Arknights: Prelude to Dawn

 

 Just as 2nd season of Arknights anime got greenlit during the announcement of 4th year Arknights anniversary, I just managed to get some time finished watching Arknights prelude to dawn. In short the 1st season of Arknights anime is as good as a primer to the series but nothing more, nothing less. 

Over the span of 8 Episodes, Prelude to dawn covers the storyline of Arknights Main Chapter from the prologue up to Chapter 3 where Amiya lead Rhodes Island to rescue Doctor and have him rejoin the faction up to the mid part of confrontation with Reunion in Lungmen. As a fans of the series watching the anime, animation is good enough but i feel Hypergryph tried to make the anime as plain as possible.

 One of the main charm of Arknights game is collecting hundreds of operators and then slowly gaining their respect/affection. Though due understandable circumstances, the anime is devoid of this aspect with only Penguin Logistics and BSW shown directly working with Rhodes operators. Hypergryph actually could consider making 1-3 Episodes for the side stories to enrich the atmosphere of the anime series, though i guess the Devs team are trying to gain some experience as screenwriter before such project could be considered. To be honest Arknights anime will not be able to replace the mobile game's content but it is a decent gateway for the casual fans to get into the series,

Rihio Animacha Vol.1

 China's Toys industry scene never cease to amaze me yet again! This time from a candy toys blindbox lineup, they are releasing some pretty cool Mecha toys from a brand called Rihio. Dubbed as Animacha lineup, This candytoys lineup are bunch of SD sized Robot piloted by animals and this instantly catches my attention being a sucker for Robot toys with cockpit gimmick. Have been released in China market for few months, these cute little robots are sold for roughly 100 RMB each.

From what I found on the net, Rihio is a relatively new brand of Toys that make SD proportioned Mecha toys that mostly resemble to Diaclone/Bionicle hybrid. But their Animacha lineup show the best potential the most with Fresh and original design standing 12 cm tall. For now Animacha only have 1 boxed set along with a Rabbit Robot which were sold as limited edition, but they will have great future if they are able to continue with Solid entries for the next boxed volume.

Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Saint Celestine

 

 I haven't covering much about Joytoy but they are really doing well in their products lineup especially for 40k Series. They have released plenty of good collectibles with this series before which are predominantly Space Marines but this time they dropped another bomb right here! Joytoy finally is going to release another major character from Imperium of Man, The living saint of Adepta Sororitas, Saint Celestine! With 73 USD price tag, we can expect this figure to be released in mid of this year considering Joytoy's pace of product release.

I am not too familiar with Saint Celestine fluff but she is one of the viable Astra Militarum HQ Choice, Celestine was a member of Battle sister prior to her ascendance as Living Saint who died during her service for Emperor but found herself resurrected as Living Saint. In the battlefield she served as beacon of hope for Guardsmen and she usually fights in the thickest of the battlefield along with her twin Geminae escort bodyguard. Celestine release is a big deal considering she is the second famous 40k character who got her action figure made by Joytoy after Marneus Calgar and we can expect there will be more of these types in the future.

Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves

  Dnd have been relatively a rather niche series that had been shunned by normies for a long time and Hasbro finally decided to test how the popular RPG series fare for general audience with a blockbuster movie. While the production suffered so many delays in the production, I believe the movie is a good success because it manage to be a good entertainment both for mainstream viewers or Casual DnD fans like myself.

Honor Among Thieves story is a basically low level campaign of DnD PCs with a Human Bard as main character fighting against his old rogue companion and an agent of powerful lich in the realm in order to save his daughter, Traveling across many places in Forgotten Realm for the quest and encountering many sorts of people including allies. Honor among Thieves is a good DnD adaptation because the series perfectly capture the essence of this Role playing series beloved by many where the adventurers are not the top of the food chain like those typical shitty Isekai series and need to brave many dangers by relying with their wits and abilities considering they will get TPK'd should they try to fight a Red Dragon with Isekai mindset. The ever present sense of mortality is truly what makes the adventure a complete fantasy experience. 

 My Favorite character from this movie is the Paladin, Xenk Yendar who just serve as powerful NPC ally in this movie because he is a good adaptation of a Lawful Good archetype. I think Honor among Thieves is successful enough to warrant a continuation, though i really doubt it will be hard for this Bard party to commit on the next adventure, given the nature of movie production.

Soul Calibur Storm Collection Heishiro Mitsurugi

 

 Storm Collection is a small Hongkong action figure making company who are renowned for making quality muscular action figure for memorable characters from Fighting games like Street Fighter, Tekken or Mortal Kombat. Now they are finally ready to start making some action figure for Soul Calibur beginning with Heishiro Mitsurugi in his Soul Calibur 2 version! Storm Mitsurugi will be sold for around 90 USD with Q3 2023 release schedule.

I never collected Storm collection before since i am not really into the characters they make, but If you want some muscular warrior type action figure, Storm did it better than Figma considering You will be really able to feel the weight of these characters. Mitsurugi is one of the most iconic character from Soul Calibur series apart from Siegfried from Soul Calibur male characters. In Soul Calibur series, Mitsurugi is a Peasant turned Samurai and fought through countless battles in Feudal Japan era until he decide to travel around the world in search for the strongest weapon, Soul Edge. In his quest for power, he fought alot with Taki who tried to prevent the Samurai corrupted by the cursed sword. While Mitsurugi is not my most favorite character, he is quite fun to play in SC 3 & 4. I will be waiting for Raphael's turn someday.   

GITS SAC Megahouse Gals Series Motoko Kusanagi

  Still surprised that we are getting some figurine for Major Motoko and the version from Stand Alone Complex no less! though this one fall on rather pricier side. So for some reason, Megahouse is releasing a PVC figure for Major Motoko as the part of Gals series with 22880 Yen price tag and October 2023 release date.

 However for a rather high price tag for PVC Figure, this version of Motoko had rather lackluster face sculpt and pose despite the body sculpt is good enough to bring out Major's alluring seductiveness. Personally i will look forward to Pop Up Parade or Figma for this version of Motoko which remains one of the best strong-willed Female protagonist out there.

Arknights Nendoroid Blaze

   So for Arknights we are getting the months pace for a Nendoroid release and the next one is one of Rhodes Island Elite Operator no other than the Chainsaw Kitty, Blaze! She is one of the top anticipated Ops so her release is imminent, Nendoroid Blaze is scheduled for October 2023 release and will be soon opening for Preorder in next week but i would expect her SRP should be around 7000 Yen.

 In Arknights Blaze is an excellent Laneholder Guard Operator due to her decent endurance and Strong consistent AOE DPS with her 2nd Skill. She is one of the Guard Operator who had been serving quite well since the Game debut 3 years ago and still reliable if overshadowed by the newer Guard OPs that can dish on-demand powerfuk burst damage. Her Nendoroid Chainsaw Accessory is surprisingly small maybe because the impression of her massive range from her skill 2 in the game. With the current pace of GSC, Siege or Mudrock would be a likely candidate for next Arknights Nendoroid

Yuusha Shirei Dagwon Metamorforce Fire Dagwon

  Finally a proper Collectors Toy for Fire Dagwon but alas it is made by Sentinel so it is guaranteed to be pricey. Just like the King J-Der, Amakuni will be the one handling the distribution of the product for some reason. Scheduled for December 2023 release, Metamorforce Fire Dagwon will be sold for 42000 Yen, quite a commitment for the fans of this Yuusha series.

 For a Collectible of this price, Metamorforce obviously come with the perfect transformation gimmick though I feel its legs are rather too chunky probably because it doesn't use parts swap. Fire Dagwon held a special place in my heart because it is one of the Robot toys I remembered to possess when I was a kid vividly and which is why I am willing to compromise over the price tag. Apparently Sentinel will commit for Power Dagwon and Gunkid for the rest entry of this series but I will only be interested to get Fire Dagwon considering I think Dagwon's final form is one of the worst from Yuusha series.

John Wick Chapter 4

 It has been a while since I watched any movie and Keanu Reeves deliver yet again in John Wick 4th movie. I got into this series when I watched 2nd Movie and this series set itself apart with its amazing fight choreography. I haven't watched 3rd movie but John Wick make himself clear why he is called boogeyman in the world of assassins in the 2nd movie. I thought the body count couldn't be any higher but John Wick Chapter 4 will give the fans an entertainment befitting the legacy of John Wick series. Given how the ending of the movie goes, Keanu Reeves have relative freedom to continue the series or held his head high and wrap up John Wick series with a bang with the 4th Movie. Also Donnie Yen performance is surprisingly really good since i thought he really shine better in a kungfu movie.

 To put it simply, John Wick is definitely a man of Focus, Commitment and Sheer Will. If he is an RPG character, his Dexterity and Constitution stats would be off the charts. His inhuman endurance is what impresses me the most considering he still can keep going despite taking so much punishment that could kill easily 10 men already and able to keep going with his sheer willpower. While i can't say much about the storyline since I am out of loop with the series, you won't be disappointed if you go watch this movie for the action.
 

SRW OG Riobot G Compatible Kaiser

 Early 2023 has been a very good year for SRW OG fans or maybe a curse for the wallet since Hobby manufacturers in the industry are starting to make Toy Collectible for the series. After Yaldabaoth and Valefor, Sentinel released yet another Super Robot and G Compatible Kaiser is the lucky one. Sold as separate unit of Compatible Kaiser and G Thunder will be sold for 42000 and 10000 Yen respectively with subsequent release schedule of February and April 2024. So expect to fork out money almost as much as Riobot SRX with the combined price tag of 52000 Yen!

G Compatible Kaiser at this form makes its appearance in SRW OG Gaiden though you get to play a bit in OGs part 2 as Compatible Kaiser. Just like SRX, Sentinel's rendition of SRW's Sol Gravion will have partial diecast parts included. This super robot is a big deal in the realm of mecha design because it is the culmination of Masami Obari's craft in mecha industry and perfected version of Sol Gravion. And Obari chose this design to contribute to SRW series along with Shurouga for SRW Z. To be honest I am very tempted to get this version of G Compatible Kaiser since it would be a perfect representation for Gravion and at the same time my regret not getting the Kotobukiya model kit which only cost 8000 Yen back then. In any case I really look forward to new version of Wildwurger and Granveil someday

Legend of Galactic Heroes Die Neue These : Sakubou

  Took me couple of years to return back to Die Neue These, but i am very glad that I get to finish marathoning up to the latest cour of the legendary space opera remake in anticipation for the peak moment of LoGH due in next production season. Die Neue These: Sakubou is the 4th Cour of the LoGH remake which comparitively lack in the combat department when compared to previous seasons but in the political scenes, the balls are rolling for the epic showdown of Operation Ragnarok and the last episode really conclude the season with very high note. By the 3rd season, Studio IG really show attempts to try live up to the OVA legacy with expanding on certain scene down further in order which can be hit or miss. However the effort is evident enough to prove Studio IG Production team respect toward this legendary Space Opera despite DNT kinda lag 4 episodes behind the original OVA at this point. 

As someone who have watched the OVA several times before. Trust me you will not want to miss the 5th season because it will cover one of the highest peak moment of the series. I just hope the 5th season will cover the FPA preparation side properly because the Galactic Empire occupies most of the limelight of DNT 4th season.

Kenka Ramen

 Another good cooking manga from the Author of Shoku King, These two mangas are the definitive works of the genre by the Mangaka for sure. While Shoku King caters the readers with Japanese culinary world, Kenka Ramen is strictly Japanese Ramen only for the entirety of its 17 Volumes. The main protagonist of this series is a delinquent teenage boy turned into a passionate Ramen Chef who will undertook Journey from his hometown to Hakata in order to create his perfect ramen encountering varieties of Delicious Ramen.

For cooking manga, Kenka Ramen is as shonen as it gets and I will look forward to putthe knowledge imparted from this manga into good use when I travel to Japan someday. Interestingly some characters from this manga will make a cameo appearance in Goku Shoku King which is a nice touch for both readers for instance one of the Rival that the protagonist face will serve as main adversary for Kitakata later on. The mangaka for these series himself has passed on for quite some time but his work definitely worth to read.
 

Riki Oh

 

 80s era was graced with Hokuto no Ken which is an ultraviolent battle manga which paves the way for many mangaka to follow suit and Riki Oh is one that sits on the extreme end of the ultra-violence. When I was a kid, I watched a HK Movie with the same name and the impressions that lingered were the over the top violence and extreme gorefest for the medium. Turns out the original source material does not stray far from it. 

The main protagonist in this series is basically Kenshiro Clone fighting in pre-apocalypse modern era who lives a live of a vagrant and kept getting entangled with outlaws from underworld. Riki-Oh is basically Saitama's Uncle whose gore filter turned off and his strikes capable of dismembering or blowing off his opponents with ease. To put it simply, Riki-Oh tried to make itself a name by surpassing Hokuto no Ken in the gorefest department which it succeeds at considering the manga last for 12 Volumes. To be honest apart from the over the top Gorefest, Riki-oh doesn't have much to offer with barely coherent manga, Bleak atmosphere to the point of tryhard and lastly unmemorable characters, considering none of the villain are charismatic enough for readers to cheer on. In any case the mangaka of this series later will make a name for himself with Tough fighting manga.

SHF Devilman DC 50th Anniversary edition

 A rather unusual release by Bandai but SHF Devilman got released again as a part of 50th anniversary. I am not sure if this one is any different with the 2017 version but the Yen inflation is very apparent. Scheduled for July 2023 release, SHF Devilman will be sold for 11000 Yen.

 Apparently this version of Devilman have compatible parts for SOC Mazinger DC considering this version is from Devilman vs Mazinger Movie. To be honest this would be an instanty buy if Bandai released Amon Devilman Saga version which looks like a power armor version of Devilman. The series was rather difficult to get into for me at first, but Devilman is definitely an acquired taste which Go Nagai sensei shared his spiritual worldview through this work. After watching Devilman Crybaby, i went further buy reading Devilman Lady and Saga which is a must read if you wish to see the continuity of the series after the depressing end of first Devilman. I hope that the translation for Devilman Saga will be worked on consistent pace because it is supposed to be the penultimate conclusion of this Go Nagai's classic series.

Arknights Monster Hunter Collab event

 Since the Capcom collaboration announcement with Arknights last year, the Monster Hunter collaboration content have been revealed just now and the hype is real! Initially some people have been expecting Resident Evil or Devil May Cry collab but Monster Hunter the one that ended up chosen by Hypergryph. The MH Collab will be available in Arknights CN on March 7th and we will expect the collab will be available on Global around Late August-September. 

For this collab event Rhodes Island Operator Yato and Noir Corne will make appearance as 6* Specialist and 5* Guard Operator respectively complete with signature Kirin and Rathalos Monster Hunter Armor. After being stuck as 2* operator for so long it is time for these veteran Rhodes Island operator to show their worth. I Suppose the event will feature MH monsters as the enemies with some of the Wyverns will serve as Boss enemy which I look forward how Hypergryph will handle it.

This collab is boon for both series as MH is not as big anymore and Arknights could use very good collab to one up the competition while games like FGO and Genshin left falling behind with their recent blunders. Speaking of Arknights, I have been playing this game for 3 Years already and the gacha experience is very stable even if the gratification is not the best. For my part i will support this rare collab by buying monthly pass until the collab arrives at global server considering this years banner is very competitive with many Alter and meta Operator Banners lying around for next 6 months. Lastly I do hope the MH collab will not stop at this event because there are many more Monster Armors that deserve to make an appearance