I got the chance to re-acquire this lovely  Taiga Aisaka figure from MegaHouse’s Brilliant Stage line during HobbySearch’s sale earlier this month.  I say ‘re-acquire’ because I had her on my pre-order list at one point, but dropped her after every figure on my pre-order list was delayed to August — the month this Taiga was released.  The funny thing is, I had my pre-order with HobbySearch back then; so this could be the very figure that I pre-ordered.  Instead of paying full price, I’m bought her for 60% off instead.  ^^v

MegaHouse’s Brilliant Stage Taiga Aisaka was released in August and retails for ¥6,800 — apparently that’s the standard price for 1/8 scale figures nowadays.  Sculpted by Hatsumi, the quality is really nice for this tiny figure.  But one shouldn’t expect anything stellar, given the somewhat boring pose and that controversial face.  Yes, I’m talking about THAT face.  The one where Taiga is smiling, as if she was taunting her next prey.

I’m a little bit torn when talking about MegaHouse quality because they always give us chocolate with a hint of shit in it.  MH never disappoints when you look at the figure as a whole, I”m all for the gestalt principle, but the sum of its parts never adds up.  There is always something missing or something neglected in these MegaHouse figures that is really shameful on their part.

First, it was the paint transfer and bulky clothing on those dreaded Queen’s Blade figures with no instructions.  They fixed that problem, minus the instructions, and gave birth to a bigger issue which I’ll talk about in my next review.  Then there is that hair seam line problem that seems to pop up on every other figure they release.  I’m not talking about the seam line that shows up on the top of the head; I’m talking about the seam lines at the BACK of the head.

Nonetheless, MegaHouse still makes really nice figures that suits my taste and preferences.  The paint job is spot on with Taiga, the sculpt looks lovely, and the base is tiny; three essential elements nicely covered by MegaHouse.  But, personally, I find the pose on MegaHouse’s Taiga a bit too static for my taste.  Normally, they do a really good job with boring poses by incorporating an element to indicate movement with their figures; but that wasn’t the case here.

As I’ve mentioned in my Kotobukiya Taiga review, I like Taiga’s dere personality more than her tsun side.  That’s why I like this figure, even though every soul who reads my blog have told me the Max Factory Taiga is better.  Read this: I am not paying $200 for that figure!

MegaHouse did a really good job with Taiga’s dere face.  Sadly, the same can’t be said with her smiley face.  I’ve seen many comments about her face being “off” when I first posted about her back in April, but I still don’t see what’s wrong with her face.  She might not have the Taiga face that you prefer, but you can clearly identify her as Taiga.

To all you Taiga fanboys/girls out there, please elaborate on what’s “off” with her face if you’re going to tell me “her face is off” because, sadly, telling me “her face is off” in the comments is not going to help me with identifying what’s “off”.

Taiga’s smiling face looks better than what I had in mind, but it creeps me out just looking at this. :S

I didn’t realize this at first, but you can see the HUGE contrast between Kotobukiya and MegaHouse’s colour pallet.  You can see that MegaHouse have some really good painters working for them.

The level of detail on MegaHouse’s tiny Taiga figure is right up there with the big girls.  But you can see the sculptor’s negligence amongst the beautiful details on the figure.  That dreaded pair of  seam lines runs the length of Taiga’s long hair.  The sculptor literally slapped a piece of  on Taiga’s head to finish the figure and didn’t care to blend that piece in with the rest of the figure.  They did this for Zero and Sakura Nanako as well.  It’s a shame that they chose to use this crude method to finish these, otherwise, really nice figures.

Aside from the seam lines, you can see that MegaHouse put in the effort to make sure all the details are there to be seen.  The finish is a bit rough for MegaHouse’s recent standards; but I’ll give her a pass having just reviewed two Kotobukiya figures recently.

Taiga can stand without the base.  But that’s not necessary because the base is quite small, the smallest in my collection.

MegaHouse is one of the few figure manufacturers that knows how to make their bases.  If you can’t make a diorama, make it clear!  But you must add some etching on it to make it look elegant with a minimalist approach.

Obligatory pantsu shot.

Meatballs!

The good:

• She was on sale!
• Taiga in her school uniform
• Really nice paint job
• Tiny, tiny base

The ugly:

• Smiling face that no one will use
• Nasty seam lines on her hair
• Boring pose

There are a only a handful of Taiga figures on the market to date, and unfortunately, MegaHouse’s Taiga only manages to sneak her way to the middle of the pack…somewhere between Kotobukiya’s Swimsuit Taiga and Chara Ani’s  Uniform Taiga.  This doesn’t mean MegaHouse’s Taiga is inferior to any of them, it’s just that she isn’t well received among her fans and to those who highly value “anime accuracy”.

The beautiful paint job is this figure’s best asset.  The sculpt looks really nice, but the pose is boring and the finish is on the rough side.  Her pose is so boring that I got tired of looking at her already.  She’s definitely not the best MegaHouse, or Taiga, figure out there.  But, if you absolutely must have a Taiga figure in your collection and doesn’t want to drop a fortune for the Max Factory or Kotobukiya versions, this should do the job.  Otherwise, spend the money or wait for a future release.  Her pose is just too boring in a world of fancy and panties.

I haven’t noticed anyone else on my blogroll with a review of MegaHouse’s Taiga yet.  Please let me know if have one.

Max Factory’s hit Figma: Drossel from Fireball is now available for order!

Price: $100 NZD

Arrival Date: On Hand: In Stock w/supplier

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Please check the “Information” post for shipping costs and payment methods.

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The following 3 new entries from Griffon Enterprises are now ready for reservations ^^

Name: Kousaka Tamaki School Swimsuit Maid Ver.
Scale: 1/7 (15cm)
Series: To Heart2
Release Date: Febuary 2010
Retail Price: 7,600 Yen

Name: Shokatsuryou Koumei DVD Back Jacket White Ver.
Scale: 1/7 (5.5cm)
Series: Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny
Release Date: April 2010
Retail Price: 6,800 Yen

Name: Figutto Kousaka Tamaki
Scale: Non
Series: To Heart2
Release Date: March 2010
Retail Price: 3,200 Yen

Hobby Search is taking reservations for all of them as of now.

I already have Sasara, so really tempted to get Tamaki. She looks quite good on this one also. As for Figutto, definitely looks promising, although I can see Max Factory releasing Figma from To Heart2 series in the near future ( ^ _ ^ );

Some early news on the release dates for the month of December ^^

Name: Nendoroid Drossel
Company: Good Smile Company
Scale: Non
Release Date: December 10th, 2009
Note: Delayed. Originally scheduled for November 2009 release.

Via GSC Info Section.

This new figure of “Nendoroid Fate Testarossa The Movie 1st Ver.” from Mahou Shouho Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st, will be available next year in March 2010 by Good Smile Company for 3,500 Yen retail price. Hobby Search is taking reservations for her as of today.

Instant get~ ( ^ _ ^ )

So I’ve been gone for a while … not all my fault! Just moved into my new place, been busy fixing it up, then work stuff, then I got sick with the flu or something all of last week ^_^;;

I actually wrote this post before as well, but the pc crashed and I lost it >_>. So trying to write this from memory.

It’s been a while, but going to be back blogging with a vengeance. Settled in a bit better now in my new apartment – still in Rockwell Centre, just in a more proper place. As you can see below I’ve already started decorating it with  new PS3 slim and Rockband 2 and Guitar Hero 5 ^_^;; A must for those drunken after parties when mates come over…

Here’s the view from my bedroom window ^_^;;

Anyways! Today I went to Greenhills again because I had the desire for more loot. Yes … Best Toys … they seem to be the only ones that have the latest figmas??? I went to Wasabi but it was all old stuff … why is that? In any case, here’s the damage:

First up, Figma Aegis. No idea who she is, but she looks cool, and I’m sure I can use her in a Figure 4Koma of some sort…

Figma Saber, plain clothes version.

Figma Shirou. Need more male figmas!

Revoltech Queen’s Blade Menace. I now have all 3 of the bad girls. She comes with a lot of faces! ^_^;;

And finally a Hybrid style Convoy or Optimus Prime. This thing is tiny but cool!

And I didn’t get this today, but a couple weeks ago – A masterprice Grimlock. Perfect for Feito-chan to ride ^_^;;

Anyways a lot more loot to play around with for a while. Still haven’t set up my photo studio but will soon. I have a lot of scripts for my 4Komas that haven’t been use yet! ~Sayanara for now ~ Ace

The following 2 new entries from FREEing are now ready for reservations ^^

Name: Nendoroid Plus Pull-Back Cars Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, & Megurine Luka
Scale: Non
Series: Vocaloid
Release Date: March 2010
Retail Price: 1,480 Yen Each

Name: ex:Ride #03 Street Style Set Green, Pink, Yellow, Navy Blue, & Sky Blue
Scale: Non
Series: ex:Ride
Release Date: Febuary 2010
Retail Price: 1,220 Yen Each

Hobby Search is taking reservations for all of them as of today.

Been waiting for the roller blades ( ^ _ ^ )

Mikatan updated her Blog with preview images of the upcoming “Nendoroid Fate Testarossa The Movie 1st Ver.” from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st by Good Smile Company ^^

Reservations for her will start tomorrow.

Via Mikatan’s Blog.

Why oh why must you do this to me Kotobukiya!?  As I try to limit my spending, and I try not to pre-order any figures, as I try to reduce my massive collection, you just keep pulling me back in.  There is absolutely no way to pass up on this new beauty coming our way.

I have been able to resist the temptation of many figures recently but after learning of this today, I fell prey to this magnificent item of PVC.

Not only have I been waiting for the next Venus on the Beach figure from Kotobukiya, but I’m a slut for just about anything Dead or Alive.

See my past review for Kokoro Venus on the Beach.

I apologize for my lack of updates but a shit load of games have been released recently it’s difficult to keep up with that as it is.  With news of Kasumi coming I may have to release the other VotB’s soon.  We’ll see what time allows.

One more for the road…

Kasumi can be pre-ordered through multiple figure retailers now

(release date will vary with retailer)

E2046 - Hobbyfan - Toyslogic - HobbySearch - AmiAmi

Pick your poison.

In my Drawing 3 (basically Life Drawing) course at the University of Missouri, we have a series of projects that focus on developing drawings that have a dynamic, shifting arrangement of bodies and spaces. The goal is for students to hone their ability to combine observed form and light with a knowing, thoughtful editing of the overall structure in order to create/direct the psychological environment of the picture. In earlier projects, students are asked to create a drawing of a model who, after a certain period of time, shifts part of his or her pose. Students have to adapt their drawing, learning how to react the experience of seeing rather than freak out that everything isn’t the same (as if anything stays the same anyway). Later on, we work on a longer series of poses over the course of 8 or 10 class periods. Using up to three different models who strike a couple different poses, the class develops larger drawings that incorporate the combination of the different figures in some kind of invented, yet observation-based, pictorial framework. Below are a few examples of what students have done. Keep in mind that none of the models posed together, and often very little of the stage arrangement was the same. I could go on and on about how I believe these projects really strengthen the students to have an EXPERIENCE of art rather than simply executing an exercise, but I’ll let their work speak for them. Click on each for a larger version.

by Lindsey Cole

by Dan Jimenez

by Roxanne Kueser

by Charlie Hostman

by Jared Fogue

by Marcus Miers

by Mallory Parsons

by Derek Frankhouser

Hobby-Channel updated with more preview images of the upcoming “Figma Saber Extra Ver.” from Fate/EXTRA by Max Factory ^^

She will be bundled with the upcoming Fate/EXTRA Limited Edition SP-Box game for the PSP. Reservations already started and scheduled for March 18th, 2010 release at 10,490 Yen retail price.

A preview scan from the latest issue of Hobby Japan magazine, featuring the upcoming 1/8 scale figure of “Francesca Lucchini” from Strike Witches by AmiAmi ^^

The figure is scheduled for Spring 2010 release at 6,920 Yen retail price.

Via Figure/GK.

Mikatan updated her Blog with preview images of the upcoming set of “Nendoroid Plus Vocaloid Roll-Back Vehicles” by FREEing ^^

The set will come with Hatsune Miku in her Leek Car, Kagamine Rin & Len in their Steam Rollers, and Megurine Luka in her Tuna Car.

Reservations for the set will open tomorrow and you can also visit Mikatan’s Blog for the Demo movies.

This new figure of “Nendoroid Usa Mimi” from Kodomo no Jikan, will be available next year in March 2010 by Good Smile Company for 3,500 Yen retail price. Hobby Search is taking reservations for her as of today.

Probably my most favourite one out of the 3 ( ^ _ ^ )

Unicorn Gundam join the army LOL

Buy a booster pack of yu-gi-oh! card “nostalgic “card game for me (wonder what inside it)

Was a huge fans of yugioh card still keep some too. if you have “Hawk” eye you know if see my collection page

anyone still playing here ???

I mix whole card there

-Pokemon

-yugioh

and some card that I forgot know the name ^^;

I have gundam war too

can’t read japannese don’t know how to play this one >_< but i love the pictures !

move to gachapon

ren show us his new guntank gacha I am gonna show you mine

(sorry for blur picture )

(Don’t ask me what happen with legend rifle >_<)

very small zaku there !!

and more

I have 2 bust gundam gacha too (one is ZAku thought ^^)

very Lazy to edit the picture and just posting old photos (I am not with them remember)

I put gachapon  to guard my DVD drive

but I still have some unopened too ^^; will open when I back next year !

I have more Gacha too show but I don’t have the picture at this time(sooon)

“you can see some near my three fraulein revoltech that I put In”

“and the very  bottom” ^^;

before I forgot “I apologies for previous post

this figures are real not bootlegs. the store won’t put bootlegs in glasses case they put in the bottom and I lost the picture so I can’t show you

the only bootlegs in previous post are transformers shoes and moetan decal ^^;

(^0^)

KUBRICK TOY STORY

１BOX２４

WOODY
BUZZ
GREEN ARMY MEN
ALIEN
JESSIE
ZURG

Price 23,520円/box
Release in April 2010

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Haruhi Yuki & Mikuru figures

1BOX9

Price 6,615円
Release in February 2010

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Keroro Gunsou keyrings

(Keronian drinks)

１ＢＯＸ１５

Price 5,985円
Release in February 2010

London until 18/12/2009 16 Wharf Road – N1 7RW Victoria Miro GalleryVictoria Miro Gallery hosts the European premiere of soy mi madre, the latest film by Phil Collins, in his second solo exhibition with the gallery.In soy mi madre, Collins expands on these themes by using the format of the telenovela. Commissioned in 2008 by the Aspen Art Museum as part of the Jane and Marc Nathanson Dintiguished Artist in Residency Program, in this work Collins focuses on the Latino and immigrant populations of Colorado, a sizable percentage of which hail from northwestern Mexico. In Aspen itself, this community figures mainly as a non-resident low-qualified work force, dispersed through a ring of satellite towns from which it commutes daily. At the same time alluding to and refuting the preconceived glamorous image of Aspen, Collins made a work in resonance with the cultural context of this specific population. Phil Collins: soy mi madre will be published by the Aspen Art Museum later this year. Including contributions by Carlos Monsiváis, Mexico’s leading cultural analyst, Magali Arriola, writer and curator, and an in-depth interview with the artist by Aspen Art Museum director Heidi Zuckerman-Jacobson. soy mi madre was first exhibited at the Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, Colorado in 2008 and earlier this year at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York. soy mi madre will feature in The Reach of Realism at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, 1 December 2009 – 14 February 2010, and will also be presented on local TV network in Aspen and in Collins’ solo exhibition at DAAD Galerie in Berlin in February 2010. participated in group exhibitions including The Making of Art, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2009), Acting Out: Social Experiments in Video, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2009), Life on Mars, the 55th Carnegie International, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (2008), and The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality and Moving Image, Part II: Realisms, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC, (2008). He was nominated for the 2006 Turner Prize and was one of the recipients of the DAAD Scholarship in Visual Art for 2008/2009. (phil Collins)