Fate/Grand Order Figma 521-DX Okita Souji

  Max Factory is quite quick with this one, not more than 2 months after Figma Okitan, the vanilla Okita Souji followed up not to be beaten by her sister with a DX version no less. When the prototype was revealed, Figma Okita Souji is initially shown in her 2nd Ascension form which is the most appropriate choice for a 1/12 Action Figure when it comes. But Max Factory came up a good solution for Okita's Shinsengumi Haori which is one of the more iconic feature of this popular FGO Waifu servant. Figma Okita Souji will be scheduled for November 2021 release with 8000 Yen Price tag for the regular version and 10000 Yen for the DX.

 For additional 2000 Yen, the DX comes with the Shinsengumi Haori and another Katana as well as extra face plate. The Haori is made of Cloth Material which is the best choice when articulation is considered and should have good compatibility with other Figma and possibly Nendoroid Dolls as well. There are definitely rooms for improvement for more face expressions and Okita's Daishori pose, but probably that one will be reserved for Summer Okita Figma which had a good shot to make it as this year's summer exclusive. Nevertheless Max Factory definitely put their effort to make a Figma Product for Okita Souji to be an acceptable collectible for FGO fans. Hopefully Max Factory will give the same treatment for Lancer Artoria as well conisdering that one had even bigger stake.

Densetsu no Yuusha Da Garn The GATTAI Da-Garn X

 Ever since CM Corp went bust few years ago, Yuusha series has seen drought in new merchandises save for Gaogaigar and it was not until recent years that Manufacturers trying their chances with this classic Mecha series. In the past two years Bandai and Kotobukiya had released several Yuusha miniplas such as Minipla and Model kits, and now Goodsmile thrown in their lot with a bang with their product for the 3rd Yuusha series, Brave Legend Da Garn!

 This is rather ambitious project by GSC yet commendable as they are releasinga luxurious 25 cm Toy for Da Garn X complete with transformation gimmick under the GATTAI lineup. The Gattai Da Garn X will be scheduled for January 2022 release with 24900 Yen price tag. The Gattai Da Garn X comes with all of its main armament Da Garn Blade and Earth Cannon with the complete transformation gimmick for the vehicle mode which is a combination of Bullet Train, Jet Fighter and Police Car.

 The Gattai Da Garn X has the potential to be a worthy successor for the Takara's DX since the sculptor tried to have the Da Garn X proportion as faithful as possible compared to the Anime. The effort by GSC to lower the price as affordable as possible is very commendable because The Gattai Da Garn X would easily cost over 30000 Yen with its gimmicks and could have reached 50k if it is made by Sentinel. However the effort to lower the price comes with a cost as there are no Diecast materials for the toys and i think the articulation is probably compromised as well.

 In any case i sincerely wish The Gattai Da Garn X to be successful since it is necessary to pave out the future prospects of the Yuusha series. Because i would love to see other Yuushas like Fire Dagwon or Sky Goldran getting the same treatment as well. It seems that in near future, Da Garn X partner Gaon will be following up as well since Great Da Garn GX has been planned out ever since the idea for Da Garn X Toy was conceived. As for the next Yuushas, i think Mightgaine has a good shot too considering the prototype was shown a while ago.

Mobile Suit Gundam Ensemble EX 30 OMNI Boosted-man set

 Another great Gundam designs for Ensemble that end up at Premium Bandai series. Gundam Seed have been lavished with some good entries for MS Ensemble which majority of them locked into P-Bandai and the Druggies Trio Gundams are no exception. Slated for August 2021 release, Gundam Ensemble Boosted-Man set which consist of Forbidden, Calamity and Raider Gundam will be released for whopping price of 8500 Yen. 

 With that amount of money you could get almost 2 Box worth of or 3 Sets of the regular Gundam Ensemble. So each of the Druggies Trio Ensemble practically worth 5 of the regular version. With the gimmicks i could see they worth 3 times of the regular units but 5 times is abit too much.

 While they serve as the antagonist units in SEED series piloted by psychopaths, i have personal fondness with the Druggies Gundam. Each of them no doubt had an advantage over the first generation GAT-X Gundams but they definitely stood no chance against Justice and Freedom Gundam. In the SEED series the Boosted Man is a desperate attempts by OMNI to create pilots who are capable to fight with Coordinator on equal grounds. The project proved out to be successful but comes with nasty side effects as the Boosted Man pilots are mentally unstable and require frequent medical treatment which is the source of their nickname as Druggies. I still had fond memory using the Druggies unit in Rengou vs Zaft especially Calamity Gundam who could pepper the opponent with plenty of dakka.

 In the near future, I could see Bandai will probably consider making Ensemble for the Extended trio at some point but that will be likely another P-Bandai release.

Fate/Extella Link SPM Lancelot Berserker Review

 The Knight of the Lake enters in his maddened state.

Threads of Fate

 One of those One-shots old school JRPG Title made by Squaresoft before their eventual merge with Enix and this one had a particular nostalgic feel. Threads of Fate or Dewprism is an Action-RPG game with Lighthearted story two heroes adventure, Rue and Mint in search of vague Powerful wish granting treasure called "Relic". I used to play this game ages ago but always quit early and only manage to settle the debt after getting a copy on my Vita. 

 In a hindsight, Threads of Fate is comparable to Megaman Legends and appears to be half-assed attempt by Squaresoft to make a fantasy version of the latter.   Threads of Fate shared plenty of game formula with MML with Ancient Civilization theme played a huge part in the storyline and the illusion of Epic Adventure that the game tried to evoke. The Nostalgic feeling toward Threads of Fate probably made me highly regard the game before i managed to play it once again and to be honest Threads of Fate is mediocre at best. The game is more like a Action Platformer with some RPG element instead of a genuine Action RPG and the mechanics is rather unpolished. The only redeeming value of Threads of Fate for me would be the distinct Concept Art and the game do have a couple of good Music Score.

 So currently i have finished Rue's Storyline and will finish Mint's route as well to completely wrap up my trip with this game. While most of JRPG game like Threads of Fate failed to deliver, I am always have personal fondness with PSX era RPG Game where they tried to offer an experience of Epic adventure. Given how Megaman Legends 2 end up, i do see why Threads of Fate didn't get any continuation even if it had a shot in early 2000s but by this time the window of opportunity definitely has long gone.
 

Shin Sakura Taisen SPM Amamiya Sakura

  The new Teikoku Kagekidan is here!

Aura Battler Dunbine HG 1/72 Sirbine

 
 Seems like Bandai got really triggered with the Plamax release of Sirbine Model Kit two months ago and decided to release their own version of the Silver Knight's Model Kit to one up the game! Due to reasons there are some deviations of the aesthetics of the Bandai's model kit compared to the original design but it still looks great and comes with shield nonetheless. Bandai's HG 1/72 Sirbine will be scheduled for July release with 3800 Yen price tag which is a good price if it is not for P-Bandai status.

 In terms of proportions, HG Sirbine looks pretty much close compared to the Robot Damashii version with minor tweaks on some parts, for instance the Chest part is a solid color instead of tranparent, perhaps due to difficulty to make quality parts for the cost. Also for some reason the shield design is different compared to the original one with the HG version is less roundish and looks something from Galient, probably has to do with the Plamax copyright or something. Would have gotten this if i didn't had the Robot Damashii version already and given Bandai's efficient reuse of resources, i could see Tamashii Nation could release this version eventually which i don't mind to double dip.

Road to Kingdom

  Another Dark Fantasy Manga that i encountered which hold quite a potential since it is based from a long running Light Novel series. Oukoku e tsuzuku michi or Road to Kingdom is a story of man's journey to Kingship from a lowly Slave. The main character, Aegir is a former gladiator who broke free from his bondage and had his life changed after a fateful encounter with a female vampire. After spending two years with the female vampire who made Aegir a man and taught him the ways of the world, Aegir set forth on a journey as a mercenary to make a name for himself and become a worthy King and claim the female vampire as his wife rightfully someday. Since Road to Kingdom is a Seinen series, expect plenty of Gore and R18 fanservice and the manga certainly made quite an initialimpact with generous amount of H-scenes. Aegir's character essentially took the better qualities of Guts and Rance being less gloomy than the former while less sadistic compared to latter and still scoring chicks here and there. 

 I won't give my final verdict with this series yet but i think Road to Kingdom should be cut above the typical Isekai series, In any case Road to Kingdom is a good fantasy series if you want to step up from ecchi fanservice and settle with mature actions. As for now i will just try exploring the 400+ chapters worth of the novel translations to see the worth of the series.

Onmyoji Nendoroid 1449 Onikiri

  While Onmyoji series probably not too well known on Japan Market, the series is popular enough in Mainland China to get constant stream of Nendoroids by GSC. So after Shuten and Otakemaru, the Sword Youkai Onikiri is the next one to come out. Slated for October release, Nendoroid 1447 Onikiri will be sold for 5800 Yen. 

 Since i only play the MOBA version of the series, Onmyoji Arena i am not too familiar with Onikiri's lore apart from him being a Youkai serving Minamoto Clan to smite demons and he is the one responsible for severing Ibaraki Doji's arm. In OA, Onikiri is a Samurai/Ninja Shikigami who is easily one of the popular pick with his cool design and flashy skills, being one of the few Shikigamis that is given the most expensive royal skin. He typically gank with his stun dash ability then deal heavy damage with his big hitbox skill where his giant Demonic arm cuts through everything in front of Onikiri and also able to bail out with a skill that makes him untargetable for few seconds. 

So for 5800 Yen i guess it is hard to have Onikiri's Demon arm molded out in plastic parts and GSC used plastic standee instead. While i still wished for Hououga's Nendoroid i think the more popular Shikigami like Yotohime or Shiranui will get one first.

A Year with Arknights

 Another Gacha Game that lasted more than a year for me which is quite an achievement considering my devotion toward FGO. Arknights might not surpass its gap with FGO yet, but it is still ahead compared to Azurlane and seems to be going in the right direction with its recent content. So at very least Arknights successfuly managed to carve out a sizable chunk of the Gacha Pie for itself

Monster Hunter SHM Zinogre

 After a brief silence from the initial release of SHM Rathalos and Nargacuga, the Flagship Wyvern from MHP3, Zinogre joins the lineup! With its obvious popularity which still going strong, Zinogre had one of the highest odds to show up and Tamashii Nation did so, SHM is scheduled for July release with 12000 Yen price tag. I think we can expect improvement compared to the Revoltech version which was released years ago but i would have anticipated something more from Bandai for this Lightning Wolf. So for 12000 Yen, we are getting the vanilla version of Zinogre in its normal state without any effect parts for lightning effect or rage state, at least Tamashi Nation could throw in an electric orb or two. 

Zinogre was one of the more memorable MH Wyvern out there due to its cool design combined with unique mechanic in which Zinogre's supercharged rage form is one of its main selling point. I liked this guy's armor set but rarely able to use it since Zinogre's Blademaster set is not too compatible with Lancer setup. So unfortunately Bandai's take on the lightning wolf is rather a miss since it is unable to utilize the Wyvern's full potential. In any case while i think Gore Magala would be the next candidate, i would love to see Lagiacrus or Diablos coming next.

SRW OG Riobot SRX

 Here is the long awaited moment of truth! As the Holy Grail of SRW series, The Invincible Super Robot under heaven, SRX made a reappearance once again with Sentinel's Riobot series complete with Gattai Gimmick. Back then only Volks managed to make SRX with Gattai gimmick more than 10 years ago and now it is Sentinel's turn to do so. As expected the Riobot version of SRX just like other Sentinel's robot product, it cost a kidney considering it is tagged at the price of whopping 65000 Yen with December release schedule. So with that price, you got yourself SRX team Real Robot mecha; R-1, R-2 and R-3 which combined together to form the powerful Super Robot SRX. 

The new version of SRX easily cost double of the Volk's but with inflation considered, i guess can be said that it is still within acceptable range. While i think the articulation of the individual SRX team mecha are still decent, I kinda doubt that SRX will be the same in particular the lower part, with the Gattai gimmick considered.  

 The release of the new version of SRX is huge deal because SRX is practically the Heart and Soul of SRW series which represent the culmination for the Passion of Mecha. While its glory days was gone already, the glowing embers still remains reminding of the fond memories of the awesome mecha series. 65000 Yen is kinda out of my range but i think i can still settle with something half of the price which perhaps Bandai could pull off something considering they probably have some plan with SRW series this year.

February 2021 Loot

 Another Great Haul for February as plenty of my preorder are coming early this year! With the CNY happening in this month, i also got myself some bonus to buy all of my wishlist items in bulk with discount rate. Overall this month's loot leans more on bishoujo figure with consistent addition from Fate and Konosuba series. The best of the bunch is no doubt the 1/7 Nero Claudius which i decided to upgrade mine after selling the Ichiban Kuji version, looking forward to reunite Nero with her rival Tamamo. Since i even haven't reviewed any of the loot from last month, this one will take a while as well. In any case Reviews should be coming up soon before another batch of loots following up next month.

Ore dake haireru kakushi dungeon

 Another Fantasy Harem series that gained recent popularity with the anime adaptation and if To Love Ru took place in fantasy setting, Ore dake haireru kakushi dungeon comes closest to it. For a fantasy series, it is not particularly exceptional but it excels at the harem part with the generous amount of fanservice it come with. In terms of story formula, i think Hidden Dungeon shares close similarity with Danmachi as the main protagonist is a fledgling adventurer who tried to make his way to the top of society with the help of powerful patron and inevitably getting himself a harem of cute girls flocking to him. As for the Hidden Dungeon Main Protagonist, he get access to a hidden dungeon where he is able to quickly level up with his overpowered set of skills given by a mysterious beautiful woman imprisoned in the dungeon. The powerful skillsets granted to the main protagonist enable him to gain powerful skills which comes at a price by spending skill points gained by seeking pleasure and for the Main Protagonist case, he needs to do lewd things with his harem which is the main source of Fanservice,

For the Fantasy part, Hidden Dungeon is subpar due to typical munchkin stuff. However the harem aspect become the series strongest selling point as it is capable to deliver maximum amount of fanservice without crossing the H Border which makes it one step behind Peter Grill no Kenja which is another great manga for this niche. If you need some fix for Fantasy themed harem, Ore dake haireru kakushi dungeon worth a visit but if what you wish is for some straight action, perhaps Isekai Harem Monogatari can be considered.
 

SRW OG HG Non Scale Cybuster

  After years of inactivity, SRW OG series are making a comeback through Model Kits and this time is through Bandai with the classic Wind Masoukishin Cybuster leads the way! It has been hinted that Bamco has been preparing something for SRW OG series thus the Model Kit release timing was made on this year. Bandai's Model kit appears to be Non Scale which comparable to the 2400 Yen version made by Kotobukiya but obviously this one will be a huge leap compared to the old Kit. Bandai's Cybuster Model kit will be scheduled for May release with 4000 Yen price tag.

 The 4000 Yen price tag for Cybuster should be justified enough since it is a HG Kits for licensed series. In terms of accessories it comes with Cybuster's default equipment including Dis Cutter and High Familiar. While it lacks effect parts with Cybuster could need for its Iconic attacks, Bandai's Cybuster is still capable to transform into Cybird mode which i recall only Kotobukiya's 1/144 pulled off. 

Based off Sirbine from Aura Battler Dunbine, Cybuster is one of the first SRW original mecha design and one the most enduring one. The Masoukishin series itself is wonderful game at least for the first two titles until the series was forced to conclude prematurely for some reason. While i wished the rest of Masoukishin would follow suit after Cybuster, i think it will be another SRW OG Mecha design that will come after this in which Alteisen would be a likely candidate.