Finally. Victory!

And a lotta other stuff too.

So I went to Greenhills yesterday, the place where Otaku and other geek stuff can be found, to get this baby.

I got an email from the owner of a store that the MG Victory was already here. So Friday, while at the office, I called their Makati City branch to ask how much it costs. They say its about 41.50 USD, then less 5% if I pay for it in cash. Great. The next day, I decided to go to Greenhills, San Juan instead so I can also check out the stuff from the other stores. I was surprised to find out that Victory there costs more than 46 USD. I didn't tell them that I called their other branch the day before. So I went out, called the other branch and asked about the price. It was still cheaper than the one in Greenhills, so I asked them to keep it for me and promised to pick it up that afternoon.

Found this cute Banpresto figure of Alphonse. I already saw this in the store's website before and got interested. Looks kinda nendoroid-ish.

Went to the other store and found some K-ON Gashapon set. I think it was called Petit Prop Plus. I think these stores can sell them much faster if they allow customers to purchase one blind box instead of an expensive full set. A single box is lighter for your wallet than buying a sealed box set/case. Bought this set of capsule Kenshin toys, popularly known in the english sub as Samurai X.

Check out Kenshin! The first set they handed to me had Kenshin wearing blue. Good thing I checked the other set. The pink version was better than the blue, which is his battousai color I believe.

The Akatsuki Couple, Pain and Konan. The two I wanted so badly to get from the capsule machines.

I got really lucky because the machines in one store were being refilled, so they were open. I asked if I can choose what I want since the machines are open. So the dude with the magic key and bags of capsules helped me out. Finally, I don't have to spend so much trying and hoping that the machines will spit out either of these two.

I should have asked the guy to tell me the days or schedule when the machines get opened =). Here is the current set-up on top of my PC station.

So after the adventure in Greenhills, I went to Makati to get Victory. I think I have to finish Blue Destiny and SD 0 before I can start with my first Version Katoki kit. It has been really really long since last I built an MG model.

Life is like a Capsule Station

Ya never whatcha gonna get.

I went out a few days ago to pick up some tiny toys I can display in the office. My workstation still looks boring and I've been working there for more than a year now.

These two are Boooya Ghosts. They are similar to the ones I posted before.

You are lucky if you get the rare ones, or the mystery or "chase" figures.

Was really glad I didn't pull the same figure.

On to the gashapon. I've always noticed the machines in my local otaku store. The Toys R Us branch in a mall near my place has about at least 50 machines lined up before you get to their entrance. So I thought I would pick up two designer vinyl toys, and maybe one gashapon. My first was Naruto.

Leaflet showing the line-up. I really want to get Nagato, aka "Pain". I went back to the store (forgot when), dropped tokens in the same machine, and out came Naruto again. I tried the other Naruto machine and I got this venus fly-trap Akatsuki dude.

A few days later I tried the machines outside Toys R Us. Got really excited because they have a Haruhi machine. Unfortunately, I got two Kyons.

My first Naruto is in the office now, guarding my workstation with Edward Elric, the one I bought with the SD 0 Gundam. My friend agreed to buy the duplicates.

These tiny little buggers are meant to be keychains I think. So I just unscrew the hook from their heads, then stick their feet to blue tac so they can stand properly.

Took the pics above last weekend, just wasn't able to post them right away. Then today I got two more. Yay for Haruhi bunny!

One guy from the vinyl toy store told me before that part of collecting these blind boxed toys is the thrill of hunting, the part of not knowing what you're about to get when you pick up a box. With capsule toys, you don't know which toy will come out from the machine. I think it kinda feels like gambling. It's really fun, but it drains your wallet too. It really was surprising when I saw some of the Otaku rooms posted in Danny Choo. Some rooms are literally crawling with trading figures from floor to ceiling.

And yea, I'm not yet done with Blue Destiny and SD 0. Can't get some spare time to paint them in the morning. And I'm still waiting for MG Victory to arrive here. I also found out that GSC will release a new Nendoroid Petite set of Death Note. Now that is something I would like to get my hands on =)

Nendoroid Tsuruya Pics

It has been more than two months since I bought my Nendoroid Tsuruya. I took her photos a few days back but I wasn't able to post it right away. I have been really busy taking care of some stuff. Blogging wouldn't be that often too since I now have a job (Yey!).

I really love the cheerful and goofy faces that came with this nendoroid. The fang made her even cuter.

Actually, my first nendoroid (so it seemed) is L from Death Note. I wasn't able to tell that it was a bootleg figure before. I might post something about that some time, to share and help others spot the difference between a fake and original figure.

Another Plastic Obsession

The picture below is a box of a vinyl toy called Dunny. It is a collectible figure similar to the Japanese "Gashapon". These toys are what they call "Designer Toys" because popular grapic artists/designers are commissioned to design the toys with their own distinct style. Dunnies are made by the company Kidrobot.

The side shows the designs, and its probability ratio to determine how rare the design is.

I started collecting them last summer, around march I guess. I've always been fascinated with vinyl toys because of their cool designs. I started buying some when I visited a special store here in Manila which sells almost all kinds of designer toys from abroad.

This is already the Fifth Series of the 3-inch Dunny, although they released some other lines, like the French (which was the first series I bought) and Azteca. The Dunny also comes in 8-inch and even 20 inch varities. They come in identical boxes so you can't tell which toy is inside. And the toy is wrapped in foil bags so that scanning machines can't detect it too. The company makes sure that buyers can't cheat. Thing is, some designs are so rare that the price goes way up, and die-hard (and RICH) collectors are ready to spend that much just to acquire that special figure. Is that similar to Jap Gashapon, or even statues/PVC models?

Here is the first one I opened, and I think this is the first time that the figure is wrapped in plastic inside the foil bag.

The first three designs I got from the Fifth Series.

Some figures come with their own accessories.

The pink pirate has a sword, the ice cream serves as a hat =)

It also comes with a sticker. Collectors are also hunting the Golden Ticket which entitles you to claim a rare figure for free. Which can also be converted to mega bucks if you decide to sell it.

Here is my incomplete French Dunny series collection. This hobby can cause serious injuries to your pocket. There is a big tendency to get the same toy more than once. It's a good thing if the store (or another collector) can offer you to swap with a figure you don't have yet. You can also buy an entire boxed set which has 25 individual Dunny boxes. It is exciting to choose a random box, then hope that the foil bag contains a special figure or the golden ticket. There are so many good designer toys other than the cute Dunny, and they are also pretty pricey.

Pantsu shot! =)

Dunny Series 5 mainpage: http://www.kidrobot.com/2008/ds5/

Figma Mikuru

Here is the lovely Mikuru Asahina

She's my first Figma. I might get Haruhi and Yuki next time.

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I'm a newbie when it comes to these figures. I'm still saving more money to get a PVC statue.

"Fly Super Mikuru"

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Figmas and Nendoriods are really fun to play with. I really like them because you can change their facial expressions and they also come with some accessories.

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The priceless facial expression

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I think that's the good thing about figmas and nendoroids (Revoltech too!), they can do something else in case you get bored with a certain pose or expression.

"Do I have to fire this thing?"

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I'm a fresh grad and still waiting for the right job offer. By the time I'm earning my own money, I guess I can buy some PVC figures too. The thing is, I'm not familiar with 80% of the female figures being sold. I'm still a huge Gundam nut.

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Who will be the fortunate one to capture Mikuru's heart?

Nendoroid Tsuruya

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Just got myself a Nendoriod Tsuruya! Now I have someone in a maid outfit. I really love the chibi versions of the Nendoroid line. That fang really kicks up the cuteness level.

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I'll post her pics soon. Gotta shoot Mikuru and some gundams first.