Fate/Grand Order 5th year

  Before 2022 wraps up, I am using my last post for FGO which will be mostly criticism about the state of this once great Gacha game. This post should have been written last month but my passion toward this series just dropped so low by the 5th year considering the state of the Fate/Grand Order is very abysmal. Fate/Grand Order was a big name back in its debut, but mainly due stupid corporate politics in Japanese gaming industry, the game has stagnated badly yet simply refuse to improve itself which results in severely falling behind against the fierce Chinese Gacha game competitors. This very situation  could have been easily averted if the Devs put some effort because FGO have one of the more dedicated fanbase but no serious attempt have been done which makes once devoted fans like myself lose faith and go somewhere else. I have even known one of the Great whalers in the Game who practically have NP5 for most of the SSR servants simply give his account to his friend and never turning back. For someone who have spent ten thousands or maybe hundreds just simply gave up with the game, there must be something wrong with Fate/Grand Order.

Of all Gacha games that i have played, FGO is still one of the least generous high profile Gacha Game out there. Combined with no Auto Grind, horrible Gacha rate and monotonous gameplay, i am not surprised if the playerbase of FGO kept shrinking because this game repels new players like no one else. There are simply no possible way for a player starting now to catch up with old player accounts due to the immense gap other than buying accounts. While Genshin has the same issue of bad Gacha Rate, the game is constantly improving itself with each iterations and the amount of contents to be enjoyed without paying is just jaw-dropping. While Genshin might face the current issue of FGO, with the amount of effort put by the dev team, this issue will probably appear in a year or two which could easily fixed starting with GSSR. The only thing that FGO still reigns supreme are the quality of the waifu selections which unfortunately does not truly resonate to the current demographics who are mostly college kids with the tendency of having more deviant taste of preference.

Arknights Myethos 1/7 Skadi Alter

 One of the most hyped PVC figure for Arknights fans like myself since the prototype reveal few months ago. The orca waifu Skadi got yet another amazing PVC figure for her Alter version and this one is by Myethos. Scheduled for November 2023 release, Myethos 1/7 Skadi Alter will come in 2 version, Regular and Deluxe with 899 Rmb and 1699 Rmb Price tag each. The deluxe version which is around 31000-34000 Yen will come with additional Sea Born Leviathan effect parts which is very humongous to be honest.

Skadi Alter is the 6* alternate version of Guard Operator Skadi which serves as an excellent buff supporter operator. This version of Skadi is the possible future for Skadi who succumb to her Seaborn blood who proceeds to join her race crusade to eradicate any living being in Terra save for Doktah whom her affection still remains despite already losing her own humanity. I think for the time being i will just get the regular version and save for Deluxe version for her Priestess outfit which is quite possibility with Skadi's popularity.

Isekai Ojisan

 Another Isekai manga that I binged recently which gained recent popularity due to anime adaptation and this one took slightly different approach yet again. As the name implies the main character of this manga is mid 30s man who have just returned from his Isekai adventure after 17 years in coma, and now he lives with his nephew and support himself with his magical abilities carried over from his adventure which obviously cause some shenanigans.

 The story of the series is mostly about the Uncle character retelling his adventure to his nephew and nephew's girlfriend. Despite having a Neet behavior and look, the Uncle guy surprisingly an accomplished adventurer and manage to make some waifus fall for him. For an Isekai series, the author surprisingly able to make some well designed waifu especially the tsundere elf and the Author managed to exploit the advantage of maintaining the romcom tensions between the Elf waifu and protagonist to keep the reader interested. Isekai Ojisan no doubt did well to catch the reader attention but time will tell if this series can be conclude itself as a good isekai title

Dead Cells Castlevania Crossover DLC announced!

 I don't know if i need this but this is a very pleasant surprise indeed! Dead Cells, a successful indie metroidvania game had their Devs recently announced Castlevania DLC slated for Q1 2023. I never expected Konami is this generous, but this is certainly a blessing for Igavania fans like myself because Bloodstained are just not sufficient enough to scratch that classic metroidvania itch.

 A brief introduction for Dead Cells, this game is one of the Metroidvania game that incorporated Roguelike genre successfully where gains from each playthrough will always benefit your initial position. I have played the GOTY version sometime ago and managed to complete one playthrough and the contents of this game can keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.

As for the Castlevania crossover, I will be really looking forward to the DLC which apparently will be sold for 10 USD. The DLC content will include new Biomes, Weapons and Character skin including the iconic Alucard and Richter Belmont. As long as this Dead Cell Castlevania DLC able to satisfy the Gothic Horror Adventure need of the Igavania fans, the future of Dead Cells Devs will be even brighter. To be honest as much as I hate Konami for the blunders by their Execs over a decade, it seems there are someone competent has been taking in charge for past few years as Konami have been making some good strategical moves for their past Popular IPs like Castlevania and Suikoden.

Early December 2022 Loot

 Even if i have left my previous job from Toy Distributor company for few months already, my toys collecting hobby are relatively unchanged and got myself another solid batch this time. For this loot collection, it come from several different sources and not strictly Preorder items only and as usual the loots are predominantly Mecha stuffs or else from gacha game that i played. 

For this batch i bought retail stock of Earnestcore after the RB13V Valhallan catches my attention and might as well secure the recent models before they are out of market considering these types of products tend to be very difficult to find once the initial batch are out for quite sometime. From my trip to AFASG22, I got myself some collectible merchandise which are acquired from Hakken Flashsale and Genshin booth. Will definitely join the flashsale with Hakken again should they consider doing it again in next AFA. Lastly out of this loot the items that i hyped the most would be Armor Plus Kourin Seiji and Ensemble Dendrobium, the former because it completes my Yoroiden collection while Ensemble Dendrobium is the biggest addition to my Ensemble collection, hopefully it will worth its hefty pricetag.

A year with Final Gear

  Not many Gacha Games that i played survived for a year but yet non AAA Gacha managed to make it into its first year which is Final Gear. To be honest Final Gear have many glaring flaws and one of the most time consuming Gacha Game that i currently play. However despite the rocky journey over this past one year i still managed to keep playing this game due to my passion for mecha and at least this game managed to stay true at this aspect for now. For my progress throughout past one year, i managed to crawl into Top 30 players for all 3 Rank boards since I keep doing my daily grind everyday and the premium monthly pass do help to catch up the one month gap with Players who played since the server opened up. I would say Final Gear is the Gacha Game that i spent the most for this year though it will get lesser later on as i have purchased all of the available battlepass. To be honest Final Gear devs could use better paid scheme if they wish to earn more money.

 These are my roster for the 4-team Mecha units. By this point, i can breeze through all of the available PVE contents but will still get defeated in PVP contents due to sheer power imbalance for UR units and my UR choice which Noctris  is still far from finished. Personally i would love to see Final Gear Dev to create more PVE contents that could utilize lower rarity units because this game had great potential on the Army building genre but this probably  present a challenge for a company size like Flashwing which appeared to be lacking of funding and fresh talent. To be frank the reason why i put up with Final Gear glaring flaws is due to its sheer potential for Mecha niche which even Artery Gear created by the Devs that left Flashwing didn't even reached that high. In order to survive as a long term game, Final Gear will need to step up its gameplay mechanics and do make collab content from time to time which Sakura Taisen 3 collab would be nice.

Gaogaigar Amakuni King J-Der

 From my experience Amakuni is usually associated with Waifu PVC figures which are borderline R18 at times but they do have close ties with Hobby Japan magazine and now they release a heavyweight item for Gaogaigar! I suppose that Genesic Gaogaigar wasn't a fluke. Standing tall on 30 Cm with complete transformation gimmick and partial diecast parts, Amakuni's King J-Der will be scheduled for December 2024 release schedule with 58000 price tag which is kind of expected from non Bandai manufacturer.

No doubt this version of King J-Der outclass the Super minipla version and appear to have somewhat decent articulation too. As expected Sentinel had a part in this massive project and i wonder if the team behind the Gattai Da Garn also had a hand behind this project, if so i hope their work on Mightgaine is not lagging behind. King J-Der is always one of my favorite mecha from Gaogaigar and Yuusha series as it is a dedicated Heavy support mecha that can stand on its own ground admirably well. Another reason I had a soft spot on King J-Der also due to the pilot himself, Soldat-J who once turned villain against the Braves as Zonder, but never forgot his pride as warrior. Once regained his original identity as Soldat J, he remains stoic and continues his fight against greater enemy even if all of his former comrades are long gone already. Apparently King J-Der also made appearance in SRW 30 which i should give a check as well

Earnestcore Craft Robot Build RB-13V Valhallan

 Around last year there has been a new Mecha toys lineup that caught my interest called Robot Build which is made by manufacturer called Earnestcore craft and they appear to be of Chinese origin. Their product lineups reminds From Software's Armored core series but with more sense of individuality especially the humanoid types. For the newest entry, they are making a bulky Aerial type mecha unit named RB-13V Valhallan which is just a sick looking design. This one appears will be sold for 9500 Yen with early Q2 2023 release schedule but not sure whether this one will be distributed by Wave for Japanese channel like the previous series.

From the first glance, RB-13V Valhallan looks like a Protagonist mecha specializing in Aerial combat with its Rifle weapon capable of changing into dual blades for melee choice. This mecha is also have transformation gimmick into Jet fighter and Geno Breaker expy. Valhallan leaves very strong impression on me since it really reminds me of a crossbreed between Murakumo Unit and Crest Type armored core which are both made by From Software. For the reference here is the model kit for Murakumo made by Plum few years ago.

Elusive Samurai

 

 Some Japanese historical fiction manga that kept popping up on my feed and in the end i gave a chance for this manga to show its charms. Turns out Elusive Samurai is drawn by assassination Classroom mangaka and thus the manga had automatic pass when it comes to basic quality. Taking place in Northern-South Court era that is rarely covered by Japanese manga, Elusive Samurai tells the story of a young Samurai named Hojo Tokiyuki, the last surviving Hojo Clan Heir of Kamakura Shogunate. In Elusive Samurai, the main protagonist embarks on a Hero's journey gathering allies and train himself and confront his main adversary someday which happen to be Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of Ashikaga Shogunate. Unlike most Shonen manga protagonist, Tokiyuki appears more cowardly as he mostly relies on his wits to overcome adversities but his mental willpower is stronger than average indeed as he faces many life and death situations when he is just 10 years old.

 Compared to Assassination classroom, Elusive Samurai have more gores to portray Feudal Japan era which is quite brutal even before the Sengoku Period. If you like Shanaoh Yoshitsune, you will be right at home with Elusive Samurai. Time will tell if the manga will last longer than Assassination Classroom or the main protagonist will face tragic ends just like his real historical counterpart.

Castlevania Netflix Nendoroid 1899 Alucard

 A rather surprise choice but one of the most iconic character from Vampire Slaying Castlevania series, Alucard got his copy of Nendoroid! Nendoroid Alucard will be scheduled for May 2023 release date with 8000 Yen Price.

 Instead of the SOTN version which are no doubt more popular among Castlevania fans, Alucard's Nendoroid is based on the Netflix animation series which i recalled had better conclusion for the iconic villain Dracula. Alucard popularity is owed to the unique approach of Bishonen design by Ayami Kojima and the fresh storyline he played in Castlevania Saga where Alucard side with humanity to fight against his own father, Lord Dracula even reluctantly. To be honest there are no Vampire design that surpassed Alucard in terms of the Bishonen charm so far which is why this Half-Vampire enjoyed relative popularity for quite a long time already.

Arknights Nendoroid 1757 Amiya DX

 

 It has been quite a journey for Arknights as it managed to survive its 3rd year and still keep going well on merchandising section too as the main Heroine Amiya got her upgraded Nendoroid. This Nendoroid rendition for the Donki daughter is basically repackaged of the previous Nendoroid including generous amount of new parts for her Guard class form. Nendoroid Amiya is scheduled for June 2023 release with 9800 Yen price.

The DX version of Nendoroid Amiya included new arms part to wield the Chi Xiao Sword and the Dragon Spirit which should work well for Nendoroid Chen too. Apparently she comes with another 3 new Face parts which makes her have 6 in total which is quite alot compared to its peers. Good thing i haven't bought Nendoroid Amiya before over past few years  as i feel somewhere down the line she will get another major merchandise given her Main heroine status. In any case i will look forward to Myethos Skadi Alter statue who i might get if she still around 20000 Yen price range.

Armored Core 4 Decoction Model Aaliyah Supplice

 A new product for Armored Core series by Kotobukiya but appears to be rather peculiar choice as a high end collectible out of nowhere. I wonder whether it is some kind anniversary for Armored Core 4 or a prelude for the future port but Kotobukiya is releasing a Luxury Diecast Toy for AC4 Posterboy, Aaliyah Supplice in the new lineup of Decoction Model. Decoction Model Aaliyah Supplice is sold for whopping 48000 Yen and set for April 2023 release.

 I wonder if Kotobukiya is trying to emulate Bandai's success on their Metal Build/Metal Structure series but this is rather weird way to get into a new lineup. Armored Core is an amazing Mecha series and remains as one of my personal favorite Mecha Action game to this day but without any foreshadowing whatsoever, Kotobukiya decided to dump a 30 Cm diecast Toy for a Mecha series that has been inactive for more than a decade. From the gist of it, the Articulation will also be subpar due to Koto lack of expertise on the Diecast Toys and I just hope they won't crash and burn badly with this surprise move. Personally I would have consider to get one if the product is around 30k Yen Price range even if it is just as big as the model kit which I wouldn't mind getting Noblesse Oblige and White Glint either if Koto decided to make more affordable version.

Brave Express Mightgaine Super Minipla Hiryu

 

 Bandai is quite generous for Mightgaine surprisingly, after SMP Mightgaine announced on June this year, Maito Guy's rival Yuusha Hiryu made it to the minipla as well. SMP Hiryu will be scheduled for March 2023 release with 7500 Yen Price tag.

 Hiryu is a Yuusha Unit who made appearance relatively early in Mightgaine. Acting as maverick character in the series, the rival character had somewhat unnatural obsession toward Maito Guy and proved to be a dangerous adversary as he managed to kill one of Maito Guy's ally once which i think it was the bombers. The Super minipla comes with superb transformation scheme and even complete with the sports car that is used as the core unit for Hiryu. I think Mightgaine could use Might Kaiser or Goryu to complete Mightgaine SMP series at least and Bandai will probably move on to J-Decker once they are finished with Mightgaine.

Macross Delta Tiny Session VF-31J Siegfried

 

 Ever since the Macross Frontier one was up, Tiny Session make sure that Macross Delta to follow up in quick succession! For October pre-order 2 of the Macross Delta featuring VF-31 Siegfried for Hayate and Messer which include 2 of the Walkure members. Scheduled for March 2023 Release, Tiny Session VF-31 will be sold for 4500 Yen.

 While i do like VF-31 as mecha design, Macross Delta itself doesn't leave me any particular memorable impression due to being a wasted potential which is comparable to overcooking a good pie just because the chef wants to put new ingredients halfway of the baking process. Out of 5 Macross Delta Tiny Sessions, i might considering getting the one with Mikumo or Farina's VF-31 but it is very unlikely for me to collect the complete set. I do wish Macross Plus or Seven will be given Tiny Session by Bandai to spread the bite-sized Joy for the collector.

Sousou no Frieren

 

 Another really good Fantasy manga so good that i binged it in a single day. Sousou no Frieren tells the story of an Elf Mage who once party member of Legendary Hero party who defeated the Demon King. The reclusive Elf Heroine decided to travel the world once again after Hero's death who had played a large influence to her before and along the travel she met new companions as well as finding out the legacies that her previous comrades brought to the world and at the same time dealing with new threats by the Demon race.

 In terms of story structure, Sousou no Frieren had similarities with Kino no Tabi or Majo no tabitabi but this one is packed with more actions as the main heroine doesn't lose her combat talents even after decaded had passed since she defeated the Demon King. It is a wonder to be able to keep a good story manga on weekly basis and a fantasy genre at that and Sousou no Frieren able to pull it off.  I would say the manga could last for another 2-3 years easily and i only hope it won't crash and burn like Promised Neverland.

Macross Plus 1/100 HG YF-19

 

 Ever since Macross got free out of the Robotech bullcrap last year, Bandai had been quite generous on the series and out of pleasant surprise, Macross Plus made it early as Bandai's Model kit lineup this time being 1/100 HG Model Kit. HG YF-19 is scheduled for January 2023 release with 3800 Yen price tag.

Unlike the VF-1 Model Kit, HG YF-19 does not come with complete transformation gimmick in order to maintain good articulation and competitive price range. In effect YF-19 model kit mirrors after Macross 7 1/100 VF-19 model kits and improved vastly upon it which was really good stuff for 1800 Yen back then. Time will know if Bandai will release HG 1/100 YF-21 considering it will take more effort on designing one due to no existing mold to work with, but it would be a chance not to be missed with.

 

Kaze no Klonoa Nendoroid 1911 Klonoa

 

 In anticipation for the HD Remake of Klonoa 1+2, GSC Released a Nendoroid for Klonoa one of the last animal platformer protagonist from late 5th Gen era. Nendoroid Klonoa will be scheduled for June 2023 release with 8000 Yen price tag. The depreciating Yen value must be that bad for a Nendoroid that could have been released for 6000 Yen.

 Rendered in his Klonoa 1 version, Nendoroid Klonoa comes with the ring weapon and his buddy Huepow. I think this one of the Nendoroid that can properly stand without any stand Support thus like Nendoroid Megaman series. I really look forward both to this Nendoroid and the Switch Remake port since Bamco appear to put some effort on the makeover.

September 2022 Mega Loot

  

 It has been around 18 months since the last time i made any loot post and that probably have to do with the place i stayed at the time which pretty much killed any sense of motivation to make any Reviews or loot post. In any case i have been moving to a new place around mid of this month which is way better compared to  previous one but due to the outgoing nature of my new job, things are staying pretty much the same for this blog when it comes to Review and Loot related posts. At least before i started my overland travel, here is my loot collection over 1 Year and 6 months which is certainly impressive. As always Toys related to Mecha series always dominate my shopping list with a third occupied mostly by Fate/Grand Order and occassional Bishoujo series. In terms of quantity, Beastbox and Joytoy saw fast increase but the Crown Jewel of this loot collection are still the Premium PVC Figure along with Metal Build Justice Gundam and the Gattai Da Garn X. My loot acquisitions will most likely gradually decline at this point as i leave my job in Hobby industry to get back on track with real life. In any case here are some of the Set Collections

Fate/Grand Order Figma 582 Mysterious Heroine XA

 

 FGO may reached its 7th year but we still keep seeing constant addition of new products from time to time despite not as frequent compared to the its peak popularity period. For the next FGO Figma, we are getting a Saber-face yet again and this time it is MHXA that made it surprisingly! Figma MHXA is scheduled for June 2023 release schedule with price tag of 11800 Yen. It must be due to sharp decline of Yen value over past one year.

 Figma MHXA comes in her 3rd Ascension form, mimicking after Sith getup and got generous amount of accessories including Dual Saber and Lightning effect. Unfortunately no Food accessories despite the character is one of the more gluttonous Saber face especially when it comes to dessert. In FGO, MHXA is a single target Quick Berserker servant who made a lasting impression to me in her Gilfest Challenge Quest which was one of the hardest to this date. I am surprised that MHX or her XX variant didn't made it first but they still had good chance in the future due to relative popularity of Saber Face

The Skeleton Soldier failed to defend the Dungeon

 Another interesting ongoing Fantasy Tensei manhwa which have quite good world building. This manhwa tells the story of an Undead Skeleton monster who somehow find itself revived in the past after failing to protect its Succubus life. In this new life the Skeleton is summoned by a young lady but swiftly defeated by assailants. However the skeleton find out that it possess power to get transported back in the past upon death and retained the abilities it learned in previous cycle. Armed with this knowledge, the Skeleton pledged to save its patron and people mattered to it in the past encounters against the deep corruption of the empire it fight against.

 For a Korean Manhwa, the Skeleton Soldier have a very good fantasy world building compared to its peers which made me think the Author had some familiarity with DnD system. This Manhwa strength lies in the quality of the supporting NPCs of the main characters especially the Young Noblelady, Female Thief and Raven Sorcerer. I like how each of the important characters had their background story mesh well in the overall storyline greater picture. However the Skeleton main character itself is very stupid to the point of trusting a dangerous villain which resulted its close ally died horribly in one of the cycle. 

 I also don't like how the Skeleton true identity is still kept hidden until this point despite the story almost reach endgame stage. But if i have to guess, the skeleton is most likely Kevin Ashton or somebody close to the First Emperor and the Young Noblelady is the descendant of the said emperor who put himself into undeath in order to keep the promise with his old friend.

 Skeleton Soldier is quite a high tier Korean Manhwa for me when it comes to Fantasy/Tensei genre While not still on par with Volcanic Age, it is up there along with Omniscient Reader or Nanomachine and definitely better read compared to the crap called Tomb Raider king.

SSSS Dynazenon

 The indirect sequel of SSSS Gridman and just like its predecessor, Dynazenon is a brainless fun Mecha vs Kaiju anime. Gridman series always  emphasise on style over substance thus make it rather forgettable anime once the season passed and this one is no different safe for taking rather different approach. If Gridman features an Ultraman as the main character, Dynazenon had a Mecha Godzilla that transform into Giant Super Robot with other vehicles.

 Dynazenon features bunch of Teenage misfits and a young adult Neet who found themselves defending their city against Kaijus after encountering a mysterious guy who possess power to fight against those threat. Personally i like Dynazenon slightly better but the shallow main characters still ruin things for me especially the main heroine. To put it simply Dynazenon is mediocre mecha series that had a rocky start then had somewhat decent resolution before ending things abruptly. Mujina is the best eyecandy and could have more development with the Neet character for better conclusion. In short SSSS Dynazenon is no better than SSSS Gridman but the final verdict could have been better if Studio Trigger could address the continuity issue with the future sequel.

Monster Hunter SHM Mizutsune

 When it appears that Bandai had stopped working with Monster Hunter for their SHM lineup, they made another entry and this one is for Bubble Fox Mizutsune from Monster Hunter Generations! SHM Mizutsune is scheduled for February 2023 release with price tag of 13500 Yen, a significant increase from the previous entries probably due to weakening yen combined with the product size.

For the effect parts, SHM Mizutsune is more well equipped compared to SHM Mizutsune as it comes with its bubblefoam and waterjet part effect. In MHGens is one of the Elite 4 Wyverns representing water element possessing unusual agility due to the bubblefoams excreted from its body parts. This Fox wyvern prefers to trap its opponent with Bubblefoam first before delivering powerful blows with its tails. I suppose Bandai picked Mizutsune due to its close Japanese Aesthetics and a safer choice for Bandai to resume the lineup before continuing with the heavy duty characters like Deviljho or Rajang. Out of the Elite 4 wyverns, Glavenus had one of the best chance to be next compared to Astalos or Gammoth.

Nano Machine

 Another interesting Wuxia Manhwa though this one got several hiccups and also happened to be drawn by Redice studio. Nanomachine is another of those regenerator Manhwa where the weak protagonist become overpowered after certain fateful encounter. This time the main character is an illegitimate child of Demonic Cult leader who suffered constant assassination attempts until one day he was cornered and on the verge of death in which a mysterious figure claiming as his future descendants saved him and injected Nanomachines which grants him powerful ability. From this point on the protagonist will enter the demonic cult academy and rise through the ranks while settle for his revenge against his half siblings at the same time.

 As a Wuxia genre works, Nano Machine is a decent read though there is one thing that is handled rather poorly which is the main protagonist relation with his half siblings. While it is apparent from the onset that the relationship were hostile the showdowns were rather brutal without proper buildup as 6 of the Protagonist's half siblings ended up Dead, crippled or their arms torn off even in the school setting. Other than that Nano Machine is another enjoyable read if you like Volcanic Age despite this one had more brutal scenes compared to the latter.
 

Tomb Raider King

  Out of the Popular ongoing Manhwa i read recently, this gotta be the worst one so far. Tomb Raider King is a Tensei Manhwa where the protagonist is a Treasure Hunter given a second chance in life going back to the past after his party getting TPK in a Treasure Dungeon due to betrayal. In this second chance he will make sure to settle score with those people while gathering all treasures for himself. 

 In this Manhwa setting there are Sentient Treasure Objects called "Relic" which grant its owner abilities sometimes powerful one and the Main Protagonist was sent to the past with his memory intact by a very powerful relic. To cut it short the reason why Tomb Raider King is a bad manhwa for me, apart from bad writings is that the main protagonist is really unlikable. Seo Jooheon is pretty much a Massive asshole Mary-sue protagonist to the point of extremities. His morality standard is very low too the point that Naofumi from Tate Yuusha looks like a saint and the atrocities he commit makes him no better than the Villains that he want to settle revenge with. It feels like the author of Tomb Raider King have massive hate boner toward his former boss or something and poured out his sadistic tendency to vent out his frustration toward society. If it is a real life Seo Jooheon would have died a dog's death early on for the transgressions he commited and his villainy have crossed the acceptable limit for Anti Hero.

Tomb Raider King might be an enjoyable read if you are still a teen, but once you passed your emo phase this manhwa is quite bad. Let's see if there are worse Manhwa protagonist compared to Seo Jooheon because Tomb Raider King make it quite a low bar.

Dai no Daibouken Figma Sp-152 Flazzard

 With the Toei's huge backing for Dai no Daibouken in past few years that ensures the Anime reboot in 2020, it paves the way of merchandise of this Great classic JRPG to see some resurgence once again. Dai no Daibouken have been getting some good release in the Figma Department which Dai got really special treatment with the 500th release and Popp following up. But for Dai no Daiboken's s 3rd Figma, Freeing come up with something different and go for the Villain instead starting with one of the most memorable Hadlar's 6 General, Flazzard. Figma Flazzard will be sold for a whopping 15000 Yen with July 2023 release schedule. It must be the Sculpt material that made this Figma cost twice as much.

  With distinct design of Half Ice and Fire Body, Flazzard is how an evil midboss should look like. Irredeemably evil, Flazzard is completely loyal to Vearn's cause and will inflict destruction and misery toward Humanity without any remorse. At this rate if Flazzard could make it as Figma, I think Hadlar or Baran had a good chance too since they would make good opponent for Dai though I personally still wait for Hyunckel's Figma

Doom Breaker

 Another really good Fantasy manhwa i encountered recently and this one is basically Tsuyokute on Steroids! Doom Breaker is a story of Hero who was given a second chance and got transported into the past after surviving many ordeals from the cataclysms that fell upon his world only to be utterly defeated in a battle with Demon Lord . Gifted with the knowledge of his previous life and some blessing by the god, the Protagonist named Zephyr who looks like Genos expy tried do things right this time, gathering necessary power while saving people to matter to him in order to confront the Demon Lord properly once again.

 Just like Solo Levelling, Doom Breaker is packed with really good action sequence and for once i really respect these Manhwa illustrators to be able to put up a quality works on weekly basis in full color no less! Doom Breaker is definitely had really good potential and could last for 200+ chapters easily with its current material. While i don't know how the series will end up, the first 45 Chapters is pure awesome and unlike Solo Levelling, the Sidekicks are very competent on their own actually. I hope the Doom Breaker illustrator could keep watch his health in check because Popularity awaits this Manhwa in near future.
 

Solo Levelling

 A popular Korean manhwa during its serialization that gains even more fame with the recent passing of the illustrator and this one lives up to the reputation despite some glaring shortcomings. Solo Levelling begins with the typical Isekai trope where the weak protagonist suddenly gains overwhelming strength after being left for dead by his teammates. Think of the manhwa as something in between Arifureta and The Gamer, but Solo Levelling have none of the harem BS that the japanese counterpart usually have in the genre as extra baggage.

 Solo levelling starts like a typical Isekai but the story ends up like Diablo series, this is what separates this manhwa among its peers and secure the Manhwa's popularity. Solo levelling's strength lies in its superb action sequences and some interesting concepts that it tried to showcase through its 179 chapters but ultimately never fully manifest. The protagonist is basically a chosen candidate of Lucifer expy who was involved in an endless war between Chaos and Order represented by Monarchs and Rulers. Using the power inherited by its predecessor, the protagonist ultimately try to save his world ravaged by the endless war of the two otherworldly factions.

The most glaring flaw of Solo Levelling is that the human characters aside from the main protagonist are rendered irrelevant by the 100th chapter as Sung Jinwoo is overpowered complete with his own army. But i don't think this is the main reason why Solo Levelling stops its serialization way too early because it could have gone for 200-300 Chapters especially the Monarch War and Time Travel arc is way too short. To be honest Solo levelling concept is quite universal and the upcoming anime adaptation could have just use full Japanese setting and the story would work out quite fine. I hope that  anime adaptation could be better than the previous Korean Manhwa adaptation which didn't do enough justice for the original work.

Shovel Knight Nendoroid 1929 Shovel Knight

 

 From one of the widely acclaimed Indie Metroidvania, GSC at last managed to release Nendoroid Shovel Knight! Nendoroid Shovel Knight is scheduled for February 2023 release schedule with 8000 Yen which is slightly pricy maybe due to higher licensing cost demanded from Yacht Club publisher.

 Shovel Knight is a big deal in Indie scene because it is a homage to a classic retro platformer in particular Megaman and Duck Tales and it is one of the few that succeed to surpass the classic titles. As the titular Hero, Shovel Knight went against hordes of Witch's minions and her 8 Knights in order to save his companion and lover, Shield Knight. Shovel Knight incorporated plenty of mechanics from the classic Old school games which make the fans of genre felt right at home including hellish platformer at some segments of the game. But the greatest strength of this Indie gem is the soundtrack list which will make you feel nostalgic if you was a kid in 16-bit era. If you haven't play Shovel Knight, do yourself a favor and play this gem of Indie game, the best value would be the Treasure Trove version as you get to play some of the 8 Knights which had their own powerup.

Personally i wish Hollow Knight will follow up since its odds are quite good with Shovel Knight making appearance but i think Shovel Knight's Rival Black Knight had a good shot too even some of the 8 Knights like Specter Knight

Macross Frontier Tiny Session VF-25F Messiah Alto

 A surprise release but a promising lineup made by Bandai for Macross series. Tiny Session appears to be new product series to be made equivalent with existing NXEdge with some new quirks to tailor Macross characteristics. For the initial release, Bandai will be releasing 2 models for Macross Frontier featuring Alto and Michael VF-25 Messiah. These two items will be sold for 4500 Yen with November 2022 release. The main selling point of the Tiny Session would be the available complete transformation gimmick which is a steal for this pricing even though it is not as perfect compared to Chogokin series.

What sets apart Tiny Session with the existing NXEdge series is that Tiny Sessions featured additional character figurine which resemble smaller version of Figuarts mini figurine and the initial two release featured Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee. But seriously VF-25G Michael is a missed opportunity as Klan Klang would be a more suitable candidate for the featured figure and Ranka reserved for VF-25S Ozma. But let's see if Bandai will continue the series for Macross Frontier after they are done with Macross Delta.

I am always a fan of things that have good potential and I do see it on Bandai's Tiny Session because it offers an affordable Macross collectible items with good gimmicks. It would be awesome for Macross fans if Bandai could go beyond Macross Delta and Frontier for this lineup

Crying Freeman (Ikegami Ryoichi)

 

Late 80s manga industry is filled with plenty of action genre manga which featured a lone wolf specialist/bounty hunter as the main character and Ikegami Ryoichi presented a decent title from this era titled Crying Freeman. While not as prolific as Golgo13, the main character of this manga is a badass young assassin from Chinese Underworld who sheds tears after killing his target which is the reason. The manga tells the adventure of this young mysterious man in the underworld scene after he spared a life of a young woman for some reason.

 You won't get anything convoluted out of Crying Freeman but it is a good pulpy adventure which certainly cater to the fascination toward China which was still closed to the world at its time. The manga main weakness is that it lacks main villain to keep the reader commited to the story as the manga in the 80s cannot survive with the same formula like older series like Golgo13. As i mentioned before, Crying freeman is relatively unknown in the west but the character is badass enough to have a fighting chance against Golgo13, a consummate assasssin of underworld. You wont get much out of Crying Freeman manga but it still serves as a good filler series. Still Hoping Ikegami Ryoichi's Nobunaga getting translation

Dragon Quest - Dai no Daibouken

 A great JRPG Shonen manga based from a popular RPG Game series which i didn't managed to read until now. When i was a kid i did watch part of Dai no Daibouken 90s anime. While i forgot most of the stuff, i still remember Flazzard and the catchy opening song. Dai no Daibouken had a typical JRPG start where the protagonist went on a Journey to fight the BBEG after his life of peace is destroyed. But what makes Dai no Daibouken seated on the peak of Genre is that it is one of the few manga that can offer a complete experience of JRPG.

 While there plenty of good high fantasy manga like Lodoss series, Dai no Daibouken is the best one that encapsulates the JRPG Genre. The manga had really good cast of Protagonist and Antagonists which puts your typical Isekai manga to shame. The main hero, Dai himself is very strong to boot but his greatest strength lies in his purity of heart. Despite being a kid, the purity of his heart sways some Antagonists who are not genuinely bad over his side and makes his allies willing to sacrifice their life in order to protect him, seriously Dai really reminds me of the essential quality of a good JRPG Hero. The antagonists in Dai no Daibouken are really worth mentioning as well, Most of the Villain casts have been introduced from the beginning but their sheer quality makes them sufficient for the manga to survive over 300 Chapters. Simply to say Hyunckel is my personal favorite, Hadlar is one of the best midboss out there and Hym got really good character development. Lastly the manga is overall solid read but if i have to point out some of personal gripes, it would be Popp having too much importance and the love triangle between him, Marm and Hyunckel is poorly resolved.

 It is understatement that Dai no Daibouken had really significant influence in JRPG even outside Dragon Quest itself. Capcom JRPG Breath of Fire is definitely inspired from this series and part of Cecil character from FFIV is probably based on Hyunckel even Jigoku Sensei Nube's Oni are inspired by Hadlar Hyperdemon form. All in all Dragon Quest Dai no Daibouken is a quintessential read for JRPG fans as it offers a complete package of the genre. At some point true RPG fans will encounter this series on their journey. If i have some free time, i will give the 2020 Reboot Dai no Daibouken anime a watch since Toei gave the reboot some generous funding for it to last over 70 episodes.

The Promised Neverland

 A recent manga title that i marathoned and it was a good read despite it does not reach its fullest Potential. Promised Neverland had a potential to be a very good grimdark series but the mangaka watered down his works in order to cater general audience and turned to be a noblebright work instead. The story of the series is about Three Kids raised in an orphanage living a peaceful life who one day find out the truth that they are raised to be slaughtered as livestock to be eaten by Demon race. Upon finding the grim reality the Kids against the stacked odds, attempt to escape the orphanage and find a place for themselves where Demons will not consume them. 

Promised Neverland had a solid start with its first arc but eventually turned into rather generic Shonen adventure manga as the Mangaka probably had constraints to portray the story as bleak as possible and went with noblebright route instead mostly due to the publisher want to avoid having kid characters dying horrible deaths. The series fate pretty much sealed after the timeskip arc as the pacing of the story become too rushed until the end. To be honest i could have seen Promised neverland could reach 300+ chapters but maybe due the poor sales, the series got axed instead and the backstories are just barely covered in particular Ratri Clan's past. Despite its rushed nature, Deadman wonderland still tried its best to conclude its story properly even if not satisfying. In the end we got another wasted potential manga that will fade in obscurity within few years.

 Speaking of an axed series, Hinowa ga Crush also suffer the same poor fate recently, still hoping its present circumstances won't be permanent.
 

Iron Blooded Orphans Metal Robot Spirits Gundam Kimaris Vidar

 
 New Gundam title is being hyped now but Bandai does not still forget Iron Blooded Orphans and Kimaris Vidar got its turn at last. Over past two years, Bandai have been releasing Metal Robot Spirits for IBO second season which most of the cool gundams got their portion, pretty much any of the Gundams that got the 1/100 Full Mechanics model kit are given MRS treatment. Barbatos Lupus and Rex are part of regular release and it sold like hot cake where as Vidar and Bael are sold as P-Bandai for some reason. Kimaris Vidar didn't get the Full Mechanics, but it is still given the Diecast Action Figure. Sold for 16000 Yen, MRS Kimaris Vidar will be released in December 2022.

 Out of IBO Gundams, Kimaris Vidar is my personal favorite because i am fan of Gaelio who is one of the more decent character in the series. After Shedding the Vidar Disguise, Kimaris Vidar personify Gaelio's Chivalric character combined with his vengeful desire over the betrayal by Mcgillis. In order to fight Gundam Bael, Kimaris Vidar is equipped with modified Alaya Vijanana system which grants improved control of the Gundam unit but puts less strain on Pilot's Body as the system using Ein's brain to share the burden

 I was rather surprised that Kimaris Vidar sword weapon in this version is rather long since the iconic lance possess sufficient range already but it is still cool anyway. I think one of the main reason why Kimaris Vidar didn't get as much exposure is because the mecha designer copy way too much from a Shooter series called Astebreed which the lead mecha shared plenty of Physical resemblance with the former. While i won't get MRS since i don't collect 1/144 scale Gundam, i am always willing to get a Metal Build which might be a good possibility.

The Fable

 

 An award-winning Crime thriller manga that recently finished its translation and this one definitely live up to its fame! This manga tells the story of a Pro Assassin called Fable who belong to a mysterious organization whose skills are phenomenal to the point of becoming an urban legend. After his last hit, this assassin was given a year break in a small town and tried to live a normal life as a part of his next training. But being the best of Professional Killers, dangerous situations always comes to him and throughout the manga, he will need to handle it without killing anyone.

For a manga of its genre, The Fable is solid work all around which is why it was gaining awards. The manga is quite realistic at portraying how Pro Killers would probably work in Japan and the mangaka probably got his own source of informations to pull off such depth for his work. The protagonist have everything it takes to be a pro assassin, but his greatest strength lies in his resourcefulness to the capable of making his own makeshift gun that comes in equal lethality. Apart from the realistic depiction of that side of the world, Fable got really good pacing and buildup which makes each chapters very easy to digest even in a single read The kind of Hitman like protagonist really reminds me of the Gyoza Ohsho murder case years ago and it was definitely the work of a pro. So if you like series like Hitman or John Wick, The Fable will be really compatible with your preference.

Arknights Nendoroid 1895 Skadi

  Took long enough but one of the first Waifu Guard operator Skadi finally joined in Arknights Nendoroid series! Scheduled for November 2022 release schedule, this Orca waifu is be sold for 7200 Yen which is typical high price tag for Nendoroid from Arknights series.

 Skadi remains to be a Top Tier waifu material for Arknights series whom lonely gaze combined with solitary personality just wants make most of Doktah want to accompany this beloved Orca to make her life change for better. While overshadowed by most 6* Guard Operators in Arknights especially by the recent Nearl Alter, Skadi is still a viable choice to fight against High Hp Elite units. But she could use some Def-ignore and ASPD module to make her competitive. Despite her glaring Shortcomings, Skadi is the only 6* Operator whom i bother to raise until Potential 6 and Mastery 9 just to show how much i appreciate this piece of art made by Alchemaniac.

 To be honest current Nendoroid Accessories for Skadi is rather lackluster which is kinda uncommon for Arknights series by this time, but this issue should be fixed if GSC are planning to release her summer and Alter version for her Orca Plushie and more seductive expression. The pizza accessory might be rather random but it is possible signal that GSC is interested to make a Nendoroid for Grani

Artery Gear: Fusion

 Another new Mecha themed Gacha game which is just released on mid of this month and this one gathered quite a bit of fanfare for its debut. Artery Gear is a gacha game made by Devs team that split off from Flashwing which made Final Gear and this game had be around in China for more than a year before it made its appearance on Global server. 

Brave Express Mightgaine Super Minipla Mightgaine

 Bandai had been very generous for Yuusha series with their minipla lineup and by this time, they have reached made more than half of Yuusha entries. For the next Yuusha Minipla, Bandai decided to make one for Mightgaine from the 4th Yuusha series Brave Express. Super Minipla Mightgaine will be sold for 6300 Yen with October release schedule.

I wonder this decision of Bandai to release SMP Mightgaine is in order to steal a start from The Gattai Mightgaine which is in prototype phase. Usually Minipla tried to accomodate mecha sculpt with gimmick as faithful as possible but it seems Gaine is rather hard to pull of considering he looks chunky in this version. In terms of accessory, SMP Mightgaine doesn't come with many weapons apart from Dorinken which probably reserved for future Mightgaine Minipla like Mightgunner and Mightkaiser. With SMP Mightgaine being released, only J Decker and Goldran being left for Bandai to make a minipla out of them and i think J-Decker is likely to be released first considering it make appearance on recent SRW game.

Final Gear Sakura Taisen Collab Units Review

 The Sakura Taisen event collab on Final Gear had been going for 3 Weeks now and with one more week left before the crossover event ends, I think it is the time for me to make some coverage for the Collab Units. Sakura Taisen is easily the best collab event in Final Gear and this event turns out to be rather generous compared to GiTS and Evangelion collab for me. In this Article, i will be sharing my personal experience using the Koubus in this one of the few Mecha Gacha game.

Persona 3 Pop Up Parade Aigis

 With the recent plan of Persona 3 remaster being leaked out, i think we will be seeing more merchandise from this series which is more than welcome for the series fans like me. So after Makoto Yuki getting a long needed Nendoroid treatment, now it is the turn for the Robot Waifu Aigis getting the Pop Up Parade. Scheduled for October 2022, Pop Up Parade Aigis will be sold for 4800 Yen, typical of the lineup price.

For the Pop Up Parade Aigis is posed in Dynamic combat pose with her finger Gatling Gun portraying the balance of Power and Aesthetics as anti shadow weapon. Not as over the top compared to her Palladion Premium figure, but this one is decent enough for Pop Up Parade lineup considering Fate series suffered worse end compared to this. I think at this rate we are highly likely to see the rest of SEES team making it with this lineup at least the waifus one. Personally i would look forward to Mitsuru's being the best waifu from the Persona 3 cast apart from Elizabeth.

Gun X Sword Moderoid Van of Thursday

 Gun X Sword is one of the decent Mecha series in Early 2000s and would have been a memorable series if not for its weak second cour. The last time we had something related from the series are some Robot Tamashii for two of the mechas and now Moderoid returns with the protagonist mecha Dann of Thursday! Scheduled for December 2022 release, Moderoid Dann of Thursday will be released for 6500 Yen.

 Dann of Thursday from Gun X Sword had really some good concept built around it. It is basically one of the Seven elite units tasked to oversee the world which is used by its pilot to huntdown its brethren who went corrupt. Dann of Thursday is good showcase of an Elite Mecha unit which had several arsenals to fulfill its task including self regenerating capability for the Pilot and Mecha apart from being powerful to boot. Compared to the Robot Damashii version, Moderoid Dann of Thursday come with Transformation gimmick which allow it to turn into Swordform, something the former didn't had to bring out affordability. In any case i will look forward GSC whether they are able to release some more Moderoid from the series apart from Volkein.

Macross Zero Hi-Metal R VF-0S Phoenix (Roy Focker)

  For once, Tamashii Nation Hi-Metal series feature units from Macross Zero, This lineup had been generous with SDF Macross but this is the first time it graced itself with the prequel OVA series and it is no other than Roy Focker's VF-0S making a debut! Scheduled for October 2022 release, Hi-Metal VF-0S will be sold for 14000 Yen and we can expect Armored parts as an add-on, either regular release or P-Bandai

 In Macross Zero, VF-0S is a protoype Valkyrie Fighter Unit for Squad Leader pilot prior to UN Spacy formation. in the OVA this awesome VF design is used by Roy Focker who served as supporting character help Shin Kudo facing Sv-51. We would easily expect VF-0A or VF-0D to be released by Tamashi nation next possibly with Ghost unit add on. I had the Hasegawa VF-0S Armored before and i wouldnt mind to double dip for the Hi-Metal considering Zero was my second favorite series after Macross Plus.

Final Gear Sakura Taisen Collab

 I have been  waiting for this very moment! At long last Final Gear Global version will be having the Sakura Taisen collab event early next month, most likely on 2nd June considering the game tend to update on Thursday. In this event, the original Teikoku Kagekidan will be featured as crossover units with Sakura, Maria, Sumire and Kanna recruitable from two separate banners while Kouran obtainable as the welfare unit and lastly Iris through some kind of spending scheme.

 Out of the gacha game that i have played, Final Gear is the most time consuming one since i have to spend at least 2 hours everyday for the daily grind. However i managed to put up with these nonsense for 6 months solely because of the very prospect of this Sakura Taisen collab event, so hopefully the effort will worth it. Personally i think Komoe is way too aggressive with the collab release considering we have collab event once in every two months and a UR banner recently. Because up until now, Final Gear collabs always demand Players to spend some money if they want their crossover unit raised up to their full potential,

 With this kind of release timing, Final Gear is definitely not F2P friendly game which i expect non paying players will show their plebeian sides badly, but personally it is fine for me because i have specifically reserved Crystals for this very collab which fortunately sufficient even after i spent a significant chunk during Evangelion 2nd event.

In any case i hope Final Gear will survive long enough that we can have another continuation for Sakura Taisen collab since Paris Kagekidan is way too under-represented despite being top tier material.

Onmyoji 1/7 Shiranui

 Onmyoji's Top Waifu Shiki, Shiranui once again got another luxurious product release and this time it is 1/7 Figure made by Wing. Scheduled for December 2022 release, 1/7 Shiranui will be sold for a whopping 27500 Yen! Must be the large fan that costed extra 10k for this figure.

 Along with Yotohime, Shiranui is one of the most popular character from Onmyoji series due to her tragic backstory and high Waifu value. Personally i think Shiranui is one of the best role by Nao Touyama who usually play tomboyish female character role in anime but with Shiranui, the Seiyuu proved that she is perfectly capable of playing good waifu role. 

The reason why i am particularly fixated with Shiranui is that this character provide opportunity for Nao Touyama to showcase her talent while being sidelined in FGO. In Fate/Grand Order, despite her relative popularity Seiyuus Nao Touyama was given only supporting character role like Suzuka Gozen and Ibaraki because the better roles are taken by veteran seiyuus. It is such bizarre thing that some talented Japanese Seiyuus are appreciated better in Chinese made games than their native Japanese game. This is the same case for Seiyuus like Rina Satou who is given great opportunity in Arknights
 

Sousei no Aquarion Super Minipla Aquarion

 Sousei Gattai! GO! Aquarion! Another Mecha from Kawamori Series that got a new product after quite some time and it is nice to see Aquarion once again. Scheduled for September 2022 release with 9900 Yen price tag, Aquarion is getting a minipla from Bandai!

 Replicating its SOC Counterpart, Minipla Aquarion will come with complete transformation gimmick that allows 3 Different forms of Aquarion; Solar, Mars and Luna. Unfortunately the weapons and effect parts are sold separately, so fans need to fork additional 5400 Yen for Mugen Punch effect parts and the weapons including Solar Sword. However it is still somewhat understandable considering the transformation mechanics of Aquarion is somewhat complicated with Combiner plane Robot reminiscent of Getter Robo which comes with detailed intricate design expected from father of Macross. If Minipla Aquarion is selling well, i think Mass Produced Aquarion or even Evol will come out someday which i will look forward to.

Fate/Grand Order Figma 568-DX Lancer Artoria

  Fate/Grand Order popularity has been waning over past two years, but it does not mean the mechandise are stopping anytime soon and Max Factory came with another big gun! It takes sometime but finally Lancer Artoria came into Figma format complete with her loyal steed, Dun Stallion. Scheduled for May 2023 release, Figma Lancer Artoria comes with two different version, Regular one cost 9500 Yen while the DX version will be sold for 17800 Yen.

The extra 8000 Yen of Figma Lartoria DX is for Figma Dun Stallion which is actually bigger than Figma Cuirassier. You can get a regular Figma horse for 4000 Yen but Dun Stallion probably cost double due to extra armors on him. In terms of accessory,both  Lartoria version parts are pretty much identical, coming with 2 versions of Rhongomyniad and at least come with her gentle smile faceplate which is a good selling point for her. 

 Since i had Lancer Artoria in my FGO account for quite some time, i will most likely get the DX version considering it will be a pain to find Dun Stallion on aftermarket despite i have some major gripes with the product. I already had misgivings from the Nendoroid release, but it seems that Max Factory decide to flat out ignore Lartoria 1st/2nd Ascension form and go straight to the 3rd Ascension which comes with cleavage. I am quite sure that Max Factory could make separate armored torso for Lartoria just like Figma Gilgamesh. Personally i dont even mind paying another extra 3000/4000 Yen just to have Artoria's Lancer variant in her proper knight getup. 

 Lartoria is a good waifu no doubt but this incarnation for the Figma just plainly try to ignore the knightly side of her character. If Max Factory tried to pull the same crap with Lancer Artoria Alter Figma don't expect me to even support that crap.