Tenjou

Zero no Tsukaima & Suzumiya Haruhi 2nd Seasons in Fall '07

2006-11-11T18:18:00.000+08:00

Skulking about the animesuki forums, I came across this pretty tasty little rumour that there will be second seasons of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Zero no Tsukaima coming at you in Fall 2007. Meaning you'll get to continue your closed-space mishaps with Haruhi and see what Louise does as a Void Wizard. ^^ Sounds pretty good to me.

Details are very scarce, but here's a little Japanese excerpt from a webpage that mentions the rumours:

" ＞ハルヒ第二期がどんどん遠ざかっていくなあ. . .

ハルヒ第二期は、再来年予定だったのが、スケジュール前倒しになって、来年秋で確定だそうですよ。ちなみに、ゼロの使い魔第二期も来年秋スタートで調整中らしい。

追記. 大きく取り上げたわけではないのに、ハルヒ二期の噂に対する反応が大きすぎて驚く。ちなみに情報元は、前に新劇場版エヴァの速報を寄せてくれたのと同じ方からのタレコミです。"

Um, roughly I think it says that the 2nd season of Haruhi is not going to be anytime soon, but it'll most likely be in the fall of next year. Zero no Tsukaima is getting it's 2nd season in fall too. Something like that. Anyway, my kanji sucks ass. =D
Click here to translate it yourself. ^^

More adventures from everyone's favourite human, and the pink-haired Louise. Who can wait?

So, I guess the question is whether we'll be getting a half-assed 13/14 episode run from both Haruhi and Zero no Tsukaima (ZnT) or something more. While I think the animation studios will want to milk every cent out of the franchise, I do have a slight feeling we'll be getting more than 14 episodes with Haruhi this time. Expect 13 again from ZnT...just cause it's ZnT. Heh.

They're still rumours though. And until the studios themselves open their mouths, I'll stick with being 'excited while apprehensive'. ^^

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, Zero no Tsukaima, New Season, Tenjou

The Economic Insanity of Haruhi Suzumiya

2006-11-09T14:40:00.000+08:00

Fans of Haruhi and her motley crew of aliens and humans, self-proclaimed members of the S.O.S Dan, and Harutards found a reason to rejoice and to weep a week and a half ago, when Max Factory announced their quite amazingly sculpted Suzumiya Haruhi PVC figure at a quite unbelievable price. The catch? ONLY 5000 units (since increased to 10000) of the hyperactive schoolgirl would be released. O.o

Now, before we get to the figure itself, one wonders what is going through the great minds at Max Factory. What would drive them to LIMIT (for now, at least) a figurine from one of recent times' most successful and contagious anime franchises? It's pretty well-known that Haruhi-ism is well and truly present among anime-watchers and otakus in Japan, most of Asia, and in the U.S, not to mention other parts of Europe I haven't heard about. Face it, I have seeds in my torrents from Chile and Ukraine...EVERYONE watches anime.

So, what part of economics preaches low supply when quantity demanded is way in the clouds? You don't sell less when you can sell more. ESPECIALLY when you can sell more AND up the price in the process. A projected price of 3990 Yen? When Ryougi Shiki is 5000 Yen, I'm sure people would buy Haruhi at 6000. =P The figure seems simple enough, not many frills like the recently released Ignis of Jingai Makyo. So, I don't think they're worried about her armband warping and changing shape.

Maybe they're holding it back so they can increase the price later? When desperate Haruhi fans turn into rabid, snarling maniacs, you never know what they'll pay to satisfy themselves. But that would just be simple insanity and commercial suicide, so to speak. Sure, they MAY get to sell their 2nd batch at a generally higher price, but what of their reputation? People would just hate them for doing it. Nah, even a dumbass would know this isn't a good plan.

So, what drives this somewhat inexplicable move from Max Factory in limiting the seemingly limitless (at least in PVC figure terms) profits just waiting to be plucked and stuffed into their pockets? Some other issue behind the scenes? Or just plain mental retardation? (spoken like a true fan that has not yet secured his own pre-order of the figure, lolz)

Anyway, here's what's causing all the 'ooh's, 'aah's, 'orz's and 'meh's on the internet. Suzumiya-san in all her glory.

Suzumiya Haruhi 1/8 scale PVC
From: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu

She's 1/8 scale as is the norm. And she's wearing her trademark school uniform, musch better than a bunny dress, in my opinion. Yup, she's got the S.O.S Leader armband, and she seems to have interchangeable hands, one for posing and the other for holding that little yellow horn. What can I say, it's a dream come true for me. And even people who don't like Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu would be hard-pressed in finding much fault with the figure.

Release? February 2007 for the 1st batch (of 10000). And a tentative April for more? There had better be more...*readying ESPer powers to blast Max Factory out of the closed space they're lost in*. ^^

Manufacturer: Max Factory
Release Date: February 2007
Price: 3990 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Max Factory, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, Suzumiya Haruhi, Tenjou

Orchid Seed's Fantabulous Masane

2006-11-06T05:03:00.000+08:00

Well, someone up there must have something against me using my computer. Just days after I get back my internet connection and my PC (running pretty well again, I should say), I get hit by a bucketload of malware/trojan crap. The one day I decided to turn off all my spyware protection/firewalls because my P2P was having some trouble...=S Needless to say, clearing it out was one heck of a job. Even after 2 days of scanning, cleaning and what have you, I still ended up with a crazy-acting dwwin.exe which alerted me of errors everytime I did something related to the internet. Curse it. Anyway, I managed to solve all that now, and I'm actually pretty relieved. After all, my 70+GB of anime in my CPU's harddisk couldn't be accessed for a few days due to the errors...and 70GB is alot of time and money. ^^

Then my day got better when I saw that there were finally (saw this pretty late, I guess, sue me) pictures of the Masane Amaha first seen at Wanfesu '06. And I must say IMHO that it's the best so far.

Masane Amaha 1/6 scale PVC
From: Witchblade

GDH and Kotobukiya have fought valiantly, but it is the last man standing that counts. And Orchid Seed has definitely done what they can to make sure that THEY have the last laugh. I mean, look at the figure. Aside from the fact that she's no Ignis or Belldandy, this one had me at hello. Koto's version had shiny hair and I didn't particularly like the nail-like protrusion coming from the GDH version' err...nether regions.

Her Witchblade-transformed hair is wonderfully dynamic giving the figure a feeling well-suited to the anime. I guess her face is a little too 'pretty' considering her character. And I do admit I've never really liked Masane in the anime, drunk mom goes monster isn't exactly the best role-model in the world, lol. But come on...the 15cm blade itself (removable if you can't fit it in your display ^^) sells itself. A 40cm PVC figure is either a blessing or one hell of a curse. Find a place for it, or dig a hole in your wall, then use the Koto and GDH versions as paperweights, cause Masane's coming one more time, and the third time looks the charm. Slated for March 2007...freakin' long time to go.

Manufacturer: Orchid Seed (Good Smile Company release)
Release Date: March 2007
Price: 6800 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Orchid Seed, Witchblade, Masane Amaha, Tenjou

'Passion' - Anime & Game Music Concert by Eminence

2006-10-30T01:25:00.000+08:00

Eminence is a somewhat new-age, contemporary orchestra comprising of around 60 odd wonderfully talented musicians. And Eminence is bringing this performance of anime and game (mostly console games) music to the lucky otakus and game fanatics of Sydney (16th Dec 06), Melbourne (9th Dec 06) and Singapore.

The 'Passion' Promotional Poster. (Details etc.)

Excerpt taken from Eminence Online:

"Performing in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore, ‘Passion’ is a concert series which combines talented musicians with powerful and evocative music from some of Japan’s most loved anime and video games. Performed by a small ensemble, consisting of violins, percussion, guitar and piano, ‘Passion’ will feature the unique and innovative arrangements of memorable themes from games such as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Tsubasa Chronicle, Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy XII, Xenosaga, Haibane Renmei, Shadow of the Colossus, Super Mario Bros., .hack//Liminality and many more.

On top of the great selection of anime and games, we will also be performing selected classics from Walt Disney features.

For over 3 years, Eminence has listened to the greatly appreciated opinions of the community with ‘passion’, bringing together many of these ideas into a series which is specifically designed to cater for everyone. We believe that this concert will be a testament to the amazing talent of the musicians involved and will show Eminence’s ‘Passion’ for quality.

In order for the audience members to receive the maximum experience, Eminence has collaborated with and consulted the composers of the performed pieces themselves, and has received invaluable advice on the performance setlist.

We are quite fortunate to play music hand-chosen by the composers and freshly arranged with an impressionistic, interpretative touch. Through talks with composers, as well as extensive research through many of Japan's video game and anime scores, we hope to give each attendee an experience which they will not forget.

To add even more excitement and wonderment, well-known video game composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono series, Xenogears) will not only be attending as a guest of honour, but will also be playing the bouzouki on a select number of tracks. Also to be in attendence at the Sydney show, will be Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics).
All attendees will have the chance to meet these composers at a special meet and greet session free of charge!"

Sounds pretty cool, and it's a pity I probably won't be attending the concert. What I would give to meet Yasunori and Hitoshi-san in person. =( But for all those who can, then get ready for it and try to get your tickets as soon as possible. ^^

For more information, go here.

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Eminence Orchestra, Passion, Game Music, Eminence Australia, Tenjou

Anime Review: Zero no Tsukaima

2006-10-29T04:36:00.000+08:00

Title: Zero's Familiar / Zero no Tsukaima / ゼロの使い魔
Anime Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Harem, Romance
Date of Airing: 2nd July 2006
Date Concluded: 24th September 2006
No. of Episodes: 13
No. of Episodes Watched: 13

"Pink haired Potter?"

Well, I must say that exams and a confounded PC do not make for a particularly generous setting for anime watching/downloading or blogging. The latter of which I very much regret...my blog's kinda grown on me, so it's an injustice that it has to lie dormant for so long. =( After around 3 weeks of getting the final 5 episodes of Zero no Tsukaima (henceforth ZnT), I've finally managed to finish the damn series. Pathetic? Hell yeah! ;)

So, here's my review on it. I've decided to change the format of the review and make it slightly more ordered and concise (I hope) for the purposes of:
i) Easier reading
ii) Less yapping from me = less typing ^^
So, read on!

Plot Synopsis:
Well, you could probably get this on ANN or AniDB, but it's required for a review, okay? =P So, we have Louise Francoise de la Valliere of Tristein Magic Academy (or Hogwarts if you so please), or better known as Louise the Zero, so named due to her lack of successes in casting any sort of magic spell. The students at the academy have a familiar summoning ceremony which she must attend. At the ritual, lo and behold, Louise manages to defy the odds and summon a familiar. Only her familiar turns out to be Hiraga Saito, normal teenage boy from Japan. He's stuck here, and she's stuck with him, so it begins.

Louise the Zero, and aptly named too.

Setting/Story:
At first glance, just like I mentioned some time ago in first impressions, the setting of the anime appears to be very much a rip-off of Harry Potter's famed Hogwarts. 2nd and 3rd glances don't do much to change my view, so yes, it is somewhat a Harry Potter rip-off, but not in a bad way. The world is always blindingly colourful (Louise's pink hair included) and makes for pleasant viewing throughout the 13 episode series. The story is pretty much the synopsis, except that Saito finds that he's pretty attractive to a few girls in school, making it a little harem-y. He's also trying to find a way back to Japan, which he does, in a way. There are a few twists, but I don't think the producers ever meant it to exercise your brain.
Score: 6/10

Characters:
Saito's your stereotypical, likeable Japanese boy, voiced by Hino Satoshi who also did Yuuji in Shakugan no Shana (SnS). And Louise is rather cute, discounting all her temper flares and her 'dog-treatment' of Saito. Hmm...actually that's rather cute too. Her seiyuu is Kugimiya Rie, who was Shana in SnS. See what I'm getting at? The problem with me was that I've seen SnS, so watching the pair of Saito and Louise in ZnT was like watching brighter, more colourful versions of Yuuji and Shana in SnS. You see, SnS is a pretty nice show, with a rather dark story etc. etc. (if you haven't watched it, go see for yourself), so their very similar portrayal of the characters in both shows (Shana & Louise get angry alot/Yuuji & Saito are innocently dumb alot) kinda detracted from the experience for me. That's not to say they did a bad job, on the contrary, in fact. Just try not to watch the 2 animes too closely together. The rest of the cast, from Henrietta to Kirche are all what you would expect from an anime of this sort, but they play their parts well enough. I paticularly liked watching Guiche squirm in the face of Montmorency or any slightly threatening situation, lol. Stale roles, with a rather entertaining execution keeps things interesting.
Score: 7/10

Shana with pink hair...deja vu.

Saito and Guiche.

Animation:
Animation is very nice. Though if colours and happy thoughts aren't your cup of tea, then this may disappoint. Think Negima and not Trinity Blood/Blood+. Overall, I thought the animation pretty much suited the show perfectly.
Score: 7/10

Music:
As with most animes, the opening and ending songs are catchy tunes sung by women with dog-whistle octaves in their vocal range. Okay, I'm kidding. But, the songs are nothing to shout about and I really didn't like Kugimiya Rie's execution of the end song 'The Real Feeling'. Cringe-inducing. Music in the show is in the same department as the animation, happy and colourful.
Score: 5/10

Metal polish does wonders on rust.

Verdict:
Harem, love, and some heroics in Hogwarts Academy, Nagoya, Japan. Lol. This was like ordering a huge burger and not being able to finish it. The show started out really well to me, but around the 3/4 mark, the plot just became a bit tired, and you can really see what's going to happen next. But, it's still a burger I managed to munch down.

Princess Henrietta, dressed to kill, literally.

Worth Your Time?
Well, if you're the "I download all anime, new or old!" kind of person, then why even read this? If you're not though, then yes, it's worth your time and bandwidth (or money if you want). However, I wouldn't recommend it to people who only watch Gundam, Naruto, Bleach and nothing else. ^^

Overall Score:

If You Liked This, You May Like:
Love Hina, Tonagura!, Inukami!, REC

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Zero no Tsukaima, Louise Valiel, Hiraga Saito, Tenjou

Louise and Eri PVCs from Alter

2006-10-10T02:42:00.000+08:00

While on my little world wide web exile, I thought about changing a couple of things on the blog. Here's the first one, which may or may not be better, I don't know. I've decided to use thumbnails for my posts on figurines, just cause I think it's rather cumbersome to have a post 4 screens long, and scrolling forever just to reach the end. If you guys don't like this, tell me. If you like it, then I'm happy and you don't have to tell me. =)

Louise 1/8 scale PVC
From: Zero no Tsukaima

Here's the first. Well, forgive me if you've seen this. I may probably be a little late. But anything's a start. First announced during this year's Wanfesu (Wonder Winterfest 2006), this is Alter's sculpt of Louise from the quite interesting Zero no Tsukaima. Kotobukiya has another one due this month, which doesn't look as good as Alter's version. This one has Louise sitting on a pretty realistic looking wooden ladder, and I just love the frontal view of her face. From the side though, her chin seems a tad bit sharper than I remember.

Problem though. Unless my eyes deceive me, she seems to have the top step of the ladder as her butt. Look closely, her thigh seems to be 'stuck' to the ladder or something. I hope it isn't released like that. Woaah. Anyway, that aside, great pictures.

Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: February 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

Sawachika Eri 1/8 scale PVC
From: School Rumble / School Rumble ni Gakki

Here's Eri looking deeelicious in a black bikini. Again, I hope that plastic base turns out to be a nice chair. Well, even if it isn't I guess I can live with that. Funny how there's more Eri than Tenma, but she's hotter, so I'm not complaining. Nothing wrong with this figure here, Eri's lounging (in a chair, oh, please, in a chair), and she'd be a great addition to my little display back home. =)

Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: February 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, School Rumble, Zero no Tsukaima, Tenjou

Ah, The PS3 Wins...Oh, and I Can Go Online!

2006-10-10T01:47:00.000+08:00

I'm back! Um, sort of. I'm still pitifully stuck doing this on a 'uni-work only' laptop, and it is excruating and slow, I kid you not. I have internet access though, and I guess I should be grateful considering the circumstances. Sigh what do you do when 2 weeks offline causes you to miss downloading around a zillion episodes? Ouran's over and I just found out. How sad. Lolz. =(

Anyway, after 180 votes (should have been 150), this is the result of my little console war poll that has been going on a seemingly long time. I don't even know how long. The PS3 started off leading by a heck of a lot of votes, but in the end it's quite close between the XBox 360 and PS3, though Sony's money-maker wins out, probably 'coz it's launch date is only a skip and a hop away.

The results are:

1) Playstation 3 - 34%
2) XBox 360 - 27%
3) Nintendo Wii - 20%
4) Me PC geek crush consoles! - 16%
5) Are those like...an iPod? - 3%

Well, 16% of 180 hate consoles. I bet you have a console lying around somewhere even if you voted that. ^^

Oh, well. No new poll for now. Can't think of anything, and it'll be slightly bothersome to change it.

>>> Miscellaneous

Tags: Blog, Blogs, Blogging, Miscellaneous, Poll Results, Updates, Tenjou

A Short Little Hiatus

2006-09-25T04:34:00.000+08:00

Right. Just a little heads-up to everyone who reads this blog (thank ye a whole bloody lot ^^), and whoever's passing through. I've been rather busy lately, studies and stuff, and I'm about to lose my internet connection for a week or so, starting tomorrow (don't ask *sob*), my computer's out of service (I'm doing this on a laptop...I don't even have pictures *2x sob*), so I guess I'm forced to take a little break from my blogging exploits.

Blog's not dead, so check back once in a while ya hear?! Lol. =P Anyway, that's about it. Oh, and please do yourself a favour and get Haruhi with her guitar from Atelier Sai if you're a Haru-tard. =)

>>> Miscellaneous

Tags: Blog, Blogs, Blogging, Miscellaneous, Hiatus, Tenjou

Alter's 2007 Prelude And Delay Dismay

2006-09-15T02:45:00.000+08:00

Also coming from Alter in January 2007 (or so it would seem, what with delay after delay going on), are these two figures of Tachibana Rei and Nagi. Rei is from Pani Poni Dash!, the anime with the 11 year old teacher (lol), Nagi is from the Peace@Pieces H-Game.

Rei is quite well done, if well done means looking like the anime. And she's got removeable glasses! Yay. I don't think she's a character that makes an interesting PVC figure, but Alter has still done a fine job here. Though I must say her rear view doesn't look very good. She looks better from the front. 1/8 scale, as usual, and it's the usual 4800 Yen also.

Name: Tachibana Rei 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

Nagi here completes the pair of Death Gods which also includes Hikaru, released a month back. I haven't played the game or anything, but this, along with Hikaru, make pretty nice eye-candy. I love the base she's sitting on, that round green thing, whatever it is. Looks like a cute insect. =)

Name: Nagi (Death God Ver.) 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 5500 Yen

Oh, and since I mentioned delays earlier, here's a list of the PVC figures that have been delayed, in case you didn't get what I was talking about.

Delayed Figures:

Max Factory - 1/7 Ignis [Sept ==> Oct]
Max Factory - Yuuma [Sept ==> Oct]
Max Factory - Van [Sept ==> Nov]
Max Factory - Kotona Elegance [Sept-Oct ==> Nov]
Good Smile Company - Kazami Mizuho [Sept ==> Nov]
Good Smile Company - Fate T.Figures [Sept-Oct ==> Nov]
Good Smile Company - Fate Testarossa [Sept-Oct ==> Nov]
Alter - School Rumble 2nd Sem TMC [Sept ==> Oct]
Alter - 1/8 Ignis [Sept-Oct ==> Nov]
Alter - Alvis E.Hamilton RE-ISSUE [Sept-Oct ==> Nov]

WHEN THE HELL WILL I BE ABLE TO GET MAX FACTORY'S IGNIS?! Sigh.

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, Peace Pieces, Pani Poni Dash!, Nagi, Tachibana Rei, Tenjou

Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia 1/6 Ilya Swimsuit PVC

2006-09-14T20:19:00.000+08:00

Affirmative bud. Another Fate female in a swimsuit. Fortunately, this time it's the much under-appreciated Ilya. This, along with the Sakura and Tohsaka Swimsuit figures released a few months back, and the upcoming Saber with Ice Shaver and Rider bikini figure from Alter basically completes the set of 'Fate babes in swimsuits' line. Unless they do a Caster. ^^

I really like this one, not because I have any particular liking for Ilya, but because she's done really well here and besides the rather funny-looking Ilya from Koto, I've been rather Ilya-deprived (she can be rather kawaii when she's not evil and demonic). I'm still confounded as to why nobody out there has sculpted a figure of Ilya in her winter coat. I would love that. Aah, listen not to the ramblings of a Fate junkie. ^^

Very good likeness to her anime self, and it's got that trademark Alter matte finish. Nothing much more to say about this one. Got the other swimsuit figures? Like Ilya? Then, get this. Hate Fate? This won't interest you one bit then, lol. Comes out next year.

Name: Ilya von Einzbern Swimsuit 1/6 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia, Ilya, Tenjou

I Could Not Resist...

2006-09-12T20:33:00.000+08:00

How many Fate figures are there now? I think I've seen Sakura 3 times in the same old bikini as of today...you'd think manufacturers would think up something more creative when they decide to crank out another one. But nooo....instead, now we get Alter's swimsuit Sakura, but on her knees by Kotobukiya. And she seems to have lost her towel too, haha. Alter's one is still WAAAY nicer, IMHO. And bigger too. This comes out in December...but I REALLY DON'T CARE ANYMORE! But I couldn't resist not posting about it. Lol.

Name: Matou Sakura Swimsuit 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Release Date: December 2006
Price: 4410 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Kotobukiya, Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia, Matou Sakura, Tenjou

Ghost in the Shell 1/7 Kusanagi Motoko PVC

2006-09-12T19:43:00.000+08:00

Major Kusanagi Motoko, the beautiful, deadly, and mostly human heroine of the award winning Ghost in the Shell gets a figurine worthy of her brilliance. Hmm, sounded a little corny, that. This figure of Motoko from Alter/Vice has her in her official police get-up, standing rather lazily holding a cool-looking pistol. I saw this a few days back, and damn, I knew I had to try my very best to procure one for myself. =P The figure pretty much resembles Motoko of the anime and I can't get over how...'Motoko' she looks. I must say it isn't the most detailed figure ever, but everything just blends. The jacket, the gloves, her gun, and I'm lovin' the holster at her back. Very nicely painted, it's a 1/7 scale figure, and comes out in December.

I liked the anime and the movies, which consisted of pretty stunning visuals, even looking at them today. As a fan, I can't say it gets any better than this. =)

Name: Kusanagi Motoko 1/7 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter / Vice
Release Date: December 2006
Price: 6090 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, Ghost in the Shell, Kusanagi Motoko, Tenjou

Anime in Retrospect: Amaenaideyo!!

2006-09-06T03:21:00.000+08:00

Title: Amaenaideyo!! / あまえないでよっ!!
Anime Genre: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, Supernatural
Date of Airing: 1st July 2005
Date Concluded: 16th September 2005
No. of Episodes: 12 + 1 DVD Special
No. of Episodes Watched: 12 + 1 DVD Special

"Religious fanservice."

Amaenaideyo!!...probably the only anime that lumps together 2 ingredients from opposite sides of the planet. A buddhist monk, and many amply chested, sexy babes. Okay, sexy priestesses/nuns (I'll go with nuns now...coz it's shorter), but no difference, just more perverted. =) If you have a fetish for very sexy, very young nuns, then stop reading this and do not hesitate to watch this anime, whatever my take on it. If not, read on. ^^

Sakura.

Real nuns are all this hot, honest.

Satonaka Ikko is a 16 year old, talentless bloke who has been sent to the Saienji Temple by his parents to train as a monk. Upon arrival, he finds that the only other trainees at the temples are six pretty and sexy nuns (depending on what you like, lol), who will eventually subject him to all kinds of abuse like any other harem anime. The temple itself is run by Ikko's grandmother, Jotoku-ba, the Head Priestess of Saienji. Anyway, to cut to the chase, Ikko gains the incredible power of the deceased High Priest Saizen when he sees any of these nuns in whatever state of undress. Hence, begins their wonderful life together. ;)

Haruka Neko-chan....meowww.

These 2 are 'not supposed to be hot', lol.

Anyway, the nuns in question are Nanbu Chitose, the fuchsia-haired, cute and innocent love interest for Ikko. Then there's Haruka, who's just the typical nice, carefree babe (much like Hatsune in Tonagura!), and Sumi, the brown skinned girl with a more than normal affinity for dogs. You'll get what I mean if you watch the show. ^^ Sakura and Hinata are sisters, Sakura is sadistic and power crazy, while Hinata is your silent-loli. Lastly, there's Yuko, who's more the fighting nun kind.

As far as story goes, there really isn't much. Most of the plot for this first season of Amaenaideyo!! focuses on Ikko and his powers, but only in the most flippant fashion. Meaning all we get for the first 10 episodes is that Ikko becomes Superman when he sees the girls undressed. Nothing else. So, this concept is played out in all sorts of various situations, be it exorcising hordes of ghosts, or putting on a Masked Ranger stage show. There are quite a lot of religious sequences in the show, consisting of Buddhist terms, and also the chanting of the mantra. I do admit it's rather unsettling to hear religious chants 1 minute, then see a nun having her robes pulled off the next. =.=

Masked Ranger Pretty!

The anime is slightly like Love Hina in the sense that from the get-go, you KNOW there's only one girl for Ikko. Definitely not a plus for an already shallow anime striving to be genrified as 'Harem'. I like Chitose's innocent character, somewhat sheltered and totally lacking any sort of guile. She's from a small village somewhere (after 2 seasons, I still don't know), and it's really amusing listening to her talk about stuff like the small 2-storeyed hut that was all of supermarket, department store, and video shop. The girls reaction to her unknown past are also somewhat funny.

An extra scarf is more than enough...despite the frozen steps. O.o

The most reliable way to exorcise ghosts.

Near the end of the 12 TV episodes, we learn A LITTLE bit more about Ikko's latent powers and why he must learn to control it. Slightly more interesting here, but not by much. Anyway, the end leaves us with something of a cliffhanger for season 2, which I'll talk about sometime later. Here comes the meaty part. Episode 13. Loads of ecchi, loads of nudity. It was like watching some softcore hentai episode, lol. This doesn't do much to redeem the whole season, but if you've suffered through all 12 episodes then you'd be dumb if you didn't at least watch this one. =D

Behind every man, is a woman...a naked one in Ikko's case.

Aah..the creme de la creme.

Animation is passable. Though I noticed there are a very large number of headshots. Just the heads of the characters, nothing else. Not good. Music is so-so. OP and ED are catchy, but aren't all anime songs? Too bad the series itself is nothing more than another excuse/setting for yet another harem anime and more ecchi. I feel there could have been something unique here, if it was done better. There should have been slightly more emphasis on the story, since they put in all these bits about Ikko's power and the girl's pasts. Right now, all it is to me is a jumble of unrealized ideas bereft of proper execution, topped with lots of fanservice. Good fun, but nothing more.

*Out of 10*
Animation (Quality of): 8
Story (Depth, twists, and extras): 4
Music (Songs, Suitability): 6
Characters (Dynamism, Background): 5
True to Genre?: 6

OVERALL RATING:

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Amaenaideyo!!, Nanbu Chitose, Satonaka Ikko, Tenjou

Ikki Tousen 1/7 Ryomou Shimei PVC

2006-09-06T00:56:00.000+08:00

If you've never seen Ikki Tousen, trust me, you haven't missed anything (except lots of panties and cleavage ^^). But, if you don't at least look at these pictures, you'll be doing yourself an injustice.

Another offering from Orchid Seed, along with it's now censored version of Ignis, is this exquisitely sculpted Ryomou Shimei from the anime Ikki Tousen. Definitely topping any other PVC figure of the sexy brawling maiden, this is a somewhat more dynamic version of Shimei-chan than whatever I've ever laid eyes upon. She's in her famous maid costume, but it's not really that either. The get-up seems missing the apron but this is much hotter than the original.

Shimei is even carrying her handcuffs, which, I hasten to add, look rather detailed. The sword and her pose completes the 'oh, so cool' factor for me. ^^ From the pictures, I think the figure looks very nicely painted, and how can one not like the ribbons and frills she's got all over the dress. Oh, and her top's torn too. Classic Ikki Tousen, haha. The figure is 1/7 scale, around 23cm, and slated for the end of 2006. Go get it. =)

Name: Ryomou Shimei 1/7 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Orchid Seed
Release Date: Winter 2006
Price: 6800 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Orchid Seed, Ikki Tousen, Ryomou Shimei, Tenjou

Anime Dubs = Anime Duds?

2006-09-03T03:17:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, someone told me about the addition of the anime channel Animax to Malaysia's cable TV network. Never too impressed by their repertoire of channels and shows, mostly due to the crippling problem of repeating waaaay too many series/movies, and the blatant insertion of rather inferior local advertisements which are always so lengthy that they take away parts of the show to air it, I was pleasantly surprised by this development. Or so I thought.

I was then told that, at least for now, all animes will be aired with both the American-dubbed English voice tracks, and the native Japanese track. Sounds okay. Then, I was informed that subtitles are not available for most of the animes, and for those that DO contain subtitles, they are in the malay language. =.= To make a long story short, let me just say that malay is not a language you want to be using to subtitle anime. Even in English there is trouble getting half the nuances of Japanese culture across, what more malay? So, with a majority of people in the country knowing 3 words of Japanese, the bottomline was, either watch anime with customarily sub-par English dubs, or read malay. What a way to ruin the experience.

Nothing to do with anything, really...

So, this got me thinking about the subject in the title of this post...namely dubbed anime. Let's take a look at dubbing, shall we, and not just english dubs. Have you ever watched dubbed anime/shows and just felt that the voices sounded SO out of place and unsuitable that for the entire 25 minute episode, you find yourself wondering how the original would sound like, and whether that guy doing Goku is gay? ^^ While I understand that there are people out there who really don't mind dubbed anime, I think most anime-watchers with even a hint of seriousness in their hobby would beg to differ. I haven't watched a great deal of dubbed anime, but I've seen enough to know I fit into the latter category, obviously, but why is this so? Why is it that dubbed animation turns me off? And how is it that dubs usually sound so 'unnatural'?

In response to both questions, here are a couple of points I've read about from disgruntled anime fans in forums and also stuff I myself cannot stand.

1) Lousy Voice Direction - What is it that voice directors do? Well, for starters, they cast the voices. Voice casting is probably the most important part of starting a dub. Choose the wrong guy/girl, and you'll end up with Belldandy sounding like a college co-ed, and Goku like a homosexual. (Just examples, not necessarily true) I don't understand how dubbing studios can choose voices which are worlds apart from the original after watching the Japanese version. Or do they not even give a damn? Voice directors also choose and FIT the dialog to the show, and the movement of the character's mouth. Obviously this isn't given it's due attention sometimes, as we hear english dubs where characters speak at almost supersonic speeds just to end their sentences in time with the lip movement. Hardly riveting, watching shows like these.

2) Identifying with Authenticity - I believe I wouldn't be far from the truth when I say most people want to consume media in it's original form. You don't want to watch a Bollywood movie in english, a Chinese kung fu flick in spanish, or the Lord of the Rings in mandarin (unless you have no choice, of course). This applies especially to anime. I have the DVD of Ah! My Goddess The Movie which features both English and Japanese voice tracks. On impulse, I decided to watch the whole movie in English first. It was acceptable, to say the least. Then, I watched it in Japanese a day later. Imagine my surprise (lol) when the movie became 5 times better than the first time I saw it. Despite the fact that it was exactly the same movie, with the same animation, and I hardly understood the dialog, I found myself getting more caught up in the setting and the whole tone of the movie. In English, the characters sounded too drab,and voices were more often than not, lacking in emotion. Perhaps the voice actors did not grasp the animated personalities being put across through these big-eyed characters? Unlikely. Anyway, the point is, animes are made for Nihon-go, and making them sound different is a bloody crime. I won't go into detail, but let's just say some shows need to stay in their native languages. Imagine Bollywood singing dubbed in English. Now, that WOULD be a good lesson in the sheer hilarity of some of these anime dubs.

3) Bad Voice Actors - Yes, one of the simplest factors in causing anime dubbing to go awry more times than we'd like. Just like how they use and re-use seiyuus in Japan, voice studios in America tend to employ the same voice actors over and over again, regardless of their talent or quality. The problem is, voice actors in the US hardly have the talent of the numerous seiyuus in Japan. They sing, they act, they do voices AND they are able to diversify themselves enough to fit into a huge amount of totally different animes/games. Sadly, this is not true for their english-speaking counterparts. They not only lack emotion, but seem to be devoid of the range or the acting ability bestowed upon their Japanese equivalents. Making them inept and very often unsuitable for the job. It's like they just picked an decent sounding guy/girl of the streets and dragged them into the studio. Just to name one well-known seiyuu, let's take Yui Horie for instance. She's probably best known for her role as Narusegawa Naru in Love Hina, but has also played parts in other big animes such as Sawachika Eri in School Rumble, Sasaki Makie in Negima!, Shiina Yuya in Samurai Deeper Kyo and also Siesta and Yoko from the recent Zero no Tsukaima and Inukami! respectively. True, some of these may be similar roles (girl that likes guy) in similar genres (romance, comedy), but I think she's done a good job for all of these and even managed to sound different and convincing enough that I didn't recognize her in some.

4) Lack of Motivation? - Probably the hardest to prove, easiest to deny, but lack of motivation is probably the number one reason why American dubs are so bad. First of all, the Anime companies know that their biggest critics, anime fans, are rarely ever satisfied by dubbing efforts. Therefore, since they know they can't win, why should they try? Better dubbing involves higher costs in hiring better talent, using more studio time, and mayhaps also for getting better translators. These are costs anime studios don't feel the need to bear due to the aforementioned reasons. The "If people think we suck anyway, why bother to do anything to change that?" mentality holds many animes back, and makes dubbed episodes unwatchable to the hardcore anime fan.

5) Difference between Dialogue and Subtitles - Those of us used to subtitles, be it fansubbed or DVDs, would be rather surprised when actually comparing the subs with the dubs. Dubs usually deviate from subtitle sentences due to the fact that they have to i) translate the Japanese language and try to keep the nuances and meaning, and ii) fit this all into the few seconds of mouth movement alloted to them. Hard to do? I'll say. Subtitles are usually much longer than what is being heard on screen, because it's easier to get everything in a long sentence without actually saying it out. That's already a natural hindrance to the dubbing process. Cut sentences short and lose the meaning, or adhere to the 'supersonic speed talk' rule? Both options are hardly encouraging.

6) Since I Don't Understand It... - The Japanese seiyuus probably have a better chance of getting away with crappy voice acting compared to the english-speaking ones, for me. After all, I DO understand english very well, compared to japanese, and would probably spot every irregularity or weird uses of words. This isn't a very good reason though, as I still feel more involved in an anime shown in japanese, rather than english or any other language. I guess you can take the anime out of Japan, but you can't take Japan out of the anime, haha.

Conclusion: Dubbed anime usually sucks ass. Stick with subtitles if you don't understand japanese. And if you actually LIKE dubbed versions, learn how to start liking the Japanese versions STAT. Or you'll be missing out on a whole lot of goodness. Oh, and girls in Hentai animes sound better in japanese too. ^^ I have seen A FEW good dubs over the years, but the way dubbed animes are the butt of jokes for the otaku community worldwide, it looks like there won't be much effort anytime soon from voice studios to motivate themselves to do any better. After all, even if I buy a US DVD, I listen to the japanese track and switch over to english only for laughs, or if I need to puke. =D

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Anime Dubbing, Anime Dubs, Tenjou

First Impressions: Tonagura!

2006-08-31T03:48:00.000+08:00

Tonagura means ecchi. No, it doesn't, actually (what does it mean? O.o). However, watching the first few episodes of the anime certainly gave me that impression. It's not that the anime treads the thin borders of hentai-dom like...say...Amaenaideyo!!, but it's more the way it portrays the perversions that are part and parcel of an anime genre classified as "romance, ecchi, comedy and school life".

Kazuki.

What comes to mind when you see an anime with those genres? Yup. Yes, and affirmative. Whatever you were thinking, it's probably here. A short synopsis is in order. Tonagura! centers around Arisaka Kazuki, who has been waiting to 10 years or so to once again meet the young boy Yuuji, whom she had a crush with a long time ago. Well, perhaps more than a crush. Yuuji and his sister Marie used to come over and play all the time with Kazuki and her own sister, Hatsune. Alas, the day Yuuji and his family moves back to the very house they left 10 years ago (real estate must suck in Japan), he turns out to be more than a little disappointing.

Instead of meeting the Prince Charming she had envisioned all along, Kazuki finds that he's 100% Japanese pervert. =) That's just about the gist of it. More often than not, I find myself thinking of Love Hina. This is in most parts due to the massive abuse Yuuji receives from both his sister, Marie, and Kazuki herself. (Why does every anime in this mould contain a weird-loli character like Marie?) Anyway, Marie has taken it upon herself to 'eliminate' Yuuji with her air rifle everytime he goes all ecchi and perverted. Which is rather often. Kazuki punches him, kicks him and sends him flying across the room. Naru-punch anyone?

Yuuji launching himself at anything female.

That picture is SO cute. Especially Hatsune. =D

What differentiates Yuuji from Keitaro in Love Hina is probably the blatant way he carries out his fantasies. While Keitaro walks in on girls changing unknowingly, Yuuji practically throws himself at Kazuki's (and Hatsune and Chihaya, so far) breasts, seemingly without fear of divine retribution. ^^ That's what gives a slightly different spin on how sexual innuendo is woven into the storyline, in my opinion. We're all fed up with guys inadvertently walking into every onsen (onsen = hot springs bath) and shower only to be thrown out by the raging beauty within. Now, this time, our friend Yuuji here seems to be a self-confessed pervert (read: teenage guy). He's not going to fall under your skirt. By golly, he'll climb up there if he has to, lol. Okay, maybe that was a bit far-fetched, but it certainly feels different.

What is the deal with these sort of characters?

Endearingly bubbly.

The anime is moderately amusing, if you actually find this sort of thing funny. Animation is quite good, and I kinda like both the opening and ending songs. One's catchy, and the other one's a typical J-pop ballad. And as far as I can see (from 3 episodes), there ARE a few sensible, touching moments where Kazuki reminisces about the past, and still hopes for a major transformation from the pervert.

Chihaya and Yuuji.

According to ANN, around 8 episodes have been aired in Japan at the time of writing, so it's hard to make a substantial comment on the show before I get that far, lest I piss off some fans. But, I'm not really sold on the tired concept of the show. The way I see it though, this feels much like an anime that will give you part of your 'ecchi and craziness' fix during this summer line-up (due to few similar shows), but not much more. Watch it, if only for the ending song. =P

P.S Oh, and a Happy Merdeka Day to my fellow Malaysians out there. Probably another 49 years before we get flying cars and climate control. No, not really, lol.

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Tonagura!, Arisaka Kazuki, Kagura Yuuji, Tenjou

Bleach: Redemption

2006-08-29T19:23:00.000+08:00

No, no, it's not the title of another Bleach movie. Though it does sound catchy, huh. =P Looking at scores and ratings given in anidb, ANN, animenfo etc. etc, one wouldn't be faulted in thinking that Bleach is one heck of an anime. And one would not be wrong, to an extent. While certainly possessing a rather solid story, I do believe much of Bleach's charm and appeal lies in it's cool-factor (seen in abundance in earlier episodes) and the action-packed, zanpaktou-swinging mayhem that make up it's fighting scenes. Who can forget the first time Ichigo stood up to Renji to save Rukia, only to be hacked down by the then incredible 'shinpou' of Byakuya? Or Ishida's fight against Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his Bankai? Indeed, any lame excuse to fight was happily accepted, as I knew it would be a treat to the shonen fan in me.

Ah, watching Ichigo FINALLY use his Bankai (after 10 or so episodes of irritating sword-swinging underground) was a special moment. Man, getting past Byakuya's Senbonzakura and stabbing him was indescribably splendid for me. Hehe. Okay, lame, whatever. Anyway, then peace had to come. You see, in any long-running anime, we have to have side-stories to make it even LONGER-running. Hence, enter the Bounto, Bound, Bount, however the hell it is spelled.

These Bounto, if you don't know already, are results of failed Shinigami experiments in Soul Society. They are near immortal, live forever, and control 'Dolls' as their weapons. The 'Dolls' are mostly really lame by the way. So, after years of festering, their wounds of hatred have finally gotten so painful that they are now seeking revenge over the Shinigami, and total decimation of Soul Society. Sounds okay for a side story, no? Much better than the Naruto crap which I stopped watching 70 episodes ago. And it is/was, until the usual sickness plaguing most side arcs set in.

Fighting and action were always Bleach's forte, and that went horribly wrong a little ways into the Bounto story. There were way too few battles, and whatever battles we DID get were short and uninspiring. The Shinigami, Ichigo and his gang, well, almost everyone, had their powers 'nerfed' big time. I understand the rather thin story about Kurosaki's inability to use his Bankai in the real world. However, that aside, he didn't even seem to move fast anymore. His usage of Zangetsu was pathetic to say the least. It's like going back 40 episodes and watching him when he first became a Shinigami. Yuck. What happened to those flash-steps, that ability to read his enemies, that inner power he possessed? Getsuga Tenshou seemed a lot more scary when he blasted it at Byakuya.

To make matters worse, I do believe the animation suffered as the anime dragged on. Drawings started to get rather inconsistent, with people looking cool one moment and having their eyes too far apart the next. Here's a look at Kuukaku looking all manly in one, and somewhat more feminine in the other. Yes, both show her in a bad mood as usual, but I can't help but notice the fuller eyes and slightly more rounded face in the latter.

Before, and after Hollywood got to Kuukaku.

And don't get me started on battle scenes. It was plenty hilarious watching Kira swing his 'weight-doubling' zanpaktou up and down, up and down, hacking away at that female ballbearing Doll whatshername. Where is the class in that? =.= Sheesh. And the recent battle between Rukia and Yoshi (that green-haired butch Bounto) only served to amplify this problem. The movements were spastic, and sometimes it looked like they were moving paper dolls on a still background of Rukongai. Oh, and how is it that the frighteningly deadly Senbonzakura that sliced Renji and Ganjuu up didn't even scratch the seemingly weak Yoshi who couldn't even kill the weaker Rukia? Argh.

The side-characters seem to be hard-pressed finding someone to fight, and have much less things to do too. Sado-kun and Inoue have used their powers around once each, I think, in this current 30+ episode run. Urahara does nothing but sit around in his shop while the world goes to blazes, and Yoruichi hasn't fought any Bounto yet, eventhough she probably could have taken out a few of them before they started soul-sucking from the Bitto insects...things...whatever. Oh well.

Like an old Nintendo fighting game...

But in terms of action, at last, there is hope. My perseverance seems to be finally paying off, starting with Ichigo getting rather awesome against Kariya a few shows back. Ishida regains his strength and is hell-bent on killing Kariya to avenge his Bounto girlfriend, lol. Then Byakuya appears, and it seems we're going to get quite a battle between him and Kariya next time around. Yes, I will tell you straight out that I watch Bleach only for the battles (the cool ones, that is), and that's what I'm getting again. The animation is still too erratic for my liking though. Hmm, but if Byakuya can't scratch Yoshi, I wonder how he'll do against Kariya?

Bankai!

Redemption at last? Perhaps. Or maybe there never was need for any. I don't know. But if things even get close to what they were during the main story arc, what I DO know is, I'll be happy enough.

P.S. I cannot stand the way everyone RUNS in this anime. They look like sticks on legs. =S

P.P.S. Yoruichi needs to eat more. =D

>>> Animania

Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Bleach, Bleach Anime, Kurosaki Ichigo, Tenjou

Asahina Mikuru PVC

2006-08-23T00:32:00.000+08:00

Hawt. =)

Well, Haruhi fanboys rejoice. Something better looking than that bunny girl Mikuru is on the way. From Kaiyodo this time. ^^ Though I won't get too excited. I'm still waiting for a Haruhi. Lols.

Name: Asahina Mikuru PVC
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 3990 Yen

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Kaiyodo, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Asahina Mikuru, Tenjou

Wonder Festival 2006 [Summer]: Anime Figures Report

2006-08-22T02:10:00.000+08:00

Wonder Winter Festival, Wonder Summer Festival, Chara Hobby Expo, Gundam Conventions, Anime Conventions, and every other otaku convention happening in Japan. This isn't even including the numerous gaming conventions like the Tokyo Game Show which happen every year, or all the conventions that happen way across the world in the US. Anime Expo and Comic Con come to mind. It's either a great time to be an anime/comic/game fan, or it's a time where you just wonder where to get that next wad of cash to feed this frenzied craze. =P

WonderFest Summer 2006 has just wrapped up over in Japan, and it's just given people like me quite a few more anime figurines to drool over. Kotobukiya, Alter, Max Factory, Goodsmile, TakaraTomy, Toypla and quite a few others preview more of their money-sucking commodities, which I will be taking a very brief look at now. Being more into anime figurines than anything else, that'll be mainly what I'll talk about here. Most are only hitting stores in 2007, time enough to amass the moolah.

I'll start with Alter, since they had the most in terms of stuff that caught my eye. First up, you guessed it, more Fate.

Name: Ilya swimsuit 1/6 scale PVC
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

A rather cute Ilya, and the first where she looks pretty much like the anime. The one from Kotobukiya (released this month) just looked weird to me. Nice swimsuit, nice pose, though I would have preferred her in her purple fur coat get-up.

And now, for something looking SUPER HOT. ^^

Name: Rider swimsuit 1/6 scale PVC
Release Date: Spring 2007
Price: n/a

Yup, it's the purple-haired Rider, in a swimsuit again. She looks ever so slightly more voluptious compared to the Hobby Japan special one. Slightly better 'proportions' too, if you catch my drift. No surfboard for this one, but if you aren't getting the HJ version, what better way to satiate that Rider appetite. Heck, get this even if you're a lucky bastard who's getting the HJ one, lol. 1/6 scale, so it's big AND sexy. What else could you ask for? =)

Alter are also releasing a Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia trading figure set, which, from first glance, looks like quality. Since it's HA instead of Stay Night, we get a coy Saber, magical girl Tohsaka, Karen and some characters I don't really know of. But they look good nonetheless. I like the detail on the figures, just like those other Type-Moon characters Alter is releasing which has those awesome figures of Saber and Rin. =P According to reports there are 7 figures in all, including the obligatory 'secret' figure.

Name: Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia Trading Figures
Release Date: January 2007
Price: Around 4700 Yen

Ah, finally got that over with. On to other stuff. Another figure of Sachikawa Eri of School Rumble is in the works, and I must say, it's looking pretty good.

Name: Sachikawa Eri swimsuit 1/6 scale PVC
Release Date: February 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

Hopefully the transparent plastic she's lying on turns out to be a deck chair or something when final production commences. That would make the figure perfect. =D

Louise de Valiel gets another rendition of herself, this time seated atop a folding ladder, and looking slightly better than Kotobukiya's version (I seem to say that alot...=.=;). I definitely like this figure. Very good likeness to her anime counterpart, in my humble opinion.

Name: Louise de la Valiel 1/8 scale PVC
Release Date: February 2007
Price: 4800 Yen

Anyone remember Rindoh Rina? Or if you know anything about the game Pastel Chime Continue, you should recognize this figure. Which I don't expect. I don't really know her name right now, but this is looking to be another very beautiful figure from Alter, in a subdued kind of way. Looking at both this and the Rina figure, you'd never think these girls are from a H-game, doing perverted err, stuff.

Name: "Whatshername" 1/8 scale PVC
Release Date: Spring 2007
Price: n/a

I wasn't totally attracted to the Rina figure, but this one may just make me get both. ;P I like the way the finishing is done on the paint job, giving her dress a slightly smoky look in the gray regions. Her hair is also done well, sharp and separated at the ends. And blue hair turns me on, for whatever reason. ^^

Oh, and some cutie figures of Navel's characters, including Shuffle! girls. Yay. =)

Now, let's take a look at Goodsmile and Max Factory. Though yet again, Fate gets first dibs on everything.

Name: Saber maid 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 4500 Yen

Surprise, surprise, it's Saber in a MAID costume. Yup, I think my predictions of the Saber mermaid will come true soon, haha. Well, what can I say? It's Saber as a maid. The figure isn't painted yet, so I can't really comment. Yeah, pretty nice, but I've never had a thing for maids.

Name: Majikina Mina 1/5 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
Release Date: January 2007
Price: 7800 Yen

A very hot Majikina Mina of Samurai Spirits is the next figure on offer from Goodsmile. I remember one a while back from Toypla, but that one is nowhere near this version. (Was this one ever a resin?) Mina is sculpted holding her trademark bow, and whatever semblance of clothes she has is being blown ever so enticingly by the wind. ;) It's huge, 1/5 scale to be exact, and the price is pretty steep too. but don't let that stop you.

And here's a picture of a bunch of Fate figures standing together. I see gorcery girl Sakura there, so this probably confirms that Goodsmile is probably the main player in the manufacture of that figure, whatever it is that amiami says. =)

One rather interesting thing I noticed was the Orchid Seed Ignis figure on show. NO EXPOSED BOOBIES! So, is this the real figure that's coming out in a few months? Or another, censored version. I don't think they're that stupid, so I'm putting my money on this being the completed PVC to be released in November.

Name: Ignis 1/7 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Orchid Seed
Release Date: November 2006
Price: 5800 Yen

So, is this bye bye to all your hentai dreams? ^^ Though, this does make me want to buy it. =P

And Witchblade's Masane from Orchid Seed? At 1/6 scale? Yummy. Though if you're getting Koto's or GDH's, you really shouldn't blow your money on this.

Name: Masane Amaha 1/6 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Orchid Seed
Release Date: n/a
Price: n/a

In terms of PVC figures, Kotobukiya didn't have too much on offer. A few ToHeart figures, which I'm sorry to say, didn't interest me too much. I think I've said this once before. Cut off the girls' heads and you're left with the same body in the same uniform, hehe. However, I'm willing to forgive this one here. ^^

Name: Tamaki Kousaka 1/7 scale PVC
Release Date: January 2007
Price: n/a

A pretty nice looking figure of Tamaki Kousaka if I'm not mistaken. Sorry, my ToHeart viewing was sporadic and incomplete at best, hehe. Pretty hair, nice base, and she's holding a bag. I like figures holding bags, cups and whatnot. They give it that slight uniqueness over a girl doing nothing; ie. your normal running/standing/hopping poses.

And of course, there were a number on figures on show which are coming out real soon. A few notable ones were Zero no Tsukaima's Louise, Eruruu from Utawarerumono, and Yomiko Readman from R.O.D (Read or Die).

Name: Louise de la Valiel 1/8 scale PVC
Release Date: October 2006
Price: 5040 Yen

They seem to have settled on a nice pentagram base for her. That's a good thing. Here's Eruruu, and Koto has screwed up her face once again. =/

Name: Eruruu 1/8 scale PVC
Release Date: September 2006
Price: 4410 Yen

Name: Yumiko Readman 1/8 scale PVC
Release Date: October 2006
Price: 5040 Yen

Okay, that's about it from me. I like Alter's recent releases mostly, and definitely hope Koto picks up the pace in terms of their anime figures. Oh well, here's to another year of figure-buying and anime fests. =D

>>> Toyzlog

Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, WonderFest 2006, Wonder Festival Summer, Tenjou

Asahina Mikuru PVC Black & White Versions

2006-08-20T13:00:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the embarassing lack of updates recently. =P Been bogged down with a few things lately, and whenever I've had the time, it was either a case of too tired, or too lazy, lol. Been holding on to these pictures for almost a week now. Sorry if it's old news, but here's the black and white 'special editions' of the 1/6 scale Asahina Mikuru PVC figurine.

I'm still not sure who's the manufacturer, though I read somewhere it's being done by Atelier Sai? Oh well. Here ya go then. Promise more updates very soon. Original figure here.

Name: Asahina Mikuru 1/6 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Sol International / Atelier Sai
Release Date: November 2006
Price: 7140 Yen

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Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Atelier Sai, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Asahina Mikuru, Tenjou

Asahina Mikuru 1/6 PVC Preview

2006-08-13T00:27:00.000+08:00

Aah, a wonderful day it is today. The first (of many, hopefully) PVC figure from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, but it's not Haruhi. Though it's very similar to that garage kit of Haruhi I posted (and mistook for a PVC) in her bunny suit. This one's Mikuru-chan in her red bunny suit! ^^ Moe fever. This figure is on preview now in Japan, and if my understanding is correct, it's only from the 11th to the 14th of August.

Looking cute.

Front view. Still rather plain though. But it's Mikuru-chan!

Anyway, as you can see, it's Asahina in her red bunny costume, looking as cute as ever. The figure is currently going to be 1/6 scale (about 26cm tall), and is tentatively scheduled for a November 2006 release. Hopefully they announce a Haruhi one soon. =) And Yuki. The figure itself looks quite decent from the pictures. Slightly plain, but it's Asahina alright. I think it's a bit shiny right now...hopefully they'll sort that out by November. Supposedly the figure hasn't been finalized, so expect some changes. I'm not sure who's manufacturing this, but maybe Sol International, since that's the only name I saw mentioned. If it's true...all I can say is "Why?" O.o

Back view.

Aah.

So, where's that star shaped mole?

There's supposedly going to be a white and black version too. Will update when I know more. Anyway, this is not going to be cheap, as the price has been announced at around 7140 Yen. Ahaha, that won't stop me! =P

Name: Asahina Mikuru 1/6 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Sol International (?)
Release Date: November 2006
Price: 7140 Yen

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Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Sol International, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Asahina Mikuru, Tenjou

Resistance: Fall of Man

2006-08-12T00:36:00.000+08:00

Whether you've got your US$600 ready and have ants in your pants waiting for the launch of the PS3, or you don't know if it's worth blowing money on Sony's latest scam, you've got to look at this game. This may just be the game to make you buy a PS3. MAY be. It's touted as the potential Half-Life 2 of console gaming, it has incredible graphics (probably as good as, if not better than HL 2), it's got a massive 40-player multiplayer mode, and it seems to have a great story. The catch? It's a first-person shooter...on a console.

You'd almost think John Carmack (of id) was behind this game.

Hey, I probably support console gaming slightly more than PCs, due to my frenzied addiction to Final Fantasy games, but I admit there is NO WAY FPS games can make it on consoles. Just like fighting and action games need a gamepad on PCs, you need a mouse and keyboard attached to your PS3 to pull this off. The difference is, the PC has gamepads, the PS3 doesn't have a mouse. Games like Killzone (PS2) have gotten great scores from various gaming mags, but they're just kidding themselves, I say. No matter how polished a console FPS is, having to rely on auto-aim and feeling like you're dragging the crosshair through slime puts the game straight into the 'average' category. No questions asked. That will probably be the huge deal-breaker for Resistance: Fall of Man, this really cool-looking, cool-sounding game for the PS3.

Chimeras invade, Hitler killed in crossfire. =)

Medal of Honor: Creepy Crawlies

No matter. Enough negativity. I won't know till it comes out, so let's move on to what's GOOD about the game. First, the story. So far, the only info available is that players play as Nathan Hale, an American soldier sent to the UK to fight back aliens. Yup, for once, we don't have to storm Normandy. WWII never happened here, but Independence Day did. Aliens known as the Chimera invade Earth, and Hale, with some help from Rachel Hunter, has to take them down. Designs for the Chimeras are really cool. They're sort of a mix of Resident Evil zombie and Quake Stroggs. Err, maybe, lol. Sounds rather interesting to me. Wouldn't mind the concept of blowing up aliens with World War II weapons.

Cool lighting effects.

Early levels are a lot like Doom. Dark, creepy walks through long, narrow hallways. Which is a change from the console perspective. Console gaming has hardly gotten the 'dark hallway' treatment, as opposed to Doom, Quake IV, F.E.A.R, Prey and almost every other recent FPS for the PC. I'm not sure, but looking at screenshots, it must get rather scary, if you're playing this in the dark at 2am, with a souped-up sound system and a larger than normal HDTV. =) Chimeras range from worker class to 'Leaper' Chimeras, which have the ability to scale walls and swarm you from above. Should make for some rather hairy encounters.

Multiplayer is definitely a plus too. Hopefully the PS3's online-gaming plan won't blow up in Sony (and our) faces. But, all things aside, this will probably be the Counterstrike or SOCOM of the PS3 launch era. The game will have a full online ranking system, so that should be good for something. We all know how addictive Battlefield 2's ranking system is. Just...one...more...frag...

I wonder if damage is area-specific..would love to shoot that mask off.

Outdoors.

Everything looks in place for the unveiling of the next great console hit. I reiterate though, NO MOUSE CONTROL. I've said it twice now. So, if this game sucks because of that, remember, you read it here first (or not). ;) Seriously though, I'm looking forward to quite a bit of what the PS3 has in store and I'm just hoping games like these don't turn into another 'oh, what could have been' cases. Till then, here's another game to look forward to in 3 months time. ^^

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Tags: Games, Gaming, PS3 Game, Insomniac, Resistance: Fall of Man, FPS, First Person Shooter, Tenjou

Pretty Pretty Sakura: Part 2 (Uniform Ver.)

2006-08-10T23:56:00.000+08:00

Yup, this one here's the 'grocery bag' Sakura I was talking about in my last post. I also first saw this in Hobby Japan, and even then I loved it. It's a crime to only say good things about stuff you like, but I don't care. The figure looks like Sakura stepped off my TV screen on the way back from marketing. She looks that good. Nice job, Alter.

The pose of the figure is something like what you would see quite a few times if you watch the Fate anime. Sakura, in her school uniform, carrying her schoolbag and a bag of groceries. ^^ I personally think she looks very nice and sweet here. Of course, if you didn't like Sakura to begin with, this won't change your mind. I like the detail on the plastic shopping bag there. It looks so darn realistic. My only gripe...the hair's a funny purple, if you get what I mean. Like she washed it in grape juice. This one's a whole lot larger than the Battlesuit Sakura though. 1/6 scale and measuring a whopping 29.5 cm. Whee! Also pending a December release.

Name: Sakura 1/6 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: December 2006
Price: 6800 Yen

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Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, Fate/ Stay Night, Matou Sakura, Tenjou

Pretty Pretty Sakura: Part 1 (Battlesuit Ver.)

2006-08-10T23:16:00.000+08:00

First looks came for me in the August issue of Hobby Japan, and looking at slightly more detailed pictures a month later, I must say it still has me impressed. Alter has outdone themselves yet again, with this PVC figure of Matou Sakura from Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia. I'm not too sure if she had a dress like this in Fate/ HA, as I've never played the game. Must be from when she became Rider's Master.

Slightly oriental looking, the figure itself is 1/8 scale, and is slated to cost the usual 4800 Yen. Sakura is sculpted standing with her left gloved arm (looks like my yo-yo glove there ^^) raised. Her hair AND skirt look like they're being blown by the wind. This is important, you know. I've seen figures where the hair is billowing, but the dress is stiff as rock. Definite turn-off that. Not so here.

I like the soft pinkinsh-purplish coloured theme she has going there. But, this coming from a guy who likes the 'Sakura with leeks' figure (also by Alter)...not so surprising, hehe. =P Hate those sandals though. Looks like something you'd wear to the market, not to fight off magical Servants. She seems to have interchangeable expressions. One a smiling face, another an angry one. Not sure how that works yet. Removable head/face? Anyway, I NEED a Sakura figure, haha, so it's either this one, or the other one where she has a grocery bag. Both are really, really purrty. Gonna be a tough decision this. Well, I do have a few months to decide, as this ships in December.

Name: Sakura 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Alter
Release Date: December 2006
Price: 4800 Yen

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Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Alter, Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia, Matou Sakura, Tenjou

Zero no Tsukaima 1/8 Louise PVC

2006-08-04T03:10:00.000+08:00

Well, continuing on from my last post on Zero no Tsukaima, I thought I'd talk about Kotobukiya's 'lightning speed' in cashing in on this relatively new anime. About a month ago, Hobby Japan and a few websites had pictures of this PVC figure of Louise de la Valiel in it's pre-painted stages. If I'm not mistaken, that was around when the first blinking episode of ZnT was being aired. Talk about moving quickly. *rolls eyes*

Anyway, about the figure. Considering it's the only one on offer right now, it really isn't too bad. But, personally, looking at the past few months of releases, I would have much rather had Alter or Max Factory pick this one up. Kotobukiya has really not impressed me much with it's PVC figures recently (besides Belldandy, but only 'coz I like AMG), and sometimes I just think they should stick to Clone Troopers, lol.

She'd fit right in next to Harry Potter.

Louise is sculpted casting a spell (or not, in her case ^^), I presume. She's holding a spellbook and holding her wand in the air. In terms of likeness, I think they got it about 80% right. But the base could have been something more interesting than that. Her hair reminds me of a pink octopus, but beggars can't be choosers. Generally, it's really not bad though I just think she's a bit cuter than this. Unless something better pops up, this is the one to get. Coming somewhere in October this year.

Name: Louise de la Valiel 1/8 scale PVC
Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Release Date: October 2006
Price: 5040 Yen

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Tags: PVC Figures, Figurines, Toys, Anime, Anime Toys, Japanese Toys, Kotobukiya, Zero no Tsukaima, Louise Valiel, Tenjou