Figure Title: Urushihara Satoshi Comike no Onna no Ko
Character Name: Comiket Girl (Comike no Onna no Ko)
Original Character Designer: Satoshi Urushihara
Sculptor:Tsuchida Kouzen
Source Material:Original Illustration
Scale: Non-Scale
Base:
Color: Candy Red
Shape: Circular
Features: None
Necessary Removable Parts: None
Removable Parts/Accessories: Red Hat (molded fit)
Castoffability: White Portion of Blouse
Materials: PVC, ABS
Packaging: Windowed Box, 4 Plastic Interlocking Molds
Extras/Pack-ins: Illustrated backdrop
Release Date: Early November, 2008
Manufacturing/Production: Movic
Distribution/Vendor:Exhaust
Suggested Retail Price: 6090円
Related PVCs:1/7 scale Unchou (Garage Kit)

Continue Reading >>

Return...

No, America's infamous biker gang hasn't found its way into Madhouse anime. Yes, Hell's Angels is looking to be a must-see title for 2009...

The anime adaptation of Shinichi Hiromoto's gothic manga of the same name premiered last month at the Tokyo International Film Festival following much anticipation. Animation production is handled by renowned and edgy studio Madhouse with the directorial role being filled by Yoshiki Yamakawa. The feature film's official site recently uploaded a streaming promotional video featuring actual animation, music, and seiyuu. Oh, and Luciferian Elvis impersonators. It can be found here.

Source: [ANN]

Continue Reading >>

Return...

Figure Title: Solid Theater Girl Series: Comic Papipo String Swimsuit Girl
Character Name: Himomizugi Onna no Ko (String Swimsuit Girl)
Original Character Designer: Miwa Miwa
Sculptor: Shinano
Source Material: Comic Papipo Monthly (September 2006)
Scale: 1/7
Base:
Color: Tan/Sandy White
Shape: Circular
Features: Ocean floor design
Necessary Removable Parts: Base attachment
Removable Parts/Accessories: None
Castoffability: White Sundress, Nipple Covers, String Bikini [Compromise]
Materials: PVC, ABS
Packaging: Windowed Box, 2 Plastic Interlocking Molds
Extras/Pack-ins: Bubble Illustrated backdrop
Release Date: Early October, 2008
Manufacturing/Production: Solid Theater
Distribution: Movic
Approximate Retail Price:≈7,410円
Related PVCs: Meido Onna no Ko

Foreword:

Ero manga anthologies are nothing new. The self-health care industry in Japan might even be saturated with them. From Comic Aun and Comic Unreal to Comic Penguin Club and the loli publication known as Comic LO, otaku should have no trouble meeting their monthly (read: daily) allowance of the 'one arm clean and jerk' with so many choices. Perhaps the best feature of ero manga anthologies is the fact that they're a collaborative effort of not only the compiling staff and publisher but of each individual mangaka contributing his own spice to the mix. You'll get a hodgepodge of style, design, fetishes and artistic execution in a punctual compendium of ero. And sometimes, bishoujo figures might even be cast in a cover girl's likeness. Orchid Seed has been no stranger to the popularity of anthologies and their impressive repertoire of ero manga cover girl PVCs isn't afraid to show it. More and more companies have begun both creating in-house figures and recruiting the PVC-ification of extant garage kits based on ero manga girls, maybe in effort to explore an untapped market. Whatever the reason, we all profit from what are often mid to high quality, castoffable figures of very shapely and seductive characters. Ofcourse, not barring the recently released String Bikini Girl of Comic Papipo. Part of Solid Theaters's "Onna no Ko" series, many have waited to get their hands on this erotic and beautiful figure since it was announced many moons ago. So, was it worth the wait?

Sculpt:

And the sculpt answers with a resounding "yes". Head to toe, String Swimsuit Girl (or SSG) does not disappoint. Two critical features of any figure, in my opinion, are the face (including all of its features) and hair. The main reason being, scoping a figure, they're usually seen first and are a major selling point. A figure can have an excellently sculpted body with an interesting, dynamic pose and masterful proportions but if the face falls flat, a major portion of what the figure could have been is lost. Luckily, SSG surpassed expectations in both of these categories as well. Her eyes are bold and very defined, and the total of her heart shaped face fits any angle of view. The thematic elements in her hair help score some major points in my book. The sea lilies adorning her head are a granted, as they're featured in Miwa Miwa's original illustration, but the way Shinano handled her ribbons (almost like seaweed) and hair is a sight to behold. The latter of which is spread out in such a way that it immediately conjures the thought of water, especially the slow and free-paced flow of hair while in it.

• The string bikini itself was a definite selling point for this figure. On the ball, its closer to shibari than swim wear but contrasts well with SSG's otherwise demure look about her. Masterfully intricate and very erotic. While the opaque pearl nipple covers are entirely welcomed, the very bright pink nipples are not. It looks more like SGG has a pair of high intensity LEDs strapped to her tits than a translucent bikini. They aren't all bad but I would have liked to see something much more subdued. Taking a cue from clothing discussion, we arrive at SGG's cast-off features. Her white sundress is easily removable; the strap she holds in her right hand breaks into two, allowing the dress to be peeled away from around her back. The only real problem with this being the obstacle her hair poses in the process. My first time removing the sundress, there was some unsatisfactory paint transfer from it to her buttocks due to her hair limiting maneuverability of actually castoffing the dress. It's rather rigid, possibly constructed of ABS, making it difficult to bend around and very easy to transfer paint. If cast-off is a must, patience with SGG will be necessary.

Production:

As far as production quality is concerned, I have no major qualms. No blatant color bleeding, no unsightly mold lines, no casting errors, not much to worry about really. There are a few inconsistencies with paint on her small accessories as well as the area where her swimsuit meets her left armpit but unless you focus SSG under immense scrutiny, they don't take away from the overall quality.

One notable problem I did find, however, was one concerning the base. As seen in the above pictures, SSG is actually connected to a small platform, angled to accommodate the different position of her feet. Really, a base on a base. The main problem with this being the platform does not connect firmly with the base, enabling SSG to rotate slightly and, in extreme case of movement, actually dislodge. This could have been easily remedied had the platform been more tightly fitted to the prongs found on the base, which are realistically tiny. Of course, toppling SSG is no major concern (unless you live in an earthquake prone area) and for the most part she remains relatively static.

At a Glance

☺ Erotic, eromanga based character, beautiful anatomy and features

☹ Difficulty/Paint transfer in cast-off, base production problems

Score:

Final = 4/5

Continue Reading >>

Return...

Nendoroids, Figmas, trading figures, gashapon, even key chains. Lucky Star has had more than its fair share of figure incarnations...

But there's been a surprising lack of scale PVCs from major vendors, especially featuring the series otaku centerpiece, Konata Izumi. Hats were off to Wave for well... making waves by releasing their individual Hiiragi sisters Hatsumoude PVCs and collective Hiiragi sisters diorama a few months ago. Aside from that, garage and unofficial resin kits have comprised the majority of traditional scale figures for the highly praised slice-of-life series. So its no wonder Clayz is mass producing Miyagawa Takeshi's (of T's-System) resin renderings of Konata Izumi and Kagami Hiiragi. Both figures from Miyagawa were originally released during the recent Wonder Festival '08 Winter at 1/6 in scale, as listed on their homepage, but Clayz will be downsizing them to a more accessible 1/8 scale size. Both LS PVCs are to hit shelves in January of next year for around $50 to $60 retail.

Check Amiami for more pictures as the release date approaches.

Continue Reading >>

Return...

The bishoujo figure hobby is by no means a cheap one. So when the monthly budget is tight and the need for PVC yearns to be satiated, markdowns are a collector's best friend...

Most online retailers will markdown at least a portion of their stock at some point and time. Much of the game is waiting until they do and then pouncing on your most sought after loot. Of course, that's only if the sale warrants the purchase. Sites like Play-Asia, whose figures are typically expensive regardless, will often markdown a product after an excessive markup from price to trigger our consumer gene to yell "BARGAIN!", causing us to take the plunge. This is why checking the retail price on either the manufacturer's site or a trusted hobby outlet is key to finding the best deal. Taking shipping and handling charges into account will also save you from making less then educated purchases. If an item is marked down 10% but the site will charge 25% just to get it to you, it'd probably be more advantageous to look elsewhere. Though some sites might resort to underhanded means, sales are generally instigated to free up warehouse room by clearing out items that are in excess, wouldn't sell otherwise, or because the marketing guys said so. Sadly, much of what is discounted is often the second of the three (i.e. nobody wants it), so bargain hunting for figures mostly feels like trying to find a diamond in the ruff. To help alleviate that miner mindset, I've listed a few figures below that are well worth their sale price:

First up, Kaiyodo's non-scale Parfait from Heartful Memories. An extremely well-sculpted, beautifully balanced figure that is being sold for 70% its original price of around $45.
Buy -$13.75


Famous sculptor Monsieur Bome's Lucia from Positive Penguin Life is being offered also for 70% off its original price of around $45. A must for BOME fans.
Buy -$13.65


From Good Smile Company, the narcoleptic double agent Yukiho Hagiwara from iDOLMASTER Xenoglossia sports her summertime best in this beautiful cast. 35% markdown.
Buy -$30.03


Being sold at around $15-20 off her retail price for a little less than 2 days as part of Play-Asia's Weekly Special, the recently released Clalaclan Philias Noir Ver. PVC is a must buy for both Shining fans and collectors alike. Act fast though!
Buy -$39.90

More to come

Continue Reading >>

Return...

We still may not know who our next president will be, but the people have spoken and Kagami Hiiragi has been elected as this year's Anime Saimoe Tournament winner...

Earlier today, the Hiiragi Twins (Kagami and Tsukasa) duked it out for the prized title and for quite a while it was a tight race. But once the polls closed and the smoke cleared, the twin-tailed terror had dominated the balsamic bimbo (no offense Tsukasa and her respective fans) 1037 to 936. A select number of series comprised the quarter finals for 2008. Bamboo Blade, Clannad, and Lucky Star were the main contenders with Hinagiku from Hayate no Gotoku sneaking past into the Semi Finals only to be shot down by Tsukasa. Lucky Star's popularity, even more than a year after its air date and resurgence with the recent LS OVA, obviously pulled through to provide us with a sororal showdown unlike any other. This ultimate display of sibling rivalry will most definitely be recorded in the annals of Saimoe history while Kagami takes her place among fellow moe elite like Suiseiseki and Rika Furude. Congratulations Kagamin and all this year's entrants. Looking forward to Saimoe 09!


Special thanks to Moetron and pKjd for the always extraordinary coverage of Saimoe

Continue Reading >>

Return...