A place for collectors. Bandai, Hasbro, Takara, Kotobukiya, Max Factory, etc. can be found here, with new additions every month. Reviews, wishlists, anime and such will be discussed here. This one is for the geeks, so take a seat and enjoy.
Been a while, eh? My tour here, in Holland is coming to an end, and with my return to the US coming up, I have been knee deep in preparation for the transit. Because of this, I've been away from the blog scene for a while. Even though I haven't blogged, the hobby shopping never stopped. I noticed that I haven't updated my collection with the new arrivals. There has been a few since I first uploaded at least what this room encompasses. I must say this: it's getting crowded. So many good figures, and no real way to have them shine like they should. Returning to the US will allow me the room I need to give some of these guys some justice. Anyway, onto the updates. First up: Robot Shelf - Not much here, but I did finally manage to get my hands on a Macross Frontier model kit, another Wild-member robot from SRW, and finally, that Valsione that I have coveted since 2010.
Valsione was one of the best Kotobukiya kits I have. Assembly was easy, with good ending articulation. I'm satisfied with the purchase.
Didn't think about this until now. Wildwurger is behind Weissritter and in front of Temjin. The purchase was solely to try and complete the 3 Wilds from SRW.
Hades Project: Zeorymer takes center stage, replacing Arblade Custom. I absolutely love the design of this mech. Reminds me so much of Cyclopsis from the first Power Rangers, and I liked that robot a lot.
Behind Lancelot Albion, is VF-25S Super Messiah model kit. the kit is nice enough to be built with, or without its heavy armor. I was excited to try my hand at a Macross kit for the first time, but I came up a bit disappointed with this. The transformation between modes is a bit choppy, and I cant get it to hold together nicely in fighter mode. Not sure there is much more Macross in my future.
Sorry, Arblade. You lost your center position, and got booted to the side.
Next: Transformers Shelf - Tranformers Prime has really been a great cartoon, and a source of some nice figures. Also, with the release of Fall of Cybertron (in which if you haven't played...GOT GET IT), even more figures are being released. I haven't gotten everything that I wanted, but some essentials were found. Again, It's getting real crowded up there, so moving location would highly benefit me.
Barely enough space for the masterpiece Decepticons. It's also a bit difficult to see Prime Soundwave behind Skywarp's intake. FOC Shockwave, and Prime Knockout also join the ranks.
Behind G2 Optimus w/ Battle Tanker Add-On, is TFP's Voyager Megatron, and FE Optimus. Let me say, I love that Megatron. One of the best Megatron molds in a good, long while. Also, I am in love with the design of that robot. Seeing it on screen is excellent, and Frank Welker has done yet another astonishing job at playing one of the most iconic villains ever.
I had to change the pose for Magnus, with everything else behind him.
1, 2, 3 Primes! WFC, FOC, and Revoltech.
FOC Jazz next to his Generations incarnation. you can see WFC and TFP FE Bumblebees flanking TFP Ratchet.
Another Optimus Triplet. FE TFP, MP-10, and that red Powered Commander Add-On has Generations Optimus as the base.
Rodimus, Springer (Warbot Defender), Perceptor, Kup, Junkheap, Drift. I was kind of going for a Wreckers theme, here.
Photon totin' Rodimus and Warpath.
Third: Figure Shelf - The most additions are here. I have an acceptional amount of remorse here. a good amount of Bandai Tamashii exclusives have came in, and I havent had the time to review them like they should be. Also, due to their size, and accessories, I had to shove them in the back, and take away from the the displaying they were meant for. I also stepped up my figma game. More and more of the famed "super poseable dolls" have rolled in, and one of the newest ones have really sparked my fancy.
Final Forms Kazuma and Ryuho from S-Cry-Ed. If you ever watch that battle, it bets pretty desperate toward the end. I'm sure these came and gone like the wind. I'm a bit sad I to shove Goku back there, but he takes up so much space. Reychal Orichalcum in underneath Gundam Girl, Yukina.
The complete Eva series is in effect. Liolaeus, and Sol Tekkaman join the fray.
All stages of Gurren Lagann. I love Gainax producions.
Been waiting for Griffith to show up.
A bit blurry, but its figma Samus Aran behind that ax, and next to the Ronin Warriors.
In front of the Ronin Warriors, come the Fate ladies. Just waiting on that Kiritsugu.
Behind Saber Alter, is ax wielding Leonmitchelli Galette des Rois. I know, a moutnful, but she is from Dog Days, and possibly my favorite figma to date. nice design, clothing gimmick, paint. Random purchases FTW!
Duel Maids. I tried to give the chicks in my collection some face time.
I need not explain these guys.
It keeps coming out sideways, but Chun Li and Ken posing in front of the Brothers Elric.
Finally: Saint Seiya Shelf
Oh my Dayum...He's finally arrived. I have awauted this for a while.
With the arrival of EX Aiolos, I have decided to do a "Generations" Compare & Contrast. Initially, I wanted to show him compared to Crown, but since I have all 3, I can show how the line has evolved over the years. I dont have much free time, and the project is rather large, so expect a while before I finish it. However, I plan on going through joint-to-joint, armor piece-by-piece, posing comparisons and special pieces/gimmicks. Stay tuned for some goodness in the coming days, and as always...
Happy Hobbying, everyone!
P.S. Sonic and Gundam Shelves weren't shown any love. Simply, I have all I want from Sonic, and there have been no new MG's that I want. The few I do want will have to wait until I move location. Besides...I don't have the room :(
I feel like it's been a while since I did any real work toward the blog. a lot of it has to do with less and less time I have on my hands, and another large part of it has to do with the partying last weekend. Made me groggy for a few days...sorry about that.
Anyway, there have been a few new additions since I last logged on. Bandai is on a rampage with my wallet this month, and June is actually the most promising month for releases this year. I still have some nice ones in the mail, but for now, I'm satisfied with what came in so far.
The winged Evangelion is here. No review, But know it came with a ton of accessories.
Now, normally I would do an arrival pic, but I wasn't so much in the mood this time. Like I mentioned earlier, I have less and less time on my hands, so what I really wanted to highlight here are the various sets I have. Revoltech Evangelion Evolution (EVA EVO) series, S. H. Figuarts DBZ line, and Armor Plus Ronin Warriors have all been buffed, as well as the addition to a LONG awaited item: Saint Myth Cloth Gemini Surplice. Man, been trying to get my hands on one of those through a legit webstore for a long time now. Finally, Hades collection, and basically everything I want from Saint Seiya is complete.
Trunks is the last Saiyain to be part of this collection.
Father-Son Kamehameha, Big Bang, Burning Attack...MAN, that's some beamy goodness!
Cye of the Torrent/ Suiko No Shin
Super Wave Smasher. Yeah, baby.
Now, of course I'm waiting for news of Kento of the Hardrock toy. That will put the finishing touches on the Ronin Warrior line. I haven't heard much from the EVA EVO series, and rightfully so, since I don't know what else they could release. Every single Eva Unit has been released in some way, shape or form as a Revoltech. Angels, maybe? Who knows?
And Hades collection is finally complete
Been looking for this Saga for years
Might have to change my cover
As for DBZ, well...I'm sure all of you saw that wonderful silhouette of a great villain coming to light. If not, go ahead and check on this bad boy: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=444851942200643&set=a.202780856407754.63448.155435907808916&type=1&theater
Nice, right? Also, I have the next two EX releases on preorder: Virgo Shaka and Sagittarius Aiolos. Those two will be plenty of fun, I'm sure of it. If anything, they are certainly a welcomed addition to my collection.
Scorpio Milo in production. Expect him soon. Till then...
The Brothers Elric. Protagonists of Full Metal Alchemist. Well,
if you don’t know about these guys, there is a problem. The story involved in
them is pretty tragic, actually. Daddy left when they were young. Mommy dies.
They try to bring her back using the big TABOO...human transmutation. One brother loses a leg, and
another loses his body. The surviving brother tries to get the younger's soul back, and
loses his arm for it. They spend their lives journeying to find a way to get
the younger brother’s real body back. Talk about f’d up!
The story that unfolds around them is good…damn good. Their stature in the
military, the Seven Deadly Sins, Daddy issues, etc. all make Full Metal
Alchemist a pretty awesome piece of fiction. They may be kids (though Alphonse doesn’t
look it), but don’t play with them. They can hold their own when someone balls
a fist at them, and can (and will) bust you up if need be. On top of that, they
are Alchemists, and use their alchemy to do all kinds of glorious things.
Edward (Ed) Elric. Eldest son of Hoenheim and Trisha Elric.
Leaving his home of Resembool, he joined the State Alchemists of Amestris, and
was dubbed the “Full Metal Alchemist” based off his certain style. Well versed
in martial arts thanks to the seemingly harsh tutelage of his teacher, Izumi
Curtis, he searches for the means to return his younger brother’s original body
back to him. If you want the lowest low-down on him, please read all about it
here: http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Elric
Revoltech Edward Elric is already a figure worth buying. FMA
is a pretty big anime, with Edward already getting a few toy incarnations, but
it’s nice to see Kaiyodo go ahead and pick up on them too. I mean, while the
hell not?
Hood masks Izumi's Flamel
There is no nose on the comedic angry face
Every joint of this figure is Revoltech’d, except for the
knees. The knees are two separate segments of the legs held together by an
intersecting rod. Reminds me of a certain vampire
mold, but we’ll get to that. Anyway, Edward’s basic design is simple, but cool.
Blonde hair, big red jacket, black outfit…and you got yourself a protagonist. As
for painting, Edward really doesn’t need much to get it down. They make sure to
get his belt buckle, State Alchemist watch, and Flamel right, although the
latter is kept hidden by the plastic piece of his hood. Big fat jacket tails on
Revoltech joints, and they are needed, lest you get the effect that Motochika
Chosokabe, and SFO Chun-Li has, with a nice looking skirt pieces that stay
stale when posing. The jacket tails have some flat parts to them, hinting where
they should be placed for a calmer look, but be careful of the inside clothing.
The inside clothing is a bit unique that the waist/bottom torso is connected to
the back, which is connected to the neck. Ed’s “shirt” is actually just a
plastic flap below the neck joint. The same with his collar, which I just
another plastic flap around the base of his neck. There are some “in between”
pieces on the shoulder Revoltech joints, to help blend together the cluster of
joints involved with the upper back area of the figure. But with the placement
of the joints, you can pretty much pose Ed to kick so hard his knee in hits his mouth. Only from Revoltech!
Someone made fun of his height
Hagaren No Renkinjutsushi
But let’s move on to special parts. Not too shabby, if you
ask me. Automail arm, with fist and open hand and ripped clothing. Normal Automail
arm guard and blade guard. A pair of “clap” hands, open left hand, stern face,
fierce face, and comedic angry face. To top it off, you get 2 Alchemic “bursts”
for his clap hands, and a ground piece of rising Alchemy. The arm is used by removing
Ed’s existing arm, and replacing it. Same thing with the arm guards. Interesting
enough, his removable faces are done by raising his front hair piece (on a
Revoltech joint as well) then swapping them.
Full Metal freakin' Alchemist
Full Metal Hellsing
You see, it’s not that Edward is a carbon copy, but his mold
is VERY similar to Revoltech Alucard. The legs, torso, and jacket tails, and
white gloves all conspire to give him a hella similar look. Yeah, Alucard is a
bit larger than the short Elric son, but it is more than obvious that Edward
Elric’s mold had plenty of base preparations, and an idea to work off of.
Alphonse (Al) Elric. The youngest Elric sibling lost his
body in a failed attempt to resurrect his deceased mother. Now, he has only his
soul affixed to a suit of armor that does not rest, or even feel. Alphonse
accompanies his brother on their journey as the more mature sibling, even
though he is the junior. He learned Alchemy alongside his brother in their
youth from reading books in their home left by their mysterious father. For Alphonse and all his glory, look at: http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Alphonse_Elric
This is how you move his eyes
Revoltech Alphonse Elric is a big figure. Probably the
largest Revoltech humanoid figure out there. It is at least the largest framed
Revoltech I have…and the heaviest. Dealing
with articulation, I will say that Kaiyodo did their best. Thing is, not much
can be done with that gargantuan frame of his. So, for what they could do…they
did quite well. Thing is, Alphonse’s body is way too large for conventional
Revoltech joints. Even the largest joints available only cover his arm joints. So,
for his legs, again, the knee joints are two segments kept together by an intersecting
rod. The upper thighs are connected to the waist by enormous hinges that that
though are not removable, do give you full range of motion. Just beware of the
crotch cloth. The spikes are “in between” parts like Edward has. The rear cloth
piece has one Revoltech joint. It also has a similar flap kind of deal of Ed’s
with the spikes on his feet.
Preparing for battle
The Armored Alchemist
Paint is done well, but what is there to say, really? 90% of
Al’s body is one color. White, brown, black and red pieces finish the paint
job, and there you have it: Revoltech made simple. The head is a real special
deal. Making sure to keep the hair-like cloth, it is made of a more rubbery
material than mere plastic. It’s bendable, but I don’t want to risk a break. The
head is also the start of the special parts. First, it is connected to the body
via a double hinged Revoltech joint, to help mimic the fact that the head is
necessarily “attached”. Also, it allows for movement around the interfering
rectangular guard atop the chest plate. It’s final and greatest use is that it
allows you to see the transmutation blood circle on the back of the neck that
binds Al’s soul to the armor. Now, this head has another special addition to
it. The mask is removable. And behind it, are two rods that manipulate the red
eyes in the face. Now, you can move them to your liking, but take notice…there will be a kind of obstruction when
putting back the face, and as such, getting the eyes just the way you want them
will take some kind of manipulation…and patience.
Jumping...leap...attack...thing
Game Over
Full Metal Berserk
You also get a second head, a comedic head. Apparently, this
gimmick never happened in the mangas until chapter 4, but the animes used them
in the first episodes. The comedic head has a small cloth piece atop it. You also
get a pair of “clap” hands, and open hands. There isn’t much extra for
Alphonse, but what would you give him anyway? More Alchemic effect pieces,
maybe? Not that big a deal. Alphonse is a big, surly figure, whose size and weight
I can really only equate to that of figma Guts.
Al pulling Ed back from being provoked by Mustang
We're outta' here!
Training session
Overall score: 7/10.
Edward’s design is nice, but a bit too simple for me. Alphonse suffers
the same thing, with his background story being what really makes the
character. I can’t really account for articulation with Ed…it’s a Revoltech, so
it’s going be great. As for Al, Kaiyodo did a pretty sweet job doing what they
can for that mass of his. I would have preferred if Ed had his lance from the
anime, or if Al had his own Alchemic effect parts. Another point to make is
that Al is pretty much obsolete without his older brother next to him. In other
words, I don’t see many people buying him without buying Ed first…like I did. On
the other hand, some positives are that though they are simple designs, Kaiyodo
hit all the tidbits. Getting the Flamel designs and blood transmutation circle
was the type of detail I was hoping for.
Ed never beat Al in a match
Why buy them? ‘Cause FMA is awesome. Personally, they make
me want to re-watch FMA: Brotherhood. That show was great from start to finish. Just the memory of Mustang toasting the life out of Envy is enough for me. They can go ahead and release Roy Mustang, and maybe a Fuhrer Bradley. Would make
for a nice addition. But to really get these guys, you have to know about them personally,
since just the design of the characters alone might not be enticing enough to
catch your eye.
The Brothers Elric
Full Metal and Armored
Students of Izumi Curtis
With some Revoltech brethren, behind the Gurren Lagann's
Last off, I leave you with some FMA media to remind/inform you of some of the greatness of the show.
The Boys get in a bit over their heads.
Don't mess with Edward Elric
Alphonse is not to be taken lightly.
Dub or Sub, these animes are awesome. I am particular to Brotherhood myself, but both are worth the watch. The endings are very similar in terms of "equivalent exchange" (which is the basic theory of Alchemy), but if you have the time to kill, go ahead and immerse yourself in both examples of great science-fiction. if anything, it will show you just how in depth these brothers' stories are, and introduce some great story elements that i at least haven't seen other places.
Next up, Saint Myth Cloth EX Scorpio Milo. Lots of parts with him, so please, be a bit patient. Also, I have a birthday coming up soon, and I don't necessarily plan to be very coherent for a day or two, so that may delay it a bit. However, I WILL get it done no matter what, so look out for it. Signing off...
