For the Good of All Anime

mormegiltheblack: Well, one Comic Con costume down, 4 more to...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:42:01 -0400

Well, one Comic Con costume down, 4 more to go. Alex Weiss from the new Tomb Raider game.

DUDE. MY FEELINGS.

Lost

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:47:17 -0400

Alex and Jay investigate the woods together. There is not enough young Jay and young Alex out there because they have the potential to be such cuties. Not Jaylex, because ew, they’re like eight.

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Reblog if you are Otaku

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:10:53 -0400

kumonuvola:

psychotaeswishhh:

U GOT PROBLEM WITH THAT, PEOPLE???

Little Busters! TV promo video released

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:56:48 -0400

A couple of days ago, it was announced that the popular visual novel Little Busters! would be getting its own anime adaption. Developed by the studio Key, who created other popular works such as Air, Kanon, and Clannad (all of which also received their own anime adaptions), the news has been met with excitement from fans.

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not Kyoto Animation, who animated all of the Key visual novel adaptions besides the first adaption of Kanon, or PA Works, who animated Angel Beats! (a title that is related to Key but did not stem from a visual novel) would be taking hold of the series, with many on the side of Kyoto Animation, not only because of their track record, but because of word that Key was dead-set on KyoAni being the one to handle the adaption. (Though it would certainly be possible for a different studio to animate Little Busters!, it would be highly unlikely, so speculation has been limited to these two studios.)

There was also much speculation as to whether certain characters would be included in the storyline. After the initial release of Little Busters!, which was rated all-ages, a different version entitled Little Busters! Ecstasy was released. This version contained sexual content and was rated for adults. Ecstasy introduced new characters and subsequently new storylines to be explored.

On March 30th, an official promotional video was uploaded to YouTube on the Visual Art’s (a company affiliated with Key that funds their visual novels) channel. From the looks of the animation, it appears that PA Works will be the one to release the series. While I myself am thoroughly disappointed as I’m a huge fan of KyoAni’s Key adaptions and less-so of PA Works’ Angel Beats!, I have confidence that this will turn out relatively well, and am excited to see another Key anime on its way.

In regards to the Ecstasy! characters, they do appear in the promotional video, so they will obviously be included. However, this does not mean that the anime will have any sexual content. Though the titles Air and Kanon both had all-ages and adult rated versions, their anime adaptions were completely clean. Some believe this to be in part because of the difficulty of getting an anime with sexual content on television in Japan, and in part because it has been speculated that the clean versions of Key’s stories were how they were originally intended to be presented.

No release date for the anime has been announced at this point.

Site Review: AmiAmi.com

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:08:00 -0500

So, on Friday I received my first ever shipment from AmiAmi.com! I had been dearly wanting the then soon-to-be-released Menma Nendoroid, and saw that a pre-order spot opened on AmiAmi at the last minute. I would have ordered sooner elsewhere, but it was just so pricey. AmiAmi, however, had Menma up for a big discount! (The normal price would be over 3,000 Yen, and AmiAmi was charging about 2,600 yen, not including shipping.)

So, I went ahead and ordered that sucker.

As soon as it hit February 28th (this Nendoroid’s release date), I got a payment invoice from AmiAmi (you don’t have to pay for pre-orders until they’re ready to ship on this site) with the total cost including shipping (they can’t give you a shipping quote until the item is in stock and can be weighed), and I went ahead and payed.

The shipping cost was very reasonable. I chose EMS (expensive, but worth it in my opinion, since it gets here in a couple of days), and the total was approximately 1,600 yen.

She shipped within about two days, and was here in two days. (I got lucky, since the estimate is 3 - 5 days!)

She came wonderfully packaged and in perfect condition.

The picture doesn’t show it very well, but this essentially a box inside a box inside a box. It kept Menma’s box very fit and snug and safe.

All said and done, I will definitely be ordering from AmiAmi again. (In fact, I already have.) They offer discounts that nobody else does, making them the go-to for figure collectors, so if you’re looking to save some money on this expensive hobby, this is where you’ll want to go!

International Saimoe League - Thursday's Votes

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:53:00 -0500

Here are my votes for Thursday’s round of the International Saimoe League! (Votes are in bold font.) Remember to vote for your favorites at InternationalSaimoe.com!

ARENA 01: Alice [Hirasawa Yui] Hyūga Hinata Ikaros Kinomoto Sakura Kotegawa Yui Misaka Mikoto
ARENA 02: Furude Rika Haibara Ai Hoshina Utau [Ichinose Kotomi] Kawashima Ami Louise Vallière [Nagato Yuki]
ARENA 03: Hirasawa Ui [Ibuki Fūko] [Kamio Misuzu] Lucy Heartfilia Nakano Azusa Sanzen’in Nagi Suiseiseki
ARENA 04: [Asahina Mikuru] Hinamori Amu [Izumi Konata] Lala Satalin Deviluke Ryūgū Rena Shana Takamachi Nanoha
ARENA 05: [Aisaka Taiga] Hecate Index L. Prohibitorum Kuronuma Sawako Oshino Shinobu Uiharu Kazari Yin
ARENA 06: Chrome Dokuro [Hiiragi Kagami] Katsura Hinagiku [Kuchiki Rukia] Ryōgi Shiki Saginomiya Isumi Shiina Mafuyu
ARENA 07: [Honma Meiko] Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) Hotogi Shirayuki Kaga Rin Shinonome Hakase [Tomoe Mami] Victorique de Blois
ARENA 08: Himeji Mizuki Kasugano Sora Konoe Subaru Kōsaka Kirino Oshimizu Nako Ueno Kirika Uryū Minene
ARENA 09: Amaha Miu Amami Haruka Gasai Yuno Hasegawa Kobato Makise Kurisu Shimada Minami Toshinō Kyōko
ARENA 10: Ayuzawa Misaki [Ika-Musume] Kanzaki H. Aria [Kuroi Mato] Reki Sena Airi Shionji Yūko (Alice)
ARENA 11: Hoshii Miki Kashiwazaki Sena [Matsumae Ohana] Nakagawa Kanon Nanasaki Ai Tsugumi Yuzuriha Inori
ARENA 12: [Akemi Homura] Inui Sana Irisviel von Einzbern Kirishima Shōko Kunieda Aoi Oikawa Tsurara Shinomiya Ayase

Winter Wonder Festival Must-Haves

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:42:03 -0500

So, this past weekend was the Winter Wonder Festival in Japan, and there were quite a few stunning figures announced that have made fans everywhere jump with joy, including myself. Here are a couple absolute must-haves.

Madoka Kaname Ultimate Ver. 1/8 (Good Smile Company)

A lot of people have been wondering when a scaled Goddess Madoka figure would finally come out, and now we finally have one! While not yet painted, this prototype is absolutely gorgeous nonetheless. Good Smile Company has not yet given us a release date, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we hope it will be soon!

Black Rock Shooter Animation Ver. Nendoroid (Good Smile Company)

As I’m sure many of you are aware, a TV anime version of Black Rock Shooter began just a couple of weeks ago, accompanied with some costume/hair style changes for the main cast. So, without further ado, a Nendoroid for the TV Black Rock Shooter. She looks a lot nicer than the original Black Rock Shooter Nendoroid in my opinion, so this is one I’m going to definitely keep my eye on. Good Smile Company has not yet announced a release date.

Honma Meiko 1/8 (Alter)

Being a huge fan of Honma Meiko a.k.a. Menma, and Ano Hana in general, I was very, VERY excited to see that she was getting another scaled figure! While Alter is known for their incredible sculpting, I’ve heard that their bases and poses tent to leave something to be desired, which makes this figure’s base and adorable pose a really pleasant surprise. Yet another one that I will definitely be ordering! She doesn’t yet have a release date, but we do know that it will be sometime this year.

Honma Meiko Swimsuit Ver. 1/7 (Max Factory)

Yes, more Menma! While surprisingly revealing considering the extremely innocent nature of her character, there’s no denying that this is incredibly adorable. Flowers play a huge part in Ano Hana, even appearing in the title, so the flowers she’s adorned with are a nice shout-out to her origins. She will be 1/7 scale, which makes me incredibly happy, because I love big figures! No release date yet, but once again, it will be this year.

Honma Meiko 1/7 (Sentinel)

And yet even more Menma!

While there’s no denying that up close she looks just a little bit off, she’s still absolutely gorgeous. She’ll be 1/7 scale (yay!), and she’ll be released in July of this year.

Kyouko Sakura 1/8 (Good Smile Company)

Yup, she’s finally been announced! A lot of us have been waiting for Kyouko Sakura’s 1/8 scale figure from Good Smile Company, and now she’s on her way. No painting or release date as of yet, but once again, it will be sometime this year.

Hatsune Miku Support Ver. Cheerful Japan! 1/8 (Good Smile Company)

After the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan almost a year ago, Good Smile Company began a line called Cheerful Japan!, figures of popular anime characters adorned in cheerleading outfits, some of the proceeds of which would go towards helping Japan recover from the tragedy it had suffered.

And so, we now have a 1/8 scale cheerful Miku Hatsune announced! While I’m not a huge fan of Miku Hatsune (never really saw the point or appeal of the Vocaloids), this figures is so colorful and gorgeous that I might just have to cave in and buy it.

There’s no release date as of yet, though it will be this year.

Those are just some of the amazing figures that have been announced this past weekend. If you’re interested in finding out what others there are (hint, Nichijou Nendoroids, Gunslinger Girl trading figures, a Yoko Littner prize figure from Sega, and more!), try taking a look at @GSC_Guma on Twitter! You won’t be sorry!

Unboxing: Tsumugi Kotobuki Waitress Ver. 1/7 (Max Factory)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:15:05 -0500

After coming across this figure on AnimeJungle.net, and for such a good price, I couldn’t resist buying her. (Also, props to them for getting her here in just two days, rather than the standard 3 - 5.) She was released in May of last year by Max Factory, and is 1/7 scale, making her the largest figure I own. The details and the overall high quality of the figure make her well worth her price and then some. Honestly, she is one of the most gorgeous figures I have ever seen.

I have to say, the box she comes in is extremely cute, and surprisingly large. (Which isn’t a bad thing… rather, I really like it. Very extravagant.)

I’m just absolutely in love with this figure. She’s virtually flawless, the only setback being that the trays of food are a little difficult to get placed properly. A lot of people complain about the dessert tray in particular, saying that it’s rather unstable, but I really haven’t had that problem. It sits nicely on top of the pegs on her hand, and I think the only way this tray could ever fall over would be if you aren’t gentle when placing the figure on your shelf or moving it around to take pictures.

All in all, I’m very happy with this purchase!

Site Review: ABCToy4Me

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:04:06 -0500

I was really wanting the Bungaku Shoujo Nendoroid, and found it on Amazon from the seller ABCToy4Me. They have both an Amazon store and a website, and having heard good things about them, I went ahead and ordered from the Amazon store, since I was buying something from Amazon anyway.

I ordered her on Thursday, and she arrived today (Wednesday), so it only took about six days for her to get here. The only complaint I have is that she was not packaged safely. They put her in a box that was too large and didn’t have anything like bubble wrap or paper to keep her safe, so she was probably sliding around a lot inside of there. Luckily, though, since Good Smile Company (the maker of Nendoroids) package their products well, she ended up not having anything wrong with her.

The product is completely legitimate, and is branded with the AAA Anime Distribution sticker, the official distributor of Nendoroids in the US.

All in all, you will be getting a legitimate product, but be careful with ordering more fragile items, as they could very well get broken on their way to your doorstep.

"Black Rock Shooter TV" Ep. 1 Review

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:11:26 -0500

So, the Winter/Spring 2012 anime season recently began, and I’ve watched a couple of episodes from several different series. The first one I’ll review, though, is the TV version of the mega-hit OVA,Black Rock Shooter.

I only found out that this series was even going to exist roughly a week before it began airing, and so was unaware of the relatively negative hype it had already received in relation to the new character designs. Knowing nothing about these changes until I had decided to watch the first episode last night, I was kind of surprised. Kuroi Mato, one of the leads, and her otherworldly counterpart, Black Rock Shooter, have had a significant change in hair style. That is, it appears as though they both had a good portion of their hair chopped off. In terms of BRS’s costume, I didn’t note much of a change; however a certainsomebody’scostume took a beating, and I’ll get to that in a second.

Takanashi Yomi, another essential character to the story, didn’t go through much of a change other than gaining a pair of glasses, which arguably makes her much more likeable in terms of appearance.Herotherworld-counterpart, like I said before, though, has gone through some extreme costume changes. Dead Master, in the original OVA, was an entity of dark and sadistic elegance, her outfit serving this image. Dead Master now, however, is practically unrecognizable. Donning a new pair of glasses and an enormous black/neon green frilly dress, it’s hard to imagine that it’s the same character.

In terms of the other character from the OVA, Yuu (counterpart, Strength), nothing has changed except for her uniform.

Now, on to the story.

As only one episode is out currently, it’s really hard to say where this is going. Most assuredly, though, it will be in a completely different direction than what was done previously. This can be good in terms of getting answers that we never got with the OVA, and it can be bad in that it may be completely abandoning its roots.

One interesting addition to the story is Kagari Izuriha, a wheelchair-bound girl who has an unhealthy and possessive obsession with Yomi. When she goes over to Yomi’s house and finds that Mato is there, she does everything within her sadistic, cruel abilities to drive her away, leaving both Mato and Yomi devastated over the incident.

As becomes apparent near the end of the episode, Kagari also has an otherworld-counterpart that is aggressively trying to kill Black Rock Shooter for reasons unknown.

Another new character is the school counselor, who already gives us one little clue as to the meaning of that surreal, other world.

As for the animation, I can’t say much in terms of its fluidity because my internet connection made it very choppy. However, the animation itself has become much more… moe than that of the OVA. I don’t really have much of a problem with it, being a big moe lover myself, but I can see this being extremely bothersome to the hardcore BRS fandom.

All in all, the episode flowed relatively well. Introductions didn’t take long, so the story has started faster than expected.

Though I’ve never been much of a fan of BRS, I think I will keep my eyes out for episode 2.

Figure Sales

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:41:49 -0500

I’ve got a friend who is selling some of her figures to make a little bit of extra cash, so I thought I’d go ahead and spread the word.

Here is a link to the sales:

http://myfigurecollection.net/profile/dinonomscookies/shop/

Some items being sold are:

Misuzu Kamio 1/8 Russian Blue Ver.

Shigure Asa 1/8

Nagato Yuki 1/10

Kagami Hiiragi figma

Misako Mikoto Maid Ver.

All items are being shipped from the UK — check the sales for details on shipping and prices!

Site Review: Plamoya.com

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:13:31 -0500

If you’re looking from a reliable website to order a figure from, Plamoya.com is definitely a good one. They are very well-trusted and highly legitimate, and you can find almost any figure you want to buy, regardless of how old it is. Unfortunately, Plamoya’s prices reflect market prices in Japan — in short, the harder the item is to find in Japan, the more it’s going to cost.

However, sometimes getting a hard-to-find figure is just too good an opportunity to pass up, regardless of price — and that is how I ended up paying roughly $90 for a Yuki Nagato Nendoroid.

This cutie here is pretty hard to find, so I went ahead and ordered her from Plamoya. I have to say, the high price was worth it. She is absolutely adorable, and I consider the $80 (without shipping) price tag to be well worth it.

Plamoya’s service is absolutely wonderful. Plamoya does not ship on weekends, and since I ordered Yuki on a Friday, it was already Saturday in Japan, so she didn’t ship until the following Monday. However, she came here exceptionally quick! I paid to have her shipped by EMS, and let me tell you, it was well worth it. I just received her yesterday (Thursday), so it took roughly three days. Like I said, completely worth it.

Yuki was very well-packaged, with her box wrapped in bubble wrap and surrounded by paper.

If I can’t find a figure anywhere else, and am willing to give in to the price tag, I will definitely buy from Plamoya again.

Recent Orders

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:46:59 -0500

Coming into a bit of cash recently, I decided to go ahead and order some figures I’ve been wanting for awhile. While a bit pricey, I’m certain that it will be well worth it.

Misuzu Kamio 1/8 (Kotobikuya)

Released in 2005, this beauty is practically impossible to find. I saw it on eBay, and with no bootlegs having been released of this figure, I went ahead and bought it for $170 even.

Yuki Nagato Nendoroid (Good Smile Company)

Having already bought the Disappearance version Nendoroid of little Yuki here, the normal version was the next on my list. I bought it off of Plamoya.com, which was the only place I could find it, for about $80 plus shipping. A little more than I would have liked to pay, but I think it’ll be worth it.

Honma Meiko 1/8 (Kotobikuya)

This little cutie has been up for pre-order, and being a huge sucker for her character, I decided to go ahead and pre-order her from HLJ.com (Hobby Link Japan), for about $70 (though I won’t be charged until she ships in April).

Wendy Garret 1/8 (Max Factory)

I fell in love with Wendy’s character immediately when I first watched Gun X Sword, and was thrilled to find such a gorgeous figure of her. I bought her off of AnimeJungle.net discounted from $48 to $33, not including shipping.

Once I start getting my orders in the mail, reviews will be coming!

Nendoroid Planet iPhone App!

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:35:50 -0500

So, I just got an iPhone the other day, and was looking for some nice apps to download. Lo and behold, I found out that the Good Smile Company released an app of their own — and what makes it even better is that it features the always-adorable Nendoroids!

Nendoroid Planet is a strategy game — you place the Nendoroids you collect around a grid with a path running through it. Monsters will come through that path, and you’ve got to use your collection to destroy the monsters before they get all the way across the path. Depending on where you place your Nendoroids and who you choose to level up and when, this can either go very well or horribly wrong — hence the strategy.

You start out with a Saber (from Fate/Stay Night) Nendoroid, and some little birds to place around the grid that will help you out until your collection builds up (after you’ve gotten a fair amount of Nendoroids, you won’t really need these birds).

After you beat a stage (assuming you do), you are granted some tokens (bronze, silver, and gold) depending on how well you did. You’re going to go to a little prize machine, and this is how you’re going to build up your Nendoroid army. When it comes to bronze coin prize machines, you aren’t going to get anything you can use — rather, you’re going to be able to add little Nendoroids to the museum, so you can look at them and stuff. (I don’t really see the point to this… I’d rather use them in battle.)

However, silver coin prize machines will give you a little bit of both. There’s a chance you’ll get a battle-ready Nendoroid, and a chance you’ll get a sit-there-and-look-pretty Nendoroid.

And, as for gold, you will always get a battle Nendoroid.

Unfortunately, there are very few battle Nendoroids. 16 of them, to be exact. This is why it’s a real shame that they decided to make more useless Nendoroids than useful.

But hey, it’s still a fun game, and can actually be quite challenging. Best part? The entire app is free. And no, it’s not one of those “sucky-incomplete-free-version-of-the-original” app, it is the full app, and is completely free.

But there’s one more slight drawback — it’s completely in Japanese. This doesn’t prevent players from other countries from playing it, but it may take a little while for you to figure it out. Unless, that is, you take a look at this English guide to it, in which case, you’re all set.

http://hummerbob1.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/nendoroid-planet-iphone-app-mini-guide/

All in all, this is a really great app. While not as awesome as it could have been, it’ll definitely keep you busy and entertained for awhile, provided that you’re not a rage-quitter.

Site Review: Otaku.com

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:02:11 -0500

Last month, I placed an order at Otaku.com for the AIR Memorial art book from Key/Visual Art’s.

I originally had bought this from CDJapan, but I was emailed shortly after that it was out of stock. So, after scouring the internet for this artbook that I had been wanting for ages, I came across Otaku.com. I made sure the site was legitimate before ordering (the layout isn’t the most professional, so I had my doubts), and went ahead with it.

After I ordered, I didn’t get an email like I was expecting. (Typically, when you order from a site, they give you a confirmation email.) I didn’t think much of it, though, since I figured I’d get a shipping confirmation email, anyway.

A couple days went by with no confirmation, so I went ahead and emailed customer service. I got a prompt reply that my item would ship after the Japanese New Year ended and the post offices would open up.

Yet another couple of days went by, and no email. So, once again, I contacted customer support, and got an email within minutes containing a tracking number for my package. (I think this site my be run and owned by one single person, so it’s forgivable that the email was forgotten to be sent.)

About a week later, here I am. The package came, and I am very pleased. The book is in wonderful condition, and I’m really happy with the price I paid for it (about $39.00). I’ve been wanting to add this to my AIR collection for awhile, so it’s cool that it’s finally here.

If you can’t find what you want somewhere else, I would go ahead and order from this site. Some of the service may be a bit choppy, but communication is great and you will get your item, though it may take a couple of weeks, since everything is imported from Japan.

Otaku.com gets a 3/5 from me.

Site Reviews: Animesekai.com + Animejungle.net

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:38:00 -0500

Anime Sekai

On the 6th, I placed an order with Animesekai.com for this item:

I had really been wanting this little cutie, and it was priced at a very reasonable $20.00, with shipping at roughly $5.00.

About half an hour after placing the order, I got an email that it had shipped. I was seriously impressed. I also received a USPS tracking number, which made the shipping price well worth it.

The arrival estimate was 3 - 5 days, and I received it today, three days after placing the order. I’m pretty amazed.

The item was packaged very nicely and was in perfect condition.

Based on this wonderful experience, Anime Sekai is a site that I will definitely order from in the future. 5/5.

Jungle Special Collectors Shop

I also happened to place an order with Animejungle.net on the 6th. I ordered the now-hard-to-find Yuki Nagato Disappearance Ver. Nendoroid. The price was very reasonable at $45.99 plus $9.00 shipping, and I had heard wonderful things about this site, so I went ahead and ordered.

Within about an hour of placing my order, I got an email that the item had shipped, along with a USPS tracking number. Just as with Anime Sekai, I was very pleasantly surprised.

The item arrived on my doorstep today (along with my package from Anime Sekai) and was wonderfully packaged and very well protected. There was even a little gift inside (a Miku Hatsune temporary tattoo, along with some anime-promotion artwork stuff), with a handwritten note saying, “A little gift for you.” This was a very nice touch.

These days, you really have to worry about where you order from when buying popular products, due to bootlegs becoming increasingly prominent. This product is completely legit, complete with the holographic Kadokawa sticker and the AAA Anime (an official distributor of Good Smile Company products such as Nendoroids) seal.

This was a really pleasant experience, and I recommend ordering from this site. 5/5.

It was worth it.

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:29:41 -0500

Spent $58.19 on a Yuki Nagato Nendoroid.

Upcoming Nendoroids to be Excited About!

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:17:10 -0500

A new year means a whole new bounty of anime figures being released for us enthusiasts to collect. Here are a couple that I am particularly looking forward to!

Menma Nendoroid

Last year, a heartwarming/breaking anime called Ano hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (more often referred to as Ano Hana) was released, and the center character of the show, Menma, captured the hearts of fans everywhere with her utter adorability and tragic circumstances. Now, she’s being released as a Nendoroid, and is currently up for pre-order just about everywhere. (HLJ.com, JBox.com, 1999.co.jp, etc.) She’ll be released in February, so if you want to be sure that she’ll be part of your collection, act fast!

Sayaka Miki/Kyouko Sakura Nendoroids

Yet another phenomenal hit from 2011 was Puella Magi Madoka Magica (also known as Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica… Nobody can really figure out which). Madoka Magica is infamous for deconstructing the magical girl genre and giving it a harsh brutality in the place of fun and sweetness. The show may look cute, but what takes place is anything but.

While Nendoroids of Madoka Kaname, Akemi Homura, and Mami Tomoe have already been released, Sayaka Miki and Kyouko Sakura are yet to have gone on sale. They are, however, available for pre-order in an even wider selection of websites due to its immense popularity, so they won’t be hard to find. They will be, however, soon enough, as they are sure to sell fast. These girls will be released in April and May of this year.

Popura Taneshima Nendoroid

While I haven’t yet seen Working!! and so can’t really comment on the show itself, this Nendoroid is so cute that it really doesn’t even matter. The incredibly moe character of Popura Taneshima is going to be available come April, and you can even order some itty-bitty play sets to put her in (though that’ll put you out about another $40), if you want a cute little space for her.

Making Sure Nendoroids/Figmas Are Genuine When Buying

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:37:00 -0500

Nendoroids and Figmas are extremely popular right now, and unfortunately, that means that there are a whole lot of bootlegs out there. Sure, they may be cheaper, but not only does the quality pale in comparison to the real thing, you’re cheating the people who made your favorite series and characters out of hard-earned money.

Anyway, if you want to be sure that your Nendoroids are genuine, order from the list of official distributors on the Goodsmile (the maker of Nendoroids and Figmas) website.

http://www.goodsmile.info/post/en/2089/Good+Smile+Company+Official+Distributors.html

These people are ordering their products directly from Goodsmile, so you’re safe and sound from wasting your money on a bootleg.

If you can’t find the Nendoroid/Figma you want on any of those sites, try reliable Japanese import sites like CDJapan.co.jp, hjl.com, or yesasia.com, all of which have translation options for international buyers.

Madoka Magica Music Boxes (sweet!)

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:33:00 -0500

After taking my every-once-in-a-while look at JBox.com (I don’t particularly care for the site), I found something pretty awesome.

http://www.jbox.com/product/SEA002

http://www.jbox.com/product/SEA003

http://www.jbox.com/product/SEA004

Yup, a couple of official-art-adorned Puella Magi (or “Mahou Shoujo,” if you prefer… I’ve heard it both ways) Madoka Magica music boxes.

At $22.00 each, I’d have to say this is an awesome deal. (I personally want the Sayaka one.) Each one plays its own song (the links all contain videos of each music box gettin’ their tune on), and are adorned with official artwork.

While you’re waiting for those Madoka Nendoroids to come out next year, maybe this will hold you over.