The Alexis Empire Chronicle

 

A low-fantasy manga I started a few years ago and only recently managed to finish, Alexis Empire Chronicle ultimately turned out to be a relatively weak entry in the genre,  unfortunately one that was also cut short before it could fully develop, in a manner similar to Hinowa ga Crush!.

The story follows a fairly standard premise: a young noble rises through the ranks of an empire through virtue, skill, and determination. As the narrative progresses, he begins to carve out his own domain, ultimately seeking to reclaim the lands once held by his mentor and establish a dominion of his own.

Much of the manga revolves around low-fantasy political and military conflicts between noble houses within the empire. This culminates in a confrontation with the protagonist’s estranged half-sibling, who becomes corrupted by jealousy and unchecked ambition.

Unfortunately, the series was ultimately discontinued, and its narrative shortcomings likely contributed to that outcome. The story feels underdeveloped and somewhat conflicted in its genre direction, resulting in a half-baked execution that weakens its identity as a fantasy work. While the artwork remains consistently strong and is arguably the series’ main highlight, it is ultimately not enough to compensate for the lack of narrative depth.

The character writing is especially lacking. Most of the cast is forgettable, and the heroine’s design feels overly reliant on generic fanservice tropes commonly seen in other fantasy manga. The antagonists are similarly one-dimensional, which is a significant weakness for a story that attempts to build itself around political and noble conflicts.

Overall, Alexis Empire Chronicle feels like a simplified version of series such as Suikoden or Fire Emblem, but without the narrative depth or character complexity that makes those works memorable. Even compared to stronger entries in the genre, such as Realist Hero.

Ultimately, the series demonstrates that high-quality illustration alone is not enough to sustain a compelling long-running fantasy narrative. While it is based on a light novel that continued slightly longer than the manga adaptation, it is difficult to imagine the source material delivering a significantly more satisfying conclusion.

Starting YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

After taking an extended detour to wrap up my loose ends across earlier Ys titles, I’ve finally started Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Within the first ten hours alone, the game has already exceeded my expectations. Having played Ys: Memories of Celceta on PS Vita about a decade ago, which is the previous entry before Falcom made Ys VIII. Lacrimosa of Dana feels like a significant leap forward in almost every respect.

While Lacrimosa doesn’t fully align with my ideal “pure” Ys experience, leaning more heavily toward systems reminiscent of Monster Hunter and even elements of Trails, Ys VIII nonetheless delivers a production quality and narrative scope that feels distinctly AAA within the series. Falcom clearly pushed far beyond its usual weight class with this entry, and it stands as a culmination of the design direction established since Ys Seven. It’s easy to see why this game became a mainstream breakthrough and a favorite entry point for many newcomers to the series.

For my part, I’m most looking forward to exploring the macro-level worldbuilding and historical layers that Ys VIII had to offer into the broader Ys narrative. That long-form lore and continuity remains one of my main motivations for staying invested in Ys series.

Invincible | What Makes Mark Grayson “Invincible”

 

Up until recently, I had never really gotten into Invincible. However, after repeatedly encountering random clips and discussions on my feeds, I gradually fell deeper into the rabbit hole and began bingeing Invincible-related content with surprising enthusiasm. Despite Robert Kirkman’s apparent fascination with infidelity as a recurring narrative theme, Invincible no doubt has far more to offer than a typical superhero story.

At its core, Invincible is not a story of uninterrupted victory, but a journey of a man rising through relentless struggle, where survival, rather than success, becomes the true measure of growth.

In this instance, I would like to explore what makes Mark Grayson,a half-Viltrumite, essentially the comic-book equivalent of a Saiyan rise to the pinnacle of a superhuman race bred to become ruthless galactic conquerors.

Fate/Grand Order Coonuts Vol.1 Review

 

During the airing of the Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia animation, Fate/Grand Order was at the height of its franchise popularity, resulting in a wide range of merchandise releases. Among them was the Coonuts candy toy lineup by Bandai. These simple bobbing figure toys, similar in concept to “Mighty Beans,” offered an affordable and accessible way to collect characters in miniature form.

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with my FGO Coonuts set due to quality control issues, including duplicate variants and inconsistencies, issues I did not encounter with my Pokémon Coonuts collection. The most noticeable defect in my set was a misprinted Merlin figure, which appears to have only the rear side properly printed.

Even so, I’m still glad to own this set. Despite its flaws, it remains one of the most affordable FGO collectibles and serves as a nice complementary addition to my broader Fate/Grand Order collection.

JRPG Talk | Atelier Iris 2’s Eden: The Conceptual Idea of Paradise

This will be a rather unusual blog post for me, as I rarely discuss the thematic core of video game series unless they involve mecha. However, given my long-standing investment in the JRPG genre and my curiosity toward esoteric teachings, I find it worthwhile to examine a work where both interests intersect.

As one of Gust’s early JRPG iterations, Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny possesses a thematic premise that stands out even today. While the game itself is relatively mediocre as a JRPG in terms of gameplay and structure, it succeeds surprisingly well in one particular area: its fantasy interpretation of the Garden of Eden through the lens of JRPG with unusually profound incorporation of alchemy as its core theme.

What Atelier Iris 2 does exceptionally well is its depiction of Eden as both paradise and forbidden domain, a portrayal that resonates strongly with real-world mythological and esoteric traditions.

Arknights 1/7 Eyjafjalla Hvit Aska - A Picnic before Long Trip ver

Another one of the best skin illustrations from Arknights has finally made it into figure form. This time, the spotlight goes to the precious sheep kouhai Eyjafjalla, whose Alter version skin is receiving the scale figure treatment. The PVC figure is based on Eyja Alter’s Epoque series skin, A Picnic Before the Long Trip. Scheduled for release in August 2027, this figure will retail for around 29,000 yen.

A rather pricey release from Good Smile Company, but as expected, the company really brings out the charm of this particular Eyjafjalla skin. Simply put, the Alice in Wonderland-inspired design perfectly amplifies the innocent and gentle qualities that Eyja naturally has. Whether as a devastating DPS caster or an exceptionally reliable healer, Eyjafjalla has always been one of the most dependable operators in the game despite her relatively tragic background compared to many other operators in Rhodes Island.

The last time Eyja received a PVC figure was based on her summer skin version, and honestly, she is one of the operators I would not mind seeing get even more merchandise in the future. If things go well for the series, I would not be surprised to see her Arknights: Endfield version eventually receive a figure adaptation as well.

Returning to Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim After Fifteen Years

 

 Back in 2011, I began my journey with the Ys series, with Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim being my first stop. Fast forward 15 years, and before setting forth to tackle Ys VIII–X after finishing Ys V, I decided to revisit Ys VI once again. Of all the available versions, I picked the PS2 release, which, as expected, delivered a rather mixed gameplay experience.

The first time I played Ys VI was actually on the PS2 before eventually finishing the game on PSP. Because of that, I chose to revisit Napishtim through the PS2 version, a decision I slightly regret. Among the various releases, the PS2 version has one of the more awkward localizations of Ys VI. I do not know if it was entirely Konami's fault, but the PS2 port added many unnecessary elements, with the 3D CGI scenes being the most notorious example. 

I suspect it had something to do with the localization mindset of the era, which often carried an anti-anime sentiment common in parts of the American entertainment industry during the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, the game was altered in an attempt to appeal to a broader mainstream audience without properly understanding the source material. In hindsight, this is rather tragic, as it was poor treatment for a relatively important milestone in Falcom's history.

Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim is more than just another iteration of Falcom's flagship franchise. Not only was it a proper revival of the Ys series after the commercial disappointment of Ys V, it was also the lynchpin that gave Falcom a second chance during its dark age. The game's success helped usher the company into its renaissance period and set the foundation for its rise to greater prominence. Had Ys VI failed back then, we might never have seen the Trails series evolve into the top-tier JRPG franchise that demonstrated what Falcom was truly capable of achieving.

Despite the PS2 version of Ys VI being something of a question mark in Falcom's history, and my disdain toward its unnecessary and shallow localization makeover, I was still able to relive the core Napishtim experience, which is ultimately what matters most. At the very least, Falcom would go on to work with better international publishers in later years. If I ever revisit this game again, I will probably stick with the PC or PSP versions. That said, I am fairly confident Falcom could produce a remaster of Ys VI in the near future given the series' legacy, perhaps around the game's 25th anniversary.

Zoids Genesis Spark Fig Grande Kotona Elegance

 

Takara Tomy is not exactly known for its PVC figure lineup, but out of nowhere the company has delivered a tantalizing scale figure of Zoids Genesis heroine Kotona Elegance. Dressed in a ravishing swimsuit outfit, this entry in the Spark Fig Grande series fully embraces the appeal of one of the Zoids franchise’s most beloved heroines. Scheduled for release in February 2027, the figure carries a price tag of 22,000 yen.

Among the many heroines across the Zoids franchise, Kotona Elegance has always stood out as something of an anomaly in the decades-long mecha series. She is the kind of “perfect waifu” character design that feels as though it belonged in a major shonen or seinen fantasy title rather than a children-focused anime, which arguably left her underrated despite her popularity. Even so, Kotona gained a strong following during the mid-2000s thanks to her top-tier eye-catching design, often comparable to modern fan favorites like Reisalin Stout from Atelier Ryza.

In Zoids Genesis, Kotona is introduced as a member of a mysterious assassin clan sent to target the main protagonist, only to eventually join his group instead. While she never truly stood out as a frontline Zoid pilot as her Rainbow Jerk lacking the overwhelming combat prowess of machines like the Murasame Liger, she excelled in stealth and subterfuge. Without a doubt, this new scale figure from Takara Tomy is a prime example of a swimsuit waifu figure done right, featuring an attractive and well-balanced physique without going excessively over the top.

I still own her classic Max Factory figure, which remains one of Kotona’s best renditions to this day and has been sitting in my collection for years. It is definitely a figure I look forward to reviewing someday.

Transformers Wild King - Energy Master Rex Blade

 

Seeing how SAMG has been making a killing with their Dinoid Warrior and Miniforce lines for quite some time, Takara Tomy was bound to make a move of its own. Leveraging the strength of the Transformers brand, the company has unveiled a new series called Transformers Wild King, seemingly positioned to go head-to-head with SAMG’s Dinoid Warrior lineup. One of the main releases is a blue dinosaur mecha named Energy Master Rex Blade, scheduled for release in June 2026 at a price of 6,700 Yen.

Takara Tomy’s newest product clearly feels aimed directly at SAMG, starting with the noticeably similar packaging design. Rex Blade comes across as Takara Tomy’s answer to Rex Kaiser, though the overall design philosophy is quite different. While Dinoid Warrior leans heavily into flashy, ultra-cool aesthetics, Rex Blade retains the unmistakable feel of a toy designed primarily for younger audiences. At the same time, Takara Tomy’s long experience in the mecha genre shines through, as Rex Blade carries strong vibes of both Zoids and Super Sentai mecha despite being part of the Transformers franchise.

Where Rex Blade attempts to outdo Rex Kaiser is in its versatility. The figure features three transformation modes: humanoid, dinosaur, and vehicle. Since the product is clearly built to compete directly with SAMG’s offerings, Rex Blade also comes with supporting units capable of combining into a larger combiner mecha called Energy Beast Wild King, which I’ll leave below for you to judge yourself.

Hemoxian 1/12 Rhande Khoskinen & Rusted Brier

 

 After producing several impressive cyborg-themed model kits, Hemoxian is finally stepping into something completely new. The company appears to be aiming for a foothold in the mecha musume market, and their debut entry is surprisingly strong. Their latest release, Rhande Khoskinen & Rusted Brier, feels like a blend of Alice Gear Aegis and Strike Witches, with a touch of classic Macross-inspired mechanical design. The kit is currently scheduled for a Q3 2026 release with a very competitive price tag of 218 RMB.

Hemoxian has definitely caught collectors’ attention with this release. The concept combines a mecha musume character with a WWII-inspired aircraft mech setup that heavily leans into vintage military aesthetics. Individually, the kit’s components may not look groundbreaking, but the real appeal lies in how much content Hemoxian packed into a single package while keeping the price relatively affordable. The character design even gives off strong Tanya the Evil vibes, except this time paired with a transforming aircraft-style mech loaded with multiple weapon configurations. Depending on the setup, it can resemble either a Macross-style variable fighter or a more traditional Strike Witches-inspired flight unit.

The sheer amount of versatility offered by this kit is likely to make Japanese manufacturers pay close attention, especially as more mainland Chinese companies continue pushing aggressively into the mecha musume market. If Hemoxian can maintain this level of quality, value, and creativity, they could very well carve out a significant place for themselves within the genre.

Zuru Max Retro Collection - Retro Gameboy Console Review

 Ever since I first came across the Lego Game Boy set, I became somewhat obsessed with finding a worthy alternative to scratch that nostalgic itch. Since I grew up with the Game Boy Color, I wasn’t exactly eager to spend 80 bucks on a brick-built replica of the original Game Boy. Eventually, though, I stumbled upon something that perfectly matched what I was looking for.

Enter Zuru Max Retro, a premium Western blind-box brick model line featuring semi-premium builds based on classic electronic gadgets from the ’80s and ’90s. One of the models in the lineup happens to be a retro handheld console clearly inspired by the Game Boy.

For its price point, this Zuru retro game console exceeded my expectations, and without a doubt, it’s the best entry among the Zuru Retro variants I’ve seen so far. The model includes a detachable game cartridge, essentially a parody of Tetris. While the gimmicks aren’t nearly as elaborate as the Lego Game Boy, they’re still surprisingly solid considering the lower cost.

Interestingly, the design of this Zuru handheld actually resembles the Ambernic RG35XX series more closely than the classic Game Boy itself. It’s also roughly comparable in size to the R36S, another popular budget handheld emulator with a Game Boy-inspired design. Since this brick model ended up surpassing my expectations, I honestly wouldn’t mind picking up another set from the Zuru Retro line, especially the retro arcade machine, which already caught my attention.

Mecharashi — Final Rank Permit Milestone

 

After being stuck in a prolonged bottleneck for more than five months, I finally managed to clear Chapter IX of Mecharashi, which in turn unlocks the game’s final level cap restriction. This is a significant milestone, as there are very few gacha games that demand this level of sustained time and attention for progression. Each “urgent mission” required to unlock the next chapter in Mecharashi is a substantial drain on mental energy, and the final hurdle is no exception.

Arknights Apex Toys 1/7 Mon3tr

 

Among the many fan-favorite operators in Arknights, I always felt that Mon3tr was one of the strongest candidates to receive a merchandise release, and APEX-TOYS ended up being the first to make that move. As expected from Apex, this release comes in the form of a 1/7 scale figure based on Mon3tr’s default in-game appearance. Scheduled for release in April 2027, the figure will retail for 899 RMB.

Mon3tr is the massive, spiked creature usually attached to Kal’tsit’s spine and serves as one of Rhodes Island’s deadliest assets. Despite its monstrous appearance, Mon3tr is often portrayed almost like a surrogate child to Kal’tsit. In Chapter 15 of the main storyline, following Kal’tsit’s encounter with Priestess, Mon3tr temporarily gains a human form and begins serving directly under the Doktah in Kal’tsit’s place. In gameplay terms, Mon3tr functions alongside Kal’tsit’s 6★ Medic class kit, famous for its ability to inflict devastating true damage. The humanized version of Mon3tr also quickly became popular among players, especially those who jokingly view her as the Doktah’s “new daughter” competing for affection with her “mother,” Kal’tsit.

Overall, the figure looks like another top-tier release from Apex, with strong sculpting and excellent detailing. Still, like many of my Arknights collectibles, I will probably wait for a Nendoroid version instead.

Claymore Revoltech Clare

Given the long dormancy of the IP and the fact that Claymore was never one of the biggest shonen hits, I honestly did not expect Kaiyodo to revisit the series through their Revoltech lineup. For the initial release, they are naturally starting with the main heroine, Clare. Scheduled for release in November 2026, Revoltech Clare will retail for 9,000 yen SRP.

In the world of Claymore, pale-featured young women enhanced with superhuman abilities are tasked with hunting man-eating demons. These warriors, known as Claymores, operate under a mysterious organization that controls their existence. The story follows Clare, who is considered one of the weakest among them. Despite her limitations, she eventually becomes one of the most important figures in the dark and brutal world of Claymore.

Perhaps it is just a coincidence that Kaiyodo decided to revisit this dormant franchise around the same time I re-read the series last November, but it is still a very welcome surprise. Claymore never really received a strong line of merchandise despite being a solid grimdark fantasy series with a dedicated fanbase. Unfortunately, the manga’s later pacing issues and the anime adaptation’s divergence from the original ending prevented it from reaching the same mainstream success as some of its contemporaries.

What makes this announcement even more exciting is that Kaiyodo is not stopping with Clare alone, as they are also releasing Theresa in the same Revoltech lineup. It genuinely feels like the company has regained some creative momentum lately, with their recent releases showing far more variety and ambition. With renewed interest in the franchise, perhaps there is even a chance for a proper Claymore anime reboot someday, especially considering the late-2000s adaptation never covered the manga’s actual finale.

Ys V: Lost Kefin playthrough complete!

 

It has been roughly a decade since I last set out on a journey with the Ys series; Memories of Celceta was my last stop. For various reasons, the timing feels right to pick up the mantle of Adol Christin once again. With my fist stop being Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand.

Back when I was deep into my Ys phase, I skipped Ys V entirely due to its reputation as the series' "dark horse." Having now played the Lost Kefin PS2 remaster, I can verify the reputation does live up to the infamy.

Without a doubt, Ys V stands as one of the weakest entries in the franchise, reflecting the "dark age" period of Falcom. The production values feel visibly hampered by the growing pains Falcom experienced during the transition from the 16-bit to 32-bit era. Even with the "remaster" treatment, this chapter struggles to hold its own. It is genuinely perplexing how the PS2 version feels so lackluster, especially considering it was released after The Ark of Napishtim and The Oath in Felghana, the titles that had already redefined the Ys experience for modern consoles.

To be blunt, I didn't find the gameplay or the music score of Ys V to be any particularly remarkable. Yet, despite these glaring weaknesses, Ys V remains an essential thread in Adol Christin’s tapestry. This adventure, which takes Adol to the Afroca continent in search of the utopian kingdom of alchemy, serves as a necessary building block for the series' worldbuilding, even if it is poorly fleshed out. I plan to write a more in-depth post in near future to dissect the "essential" narrative elements that can be salvaged from this entry.

If you are a completionist intent on playing Ys V, I recommend the PS2 version, largely thanks to the existence of a high-quality fan translation. Just go in with managed expectations: do not expect a standard that approaches any modern Ys title.

With Ys V now cleared, I have officially finished the main run of Ys I through Ys VII. I am finally ready to move on to Lacrimosa of Dana, a title I’ve anticipated for years, given all the praise it has received. However, before I dive into that, I think I will likely do a short revisit on Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim.