Hand "Z "bend" (If you look at your hand, the bones actually allow some bend in the hand portion itself.) How about Easypose for the tounge figure? Facial expression ala Girl Girl shoulder type of bends (No chicken leg shoulders!) A "lite" mesh (30,000 polys or less), and a denser normal mesh (60,000 poly area) I agree.. P5 mats... maybe a P5 muscle displacement map to augment the modelling?

Way too many people take way too many things way too seriously.