A pretty good haul!

It's been a while since I had bought some DVDs, sorry about that. Konata was so expensive I couldn't afford any DVDs on August 5th. I usually buy anime twice a month; once per paycheck. Well I took advantage of the Funimation sale they were having over at Rightstuf and picked up some of the titles that had fallen through the cracks. First a couple of Bandai titles: Kannagi and Lucky Star OVA. I'm really disappointed that the Lucky Star OVA didn't get a dub as I'm a dub fan, but I'd rather have it without a dub then not at all. Speaking of dubless R1 anime... Kannagi! Yep, Kannagi is sub only as well. No big deal, right? This better not become typical, that's all I gotta say. Now for the Funi titles. Got the latest and greatest One Piece set. Season 2 Second Voyage I believe.

In the next picture we have D. Gray-Man which I've been putting off in lieu of a Funi sale. D. Gray-Man comes in a think pack much like One Piece which is a great space saver, so that's nice. Next Kenichi the mightiest disciple. Another series I've been putting off, another series in a think pack. Yay. Next is Dragon Ball Z Season 9. What can I say about DBZ? I finally got the last one so that's good. Now Dragon Ball is being released in season sets so it looks like I'll be buying more Saiyan shit for a while yet.

Finally I bought a hentai title. So if you're under 18 please turn away.



Kumoricon is right around the corner so look for a post after September 7th... I should have some pretty cool stuff from the con. Well that's all folks, thanks for reading.

PVC Review: 1/4 scale Konata Izumi (FREEing)

After about three months of waiting I finally received 1/4 scale Konata Izumi in the mail. This figure was released July 30th in Japan and is sold out practically everywhere now. I picked up this figure at www.hlj.com for $130 before shipping and imports. If you can manage to hunt her down you may want to think twice before buying as FREEing is releasing 1/4 scale Kagami, Tsukasa, and Miyuki - which, if you are a completionist, means shelling out about $600 for all four of them. Needless to say I have pre-ordered the other three and am very much looking forward to them. The box Konata comes in is about 20 inches tall and has a baby blue and white theme. The box is littered with blue and white stars and has a large "01" on five of the six sides indicating that Konata is the first in the line.

Now, I had originally considered canceling this pre-order because I wasn't overly fond of what I saw in the stock photos. There was also the Clayz Lucky Star line that had just come out, and they looked great. What made me stick with this one was the 1/4 size. After looking around I found the only 1/4 scale figures available were the seven FREEing Haruhi Suzumiya bunny girls which are now virtually out-of-print but looked really nice. As it turned out the stock photos did not do the figure justice. The base Konata stands on is a blue and white star with a star-shaped mirror in the center; which is in keeping with the blue and white theme. The stock photos, however, showed Konata standing on a brown, bland, hexagonal base. There also seemed to be some lighting issues in the stock photos which made the paint job look off.

If I were to pick one thing I thought was particularly great about this figure (other than the size) it would be the eyes. The dark green really captures the essence of Konata who, when it comes down to it, is not a visually intricate character. I do have to say that there is a lot I don't like about this rendition of Konata. For one the gym clothes, particularly the shorts, are just plain. It leaves me wondering why they didn't take the typical gym shorts route; that is, ass tight short shorts. I don't really have a problem with the shirt, but it's not something that stands out at all. Her shoes are also a bit bland, white and blue if you can believe it.

One final order of business before I move onto the judgment: this figure is castoff-able. You can take the shirt by removing the head and the left arm. Underneath her shirt is a kind of painted on sports bra. You can also take her shorts off by removing her legs revealing blue and white striped panties. Some of the stock photos I've seen on the internet shows a shorter pair of gym shorts underneath the longer ones but my figure didn't come with those. And no you can't take off her panties, they're also painted on. Putting the gym shorts back on is a bit of a challenge. The shorts themselves don't stretch much making it difficult to get them on. What I do is put the shorts over the pieces of plastic that connect her legs to her body and connect it that way.

Paint and craftsmanship: 8/10
Packaging: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Likability: 10/10
Overall: 34/40

Even though this figure isn't perfect it may just be my favorite one. The fact that it's Konata and 1/4 scale certainly helps me look past the flaws. I've already pre-ordered the other three 1/4 Lucky Star girls and will be reviewing them as they arrive. Also, some of the pictures had to be taken indoors and don't look as good, sorry about that. Thanks for reading.

PVC Review: 1/8th scale Mikuru Asahina Gekisou Ver. (Max Factory)

PVC Review: 1/8th scale Mikuru Asahina Gekisou Ver. (Max Factory)

Today we're taking a look at the final figure in Max Factory's Gekisou (extravaganza) line, Mikuru Asahina. This figure was originally released in May 2009 in Japan and July 2009 in America. Like Yuki Nagato from the same line, Mikuru is becoming scarce quickly but can still be had in a few places. I bought Mikuru from www.toyslogic.com for around $95 after shipping charges where it can still be acquired. The box Mikuru comes in is virtually the same as the other two except for color and size. Mikuru's box is the smallest of the three and has a pink theme.

Not being overly impressed by online stock photos of Mikuru, I thought I'd order it just to complete the set. Fortunately it turned out to be better than expected. The sculptor provides an accurate rendition of Mikuru Asahina down to the last detail including a star-shaped mole on her chest. The paint job is excellent which is typical of Max Factory. But when all is said and done this is definitely my least favorite figure of the three - it just doesn't stand out quite like the other two. One reason may be the tambourine. The other two figures had guitars which really made them stand out, a tambourine simply doesn't wow me. Another reason I don't like this figure as much could be because the character Mikuru Asahina from the series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is my least favorite of the three.

After being on my shelf for a few days I've realized I was hung up on the tambourine. There are many things the figure offers that makes it worth the $90+ I paid for it. The detail in the dress, for example, stands out and is probably the highlight of the figure for me.

I knew this would be a shorter review because the Gekisou figures are so similar I feel like I've reviewed the same figure before. And with that I will move on to my judgment.

Paint and craftsmanship: 10
Packaging: 10
Price: 8
Likability: 9
Overall: 37/40

It feels like I did nothing but bash the figure in the main review. I believe this is case because I was directly comparing it to my two favorite figures in my collection, not just the other two figures from the line. At the end of the day I have no regrets about this purchase and I highly recommend each of these three figures.

Side note: The pictures are a bit dark even after taking the same shots twice. The pink background may be the reason but I'm not sure.

Pre-orders part I

I thought I'd start listing my monthly pre-orders on the blog. Although this post will have a few months worth of pre-orders so I can 'catch up.' This will be primarily figure oriented because most of the anime or manga I purchase are in-stock items. But I will be posting all items I have on pre-order.

Pre-orders for August...

Kyou Fujibayashi - Release date 8/30/2009















I've had Kyou pre-ordered for God knows how long. Being a fan of the anime Clannad, I've wanted some figures from the series for a while now. Unfortunately not many figures were made and are virtually impossible to track down anywhere but on eBay. This figure can still be pre-ordered at many places including www.hlj.com for around $75 USD before shipping and imports.

Pre-orders for September...

Raspberyl Nendoroid - Release date: 9/30/2009















I can't say too much about this one. My wife liked it so we pre-ordered it. I believe it cost about $38 before shipping and imports.

Kagami Hiiragi - Relase date: 9/30/2009 (8/31/2009)















Although this figure is officially released in Japan on 8/31/2009 I will not get my hands on it until September because I ordered it from a domestic seller. These 1/4 scale figures don't go for cheap, I paid $153.99 before shipping.

This rendition of Kagami is part of the 1/4 scale, that's right 1/4 scale, FREEing Lucky Star figures. Honestly this one is my least favorite of the four. I only pre-ordered it to complete the set. (Konata 1/4 is set to ship out to me anyday).


Kannagi Volume 2 + Free exclusive shirt - Release date: 9/24/2009





















Here is one of the few anime DVDs I've actually pre-ordered. Not too much I can say about it because I haven't seen it. You can pick this up at Rightstuf for around $26.

Pre-orders for October...

Clannad After Story Volume 1 - Release Date: 10/20/2009





















Cover art was finally released today. Looks great!





















Even though this is the last in the line to be released I will be getting her third because I'm getting this one straight from Japan. I pre-ordered her for around $129.99 before shipping and imports. The reason this one is cheaper than Kagami is because I pre-ordered it so early.


Pre-orders for November...

Tsukasa Hiiragi - Release Date: 11/30/2009















The final figure (at least for me) of the 1/4 FREEing Lucky Star figures. Got it from the same domestic retailer that I got Kagami from for $152.99 before shipping. A whole dollar less!

Miku Hatsune - Release Date: 11/30/2009















Pre-orded this one from www.hlj.com about six weeks ago for around $85 USD before shipping and imports. Not much I can say about it other than it looks great.

PVC Review: 1/8th scale Yuki Nagato Gekisou Ver. (Max Factory)

Today I'll be reviewing a figure that I've long desired, Yuki Nagato Gekisou Version by Max Factory. This figure was originally released in late April 2009 in Japan, and late June 2009 in the United States. Although relased just a few weeks ago it is already getting hard to find this figure, but can still be acquired in a few places. I purchased this at www.bigbadtoystore.com for $89.99 before shipping and handling.

The box Yuki comes in is similar to the Haruhi version with two main differences: It is smaller and has a navy blue theme. Also included is a small wire that is meant to be an amp cord for the guitar. The wire fits loosely into the guitar and on the pedal and seems to fall off easily. For now I have decided not to attach the cord.

Every once in a while there's a figure that comes along that truly stands above the rest. This version of Yuki Nagato is such a figure. For me accuracy is one of the most important things I look for in a figure. This may seem obvious but there are plenty of legitimate figures that simply don't look right. The sculptor, Masanori Kuroda, delivers a perfectly accurate portrayal of Yuki as he did with is version of Haruhi Suzumiya. But perhaps what truly makes this figure great is its lush paint job. Yuki's hair, for example, has three different shades of paint to give it a more realistic look. This shading technique seems to be common-place with Max Factory as I am reminded of their version of Mai Tokiha. If the fantastic paint job and sculpting isn't enough of an incentive for figure collectors; Yuki's nearly knee-high boots, high-cut leather jacket, and tight mini-skirt should be. If there is one thing I dislike about this figure it is the fact that Yuki is leaning so far back, but after three days of owning her I've found it doesn't bother me anymore.

Paint and craftsmanship: 10
Packaging: 10
Price: 10
Likability: 10
Overall: 40/40

I awarded this figure a perfect score in every department including price. While nearly ninety dollars is a lot of money I believe it is worth it. In this collectors opinion the three Gekisou figures are a must-have. In many ways this figure surpasses the Haruhi version which has long been my favorite figure. I have already ordered the final figure of this set and will be reviewing it soon. Thanks for reading.