Jinroh: The Wolf Brigade

 One of the IG Studio Classic anime movie that I only managed to watch recently. Back then I came upon this series called Jinroh from a short animation clip on youtube where a group of Elite Soldier heavily clad in Iconic Gas Mask and armed with MG42 mowed down a group of terrorists in Tokyo's sewer with ruthless efficiency. Overall Jinroh is a good movie but not the exact thing I am expected to get for its genre.

Taken place in alternate future of Post WW2 Japan, There is a Counter Terrorist Elite Special Task Force called Wolf Brigade that watched over Tokyo. What I expected to be an Action packed movie turns out to be a Slice of Life with Suspense thriller. The plot of this Jinroh movie is basically the aftermath story of a member of a particular young and talented Wolf Brigade member after witnessing a young girl blowing up herself in a successful Counter Terrorist operation and his immediate encounter with another young girl who bears resemblance with the one that he witnessed her death.

Overall Jinroh Movie is a good movie-length anime that properly wrapped up its story properly within the time duration it is given, though I felt that there are more things could be done with Jinroh. What I expected to be a full action movie ends up to be Counter-espionage Suspense Thriller which somehow did worked out. Seriously the Wolf Brigade Kerberos Panzer Armor design is a Top Notch for a modern period Elite Soldier especially for the Terror Factor. Practicality issues aside, The Jinroh Squad is certainly not the sort of enemies you would like to face with its imposing Jet black armor and Iconic Gas mask which seemingly hid a savage beast inside signifying  its status as Ruthless efficient killing machine. I am still waiting for a proper Action figure collectible for Jinroh's Kerberos Panzer Armor and in the future I might even consider the Korean movie adaptation if felt eager enough to spend some time on it.

Girls Frontline 2: Exilium

 Not long after one week since the release in early December, I gave a try with Thus new hottest Triple A Gacha Game released on Global server, Girls Frontline 2: Exilium. This game definitely live up to the hype from its fanbase and I do find myself have an easier time to enjoy this game compared to Nikke. Finally I find something that can serve as a good gateway to GFL series with this fancy production value. Seriously Exilium have some really good 3D models which are very crisp and will give even Genshin a run for their money. 

Mospeada Riobot 1/48 AB-01H Tread

 Took quite sometime for Sentinel to release this after Legioss but Mospeada's Valkyrie Fighter buddy, AB-01H Tread is now available for Preorder. The COVID Pandemic definitely play a part for this guy's release delay for up to 5 years. The hype definitely have cooled down significantly after such a long time and the odds aint good, but Sentinel still fulfilled their end of bargain to release Legioss best partner. Scheduled for July 2025, 1/35 Tread will be sold for 42000 Yen Price Tag.

Gladiator 2

 
 The year 2000 Gladiator Movie no doubt is one of the most memorable movie over past 25 years and this year, Hollywood attempted to revive the Legacy of  Rome with the help of Ridley Scott once again. As a result Gladiator 2 Movie come out on Winter 2024 as sequel of this legendary blockbuster movie which come with obvious mixed results. Overall Gladiator 2 is a decent movie, but compared to its predecessor, it is completely didn't lived up to for many reasons.

Joytoy Warhammer 40k Dark Angels 1/18 Lion El Johnson Review

 
 Today is a rather special occassion, thus I think it is the right time for me to churn out some of my Joytoy Warhammer 40k collections in this blog. For this one of the fastest growing Warhammer 40k collectible Review series, I will start with the Primarch of Dark Angels, Lion El Johnson! 

Firstly, I feel that kickstarting this Joytoy 40k review series with a Primarch will be a good one and I feel the Primarch of the first Loyalist First Founding Space Marine Chapter, Lion El Johnson is the most fitting candidate despite he is not the first Primarch that I obtained ! In terms of personality and MBTI I happen to be the most similar with Lion even though I developed a personal admiration toward Perturabo and Konrad Curze. Even So, Lion has plenty of admirable qualities that many can look up to such as a very strong conviction to to the right thing and his Unwavering Loyalty towardEmperor of Mankind because he saw his Father really devote himself for betterment of mankind.

As for Joytoy rendition of the Dark Angels Primarch, the sculpt quality is unquestionable and probably some of the best that Joytoy devote for their Warhammer 40k Lineup. While there are still Minor hiccups such as unremovable sidearms and mediocre articulations, Joytoy Lion El Johnson is still a truly well made Collectors product and a worthy addition for Dark Angels fans. In near future I will probably follow up with some group shots for Lion with his Dark Angels Retinue.

Fate/Grand Order Nendoroid Rider Iskandar

 It has been more than a decade since Fate/Zero airing and It took another 9 years after FGO JP released that we got to see one of the old friend from Fate series make it as Nendoroid. Easily one of the popular character from Fate/Zero, Rider Iskandar aka Alexander the Great finally make it as Nendoroid along with Waver Zhuge Liang! Scheduled for June 2025 release, Figma Iskandar comes in Regular and DX version which will be sold for 7300 and 11800 Yen respectively.

For a 4500 Yen price difference, Iskandar got himself a Bucephalus as the extra accessory. But for a Price tag that almost cost as much as a Figma, Nendoroid Iskandar feel rather not worth it. Probably it has to do with Japan's weakening economy but back then we probably could have got the Chariot of Heaven as extra accessory for this kind of price 6-7 years ago. Consdering even Lartoria and her Alter DX version was still under 10000 Yen with their steed as accessory. With Iskandar got his Nendoroid, I think Berserker Lancelot still have a good shot too given he had even more collectibles before. Even if I feel this one rather overpriced, Might considering getting this one if Iskandar happened to be the GSSR that I got in the upcoming new year lucky bag.

Hexagear 1/24 Veloce

 
 From time to time, Kotobukiya have some really good release for their Hexagear lineup and now it is one of those moment after V-thors. After the Prototype revealed couple months ago, Kotobukiya finally announced the preorder for one of their sleekest Hexagear mechs yet! Dubbed under simple name Veloce, this Hexagear will be scheduled for May 2025 release with 12000 Yen Price tag.

Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Imperial Knights House Terryn Quaestoris Paladin

  Joytoy really gets the ball for Warhammer 40k rolling in 2023 and deliver even more this year! If they felt their Knockout punches are not enough with this year's Primarchs Action figure release, before 2024 Ended Joytoy packed another wallop that truly exceed expectations! If you think Dreadknights are very big, here comes even bigger player which is Imperial Knights from the House of Terryn! Standing over 50 cm tall this one will be sold for 700 USD Price tag with June release schedule.

I am not particular well-versed in 40k Titans fluff, but apparently Imperial Knights or Quaestor Imperialis are not exactly considered as Titans despite their size already count as Monstrous Creatures. These massive warchines are probably the exact counterpart of real life Medieval Knights and their mighty steeds as the Pilots of these Imperial Knights had their particular Chivalric code and seek glory in the battlefield. The particular model of the Imperial Knights that we got is from House Terryn which roughly similar to Ultramarines in terms of code of conduct.

Seriously for a 40k Collector product, this is one of the best you can get so far if you have disposable income. For its massive size, it looks really great unlike the Nemesis Dreadknight which can be offputting for some people. The prototype of this product had been revealed quite some time ago but I think Joytoy had addressed the Joint issues that this massive behemoth of 40k Collectible. If I had been an Imperial Knight fans, I would have gotten this one in heartbeat since it comes with Cockpit gimmick. But given my current circumstances which kinda lack storage space, I will reserve my budget for something more tame like Militarum assorted Support vehicle. Wouldn't be surprised if something like Baneblade got released someday. To wrap up this article, I will leave the size reference of this unit which comes with the Princeps pilot

Frame Arms Girl Wilber Nine

 
 Another Mecha Musume model kit by Kotobukiya from the adaptation of their Frame Arms series. This time it is the Motorcycle mecha Wilber Nine which gets the turn to get the Frame Arms Girl model kit! Scheduled for May 2025, Frame Arms Girl Wilber Nine will be sold for 8998 Yen.

I am a always big sucker for Motorcycle power armor ever since I watched Mospeada and Wilber Nine certainly got the gimmick that catches my attention. Just like its original counterpart, Frame Arms Girl Wilber Nine armor parts capable of transforming into Motorcycle which 1/12 Scale Mecha Musume can ride. However this Frame Arms Girl Wilber Nine comes with one glaring issues and it is the main armaments weapon of choice. In the original Frame Arms version, Wilber Nine wield three sets of Long Dagger like weapon like Fate series Black Keys as its main armament. However the Frame Arms Girl counterpart make this particular version into an awkward Three sectioned wristblades that looked somewhat similar to Nargacuga wings which obviously look weird on modern style mecha. Nevertheless this glaring particular issues can be still fixed somewhat easily and I am looking at MSG Photon Rifle as a prime candidate.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

 Haven't watched many anime over past few months due to real life commitments, but finally give this series called Kobayashi San Chi no Maid Dragon a watch. Slice of Life is not exactly my cup of tea,  given the similarity of this series with a particular anime that I used to watch, Kobayashi's Maid Dragon is surprisingly an easy watch.

Kobayashi San Chi no Maid Dragon or Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is what Nyaruko will be if the main casts are swapped from Cosmic Horrors into Dragons. This sort of series had a main premise is the mundane's protagonists daily life turned into an exciting one with a devoted waifu from another universe living with them. 

In Kobayashi's Maid Dragon, the main protagonist, Miss Kobayashi got a Dragon waifu named Tohru who turned herself into devoted maid, coming from parallel side of the world and helped herself to live in with Kobayashi after a fateful meeting. Kobayashi Maid Dragon selling point had to be the Dragons casts just like Nyaruko who are extraplanar beings turning themselves into Humans to enjoy the entertainments that Japanese Pop Culture industry had to offer because the latter is superior after all. Overall I can still stomach Kobayashi Maid Dragon despite my aversion to Slice of Life and It doesn't have Pop Culture jokes that Nyaruko had, because the Dragon casts are quite amusing especially Lucoa with her Onee-san antics. As such I will continue watching Kobayashi Maid Dragon's Second Season as well as keeping a tab for the new animation project which apparently will be around on 2025.

Aniplex Berserker Morgan 1st Ascension

 Of all Japanese hobby manufacturers, Aniplex gotta be the one with highest PVC Figure count for FGO series so far given it is Sony's subdivision in charge of Anime related products and close proximity with FGO Franchise. While FGO is already in its slow burn phase, soon enough Aniplex released yet another PVC Figure for Berserker Morgan in her 1st Ascension with the pose of sitting on her throne. Scheduled for February 2026, Aniplex PVC Figure for Morgan Berserker will be sold for 18700 Yen.

While this product is not particularly expensive for today's PVC Figure standard, Aniplex is putting rather lazy treatment for one of the most popular Servant in FGO. Arguably the highest selling point for this product got to be Morgan's throne. Morgan's throne might serve as good prop if you have sizable FGO collection, as it plays crucial role in Avalon Le Fae and always seen in Morgan's Noble Phantasm, Roadless Camelot where Morgan used it to control the Rhongomyniad in her possessions. As much as I am interested with Morgan's throne, I don't think I am too eager to get this one since I am still waiting other manufacturer's take on Morgan like Alter since I am quite confident Summer Morgan will get a good PVC Figure in near future,

Earnestcore Craft Rosado 1/10 - Star Flower Black Iris

 
 Apart from mecha model kits, Chinese Manufacturer is very quick at closing the gap with Japan when it comes to Mecha Musume product. Famed for their Robot build product, now it is the turn for Earnestcore Craft to flex their skill in Mecha Musume and they come up with Rosado 1/10 Black Iris. Scheduled for Q2 2025, Earnestcore Rosado 1/10 Black Iris will be sold for 335 RMB.

Sluban Super Mecha Champions Brick Model - Hurricane Sonic Rocket Review

 All good things must come to an end eventually and Sluban Super Mecha Champions Full Brick model shall end with the Hurricane in SS-Rank Sonic Rocket skin as the final review! At least I am glad to complete this Review series before SMC Server officially closedown thus part of my sendoff contribution for SMC is finished. 

I picked Hurricane as the final review candidate for Sluban SMC Brick Model series because it is one of the two SMC Brick Model that came in alternate Skin apart from Ranger with its Safeguard Skin. Hurricane is also probably one of the most ambitious attempt by Sluban for SMC series as its Top Heavy Bipedal design do have its share of challenges for a Physical product. Ultimately Sluban failed to deliver with this one despite it is not their fault as it has difficulty to stand properly without proper base support considering this is probably the most expensive Sluban product from SMC that probably rivalled only by Hotsteel. 

Regardless of its glaring flaw, Sluban SMC Hurricane is still a good display piece that comes with Transform gimmick and you will still have fun time constructing this 1000+ block count brick model.

Gagharv Mobile: Tears of Vermilion Chapter Clear

 It has been about a month since I picked up Gagharv Mobile. Some rough landing in the early parts aside, Gagharv Mobile is actually quite a pleasant ride for Old-Time Falcom fans who wish to revisit the classic trilogy storyline. Few days ago I have managed to complete the Tears of Vermilion storyline and overall I am quite pleased with the end of my journey. At first I have my misgivings for relatively obscure Japanese JRPG IP to be picked up by a Korean Dev but for the Tears of Vermilion storyline, It turns out to be quite a faithful adaptation of the series as the key moments are executed exactly the same way with the PSP version.

This article will serve as afterthoughts covering the finale part of Gagharv Mobile adaptation of Tear of Vermilion chapter as well as highlighting some of the moments in the storyline which I consider noteworthy from this classic JRPG. So I would recommend fellow readers to stay away if you are still interested to witness the journey of this particular Chapter of Gagharv Trilogy for yourself.

Eddas Technology 1/100 Asgard

 China Model Kits might not have caught up with Bandai's Gunpla when it comes to playability, But they certainly could make some cool looking designs even if they are still not the most original ones. Coming from a manufacturer called Eddas Technology, China hobby industry now have a counterpart with Full Armor Thunderbolt Gundam simply under Asgard callname. Scheduled for December 2024 release , this is yet another 1/100 Scale Model kit that comes with Diecast Frame and will be sold for 199 RMB.

Canned Squad Unit 004 005 006

Chinese take on Gundam Ensemble, Canned Squad unit has made its return! This time they release another three sets which are another variants from the first batch which consisted of Barking Hound, Super Gauntlet and Chariot. Just like the previous batch, these units will be sold for 49 RMB each with Q1 2025 release schedule.

Baichuan got some really cool looking prototypes in their weibo which are mostly Gundams. But due to legal reasons we will just get these CSU units for now. In the second batch we got ourselves a Flight Type and  Dive type Barking Hound which looks more like GM/Jesta this time and heavily armed Super Gauntlet accompanied by construction type Chariot units which come as a set apparently. In terms of accessories I think the Manufacturer tried to be more generous this time considering the first CSU are relatively barebone when it comes to accessories. In any case I am willing to support this one so that we get to see the Baichuan make conversion of their Gundam prototypes which got some Gundam Seed stuff.