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Online preordered Chef'S Gourment dinner with reindeer steak for business class passengers on board AY69 from Helsinki to Hong Kong.
One of the surprise (well.. sort of surprise) hits of the year is the second entry of their animated Spiderverse series. The story is alright, but the visuals are truly something extraordinary.
I actually didn't get anything from the first movie, so when Figuarts announced their preorders for the lineup from this move, I preordered them... and then proceeded to let them sit in a warehouse till Nendoroid Chun Li was released.
I'm not entire certain of the proportions per se, but I can say that the two are certainly looking about right, as the animated characters have a very unrealistic body style. Both feature two expressions under the mask (Gwen featuring two heads and Miles having interchangeable lenses), but Miles is the only one with an alternate unmasked head.
Other accessories are virtually identical. I believe the both have the same number of hands, the same assortment of web effects, and an actual stand, though I for the life of me could not pry the hole open on the base.
Both Miles and Gwen are very similar in terms of what the figures are capable of, which really shouldn't be surprising given that they have very similar body styles. The longer arms help Miles balance better when in crouched poses, but the junk in Gwen's trunk, combined with wider feet, allow Gwen to balance better. The hood accessory on Gwen does limit the articulation of the head, so you're probably gonna want to use the hood down effect piece for most of you posing needs.
Range of motion on the knees isn't quite deep enough for a true crouching pose, especially for Gwen, but there's certainly no shortage of actual joints, though for some reason the range of motion on the upper torso for Gwen vastly exceeds that of Miles.
A few minor things on Paint and Build. Paint wise, I noticed there was some paint chipping off one of the unmasked faces of Miles,I suspect the Digital Painting.... paint... doesn't quite adhere to the underlying plastic that strongly, or at least compared to the other paints used on the body. Otherwise, things are pretty much what you expect them to be.
Build wise, due to the nature of the beast, some joints can be a bit flimsy, especially compared to the more normally proportioned Figuarts, and for some reason the hair off my unmasked Gwen can come off the head, even though I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to do that... unless there was some alternate hair piece for the Convention exclusive.
The Six-Pack team are from Long Island NY *(near New York City) They preordered our services during the tournament
(Preordered in Feb, awaiting arrival in May-June)
Torii gates. Camellia flowers. Fox spirits. Did someone say CUTE FOX SPIRITS?!!
No questions here this dress was a must get! Sit back and let me tell you all the reasons~
I must say the art execution + dress interpretation for this is pretty well planned! I'll start with how the artist Tama incorporated all the right elements to this dress (with 2 kitsunes, one with a scroll+one with the 'hoshi no tama' 星のたま) among the camellia flowers (tsubaki 椿. I've been reading a bit on flower languages+meanings, and camellia flowers are depicted as 'divine & sacred', often used in religious+sacred ceremonies, so I thought it was befitting of the theme.
Next, the items which the kitsunes are holding! Jewels are a common symbol of Inari, so the items like the scroll, rice wheat, keys, and the 星のたま are commonly seen on these 'zenko'(benevolent/good) temple foxes (often called Inari foxes), and representations of sacred Inari foxes without them are rare. There's a lot of great info on the symbolisms of these items+ the onion-shaped 'star ball' on the net, but one suggest that if they lose this they also lose their magical abilities (kitsune-bi aka their 'fire'/'life force'), another suggests that they will die if separated from it too long.
The kitsunes themselves are adorned with a red yodarekake (votive bibs) which are placed by worshippers out of respect.
With all those out of the way, RPA did a smashing job at the dress interpretation, right down to the dress color! It was the first time I had to choose very hard between 白/黒 (good or bad?) because it would affect my coord interpretation later on. I went with white since I wanted to try out a miko-inspired coord. I'm not sure if RPA ever thought about this interpretation, but I like how the torii gate pillars cleverly links to the obi, forming the roof of the ⛩ (and yes to removable front ribbons, I do not want to be seen as a prostitute lol but then again this is alternative fashion so heck with the wind)
I can't wait to receive this dress!!! 😍
The Six-Pack team are from Long Island NY *(near New York City) They preordered our services during the tournament
The Six-Pack team are from Long Island NY *(near New York City) They preordered our services during the tournament
One of the surprise (well.. sort of surprise) hits of the year is the second entry of their animated Spiderverse series. The story is alright, but the visuals are truly something extraordinary.
I actually didn't get anything from the first movie, so when Figuarts announced their preorders for the lineup from this move, I preordered them... and then proceeded to let them sit in a warehouse till Nendoroid Chun Li was released.
I'm not entire certain of the proportions per se, but I can say that the two are certainly looking about right, as the animated characters have a very unrealistic body style. Both feature two expressions under the mask (Gwen featuring two heads and Miles having interchangeable lenses), but Miles is the only one with an alternate unmasked head.
Other accessories are virtually identical. I believe the both have the same number of hands, the same assortment of web effects, and an actual stand, though I for the life of me could not pry the hole open on the base.
Both Miles and Gwen are very similar in terms of what the figures are capable of, which really shouldn't be surprising given that they have very similar body styles. The longer arms help Miles balance better when in crouched poses, but the junk in Gwen's trunk, combined with wider feet, allow Gwen to balance better. The hood accessory on Gwen does limit the articulation of the head, so you're probably gonna want to use the hood down effect piece for most of you posing needs.
Range of motion on the knees isn't quite deep enough for a true crouching pose, especially for Gwen, but there's certainly no shortage of actual joints, though for some reason the range of motion on the upper torso for Gwen vastly exceeds that of Miles.
A few minor things on Paint and Build. Paint wise, I noticed there was some paint chipping off one of the unmasked faces of Miles,I suspect the Digital Painting.... paint... doesn't quite adhere to the underlying plastic that strongly, or at least compared to the other paints used on the body. Otherwise, things are pretty much what you expect them to be.
Build wise, due to the nature of the beast, some joints can be a bit flimsy, especially compared to the more normally proportioned Figuarts, and for some reason the hair off my unmasked Gwen can come off the head, even though I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to do that... unless there was some alternate hair piece for the Convention exclusive.
One of the surprise (well.. sort of surprise) hits of the year is the second entry of their animated Spiderverse series. The story is alright, but the visuals are truly something extraordinary.
I actually didn't get anything from the first movie, so when Figuarts announced their preorders for the lineup from this move, I preordered them... and then proceeded to let them sit in a warehouse till Nendoroid Chun Li was released.
I'm not entire certain of the proportions per se, but I can say that the two are certainly looking about right, as the animated characters have a very unrealistic body style. Both feature two expressions under the mask (Gwen featuring two heads and Miles having interchangeable lenses), but Miles is the only one with an alternate unmasked head.
Other accessories are virtually identical. I believe the both have the same number of hands, the same assortment of web effects, and an actual stand, though I for the life of me could not pry the hole open on the base.
Both Miles and Gwen are very similar in terms of what the figures are capable of, which really shouldn't be surprising given that they have very similar body styles. The longer arms help Miles balance better when in crouched poses, but the junk in Gwen's trunk, combined with wider feet, allow Gwen to balance better. The hood accessory on Gwen does limit the articulation of the head, so you're probably gonna want to use the hood down effect piece for most of you posing needs.
Range of motion on the knees isn't quite deep enough for a true crouching pose, especially for Gwen, but there's certainly no shortage of actual joints, though for some reason the range of motion on the upper torso for Gwen vastly exceeds that of Miles.
A few minor things on Paint and Build. Paint wise, I noticed there was some paint chipping off one of the unmasked faces of Miles,I suspect the Digital Painting.... paint... doesn't quite adhere to the underlying plastic that strongly, or at least compared to the other paints used on the body. Otherwise, things are pretty much what you expect them to be.
Build wise, due to the nature of the beast, some joints can be a bit flimsy, especially compared to the more normally proportioned Figuarts, and for some reason the hair off my unmasked Gwen can come off the head, even though I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to do that... unless there was some alternate hair piece for the Convention exclusive.
100 Dragons by @andre_atak is finally shipping. Thanks to everyone who preordered. If you're in need of a copy go here: atak.bigcartel.com
142 Likes on Instagram
2 Comments on Instagram:
drain13: Good mentors make big things possible.
eightyxfour: Whoot
At long last, my Nendoroid Lang Wangji is HOME!!! It was quite a tale before he got here.
After watching The Untamed, I preordered this little guy from Archonia in Oct. Unfortunately a month later, my preorder was cancelled because their supplier ran out of stock.
At that point, he was sold out almost everywhere. But I managed to find him at ChouChouJapan.
After one month, my order still hadn't shipped. Eventually, it was shipped before X-mas.
The package was SENT BACK twice for unknown reasons. On the third try, it was delivered to an address in another country.
Basically *FOUR* months after my order, I was given a refund.
By sheer coincidence and luck, a Spanish person was selling theirs on MyFigureCollection. I contacted them, paid immediately and now, I finally have a Nendoroid Lan Wangji.
It was a crazy ride!
Hey everybody. By now, I’m hoping that most geocachers in New Brunswick have heard about the awesome geocoin that the Fredericton Regional Geocachers are producing, but if not, have no fear! I’m hear to share the news.
We are planning on placing the order by the end of this week, in order to have the freshly minted coins for the Bye Bye Winter Bash weekend in Fredericton, on April 10th and 11th. If you are interested in ordering a coin, please let me know, as I am the organizer for them!
We are ordering 150 of these beautiful coins, and as of the writing of this post, 111 have been “preordered” by individual cachers. The cost for these unique geocoins? A lowly $8 each! My email address is sialonak [at] gmail [dot] com, if you are interested in ordering one – or, go to the facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=192176623576) for the Fredericton Geocachers and post a message there for me.
The geocoins themselves are going to be made in a black nickel finish. The snowman side will be epoxied, in order to protect the glow in the dark feature (picture included of the glow feature). The snowflake side will not have epoxy, in order to accent the little snowflakes more. Neither side is more durable than the other, I am told – the epoxy only protects the glow feature, not the coloured enamel. They will also have a unique icon on geocaching.com, which I’ve also included a picture of here.
If you are interested in having one, please contact me sooner rather than later, to avoid the disappointment of not being able to own one of these beauties!
We preordered four different varities of hops rhizomes way back in November. They finally sent them to us a couple of weeks ago and now the little sprouts are just starting to emerge.
I neglected to mention this gem came in the mail yesterday and I’m posting my shot late, again. Someday I'll meet this delightful fella and he will sign it and I'll probably sigh and try to contain my glee. Tyler’s work was introduced to me by Nicole on Facebook a few months ago and ever since he has made it to my poet crush pile. Immediately after stalking him on social networks, I preordered this and it arrived yesterday finally…buy your copy of Chasers of the Light, I promise you will have no regrets.
As a poet/writer myself and an increasing lover of modern poets, I understand the importance of preserving a love of words and their masters. Help the world be reminded POETRY IS NOT DEAD! That is my plug for the day. (insert smile)
Photo Features: Accidental double exposure (so excited about this happenstance)
Photo Casualties: Me…nausea and minor case of whiplash from jumping around in the dark for the shot. At least it was almost midnight and my neighbors didn’t have to wonder—much—what I was up to.
Photo Selection Credit: Thanks Deven!
I'm not quoting Tyler, yet, because you really should support him so we can get more out of him (insert wink). I will quote another poet, though, as his words seem fitting for the shot and how I'm feeling about the newest addition to my poetry collection courtesy of Mr. Tyler Knott Gregson.
"I want to see thirst in the syllables, tough fire in the sound; feel through the dark for the scream." ~Pablo Neruda
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
Austin is amazed checking out all of Penny's goodies! A new bed, a moose, a flamingo, a chewy bone, a bully stick, and............. Clay Aiken's new album?! WOW!!!!!
Well really Clay's album is mine - preordered from Sony Music Store and it arrived today, one day before it will be in the stores - but it's playing in the background right now and Penny likes it when I sing to her! Since it's all love songs I sing them to the dogs all the time.
Here's the song I am singing right now and it's appropriate for her.........
When I See You Smile
Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through
Through this world
without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue
And sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me
And there's no way of breaking free
Then I see you reach for me
Sometimes I wanna give up
Wanna give in
I wanna quit the fight
AND then i see you baby-
everything's alright-
everything's alright
(chorus)
When I see you smile
I can face the world
Oh you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light
Oh I see it shining
right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me
Oh yeah
The Ziggy Vest is a Tunisian crochet vest in THAT lacy ripple stitch (the one that that everyone sees in Pinterest and then looks for on my website!). It's easy to cut to add armholes, which makes it self-healing.
The Ziggy Vest pattern is in the book Delicate Crochet by Sharon Silverman. It can be preordered in October 2018 for a December 1st release.
I was fortunate enough to preorder from the second batch of this amazing Giyu figure before he sold out again. The level of details and quality of these Figuarts Zero figures from Bandai are phenomenal, especially considering how affordable they are. I reckon this Giyu is my favourite figure of him released thus far - even beating out the more expensive ArtFX J Kotobukiya version.
I didn't get Figuarts Zero's first version of Rengoku because I didn't like his face. The second version of him looks immensely better and I preordered one after seeing how amazing my Giyu is.
By far the Rengoku figure I'm most excited about is the Flame Breathing Esoteric Art Ninth Form Rengoku figure from Aniplex. I've already preordered mine and I can't wait to see him!
His official release date is in March 2023, so there will be quite a bit of wait! I hope the actual figure will look just as (or even more!) epic as his promo pics!!
This hat was won on eBay for $37, which included a sealed copy of Klonoa for the Wii. This hat was originally given out at GameCrazy if you preordered Klonoa, but due to poor advertisement, not very many very given out. Very, very rare. The last auction for the hat alone ended at $65.
This is Riolu sporting the Klonoa hat. :)
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
A welcome get well surprise. I have been soooo ill for the last week and today the Mail lady brought this darling girl and I really perked up!! She is just beautiful
She was preordered months ago--worth the wait
The Limited Edition Ariel and Eric Doll Set, #12 of 6000, in their display case, with the clear acrylic cover removed. None of the factory restraints have been removed, but I have cleaned up Ariel's face a bit, and cut off a loose thread from her blouse. Photographed using built-in camera flash.
My pre-ordered Ariel and Eric Doll Set, from the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection. It arrived on October 15, 2013, and I was thrilled to see that they are numbered #012 of 6000! It matches the number of the other doll sets in the pre-order, except that Snow White and the Prince is #4508 of 6000. There are some slight scratches on the gold nameplate and on the acrylic cover of the display case, but they are very minor, and don't diminish the look of the set. Ariel's head is posed a bit awkwardly, but I'll see if I can adjust it a bit without undoing any of the shipping restraints. There is also a loose thread hanging from the left sleeve of Ariel's blouse. Otherwise, Ariel and Eric look very beautiful, and in perfect shape. I'm so happy that I have them after failing to get them in the in-store raffle earlier in the day.
I'm not going to debox the dolls in this set, but I am going to take photos of it boxed, with the cover sleeve off, and with the clear acrylic cover off, to show off the dolls as much as possible without actually removing them from their factory restraints.
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
Release In-Store: October 15, 2013
Release Online: October 16, 2013 (at 12 AM PDT)
Sold Out Online: October 16, 2013 (by 12:15 AM)
Pre-ordered at the D23 Expo, August 9, 2013
Received October 15, 2013.
#12 of 6000
Product information from the US Disney Store website:
Ariel and Prince Eric Doll Set - Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
$129.95
Item No. 6070040900891P
Above the sea
The red-headed Ariel gets her wish to be out of the sea and with her handsome prince, Eric, in this pair of limited-edition dolls. Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection, they feature elegantly detailed costumes.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Each Guest will be limited to ordering a maximum of one of this item per order.
As part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection this pair of Ariel and Prince Eric dolls were carefully crafted by artists inspired by Disney's 1989 movie The Little Mermaid. The Disney Princess and handsome Prince have been reimagined in exquisite detail with these limited edition dolls. Brought to life with thoughtful attention, they uniquely capture the essence of the fairytale couple, creating a one of a kind set that will be a treasured keepsake of collectors, Disney fans, and every princess at heart!
•Global Limited Editon of 6000
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Ariel features her signature red curls tied back with a blue satin bow
•Rooted eyelashes
•Lacey off-shoulder neckline
•Satin and velvet bodice with embroidery and rhinestone accents
•Embroidered taffeta overlay with printed inset hemmed with lace trim at the bottom
•Prince Eric features billowy satin shirt with embroidered detailing
•Crimson sash, belt and matching boots
•Dolls sold in a special keepsake display case with intricate details on the base, including a golden plate with the name of Ariel and Eric
•Includes special Disney Fairytale Designer Collection Gift Bag
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
* Intended for adult collectors -- Not a child's toy.
The bare necessities
•Plastic / polyester
•Ariel: 11 1/2'' H
•Prince Eric: 12'' H
•Imported
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
This packaging makes a pretty ballsy claim, and I'm not sure it's one I agree with!
Rye bread definitely has a place, but 'the best bread'? The jury is out.
That said, this was a salmon on rye bread on the plane and it was fit, and got food envy from people who hadn't preordered.
One of the surprise (well.. sort of surprise) hits of the year is the second entry of their animated Spiderverse series. The story is alright, but the visuals are truly something extraordinary.
I actually didn't get anything from the first movie, so when Figuarts announced their preorders for the lineup from this move, I preordered them... and then proceeded to let them sit in a warehouse till Nendoroid Chun Li was released.
I'm not entire certain of the proportions per se, but I can say that the two are certainly looking about right, as the animated characters have a very unrealistic body style. Both feature two expressions under the mask (Gwen featuring two heads and Miles having interchangeable lenses), but Miles is the only one with an alternate unmasked head.
Other accessories are virtually identical. I believe the both have the same number of hands, the same assortment of web effects, and an actual stand, though I for the life of me could not pry the hole open on the base.
Both Miles and Gwen are very similar in terms of what the figures are capable of, which really shouldn't be surprising given that they have very similar body styles. The longer arms help Miles balance better when in crouched poses, but the junk in Gwen's trunk, combined with wider feet, allow Gwen to balance better. The hood accessory on Gwen does limit the articulation of the head, so you're probably gonna want to use the hood down effect piece for most of you posing needs.
Range of motion on the knees isn't quite deep enough for a true crouching pose, especially for Gwen, but there's certainly no shortage of actual joints, though for some reason the range of motion on the upper torso for Gwen vastly exceeds that of Miles.
A few minor things on Paint and Build. Paint wise, I noticed there was some paint chipping off one of the unmasked faces of Miles,I suspect the Digital Painting.... paint... doesn't quite adhere to the underlying plastic that strongly, or at least compared to the other paints used on the body. Otherwise, things are pretty much what you expect them to be.
Build wise, due to the nature of the beast, some joints can be a bit flimsy, especially compared to the more normally proportioned Figuarts, and for some reason the hair off my unmasked Gwen can come off the head, even though I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to do that... unless there was some alternate hair piece for the Convention exclusive.
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
Oh my gosh she is SOOO Cute <3
I had Preordered Zukin and had her sent Slowboat and when I preordered Nellie I forgot to Press for Slow Shipping so BOOM she got here so fast.
I want to make her into Tiny Ella maybe ha so Cute <3 She reminds me of a Tiny Samedi Marche <3 I love her!
I was fortunate enough to preorder from the second batch of this amazing Giyu figure before he sold out again. The level of details and quality of these Figuarts Zero figures from Bandai are phenomenal, especially considering how affordable they are. I reckon this Giyu is my favourite figure of him released thus far - even beating out the more expensive ArtFX J Kotobukiya version.
I didn't get Figuarts Zero's first version of Rengoku because I didn't like his face. The second version of him looks immensely better and I preordered one after seeing how amazing my Giyu is.
By far the Rengoku figure I'm most excited about is the Flame Breathing Esoteric Art Ninth Form Rengoku figure from Aniplex. I've already preordered mine and I can't wait to see him!
His official release date is in March 2023, so there will be quite a bit of wait! I hope the actual figure will look just as (or even more!) epic as his promo pics!!
1. Swwoooonnnn Vampire Baby, 2. What have I done, 3. Aubrena on pre-order.4. Not available
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
So I have to say that I have been 110% up to no good this holiday weekend!
I bought a Vampire
I got Rouge Noir because Live search was at 30% off and WHO could resist that deal
I had Preordered Littlefee a little over a week ago
and I had Aubrena Preordered since like September.
So Um Yea time to do some dollie cleaning out!
My pre-ordered CD of Ladytron's new album, Velocifero, and the first of several NYC baseball tickets I ordered both arrived Monday! I happened to become a Ladytron fan, and interested in baseball stadiums (and games) this spring, thanks to the same person who's a fan of both. I'd known OF Ladytron for a while, but then I heard their music (especially Witching Hour) in the car on long drives with him.
And I know I would have gone to a baseball game eventually (my only one so far had been a White Sox-Red Sox game at "new Comiskey" 16 or 17 years ago) but this guy promised to take me to Wrigley Field this spring. And kept the promise even though we weren't dating anymore when it was time for the game. (And I was surprised to find I liked the experience, and the photo-taking opportunities, enough to come back on my own. And go to U.S. Cellular, and Comerica Park, and Miller Park, and as you can see, Yankee Stadium [and Shea Stadium, and PNC Park] are coming up.) And gave me a burned CD of Velocifero--I think I had nearly all of Ladytron's CDs at that point...it might sound like it was a weird time to be getting into their music, but it was just a coincidence, not me obsessing over that guy!
I didn't get the "Ghosts" 7" I thought my preorder was supposed to come with--I preordered for that (I figured it'd be cheaper to buy the CD when it hit the stores), but also to have a clean conscience listening to the burned CD! The other items in this photo are my tickets to the Ladytron show in Chicago (two weeks!) and the next night...in Detroit. Detroit's another part of the story, but I've said enough! (I'll delete this caption if anyone's embarrassed, but I hope I won't have to.)
My pre-ordered Ariel and Eric Doll Set, from the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection. It arrived today, and I was thrilled to see that they are numbered #012 of 6000! It matches the number of the other doll sets in the pre-order, except that Snow White and the Prince is #4508 of 6000. There are some slight scratches on the gold nameplate and on the acrylic cover of the display case, but they are very minor, and don't diminish the look of the set. Ariel's head is posed a bit awkwardly, but I'll see if I can adjust it a bit without undoing any of the shipping restraints. There is also a loose thread hanging from the left sleeve of Ariel's blouse. Otherwise, Ariel and Eric look very beautiful, and in perfect shape. I'm so happy that I have them today after failing to get them in the in-store raffle earlier in the day.
Ariel and Eric Doll Set
Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
US Disney Store
In Store Release: Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Online Release: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 (at 12 AM PDT)
Pre-ordered at the D23 Expo, August 9, 2013
Received October 15, 2013.
#12 of 6000
UK Disney Store product information:
Released online and in-store in Europe: October 15, 2013
The fifth and final release of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
The Little Mermaid and Prince Eric Limited Edition Dolls
UK Disney Store
£100.00
Item No. 411047169023P
From under the sea to a blossoming romance on dry shores, relive the enchanting story from Disney classic, The Little Mermaid with our exquisite Limited Edition dolls. An ideal gift for Disney fans and collectors.
Magic in the details...
•Disney Fairytale gift bag included with each doll
•Set of 2 dolls
•Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid
•Limited edition of 6000
•Only one purchase per guest on day of release
•Please note: Limit of two purchases per household
•Includes Certificate of Authenticity
•Posable bodies
•The Little Mermaid wears a luxurious blue satin dress with gold flourishes of embroidery
•Rooted eyelashes and cascading red hair
•Prince Eric wears white satin shirt and black boots
•H38 x W19 x D19cm approx
•Arrives in luxury presentation box
•Designed by Disney Store Artists
•Part of the Disney Fairytale Designer Collection
•Created for Disney Store
John Green
267
[my numbering is off somewhere because somehow i am one picture behind the amount of days i have? so confused.] thank goodness i finally fixed it like a week later.
from yessterrrdayyyyyyyyyyy. not so sure about this edit. we'll see.
laptop is still getting fixed. falling behind, again.
llistening to switchfoot's new CD that i got today cause i preordered... pretty sweet stuff.
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
From Hobby Link Japan, due to arrive this month!
Nendoroid Ui Hirasawa.
She has two other faces, another outfit and other hair type. Can't wait!
Photo from hlj website.
One of the surprise (well.. sort of surprise) hits of the year is the second entry of their animated Spiderverse series. The story is alright, but the visuals are truly something extraordinary.
I actually didn't get anything from the first movie, so when Figuarts announced their preorders for the lineup from this move, I preordered them... and then proceeded to let them sit in a warehouse till Nendoroid Chun Li was released.
I'm not entire certain of the proportions per se, but I can say that the two are certainly looking about right, as the animated characters have a very unrealistic body style. Both feature two expressions under the mask (Gwen featuring two heads and Miles having interchangeable lenses), but Miles is the only one with an alternate unmasked head.
Other accessories are virtually identical. I believe the both have the same number of hands, the same assortment of web effects, and an actual stand, though I for the life of me could not pry the hole open on the base.
Both Miles and Gwen are very similar in terms of what the figures are capable of, which really shouldn't be surprising given that they have very similar body styles. The longer arms help Miles balance better when in crouched poses, but the junk in Gwen's trunk, combined with wider feet, allow Gwen to balance better. The hood accessory on Gwen does limit the articulation of the head, so you're probably gonna want to use the hood down effect piece for most of you posing needs.
Range of motion on the knees isn't quite deep enough for a true crouching pose, especially for Gwen, but there's certainly no shortage of actual joints, though for some reason the range of motion on the upper torso for Gwen vastly exceeds that of Miles.
A few minor things on Paint and Build. Paint wise, I noticed there was some paint chipping off one of the unmasked faces of Miles,I suspect the Digital Painting.... paint... doesn't quite adhere to the underlying plastic that strongly, or at least compared to the other paints used on the body. Otherwise, things are pretty much what you expect them to be.
Build wise, due to the nature of the beast, some joints can be a bit flimsy, especially compared to the more normally proportioned Figuarts, and for some reason the hair off my unmasked Gwen can come off the head, even though I'm pretty sure that it's not supposed to do that... unless there was some alternate hair piece for the Convention exclusive.
She arrived today, I had actually forgotten I preordered her.. not sure of her fate but her Stock is staying hah :D
Lots of knitting here lately! My husband is recovering from foot surgery and we have been spending all our time at home. I made a hat for my red hat loving mum. I have also been making lots of baby booties (many more than are in the photo). So many of my husbands marines wives are due right now (9 months ago they returned from deployment ;] ) and I am finding it fun to make sure each new arrival receives a pair of booties. I am also working on a baby sweater for a baby due to my cousin this fall. All this baby stuff is so sweet! I had a wonderful surprise this week in the mail. I had preordered the book My Grandmother's Knitting and totally forgot about it until it arrived this week. It is a gorgeous book with some wonderful stories and incredible knitting patterns. Everyone really should check it out. Also make sure you check out all those wonderful Yarn Along posts on Ginny's Blog today too: www.gsheller.com/2011/08/yarn-along_24.html . I know it has been a wonderful distraction for me to read all the posts today as I try to take my mind off the lurking hurricane.
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
These two Pullips brought back my obsession with Pullips. I had never preordered a Pullip doll until these two were announced. I was in my Junior year of college and I had been collecting primarily Fairyland BJDs since graduating high school.
The arrival of Kuromi and Melody opened the gates to more pullips. From 2022-2024 I was collecting Pullips like I had never before. My collection ended with 40 dolls total. I had them grouped on my shelves by doll type. There was the Sanrio dolls (Kuro, MM, Cinnamoroll, Pompom...), the dolls I had always admired as a kid (Prunella, Papin, Nina, Arion....), and the new-ish releases (Kiyomi, Pere Noel, Merori, Alice Du Jardin, DDalgi....).
It was such a fun time in my life! I had every doll I could ever dream of. But it got too much for me. Between keeping an active IG and keeping over 40 dolls dust free and well dressed... I had enough of it by spring 2025. How were these dolls actually serving me? Sure, I loved them when the community on Flickr was full of life and collectors each had their own customized version of a doll. But really these were just objects on a shelf and I had more than what I could handle. Selling the majority of my collection did bring me joy. I got to connect with other collectors who shared the same type of love.
Today, I have 9 dolls total (My Melody, Prunella, Adsiltia, Papin, Chill, Naomi, MM Pink, Kuromi, Pere Noel) and I may have room for one or two more someday. For now, I'm so grateful for my collection and I hope to branch out to other doll brands.
Tah dah! The last Jean Grey figure! Once again, they are all mine! MWAHAHAHAHA!
For now, at least. I've got the next two already preordered at least, and there's none in the future, so my wallet sighs happily.
The last one, pictured here, is the variant of the X-Men 3 figure from Hasbro's Marvel Legends 2 line, showing her in all her 'dark' Phoenixy glory.
On to the rest of the set!
Welcome back! For this entry, we go back... ALL the way back to 2016 or so to the inaugural release of the 4inch-Nel line, the original Blue Bomber himself - Rockman aka Mega Man.
For whatever reason, this was the year that the OG Mega Man stuff came rolling out of the wood work, which included at the very least a Nendoroid (which I own and will probably get around to at some point in time to discuss) and this interesting looking figure. 4inch-Nel was a newly announced line, and when I saw it was Mega Man I figured, "This certainly looks easier to get than the D-Arts" and preordered the figure. About a year and 80 CAD later, the figure showed up at my door - yes, that's right. This tiny figure cost 80 CAD, and it was only 80 CAD because I always use SAL shipping and was able to avoid the tax man.
Rockman comes packed with the basics.. and I do mean basics. Instruction manual on the flap of the box feature guidance on how to swap out arms and the face. There's the figure itself, one additional expression (his trademark attacking face), two open palm hands, the Mega Buster (or whatever it's called in Japan) and the dynamic stand with base. Imagine paying $80 CAD and opening the box to find just these contents and nothing else.. kind of frightening, right? But, as always, I dug a little deeper, and came to the various conclusions that were mentioned in my previous Star Force entry.
The selling point of this figure was mainly aesthetics coupled with articulation. Now, Rockman is bulkier than Star Force, so articulation is slightly hampered in comparison, but he can still pull off some impressive feats which include a great variety of trademark poses, such as his iconic slide, introduced in the third game. The same points of articulation are on both figures - ball jointed ankles, double jointed knees, rotating and pivoting hips, waist, mid torso ball joint, shoulders with full motion, double jointed elbows, wrists, and that weird neck joint made up of the swivel and pivoting points on two different parts of that strange giraffe neck. The difference here, however, is that the neck is generally hidden from view due to the gigantic noggin on Rockman, but can be extended for a greater range of motion if need be.
Speaking of giant noggin, this figure almost perfectly replicates the look of the 80s Rockman, up to the point of Rockman 6 I think it is when they went with a slighly different look for the Blue Bomber. Being the inaugural release, it goes without saying that 4inch-Nel was made for this, and unless I'm mistaken, there has not been an articulated OG Mega Man figure that can do what this one can while looking this box art accurate, though for the record if they ever made an action figure of Ugly Mega Man, I'd probably buy that for fun as well. Everything from a design perspective is on point - expressions, proportions, colours utilized. As with the Star Force release, there are spots of paint where they clearly dropped the ball. Some additional effects or accessory parts would have been nice, especially given the price tag, but as far as the figure goes, it's pretty much peak form. You'll notice that there are various grooves and cuts throughout the body - these are, of course, there to facilitate articulation without being as visual intrusive as with some of the Figma or Figuarts releases.
So far, nothing new, especially if you've read the previous entry. Well, here's something fresh for you.. I hate the stand. I guess I should clarify. It's not the base or the connection point - they're bulky, but very secure. It's that stupid claw thing that I hate. It's not shaped in a way that really secures the grasp, so as a result if you try to do anything tricky, the figure will flop around. A lot. Also, the claw itself is friction based, so if I'm not careful I'll shatter the claw and have to crawl on the ground, hunting for transparent plastic pieces. I'm not sure how things went down the road, but I do know that at least for the Ishtar that I have, the connection points on that figure are through a hole in the figure itself like with the Figma.
And there you have it - the original 4inch Nel himself, Rockman. For a time, much easier to find than the D-Arts version, though these days probably equally annoying. It's unfortunate about the accessory pack, because the D-Art clearly beats this one hands down, having a Rush and the Hard Hat enemy. But if you want box art accuracy, the 4inch-Nel entry is clearly the way to go.
One of the most memorable Sega Arcade Classics is Golden Axe. My time was mostly spent with the Master System version, so it blew my mind to find out that there were actually three characters to choose from, as opposed to just Ax Battler.
Storm Collectibles "recently" started their lineup from this beautiful game. Bored out of my mind due to lockdown, I preordered one directly from Storm in HK, as our local "dealer" in Toronto is not really reliable.
The figure itself follows the tried and true Storm design, featuring a base figure that has all the major bases covered, with a soft rubber upper torso, which normally would have allowed for neck motion without visible joints.... but they seem to have gotten rid of that a while ago.
Not that there was a non Deluxe version, but I suppose for the $128 its a decent value. You get 8 additional hands, her sword, and her noble steed the Blue Dragon. It's a shame that you don't get any little elves to beat up for meat and magic potions.
The Blue Dragon itself is nice and hefty, and also has a decent amount of articulation. Flame effect is meant for use with it... unless you're bored like me.
This evening Ripa very kindly took us out with Piia for a belated birthday celebration for her.
He does tend to pick some fabulous places to eat, and this is Rioni, a Georgian restaurant in Helsinki.
It's a terrible photo, but I've posted it more as a reminder for me.
Ripa had preordered us a set menu, which was a genius move as I'm actually rubbish at choosing food.
I found the menu online for the curious, and see that - unsurprisingly given the geography - Georgian cuisine overlaps fairly heavily with Turkish.
Pkhali – A combination of veggie paste rolls (includes walnuts)
Nigvziani badrijani – Eggplant rolls with walnut paste.
Tbilisuri Salati – Salad with walnut sauce
Gebjalia – Mint-Cheese delicacy
Imeruli Khatchapuri – Georgian cheesebread straight from the oven.
Khinkali – Georgian Meat dumplings
Chashushuli – Beef stew with tomato and herbs.
Mtsvadi – Pork skewer from our grill
Shkhmeruli – Chicken in garlicky smetana stew
Qartuli Qababi – Georgian kebab skewer from our grill
Ajapsandali – Veggie stew
House sauces
It was all superb. Thanks Ripa!