Mechatalk Final Gear: Bernadette - Cerberus

 41st Final Gear Mechatalk is here! and one more to go before the series conclude its run! As of now, Final Gear CN server has officially ended its service and Global will follow suit in a week or so. Even if the Global server ends prematurely than what the dev promised, the last article for the Final Gear Mechatalk series will still conclude as planned and it will be a UR unit. As for the 41st Final Gear Mechatalk, I have prepared yet another special character even if she is not UR but probably one of the Dev's favorite given her special treatment. It is no other than the Guardian Knight of the Devil's Order Bernadette! One would imagine what kind of favor she will be given had Final Gear able to flourish.

KEMOTOYS 1/24 Knight of Skyfog

 Chinese Hobby Manufacturer had plenty of 1/18 and 1/25 action figures option by Joytoy that could substitute for Hexagear, and this time there is yet another new challenger for Kotobukiya's 1/24 lineup. While it is just a miniature soldier model kit, this one look promising and one of the better looking Knight Type Hexagear model kit. Released by 默启/Kemo Toys for mid-2024 release, This promising new model kit called Knight of Skyfog will be sold for 78 RMB.

The main selling point of this particular Knight of Skyfog product is the Flight Backpack that this Knight use which is capable of transforming into Centaur exoskeleton. Without the backpack itself, I have been quite interested with this Knight of Skyfog since it reminds me of a particular Candy Toys from Lotte Bubblegum that I used to have and probably will discuss at this blog at some point. While Kemo Toys haven't got any proven track record so far as long as they make the playability of their product to be robust enough, they will be able to carve themselves a market in Hobby Toys industry.

Super Robot Wars OG HG Huckebein Boxer

 When Bandai released Model Kit for Huckebein MkIII, Fans have expected that the Boxer Unit going to follow suit at some point after AM Gunner and Bandai decided now it is the time to fulfill the expectation! Released yet again as P-Bandai item, Bandai's take on Huckebein Boxer Unit definitely surpass the Kotobukiya counterpart more than a decade ago and a worthy successor for the baton to be passed on. HG Huckebein Boxer will be scheduled for 11000 Yen with July 2024 release schedule.

Harvest Moon Nendoroid Farmer Claire

 In Late 90s and early 2000s, a farming-sim game series Harvest Moon was one of the hottest commodity in its time and released plenty of iterations as it changes its name to Story of the Seasons. After more than 2 Decades with no merchandise to be seen on horizon, Harvest Moon make a surprise appearance in GoodSmile Nendoroid format even though the choice was a particular one. For the first entry of the Nendoroid Harvest Moon, Claire the female main character of Harvest Moon for Girls is being chosen! Scheduled for September 2024 release, Nendoroid Farmer Claire will be sold for 6900 Yen.

Nendoroid Claire comes with respectable amount of Accessories for its Price tag complete with Farming Tiles and Animal companions of Cow and Baby Chick. I suppose Claire got released first because GSC feels that Waifu sells easier but I do feel Claire's Male counterpart Jack/Pete still have a good shot nonetheless and might as well throw some playsets into the equation. When I was a kid, I played Harvest Moon alot too even if it is not the main PSX Game but starting from GBC Harvest Moon 2 then transition into Friends of Mineral Town which I played alot even though never made it to have my tools upgraded into Mythic Level. Perhaps I might consider revisit FOMT too If my game backlog has easen up more.

Fate/Grand Order Nendoroid Doll Saber Artoria Pendragon 1st Ascension

 I have been feeling very apathetic toward FGO series lately, and the Gacha drought over past three months doesnt make things any better. But I will still keep going nonetheless given it is one of my oldest Gacha that I still play and so does GSC even if the series wasn't as big anymore. Fate series might not be getting as much merchandise compared to its Zenith but there will be always something available every year and this one another surprise in Nendoroid Doll Form! I think it has been quite sometime since Fate returned this particular GSC lineup and the eternal heroine Saber Artoria is always the safe choice to join the fray! Released in her 1st Ascension version, Nendoroid Doll Saber Artoria will be scheduled for October 2024 release with 9800 Yen Price tag.

Having Saber released as Nendoroid Doll in her 1st Ascension version is a rather peculiar choice but it is probably have to do with testing the waters since GSC are not confident that they can release Saber's 2nd Ascension let alone 3rd Ascension within reasonable price. The accessories and outfit quality is rather lackluster but I am willing to pay some attention with this lineup considering that Saber Alter's 3rd Ascension would work very well in Nendoroid Doll format. In any case this one is an easy skip for me but still hoping for further development of Fate Series for this particular lineup.

Gundam Seed Freedom Movie

 Ever since the premiere in Japan early this year, Gundam Seed Freedom screening is no doubt one of the most anticipated moments by Gundam Seed fans for this year. After SEED franchise being dormant for almost two decades due to some trainwreck from unnecessary drama, Gundam Seed Freedom definitely doesn't disappoint for the fans and personally I got the opportunity to attend the premiere screening on my local movie theater last week. Overall Gundam Seed Freedom Movie is a whole level of a treat for SEED Fans and really live up to the expectation for the long awaited and much needed fanservice for the fans!

Mechatalk Final Gear: Sumora - Steel Fortress

 40th Final Gear Mechatalk is here! Nothing as fancy as the previous one but an appropriate option as the closure for Hexel Faction. The possible third last Final Gear Mechatalk Features the Head of Designers Family, Sumora! This lady pretty much held the responsibility of keeping Hexel Faction Military Machine going under the guidance of Steel Witch Noctris. Despite the pacifist nature, you will encounter plenty of her creations in Final Gear as opponents.

Macross Plus Tiny Session YF-19

After Macross Frontier, Delta and 7 got their share of Tiny Session, Bandai finally make it to Macross Plus as well with the protagonist YF-19 becoming the first joining into the fray! Following the tradition of this new lineup, Tiny Session YF-19 will come with mini figure of Myung, the Female love interest of the Macross Plus love triangle. Tiny Session YF-19 will be scheduled for August 2024 release with 5500 Yen Price tag.

Just like other Tiny Session, the accessories are as barebone as it gets as the main selling point of this lineup remain to be affordable Macross Valkyrie Fighter Collectibles that still maintain its transformation gimmick. I would expect YF-21 will come with Sharon Apple mini figure if it ever get a Tiny Session which is quite likely given it won't be Macross Plus without Isamu and Guld duo rivalry. Considering YF-19 could get Chogokin and Tiny Session, I would expect Hi-Metal would be within high realm of possibility someday.

Gundam Wing G:Unit HGAC 1/144 Gundam Burnlapius

 Among Alternate Universe Gundam Sidestory, I do have quite a soft spot on G-Unit which was a Gundam Wing sidestory available in 3 Tankoubon Manga which feature some really cool Gundam and Leo variants Mobile Suit design. I never thought the original G-Unit series will have a continuation when it comes to merchandise after quite sometime but it is a pleasant surprise that Aesculapius Gundam upgrade unit Burnlapius do get a HG Model Kit!  Scheduled as P-Bandai release on July 2024 with 3800 Yen Price tag.

Canned Squad Unit - Blockade Division

 Some more interesting product released by Chinese Manufacturer which resembled Bandai's Gundam Ensemble/Robot Concerto Lineup which is created by a manufacturer called 百川模型 under the lineup dubbed Canned Squad Unit. Wonder if this one will get into hot waters with Bandai since the product use the Gundam Ensemble Joints but certainly this one will have a upper hand if they ever have a smooth sailing as this products open up plenty of avenue by denying Monopoly by Bandai. Having 3 Mecha variants as the part of early roster dubbed Blockade Division, Canned Squad Unit will be sold for 49 RMB each with June release schedule. 

Fruity Robo Yilichuangwan Pineapple Slasher Model Kit

 One of the Chinese Robot Model kit that I overlooked but soon regain my attention because  I am a sucker for any mecha that got Cockpit gimmick. After being under radar from International Market for so long, There is this particular Chinese Robot cartoon series called 果宝特攻 / Fruity Robo make a resurgence with some very cool looking Mecha Model Kit by a manufacturer called 壹理创玩 /Yilichuangwan starting with the mecha called Pineapple Slasher. Slated for Q2 Release these Bite-sized Mecha Model kit will be sold for 99 RMB and you will expect these won't be the last of it!

 Apparently this Fruity Robo series has been around since 2009 and the model kit served as 15th Anniversary for the series. On the first glance, Fruity Robo is reminiscent of B-Daman series with its SD Sized Mech design. Not only this Fruity Robos come with Cockpit Gimmick but they also came with Combiner Mecha gimmick which is why I decided to pay attention to Pineapple slasher once again despite I dismissed this fellow as cheap Gundam Exia Copy at first. This Pineapple Slasher is actually part of Combiner Robot called 果宝战神 or Fruity Wargod and you can expect Yilichuangwan will commit all the way to bring all of the Combiners into the series. To wrap up this article I will leave a glimpse for the Fruity Wargod which doesn't look too bad for Chinese Combiner Robot.

Hexagear 1/24 Bui Tohru Gaifu Kaisei

 

 Despite fierce competition by the Chinese counterpart Joytoy for 1/24 Scale Mecha Toy Market, Kotobukiya is releasing another good Hexagear product which make good use of the V-Thors frame this time instead of some palette swap. Making use of the popular V-Thors mold, Hexagear is getting a really badass samurai mecha dubbed 凱風快晴/Gaifu Kaisei which literally means Victorious Wind and Clear Sky under the possible sub lineup named Bui Tohru. Scheduled for August 2024 release, 1/24 Gaifu Kaisei will be sold for 8800 Yen which slightly more expensive than V-Thors given the extra parts.

Gaifu Kaisei comes with a pair of Heat Blades as its armaments which make it automatically resemble with Mr Bushido's Ahead from Gundam 00. However the Jumonji Spear weapon as shown by Kotobukiya's sample Photo is definitely the weapon to go for Gaifu Kaisei for the best Samurai Mecha Vibe. The Spear weapon is defintely the dealbreaker for me to get interested with this particular Hexagear though I can't pinpoint the exact Modelling Support Goods for this one which might be MSG 31 Oni Juji, I probably will settle with MSG Gun Blade Lance or even the Spear weapons from Musha Gundam if I cant find the exact copy because this guy need a spear for the best samurai Vibe. I will look forward to Kotobukiya if they could expand their Hexagear with more Samurai themed unit given the potential showcased by this Gaifu Kaisei.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Pandora Vlamir - Gatling Saint

39th Final Gear Mechatalk and 3 more mechatalk articles to go before the Global Server officially closes down! This time it is another special Mechatalk article featuring 14th UR unit that I managed to obtain which is bestowed for Pandora Vlamir! Pandora is yet another rather special character in Final Gear as she is actually one of the first characters created for Final Gear in its early days who sports literally a Purple Metal Slug Tank as her mech of choice which doesn't look too bad either!

Breath of Fire 1

 Recently my interest toward Old School JRPG series has seen some resurgence and I make use of the opportunity to visit an old friend once again. The old friend in question is no other than Breath of Fire series! When I was in Middle school I played this series quite alot on Gameboy Advance but only actually finished the 2nd Game at that time. Back in 90s era, Capcom was a well established Game Dev renowned for their quality 2D Sprites game until for they decided to crash and burn most of them by early 2000s. At very least during the Heyday they did make use of their 2D artistic talents to create a JRPG series called Breath of Fire which had a relatively good run while it lasted and this article will cover the first entry of this once popular JRPG series.

Composite ver Ka. MSK-008R Dijeh Amuro Custom

 Dang another good Mobile Suit design that end up as P-Bandai item! A month after Hyaku Shiki Kai announced as Metal Robot Spirits. In the spirit of competition with his eternal rival, Amuro seems doesn't want to lose against Quattro and got a really good Robot Spirits release. While it is not a Diecast release, this one will not disappoint. If a regular Dijeh and Zeta Plus A1 was not enough for Amuro, we got ourselves Amuro's Custom Dijeh in Composite ver Ka which is pretty much feature the amalgamation of the best element of both. Scheduled for September 2024, Composite Ver Ka Amuro Dijeh will be sold for 15950 Yen.

While not as pricey as MRS Hyaku Shiki Kai, Dijeh Amuro Custom pretty much cost twice as Regular counterpart which is kinda justified as this one comes with 2 Mobile Suits worth of Armaments. In this version of Amuro's Dijeh, you get yourself a Dijeh that comes with Rick Dias and Zeta Gundam's armaments on top of the default Dijeh setup. As the icing on the cake, this version of Dijeh reveals a Gundam Faceplate which makes this unit yet another Gundam in Disguise. As much as I want a Dijeh SE-R, this version is good enough and would serve as perfect substitute. I might likely get this one despite It will cost a premium for me due to the P-Bandai status as this unit complements well with Hyaku Shiki Kai, a reminiscent of best possible outcome for Char as Quattro who become buddy cop with Amuro instead of falling in despair. In Retrospective, MRS Full Armor Mk II would have been another great candidate to join Dijeh and FA Hyaku Shiki squad which is another stuff that I will keep a tab if a rerun is ever around.

Hemoxian Over Zero - 1/10 Tastier

 Another one of those Interesting Chinese Model kit product, this time the manufacturer make something different compared to their usual 1/100 Master Grade Kits equivalent. Having released an Imposing 1/100 Mecha Legion of Thor before a cool looking mech that comes with Giant Hammer, a Chinese Manufacturer called 和模线/Hemoxian is releasing another kickass 1/10 Scale Model kit with codename Tastier. Scheduled for Q2 release, 1/10 Tastier will be sold for 188 RMB.

Lufia: the Legend Returns

 From times to times. I have expressed my profound interest toward High Fantasy RPG genre in Realm of Darkness and this is because there were handful of Video Games which were responsible in shaping my passion for this genre during my Childhood. If I have to list the Top 3 Video Games that contributes a major part for my love for JRPG or High Fantasy in general, apart from DnD Shadow over Mystara, Lufia the Legend Returns would belong to this list. Back then I have clocked in over hundred hours on this game and cleared many runs. I probably should have written this article when I finished my playthrough on 3DS Virtual Console Copy, but at very least I am trying to make some amend before I delve further into Lufia series once again.

Lufia was not exactly one of the most popular JRPG series out there but it did leave its marks in 16-bits game era and do get some loyal following from RPG fans especially through Lufia II: Rise of Sinistrals. The main premise of this series is about a group of heroes throughout generations banding up and with the help of Legendary weapon Dual Blade fought against the threat from Group of 4 Demigods called Sinistrals who intend on bring destruction upon the world through their Fortress floating on the sky called Doom Island. Most of the Lufia fans will probably got into the series through the Super Nintendo game but as for me it happens to be the GBC title; Lufia the Legend Returns that got me hooked into RPGs and left a lasting impression.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Favia - Dark Star

Time to put some Combo breaker for Chinese Hobby products and it is time for Final Gear 38th Mechatalk! Final Gear Global got about one month left before its closure and until then this series will keep going because I have already planned out the candidates for the remainder of this game's lifespan. Before Final Gear global server ends as scheduled, I can still churn out around 4 Final Gear Mechatalk articles and 2 of them will be in the full glory of their UR Form at least. But in the meantime we will have Favia, Hexel's Darkstar Witch Matriarch fill in the spotlight!

MJH Fission Craftsman Soul 1/100 Yanmie 湮灭

 Chinese Hobby manufacturer are certainly on a roll this past few years! Another recently announced Diecast frame 1/100 Mecha Model Kit that caught my attention yet again and this time it is by a manufacturer called MJH Fission Craftsman Soul or 裂变匠魂 in Chinese. This particular product is dubbed 湮灭/Yanmie is a Red and Black colored mech which are armed to the teeth with heavy artillery weapon befitting its literal namesake "annihilation". Revealed since February this year, MJH 1/100  Yanmie will be scheduled for April 2024 release with 199 RMB Price tag.

Super Mecha Champions Sluban SMC Qbricks

 When Netease still in partnership with Sluban to release some Bricks Toy product for Super Mecha Champion series, apart from the Full scale size, they did make some in Super Deformed style. Joining Sluban's Qbricks lineup, SMC Bricks logo come in 12 Variants in total released in 2 Waves. These bite sized Super Mecha Champions Mini Robots are sold for around 20-30 RMB. While not all of the designs are captured perfectly in this format, some of them do look quite good like Firefox and Trio of Enders. If Netease haven't been so lazy with their Marketing effort, we could have got some very cool Diecast Toys by this time. Hopefully this notorious dev could put better effort on the merchandising since the production value of SMC are quite good as shown with the recent patch.

Anyway look into the article for the full roster of Super Mecha Champions Qbricks which are sorted by the Wave release.

Snail Shell 1/12 Pumpkin Princess

 I was never really into Mecha Musume subgenre but there is this particular manufacturer called Snail Shell that have produced some highly intricate product over past couple years which lean more on Fanservice side. Then recently they dropped yet another bomb for their latest release called Pumpkin Princess. The announcement might seem out of place but the release timing is certainly not for this massive Halloween Themed Mecha Musume. Scheduled for November 2024 release, Snail Shell Pumpkin Princess will be sold for 649 RMB or 15000 Yen.

Apparently this particular design have been around since 2021 but it is not until recently that Snail Shell able to complete the prototype. Not surprised with the turn out of event because the design itself is relatively complex even compared to Act Mode Mecha Musume lineup given you have a Mecha musume that comes with Horror themed Pumpkin exoskeleton. Based on aesthetics Pumpkin Princess do resemble FGO Kama who is a close combat Mecha musume sadistic maniac type who had extra defensive capability with the Pumpkin Armor. With the Pumpkin Princess announcement, Snail Shell do catch my attention and I might be even willing to invest more on their products should they consider release more mechanized mecha musume products.

Tekkaman Blade Orange Cat Industry Blaster Tekkaman Blade

 Tekkaman Blade is one of those great 90s Mecha series that had been relatively left in the dust by Japan for quite some time since we were getting Figma and Armor Plus as the last products. It was not until few years ago Sentinel decided to pick up the series to join Riobot Lineup. But it was the major player Orange Cat Industry that changed the playing board as they are releasing some quality Model Kit products for Tekkaman Blade series. What started from the regular Tekkaman Blade in 2022 now Orange Cat is ready to release the Tekkaman Blade in his Blaster Mode. Scheduled for dispatch from Q1, Orange Cat Tekkaman Blade Blaster comes in 2 variants, Regular and LED which will cost 198 & 288 RMB respectively.

In 90s Bandai did release some 1000 Yen Tekkaman Blade model kit which will require some work to look good and Orange Cat do make some much needed update required for Tekkaman Model Kit Lineup standing 22 cm tall which are as big as Gundam Master Grades. The LED Parts will definitely give the Voltekka effect of Blaster Tekkaman to full justice given it is easily the best part of Tekkaman Blade series, just look at Tatsunoko vs Capcom. Personally, I still wonder why Chinese manufacturer did decided to pick up Tekkaman Blade series out of the blue. Perhaps it has something to do with Iron Saga collab that expose the series to Chinese Market but it is still not pivotal enough. It would be quite something if Orange Cat decided to follow up this particular series by making Pegas Model kit to accompany Tekkaman Blade.

Gundam Factory Yokohama - Grand Finale

 Good things do have to end at some point and the inevitable has come. After being operational since 2020, The first movable Life Size statue of RX-78 Gundam in Gundam Factory Yokohama has officially ended its service as of 31st March 2024. For more than 3 Years, The 18 Meter Life-size RX-78 F00 Gundam statue entertain and fascinate the visitors with its capability of full range of motion which is so far the only object for its size that can pull of its stunt. To commemorate the Final Day of this pilgrimage destination for Gundam and Mecha fans alike, Gundam Factory Yokohama did a proper send off for RX-78  F00 which include some Night Drone theatrics and Farewell speech by the OG of Gundam series, Yoshiyuki Tomino sensei himself. I will definitely allocate some time to see the farewell event livestream within this week.

 Being an avid mecha fans, Yokohama Life Size Statue was one of my main bucket list for Japan Trip and I was very grateful for the opportunity that I was able to complete the Hattrick for Gundam Life-Size statue with RX-78 F00 Yokohama being my final destination. The Life Size statue is definitely something to behold, but seeing the Gundam in full motion at close proximity is another whole kind of experience. To see the Gundam Life Size Statue to Walk with minimum support is impressive enough, but the Life Size statue is actually even able to kneel. 

 While it is a sad turn of even, given the apparent high operational cost and Japan's declining overall economy,  RX-78 F00 end of operation at Yokohama is inevitable indeed  I would say 3 Years are still more than enough for most Gundam Fans who are dedicated enough to visit this Pilgrimage site at least once given its relative convenience of access from Tokyo. Among the Life-Size Gundam statues, Yokohama RX-78 F00 probably rank up the highest for the experience itself. In any case it would be really sad if the whole Life Size Gundam to be scrapped completely and probably there is still a good chance of relocation given Yokohama's sea breeze was one of the primary concern for the Life Size Gundam Statue maintenance. To conclude this post, I will be leaving some Photos that I took at Gundam Factory Yokohama.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Margaret - Holy Vow

 37th Final Gear Mechatalk is here and the series will keep maintain on its course until the destination reached! While it will take another 2 weeks for me to get another UR Pilot Upgrade, we can still have more characters with important backstory to be discussed for the time being. This time the Final Gear Mechatalk will feature the Former Kegha Guardian Knight Captain, Margaret! Kinda regret that I am unable to give proper attention that Margaret deserves, at very least she will have a Mechatalk Article dedicated for her.

Genshin Impact SHF Paimon

 Among the most highly successful Mobile Game series, Mihoyo's Genshin Impact probably present the biggest anomaly among its peers as the self-proclaimed Otaku Dev Companies treat this particular IP as an Ultra Premium piece of Real Estate. Thus, despite Genshin Impact has been running for almost 4 Years, we have been seeing a drought of merchandise unbecoming of this Massive series especially when it comes to Action Figure department.

 The last time we had some proper Genshin Action Figure was Figma Mona which was announced 2 years ago and not long time ago Bandai have announced plans for SHF Paimon which could be turning point for the merchandise drought. However this new SHF action figure for Paimon by Bandai got some bullshit incorporated for its release yet again which will just perpetuate the stagnation yet again. Released a P-Bandai product, SHF Paimon will be released for September release with 6500 Yen price tag.

The biggest offender of SHF Paimon release is its status as P-Bandai item which will automatically inflate the SRP for average collectors and this will make this item easily cost more than Figma Mona despite the accessories are bare minimum. While Paimon is not exactly my favorite character from Genshin being a very impolite glutton leecher, I would have been willing to pitch in if this product to be given regular treatment at very least. But given Mihoyo chose to fall on their Hubris, I will simply won't play ball with this BS.

 While I still believe Genshin Impact still have potential in years to come despite the Honeymoon phase with the Fans has worn off. Given the current direction of the Mihoyo, Genshin will just repeat the same mistake with FGO as the IP is owned and handled by Soulless Greedy Piece of Shit who gives no single F about Genshin aside from profitability. While I think the Core Dev member do earnestly try to create a quality product as shown with the Potion Making event and Seasonal banner, The marketing team are filled by people who obsess Style over Substance, thinking only about Exposures instead of putting some actual attention on User Experience. While I still play Genshin at regular frequency, At some point I might just give up on game because Mihoyo is not a company worthy to support despite their slogan of "Tech Otaku save the world".

30 Minutes Fantasy - Liber Knight

 Bandai's alternative Plamo kit 30 Minutes Mission lineup has come a long way indeed! Starting from its humble beginning in 2019 the original lineup have flourished quite well that now it has another new branching series apart from 30 Minutes Sisters dubbed 30 Minutes Fantasy! Just as the lineup name implies, this new series will focus on Fantasy series which will mean plenty assortment of Knights coming down the road. Making its inception since September 2023, 30 Minutes Fantasy is now ready to make its grand entrance this month with 2 Starter products dubbed Liber Knight & Rosan Knight along with some option parts for the Icing on the cake. This 30 MF Liber Knight will be sold for 2200 Yen with September 2024 release.

Gunslinger Girl

 Revisiting this one of the many early 2000s manga series that I used to follow quite fanatically in my Highschool days and as expected it is still a very good read. Gunslinger Girl is one of those early 2000s Japanese manga that exudes a particular sense of optimism as it try convey the value of Japanese being a member of Global Community who are willing to actively contribute and very well aware of subject matters pertaining about the world affairs outside its own nation, in particular a Euro-centric one. Kami no Shizuku, Chrno Crusade and Aria series are some of the few prominent works that possess this particular trait and as for Gunslinger Girl's it will try to display this aspect through its take on Modern Italy.

 A modern fiction that takes on a secret government organization of Italy that turned Crippled young teenage girls into deadly combat cyborg fighting against Terrorist Organization, Gunslinger Girl is a Japanese modern take on Italian Tragedy, a popular subgenre that found prominence in Italian Opera where it has most of the main protagonist of the play dies off in the final act. While I am not particularly an avid fan of this genre, as a general manga reading fan I would say the intertwining tales of Classic Italian Vendetta and unrequited love of young maidens who lived as a killing tool certainly a good yet gripping read experience. As I grew older I also come to appreciate the story of North and South Italy conflict that results in Terrorism act which is used as the main them in Gunslinger Girl.

Early 2000s was a renaissance era for Japanese manga genre which was a fresh breath of air and a contributing reason why millenials like me had positive image toward Japan which unfortunately is not the same anymore. I would say the 2008 Financial Crisis is a major contributing factor that these sort of particularly exotic manga series ceased to exist as the whole industry begin to shift solely for profit instead of pursuit for fine arts. Perhaps at some point I will talk about another Manga series that had similar vibe with Gunslinger Girl.

Taiyou no Yuusha Fighbird The GATTAI Fighbird

 

 After Da Garn and Mightgaine, The Gattai now ready to move onto new Yuusha series and the lucky one to be selected is no other than the 2nd Yuusha Series, The Brave of Sun Fighbird! Starting with the main Protagonist Fighbird himself, The GATTAI Fighbird will be sold for 24500 Yen with February 2025 release schedule.

 Among 6 Yuushas First Form that wielded Sword, Fighbird is one of the Yuusha that relied heavily on his swordmanship even outside the Finisher despite it got some respectable amount of ranged weapon including some Laser Cannons and Missiles. Silly memes aside, Fighbird's biggest contribution in overall Yuusha series is from introducing Adult Lead protagonist which is continued on the penultimate Yuusha Gaogaigar. The GATTAI Fighbird might not be exactly the only modern rendition of Fighbird as Evolution Toys did make one few while ago, but it is definitely the best value overall especially when it comes to Playability and Sculpt despite some glaring flaw like limited articulation particularly the torso part. While Fighbird is not particularly memorable for lead Yuusha mech, I would say Great Fighbird is one of the better final form from Yuusha series as its designed are well balanced and not aesthetically ugly like Super Fire Dagwon or Great Mightgaine. I will look forward for the Gattai make one for Draias as well before they move onto J-Decker or Goldran.

Ghost in the Shell Nendoroid Motoko Kusanagi SAC Ver

 Not sure if there are new GITS series lurking around but Goodsmile got a pleasant surprise for the fans as the best version of Major Motoko Kusanagi made her appearance in Nendoroid form. While there have been plenty of Nendoroid and Figma released for Major Motoko before, her Jacket+Leotard+Stocking getup combo is the best definitive version of her as it display the perfect balance of Strength and Beauty of Major Motoko. Nendoroid Motoko SAC version will be scheduled for September release with 6900 Yen Price Tag. 

To be honest just like many Nendoroid made by GSC before, this version of Nendoroid Major Motoko is rather overpriced when it comes to the amounts of accessories as she only come with her Gun and Visor. For the price point, GSC could have considered made the jacket part removable but the weakening Yen in the global currency market is one of the main reason for this to happen. Regardless I will be still willing to wait for Figma rendition of this version of Major Motoko and might even be willing to get a suitable Tachikoma to complement hair. I am quite sure with several versions of Major Motoko got released, Major's second in command Batou would likely follow up in near future. Speaking of Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex, I got to rewatch the series again last year and while I find 2nd Gig rather weak, SAC 1st season still hold very well until this day.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Taysia Graft - Aramis

 36th Final Gear Mechatalk is here and this one is another UR Waifu to be featured! This Final Gear mechatalk will feature one of the more popular waifu from the series which is no other than the Noble Fencer Taysia Graft! Being one of the earlier SSR Character to make appearance in the game, Taysia gets very Special treatment and in fact one of the few whose kit got revamped to be the equal peer with the Natural UR Pilots. Because at the time I picked Eloise over Taysia, It was not until Final Gear got into maintenance mode that I was able to allocate resources for Taysia and my persistence do Pay off I was able to get her reach the UR Upgrade that she deserve.

The Apothecary Diaries

  Manga series with Ancient Chinese setting are rather uncommon and even more so for the really good one. There is this particular series called Apothecary Diaries that has been gaining popularities on my social media feed thus I give this series a try. Based from a popular Light Novel series with same name, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto or The Apothecary Diaries is a slice of life manga featuring young girl named Maomao who possess rare talent of medicine and eccentric personality that found herself end up working in the Inner Court of Chinese Imperial Palace under the wing of equally eccentric yet Handsome Eunuch.With her medicine knowledge and uncanny Problem Solving ability from her background growing up in Red Light District. Maomao will explore the court Intrigues while at the same time constantly gaining patronage of powerful individuals throughout her adventure in the Imperial Chinese Court.

Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Warmaster Horus Lupercal

 By far this is probably the biggest bombshell released by Joytoy for their 40k Horus Heresy Lineup. The main actor of Horus Heresy, The Warmaster Horus Lupercal in his Chaos version finally make his grand entrance with so much fanfare joining Joytoy 40k 1/18 Action figure! Scheduled for July 2024, 1/18 Warmaster Horus will be sold for 180 USD SRP with Sons of Horus version of Abaddon joining in along with his progenitor as well. Complete with his Talon of Horus and Worldbreaker, Joytoy Horus is certainly a presence to be reckoned with as he leads his Sons of Horus to overthrow his father Emperor.

March 2024 Loot

 Another massive looking hauls this time despite it does not necessarily surpass the Early year one in terms of Value and deceptively. Just like my hauls from over past one year my loots this time are still predominantly Chinese made stuff with a handful of heavy duty Japanese series. Obviously the main star of this batch is no doubt the Metamorforce Fire Dagwon which is one of my personal favorite Yuusha but slightly disappointed that It will be rather small compared to THE GATTAI version despite having almost double price point. The next focal point from this haul would be bunch of Sluban Robot Lego Kit which are mostly from Super Mecha Champion series which I got into recently and the end products are very impressive for its price point. 

Then by this point Joytoy 40k will be almost appear in my monthly haul of 40k Hauls and this time got some more named characters joining the rank. It doesn't took long for Rogal Dorn to join Lion and probably around next month his Imperial Fists children will follow up. I also got some Genshin collectibles despite not amused with their treatments for player and I might try get Keqing Acrylic stand in near future just to complete the Sword Maiden trio set. Lastly I never consider myself a Saint Seiya fan but got myself a limited edition of Pegasus Seiya from the Tamashii Ultraman Event early this month. While I am very grateful with my current financial situation who could afford my hobby with my disposable income, lacking free time as a working adult is a pain at times indeed.

Dune - Part Two

 Last week I finally had some time to watch the highly anticipated 2nd part of Dune Movie in IMAX format which definitely give the best overall experience for this movie adaptation of the legendary Sci-Fi series. I have been looking forward to this sequel part as finally we got to see how the Scion of Atreides gather the necessary power to exact the rightful vengeance upon the House of Harkonnen and the Emperor who are responsible of bringing the downfall of House Atreides.

Overall Dune- Part Two is a very wonderful experience in terms of Audiovisual befitting for an epic Sci-Fi. However when it comes to the storytelling part, It rather lacks consistency for some reason. I would say Dune Novel is not exactly the easiest source material to work with in Movie Format, but there are parts that could have been done well in Dune part two given the amount of budget yet still fell short for some reason.

 In terms of visual, Dune part two had some really good moments like the Harkonnen Gladiator scene and Fremen vs Sardaukar opening scene but fails to capitalize on the momentum. Batista the former WWE Top Card for instance could have used more scene to portray his ferocity as Rabban Harkonnen instead of being a constant jobber throughout the second movie. For some reason I still prefer the actor that played the role of Paul Atreides from the 80s version instead of the current one, perhaps because the latter kinda lack the Gravitas of natural born leader noble prince who had the balance of courage and wisdom despite having the better youthful look. But the biggest letdown for me from Dune - Part Two would be the lack of final showdown between Fremen and Sardaukar in the final battle despite the first movie alrd had some kickass scenes.

I suppose it will take yet another adaptation for Dune series that have the perfect portrayal of one of the most influential western Sci-Fi series. Despite the immense production value, the current version of Dune Movie just lack that special factor to be longlasting like the original Star Wars series. While I am not fully amused with the second part of Dune Movie, I will still give the Part Three movie a watch because the IMAX viewing experience is still something else and hopefully it will fix the glaring issue that Dune - Part Two had.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Cynthia - Judgement Star

  Final Gear's fate maybe sealed but I am still delivering Final Gear Mechatalk without fail every weekend which now reached up to the 35th entry! Won't be having UR this time but this one will explore more about Hexel Faction's Families syndicate which are the major power of the burgeoning new nation answerable to the Matriarch Witches of Hexel themselves. So the 35th Final Gear mechatalk will feature the prominent member of Condemner Family, the Head of Judgement Star gang, Cynthia.

Sluban Super Mecha Champion Brick Robots

 If I had to talk about how I got into Super Mecha Champions, It would be due to my random encounter with Sluban product for this series. Around 2022 when Netease was somewhat still active to promote Super Mecha Champions, they approached Chinese Brick Toys company called Sluban which is a big player and one of the many counterparts of Lego in Mainland China. Long story short, out of this collab of Netease and Sluban, Super Mecha Champions got themselves couple of Cool looking Lego Brick Toys for couple of their mechs. These Robot brick toys come with some articulation and even capable of replicating some of the mechs gimmick.

 I have obtained several of the available models personally and the quality is certainly beyond expectations and still would love to obtain Hot Steel or Hurricane at very least if possible. While I really doubt that Sluban would be interested to continue the SMC Lineup, their products show a good glimpse what kind Mecha merchandise that this Potential Triple-A Mecha series could have. I am still hoping that other Chinese Toy manufacturer will be interested to pick up this series some day.

Dragon Ball - That Time I got Reincarnated as Yamcha

 Continuing my homage to Toriyama-sensei, this time I will talk about a particular Spin Off manga of Dragon Ball. After DBZ Manga, Dragon Ball still got healthy amount of spin off Mangas even though not as extensive as the anime counterpart. But one does not expect an Isekai series for a Dragon Ball Spin Off which in fact turns out to be a pretty good one.

 That Time I got reincarnated as Yamcha is a short story of Highschool Fan of Dragon Ball who went through the usual Isekai procedure and somehow find himself reincarnated as Yamcha, one of the weakest member of Z Fighters. Using his extensive knowledge as Dragon Ball fans, the main protagonist took all means possible to get himself as Yamcha to his highest potential which ultimately lead up to his showdown with Nappa and Vegeta. Overall this DBZ Isekai Spin Off is a rather short one yet very amusing for while it last. If the author wishes for it, He could have make the story to cover until Majin Buu arc. In any case given the tremendous legacy of Toriyama-sensei we could expect plenty of Tributes for his work which may include another Isekai series if the demand is great enough.

Ultraman Blazar The Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown

 I was never exactly a big follower of Tokusatsu series whether it is Kamen Rider or Ultraman despite growing up with them. But given that Tsuburaya and local business partner made a really massive effort to bring a Superb Ultraman event to promote Ultraman Blazar at one of the local Mall. This event include the premier screening of Ultraman Blazar Movie dubbed Tokyo Kaiju Showdown. What makes this screening very special is that some of the main casts of Ultraman Blazar came down themselves from Japan to make an appearance and greet the fans personally before performing on the main stage later on evening along with Earth Garon and Ultraman Blazar!

 Ultraman Blazar is probably the most recent Ultraman series that I watched since the Heisei series like Tiga, Gaia, Dyna and Cosmos. While I am not exactly the big fan of Tokusatsu, I would say the movie is a very decent watch and good one for the targeted Kids Demographics. Personally being a mecha fan as always, I am attracted to Earth Garon the most which I never expected coming from Ultraman series before I watched Blazar. Ultraman Blazar might had a rather strange synergy between Ultraman and Mecha Kaiju as a selling point but this one actually works out quite well. Given the extra dedicated effort made by Ultraman Blazar casts, I hope the best fortune for them in this series and their future ventures to come.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Ariel - Albatross

 

 Very grateful that I am still given this opportunity to reach this far for Final Gear Mechatalk article. It is confirmed now that Final Gear Global will be closing its service on May 7th but It doesn't mean the Mechatalk series will end at this point and in fact will keep going on until the server close down. For the 34th Final Gear Mechatalk, I proudly present Ariel! One of the last 3 Units that got UR Upgrade before Final Gear no longer got updated and she has been one of my main target ever since I started Final Gear Mechatalk as there is no shortcut to upgrade this Homonculus Android waifu.

Eulogy for Akira Toriyama-sensei

 A really surprising turn of unfortunate events that happens so sudden. Normally Realm of Darkness won't have these kind of post but given the Individual's tremendous contribution in Japanese Pop Culture and Shonen genre, One ought to pay the due respect for the Living Legend. This morning on 8th March, Akira Toriyama-sensei's studio had officially announce the passing of the legendary Mangaka on 1st March due to illness. This is truly a big loss for Japan Pop Culture industry especially the Shonen genre because one cannot overstate the contribution of Akira Toriyama-sensei toward the industry as a whole as he is essentially one of the Top Pillars that allowed Shonen genre to thrive until this day. His work of Dragon Ball series easily remain the most popular Shonen work in many countries up until now and easily some of the best Money maker for Bandai.

 While I am not exactly the biggest fan of Toriyama-Sensei's work as I gravitate toward mecha genre. I did grew up reading Dragon Ball and thankful for the fond memories. I found that the Capsule Mechanical designs that were featured extensively during the early parts of Dragon Ball are quite ahead of its time and I do still appreciate this particular aspect at very least. As a way to pay homage to Toriyama-sensei's passing I am considering to do another Dragon Ball manga marathon soon and put Dragon Quest series marathon on my bucket list.

 With Akira Toriyama-sensei's passing one would be reminded to be concerned with other fellow Popular Shonen Mangaka that still has their works unfinished in particular Hunter X Hunter and Detective Conan which does not exactly have the best health situation and One just hope that they will given the necessary time to finish their works. It is very depressing, but after Kentaro Miura and Akira Toriyama sensei passing this won't be the last of the sad news as some of the best Mangaka who have given some of the best entertainments for multiple generations whether Millenials like me or the older or younger generation. But best wishes for these great Mangakas for those who have still unfinished business to be given the necessary time and opportunity to complete their works.

Zao Workshop 1/100 Oracle

 China's Model Kit industry is definitely working hard over past couple years releasing Cool looking products in constant pace. Now there is another one that caught my attention yet again and this one is from Zao Workshop. Dubbed as 神谕 which is translated as Oracle in English, Zao Workshop makes a heavy duty mecha that fills in the gap of demand for 1/100 Scale Gaplant or Gaplant that Bandai never made. Coming in Diecast Internal Frame just like many of its peers, 1/100 Oracle will be sold for mere 199 RMB in Mainland China with release schedule as effective of April 2024.

While in terms of playability, Chinese Gundam Model kits still need to catch up with Bandai's Master Grade counterpart. In terms of sculpt, their Model Kit are nothing to scoff at getting bigger and more impressive as time goes. Zao Workshop's Oracle certainly make good use of exploiting the gaps from unfulfilled demand that Bandai unable to cater due to their limited resources and this mecha will easily capture the attention and wallet for Mecha Fans who liked Advance of Zeta Aesthetics, especially with Hrairoo variants considering this one come with Big Guns and able to turn into plane mode too. For its price points Oracle would be easily a steal as we can expect something almost as bulky as Sazabi sold for a fraction of its price. I had a copy of  1/100 Redeem Model kit which from last year was also made by Zao Workshop which is still sitting in the dust due to my real life commitments but lets see if I can find sometime this year to spare time working on the kit.

Earnestcore Craft Super Mecha Champions Mini-kit

 Before I got into Super Mecha Champions until recently, there was a particular merchandise from Earnestcore which probably served as my first exposure to this Netease Mecha Battle Royale series. Back in 2022, Earnestcore released Mini Plastic Model kit for 3 Super Mecha Champions mecha which are Arthur, Caramel and Hurricane. These Mini model kits are sold for 1100 Yen each back in July 2022 and also  

Standing 7cm tall, these Minikits came prepainted so the collector just easily Snap and Fit the kit for the finished product. These Mini Kits are probably one of the pet project by Earnestcore to test the waters whether SMC series are feasible for their future lineups, which probably fell through because Netease's Marketing is not exactly their strong suit. In any case these are some of the handful available Super Mecha Champions merchandise and we haven't come the best available one yet.

Angolmois - Genkou Kassenki

 Before Ghost of Tsushima was a thing, there was this particular manga called Angolmois that served as a media to narrate the chapter of Japan facing the Mongol Invasion. I have finished read the manga for quite sometime ago but the recent complete translation makes me decide to revisit this series again. While not a particularly long manga series, Angolmois gave a good glimpse on the brutality of Medieval era during the period of Mongolian Golden age where they constantly subjugate bordering nations to sustain their empire and this manga particularly cover at the reign of Kublai Khan.

Taking place at Muromachi Period where Hojo clan had reigned supreme on Kamakura Shogunate, Angolmois narrates the story of the desperate defense of Tsushima people against the Invasion of Mongolian coalition. Led by an Exiled Samurai who fell victim of Court Intrigue, Angolmois shows the Island defenders fought valiantly yet a futile effort as the Samurais were outmatched on the onset of the battle against the professional army of Mongol Empire. 

 Overall in its short run, Angolmois put the brutality of war into good display as the fate of the losing side in medieval war are made apparent being thoroughly violated and butchered. While Japan was not as affected from Mongol Horde atrocity, the brutality of war are unleashed in full force. One moment that leaves a lingering impression would be the moments of last stand where the Lord's Daughter personal guards are killed to the last man not to mention the fate of the Kunoichi Bodyguard. While I think Angolmois could have gone abit longer if Kadokawa didn't axe the series, this series storyline can be fully appreciated on the point where it stopped. Quite sure there was an anime for Angolmois too but the Manga is still the definitive version of the series. But definitely brace yourself when reading this series as almost everyone from the protagonist side are definitely not having a pleasant end.

Metal Robot Spirits Ka Signature Full Armor Hyaku Shiki Kai

 In Universal Century, Hyaku Shiki has been always one of my favorite Mobile Suit including its MSV variants. Not sure where it exactly begins, but it is most likely started from SRW MX as Char get to pilot Full Armor Hyaku Shiki Kai as his choice unit. Then out of the blue, Bandai decided to revisit FA Hyaku Shiki Kai in glorious Diecast Metal Robot spirits but as P-Bandai unfortunately, Dubbed as Metal Robot Spirits Ka Signature, this metallic gold baby will be released for August 2024 with 24200 Yen price tag,

What makes Hyaku Shiki stands out for me is not the Mobile Suit itself as this Gold mecha represents an important aspect for one of the most iconic character in Gundam series. Personally, Quattro Bajeena is still the best version of Char Aznable in my opinion as in this incarnation, Char still able to maintain his faith toward humanity and kept his ideals intact instead of falling in despair, a self reminder for any mecha fans worth their salt to aspire to be the best version of themselves.

 As somebody who is a big fan of Armor Purge gimmick, FA Hyaku Shiki Kai easily become one of my favorite mecha and had a place in my personal Top 10 too. In terms of aesthetics, FA Hyaku Shiki is a bridge that served to close the gap between Hyaku Shiki and Sazabi. I wouldn't be surprised that someday a mecha designer could make a FA Hyaku Shiki hybrid with Sazabi and even could create a design that might surpassed the latter in its own way for Char's alternate future version.

 As much as I hate that MRS FA Hyaku Shiki end up as P-Bandai item, given my personal attachment toward this guy and Bandai did quite well on nailing the gimmick, I will commit some effort somehow to obtain this guy just like what I did with Metal Build Sirbine.

Mechatalk Final Gear: Imperia - White Hat

 With the official announcement by the Dev on their official Weibo Page, Final Gear's fate might have been decided, but this will just strengthen my resolve to have Final Gear Mechatalk to continue until the curtain finally close down permanently. For the 33rd Final Gear we have another interesting waifu character to be featured: The Gangster leader of Black Jester syndicate which are feared throughout Kegha Empire herself, Imperia! Among all waifu characters in Final Gear, Imperia is probably the biggest one yet still very gorgeous to cater fans preference for Amazoness waifu and she is yet another one of those characters who could have more to offer if Final Gear haven't met its demise.

Super Mecha Champions

 I think I have finally found the game that could have been the perfect substitute for Final Gear and can't believe that this one eluded my radar for so long! But given Netease's lousy track record in marketing their products, It is no surprise that Super Mecha Champions haven't become a mainstream success despite the inherent quality that this game possess. Seriously Mihoyo could just lend their marketing talent to promote this game instead of spamming ads for their games like no tomorrow that people are fed up seeing by this time. 

Tobot GD King Titan V

 Normally I don't cover Kids toys even if it is mecha unless they have some particular nostalgic value. But this one is an exception because this Mecha's existence is the main reason I spare no effort to look for Super Big Rescue, a vintage robot which is probably the base model of this thing. Apparently this mecha called Titan V is a combiner mecha that came from a Korean cartoon series called Tobot which aired in 2010s and apparently had their toys as one of the best selling in South Korea at some point. 

From what I can gathered, Titan V is a powerful combiner robo consisted of 3 Vehicle Mecha called Tachyon, Wild Jeep and Jet Thunder that possess different qualities and armed with Titan Sword as their main weapon in combiner for. Even if the aesthetics differs significantly from Super Big Rescue, you can easily tell that Titan V is heavily inspired from the 80s Vintage toys implying the mecha designer probably exposed to Super Big Rescue when he was a kid. From the Individual Unit Color and Combiner positioning alone, you can tell close resemblance as Tobot V is made from Blue Bulky mech as the leg, Red Car as the Arms and White Plane as the head.

Apparently there are 2 versions of Titan V Toys available for purchase which I encountered the smaller one. I am quite surprised that the regular version of Titan V do fetch for 100 USD above which just show that Tobot series popular enough to charge their product to that extent. Where as you can get some quite decent bang of your buck already with Bandai or Chinese toy manufacturer. I any case I am quite thankful for Titan V's help to reconnect me with my childhood and I hope Tobot series could bring more kids to become a future mecha fan.