Getting stung takes the fun out of collecting

Even though I planned on prioritising my anime and toku backlog I still ended up getting engrossed in a few visual novels...

I started and completed Conquering the Queen (the Dark Chapter was fun), finally got the good ending for Satoru's Chapter in Remember11 (seriously, how could they end it like that?) and finished the current translation patch for Fate/hollow ataraxia (oh I how wish there was a voice patch for this game).

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It's my birthday, and I'll post if want to...

Figured I'd best get this posted today seeing as it's my birthday and all (not to mention I was a week behind in doing this anyway).

Nevertheless, I'm finally making some progress in clearing my anime and toku backlog as I've now finished watching the remaining episodes I had of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (a.k.a. AnoHana), Steins;Gate and Nichijou that have been outstanding for several months, and I'm currently going through Ao no Exorcist.

After that I can then get started on the first of the umpteen anime series from the summer season I picked up (provided there's no other distractions from things like visual novels along the way).

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A perfect example of pleasure and pain

No toys arrived for me this week, but I did get some DVDs and Blu-rays.


Monday (last week), HMV.com, I received Eden of the East The King of Eden The Motion Picture.

Here's the first of my Eden of the East DVD purchases that I made when I saw HMV selling the series for £5.99. To me that was a bloody good deal for a series I've heard about but never actually seen, so I decided to buy both that and this movie along with it.


Tuesday (last week), Amazon.co.uk, I received...

• Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance Collector's Edition
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 Collection

If I had the option of playing Blu-rays sooner, this is the the version of Evangelion 2.22 I would have bought to begin with as it contains the same DVD I got a couple of weeks ago (hell, this is pretty similar to what happened when Evangelion 1.11 was released last year).

I know I'm still getting used to this whole Blu-ray deal, but even I can tell when a film looks visually stunning in HD (and this is certainly one of those films). You could say it has tempted me into possibly getting the first film again on Blu-ray at some point (if HMV still have their Collector's Edition version of it, I'd be very interested in that one).

As for the second season of Haruhi all I can say is I must be fucking crazy for buying it. If you're asking yourself why, you're possibly one of the lucky few who has yet to experience the pain and misery that is Endless Eight. I don't hate the story behind it, I just hate the fact they dragged this shit out for eight fucking episodes! And considering I first watched these new episodes as they were being aired in Japan that torture lasted for eight fucking weeks!

I think the only saving graces of this box set are the Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody episode (cos it ties into The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie for one thing) and The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyoron! Churuya-san mini-episodes on the bonus disc (even though I feel they cheaped out by only putting half of both on it). I actually find Haruhi-chan more enjoyable to watch than the second season itself (seeing Nagato play visual novels is awesome)!


Friday, HMV.com, I received Eden of the East The Complete Series.

Like I said above, I saw this series going for £5.99 and bought it.

Melancholy is in the Air

It feels like I've changed my hobby of toy collecting into DVD collecting the further we get into 2010.

Okay, fuck that shit, I've probably said it before (and this too no doubt)... I need to think of some new material to excuse my lack of toys this year!

So anyway, besides me boring you with that routine, all I've really done this week is make steady progress with Sekien no Inganock, finish the remainder of Cat Girl Alliance, and get excited about the news of MangaGamer releasing Minagoroshi-hen this upcoming Monday.


Monday, Amazon.co.uk, I received the Complete Season One of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I remember that when I watched the first episode (that being the Mikuru one) of this I was just staring at the screen in bewilderment until it ended.

Yeah, I went through the usual "what the fuck" motions afterwards, but I stuck with the series and well, where do you think I got the naming sense for this blog?

Says a lot about what I thought of it, huh?


Wednesday, derbycitymedia, I received Air The Complete Series.

Unlike Kanon, I haven't played the vision novel of Air, so all I have is the anime.

It's a fairly short series, but it also had one of the saddest endings I've seen. Although technically, you can't really call this a complete series because episode 13 is absent (I know it was a pointless recap, but they could have bunged it on the third disc with the OVAs).


Thursday, gameroomdealsinc, I received Air The Motion Picture.

This retelling of Air wasn't that bad, but after seeing the series it feels like it's lacking something, could just be me thinking that because they did it differently though.

This is truly a day for Masterpieces

Welcome to another day's worth of bragging from yours truly.


The first parcel to arrive was from Fan2Fan, and it contained the following.

• Masterpiece MP-8X King Grimlock
• Masterpiece MP-1B Convoy Black Ver. x2
• Masterpiece MP-1B Convoy Black Ver. e-Hobby comic Vol.01 x2
• figma Mikuru Asahina Fighting Waitress Ver.
• figma Tsuruya-san Culture Festival Maid Ver.
• figma Canaan
• Revoltech Gurren & Lagann
  

Then a few hours later I got this G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Baroness Attack on the G.I. Joe Pit from Helgy toYs.

Compared to the Baroness I got yesterday, I'm liking this one a bit more (but I'm still not sold on these G.I. Joe figures entirely yet).


Oh, and before Nemmy goes, he may as well show that someone's prediction in him owning four Masterpiece Black Convoys finally came true.

Which means Nemmy can now have one in vehicle mode, one in robot mode, one to keep MISB, and another as a spare just for the hell of it!

Another load of toys fresh from Japan

Today brought me another delivery of toys from Fan2Fan.


Most of the items were of the figma and Revoltech variety.

• Revoltech SFO He Tai Shou
• figma Makina Hoshimura
• figma Haruhi Suzumiya Cheerleader Ver.
• figma Mikuru Asahina Cheerleader Ver.
• figma Haruhi Suzumiya Summer Clothes Ver.
• Revoltech Revolution Jagi
• Revoltech SFO Chun-Li
• Revoltech Fraulein Yoko Movie ver.
• figma Signum
• figma Saber Casual Ver.
• figma Shirou Emiya
• S.H.Figarts Masked Rider Gaoh
  

But I did get a couple of anime figures too.

Max Factory 1/8 Haruhi Suzumiya Gekisou Ver.
Alter 1/7 Fate T. Harlaown Shin Sonic Form

This will probably be the last of my 'big' hauls for 2009, and it was a pretty decent one at that.

Nemmy has returned with another load of toys

It has been a couple of months since I last posted here but never-mind; having a lack of motivation in-between getting distracted by other things isn't the best thing to have when thinking of stuff to write for a blog.

So once again I'll just be putting more of what I've been buying.


First we have some Animated repaints I got from a sale on Play.com.

• Animated Shadow Blade Megatron
• Animated Blazing Lockdown
  

Next we have the DX Ixa gear I was lucky to get on clearance from HobbyLink Japan.

• DX Ixa Belt
• DX Ixa Calibur
• DX IxaRiser
  

Then to further complete my need for black repaints I went to Kapow Toys and picked-up this little beauty.

• Alternity A-01 Convoy Super Black
  

Now we come to the first part of the latest haul I received from Fan2Fan.

• Griffon 1/7 Mikuru Asahina Gothic Punk ver.
• Alter 1/8 Haruhi Suzumiya Uniform Ver.
• Kotobukiya 1/8 Tomoyo Sakagami
• Alter 1/8 Haruhi Suzumiya Chara-Ani Uniform Ver.
  

Now here's the second part of that haul from Fan2Fan.

• Revoltech VF-1J Hobby Japan Milia Ver.
• S.H.Figuarts Masked Rider 2
• figma Saber Lily (with PS2 game)
• figma Ryoko Asakura
• Revoltech Revolution Rei
• S.H.Figuarts Masked Rider Decade
• figma Yuki Nagato Evil Witch Ver.
• figma Fate T. Harlaown
• Revoltech Fraulein Haruhi Suzumiya (with Wii game)
• S.H.Figuarts Masked Rider DiEnd
• Nendoroid Yoko
• Revoltech Fraulein Yoko Animate Movie Ver.
  

And finally today from Play.com, we have the repaints of the only RotF toys I own.

• Revenge of the Fallen Swerve
• Revenge of the Fallen Dead End

I think that's everything covered now. I don't think there's anything major missing, but knowing me I've probably forgotten something along the way.

Haruhi has returned to our screens once again

The much wanted second series of the Haruhi Suzumiya anime started in the most amazing way when they aired Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody as the 'new' eighth episode in the rebroadcasting of the first series.


It begun so stealthily that I'm still taking it in that they actually aired the episode without announcing it to the whole world first!

Nevertheless, I'm pleased to see the show is continuing after three years has passed (how ironic), but I don't feel overly ecstatic about its return just yet cos it hasn't been long enough since the Churuya-san and Haruhi-chan ONAs ended for me to miss seeing the characters.

How to pass an uneventful week the Nemmy way

It has been over a week since I last posted a blog entry, but I've had my reasons for not doing one.

For the most part I've been busy replaying the last three Episodes of Umineko no Naku Koro ni after I found out my install of the game was missing much needed sound files. And having those 'new' sounds actually made the VN way more interesting.


Besides that I've been watching the odd anime and toku episode here and there.

• Like the finale of the random as hell Maria†Holic.
• Getting nostalgic over Faiz's World in Kamen Rider Decade.
• Finding an extended cut of the ending in Mai-Otome Zwei.
• Discovering the wackiness of Churuya-san and Haruhi-chan.
• Enjoying the newest Higurashi Rei OVA episode.
  
• Checking out K-ON! on a whim and being glad that I did.
• Catching the start of Hayate no Gotoku!! 2nd Season.
• And grabbing the second part of the D.C.if OVA.
  

Oh, and I should also mention that Tsukihime - Fool's Errand release mirror moon did on April Fools' Day for those who were expecting Tsukihime 2 (yeah, like there was any chance in hell of that!).

The Waitress and Maid tag team enter the figma ring

Max Factory's newest figma offerings were officially listed today.

I won't say I'm entirely happy about seeing more Haruhi figmas, as I'd rather see other series get some focus. Although I still think they're a billion times better than that retina burning Billy Herrington figma.

Anyway, the next releases are Fighting Waitress Mikuru Asahina and Culture Festival Maid Tsuruya.

Both are due out in May, and will come with accessories to customise earlier Haruhi figma releases.

figma of the Corpse Princess (and MOAR Haruhi)

More new figmas get announced, and guess what? There's another Haruhi, but with the meagre difference of Summer Clothes. Good one, Max Factory. Are you going to keep re-releasing the whole SOS Brigade in every bleeding clothing variant known to man?!

At least there's one new offering here, and that's Makina Hohimura from Shikibane Hime. I don't know much about her as I had to stop watching the fansub due to Funimation licensing it.

Although you could possibly describe her as an undead version of Revy.

There are no secrets to this gorgeous figure

The world just can't get enough of the loveable Mikuru, and Max Factory must know this because they're releasing this Mikuru Asahina Adult Ver. figure in May.


Isn't this like the forth (or fifth if you count the Mikuru Beam! Ver.) one they've done of her? I'm not complaining about it, but it'd be nice to see them do more of the secondary characters like Emiri Kimidori.

Ah well, I know of at least one other person besides myself who'll be wanting this beauty.

Cheerleading Haruhi and Mikuru? Go figma!

Max Factory sure love doing their Haruhi branded merchandise, whether it be scaled figures or figmas.

Speaking of figmas, we'll be getting another release of Haruhi Suzumiya and Mikuru Asahina come March.


The main draw this time is that they'll be wearing their cheerleader attire!

I'll probably buy both of them at some point, as the figma range is one of my favourite toy lines to collect (with the exception of the Tsukasa Hiiragi figma, cos her initial attached left hand broke when I tried switching it for another).