubber mascots and acrylic keychains.

Which One Should You Buy?

• You want to pose your character and change expressions: a Nendoroid. Face plates and optional parts are the whole point.
• You want to dress and restyle your character: a Nendoroid Doll, then add outfit sets over time.
• You want the character on your shelf with no setup: a standard POP UP PARADE. It is the line Good Smile Company pitches as easy to collect.
• You want more presence without moving up to a full scale figure: POP UP PARADE L Size, or XL if you have the room.
• You want sharper sculpting and paint inside the same line: POP UP PARADE SP.
• You already own Nendoroids: Nendoroid More stands, face plates and furniture extend what you have.

If you are also weighing prize figures, scale figures or figma, our guide to prize vs scale vs Nendoroid vs figma covers the wider picture.

FAQ

What is a POP UP PARADE?

POP UP PARADE is a Good Smile Company series of painted, non-articulated complete figures with a stand. Good Smile Company describes it as easy to collect, with affordable prices and speedy releases, and standard figures typically stand around 17–18 cm.

How expensive are POP UP PARADE figures?

Standard POP UP PARADE figures sit at the affordable end: Good Smile Company itself pitches the line on "affordable prices," and on its product pages a standard POP UP PARADE is listed below the Nendoroids we compared. L Size is a step up, and XL is the premium tier of the line. Check each product page for the current price.

Does POP UP PARADE make good figures?

They are built to a different goal from scale figures: quick to release and easy to collect, with no articulation. If you want more detail within the line, the SP sub-line focuses on sculpting and paintwork, and L Size is pitched as having "the presence and impact of scale figures."

What does POP UP PARADE SP stand for?

SP stands for "Special." Good Smile Company calls it a series with detailed sculpting and paintwork that goes beyond regular POP UP PARADE figures.

What is the difference between a Nendoroid and a Nendoroid Doll?

Both use the same style of Nendoroid head. A Nendoroid has a chibi plastic body about 100 mm tall and is posed with swappable parts; a Nendoroid Doll has a longer, highly articulated body about 140 mm tall and wears removable cloth outfits.