February Figures, Part 1

Good news for me: another new figure! It feels like I ordered this ages ago because, well, in a sense I did! It was last fall that I pre-ordered Iori. She was worth the wait though; I really think she deserves more excitement. This is my favorite outfit of hers, and WAVE did a fantastic job.

What I love about this figure: her hat is removable and the silver strap SPARKLES! All in all, she’s just really cute  and a great reference for whenever I get around to making Ryuuguu Komachi outfits with my cosplay trio.

Overall Rating: 9/10 because they could’ve done alot more than a clear plastic base.

Also, I snagged a few goods when I was in Sapporo 10 days ago for the Snow Festival! Nope, I didn’t bother standing in line for a Snow Miku Nendoroid since I don’t really collect her. I did, however, stumble across an Animate store and Melon Books, even though I wasn’t even looking for them. The Animate was significantly less congested than the ones in Kyoto and Osaka I’ve been to, but of course it didn’t compare in size to the one in Ikebukuro. Still, I came across some lovely things I couldn’t pass up!

Clear files and a #3 plush.

Lately I’ve been watching anime less and reading more, but I’m still watching a lot more than I did last year. I’ll probably do another anime post next. Currently I’m enjoying Zero no Tsukaima F for what it is, and for the most part, it’s much better than Princess no Rondo at the very least. Mouretsu Pirates is also one of the better series for this season, but I have to admit I’ve fallen behind~

The IdolM@ster: Are you READY?

I feel the need to blog my final thoughts about The IdolM@ster. It’s been a little while since I finished the series, but I wanted to post about this before writing about other things. ^_^; If you haven’t seen this series in its entirety, beware of slight spoilers.

Favorite Character from Start to Finish:

Iori Minase

What can I say? I adore Kugimiya Rie, tsundere, and any combination of the two. I actually got into The IdolM@ster (before this series aired) because of Iorin. Needless to say, her character didn’t disappoint. She’s a delightful ojou-sama with a cute sense of style, and not as extreme in the tsun department as other Kugyu counterparts. The first few episodes Iori got lots of screen time, but I feel that as the show focused more on Miki / Chihaya / Haruka, she faded into the background. Because of her, I fully stand behind Ryuuguu Komachi as a unit!!! I hope to cosplay Iori with my friends at some point, and most of her outfits look quite fun to make.

Favorite Character as the Series Went On:
Haruka Amami

I honestly didn’t take much notice of Haruka until the later episodes. She’s just kind of always there, cheering everyone on and keeping the peace. I think her character really does hold the group together, and I enjoyed her story arc the most. It was quite heartbreaking to see her fall apart, especially in blaming herself for what happened to Producer-san. The part where she reunited with her childhood self was extra cute, and I kind of started to lose it with the tears at that point. ^_^; I think all of the girls experienced a lot of personal growth throughout the series, but Haruka’s determination and dedication stood out the most to me! I would also consider cosplaying Haruka, if the need ever arised for a group.

Character I didn’t initially like, but grew on me:
Chihaya Tsurugi

I didn’t initially enjoy Chihaya early on, and felt like they were overdoing it with the ~OMG she’s so *mysterious* and *serious* about her work!~, but when her story arc finally came, all of her backstory pieced together. After seeing all that, I don’t see how you can be human and not cheer for Chihaya’s happiness! Ironically, even when I wasn’t a fan of her, I still thought she had the best singing voice. It’s so strong and full, especially in Aoi Tori.

Character I initially liked, but annoyed me later:
Miki

She’s bubbly, cute, and blonde… normally I tend to gravitate to characters like her! Hands down, she has some of the cutest designs in the entire show. I just couldn’t help but feel annoyed at her selfishness for most of the episodes. She does have redeeming qualities though, and really pulled through for the group during their first big live, when they needed her the most.

As for everyone else, I enjoyed pretty much every character on the show, these are just the ones that stood out the most. I thought it would be overwhelming keeping up with so many, but it really wasn’t. Of course, IdolM@ster is also extremely enjoyable for the music as well. I really need to listen to more of it, considering how fun and uplifting it can be! Currently I also envy all of my friends with PS3 and PSP consoles that can play the games! I’d like to snag a game or two before leaving Japan, and play them when I get back to the States since I plan to get one of those eventually.

And while we’re on the subject of IM@S, I’m so stoked that WAVE is making a Ryuuguu Komachi Azusa figure to go along with Iori! Of course I pre-ordered, though she won’t release until the end of September. Now all that’s left to wait for is Ami!

Figure Review: GSC 1/8 Scale Madoka

My GSC 1/8 Madoka came in quite fast. She officially released on January 15th, and that’s also the day she arrived at my door! I know I say this all the time, but the Japanese shipping services never cease to amaze me. As I’ve decided to return back to America in August, the way of ordering figures here will be one of the many things I will miss!

I can confidently say that this is one of the nicest figures I own. The amount of detail put into this work is incredible. The ruffles on the petticoat are flawless, and I love how Kyuubey hangs off Madoka’s arm. A lot of people have been complaining that her hair color looks “faded,” but I really don’t think it does. The pose isn’t the most dynamic I’ve seen in a figure, but I do like how it’s based on official artwork. All in all I’m very satisfied with this purchase – you really do get what you pay for when it comes to Good Smile Company’s figures.

I’m a little too busy to give a full breakdown of this, but I will say GSC Madoka is a solid 9/10 rating in my opinion! If you were on the fence about ordering this figure (like I was at one time), I definitely recommend it!

A few months ago I stated that I wouldn’t be ordering the set, but… now I’m eating my words. I was really excited when Madoka came in, and instantly wished I had the other girls once she was all set up on my shelf. Then I noticed Homura and Mami were still up for pre-orders on amazon.co.jp, so I just went for ‘em! Might as well while I’m getting paid in yen. Hopefully Sayaka will be up for orders soon as well. I’m a little bummed that Kyoko won’t be part of the group (unless GSC decides to make her anyway!) since she’s my favorite Puella Magi in terms of character design, but at least I still have the Petit Nendoroid set coming in next month.

EDIT: Looks like there will be a Kyoko figure after all!!! I’m so excited! ◕ ◡ ◕

K-ON! The Movie: My Review

I had the benefit of seeing the K-ON! movie last month, within the first week of its theatrical debut! It was the first time I had ever been in a Japanese movie theater, too. Only large cities seem to have …

める の Influence Map

Welcome to 2012. Winter is the time for me to really focus on my sources of inspiration, since that’s when I seem to need it the most. This is a meme I did on deviantART. These are the things that inspire me in cosplay, fitness, fashion, and daily life.

Meru’s Cosplay & Anime of 2011

I’ve been so busy with the holidays & travel that I’ve gotten behind with blogging, gomen! There’s a lot I want to post about, too!

First off, 2011 wasn’t super amazing in terms of cosplay for me. Resetting my life and moving to Japan was a major aspect of this year, and it takes a lot to settle into a new country, let alone cosplay in it. I made a handful of new costumes earlier in the year, but none of them were super impressive / up to my standards, really. There’s many things I would like to fix up and revamp completely — Naru, Saki, and Fluttershy especially. I did have some amazing photoshoots with my favorite photographers though, so it wasn’t a total loss! I traveled to California for FanimeCon and had a great time with friends! And I made 2 costumes that have been in the planning stages forever, which I’m really proud of at that!

(( I’m sure everyone’s tired of seeing these photos, haha. ))

Other things I would like to address:

• K-ON! The Movie Review
• Final thoughts on Mawaru Penguindrum
• Final thoughts on IdolM@ster
• New Figures
• My trip to Osaka (Nipponbashi specifically)

But since it’s the last day of the year, those will have to wait. ^_^ I watched several new series this year, although maybe not as many as I wanted or as much as others can manage. Still, I wanted to reflect on some of the better (and worse) series that I watched for the year of 2011.

♥♥♥ Meru’s Anime Awards 2011 ♥♥♥

The beginning of the end.

Since everyone’s asking… why yes, I AM excited for Zero no Tsukaima F! I can’t believe it’s been over 3 years since Princess no Rondo was broadcasted. Like thousands of others, I’m really interested to see how the story ends. The last season left me wanting a lot less fanservice and a lot more character development. Hopefully Yamaguchi Noboru’s support behind the production will make more of a difference this time. If it doesn’t, well… at least there’s merchandise, right?

In other news, the CURE Maid Cafe in Akiba will be having a special event soon! It only lasts for a week though, so I won’t be able to attend. I was really hoping Zero no Tsukaima would be the next event at Good Smile Cafe (which lasts for months), but that’s super crazy wishful thinking, I know. I’m especially interested in how the Louise drink and “Cookberry Pie” taste! I think I’ll try duplicating them at home for fun.

There’s also going to be an official event held in Akiba on Sunday, 12/18. It includes a stamp rally (whatever that means), speech by Yamaguchi-san, and live performance by ICHIKO. I’m really anxious to hear the new opening and ending themes. Why don’t I live closer to Tokyo again…? :3

Seizon Senryaku, shimashou ka.

My latest love has been 輪るピングドラム ( Mawaru Penguindrum ). I have to admit, I didn’t start watching this series right away because I was busy with preparations for moving to Japan. It was around last month (October) or so when I came across this image and thought it was a REALLY cute idea for Kamikaze Kiss, the cosplay trio I have with 2 of my best friends!

And I basically got sucked into the show VERY quickly, catching up on all the episodes within the span of a few days, etc. Episode 9 was very heartfelt to me, and cemented the idea to cosplay Triple-H with Yashuntafun and Tham (if they’re willing). Also, I adore Princess of the Crystal want to make that too, since I’ll already have the wig and boots.

Honestly, it’s kind of a silly design, but I love the flowy-ness of the skirt and feel I could get creative with the red lining fabric. I would really like to start working on this soon by purchasing the wig and materials to make the hat, at least!  I don’t think my workplace would be opposed to me borrowing a sewing machine after hours.

The latest issue of COSMODE also has patterns and instructions for making the penguin hat and plushes for #1, #2, and #3, which pretty much seals the deal. I honestly haven’t been impressed with the fabric selection here so far, but at the very least, I’m sure I can find some decent fleece to get a head start!

Anyway, I really recommend this series. It’s already quite popular, and will probably become even more so as it gets licensed in the U.S.

K-On! Goods @ Lawson

My little corner of Japan is quite inaka — 3 hours away from Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe by train (expensive) or car (pain in the ass). Americans have never heard of it. Heck, most Japanese haven’t heard of it.

Even so, the combini gods have blessed me with a Lawson right next to my apartment. I like how the convenient stores in Japan are actually convenient. You can get whatever you need in a pinch, from hot coffee and snacks to panty hose and fried chicken. But my favorite part about Lawson is their role in marketing! I’m a sucker for promotional goods.

A few months ago they were really pushing Evangelion 3.0 goods, which was nice. I had fun collecting plastic coffee cups featuring Asuka, Rei, Mari, Shinji, and Kaworu. It’s been pretty bleak the last few weeks (with the exception of some cute Rilakkuma merchandise), but now things are back into full swing with the upcoming K-On! movie in a few weeks.

If you buy certain products, you get a free collectible folder! Here’s what I’ve accomplished after only 2 days. I’m hoping to obtain all of the folders, hehe~ I was also more than happy to purchase some Mugi chapstick and strawberry milk!

Aside from character drinks and snacks, there’s also K-On! pan!! I’m really anxious to try this soon, just for the novelty. To be honest, I don’t like to eat combini food often because of the calories, but sometimes I just can’t resist the cute!

And yes, I’m really looking forward to the K-On! movie ◕ ◡ ◕ I will be in the city right after it releases & hoping to see it then with a friend!

Madoka Figure Rambles

Life has taken a turn for the unexpected. Adjusting to life in Japan 4 months later is still difficult, but I’m managing. I’ve come to realize that I probably won’t be cosplaying here as long as I’m living in the inaka — sad, but true. Travel is expensive, and little costs add up. I’m discovering that most things in America that I could do without much thought require a lot more effort here.

It’s not all as bad as it seems. I have decided to take advantage of my current location by continuing to collect figures — hey, a girl’s gotta have SOMETHING in life, right? I save a little bit of money just for myself each month, so I’m really looking forward to several releases in the upcoming weeks! The benefits of ordering them here are…

• No dealing with the horrible exchange rates! I can’t rejoice enough.
• I can pay COD = no credit card bill, thus better budgeting. Yay, Japan!
• Free shipping if I play my cards right. Don’t mind if I do!

As with everyone else in this hobby, I really have to prioritize, pick, and choose. I was originally planning to collect all the Madoka Magica Figmas like I did with K-On!, but now I’m not really impressed with them. Madoka was a little disappointing when she arrived in the mail, so I cancelled all other Figma pre-orders. It’s for the best, I think. She’s still pretty cute, but not what I’m looking for in a series of figures.

This kind of opened up the opportunity to collect other Madoka figures, without feeling burdened by the costs of the other Figmas. At some point, I’d like to track down the Madoka Nendoroid to keep the Figma company And to go along with this that I just caved in and pre-ordered with no regrets…

I’ve been agonizing about ordering her for a little while now, and glad I finally did. When it comes to quality, you really can’t get any better than Good Smile. ( Hey guys! Please make Louise~! ) I only wish I had the money to collect the rest of the girls from the series, but hey… I’m more of a character-specific collector anyway. I really do adore Mami (for personality & fighting style) and Kyoko (for cosplay) as well, but Madoka herself is so iconic for my love of the series!

To top it off, I also discovered that pre-orders were still up for the Petit Nendoroid set, so I snagged those as well. I think this will satisfy my need to have some sort of collection with all the girls, and will make for some adorable photo-ops!

Winter is already starting to look a little brighter thanks to these! <3 I have more I want to post about ( IdolM@ster and Mawaru Penguindrum especially ) but I’ll save that until next time.