Category Archives: Anime Titles

Blog 138 > Operation Rebox – Completed

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Mission accomplished! You didn’t think I’d make it, did ya? ^_^;

Back on June 22nd, I launched Operation Rebox. And now, less than 2 weeks later, the operation is complete (sorta, since I don’t really wanna take apart Darth Vader or Storm Trooper). If you threw your two cents of reluctant encouragement, thanx, lol. So to commemorate the event, here’s a nice sampling of the cleaned and *reboxed* figures… Photo Set 1 and Photo Set 2.

P.S. By the way, thanx *Chun* for our debate on commissioned art, thanx *Kris* for our discussion on anime blogging, as well as *Gordon* and *Meronpan* for your random blue-haired replies, lol. I’ve added u guys to my blog list. (If I missed someone, yell back!) Without doubt, the interactivity of the anime blogging community is another reflection of Danny’s tireless efforts. Speaking of tired… Orz

P.P.S. Ahh, what the hell~ *Team Blue* did it, so why not? Self Portrait 1 and Self Portrait 2.

P.P.P.S. Here’s the link to my DC Member News post, hehe.

Blog 137 > Operation Rebox

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Ah, my sad but necessary “Operation Rebox”…

Whoa, while I can’t beat the number of boxes in the earlier “Room O Boxes” post, I’m grateful too! Especially if I have to “rebox” all of my opened figures before my eventual house-move in the next few months. So, as a loose follow-up to the Triple Monitor post, here’s my 12-step “Operation Rebox“. Wish me luck! T_T;

P.S. Here’s the link to my DC Member News post, hehe.

Blog 134 > Blue-Haired Babes

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Thanx *nomadicotaku* for the idea… Got a fave blue-haired babe? (Bad captions not included, lol.)

Here are pretty much all of the blues in my collection. Seems like anime has the monopoly on blue hair, lol… Though I’m not including Kaname (from FMP) since her hair is kinda aqua-turquoise green, or Hazuki (from Moon Phase) since her hair is kinda violet-purplish. I think? ^_^;

Blog 129 > Motorcycle Asuka, Baka!

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Damn, over two months since my last anime post! Sorry about that, lol. Crap happens. Nevertheless, better late than never, eh? ^_^

Well, back on Feb 28th, when I received the E2046 Newsletter #110 “Asuka with Motorcycle 2” in my email, I was totally blown away!!! A breathtaking 1/6-scale depiction of the fiesty Asuka from the classic anime “Evangelion”, boasting her sexy leather outfit, straddling her heavily detailed bike, and grasping a tall can of who-knows-what in her left hand, haha. In both a red version and a black version! Simply amazing! Obviously not PVC material, but is she still worth the $280.00 USD price tag? Wow, if I could only add her to my collection…

Hmmm, I think I like Asuka more in her signature red, but then again, she looks good in black too! If you could, which would you choose? ^_^

Blog 122 > My 49 Anime in 2007

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Happy New 2008, my fellow anime fanatics!… Back in my Blog 061, I noted that I watched 58 anime titles-seasons in 2006. While I couldn’t match that number in 2007, watching 49 is still freakin’ huge (or frakin’ huge, for BSG fans), lol. That’s almost one anime title or season per week! From the war-torn and tragic 1988 classic film Grave of the Fireflies to the wind-blown and melancholic 2007 Shinkai film 5 Centimeters Per Second. From the heart-breaking Kanon to the hilarious Lucky Star to the haunting Kino’s Journey.

Needless to say, 2007 was an amazing year for both old-and-new anime watching! Maybe I’ll hit 60 in 2008, hahaha!… Now, without further delay, here are my speed reviews for all 49 of the anime titles-seasons I’ve finished in 2007.

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Blog 119 > Sepia Death Girls!

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Finally! Full photoshoot is finally ready! As I teased in my previous Blog 118 > The Joy of Sepia, this month we welcome my latest “Death Girls” — 1/6-scale “Morte from Noir et Blanc” (Toranoana, June-July 2007) obtained in August 2007, and 1/6-scale “Misa from Death Note” (Jun Planning, June 2007) obtained in September 2007.

For this Canon photoshoot, I ended up with 65 shots, taken with the backdrop of a Japanese cemetery. And for the first time, I experimented with sepia! May not sound like much, but as my brother observed, anime and sepia aren’t usually associated with each other, right? In any case, I really like the Gothic atmosphere created with a simple change in color and contrast. I hope you do too. Enjoy the rest!

Warning > I recommend Firefox or Safari since IE 6/7 tends to break under the photo pressure, argh.

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Click for Full Photoshoot (65) >>

Blog 118 > The Joy of Sepia!

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Sepia! When I saw my friend Lena‘s “Mad Elephants” sepia photos in her LiveJournal, I had to do it too, lol. So I tried it with my “Death Girls” photoshoot taken earlier this month — my 1/6-scale “Morte from Noir et Blanc” (Toranoana, June-July 2007) obtained in August 2007, and 1/6-scale “Misa from Death Note” (Jun Planning, June 2007) obtained in September 2007. Hmmmm, I think their gothic outfits match the sepia style quite nicely! Their full photoshoot coming soon!

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Blog 117 > Stunning Running Progress!

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Holy crap! If you remember my post Blog 111 > Toying with the Treadmill?, you’ll know I’ve been accelerating my average treadmill speed since the start of August 2007. From a walking 3.5 mph in August, to a quicker 4.0 mph (3 miles for 45 minutes) at the end of September. Well, last night on November 1st, while watching “Battlestar Galactica – Mini-Series” (yet again), I ran 3 miles in a mere 40 minutes! That’s an average 4.5 mph! But I didn’t stop there, I added another 0.5 miles in 6 minutes! That’s an average 5.0 mph for the extra bit!!! Plus overall, that’s 3.5 miles in 46 minutes! Crap, I remember when I used to be out of breath in less than 1-2 minutes at 5.0 mph, let alone 6 minutes without even thinking!

Not only that, my weight this morning was a stunning 155 lbs! That’s a loss of about 15 lbs since I started my new nightly running routine just 3 months ago! Double crap, this is my best weight since my skinny days as a college undergrad! I doubt I can hit my freshman weight of 135 lbs, but then again, I never imagined I could hit the 150s. Damn. And while this is cardio and not strength training, maybe I don’t need that Bowflex so soon after all. I’d rather aim for a shiny new 24-inch Leopard-installed iMac, hahaha.

P.S. So how did this all start? Why August 2007? Well, I think it was as simple as this… On July 27th, two days before my great friend Anna’s 21st birthday, we had a comment-chat on her LiveJournal. Here’s a snippet.

  • Me: Hehe, I’m not sure of the translation, but I think you’re talking about age? I still feel like 25 or 27! ; )))
  • Anna: But you look like 28 ))
  • Me: Awww, that’s sweet! I feel like it : )))… And u still look 19, hehe : D… P.S. So then you know people who are 27, 28, or 29?
  • Anna: Thanx, Jay!… Of course, I have friends who are 25, 32, 34… Oh and 28. of course! ))
  • Me: You’re welcome! : )))… Wow, so with all of your friends, I appreciate your compliment even MORE!
  • Anna: Sure, you look younger and I don’t feel that you’re much older… Age it’s just year of your birth.=)

Blog 116 > Saber Trooper!

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Triple damn!!! More than 2 1/2 months since my Vader Versus Haruhi photoshoot in mid-August! Tied up with work, anime, my brother’s wedding in September, and the completion of my latest Mirai masterpiece in October. But finally, we welcome my 1/6-scale “Saber in White Swimsuit” (Clayz, June 2006) obtained in August 2007, 1/6-scale “Bunny Girl Yuki Nagato” (Atelier Sai, April 2007) obtained in May 2007, and 1/7-scale “Storm Trooper” (Kotobukiya, November 2003) obtained in July 2007.

For this Canon photoshoot, I ended up with 59 shots, taken with various backgrounds. And for the first time, I experimented with the “Auto Levels” function in Photoshop. Wow, it automatically adjusted the color and contrast pretty well!… But what’s the funniest of all is that this looks like a trooper-armored Danny Choo kidnapping Saber and Nagato! Just like he “kidnapped” the easy-on-the-eyes Aya Hirano, hahaha! Enjoy!

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Click for Full Photoshoot (59) >>

Blog 112 > Rebuild of Gothloli Asuka!

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Sugoi! Asuka finally came! Haha, no, not what you’re thinking, but close enough, haha!… During my routine anime figure sweeps, I found the matching 1/6-scale “Gothloli Asuka” (Dec 2007) figure for my 1/6-scale “Gothloli Rei” (Dec 2006) figure, both preassembled in polystone, sculpted by Suzu (Atomic-bom) and manufactured by Amie-Grand. Yes! So I ordered her immediately! Unfortunately, Asuka is likewise in the $120 USD range, which means more ramen for dinner, lol. Both who cares? The figure looks fantastic! Plus, by the time she’s released in mid-December, she’ll easily be sold out in the midst of the new “Rebuild of Evangelion” movies. I won’t regret missing this chance… By the way, did I mention Asuka’s detachable skirt? =)

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Blog 020 > Going All the Rei! >>
Blog 042 > Evangelion Lolitas! >>
Blog 085 > Does Faking It Matter? >>

Blog 110 > Urban Vinyl Toy Survival!

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Urban Vinyl
Photo 0671 by Megan | Click to enlarge
Those funky rabbit-shaped “dunny” designs!

When my kewl new friend Megan mentioned her “Urban Vinyl” toys for the first time (Sept 12th), I had no idea what she was talking about, lol. Were they made out of vinyl? Japanese toys? American? But after a bit of Google research — such as finding MillionairePlayboy.com and KidRobot.com — I gotta say: Whoa! That UV style is literally wild! If I’d have to compare it to a cartoon I’ve seen, I’d say “Ren & Stimpy”, very exaggerated, very brightly colored, like “comics on crack” (she liked that metaphor, lol)! But apparently, this toy style has gotten so wild that some designs can sell for hundreds of dollars! Is that possible? Well…

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Blog 108 > Figures of Air, Snow & Death

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Anime Figures
Photo 2292 by xJAYMANx | Click to enlarge
Can’t wait for her photoshoot, lol.

Wow, more than two months since my last collection update! Unfortunately, my 17 boxed figures have grown to 23. Argh, too busy for photoshoots! Nevertheless, here are my latest 7 of those 23 still-boxed figures, including Morte the Death Bringer (Noir et Blanc), Misa (Death Note), and the genuine-not-fake Gothloli Asuka (Evangelion), as well as characters from the breathtaking Kanon and Air series. Enjoy the rest of the photos!

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Blog 107 > New York City!

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Hey folks, I’m back! Sorry for the 2-3 week absence, but I’ve had tons of New York City photos to resize and organize for my website. While the wedding photos are protected behind a login (I’ve given some of you the login info), here are two of the photo sets I can show you, haha! These photos were taken in the morning and afternoon, mere hours before my brother’s wedding, at the Apple store, Nike store, and a Japanese bookstore. So enjoy the NYC sunshine!

Blog 105 > Vader Versus Haruhi!

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Double damn, it’s been 7 busy weeks since my Ghost in the Shell photoshoot. Busy with work, friends, and my Mirai project, lol. But finally, this month, we welcome my 1/7-scale “Darth Vader” (Kotobukiya, July 2005) and 1/6-scale “Bunny Girl Haruhi” (Atelier Sai, December 2006) figures!

For this Canon photoshoot, I saved 38 shots, then narrowed it down to these 28 shots. I must admit, with the huge 13-inch ultra-black figure, the lighting and lack of screen background made the raw shots horrible. Hence the delay in salvaging the shots via Photoshop. Luckily, the final results aren’t half bad. Enjoy!

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Click for Full Photoshoot (28) >>

Blog 103 > From Melancholy Until Death

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+++++ Death Note (1-37) – Started 08/01/07. Finished 08/12/07. D-WOW! Mesmerizing crime games and aspiring death gods! Mind-blowing and heart-stopping! 5 stars!

++++ Air (1-13) – Started 08/08/07. Finished 08/11/07. WOW. Amazingly gentle and windblown summer beauty. Tearfully unforgettable. Another masterpiece from Director Tatsuya Ishihara prior to “Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and “Kanon“. 4 stars (max for half-season)!

+++++ Kaleido Star – S1 (1-26) – Started 04/06/07. Finished 07/22/07. D-WOW! Fantastically funny and chilling, yet realistically inspiring and heartbreaking! 5 stars!

[Second Viewing; Chronological] ++++ Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1-14) – Started 07/15/07. Finished 07/20/07. WOW! Still uniquely, unconventionally and fearlessly entertaining! Even better in chronological order, lol. 4 stars (max for half-season)!

[First Viewing; Broadcast Sequence] ++++ Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1-14) – Finished 10/26/06. WOW! Uniquely unconventional!

Blog 102 > Black Angel of Death!

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Whew, a frackin’ made it! Back in my Blog 030 > Half-Naked Death (January 2007), I remember seeing “Morte” when she was a 1/7-scale “Morte the Death Bringer” resin figure (HobbyFan.com; purple image below). Yeah, she was definitely a Gothic Lolita with a cute-yet-corrupt edge of Sex and Death! And still is! So while I procrastinated past both the pre-order and order periods for the larger-but-cheaper 1/6-scale “Morte” PVC figure (ToysLogic.com; red image above), I finally found her at AnimeCornerStore.com, smashed away the financial guilt, and snatched her before I could lose her again, forever! Whew!

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Blog 101 > Shakira Versus Motoko

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WOW, Shakira! First, let me say that during my workday breakfasts, I always keep the Spanish TV station turned on, since Spanish morning shows are always funnier, dancier, and never as serious as American morning shows. Much easier to wake up with a smile, lol. Well, today, the music video show of the hour played a newer Shakira video “Las de la Intuicion”. Usually, Shakira doesn’t turn my head, but I think this is the first time I thought “WOW!” seeing her. I don’t know why, but in her short black outfit and that bright blue-violet wig, she looked especially hot! If you remember my Blog 094 > Ghost in the Figure!, I think Motoko’s got some burning competition, hahaha!

Full Motoko Photoshoot (92) >>

Blog 099 > Weapons in the Wind

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Whoa! When I first saw her, I virtually fell in love with her! In fact, it’s been a while since I ordered a figure BEFORE seeing an anime portraying her. In this case, she’s 1/7-scale “Fumie” from the Edelweiss eroge (Japanese erotic videogame) with her long raven-black hair, white windblown dress, and old-style pistol and shotgun. There’s just something gothic yet classical, stoic yet carefree, angelic and demonic, about her! So yeah, I ordered her with a target release of November-December 2007. For those interested, the videogame story site is provided with the image below.

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