Legend of Galactic Heroes Figurine announced!

 Wow this completely caught me off guard! It seems that the attempt to reboot Legend of Galactic Heroes might be real after all. There is no release date so far but Kotobukiya is announcing some figure for LOGH Characters in ARTFX J Lineup. So far Only Yang Wenli got the Prototype shown but Reinhard and Kircheis is going to get one as well. Up until now Legend of Galactic Heroes still remains the best anime when it comes to Politics and Philosophy as well as an effective commentary upon present society. Kircheis and Yang Wenli will be instant grab buy for me because i will not spare money for this Masterpiece and going to keep on tab for these figurines. Studio IG wil be in charge for the reboot and since they look genuinely serious enough, i will give the series a watch from get go. Depending on how successful the series is, i think we are getting model kits for LoGH Flagship as well.

Tactics Ogre Let us Cling Together First Playthrough

 Another one of those game backlog that i cleared and certainly a superb RPG title, regretted abit that i didn't finish this gem earlier. PSP got plenty of Quality RPG game and certainly Tactics Ogre belongs to the list. For a Remake of PS1 game, Let us Cling Together got massive overhaul which makes its quality on a different level. Yasumi Matsuno maybe more known for his Final Fantasy Tactics or Vagrant Story but he is definitely the go-to guy for a quality high fantasy story and i am grateful to him for making Tactics Ogre.

 Compared to FF Tactics, Tactics Ogre is harder to get into due to rather different gameplay mechanics but it is really a good game once you grasp how the system works. But the main difference between Tactics Ogre and FF Tactics, is that Tactics Ogre Class System favors Vertical Class Build and doesn't really allow Mix and Matching Class Skills like FF Tactics. But seriously Archer in This Game pretty much murder everything. In terms of Storyline Tactics Ogre really shine over FFT if you like complex storyline as the former had tons of those. In any case Tactics Ogre is pretty much the other side of coin that is called FF Tactics. One thing that Tactics Ogre clearly win is that it got really cool Antihero in the game.

 For my first run of the game, i went for the Law Route mainly because i want to recruit Ravness but missed her in the end anyway. Back then i left the game near the end of Chapter 3 clocking around 30 Hours and it took me another 100 Hours for me to finish the game. You can actually finish the game within 40 Hours but farming Recipes and Sidequest delayed me that long. One of the main culprit is because i tried to Recruit Deneb which her Wicce Class is the hardest one to get in this game and she definitely live up to infamy. The main reason that her recruitment is very hard is that you need to farm certain rare item called Glass Pumpkin which is very hard to get and even with shortcut it took hours before you can get the required amount. Selling the Dragons to Butcher for their orbs is not too bad but the Glass Pumpkin takes the cake for the main reason that Deneb's recruitment is the hardest one.

 It will be another hundred hours i suppose before i am done with the game, as for now i am still training my underleveled Characters which are mostly the character exclusive class before hitting on Chaos and Neutral Path. It might be close to impossible for a continuation of this series, but i hope somehow Yasumi Matsuno could make another continuation for such amazing series.

MG 1/100 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Kai

 Even though it is Premium Bandai stuff, it is really a surprise that Advance of Zeta stuff made it into Master Grade Lineup. Scheduled for September Release, MG Hazel Kai will be sold around 4800 Yen. I don't know much about Advance of Zeta but Hazel Gundam is a Titans Prototype Mobile Suit based on GM Quel and some traces of Chobham Armor system as well. This version of Hazel Gundam doesn't have anything special yet other than the shield booster though its later iterations are pretty armed to the teeth. AoZ got some really cool design some of them are rather crazy in a good way. I am rather curious why Bandai decide to release AoZ MG out of sudden but i think if this goes well even Hrairoo could make it to 1/100 Scale.

Some Boardgame Expansion Acquisition

 I don't post much about boardgames in this blog but i have been dabbling in this hobby for 3 years already and it drains your wallet as good as collecting Japanese Toys. I like Horror themed Boardgame and Lovecraftian ones satisfied my need quite well. Ever since i played Arkham Horror, i become the closet fanboy of the subgenre. Fantasy Flight Games made some of the more popular and accessible Lovecraft themed Boardgame which i subscribe to Eldritch Horror for some heavy duty stuff and Elder Sign when i need a casual one.

 FFG is quite notorious for chugging out expansion and i am among the helpless fans who keep buying the expansions even though the base game works well by itself. Thus recently i got myself the latest expansion for Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign which are Dreamlands and Omens of the Deep. So far i didn't have time to make full use of the Expansions for both games so far but i should have plenty of opportunity to use them this year especially on Halloween. Perhaps i could post some session report for both games one of these days.

Song of the Long March 长歌行

 A good Feudal Chinese manga is rare and even rarer the one that sets in Tang Dynasty Period. Chang Ge Xing is one of those rare gems coming out from Mainland China showing that Chinese could make some Manhua that outshines the Japanese counterpart. Chang Ge Xing is a story about a Princess who seeks Revenge by Overthrow Tang Regime and a Young yet Powerful Turkic General whose fate intertwined into an epic journey.

 While Tang Dynasty hold special place in my heart for being one the highest point for Chinese Civilization, i follow Chang Ge Xing more than that reason. Kingdom might be another good Feudal Chinese manga but it lacks the finesse of Chang Ge Xing. The storytelling and the art of this manga are simply top tier stuff and it even treads deep on Chinese philosophical value, something really rare coming out of this media. The Character Development of the Two Protagonists are just complex and satisfying, while both start as enemies the Princess and Turkic General are basically two sides of a coin, having so much in common and at the same time complement each other. Both are outsider of their society and seeks the truth of their lineage. One of the best pair from manga series i have seen for a while. I am rather surprised that the author of this series is a young girl in her 20s which makes her certainly very talented if she do everything by herself. I am rather sad that the series is on Hiatus for some reason because Masterpiece like this deserve a proper Conclusion. If you seek a good Feudal Chinese manga that is more than just a Battle Manga than Chang Ge Xing is one of the best one out there. Here is some of my favorite part from the Manga.

Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars

 Kinda surprised that the Starship troopers going to get another CGI Movie considering Starship Troopers Invasion feels rather Lukewarm. Nothing much known about the new Movie except that it continues after the event from Starship Troopers Invasion and stars Johnny Rico as the protagonist once again. The Movie will be scheduled for release on August this year and i hope it got international release. It feels kinda weird that the sequel movie takes place on mars as the setting considering Bugs are infiltrating the earth already but i guess the new movie will give an explanation on it. By this time the Movie series are nowhere close to the Novel  but i will expect some good action and gore considering the previous did it quite well. The Starship Troopers Novel itself is a good read but mostly for its idea on society rather than the dakka action. I do hope Marauder Armor have more screentime in the new movie.

Liu Jian Piercing I (刺痛我）

 一切的偶然都是必然 - Coincidences lead to Destiny

 Seeing Liu Jian's work of "Have a Nice Day" attract some sensation being featured in Berlin Film Festival while Chinese Government attempt to censor which piques my interest on Liu Jian's work. As i haven't find available copy of "Have a Nice Day", i watched Liu Jian's Previous Work instead which is 刺痛我 or dubbed as Piercing I. Despite its arguably terrible animation, Piercing I has simple yet superb story and it is also a good commentary on Chinese Society in particular on the lower end. The story is about a young migrant worker who met series of misfortune which made him decided to return to his Village. Trying to do the right thing he met with injustice instead and one thing leads to another, his friend coax him to commit theft to get even with the person who wronged him. Trying to convey the message of "What goes around comes around" The movie set up lots of coincidences that leads to Bizarre event but somehow believable conclusion making thing going in full circle. I am not good at describing things but watching this movie feels like watching Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The Reason why the movie is exceptional is that it shows an undiluted glimpse of the nature of society corruption in Mainland China which is something rare coming out of that place. I am expecting "Have a Nice Day" will have the same vibe of this movie and really look forward to watch it once available.

DX Chogokin Combattler V

 If there is such thing as Overkill for toys then this one would be one of them. For those who wants something more than Soul of Chogokin, Combattler V is getting one called DX Chogokin. Slated for End of this Year, DX Chogokin Combattler V will be sold for Hefty Price tag of 55000 Yen. For the double price of the SOC, you will get 35 Cm Tall Combattler V with complete set of the weapons and sound effect when Combattler gets combined. For me i will just stick to the regular Soul of Chogokin if i ever get Combattler V but i guess DX certainly worth it for Diehard fan of the series. Speaking of the series, Combattler V had profound effect on Sentai series despite its Anime Background mainly because it provide the mold of 5-People Special Squad with Combining Robot. If this Chogokin DX sells well i think Voltes V will follow up.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku Wo

 I generally avoid Isekai series because it is the cesspit of poorly written escapism story but Konosuba piqued my interest due the amount of merchandise that Konosuba had over short period and so i thought giving the anime a chance. My expectation wasn't that high but certainly Konosuba is quite entertaining to watch. Konosuba is a series that make fun of Isekai trope by having bunch of Misfits as the protagonists. Having a Neet Betakun protagonist accompanied by dysfunctional harems of Pathetic Goddess, Explosive obsessed loli magician and Sadomasochistic Knight does make good combo for an amusing story. In a way Konosuba entertained me like Haiyore Nyaruko San because the series doesn't take itself seriously. If i can't have my decently written High Fantasy like Lodoss then i don't mind some distractions like Konosuba for a while. So far i have finished both seasons since 10 Episodes for each are quick to finish. Personally i find first season is good while the second lacking, but i think the series easily could continue until the 4th Season. I suppose Deen Studio will have something to keep them afloat after struggling in recent years. Konosuba won't be a good fantasy story, it will give you a good laugh while it last!

Non Scale Twinbee Model Kit

 This is rather out of Blue for a Old School Series to get new Plastic Model but Plum did it. Whether it is for some kind of Anniversary, Plum is going to release Twinbee Plamo with price tag of 4000 Yen slated for October this year. Twinbee is one of the Konami Classic shooter series where one of its most known Gimmick is that in 2 Player Mode you can stick both Twinbee to pull out some powerful Shots. I started the Game from NES but really attached with the series with Twinbee Yahho! which i played quite a few times in Arcade when i was a kid. Twinbee also make its appearance in Parodius series which is quite fun Series. I wonder if Plum is going to release the Blue counterpart but the only difference is that it is Pink in Color and comes with a Ribbon. One of these days i should do some coverage for Twinbee Yahho which is available on PSP. Though it is a long shot, The Twinbee Plastic Model and Castlevania Animation might be part of the attempt of Konami trying to get its act together which might be a good thing if the gesture is genuine.

MG 1/100 XN Raiser

 Few Years ago Bandai released XN Raiser parts for HG 1/144 00 Gundam as a part of Hobby Japan Exclusive. I remembered the exclusive deal created quite a fuss as people hoarded the particular Hobby Japan just for the XN parts and scalped them for considerable price. Now as a part of 10th year of 00 Gundam series anniversary Bandai released XN Raiser again as Master Grade. The catch is that the kit will be P-Bandai Exclusive which is kinda hard to import without a reseller. XN is slated for July 2017 with the price tag of 8000 Yen. If you think your 00 Raiser doesn't have enough sword then XN would be another good addition apart from Seven Sword for 00 Gundam. Though i personally find regular 00 Raiser is overkill already and the bulk that XN added doesn't make 00 Gundam able to fight melee properly. The XN Buster does look cool but 00 Universe it feels out of place and a lazy copy of Astray Gundam's tactical arms. If you happen to live in Indonesia, Multitoys opened a preorder with rather good price which you can check Here but the Preorder closed by 21 May so better grab it fast!

Total Warhammer 2 Lizardmen Faction Trailer

 I don't talk much about Western Games in my blog but this news is noteworthy enough for me to make an exception. As a closet Warhammer Game. i am very thrilled that Lizardmen is one of the faction that will make it into the second Total War: Warhammer installment. While i never play the tabletop game, Lizardmen is the faction that i find to be the coolest! Who doesn't like Jurassic Park and Warhammer Lizardmen allows you to field Aztec Dinosaurs riding on Dinosaurs. For now only three out of four Factions to be revealed in Total Warhammer 2 but many people speculate that it will be Skaven. Even if it is not, The Skaven will make into Total Warhammer eventually because these infighting rat people are the most amusing faction in the series. As for the WHFB series itself, i do hope that Games Workshop will lend its IP to someone to release some more accessible boardgames, I like my Chaos in the Old World but i don't mind some Warhammer-themed Talisman!

Double Zeta Gundam

 Guess Iron Blooded Orphans make me decide to marathon my Gundam Anime backlog and went for Double Zeta after Unicorn. As a Gundam series ZZ is still a decent one but plagued by many problems stemming from the burden of being Zeta Gundam successor. For me, the main issue with ZZ is that it feels that the series are not focused which results in Half Baked characters and rather shaky if not wacky beginning. The first Half of the series is rather unbearable but the second half of ZZ do get better and now i get to see the infamous "Moon Moon"! The Protagonists in ZZ are definitely overshadowed by Zeta considering the Shangrilla Misfits are nowhere as good as Liutenant Quattro team and they survived mainly due to sheer luck. However Judau Ashta is one of the most likeable UC Era protagonist and i liked him better than Amuro or Kamile. This is because he is one of the most compassionate Gundam Protagonist out there without being too hypocritical and manage to retain his humanity even after going through horrors of war. Heck even he still managed to be badass in Late UC whether it is canonical or not. No doubt with his Personality, Judau would really get along with Garrod from Gundam X

 Fluff-wise the main points that i grasp from ZZ is that EFSF are already hopeless at this point and the biggest tragedy is that AEUG fight to maintain the stagnant status quo. I can see how the events in ZZ precipitated to Char's fall to Despair and lead to CCA event. Had Neo Zeon didnt collapse due to Civil War, i guess some better reform could have existed and i would look forward to see ZZ alternate take on next Gihren's Greed. With ZZ finished, i have watched most of Universal Century titles save for V Gundam and the Recent Thunderbolt and overall i got 3 Gundam TV series left away from completion. As a Gundam series, Double Zeta might be weak title but it is far from the worst though watching the series straight after Zeta do give you some shock Therapy.

 Also from ZZ Gundam, now i get why Elpeo Ple is such popular character at its time. Had she not died in the series, i think she has the best chance to be Judau's lover. But SRW gave plenty of consolation for such scenario already and in any case have some Purus!

Gundam Unicorn Finale thoughts

 Very late to the party on this one but managed to finish this Gundam OVA. While it is not the conclusion that i prefer for Universal Century, Gundam Unicorn has a fitting end to wrap up the early UC timeline. Unicorn will be remembered as the series that has one of the best mecha fight animation in gundam franchise but it is still riddled with issues. To me i just find the Gundam Unicorn tried too hard to shove its message to its viewer which is translated into Banagher Links aka Banana, one of the most idiotic mary sue Gundam Protagonist.

 The Laplace Box reveal does make sense but at the same time it makes the whole conflicts until UC Gundam feels futile. I understand the intention for the Anti-War Message, but the Laplace Box just makes the cause of struggle between Zeon and Federation are baseless to the point of being disrespectful. Nevertheless at its core i can see that conclusion of Laplace Box is that a well intentioned lie can snowball into nightmarish vicious cycle. It is just depressing that good characters in previous Gundam series struggled and literally died for nothing when the truth being revealed.

 With this i guess i can stomach the Gundam Unicorn stages in SD Gundam Genesis. But seriously i don't really like how Bandai put too much spotlight on this series because it just got too many magical hax bs. I still wonder if the existence of UC Gundam makes the Late UC titles being retconned too. For now i am just curious how Sunrise will handle the transition.

Chogokin Guruguru Doraemon

 Doraemon series is one of the most memorable childhood for majorities in Asia and now it seem that Bandai is going to exploit it by releasing some interesting toy for this series. Slated for September this year, Guruguru Doraemon has some interesting tricks on its pocket For 8000 Yen Price tag. This Doraemon diecast toy has couple of gimmicks to live up to its title, an onomatopoeia for spinning in Japanese. Guruguru Doraemon has neat gimmick that by pushing down Doraemon's it will either change its expression or literally take out of something from its pocket. This toy serve as Spiritual successor of GachaGacha Doraemon which was sold around 10 years ago which certainly a step up from its predecessor. I will probably keep watch on this toy because for 8000 Yen price tag, the gimmick is rather lacking for now because this version only comes with 8 Tools which was lesser compared to its predecessor. I think if the response is positive for this item then probably Bandai will release more accessories. Lastly i think with 8000 Yen, Bandai could have added voice effect for the toy. Just watch the official video below for better look on Guruguru Doraemon's gimmick.