Treasure Festa in Ariake 4 event coverage

Treasure Festa in Ariake 4 event coverage is up on Tomopop! Here are the links to their coverage articles with photos provided by us!

• Anime and manga kits - Part 1
• All things Hatsune Miku
• Persona kits!
• Love Plus
• Cerberus Project's Bayonetta in full color
• T's System show off their skills!
• Black Rock Shooter
• K-On!
• Griffon Enterprises has figures to reveal and auction
• The Evangelion Girls mark their turf!
• Dimension Diver kits
• Bakemonogatari is still going strong with even more Shinobu!
• Resinya
• The King of Fighters garage kits are set to duke it out
• It's the galaxy fairy, SHERYL NOME!!!
• Anime and manga kits - Part 2
• Here's more Taiga and Ami from your Toradora!
• Touhou Project
• Swoon over these kits by sculptor EBO!
• Kaitendoh
• Tatsunoko Productions
• Saber! ...oh, and those other characters
• Garage kit gallery - Part 1
• Garage kit gallery - Part 2 

Enjoy! ^^

Mega Hobby Expo 2010 coverage

Check out Tomopop's excellent articles on the Mega Hobby Expo 2010 event with photos provided by us!

• MegaHouse and Alpha x Omega
• One Piece
• Alter
• Boys! ...by ALTAiR and MegaHouse
• Hobby Japan (NSFW)
• Pretty Cure
• Reebok x MegaHouse Ghost in the Shell PUMP FURY
• Trading Figures, Plush, and Accessories
• Ryuu Knight Variable Action series
• Kamen Rider ArtWorks Monsters series
• The iDOLM@STER
• Mobile Suit Gundam

Treasure Festa in Akiba event coverage

Treasure Festa in Akihabara was a one-day event held on 20 June 2010 in Akihabara UDX building's Akiba Square. Personally, I don't quite understand the reason why event organizer Griffon Enterprises decided to run yet another Treasure Festa event just 7 weeks after their big one at Tokyo Big Sight and about 5 weeks before Wonder Festival 2010 Summer. 

There weren't a lot of new resin kits from the sculptor circles unveiled at the event, except for a few pieces that we'll see again at next month's Wonder Festival. Griffon announced their Touhou Project repaints that will be exclusive to Wonder Festival 2010 Summer event, which I will post info on shortly.

Check out Tomopop's coverage of the event with my photos in the links below:

• Treasure Festa in Akiba: Waiting to get inside!
• Treasure Festa in Akiba: Griffon Enterprises
• Treasure Festa in Akiba: Robots invading the floor
• Treasure Festa in Akiba: The Charity Auction
• Treasure Festa in Akiba: The Anime garage kits!
• Treasure Festa in Akiba: Piece takes on Alice in Wonderland

More photos not covered in Tomopop's articles can be viewed in my flickr gallery here:

Treasure Festa in Akiba flickr gallery

Good Smile Company Blogger Invitational coverage

On May 19, Good Smile Company ran a small invite-only exhibition especially for bloggers in Japan to take close up shots of upcoming figures from Good Smile Company, Max Factory, and Phat Company. This was the first time GSC invited the general blogging public to preview upcoming products at their office, and thanks to the fine folks at Tomopop for the advance notice on the event, I was lucky enough to secure an invitation to the exhibition! Click on the title post to read more.

Treasure Festa in Ariake 3 event coverage

Treasure Festa in Ariake 3 took place during Golden Week, and I was there not only to purchase event exclusive kits and figures for customers but also to cover the event for my fellow friends at Tomopop. For those of you who have yet to read their posts on the event, click here for a complete list of links to their excellent posts covering the event with photos that I had provided.

I'm currently busy with preparations for the move to my new apartment in Tokyo so I won't have the time to write my own coverage of the event. Feel free to ask me about anything I took pics of that you're interested to know more details on, and I'll see if I can recall who made those items and if they'll be available for purchase again.

Next event will be Treasure Festa in Akiba to be held on 20 June 2010. Keep watch on Tomopop for the event coverage with my photos up on the same day!

Otacool book signing

Got to attend the Otacool book signing event in front of Kotobukiya's store in Akihabara yesterday. I bought a copy and had my good friend Danny and the lovely Ai Amano sign it for me. ^^

Danny and Ai Amano smiling for the camera.

Signatures on my copy of Otacool. Now looking to get signatures from people who had their collections featured in the book!

Really amazing collections gathered in the book. I'm jealous! I noticed some of the collectors featured are my customers! ^^ Once I get my collection properly rearranged, I'll submit photos for the second volume!

Check out the flickr photo gallery set linked below for more pics.

Otacool book signing gallery

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Tokusatsu Revoltech

There had been sneak peeks in various hobby magazines, Revoltech catalogs, and at last year's Wonder Festival for their latest addition to Kaiyodo's Revoltech family--the Tokusatsu Revoltech. At this year's Revoltech Expo, they officially unveiled the lineup of the new Tokusatsu Revoltech series that offers action figures of sci-fi characters and creatures from blockbuster American movies to Japanese kaijyuu TV shows, anime, and movies. The first entry stars none other than the xenomorph from the Alien movie franchise!

I got to pick up and play with a sample of the Alien figure at the expo, and noticed that the level of detail and paint application were absolutely phenomenal. Hope the final product will turn out as good. Really looking forward to this one. Set for release in Spring 2010. Price TBA.

Alien egg with face hugger to be included with the Alien figure. Face hugger is not poseable and can't be removed from the semi-translucent egg base. Would be nice if the Alien figure comes with a face hugger accessory by itself to latch on to other figure's faces!

Also part of the first lineup in the Tokusatsu Revoltech series is Daimajin to be released in conjunction with the new Daimajin TV show due to air sometime next year.

Not sure why Kaiyodo thinks a Revoltech figure of Kaijyuu Booska would be a good seller. Sure there's a fan base in Japan for the comical creature, but it surely wouldn't reach anywhere near the sales figures of Godzilla (big possibility we'll see a Tokusatsu Revoltech figure soon IMO!) and maybe no more than a hundred for overseas sales to a small group of Booska fans and Revoltech completists.

Looks almost like a recreation of the Gamera vs. Gyaos movie poster! Both will be released 1 month after Alien and Daimajin.

Next up will be Giant Robo & GR2.

Kaijyuu that goes by the name Paragon. Not sure which show it is from though.

Awesome Jack Skellington figure! Nice diorama base, too. Is it just me or does the base look like it is in a shape that can be lined with future Nightmare Before Christmas figures' bases to form a connecting diorama? Hmmmm...!!

One of the big surprises at the Revoltech Expo that got everyone talking was T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Pure awesome!

Looks like the powered suit from Starship Troopers will get the Revoltech treatment as well. Articulated powered suit with fixed-pose pilot figure.

The biggest announcement of all at the expo that got everyone's attention was definitely the Batman (Batman Begins version) Revoltech figure! That's another figure added to my 2010 buy list!

Check out the flickr photo gallery set linked below for more pics.

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross gallery


Revoltech Expo 2009 coverage posts:

Revoltech Expo 2009
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Assemble Borg
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross

Kaiyodo revealed a big surprise at this year's Revoltech Expo with their brand new lineup of transformable Valkyries that I translate as Revoltech 3 Mode Change Valkyrie. No official English translation of the series yet but that's my take on the name translated in English.

Each Valkyrie can switch between three of its main modes: Fighter, Gerwalk, and Battroid. You'll need to do some parts swapping and attaching stuff though like the canopy piece, hands, and possibly the head.

First to be released will be Roy's VF-1S Movie ver. due out in January.

Looks decent from top down in Fighter mode but it does look kinda fat from the sides.

Hikaru's VF-1J TV version.

Hikaru's VF-1A movie version.

Retails for 2,400 yen (inclusive of tax) each. Proportions just doesn't look right to me. I'll stick with Yamato's 1/60 Valkyries instead. What do you think about Kaiyodo's transformable Valks?

Check out the flickr photo gallery set linked below for more pics.

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross gallery


Revoltech Expo 2009 coverage posts:

Revoltech Expo 2009
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Assemble Borg
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Tokusatsu Revoltech

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Assemble Borg

Kaiyodo showcased their Assemble Borg lineup but nothing new announced though. Just some more stuff we've seen in the past with no release dates.

Very impressive Assemble Borg robot custom with pilot siting inside the chest cockpit. I dare not guess how many figures were used and how much it cost to build such a massive custom! ^^;

Barrels Speeder Lightning Cougar Custom. Just got this in last week and have a couple extras for sale as of this writing. Those who are interested please email me for details!

Tristriker. Saw this a couple years back and they still have the release date under TBA!

The next Assemble Borg lineup will feature these three sentai-looking original figures. Release TBA. The one above is named Sonic Slasher.

Ghost Gunner

Panzer Puncher

Check out the flickr photo gallery set linked below for more pics.

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Assemble Borg gallery


Revoltech Expo 2009 coverage posts:

Revoltech Expo 2009
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Tokusatsu Revoltech

Revoltech Expo 2009

Revoltech Expo 2009 was held on Halloween at the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara. I wasn't able to make it to the past two Revoltech Expo events but got there this year to check it out. Each attendee got a free 2 point Revochip and a random clear color Revocontainer. Pictured above are 31 Revoltech releases in the past 5 months. I only got 2 for my collection: Gloomy Bear and Getter Dragon. Can't afford to keep up collecting them all. ^^;

Rei figure to be included with Young Ace Vol. 6 manga magazine.

Nendoroid figure with Revoltech joints! Modokiroid Konata Izumi to be included with DX pack of the Lucky Star Net Idol Master PSP game.

Haruhi will be included with Newtype January 2010 issue, Mikuru with Shonen Ace February 2010 issue, and Yuki with The Sneaker February 2010 issue. All three due out this December. Hmm ... very tempted to get all three. Might just pick up the figures at hobby shops upon release. I have no need for the magazines. :p

Revealed at the expo was the Hokuto no Ken Revolution Kaioh figure. Due out in February 2010 retailing for 2,980 yen.

Yuriaaaaaa~! She'll come with her armor, of course! Due out in March 2010.

You can only get this gold color version of the Kenshiro Shura no Kuni version by trading in 7 Hokuto no Ken Revolution cut out points from the packaging of any figures from the toy line.

Second season Kenshiro Shura no Kuni version. Due out in December. Although I'm a big fan of the Hokuto no Ken series, I'm ashamed to say that I've yet to purchase any of the Hokuto no Ken Revolution figures! ^^; Guess I'll start with this second season version then followed by Kaioh, Raoh, Yuria, and maybe Falco.

Nameless Ashura that killed Falco in the second season.

Fraulein Revoltech Asuka in her prototype plug suit as seen in Evangelion 2.0. She's one of the two new Fraulein Revoltech figures revealed at the show. Due out sometime in 2010. I really like the sculpt. Seems to have improved over the Rei figure, which I'm not quite fond of.

The other Fraulien Revoltech figure revealed was Mari from Evangelion 2.0. Sculpt is pretty good on this one, too. I especially like her optional grinning face. I didn't manage to take pics of the second face though, sorry! ^^;

Kaiyodo is really pumping out more and more Revoltech Queen's Blade figures. I want my Annelotte, please!

The above three are 2P color versions of Echidna, Airi, and Nanael. Only available through "power shops," which are basically major stores and online shops that are major sellers of Revoltech products.

Being a Getter Robo fan, I own pretty much all the Revoltech Getter Robo releases except for Neo Getter, which I gave it a pass as I don't like the original robot's design and coloring. I will give this Getter Robo Go a pass as well for the same reason.

Revoltech Grendizer, however, is a definite must for me! I'm really glad that Kaiyodo is finally doing Grendizer. Here's hoping for more classic super robots to get the Revoltech treatment!

Interesting to see that Professor Layton is getting a Revoltech figure release as well.

Revoltech has now expanded to cover Zoids, too! Blade Liger price and release date TBA.

Following the release of Blade Liger is Geno Breaker. Prototype still half complete.

Pearl white version of the two badasses, Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura, from Sengoku Basara are also "power shop" limited releases.

Check out the flickr photo gallery set linked below for more pics.

Revoltech Expo 2009 gallery


Revoltech Expo 2009 coverage posts:

Revoltech Expo 2009 - Assemble Borg
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Macross
Revoltech Expo 2009 - Tokusatsu Revoltech