Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu -- Figure Bonanza

We all know Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, or "The Melancholy of--". For those who don't, this show is probably (one of) the most popular show(s) of 2006. Plotwise, it's pretty insane (like Race pointed out), but it's the brilliant execution that sets this show apart. Also, the very aggressive marketing has brainwashed otaku around the world, the OP and ED even made it into the top 10 of Oricon (the Japanese pop charts).

Now, fanboys and general animation lovers alike, brace yourself for the engulfing, all-engrossing and utterly unstoppable flood of Haruhi figurines!

First we have a private garage kit of Haruhi in her bunny costume playing and singing in episode 12 (which was thé best musical of àny Seiyuu éver). Sculpted by Bubba, this kit's mass produced resin version (which is inferior to the original sculpt) is still available from select sources at very reasonable prices (50-60 $).



Next Atelier-Sai comes into play with Mikuru and Haruhi, both again in their bunny suits. I personally don't like Atelier-Sai, since they often don't get a close enough similarity to the anime/manga of the character. Cfr. Chidori/Tessa from FMP. These figures are also 1/6. Read: huge and expensive.



Then we have Kaiyodo, best known for their "Monsieur BOME" line-up. Theirs is a cute Mikuru in her "Episode 00" maid costume. Skirt has been dramatically shortened for your otaku pleasure :p I like this figure very much, it looks a lot better than Atelier-Sai's.



Last we have the line-up of one my favorite companies, Max Factory. Noteable releases in the past are Mizuho from Onegai Teacher (review and pictures pending!), Naru from Love Hina, and recently the amazingly awesome Ignis from the eroge Jingai Makyo. They are planning on releasing Both Haruhi and Yuki (in her witch's costume!!) and possibly Mikuru-chan as well. F***** 1337.

My day at the facts convention

I know, i should've posted sooner, but i've been busy with the beta of trackmania united (i'm a complete trackmania fanboy). i'll probably devote a post to it in the near future, but i promised you some stuff about facts :D.

First of all: the stuff i got. You already saw the list in my previous post, and i must say i'm pleased with what i bought. I've already been reading the manga's, and i like them. some of the dvd's were already borrowed by a friend, and they were good, so that's good news (although it just adds to the pile of "anime to watch"). The figurines and gashapons have already found a place on my desk/around my computer, and they're absolutely lovely!
I may have spent a bit more money than planned, but i don't regret it. i may even have payed a bit too much for some things, but when they're good, i don't mind :).

Then, the convention itself. I loved the atmosphere, very relaxed, and lots of cosplayers (as could be seen in the pictures i posted). Also everyone i asked if i could take their picture responded very enthousiastic, and that also made the day great :).
Also the people i was with (users from a forum i often visit) were good company, and being with a group adds a lot to the fun you have at such a convention :).

i'll update this post after the weekend with some pictures and descriptions of the things i bought, but you'll have to do with this now. I'd go play tmu now, but i haven't got an account for it on this pc, so i'll have to endure till after the weekend.

cya soon, boredom will have to strike me sometime tomorrow, probably enough to inspire me for a next post :)

Densha Otoko -- 電車男 -- Specials

Ok, after the enormous emotional climax of Densha Otoko episode 11, I sat down and watched the two specials. Densha Otoko SP was released quite quickly behind the TV series, and without spoiling it, I can describe it as a sort of epilogue where you get to know the forum gang a bit more. It's executed in the same excellent manner as the series, and is highly recommended. In fact, it really is quite "must see" if you've watched the series.



Spoiler 1, highlight to view:
_____
I didn't like Matsunaga and Kawamoto dubbed the crucial emotional climax from episode 11. I saw it coming, I fast forwarded through it, but it still left a blemish on that pristine scene. I loved everything else though, it's great to see the last episodes play out from the perspective of the forum gang. The "strategist" getting together with his Korean sweetheart is the icing on the cake. And even that moron Matsunaga's horrid ballad was nice.
_____
On September 23rd, the second and last special was released: Densha Otoko SP Deluxe. It features almost the entire cast from the TV series. Although not 100% certain, this 2 hour special will most likely be the final chapter in the Densha Otoko drama universe. The anime spin-off "Getsumen Toheiki Mina" or "Moon-faced Rabbit Weapon Mina" is set for January 2007.





Spoiler 2, highlight to view:
_____

This entire special reminded me of Love Hina's Summer Special. I think it was the tropical island. I also love Jinnkawa-san, after about 25 minutes without her I was afraid she wasn't going to show up at all. Luckily the Vader-theme put me at ease. Kitamuri Kazuki is a great villain, I hated him from the start. His psychotic state at the end was even better. The ending is very satisfying, but you'll have to admit that's it's kinda "seen it, been there, done that". Once again the forum team throw themselves in battle to save Densha. But although predictable, it's again very well executed, albeit not so earthshattering as episodes 9-10-11. And of course, we have the whole "ke...--cut to Sambomaster" and ringless finger scene at the very end. Although in my heart I utterly despise this and called my PSP names (Densha Otoko should have an ultimate, happy ending!) it's probably done on purpose. Either we'll get one, final "honeymoon/marriage" special, or the director wanted to point out that it's all still based on a real story. Densha would've probably picked another time/place to propose and Densha and Hermes will live and experience their relationship on a more mature, calm and non-J-dorama pace.
_____



And so (probably) ends the entire Densha Otoko story. In drama-form, that is. I must say that this television show has moved me more than any other show ever has. It's a modern fairy tale, a legend that will reverberate across popular (Japanese) media for years to come. And let's not forget how funny this show is. The reason I like Densha Otoko so much probably is my stubborn belief in old-fashion friendship, love and happy endings. Despite the collective, snobistic intellectual reflex to dispel such stories, Densha Otoko manages to come across as loveable, honest and endearing.



電車男とエルメスさん、またね。

FACTS 2006: Made it back --two--

Ok, I admit. Today was the first time I went to a convention. Although I started this blog, and pronounced to be a total otaku, I'm a total noob at this.

The convention was FACTS, by the way, abbreviation explained by Race. In Western Europe, it is one of the most noteable conventions for anime, but even moreso for Star Wars and fantasy.

To my surprise, months of intensive googling, ebay/webshop purchasing, and visits to fellow anime blogs have rendered me quite adept at picking out merchandise. While the convention floor was pretty large, I finished a preliminary tour in 30 minutes, despite the packed crowd and accompanying parents (who have been great sports). I triaged three locations: one had a 1/60 Wing Zero plamo (technically crap like the entire GW HG series, but big and kick ass). Another had a lot of figures, some new ones (GSC's Melissa Seraphy) and a few rarer older ones (a 1/6 Yamato Mizuho in swimsuit). He was also cheap, 20-30 euro for most of the stuff. The last location had a lot of Star Wars stuff..but also a few Final Fantasy VII items. And amongst them was a Kotobukiya coldcast 1/8 Cloud.



I bought that on the spot. I mean, the box says 12000 yen. And the guy gave it away at 32 euros (5000 yen). Ok, the box was slightly dinged and clearly opened but *who the f--- cares* for *thirty freakin' euros*!! Anyway, score one.

I then decided to proceed to the Gundam guy and get that 1/60 Wing Zero. I remember being in highschool and oogling that plamo after watching Gundam Wing. Upon arrival, I had some kind of timeshift experience. I saw this guy who kinda looked like me, but 7-8 years younger. He paid up and..took the Wing Zero. Damn.

The thunderous stamping of feet interrupted my disappointment, as the stage was filled with Star Wars cosplayers. I mean, is the Stormtrooper costume thé pinnacle in cosplay, or what?



I tried catching a Stormtrooper for a pic-op, but failed due to..well..too many
scifi..otaku..people..*dizzy*

I then proceeded to the cheap figurine guy for some serious, point-blank, up-close and personal browsing through his inventory.

On my way, I came across this other guy who handpainted his resin kits. They were absolutely stunning, here's a shot from the rare Kenshin resin, masterfully crafted and finished.



At the figurine guy, after 15 minutes I realized that I didn't really need any of these figurines, despite all their Nihon-cuteness. Either I didn't like one specific element of them (the face is all wrong, the pose is all wrong, the hair is all wrong, the base is crap,..) or I just didn't know the character. With a sense of unhealthy levelheadedness I left the figurine den.

I was lucky to run into Racemaniac and the Telenet Forum gang. Race (after thoroughly bragging about his conquests) pointed out that there where Genshiken gashapons.

Hold the phone.

Genshiken gashapons? Widely appreciated and sold out? Here? Available? URYAA!!!!

With renewed otaku-powah I rushed through the stands. The only good material form of Chairman Saki was waiting..(GSC's has no nose and Yamato's face is slightly wrong and the ankles are weak, cfr. Race's post) After much elbowing and scifi-fan shoving I found it.

Then I remembered what gashapons are.

Evil..closed..boxed..things..of evil.

I must've looked quite pathetic, shaking the boxes one by one in a desperate attempt to discover Saki-chan. In fact, I must've been enormously pathetic, as the dealer went up to me and asked "hey, just tell me which one you want". It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me...*sniff* arigatou!!



Oh, and I also picked up Ohno, cuz she was one of the "dropouts" prior to Saki showing up.



So, FACTS was great for me. I scored bigtime three times, and it cost me less than 50 euro. All that I lacked was a Stormtrooper.



Hah. Bunny Stormtrooper. Hah. FACTS was great. Hah.

PS: In-depth reviews of Saki-chan, Ohno-san and Cloud will follow. As will some Gundam and other figurine reviews (Mizuho-sensei!!) Watch this space :p

Made it back

Hi there, I'm back from facts, photo's can be seen here
things I bought:
-some gashapons (d'oh), from genshiken and chobits
-chii figurine
-3 azumanga daioh mangas
-2 shaman king manga's
-.hack sign and legend of the twilight dvd's
-t-shirt of hellsing
-another naruto headband ^^ (starting to form a pattern, since i bought one last year too
-ah my goddess artbook

that's about it I think :).
I'll get into more detail after the weekend.

Ready for battle!

Here I am, up early, ready to go to the facts convention.
for the non belgians: a convention all about fantasy, ANIME, comics, toy's & sci-fi. Shonen will probably be there too, so expect some new exciting things we can soon blog about!

Densha Otoko -- 電車男 -- キター！！

I just finished Densha Otoko. I...can't quite put into words how I feel. I'll do it at the end of this post, perhaps.

Densha Otoko (Train Man) is a J-Dorama (Japanese TV Drama) adapted from a true story. Yamada Tsuyoshi is a typical 23 year old otaku. Nice, dorky, and a bit of a loser, things never seem to swing his way. But one day, a beautiful woman is harassed by a drunk and Yamada gathers all his courage to put a stop to this. She sends him a gift, and not knowing what to do, Yamada decides to turn to a BBS for help and advice.

And so, the legend of Densha Otoko is born.

I'm sure many of you know the story and have probably have seen the series/specials/movie. If you didn't, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

There's so much to like from this series. First of all, the actors (leads Misaki Ito and Atsushi Itou but also all of the auxiliary cast, not in the least the BBS gang) are so believable and endearing. The story, whilst very simple (it's a boy meets girl story, in its core), is so well executed that it never grows stale. Densha Otoko also succeeds in intercutting the sometimes very involving love theme with lighter arcs (Jinnkawa-san! Sakurai-san!), that will leave your sides thoroughly split.

Also, last and not least, the otakuculture and akiba-kei is expertly depicted here. And as opposed to Genshiken, what you see is all on location and real. Densha Otoko is a testament to the entire identity of what it is to be a Japanese Modern Art fanatic. Not just the crazed frenzy, but also the fact that we are living, breathing people that are afraid, cry and love just like anyone else.

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/denshaotoko/index2.html (TV official)
http://www.trainman-movie.com (movie official)
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milkyway-Aquarius/7075/trainman.html (the real BBS)

Invasion of the gashapons

Hi, my name is Racemaniac, and I'm a gashapon addict
*starts crying*

Well, maybe it isn't that bad yet, but it's more or less becoming an issue... Everytime I go to the local anime/manga shop, I seem to return with yet another gashapon (for those not familiar with otaku terminology, it's a small figurine, that's sold in a closed box so you can't see which you buy, and is meant for trading). Right now I've got a total of fifteen gashapons standing behind my keyboard (or  rather in front of my monitors (two), since they're already with so many that the line up is wider than my keyboard.

If you don't recognise them all on the photo: the left six are from Mai Otome (bought because they look pretty good, and even better now i discovered you can undress them), the right 4 are from kujibiki unbalance (the series in the universe of Genshiken (yes, we love that anime)), and the others are from Genshiken itself. I've also got one from amaenaideyo (who came up with that name) lying around somewhere, but it isn't as beautiful as the others(very cheap and plastic look)...

Luckily, being an otaku (who buys this junk) is pretty  rare here in Belgium, so I haven't really got friends yet to trade these gashapons 
with. But their rapid increase in numbers is worries me!, soon I'll run 
out of space to put them, I'll have to start selecting...
Right now, I guess Ihave no choice but to go along with it, and see where Iend up, but just in case, has anyone heard about a gashapon rehab centre?

Ohno Kanako Figurine and Jeremy Clarkson

Yamato SIF EX Ohno Kanako 7” PVC figurine

Foreword

This is my first PVC figurine. I have numerous Gundam plastic model kits. I am a detail freak, and very anal about small defects in anything I buy: from dead pixels on PSP’s (sold one and RMA’ed three) to the flavour and consistency of gum I just bought at local supermarket. Well, ok, I’m overdramatizing, I only RMA’ed two PSP’s.

Having that said, I also love Genshiken. I think it’s one of the best anime ever, and I watch an episode on a daily basis, without ever growing tired of it. Consequently, I love the girls in Genshiken, Kasukabe Saki and Ohno Kanako. I can go on and on about them, like how Jeremy Clarkson can rave on about his Ford GT. Hold that thought, by the way.

Box art, parts, construction

The box is very nice, depicting a shot from the Genshiken clubroom’s window with attached Kujibiki Unbalance poster, and Ritsuko and Tokino flanking the clear window. On the sides, Ohno is portrayed as herself, holding a pair of cosplay nekomimi, and as Ritsuko. The back shows a picture of the figurine.

After carefully opening the box (which I perceive as contributing to almost half the esthetic value of the entire product), the contents are revealed: the figurine (no detachable parts), a scabbard, sword and a stand.

Construction is straightforward, no excessive bending or jamming was necessary. All parts fit snugly and firmly. The scabbard is unfortunately not hollow, and thus, not functional. The stand has a snakeskin motif, but is otherwise very basic, almost flimsy. But it does the job. The figurine’s center of gravity is slightly to the rear, but the ankles seem strong enough to prevent bending.

First impression, design

At 7” tall, it’s about the same height as a 1/100 Gundam plastic model kit. Ohno is in a simple standing pose, nothing special here. The way she stands though, and how she holds both the sword and scabbard is great. She looks slightly sideward, whilst smiling sweetly and politely. So instead of a samurai girl, she looks like a girl *pretending* to be one, and that is *exactly* what we want cosplay-queen Ohno to be like.

Both hair and clothing ripple slightly in the wind, like it is being created by a fan during a photo-shoot. Again, exactly the effect that fits perfectly with Ohno’s character. The effect itself is well done, with the creases not too deep and the fringes rippling in a believable fashion. The hair is also great, and the ribbons (one in the hair and one on her back, which straps in her short battle yukata) adds an enormous amount of cuteness to the entire design.

Technical: paint, mold

The paintjob is pretty good. Blacks are done in a matte finish, the colours are bright yet slightly shaded, so it doesn’t look too much like a toy, but still like anime. Lines are generally crisp, no major flaws. The eye decal is excellent; the entire facial area is, actually, with Ohno’s trademark moles positioned perfectly. Another outstanding element is the shading on skin areas, especially the knees. The boots are also great, the straps are sharply painted.

The mold is good in the crucial areas (front, face, skin, J-cup boobies), and there is not an intolerable amount of flash (small dots of excessive material). The knee looks fantastic, with noticeable tibial tuberosity (the narrower elevation below the kneecap). Detail on the hands is also great, the recession of the nails is visible and the fingers are slender and feminine. There are a number of flaws though, especially in the hair. There were 3 flat spots, 1 of them even mimicking an ugly “solder burn”. Another similar damaged spot can be found on right fringe of the pink ribbon in her hair. Seam lines are also visible, although not in a dramatic fashion. There is also a dent above the right knee.

Although the PVC production process is prone to this kind of defects, the combination of all of the above, pose a serious issue. It usually comes down to the manufacturer’s QA policy. Companies like Good Smile Company, Alter and Max Factory have higher standards, others lower ones. I have little first hand experience, but this figurine, as well as the buzz on the net, puts Yamato on the lower end of the scale.
Having considered this, the many great technical features seem to outweigh the production hick-ups though.

Personal satisfaction, conclusion

Yes, this figurine has an amount of serious flaws. Yes, the pose isn’t very dynamic. Yes, Yamato probably is a poor manufacturer. It just looks so nice though, it’s right up there with my 1/100 MG Freedom in terms of eye candy yumminess. Detailing and colouring are very good, with high marks going to the face and knees. The figurine perfectly conveys Ohno’s character. One of the reasons why I held off a long time from figurines is the fact that they seldom get the faces and “heart” of the character right. Not so with this figurine. It *is* Ohno. I can kinda sum it up like Jeremy Clarkson’s Ford GT. It is impossible to get into due to the ridiculous doors that contain part of the ceiling. It needs to be filled up at virtually every single petrol station you come across. And it breaks down more than clockwork made by a baboon. But he still loves that car. As I love this figurine.

Company of Heroes - Pwnage

Just played the Company of Heroes Demo. Spent 4 hours straight on a skirmish. I sucked, but man, it was 4 of the most intense hours of RTS I've ever played. It's right up there with a flank charge from cavalry in Rome Total War or a protracted 4 player FFA in Starcraft. I'm too tired to talk about the skirmish in detail...my eyes are watering, I feel exhausted in every part of my being.

Play.com is running a very interesting deal: for 38 eur (which is already under suggested retail price) you get CoH ànd Dawn of War. Wow.

The aniverse

Thats where I sometimes feel I'm stranded when watching a new
anime... a huge universe filled with anime, and there never seems
to be an end to it...
After every serie I finish watching, Inotice on my HD another dozen of series i've still got to watch. It's sometimes like drowning in a sea of anime...

Luckily once I've selected a next series to watch, I get absorbed
in it enough not to be troubled with all those other series Istill have to watch. The last serie I saw was "The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", a fantastic 14 episodes long series, about a very unique girl who only cares about aliens, esp'ers and timetravellers. It's a fantastic slice of life/comedy/sf serie that'll keep you watching until the end, and perhaps a few more times since the episodes are shown in the wrong order (I might watch it again sometime soon in the "right" (chronoligical) order.
The serie i'm watching right now is "Angelic layer". It's a nice series about a game in which people control puppets (the angels) with an interface controlled by your thoughts. it's not that special, and even pretty cliché (the main character won't lose etc...). But there's also a touching background story, and overall it always remains interesting. It's obviously aimed at teenagers, but I still enjoy it very much.

The series I'm going to watch after this one? I wouldn't know, but i do know i've still got a lot of great series waiting to be seen. Perhaps, this aniverse isn't such a bad place to be in :)

I AM the Ridge Racer KING

We all love Ridge Racer. Yes, the physics don't make any sense, there is a horrendous invisible wall and the soundtrack isn't always bearable, but Ridge Racer has some of the most exhillerating arcade gameplay available to man. And there's Reiko. Of course.


Having bought Ridge Racer with my PSP at launch back in September 2005, I've played it with such relentless vigour that I honestly perceive myself as the best f*****g Ridger Racer player on the planet. I swear, if Ridge Racer had an official event, I'd be the Fatal1ty of that game and have my face printed on graphics cards and my name sighed in awe by cute girl gamers.

The proof?

Seaside Route 765, Crinale, Time Trial

Total time: 02:06:846
Lap Time: 00:39:981

http://users.pandora.be/erwinspages/totaltime.jpg
http://users.pandora.be/erwinspages/laptime.jpg

BTW, Ridge Racer(s) 2 for PSP is released in Japan. New tracks, new intro (which totally rocks) new special cars (Crinale is hideous, Angelus pretty, Pacman less backwards) but same menus, same regular cars. So a relative rip-off. The new stuff is a lot of fun though.

Figthing gravity

 Behold my cute cosplaying Saki figurine (character from 
Genshiken, great anime/manga ). As always, trouble is never 
far off when you're trying to have a bit of fun... In this case,
buying this nice figurine has given me another thing to worry
about.

In the store, i already saw that the one on display had fallen forward, 
but since i got another one, i thought mine would be stable (in 
retrospect, pretty naive...). After a few falls, i knew mine wasn't any 
different, so i came up with the brilliant idea of superglueing it to the 
base...That's when the real problems started. Now it doesn't fall over, 
without any real damage afterwards, but starts to bend forward! 
In a few weeks my figurine would probably have been wasted if i 
hadn't found a way to counter it! 

Luckily i did. After a few nights of hanging her horizontally off the 
handle of a drawer, she has bended backwards enough to compensate,
and appears to be pretty stable now :) (and i can always hang her on 
the drawer a bit more if necessary).

Ahhh, another crisis averted :), and somehow i don't really mind. 
Encountering little challenges, and seeking solutions is also fun, i
think life would be boring without such little mishaps (as long as
they don't ruin things, ofcourse).

Well, this concludes my first post on this blog, cya soon!

Zip Archive Horror

Compressed archives..they've been around since the dawn of the pc age. I still remember that "Games" floppy disk my dad made me. It had a stunning 3 games on them: 2 Accolade racers and King's Quest, which I never played due to the fact that virtual death scared me. They were packed in a zip format, to fit the disk. No problem, since my daddy was a stern teacher and I was a sharp kid.

Until the day that (due partly to the infinite reliability of floppies) one of the zips corrupted. A feeling of disgust, dismay, disappointment and plain destructive urges towards anything in sight already got the best of me at such an early age. My stuffed animals still call that day "Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday".

As time went by, so did everything change in computerland. Except for compressed archives. People still have the uncontrollable urge to squeeze data in an as small as possible size. In a time where you can get external HDs with pocket change; eurekas, hurrahs and general feelings of well-being still accompany data compression.

The reason for this long rant? A corrupted compressed archive download. Of course. 4 files, totaling 720 mb and WinRar not knowing which file is corrupt. Employing all my 1337 computer skills built up by years of negating Windows operating systems, I tried shareware decompressors (btw, WinZip is no longer free), corruption fixers, tried renaming the files to rar - r01 - etc...All to no avail. I then tried redownloading the lot, which I thoroughly hate, and of course, again without result.

Getting close to deleting the blasted files due to 450GB absolutely stuffed with anime and DVD-size TV recordings (World Cup and Tour de France, both with a sour aftertaste but important enough to be kept), I tried consulting Google in a last ditch attempt, hoping that Larry Page and Sergey Brin's algorithms would rescue me. And so did it transgress. Gogole led me to 7-zip. And the damn thing decompressed flawlessly.

So to conclude. Got a nasty multiple file archive that's giving you the finger? Stick to it, and you'll eventually find a key that fits the lock. Don't redownload unless you're 100% sure you've got a corrupted file. Unless you have unlimited T1 access. Or if Google didn't exist.

New admin and a new start

Ugh, what have I done. I've actually let this insane, racing-game-lovin', totally otaku Computer Science graduate student in. And as an admin. This guy is even worse than me, so brace yourself for even more wanton, unsolicited and shameless otakuness!