Daybreak's Bell

Fate Has Arrived!

2009-11-29T23:49:00.003+08:00

At last, the wait is over! My most anticipated figure, ALTER 1/7 Fate T Harlaown True Sonic Form (aka Shin Sonic Form) has arrived! The figure arrived in the shop on Thursday night, and my mother and sister picked it up after receiving their call on the following night.

Their comment? "The box is HUGE!" ^^;

More pictures from my sister after the jump!

Current status:

Click for full size picture

Now it is sitting quietly on my desk back home. Not as big as Yagami Hayate's box (as shown in ALTER's official blog), but this is still a HUGE box! Not only has it dominated my remaining desk space, the fat PS2 is now completely obscured by it!

I won't get to see it myself until I get back home for Christmas, so no reviews or photoshoot until then. But at least no more waiting with anxiety, and luckily the total price we had to pay isn't as high as the retail price of 12800 Yen.

I have to thank my mother and sister for taking the trouble of retrieving it as well as to take the pictures for me!

P.S.
This is possibly the first time you'll get to see my desk. As you can see it has various sorts of things on it. The space that the box has occupied is where my laptop usually resides (when I am in Hong Kong), or is used for poseable figure reviews. For some reasons I just like having things around me rather than having them displayed on a shelf (because I will tend to ignore them as a result).

Figutto Tamaki Kousaka preview

2009-11-26T05:18:00.003+08:00

First seen as a coloured sample last month, Figutto's Tamaki Kousaka bikini version (from ToHeart2) is ready for reservation!

Pre-order officially starts on 26th November and will end on 15th January. Tamaki will be released in March 2010 at a retail price of 3200 Yen (or 3360 Yen tax inclusive). In fact, pre-order is now available at AmiAmi English site.

Image from AmiAmi

~16 cm in height. Comes with a swim ring, 3 faces, and 4 pairs of hands in total (i.e. 2 extra faces and 3 pairs of hands). Like Reimu, it should also come with a stand and a box for storing unused parts.

Not as expensive as Reimu, but still not so cheap as it's the same price as... Say, the accessory abundant figma Signum. Nonetheless this is the first Tamaki I know to be released as a poseable figure. Not planning to get her, but I am pretty sure that some will fall for her... ^^;

Top image from Figutto website

MG GN-X Announced!

2009-11-22T12:00:00.001+08:00

Recent hobby magazines have shown that GN-X is announced as the second MG for Gundam 00 series, after Gundam Exia!

It is to be released in January 2010 at retail price of 3780 Yen (tax inclusive).

This is truly unexpected for a lot of people, since GN-X will be the first grunt machine to be on MG (Master Grade) outside Universal Century.

Original artwork of GN-X

GN-X is a mobile suit introduced late in the first season of Gundam 00. Equipped with pseudo solar furnaces (aka GN Drive Tau), they are the first mass-produced units capable of matching against the Gundam units.

With the release of GN-X, it is very likely that other variants will be added to MG as well, including but not limited to Advanced GN-X, GN-XIII (from Gundam 00 Season 2), and even the GN-XIV for the upcoming Gundam 00 Movie.

From Random Curiosity

I didn't expect GN-X to be released for Master Grade! In my opinion, it's one of the more unique-looking designs for Gundam 00. Looks tempting I must say, and I love its long barrel rifle ^^; was thinking about buying several 1/144s to make a squad of them some time ago. Maybe I'll buy one and pair it up with my yet-to-build MG Exia :o

"This one I is gei-ren-ti must buy!! XD" - Ngee Khiong

Figutto Reimu Hakurei preview

2009-11-17T21:00:00.001+08:00

UPDATE: New pictures added!

Figutto has updated its official website, and we now get to see the full colour sample of Reimu Hakurei from Touhou Project.

She will be available for pre-order on 18th November, and will be released in March 2010 for 3900 Yen (or 3990 Yen tax inclusive). EDIT: Pre-order is now available at AmiAmi English site.

For more info about this upcoming poesable figure series refer to this previous posting.

Images from AmiAmi

Around 16cm in height. Comes with stand and small container box for unused parts (not shown).

Compared to figma and Revoltechs, 3800 Yen seems rather pricey. I suppose the size and quality will be important factors, but still it's not gonna be cheap for budget collectors, especially when they have other poseable figure lines to consider as well. Figutto may have to rely on its wide variety of titles and series that they are currently working on, some of them include Zero no Tsukaima, Sekirei, Shining Wind, and The King of Fighters (KOF).

What about Tamaki? Isn't she supposed to be the first one to be released in February? Beats me...

Image from Good Smile Company website

Besides, with Max Factory's figma planning to release its version of Reimu in January, Figutto will face quite a bit of competition there. Despite being available only to certain stores I can see people screaming over the figma version already.

Also reported on Ngee Khiong (kinda unusual for him since he normally focuses on news of Gundam, gunpla, and other mecha-related stuff ^^)

Final Fantasy XIII Trailers & Release Dates Confirmed

2009-11-14T16:01:00.002+08:00

As many people may have known already, the release dates of highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII (aka FFXIII) are confirmed.

Release Dates:

Japan - 17th December 2009

North America - 9th March 2010

For those who wonder about the game's plot (including myself), here's what is written in the North America official site:

Coccoon - a utopia in the sky.

Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise.
Under the Sanctum's rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.

Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal'Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.

Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal'Cie.

The moment that fal'Cie from Pulse - the feared and detested lowerworld - awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.

Fal'Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants.

They become l'Cie [i.e. the main characters] - chosen of the fal'Cie.

Those branded with the mark of a l'Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.

A prayer for redemption.
A wish to protect the world.
A promise to challenge destiny.

After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.

Anyway trailers below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APatTjdHVg8

The long TGS 2009 Trailer, which shows a lot of CG videos as well as some plots in the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olYTG7hSPiM

The English announcement trailer that includes the North America release date at the end of the video.

The game will be released on PS3 and XBOX 360.

Final Fantasy titles are well known for their plots, music (especially those composed by Nobuo Uematsu), characters, and in the recent years their stunning graphics. I have only played the more well known ones. The first one I played was FFX on PS2, which was groundbreaking in terms of graphics back then. Others I have played and completed are FFI, FFII, FFVII, and FFX-2. I've stalled on FFXII, twice. There's something about FFXII that doesn't appeal to me and it doesn't help me to drive forward. My sister completed it and said she was disappointed how it felt rushed towards the end.

As for FFXIII, I am not sure what to say at this very moment. Plot looks deep, and graphics are (needless to say really) breathtaking. Is it gonna be groundbreaking as we have hoped? Well let's hope it's worth the wait since this game has been under development for years, and it could be a catalyst for me and my sister to get a PS3 in the near future. Besides FFXII it's been a while since I've played any RPGs, and due to their time-consuming nature it may become apparent for me to play fewer and fewer of this genre nowadays (same thing can be said to other types of games though).

Anyone looking forward to this game? I'm sure there are quite a few who will be :o

Website:
http://na.square-enix.com/ff13/

Japanese Pranks

2009-11-08T23:59:00.000+08:00

Japanese pranks are notorious for being crazy and funny, especially the scare pranks. I've chosen a few of the ones I particularly like, so let's just sit back and enjoy a few videos for a change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQQYkhKPS48

Various scare pranks on actors. Quite an old video I think, but still funny to this day. There's also a water squirting microphone in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRmMAQUolUk

Another great video. The scare prank and microphone make a return here. I like the rolling boulders and exploding cigarettes, as well as the ostrich at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrEPt79QQQI

Crazy ways of getting woken up. I would NOT like to wake up in any of the ways shown above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfORcpe0SM

This sniper prank is part of a show called "Panic Face King", which is parodying a scene from 24 I think. It's fairly new and was spread around the net rather quickly. Full version can be found here (includes two other people who also received the same prank)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycnJbfysho0

An actor is told that he has been given a important part in a TV series, and he was sent to a taxi immediately. Little did he know that this was all a prank, and the taxi driver was actually a stunt driver...

There's actually a second part of it; this time the same actor inside a police car with the same stunt driver. Not as funny IMHO but you can find it here.

There are a few more pranks out there I haven't shown here, namely the toilet and massage chair pranks. Hope you like the ones shown above! When I first watched some of those videos some time ago, I did worry whether I would fall victim to some of the pranks if I were to go to Japan again... ^^;

Blog Featured on AnimeBlips

2009-11-05T23:59:00.002+08:00

For this week, my blog has been featured on AnimeBlips as "Featured Blog of the Week". It shall be a special week for me and my blog. :o

A full report can be found right here, which includes an interview with Robyn Lass, the editor of AnimeBlips.

For those who want to know what AnimeBlips is about, here's a quick summary quoted from its about page:
"AnimeBlips was created for otaku crazy about anime and manga, and the news, events, books, movies, and conferences that emerge from the anime and manga worlds. By combining robust technology with spirited editorial, AnimeBlips brings you inside the creative, obsessive world of the most popular anime and manga, removing the hassle of information overload, and providing one-stop access to all the hottest breaking news, rumors, and commentary from expert sources around the Web. If it's hot, if people are whispering, shouting, searching for, or sounding off on it—you'll always find it at AnimeBlips."

In other words, it is a site that gathers various popular news and articles submitted from users or blogs in the community.

Shortly after reading about Optic and Zenical getting their blogs featured there, I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a try and sign up as well. I got an email from Robyn two months later saying that he wanted to profile my blog. To be honest, I didn't see that coming and was truly flattered.

As for the interview itself, I was actually a bit nervous about it (laughs), as I took a long time answering some of the questions and I was facing busy schedule at the same time, but thankfully Robyn is a very patient man, and I thank him for taking his time to receive my replies.

Again big thanks to Robyn Lass for featuring my blog on AnimeBlips as well as his big patience on awaiting my replies.

And special thanks to Optic for recommending Robyn my blog (you deserve a credit mate).

EDIT: Another special thanks to gundamjehutykai for helping me on availability of anime and manga in the UK!

This is a humble blog whose topics mainly revolve around Anime, Gundam, Figures, anime-related stuff involving Hong Kong, as well as topics on Japan. It can be quite diverse, but afterall I blog about what I find interesting and things I have in common with other bloggers in a different angle or perspective.

As I've mentioned above, this is not a huge blog at all; I am a fairly casual blogger myself. What matters most is I enjoy what I write about, and if you like it, then I am happy for you too! In all, I want to thank all who have left comments on my blog or even just dropping by! Every little bit means a lot to me!

P.S. Restored pictures for the recent blog posts. Will try to get back to reply comments asap!

What goes with Halloween?

2009-10-31T23:59:00.002+08:00

Image stolen shamelessly from Actar's blog ^^;

It's Halloween again. Hope you all had a nice night! I did nothing special as I simply want a break for the weekend.

In terms of anime, comics, or games (ACG), what goes well with Halloween? I don't know, so let's look into some examples then.

A nice classic to associate Halloween would be Dracula from the long-running Castlevania series, who appears with his magnificent haunted castle every time (pretty much) only to be bashed back to oblivion by a protagonist of each game ^^;

Playing a Castlevania for the night is a fitting idea. If you ask the fans which one to play they will probably recommend you Symphony of the Night.

Perhaps a figure like the one above? This one is GSC's 1/8 Melissa Seraphy. Others such as Chuchu Astram or Pixie Hiyori can go well too (links slightly NSFW).

Maybe even figma Billy Herrigton in his Halloween costume?

Speaking of figmas, you can make your own paper hats and capes for your figmas. This was mentioned one year ago (wow time flies), and you can still find the download link of the cutout from the official figma blog.

How about this brilliant Moka photoshop by Radiant Dreamer? Radiant's photoshop artworks never disappoint me ^^

Original post + making of this picture available here~

Gundam Deathscythe Hell Custom also comes to my mind. It sure looks badass in front of the moon~

Well I can't think of more right now, but I'm sure you have more ideas than I do, especially anime/manga as I don't watch/read much in that horror related theme (I know a friend of mine was watching Pet Shop of Horrors recently and he said the original manga was good). Nevertheless I hope you all had a good Halloween night though, whether you've done anything related to Halloween or not!

On the other hand, I think I will be getting busier this November and possibly December too, so I will take longer than usual on replying to comments as well as catching on my blogroll. Should I ever disappear, you'd know that I have been taken by ~~vampires~~ real life / workload... orz

The Complete Guide to Fake Toys

2009-10-29T23:59:00.005+08:00

いんちきおもちゃ大図鑑 (inchiki omocha daizukan), or "The Complete Guide to Fake Toys", features over 300 fake toys from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea. It will be released in November at a price of 1900 Yen (1995 Yen with tax).

Moeyo has a preview of it, so let's sit tight and have a look what will come ahead of us...

First off: the "Happy Drummer Cat Adventurer". Those who are into older anime will probably recognise this to be originated from Doraemon. In fact Moeyo has reported about this particular toy a while ago. I was a bit traumatised when I first saw it opening its face revealing an elephant's face and a trunk coming out on YouTube lol...

This looks like an enlarged version of Be@rbrick of some kind. The characters on the right are actually supposed to be Dorami and Nobita

Doraemon Siamese twins?!

Doraemon ~~crocodile~~ dentist o_O

What do you call Pikachu when it is hybridised with Bomberman? Bomber Pikachu??

Some pseudo-Ranma figures

Pseudo-Dragonball figures with some manly faces and dark hair

Some kind of bishoujo (?) figure with removable armours I think

Thomas the Engine... And... o_o;;;

This one appears to be based off the Travelion from Ozu family. Credits to annonymous on this information!

~~GaoGaiGar~~ Something copied from Ohranger Robo. Credits to Weeabo for pointing it out. I think Snark will have to wage another war on another front upon seeing these things

A mobile phone transformer with part swapping Kamen Rider's face on the phone's body?
According to annonymous the phone is based on the G-Phone from Gaoranger

Ultraman on a bicycle! XD

Be@rbrick X Gundam??

Notice the name "モビルスーシ" (Mobile Sushi), while the actual thing should be "モビルスーツ" (Mobile Suit)! Would you like a Mobile Sushi of Nu Gundam? ^^;

Wooden Gundam models!

Apparently this is based off Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV. According to the captions, the two figures' heads are based of some mobile suits in Gundam o_o

Gundam's head on a Mazinger.

A transformable Kung Fu panda. It even saids "Kung Fu" on the torso too!

Something that resembles Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV's head and arms.

This appears to be Golion's head and crest hybridised with Galaxy Shuttle's body.

My brain is malfunctioning; I have lost the will to find out what they are already. You're welcome to help me on this though. Thanks to Weeabo again for pointing two of them out for me there!

Korean's well known Robot Taekwon V, which originally is copied from Mazinger Z. Korea was actually way ahead of China for making their own versions of Japanese anime. I may talk about this on another day.

And last but definitely not least,

A basketball transformer, revealing Yao Ming as the head of the robot inside. Now talk about creativity...

I will need to take a break from these crazy counterfeits and fake toys after posting this ^^;

All images are from Moeyo

Drawing Strike Gundam in MS Execl

2009-10-25T23:59:00.002+08:00

"You thought you saw everything... Think again"

Most of us would have come across some amazing drawings made from various graphic editors, or even MS Paint. But have you seen something drawn with MS Excel before?

Made by Shukei, this Excel drawing features Aile Strike Gundam from the anime series Gundam SEED (and Gundam SEED Destiny). The drawing is purely made up with autoshapes to do the job. It appears that the artist has used Excel over MS Word or Powerpoint for the unrestricted drawing space as well as having the grids as guidelines.

"This is the first drawing on Youtube done with Microsoft Excel exclusively (Autoshape can be used to do lineart, colors, shadows, lighting effects and layers, like some drawing softwares). Just for fun.

Real length: 12 hours 56 minutes"

12 hours 56 minutes!! o_O

Actual video below, if it doesn't work click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YG_WWZYqUs

The finished picture. Too bad I cannot find the original version in the artist's deviantART page. But it's still breathtaking nonetheless!

Gundam OYW Gallery 2

2009-10-19T11:34:00.000+08:00

It's been 5 months since my first Gundam gallery post. Continuing on the One Year War of the Universal Century, this time I'll focus purely on Zeon and all its mighty glory. Sieg Zeon! Sieg Zeon! Sieg Zeon!!!

Anyway, click on the images to view them in full size~

Note: All images belong to their respectful artists.

And last but not least, another classic scene:

"This is no Zaku, boy! No Zaku!"

Hope you enjoy the Zeon gallery this time!

Previous Gallery:

Gundam OYW Gallery

Gundam OYW Gallery 2

New action figure series: Figutto

2009-10-14T02:51:00.007+08:00

It appears that Griffon Enterprises is making a new action figure series caled Figutto (フィぎゅっと)

Up to 21 titles are already under planning for Figutto. Some of them include Ikki Tousen, Queen's Blade, ToHeart2, Zero no Tsukaima, Sekirei, Shining Wind, and The King of Fighters (KOF).

Wow didn't know KOF will be in it too!

Figutto joints shown for shoulder, knee, pelvis, and knee.

A complete and coloured Kousaka Tamaki from ToHeart2 is in display, which will very likely be Figutto's debut figure. She will be released in Feburary 2010. Price TBA

Tamaki from several angles. She will come with two faces, 4 pairs of hands, and a float ring.

Kuzugawa Sasara maid version in sample display

More girls are under planning and have design drawings out already. Here are ToHeart2 girls in school uniforms, namely Yuzuhara Konomi, Kousaka Tamaki, and Kusugawa Sasara

Ikki Tousen's Kanu Uncho Nekomimi version

Reina and Airi's design drawings. Will they be better than the Revoltech ones?

In addition, Figutto site has shown a new Touhou Project line to be available in Spring 2010, here showing Reimu Hakurei (I think). She will be up for preorder soon apparently.

How interesting. Another new action figure line to consider. ~~While it's non-scale just like figma and Revoltech, I cannot determine the exact size, but it appears that the Figutto figures may be a bit bigger than the other lines. I may be wrong though.~~ EDITED: They will stand at 16cm, which is about the same height as Fräulein (i.e. taller than Revoltechs and figmas. (Thanks SC for the info!) We shall see when more info are out in the near future~ So, anyone interested so far?

Official website:
http://www.figutto.com/

Images from Moeyo via ToysDaily forum

Bandai Figurerise 1/8 Son Goku preview

2009-10-08T23:59:00.001+08:00

Ever thought of building a figure as a model kit?

Meet Son Goku, the well known protagonist of the well known manga and anime series Dragonball Z - in plastic model kit! XD

How can Bandai ever think of such idea in the first place? Beats me. ^^;

Annouced in the beginning of this month, Bandai is planning to release Son Goku in 1/8 scale as a Master Grade model. What's rather shocking though, is that the Master Grade (aka MG) is usually known as a very high standard model line for the Gundam franchise (and to a lesser extend Patlabor and the Dunbine) - the "symbol" of what gunpla are about to many Gundam fans.

Kamehameha!!!!

Which means that the decision of having Master Grade model for an individual character is something rather unheard of. Bandai has therefore put it under a sub-branch called Figurerise. Instead of those mechanical looks and details, we now have flesh and muscles.

MG Gouf ver2.0, showing its normal apperance as well as its inner frame
Images from Dalong

In additon to the articulations and mechanical details, MG gunpla models are well known for having a workable moving inner frame, which is like the skeleton of the mechs. So... Will Son Goku have movable skeleton frame too?

Image from AmiAmi blog

Judging from the runners seen in the display case from the 49th All Japan Plamodel Radicon Show, I can't see any "skeleton"-related parts, so I think I can safely assume that this won't happen (I guess).

Kamehameha!!!!!!!
Image from Akibahobby

Despite the unusual idea, this Goku does seem to have a lot of joints inside, making it rather articulate (well hopefully it should be). Optional face expressions and hands will be provided too.

Speaking of Dragonball, anybody been watching the "remake" Dragonball Z Kai? It's not exactly a remake, but apparently more like a director's cut that cut down length fights as well as other parts that dragged the story down a bit, making it much more watchable in this shorter version. I haven't watched it, but I've heard those who are fans of them enjoyed this version better.

Goku will be released in December at a price of 3675 Yen. So... Anybody interested at building your own Goku figure? A wild idea, but I have to pass on this one as I am not into Dragonball ^^;

Official images from Happinet Online

Info from Ngee Khiong

Random bits in Tokyo

2009-10-04T22:31:00.001+08:00

Not the best title for last post on my Tokyo trip I have to admit... ^^;

Final post on my Tokyo Trip this year. There is no specific focus on this post, just some bits and bobs that I haven't mentioned in other posts (many of them are actually for the last two days of the trip). Just thought I would bring them together for the finale.

Shiodome (汐留) - a really modern and developed district in Tokyo with a lot of offices. We were only passing through here so we could board the Yurikamome to visit the Gundam in Odaiba.

At the base of the Nippon Television Tower we have encountered this strange looking clock. Looks a lot like those in Hayao Miyazaki's works (e.g. Howl's Moving Castle), right? Well, it turns out that this clock is indeed his design afterall!

The clock "performs" with music at the times shown above. According to the sign the 1000 one only happens on Sundays and Thursdays.

Standing beneath the giant fantasy clock - we didn't know about this clock before coming to Shiodome. Didn't get to see a performance, but it's definitely worth checking it out if you have the time!

Here's a YouTube video I've found recorded at 1800:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-E1oqrPNTo

Remember in Tokyo, you stand on the left and walk on the right for escalators, which is opposite to other places I've been. Are they the same for your place too?

There are drink machines offered in some train platforms, and once you've finished your drink (or the train has arrived and you need to discard it), you can dispose it in one of these machines and get some cash back. If I recall correctly I think it's about 10 Yen per cup.

St Mary's Cathedral. I am not religous, but the boyfriend of my sister's friend, who joined us the day prior to Tsukiji and the Gundam, requested to see this for his architecture research. It is located in Mejiro area.

He is a Japanese overseas student studying Architecture in mainland China, and despite my previous post on English education in Japan, his English is actually fairly good - I could chat with him in simple English!

Can't remember what this is, but I think it is the bell tower.

No matter how you look at it, it sure is an unusual looking building.

Sometimes I really am impressed at how people park their vehicles in such narrow spaces o_o

Bicycles are a common form of transport in Japan. They do make good use of space by having them parked above ground as well :o

Soba noodles made with 100% buckwheat. Normal soba noodles are usually made of a mixture of buckwheat and flour. These 100% buckwheat ones are a bit more expensive, and we had these on the top floors of Takashimaya deparment store, Shinjuku.

Mobile ramen stalls do exist, but they only seem to come out at night.

Each district seems to have its own no smoking (or "do not drop cigarette butts") sign on the ground. This one is a bit more ordinary. Others, such as the one seen in Musashino, are a bit more interesting.

The small shrine on the roof of Takashimaya department store. T'is the same photo at the beginning of the post.

The roof of Takashimaya department store has many plants and seats, giving it a very calm environment for families and children to chill around for the weekends.

Some rhetoric signs in Japanese and English spotted in trains as a message for people to maintain good manner in the public.

Dorayakit (銅鑼焼き) - just as meronpan is Shana's favourite snack, the dorayaki is Doraemon's counterpart.

A glimpse at the train operators from the door window, when the train is about to arrive on a station.

That ends my coverage on my one week Tokyo Trip way back in June. It has been a fun trip to go, and I'm sure I will make another visit someday; there simply is too much stuff to explore even within Tokyo itself! Places such as Akihabara and Tsukiji are repeated visits, but I never got bored of returning to those places. I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts on it, and to finish it off I have included the summary list of my coverage below:

Chilling in Yokohama

Yokohama and Ramen Museum

Whole Day in Ikebukuro

Akihabara 2009 Day Trip

Random bits in Tokyo

Learning English in Japan

2009-09-30T23:59:00.000+08:00

Last post before I head back to the UK T_T

Anyway found this English test from a blog of my sister's friend, you can try it out yourself:

Click to view picture in full size

This is the kind of English expected for Junior High School standards ^^;

Image from A Japanese Book

So when do the Japanese start learning ABC alphabets?

According to my sister's friend, a Hongkonger who teaches English as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan, one starts learning ABC in Year 4 of Elementary School. Besides, the purpose of learning English alphabets is primarily for romanji, and not necessarily for English. English is not a compulsory subject, which means that it may or may not be available in some elemenatary schools. This is apparently due to the fact that the schools want to keep English easy enough for children to appreciate them as an interest, rather than a proper and serious subject.

But by secondary school (i.e. junior high, high schools), students are required to learn tons of English words, which sounds like quite a grind to me. This is probably why a lot of Japanese are afraid of English and cannot bring them to use effectively. Being afraid of English language is not a rare sight in Hong Kong too, and sometimes when I post stuff in English on a forum some people simply have their minds shut down. This is probably the reason why I see so many advertisments on English language courses here and there lately.

Starting from 2011 all elementary schools will have compulsory English lessons. Apparently students will have at least 35 hours of lesson time per year, which means... About 1 lesson per week. Man, we had a lot more English lessons per week in Hong Kong, yet we still have a huge spectrum on the performance. So how effective will this be exactly? To be honest I don't have a clue :\

So have you met foreigners who are shy of English? If you have been to Japan, what is your experience on Japanese people's English?

F-Toys 1/144 Hien

2009-09-28T23:59:00.000+08:00

Something different for a change :o

This is F-Toys 1/144 scale Wing Kit Collection shokugan. The one I've got for myself is a Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (飛燕, i.e. flying swallow), which is the top plane that my figma Haruhi is pointing at.

I have mentioned about shokugan toys before (What is a shokugan?), of which some come pre-assembled, and some not. Planes are usually the latter, but they are pretty simple to build. I rarely buy Japanese warplanes as I do not recognise a lot of them, but here I've bought a Hien as it is one of the few I know and that it has large resemblence to German or Italian designs - in fact it was the only mass produced Japanese fighter aircraft that has inline V engine.

Anyway, let's have a look how this one looks like in 1/144 scale~

Opening the box there's the kit as well as small instruction manual. As you can see, even if they come unassembled, shokugan toys are prepainted already, which saves you the trouble of painting if you are not so skilled at it (like me orz).

The whole kit unpacked

Removing the parts from the runners - some of them, like this green one here, are incredibly tiny, and care must be taken not to have them rolled/blown off and lost. I've had parts dropped and bounced off my desk on previous kits before, which took me a while to find them on the floor T_T

The instructions itself - pretty self explanatory and simple. There are options for you to choose between flying or landed configurations. I choose the first as it has less parts and easier to assemble.

Assembling the model is pretty straightforward as seen on the manual in the previous picture. Gotta be careful putting those small pieces in though. That piece on the tweezers (it's a tail wheel btw) is probably only 3mm long ^^;

The completed model in flying configuration without the decals. The plane itself is very well painted already, so you can just have it like so just fine.

Decals are water transfers so simply wet the decal sheet and transfer each decal to the model with a pair of tweezers. Dab off excessive water with something like tissue or cotton bud and leave them to dry off.

Completed model with the base itself.

Underside of the plane.

A quick comparison with the German Heinkel He-100 on the left, of which the Hien's design seems to be heavily based on, although people often compared Hien to the much more popular German Messerschimtt Bf 109.

As an emphasis on how small the plane it is, here's Haruhi holding it. It's like a massive model plane for her! ^^;

Shokugan toys sure are small, but the unassembled parts are even smaller! While they are fairly popular in the Far East such as in Japan and Hong Kong, they are often overlooked outside Asia due to the small size, lesser details, and expensive shipping, which make them seem less valuable. However, their small size and cheap price make them more favourable to me, as I can collect more of these rather than owning just a few larger ones. Besides, I am a fan of 1/144 miniatures, be it Gunpla or military models, and as technology advances in plastic models, even smaller miniature models like these are getting improved too.

P.S. Despite the fact that I am a fan of WWII stuff, especially tanks, I've decided to keep it in low profile here because I don't find it mix well with the other stuff I usually blog about. However, mentioning some now and then without going over those boring facts or technical stuff probably wouldn't hurt. Hope you do find this article on shokugan model planes interesting though!

Revoltech Reycal Orichalcum

2009-09-24T23:59:00.002+08:00

A review due over a month orz. I've mentioned before that I would review Kaiyodo Revoltech's Reycal Orichalcum after 1/100 Gundam Exia Roll Out Colour, and here it is (finally).

I've got it very shortly after its release, and have been playing with the figure itself for some time, but didn't do much to the mecha-looking Knight Eagle until I started doing the review. On the other hand, reviews for it are surprisingly scarce. I've found one English so far. This makes reviewing Reycal a bit harder as I have don't have much guidance about it, until I started looking for some reviews from random Japanese blogs. Anyway let's take a look at this not so well known figure from Revoltech then.

Released on 13th August (2 days earlier than its announced date), Reycal Orichalcum of Revoltech Yamaguchi line costs 2400 Yen for retail price. She is the protagonist from the manga series "Orichalcum Reycal", whose author does the "JINKI" manga series. She doesn't come with much parts as her partner Knight Eagle takes up the majority of it. She does have 2 extra pair of hands, 2 extra faces, a stand, as well as parts for combining Reycal with Knight Eagle to form Knight Reycal.

Other than that she has tiny feet, Reycal can still stand pretty well by herself.

As with other Revoltech figures, most of her joints use Revoltech joints. I've seen a picture where Reycal can raise her leg up even higher, but I can't haven't tried to do that with mine.

The neck actually has two joints, so Reycal can look up and down to a large degree, even more than that for figmas. I do have a small rant with the upper legs though. As the they do not use ball joints at all, the legs can either go forwards and backwards or sideways, depending on how you have positioned the Revoltech joint in the thigh. I had to remove and replaced the joint whenever I want to change the direction where the upper leg wants to bend. Thankfully each joint are easily removable (a feature of Revoltech), or else it'd be a nightmare to do so.

Hair has joints. Still find it kinda strange especially when viewed from behind, but they do add some dynamic touch to the figure when doing action poses.

The two extra faces are an angry face and an embarassed face. Great for having different kinds of poses showing different expressions.

Various action poses. It's great how figma stands are compatible with her, just like Airi's case too ^^

The original stand. The base has two pegs, and Reycal can stand on either or both of them as she has a hole just in front of her heels. The base's arm uses one of them too.

Just like Airi's stand it's a bit too short to do mid-air poses, and the Revoltech joints are not strong enough to hold Reycal up in midair anyway.

However, it can hold up the Knight Eagle just fine, seen her with Reycal standing next to it.

The Knight Eagle is a mecha eagle, which is supposed to be a support for Reycal. It was built primarily to combine with Reycal for a more powerful but temporary form - Knight Reycal.

Due to the seemingly complicated nature of Knight Reycal's tranformation, an instruction sheet is provided on doing the combination.

To start the combination, first the Knight Eagle has to be dissembled, almost entirely.

There are extra parts which are required to use for Knight Reycal, this includes a different hair piece, to elbows, two knee armours, and a spear handle.

Knight Reycal after combination. The claws of the eagle have become gauntlets, and the main body has become the body armour.

Leftover parts that are not used in Knight Reycal.

In order to hold the spear, there's a peg on the handle for a hole on either a left or a right holding hand. Here only the right hand is shown, but the left hand is mirrored and identical.

A side note - exchanging hands is a very easy and painless process. A long but simple peg to insert into the hole in the arm.

Various action poses in Knight Reycal form. Posability is slightly hindered on the hair and arms due to Eagle Knight's armour.

Again, the backpack of the armour fits well with the figma stand.

Size comparison with figma Haruhi - like Airi, Reycal appears a little shorter, but I'd say that she's about the same height as figma Shana. Btw Reycal is actually quite tiny in the manga - I'd say that she's about that size if she were to be in real life too.

A very overlooked action figure from the Revoltech Yamaguchi series, but the Yamaguchi series isn't known for bishoujo figurines in the first place (Fräulein too was under Revoltech but was a different line), and Orichalcum Reycal isn't a particularly well known manga series either. In terms of retail price Reycal costs only 100 yen cheaper than normal figmas, but the local shops tend to sell it much cheaper as it's not one of the hot mainstream stuff out there so far.

Compared to figmas, the paint job on Reycal isn't brill; there are some excess paints spotted here and there, and painting isn't always spot on on some edges. For some odd reasons the Revoltech joint on the left leg is slightly damaged in the first place (but it doesn't seem to cause troubles with articulations at all so far), and I've opened the box at least a week after I bought it, so I doubt I could bring it back to the shop and change for a new one anymore.

Despite the setbacks, I actually find Reycal Orichalcum quite fun to play with, as she actually has fairly good posability thanks to the Revoltech joints and um... Lack of excessive clothings (laughs). The Knight Eagle is okay by itself. Combining it with Reycal at first looks complicated, but it's not too hard to do, though there are quite a few parts to remove and reattach and there are a few leftover parts for Knight Reycal, or even keeping the two seperated.

Overall, Kaiyodo Revoltech's Reycal Orichalcum is not a bad start for the Yamaguchi line to go back on female action figurines. Sure, its overall quality, especially the paint job, could be improved, but there's a good level of playability with durable articulated joints. It's not a bad figurine at all, but you can't compared it too much to Max Factory's figma line. If you can get it lower than the retail price of 2400 yen, then you can give this one a try. Both Hobby Search and HLJ has her in stock.

Reviews from English blogs:

Synergetic Beans

Reviews from Japanese sites:

水芥

YOの玩具箱

Phew this has been one long review to make @_@ Hope this will give you some insights on this not-so-well-known figure.

Anime I've watched in Japan

2009-09-19T23:59:00.003+08:00

Back in the Tokyo trip last June, I did spend some of the nights watching anime on the hotel TV. Since all of them were in analog the quality wasn't stellar, which explains the quality of my photos. Other than Wolf & Spice that I've mentioned on my Nakano & Akihabaro post, the anime I've watched and mentioned here were on Thursday (18th) and Friday (19th) night (or rather Friday and Saturday morning).

So let's have a look at what random anime I've managed to flick onto my TV on those two nights ^^;

On Thursday night: Hakushaku to Yousei (伯爵と妖精), literally "Earl and Fairy", with a very feminine style of artwork - it's not surprising that this series is supposedly aimed for the girls. Apparently it's originally a light novel series, which is still ongoing.

Some anime series featuring battleships in CG - had no idea what this is nor did I manage to capture the title. Anyone who know what this is?

Final episode of Higashi no Eden (東のエデン), or Eden of the East. I heard it's really good, but I have no idea about it. All I know is that there are 2 movies coming sometime later for a more wrapped up conclusion.

Haruhi new (?) season. This is the first episode of the notorious Endless Eight arc actually, and most of us who have watched it at that time would probably have enjoyed it without knowing what was truly ahead of us.

Chrome Shelled Regios (鋼殻のレギオス) - I had no idea what the series was about, execpt there were monsters, which were fairly big.

Pandoras Heart, airing at the same time as Chrome Shelled Regios. No idea what it was about either.

Final episode of K-On! excluding the extra episode. Haven't got drawn into the hype at all, but at least the plot (if any) was easy to understand.

After K-On!, I had enough for the night. With Tsukiji fish market, Gundam in Odaiba, and Tokyo Tower all happened on the very same day before this, it was more than a tiring yet fruitful day for me.

Friday night: Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity, which is on its final episode too apparenrtly. The whole episode seemed rather confusing, but that could very well be the fact that I knew hardly anything about it in the first place.

Hayate no Gotoku!! (the two exclamation marks are there to show it's the second season by JC Staff, not my enthusiasm towards it as I haven't even started on the first season yet) featuring Hinagiku and Nagi - two of the most popular girls in the series so far

I admit that I know hardly anything about the series other than that it's supposed to be focused fairly heavily on parodies (especially true for the first season), but I find Hinagiku dressing similar to Lacus Clyne or Meer Campbell (from the Gundam SEED / Destiny series) singing A Cruel Angel's Thesis rather amusing ^^;

A guy falling for crossdressing maid Hayate is rather... o_O

Hayate x Hinagiku - is this what the majority of the fans wanted?

Basquash! was another series that I didn't pay much attention to, mainly due to the fact that I wasn't so into sports related media, and I was feeling a little drowsy after watching so much anime on TV -_- zzz...

I've always wondered why a lot of anime tend to air late at night, usually around midnight to 2-3am (other popular hours were the early mornings or late afternoons e.g. 8am or 5pm), and they usually come one after another like a chain. Was hoping that I would have the stamina to watch more but I was too tired to do so - might as well save up more energy for daytime anyway, but it was interesting to experience watching the anime series that we tend to watch subbed on air.

Tokyo Tower

2009-09-15T21:47:00.001+08:00

Despite having been to Tokyo several times already, I haven't gone up the Tokyo Tower until this year. So let's have a look at this symbolic tower that represents Tokyo.

We got off from the Akabanebashi station by taking the Toei Oedo Line, and from there we can already see the Tokyo Tower (the first picture) from the exit.

The tower starts to light up as we were approaching it in the Shiba Park (芝公園, Shibakouen). I think this happens around 7pm.

Lots of black cars near the Zojoji Temple at the edge of the Shiba Park.

View of the Tokyo Tower with orange lighting from the ground. Apparently the light changes depending on the season or to a specific event.

Bottom of the Tokyo Tower. Unlike the Eiffel Tower in Paris where there's an open space in the middle we have a building with restaurants and shops there.

A 'floor plan' to show what shops and restaurants are available on the first four floors. The admission fee can also be seen on the right.

Hello Kitty (ita)bus spotted!

A good tip for those planning to go to Tokyo Tower:
Go there on your birthday and you'll be free of admission fee as well as a coupon to have a small birthday cake! That's the case with my sister, and she was one happy girl on that night.

Taking pictures of the city at night on the Main Observatory. As one can see it's getting darker as I took those 4 pictures.

There's another observatory floor much higher up, but one will have to pay a bit more to get up there.

A closer look of the really bright road seen from the previous picture

On each side of the observation floor there's a computer to show you what buildings can be seen from that direction as well as the scene viewed from morning to night.

Touch a building with label and it will show you its height, height comparison with the Tokyo Tower, as well as distance.

More night scenes

There's a small window on the ground for you to look down the Tower. Couldn't take a good shot of the view though due to the intensive lighting

And even more night scenes. This is my first time trying to take night scenes with my compact digital camera.

Tokyo Tower shaped water bottles. I've bought one for myself too~ ^^;

Model scenary of Tokyo in the 50s I think, which is to show how the area around the Tokyo Tower before it was built.

I am a fan of miniatures, and am always fascinated by the details that look as if the atmosphere would be alive.

Apparently baseboard board game comes out roughly the same time as the completion of Tokyo Tower, therefore there's a small display of baseball board games to show how much it is evolved throughout these 50 years.

For dinner we had ramen again. This time with these vending machines (no ramen don't come out straight from the machine ^^;). What happens is that you order what ramen you want with them, and you get an order ticket. The staff will cook them and call the number when it's done. Many fastfood style restaurants in Japan have this system too.

Various ramen for dinner

A light projecting text of Tokyo Tower near the entrance as we left the Tower.

One of the most important tourist attraction, Tokyo Tower is quite a sight to see for oneself. The Main Observatory floor gives a good 360 view of Tokyo, and there's a number of restaurants and facilities on the first 4 floors too, which I haven't mentioned above (there's an aquarium too I think). Oh remember, you get free admission if you go on your birthday~ ^^

Tommy of The Inferno Project also has a nice coverage of his visit to Tokyo Tower too!

For those who want to go to have a good view of Tokyo without having to pay admission fee, the observatory floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is a good alternative place to go to too.

1/100 Gundam Exia Roll Out Colour

2009-09-11T23:59:00.003+08:00

Gundam Exia, ready to roll out!

Note: This review is on a sugumi (simply assembled) with some simple touchups.

The 1/100 Gundam Exia Roll Out Colour is a limited version of the normal Gundam Exia model, which has a grey and white colour scheme rather than the typical protagonist Gundam colours (i.e. blue + red + yellow + white).

There are some personal frustrations with this model (not the quality but its distribution). As it's an event limited model one cannot see it in shops usually, and I got this in a shop in Japan that focuses on resold limited goods and costs me a lot. Only to find out that the ACGHK2009 convention was selling them at regular prices a month later -_-

Image from Random Curiosity

First appeared as a 1/144 scale limited yet simple First Grade kit with preorder for the Gundam 00 NDS game as well as an alternative colour scheme as a hidden unlockable feature in the game, Exia does appear in this colour scheme very briefly in the anime as a flashback (last episode of the first season, to be precise).

Ah sugar even with my lowly digital camera the macro shot picks up the dust I don't normally see -_- But I like those little stickers and the colourless "lens" things.

The engine and power source of Exia - the GN Drive. It creates and emits GN particles, which are used for flying, weapons, and even cloaking (self concealment from enemy's sight).

The green part is supposed to be a ring sticker but I've decided to paint it green with my Gundam marker pen to make it look like that the drive is active. Same being done to the centre of the torso.

Exia's equipment excluding the 4 beam sabres/daggers on the Gundam itself. All close combat oriented.

Exia equipped with the GN Sword as well as the GN Shield.

Exia flying. Yes, for those who haven't watch the series, that's how it flies. No need for wings or stabilisers etc and it will just fly by emitting those particles from the drive.

Shooting with Exia's only primary range weapon; its GN Rifle, or rather I'd call it GN Pew Pew Gun. Not only does it sound like one, the pilot Setsuna rarely hits anything with it anyway ^^;

Action pose with its signature GN Sword. The blade itself was just one single piece of plastic in dark grey, so I tried 'blinging' up the edge. Looks pretty nice to me now~ ^^

Will mention what I've used for blinging near the end.

The "I will chop ya" pose

Exia has beam sabres at the back of each shoulder. Found its placement a little odd when I first watched the series but well at least it can still grab one out when needed.

Posing with the beam sabres.

It also has two GN Daggers stored at the back, which look exactly the same as the beam sabres. My guess is that they're pretty much the same thing except they can behave differently depending on the length of the desired beam?

House of flying GN Daggers

Exia has slots in its arms so it can attach weapons securely in addition to just holding them in the hands. Here, this beam rifle from my Gundam Astraea (which was reviewed sometime last year) is compatible with Exia, and I'm sure that there are more weapons from other Gundams in the series that are compatible with Exia too.

The last two weapons - GN Long Sword and GN Short Sword. Other than the different lengths the two swords are pretty much identical.

Exia is not supposed to have these two swords here as they were still being developed at the time of its rollout. It received them sometime in the series and it was pretty early on too.

The swords can be stored on each side of the hip, but the parts for storing them is unbelievably loose, and I'm just lucky that this one is holding just long enough for me to take this picture. Well it makes sense for leaving them out as they're still under development when it's rolled out ^^;

Gundam Astraea and Exia standing side by side. With Astraea being Exia's prototype, one can see some similarities between the two, like the legs, arms, and the torso.

The back view look less similar, but it's good to see the differences and similarities between the two.

As for what I've used to bling up the GN Sword (as well as the hasty works on the other swords), I've used a cheap nail varnish bought from a cosmetic chain store to do the job (with the help from my sister). Didn't have any masking tape to mask off unwanted areas, so clear sticky tapes did the work just find with a bit of care on cutting it out with a small pocket knife. That's how much I don't bother spending on proper art equipments as a casual person ^^;

While grey may seem like a dull colour, ironically I find it a refreshing change to the typical blue and red colours, and it makes the Gundam *seem* more realistic. Personally I like this colour scheme more, and that's why I've bought one despite the unecessary cost. For those who prefer Master Grade models, there's one coming out sometime in the future, which will be a Bandai Hobby Shop limited item - release date & price TBA.

Youtube vlogger Prime92 has made a review of this Exia too (she's a big fan of Exia, just like Ngee Khiong ^^):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62MxzbHRiCY

On a final note, there are two different box arts for this particular limited model. One is just plain text saying it's an event limited, while the other is a monochrome version of the normal box art. The latter seems a bit more common and was seen available even in online shops before. Not sure about it now though. Despite that it's still worth getting if you like this sort of colour (well that's why I got myself a MG G-3 OYW version as well, which as similar colour scheme)!

Gundam in Odaiba

2009-09-07T18:44:00.001+08:00

A bit ironically late to post this now as the Gundam should be getting / already dismantled by now, but here it is, the Gundam that has once stood proudly in Odaiba.

After a lunch in Tsukiji Fish Market, we took a few trains and finally arrived at Odaiba by Yurikamome, a monorail lookalike fully automated transit system.

Upon arrival, we can see the Gundam from the station already~ ^^

Getting off the station

Fuji TV Station

Hotel Nikko Tokyo

Getting closer and closer to the Rainbow Bridge

La Statue de la Liberte, one of the various replica of the Statue of Liberty all over the world.

A map of Shiokaze park. The Gundam should be in that circular space called The Sun Space

The moment we enter The Sun Square in Shiokaze Park - the 30 years old legend is here!

Even though it's half a month before its official display period, there were still a sizeable crowd standing before the Gundam.

Left and right hand

This is Gundam!

Slightly closer up: that's as far as my camera can zoom as it's not one of those fancy DSLR cameras.

Let's go on a Gundam 360 Tour:

It's like doing a photoshoot with a humongous figure XD

Details on the backpack

Gundam overlooking the buildings.

Something that would normally only appear on TV screens has finally come to life!

All sorts of people, men and women, taking pictures or just appreciating the sight of the life size Gundam in front of them.

Messing around with exposures.

More messing around with the shots, beginner style.

Last picture before going. To be honest I kinda miss it already by the time I start leaving.

It's been 30 years, and the Gundam franchise has grown so much thanks to the original Gundam, aka RX-78-2. Aired in 1979, where the super robots took the dominance for the mecha-related genre, Gundam took on some of the more realistic themes and ideas and put it in the show. It is said that this is where the "real robot" genre starts to boom, where it is one of the dominant genres right now.

Despite the fact that Gundam a common subject for otakus to associate with, it also means a lot to ordinary people, young and old, men and women, within Japan or outside Japan. It has appeared on TVs and other medias as well as in models (aka gunpla) throughout these 30 years, and after all these times it's still as popular as ever, with the franchise growing with more and more series (such as the recent Gumdam 00 and the upcoming Gundam UC which is getting animated next year). It definitely has become a symbol in the Japanese culture, not only for otakus but for the general population.

Even if you're not into Gundams or mechs in general, let's appreciate how a 18m tall mech has once become materialised, standing proudly in front of various fans and non-fans in Odaiba.

Haven't got the info for where the Gundam will end up after its display period in Odaiba, but someone such as Ngee Khiong may get us informed once the news come.

Gallery:

Gundam in Odaiba

Away Briefly

2009-08-31T22:40:00.005+08:00

Image from Random Curiosity

I will be away from Hong Kong briefly for the first week of September. As I will be fairly occupied I would probably keep my net activity down for a while, and will be back on 7th September.

Have been a little weary recently, and this trip I'm on isn't for recreational purpose unfortunately. Hope I'll get to refresh myself after this, and go back and enjoy building gunpla, watching anime, as well as going through the blogs again!

August Purchase & Backlog

2009-08-30T23:59:00.002+08:00

Have been a little tired recently so I'll make this short.

First off 1/100 MG Exia Ignition Mode and 1/144 HG Trans-Am Raiser. Found both at relatively good prices so I thought it's a deal and bought them (at seperate occaisions).

I've noticed that I haven't talked much about my own gunpla. In fact I have been building some this month, namely 3 1/144 HGUC GM Commands and the limited 1/100 Exia Roll Out Colour. I feel like doing a random post about them in general one day.

My 1/100 Exia Roll Out Colour version is near its completion - just getting its signature GN Blade 'blinged' up like those in MG Exia Ignition Mode. I lack paints and masking tapes so I'm just using normal cellotapes and my sister's nail varnish to help me get the job done. Compromisation ftw lol -_-;;

Will probably make a review of it in mid-September, as I will be away for a short while.

You may have already noticed that there's someone sitting on top of Trans-Am Raiser's box. It's Revoltech Reycal Orichalcum that I've mentioned last month. Doesn't shine as much as figmas, but it's ok. Will make a review of her after Exia Roll Out Colour.

Now off to the backlogs. For gunpla it's not too much, but I need to think about what to do on next, as I haven't made an MG for myself before. After completing the Exia Roll Out Colour I may go for another limited grey Gundam - the MG G-3 OYW version.

I'm starting to fall behind on anime too; Haruhi 2nd season (?) and Toradora! got stalled while I am still keeping in touch with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (I haven't read the manga) and Valkyria Chronicles (it's not bad but I heard that the original PS3 game is much better). I probably won't watch anymore Haruhi after 2 iterations of the notorious Endless Eight "arc" until it finishes airing, and I have no idea why I keep stalling on Toradora!; it's not a bad series at all so I don't understand what keeps me from going through it... orz

Have been a bit less active on the Internet too, which means I would be behind on blogs naturally orz Am probably just getting a bit weary as I have many things that I want to do, yet so little time. Heck I still have betatesting to do for a game mod too, and unfortunately they all have to wait as I will be away soon (I'll make a post about it tomorrow), *sigh* T_T

Footnote:

I haven't gone that far into Haruhi, but what's with Haruhi's face getting similar to K-ON!'s? Apparently it's not for one episode only. What's going on? :\

Screenshots from Random Curiosity

figma Signum

2009-08-24T23:59:00.002+08:00

This review is kinda overdued, as I've got her way back in ACGHK convention. Anyway let's get onto the accessory-abundant figma Signum.

Signum comes from the 2nd and 3rd part of the Nanoha series, namely A's and StrikerS. Released sometime late in July, she's one of the more expensive figmas due to her large number of accessories, as shown in the picture above.

There's a piece of paper on using the correct hand for the sword, part swapping for her weapon Laevatein, and using the correct hand for holding the arrow.

The special hand for holding the sword is actually similar to that for figma Shana.

Signum drawing her sword from the scabbard.

Signum with Laevatein in Schwertform (Sword form). Here you can see that I have wrongly used the normal hand instead the special hand, which only holds the sword loosely as a result.

Laevantein engulfed in flame, basically a powered up version of the Schwert Form (after loading with magical cartridge according to the lore).

Part swapping for the Laevatein is easy. However for some reason the end cap of mine is kinda loose and can fall out easily. Anyone got the same problem?

Laevatein in Schlangenform (Snake form). I only recall this being used in the second series though. The metal wire is pretty sturdy and can hold up pretty well by itself.

And I do mean pretty well - look how high I can pose it~ ^^

Btw did anyone notice the similarities between this form and Ivy's sword from the Soul Calibur game series?

Signum comes with 2 hair pieces, but I kinda find this odd as they are almost like mirror images to each other.

The fans' anticipated Bogenform (Bow form). Wow this bow is even taller than she is o_o

Posing with Laevatein in Bogenform. Kinda find the parts stiff so I didn't push one part of the bow fully into the handle for the fear of getting stuck or even breakage. Again like the Schlangenform I only recall it being used in the second series A's.

Action poses

Final picture of Signum standing next to Fate.

Despite being a little more expensive than normal figmas, Signum is surely a nice get with plenty of accessories for you to play with. She's not my favourite character in the series but she is surely respectful, as well as being mature, cool and levelheaded. It's worth a get even if you don't know the character :o

Reviews are also available from:

Animatic Figmation

Actar has a video review for it too:

Please let me know if you or someone else has a review of her too and I'll gladly add it here~

Tsukiji Fish Market

2009-08-18T23:59:00.003+08:00

Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場, Tsukiji shijou) is one of the largest wholesale seafood market in Japan, situated in Tsukiji of central Tokyo. One of its most well known products there is the fresh tuna.

I recall that no JR lines pass through this area, but you can get off from Ginza and walk there, or take other lines such as Toei Oedo line or Tokyo Metro line to get there.

More info such as the history etc can be found on Wikipedia.

As a tip, come in Tsukiji fish market in morning, and you'll get to appreciate the lively and busy market life there. Might as well stop by for some of the best tuna for lunch :o

We came a bit too late this trip, so most of the shops were closed by the time we've arrived. The pictures without my watermark on the bottom right are from my older picture hosting account Picasa.

These straight looking things are no seafood; they are in fact wasabi on sale

These odd transport vehicles are known as Turret Truck (ターレットトラック), which are a common sight in the fish market. Heard they exist in other areas such as factories, warehouses, and railroad stations too but this is the only place I've spotted these vehicles.

No smoking sign in Tsukiji. Different districts have their own no smokiong signs.

Now onto what I've eaten - too bad I do not know much about sushi types, but they're here anyway to get you hungry (unless you're not into raw seafood) ^^;

Tekkamaki (鉄火巻き)

Salmon roe sushi

This vegetable sushi is wrapped with bacon topped with mayonnaise. Unusual, but nice~

I remember that this particular tuna sushi is very expensive compared to the others

The damage in total... Don't wanna remember the price anymore >_<

When we've asked for the bill, rather than counting the dishes individually, one of the waitress used a machine to scan through the dishes and got the price in one sweep - never seen this outside Japan before :o

If you want to taste the fresh tuna sushi or just appreciate the atmosphere of a fish market, then Tsukiji fish market is definitely worth visiting.

Do be polite when visiting the fish market though, as the vendors and fishermen take great respect of their stuff - don't randomly touch things, and apparently one should refrain from using flashes when taking photos too. The market has banned foreign tourists from visiting before, so we have been warned. But if we play by the rules, then the visit would be an enjoyable experience.

However, it is apparently said that the fish market will be moved to Koto area in 2012 due to several reasons, including asbestos contamination, hygene, and other environmental issues. I have not found confirmations on this yet, but should this really be the case, there's only a few more years left before Tsukiji fish market to become mere memories not only for the locals, but to us as well.