Wonder Festival 2009 Summer has come and gone. But all is not lost for those of us left behind...
Harvesting the photographic fruits gathered by those fortunate enough to partake in the annual orgy of resin sex is usually a non-attendee's only consolation. All ankle biting aside, coverage is everywhere and the sheer volume of work on display assures that site loyalty will only prove to give you a meager piece of the pie.
And that's exactly what I'd like to attempt to do with this post.
I've amassed and compiled some 1000 pictures from this year's WonFes. My intermittent carpel tunnel is your perpetual eye candy. They can be found here via Rapidshare. I'm sorry if that isn't your favorite host; it's not mine either. I'm having some internet problems and Rapidshit is the only viable alternative to Mediafire and Megaupload I can speak for.
http://rapidshare.com/files/262640716/Wonfes_2009_Roundup.rar
As to their content, the vast majority focus on bishoujo GKs and PVCs (if that isn't your thing, what the fuck are you doing here? its just the nature of the beast). Also featured in smaller quantity: Otoko, Kaiju, Mecha, overview shots, cosplay, booth babes, industry displays, and whatever else I happened to click on.
By no means is this intended to be an airtight compendium of all the kits on display, just a cross section. There will be a few duplicates in the batch (of the same figure, not the same photo) and the whole folder is largely unorganized. Notes on figure title, release date, retail price, scale, sculptor, circle, and vendor are absent except in those photos where the placard generally containing this information is found. These drawbacks will just have to be tolerated. Again, this is only a overview.
With that, I did not take and am not claiming ownership to any of these photos. They belong to their respective owners as indicated by watermarks. Sites include: Akibablog, Moeyo, Dannychoo, HLJ. Do these guys a favor for their camera work with a hit or two. 
31 July, 2009
17 July, 2009
12 July, 2009
After about 4 years of the bishoujo figure hobby, I'm allowed to make a mistake or two aren't I?
Yes, my first bootleg. At the very least least, the first so blatantly obvious I'm aware of it. Some back story would be appropriate. Living in Indiana, the largest and most readily available anime convention in an approachable circumfrence is Anime Central in Chicago, the premier (and only, as far as I'm concerned) Midwest anime convention. My main objective in going each year is to unload my savings on figures and doujinshi in one massive annual haul. The selection is varied but quite good. Hard-to-find figures with production runs over 5 years old are readily available if your willing to look (and unlike eBay, you know what you'll be getting is genuine...almost). New releases are even harder to find, so my mission is going for dated but rare quality figures (the doujinshi selection is up-to-date however. K-ON! doujinshi was in no short supply at ACen '09 back in May when KyoAni's next hit was still in its infancy). In fact, ACen was the dawn of my figure infatuation. Back in 2006, MegaHouse's 1/8 scale Aki Hinata PVC stole my heart and was my first scale PVC purchase. Up until then, my collection was comprised of whatever random trading figures the local Sam Goody decided to stock. But enough reminiscing.
This past ACen '09, still in a blur from having over a grand to spend, I stumbled upon a small vendor on the sales floor. Max Factory's Mizuho Kazami PVC sculpted by Chieri and released back in 2003 seemed like a good find, especially for a discounted $40. The sculpt was strong but I noticed her shirt had a green tint, strange compared to the white pictured on the box. I thought "Ah! This must be a limited edition color variant!", increasing my reasoning for purchasing her. I mulled over it, reminded that I still had a few more booths to go before I had seen all of this year's selection. After digesting the idea for a while, it was decided that Mizuho was a definite get. Long story short, after I returned home I discovered her bootleg status.
My first tip off, she weighs a ton. The wooden base she's glued to by whatever means doesn't account for 1/3 of her weight. Second, her glasses snapped off her face as soon as I removed her plastic molds. In fact, they were actually glued to a rudimentary cut notch above her nose. The third was how pale and transient her skin was (in the main picture of this post you can see what I mean by looking at her right hand). And the final nail in the coffin was an actual lock of her hair snapping off like a brittle twig. This was all confirmed by some research. Apparently, there were only 500 made (quite unbelievably) and are well-known enough to be listed separately on Tsuki-Board. (Oh the irony of that 'Made in China' disclaimer).
It's not that I completely regret my first bootleg purchase. Quite the contrary. Onegai Teacher is easily in my top 20 series and Mizuho is the quintessential example of junai moe. I also believe the Chieri's sculpt, however much of it was preserved, communicates her character well. Of course, if I could purchase the real deal, I'd jump on it. I think I've power leveled my critical eye to at least lvl 80 after this purchase though.
10 July, 2009
So I spend $700 for a new laptop only to be set back an additional $40 to make it aesthetically tolerable...
And I think I succeeded. I've had my Dell Studio for a few months now but it was definitely missing something. Dell helped mediate that, albeit at a fairly steep price. Their skins are high quality, reusable, and durable but, for being a giant sticker, they're extremely expensive. Though if you can find an image you'll never want to part with, the price is well worth it. Ita + pasocon = Itacon?
09 July, 2009
It's Thursday and the Nagi-sama Fanclub Homepage has again been routinely updated but this time with something very enigmatic...
Every Thursday since the site's launch at the end of May, regular updates have been featured on this off-shoot of the official English version Kannagi website. The site is based off of the Nagi-sama Fanclub's Homepage featured in Eri Takenashi's manga and A-1 pictures anime adaptation. Previous updates have been usually fanfare: wallpaper, character bios, TV spots, and promotional videos.
But today, the site updated with a mysterious mosaic and the promise that next week a special message from a special someone will be delivered. A mosaic is featured of what appears to be the always stylish Kannagi director Yutaka Yamamoto or Yamakan as he's known by his fans (seen below).
Though we'll have to wait until next Thursday for any further revelations, speculation is already abounding. Could Kannagi be getting another season? OVA? The US license treatment? Or is Yamakan just going to wish everyone a happy summer?
08 July, 2009
The second showing from Orchid Seed's newly established Comic Unreal series looks even more promising then last year's Onna Kenshi Feane PVC...
Announced a few months back and with a scheduled release this September, Succubus Sylvia kicked off what appears to be a new series for Orchid Seed. Their first foray into Mogudan's Comic Unreal characters came with the 1/6 scale Onna Kenshi Feane PVC in March of last year with rather mixed reviews. Sculpted by Ishiyama Satoshi, Feane had top-notch physique; faithfully capturing the eccentricities of Mogudan's "healthy" design but lacked accuracy in her facial features. Though still a strong presentation from a veteran artist, Feane might come to be outshined.
This time around, well-known sculptor Yamachichi of Heavy Gauge is stepping up to the Mogudan challenge. Yamachichi is revered for his work on buxom bishoujo figures including Megahouse's Cattleya, Tomoe, and Melona PVCs. If three figures from arguably the most bounce-centric series of the new millennium doesn't win you over, his Sylvia is sure to impress. Besides the obvious demonic fantasy elements (complete with creative tentacle base), Sylvia's breast will be on display from the get go, leading me to wonder how censored her packaging will be. Feane had a swappable breast plate accessory that aided the imagination but featured no bare breasts to the extent Sylvia does. September will surely be an interesting month for Mogudan fans and hobbyists alike.
Sylvia is open for pre-orders from all major retailers for a recession-friendly retail price of 8,700円.
07 July, 2009
Though it's been almost a full year since my last post here on Sigfigs..., I do not have any intention of letting this blog go the way of the colloquial dodo or, to state it in a more familiar manner, the way of HD (on a side note, I still haven't lost all hope of Shingo's resurrection), but back the point.
Sigfigs was really born out of my cherished free time and once that environment is lost or diminished, managing it becomes more of a hassle. Now that I've successfully freed my schedule from the bindings of monotonous high school life, you (that is, the 2 or 3 people a week who happen to stumble on Sigfigs for whatever reason) can expect a resurgence of activity, however finite it may be. I'll be cleaning up posts, organizing the site, and finishing reviews in the coming weeks, so new posts may not be simple clockwork as they use to. But who knows.
Believe in your force and head for the Garden of Madness.
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