Deadpool and Wolverine

 Not exactly a Marvel universe fans myself as the last Movie I watched was Avengers: Endgame. But Hugh Jackman wearing Wolverine classic costume is just too hard to ignore and thus I gave the movie a watch. I did watch Deadpool 2 Back then so I do have some sort of expectation what kind of deal I am getting into with this 4th Wall breaking R-Rated Marvel Antihero.

Overall Deadpool and Wolverine is a pretty good Action movie that manage to elevate the reputation for both Deadpool and Wolverine amidst Marvel Superhero burnout by the fans due to Disney Mismanagement. Two Marvel Heroes with contrasting personalities somehow make a Great duo to save their world in the Multiverse misadventure. Deadpool and Wolverine is probably the first time we see Marvel split IPs reunite once again in the single Movie as X-men and Fantastic Four along with other Marvel make a homage appearance in this movie.

I am watching Deadpool and Wolverine mainly due to Hugh Jackman since I never watched any of his Wolverine movies before. But I have to admit Ryan Reynolds do pull an amazing performance as Deadpool once again. I wouldn't mind to watch a sequel of this tagteam Superhero Duo in the future if Hugh Jackman feels that he is still fit enough to reprise his role as Wolverine again.
 

Punky Skunk

 Revisiting my Childhood once again! Animal platforming are still aplenty in PSX era and very popular. Instead 2Ds like in the 16-bit era, most of these animal platforming games had transitioned to 3D style like Crash Bandicoot or Spyro. Among many of these 3D games there were still some 2D games like Punky Skunk which happened to be one of the earliest Video Game that I played during my childhood and it can be said to be the gateway for me into the Video Game world. Overall Punky Skunk is a solid Animal platformer game but released in 1998 which was way too late for a 2D game to leave a mark as the 3D gaming are dominating on the craze. However given the significant contribution that Punky Skunk gave to my Childhood memories, I feel that I have to return the favor with an article at very least.

Aura Battler Dunbine Megahouse Real Posing Robot Billbine / Bellvine

 I think it has to do with 40th Anniv for Dunbine series or something but we got yet another premium product for the series by Megahouse! After the gorgeous Metal Build from Tamashi Nation, we got ourselves a Premium Statue for Billbine under Real Posing Robot lineup. Scheduled for March 2025 release, Megahouse Real Posing Robot will be sold for 31000 Yen.

Over past few years, I was aware that Megahouse did make Premium statues for Tokusatsu series and Digimon series but they rarely make any PVC figures for mecha series as they tend to make posable collectibles. Though apparently Sirbine had been available as the previous entry of this particular lineup few months ago, costing somewhat lesser for some reason. This Premium Statue would be a viable substitute for those who are unable to obtain the Metal Build Dragon Scale Billbine though I would say consummate mecha fans would still find better mileage with the Metal Build.

Cang Toys Battle of the World Gods GMS-001 1/100 炎帝 Yandi

 Chinese Mecha model kit strikes again and this one is from a manufacturer called Cangtoys which are apparently different with Cangdao Toys. Dubbed as 炎帝 which literally means Flame Emperor, China presents a Fire themed Choppy mecha which is part of a series called 界神之战 which means Battle of the World Gods and the first one to be featured. Scheduled for Q1 2025 release Yandi will be available with 2 variants 158 RMB for Regular Frame and 188 RMB for the Diecast Frame.

While this lineup is still not the exactly most original mech as you can see plenty of the Popular Gundam bits and pieces especially for the rest of the future possible lineup below, The end result mech still looks cool enough. In terms of Aesthetics, Yandi is a dedicated close combat unit through and through, armed to the teeth with select choices of weapons ranging from Polearms, Dual Blades and slashing Drone weapons.  Yandi particularly caught my attention because it is a good proxy for Fire Masoukishin Granveil, one of my favorite mecha from Masoukishin series that never gets any worthy collectible until now. Out of the 5 candidates for this Battle of World Gods lineup, Yandi is one of the better designs apart from Susanoo which is the Samurai Mecha. Many Chinese manufacturers could release many attention products but lets see if CangToys able to see through this particular lineup until the end. I will leave the Rosters concept art as to conclude this post. 

Konosuba KDColle Aqua Light Novel 10th Anniv Version

  Coming along with Darkness as the first set of the 10th Anniv Konosuba Light Novel Celebration, Aqua joins in the budget version of KDColle lineup in exotic costume! By far this is one of the more Skin revealing version of Aqua's figure rendition apart from her summer version but a rather interesting design nonetheless. Scheduled for January 2025 release, KDColle 10th Anniv Aqua will be sold for 9000 Yen.

 While this Aqua's figure looks like mixture of swimwear and scantily clad cheerleader, I think the designer wants to go to the direction of Pagan Orient Goddess vibe which are actually complemented well with Aqua's perfect body. But given it is the Light Novel version, you won't get the aura of Useless Goddess from this Aqua's figure because that one mostly represented in her Anime version. Given Megumin and Yunyun are revealed as the second batch already, I will feature them in this Blog's article in near future

Fate/Grand Order Freeing 1/4 Saber Alter 3rd Ascension

 It has been quite sometime since Saber Alter got any new Premium PVC Figure but it doesn't mean her popularity is getting any lesser. Several years after Artoria Pendragon and Gilgamesh getting 1/4 Figure, now it is the turn for Saber Alter to join with her 3rd Ascension! Scheduled for May 2025 release, 1/4 Saber Alter will be sold for whopping 55000 Yen.

I rarely see any PVC Figure broke through 50k Yen price tag but it is not really a surprise given the current economic situation of Japan. If Salter was released back around 2020 her price tag would have been within 35-45k Yen price range. Regardless this PVC figure would be a decent choice to upscale from Alter's 1/7 Saber Alter which I do find to be still the definitive version of Saber Alter. Perhaps If I have extra money in the future I might highly consider getting 1/7 Maid Alter figure.

Archecore AAG-01 Arena of Ancient Gods 1/60 Thunder Knight Killian

 Yet another Chinese Manufacture that caught my attention with their Mecha Products. A couple years ago there were a manufacturer called Archecore that churns out Fantasy themed Mecha products with elaborate transformation gimmick and now they are ready to step up their game by releasing a whole playset. Revealed for the first time in Wonderfest Shanghai 2023, the first of the Knight Mecha playset called Thunder Knight Killian is now ready for Preorder. Scheduled for March 2025 release, Archecore AAG-01 Thunder Knight Killian will be sold for 899 RMB Price tag.

Seriously what makes this Knight Mecha special is that It includes playset complete with Miniature knight which is very rare and The mecha itself is capable of transforming into a Tower and Catapult which is very rad. The transformation gimmick alone make this product deserve the publicity because not even Japan could always come up with these sort of gimmicks. From the first glance, Arena of Ancient Gods looks like the Chinese manufacturer take on Age of Sigmar since the previous entry product have action figures that looks like Stormcast Eternals/Space Marines. I will definitely put extra effort to obtain this Archecore product and will look forward to the 2nd entry which are Dragon-themed. I will leave the product feature pics as the reference below

Dungeon Meshi Figma Marcille Donato

 Dungeon Meshi is now ready to release second entry for their Figma series! As expected after Laios, Marcille is the next one to follow up just like other GSC lineup. Scheduled for May 2025 release, Figma Marcille will be sold for 12000 Yen.

While the accessories are as lackluster as ever for 12000 Yen Figma, the regular version of Marcille comes with the suitable faceplates befitting her depiction in Dungeon Meshi. Off all Falin's Rescue Party members, Marcille is the most vocal when it comes to consuming monsters but she ends up liking the Monster dishes made by Senshi. Marcille will definitely play even greater role in the second cour anime especially nearing the end which Dungeon Meshi fans can look forward too. As for Senshi and Chilchuck, I wonder if they will be released as dual pack or single considering the size of the character.

Megalomaria Unlimited Universe Ghillie Dhu

Another Interesting Kotobukiya Plamo Lineup that I just noticed now with its latest entry. If Bandai have 30 Minutes Fantasy, Kotobukiya's counterpart would be this Megalomaria series which appears to be a mix of Cyberpunk and Fantasy. The product that caught my attention for this lineup is this recent particular Megalomaria model kit called Ghillie Dhu. Scheduled for December 2024 release, Megalomaria Model kit will be sold for 7800 Yen.

On first glance, Ghillie Dhu looks like a Wandering Vigilante that came from a Knightly Order due to its liberal Cross Motifs. Ghillie Dhu comes with a Giant Cross like object as its Main armaments which are reminiscent of the similar stuff from Gungrave series which hold many assortments of weapon and can even be wielded as Two-Handed Sword. Ghillie Dhu's design stands apart from the previous Megalomaria Mephisto which would look like a bounty target of the former. While I am not too interested with most of the Megalomaria existing designs, I think Kotobukiya could invest more resource with this lineup to give Bandai's 30 MF series a run for their money.

Fate/Grand Order Aniplex 1/7 Berserker Artoria Caster 2nd Ascension

 FGO 7th Summer event is almost coming to an end and Aniplex is teasing the FGO fans with Summer 8 SSR Servant premium PVC Figure. Between the choice of Summer Morgan, Melusine and Artoria Caster, Artoria Caster is the one getting the first pick coming in her 2nd Asc costume of Bunny maid! Scheduled for August 2025, Aniplex 1/7 Artoria Caster will be sold for 35000 Yen.

A rather expensive Premium figure for FGO, but this sort of price is not really a thing for Dedicated FGO Fans. Artoria Caster's pure maiden quality is shown perfectly with this PVC Figure with her blushing in maid costume. Being the main star of Lostbelt 6, Summer Castoria Alter is a berserker class whose Noble phantasm will give Gilgamesh Gate of Babylon a run of their money. Overall her 2nd ascension is the best looking one without going for overkill like the 1st and 3rd ascension. Summer 8 definitely will be another tough waifu Gauntlet banners as 3 Top tier waifu banners are running back to back. I have survived 7th Banner gauntlets relatively unscathed and hoping to do well for this one as well.

Konosuba KDColle Darkness Light Novel 10th Anniv version

 Kadokawa's KDColle PVC Figure lineup tend to elude my attention because the characters for their Premium Figure lineup never strike my fancy. However things might be different with their release for Konosuba Figures for the LN 10th Anniv. As part of the Light Novel 10th Anniversary, Kadokawa is releasing 2 PVC Figures under 10k Yen for Darkness and Aqua that comes with special costume but in this article I will just discuss for Darkness one. Scheduled for February 2025 release, KD Colle 10th LN Anniv will be sold for 9000 Yen.

Classified as Non Scale figure standing at 17 cm, you won't expect this Konosuba KDColle figures will be on par with 20k+ Yen PVC Figures. But at very least these figures will be slightly better than Pop Up Parade. Darkness KDColle is rather special because she comes in Wedding Dress which by the way are rarely sold under 10k Yen. This one probably reenact the Kazuma Wedding Crashing moment in Konosuba S3. Seriously Darkness could have won Kazuma's heart if not for her Masochist tendency, because who can't resist a Blonde Noblelady in Wedding Dress with the pure maiden smile? If the sculpt is good this figure is literally a steal and Kadokawa could make some good money by releasing the remaining 4 Konosuba main heroines in this price tag with alternate costume too. Just lets see if Kadokawa will continue their under 10k PVC Konosuba Figures in near future.

Monster Hunter SHM Enraged Furious Rajang

Tamashii Nation are back with something special for Monster Hunter yet again! After Tigrex, they are back with something from 2nd Gen and it is the popular Fanged Beast Monster, Rajang in his Super Saiyan Glory! Scheduled for January 2024, SHM Rajang will be sold for 15000 Yen.

 Given the messy economic situation of Japan, by this time I won't be surprised that the Monster Hunter creature with the size of Rajang cost as much as Tigrex and I expect the accessories will be bare minimum too. Even so at very least we will get this particular rendition of Rajang in his Enraged Super Saiyan glory and perhaps we will even be getting the King Crown size version. 

 Rajang has always been a special monster in MH series since MHF2 despite its small size because it is one of the most ferocious creature that will give any Wyverns and even Elder dragons a run for their money as it is capable and willing to deliver plenty of pains in any exchanges. In most G versions MH Game, once you reach the equivalent rank of G-rank you will also get to fight Furious Rajang who is in its Perma Rage state that comes with SSJ2! Just like many hunters, I got myself into an Eye opening experience with Rajang in the Final Invitation quest which was the last Village Quest in MHF2 which you get to fight Two Rajangs in an Arena. Obviously I got OHKO'd in my low rank gear against this Super Saiyan Monkey during my first encounter which will always be part of my MH memory.

Monster Hunter SHM might be going at snail pace at the moment given the state of Monster Hunter IP which is currently in stagnation process. But I am quite sure Deviljho will be following up to join soon due to its popularity and rival status with Rajang which hopefully will not exceed 25000 Yen.

Sakura Taisen 4 First Playthrough Clear!

 Finally I reached my first milestone for the Final Destination of my Sakura Taisen 4 with the first playthrough cleared! As expected, It wasn't easy to keep pushing through when your wonderful dream spanning over a decade is almost coming to an end which will be met with plenty of farewells. But it is part of the life journey after all.

As expected with many issues riddled with the game production at the time, Sakura Taisen 4 is a very short game which can be finished within 5-6 hours from the start. Regardless of the rushed development hell that this game suffered, Sakura Taisen 4 is a well made Swan Song to wrap up this legendary series providing the conclusion from the journey that players experience in Sakura Taisen 2 & 3. If you seek the conclusion of your Favorite Sakura Taisen maidens, you will get it in Sakura Taisen 4. 

As I finished my first playthrough, Sakura Taisen series truly ended with Sakura Taisen 4. The second wind attempts of the series revival with Sakura Taisen V and Shin Sakura Taisen never really get anywhere just simply because they lack the Idealistic & Grandeur Visions that the original Tetralogy had. If you have been following my Sakura Taisen series articles you will most likely know which Heroine that I aimed for my very first run but I will just leave the evidence below. That particular heroine will definitely get her dedicated Route post in near future.

Aura Battler Dunbine Robot Spirits Zellbine / Zelvine

 It was rather late for me to start appreciating Aura Battler Dunbine series and even so I am mostly preoccupied with Sirbine instead. Thus back then some of the cool bug Knight designs like Zellbine escaped my attention and not until the recent Metal Build Billbine that I started to put some attention to this product once again. Released back in September 2021 with 9000 Yen Price tag, Robot Zellbine is one of those P-Bandai release items.

 From what I can dig up, Zellbine is the mass produced version of Billbine that still looks like a Heroic type Bug Mecha while not being too knightly like Sirbine. I would imagine that Zellbine will be piloted by someone who will serve as the Kouhai of Billbine pilot. The Robot Damashii version of Zellbine got the similar slim Body proportion of Sirbine which makes it look like a Prim and Proper Knight mecha while Billbine still maintain rather stocky body proportion until Metal Build Dragon Scale fix the issue partially. The Scimitar weapon allong with transparent wing effect do makes Zellbine look almost as good as Sirbine which I hope allow an opportunity for a Metal Build to be made for this guy as well someday.

Chippoke Ralph no Daibouken - Great Adventure of Little Ralph

 Settling my old debt once again with a PSX game that I played as a kid. There was this PSX Platformer that features the main protagonist got cursed by the enemy into a Child who sets for a journey of Hack and Slash adventure. When I had my Vita, I just got to know that particular game name was Chippoke no Ralph which was a Japan exclusive PSX game released back in 1999. Though good thing that I didn't purchase it on PSN back then. Recently I just got time to give my full attention for this game and I was in for a rude awakening because Chippoke no Ralph is definitely one of the more brutal Platformer on modern consoles. To save everyone's misery of playing this Retro Difficulty game, I will impart everything on my journey in This article.