Wizardry Variants Daphne: Grand Legion 2nd Abyss True Ending GET!

 
 About more than one month since I finished my 2nd Abyss Clear and now I managed to get the True Ending of 2nd Abyss! If it was not for the buggy Cursed Wheel of 2nd Abyss, Perhaps this endeavour would have been done in a week or two. Because the True Ending requirement for 2nd Abyss is actually quite simple and less convoluted compared to the First Abyss. In any case, the efforts to reach 2nd Abyss True Ending is still worth it and you get to save another Waifu in this Dark Fantasy.

This Article will feature general guideline to reach Grand Legion Abyss True Ending as well as the overall storyline for the second abyss.

Metal Build Dragon Scale Sirbine Review

  Ever since I came across Sirbine in Dunbine OVA, I instantly fell in love with this design being one of the peak Fantasy Mecha on the courtesy by Izubuchi Sensei. Thus when the Metal Build Dragon Scale for Sirbine was announced, I spare no effort for getting a copy for myself despite I was satisfied with the Robot Damashi version being P-Bandai item kinda hurt the wallet. Long Story short, it took some effort to find a seller who can help order this P-Bandai stuff and In the end I managed to obtain it last year. 

I suppose the time now is ripe for me to take out this Diecast fella for the Review and I proudly present the review for Metal Build Dragon Scale Sirbine! There won't be much writing for this article since the Photoshots in this review will do the job to reveal the value of this Diecast beauty.

Gagharv Mobile: Song of the Ocean Story Complete!

 Early this year on January, Gagharv Mobile has completed their adaptation for Gagharv Trilogy Song of the Ocean Chapter. As the Dev managed to put enormous effort complete Weltluna's storyline within 3 months, I picked up the slack and marathon Gagharv Mobile's take on Song of the Ocean over past few days. Translation issues from rushjob aside, as expected, revisiting this last part of Gagharv Trilogy once again proves to be a very fruitful journey and Fowgames certainly put their effort to give best respect they could afford for this Falcom's classic JRPG title.

Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Daemon Primarch Angron

 
 Blood for Blood God! Skull for Skull Thrones! MILK FOR KHORNE FLAKES! Wow after two weeks of inactivity by Joytoy for their Warhammer 40k Lineup, they throw a goddamn Haymaker straight after Primarch Alpharius and announce the release for Daemon Primarch Angron! Seriously Joytoy is trying to outcompete themselves by bringing the Big guns. While not as big as the Imperial Knight, Angron in his Daemon Primarch form is very big! easily surpassing other Joytoy 1/18 characters. Scheduled for July 2025 release, Joytoy Angron will be sold for 400 USD.

 Daemon Primarch Angron release is a big deal since Joytoy is bringing the Chaos Heavyweights for Warhammer 40k with Angron being the Champion Daemon Prince representing Khorne, Chaos God of War, Blood and Skulls that finally manifest as Action Figure! Angron's Joytoy release secure a large bridgehead for Chaos Faction one year after Horus made it in Joytoy lineup so we could expect more Chaos units released in greater number down the road. 

 Overall Joytoy Daemon Primarch Angron Sculpt looks great but the Face Sculpt could use better rework for a 400 USD action figure because It has not captured the Endless Rage and Fury that Angron possess. But honestly, Joytoy Angron already looks great especially when paired with Joytoy's Dark Angel Primarch, Lion El Johnson to reenact their Mortal Combat. If it is not for my policy of "No Chaos" units for my Joytoy collection, I would have considered of getting one to duel with my Primarch collections.

Hot General MJZ-02 1/100 Shadow War Zone Kratos

 Chinese Metal Build might not be the best when it comes to creativity, but the Productivity output is nothing to scoff at. Coming out from a manufacturer called Hot General, their second Metal Build entry is simply called Kratos. Taking a direction of OYW Gundam aesthetics, this one has its Aesthetics direction took drastically different direction compared to the first one which is Japanese Samurai themed called Nobunaga. Scheduled for Q2 2025 release, MJZ Kratos will be sold for 299 RMB.

Konosuba Nendoroid Doll Megumin

 
 With Konosuba 3rd season finished its airing couple months ago, manufacturers like Goodsmile Company is certain to make use the lingering momentum to release some more product and the series got a Nendoroid Doll for Megumin! With Konosuba series having quite well rounded roster for Nendoroid lineup already, Nendoroid Doll is a given and Megumin is definitely the prime candidate. Scheduled for October 2025 release, Nendoroid Doll Megumin will be sold for 12000 Yen.

From the Sample picture, the Nendoroid Doll Megumin nailed the Hat part quite well, but the Tunic is still quite a miss because it will be way too baggy for the Nendoroid Doll. Given the knitting quality I think the Tunic can easily slip down and have Nendoroid Doll Megumin ended up in Wardrobe disaster situation if it is posed with the Shoulder in default position. Despite the glaring flaw for Nendoroid Doll megumin, I think this particular lineup could work well with Eris or Wiz, though Darkness casual outfit could work too. As much as I want one for Aqua, I don't the end result for Nendoroid Doll will fare better compared to Megumin.

Mechatalk - Warhammer 40k Glory in Death: Space Marine Faction Unit Review

 Warhammer 40k Glory in Death is quite an underrated gem of 40k series which had its fate doomed to obscurity being the last game of Nokia N-gage. Therefore in order to raise some awareness for this game, I will be doing Unit review for Factions available in this game starting with Space Marine factions based on my Campaign experience, keep in mind the review will be subjective based on my experience with these units during the Space Marine Campaign. 

In Warhammer 40k Glory in Death you got 4 Sub-Factions for each Chaos, Eldar, Ork and Space Marine. For Space Marine you get Space Wolves starring the Campaign Story and Blood Angels, Dark Angels and Ultramarines for Skirmish and Multiplayer. While not exactly 100% accurate compared to the Tabletop version, these units are pretty good indicator of what their physical counterpart represent.

Overall in Glory in Death, Space Marine faction is well rounded faction that boast decent survivability and had advantage in ranged combat. While they can hold their ground in melee, they will be outclassed by the dedicated Melee units from other factions, therefore it is preferable to pepper your enemies in ranged Combat with their powerful bolters and deny Melee engagements by creating attritions damage from Ranged Support.

I used Mechatalk to feature this article since Warhammer 40k Glory in Death do qualify for one due to having significant amount of Mechanical units and it is easier for navigating purposes by future visitor of this blog.

February 2025 Loot

Last post for this month! Pound by pound, this gotta be the most massive Haul that ever come in a single month and the concentration of Mecha related stuff in this batch are no slack either! When It comes to value and bulk, this one gotta be the massive one so far. While Riobot SRX still remains the most expensive single item, I think Metal Build Billbine and SOC Tryon which is the main star of this haul can easily match up to be on par. My Chinese model kit collection got some addition on Heavyweights as well with Hemoxian Lone Shadow and Star Eternal boast a massive Box Size that can give Bandai's Gunpla a run for their money. Interestingly I also got myself a Sembo Brick Model for J-20 which is probably the cheapest among the batch but can still pull its weight. At this rate I think my backlog size is getting quite out of control already despite I already finished on some Chinese Model kit. Should have picked up the slack during the CNY Holiday period. Perhaps I should start workin on the Mecha Musume model kit that I got recently.
 

Sluban Super Mecha Champions Qbrick - Trio of Enders Review

It has been a month since SMC officially closed its server but my homage process for this Mecha series that had its Potential wasted by Netease will not end. Around December last year, I have been acquiring some SMC Qbricks to see what the worth of this particular lineup that managed to run for 2 Waves.

All in All, I managed to acquire 5 of these SMC Qbricks which have some merit for its value and I will be presenting the first out of the five which is Trio of Enders which is one of the better specimen from the lineup. Till the end of SMC Run, Trio of Enders remain my favorite Mecha in SMC with its utilitarian Kit that offers respectable Firepower and Burst damage capability when required. Not particularly flashy, but It will get the job done. I will promise that SMC Qbricks review series will make its regular appearance likely until April 2025.

Vintage Toys - B-Daman Bakugaiden I Super Bomber Armor

 
 Apart from Saint Blaster, there were couple of noteworthy B-Daman toys that made it overseas and In fact even I have one in my possession. One of this notable B-Daman Toys is called Super Bomber Armor which is derived from the first Bakugaiden series. Released back in 90s this one is sold for 3800 Yen being one of the more deluxe category of B-Daman series.

B-Daman Super Bomber Armor consist of 3 B-Daman Bakugaiden vehicle toys which are: Bomber Soarer, Bomber Diver and Bomber Lander representing Sky, Sea and Land vehicles respectively. Together these 3 vehichles can combine to form a Mecha called Super Bomber Armor. When I was a kid I used to have Bomber Soarer and Diver which obviously broke down due to being a shitty brat. Then during my Study in China, I managed to get a complete set which still sat down gathering dusts since I have some plan for repaint. 

While Bakugaiden I are predominantly having assorted variations of Bomberman. Apparently Bakugaiden I did have some more cool Mecha stuff which never caught my attention until my recent research for Bakugaiden series like the Gatling Armor or Blizzard Bomber Armor which perhaps I will discuss on another day. Perhaps I could consider making the mechatalk article for it despite the Roster size will be way smaller compared to Bakugaiden III and IV since I will filter out the non mecha stuff.

Rance 03: Fall of Leazas

Back in 2020, I played and finished Rance 03 Remake during the period of COVID isolation and even did make an article for the game at some point. At the time, I did promise to make full article for this game. But the plan ended up never materialized since I thought I accidentally deleted the in-game assets I collected to make the full article of Rance 03 which totally killed my motivation. However in a strange turns of event, I managed to retrieve the Assets that I thought had been long gone. Thus, just like Sakura Taisen 2, I will make an amend even if it has been overdue for 5 year. Therefore I proudly present Realm of Darkness Rance 03: Fall of Leazas full article!

This article will feature Safe-for-work Rance 03 Storyline overview which will be mostly done through covering the main factions, characters and points of interests in this game. The aim of this relatively lengthy article is to hopefully get people interested with Rance 03 and might as well delve further into this legendary High Fantasy series. Because among many Visual Novel Titles, Rance series are one of the few that can be actually successful without relying on their R-18 contents. Lastly this article revival also owed to the enthusiasm of this Blog’s visitors who seems to show quite an interest with past Rance series articles that are written in Realm of Darkness. This is one of the longer article that this blog had even compared to Kannazuki no Miko mechatalk part 2, so enjoy the read.

30 Minutes Fantasy - Rosan Wizard

30 Minutes Fantasy Lineup is back with something this month and a Fantasy series is never complete without the Wizard Class! Releasing in Liber and Rosan variant as usual, Bandai have unveiled 30 MF Wizard class. This time the Rosan Variant arguable have the better Class up item so it is the one to be featured. Scheduled for September 2025 release, 30 MF Liber/Rosan Wizard will be sold for 2000 Yen along with 700 Yen Class Up item.

Front Mission Structure Arts Plus 1/48 Zenith 30th Anniv Edition

 
 Time goes really fast and never expected Front Mission series has reached its 30th Anniversary! While Square enix no longer make any game for this renowned Mecha Strategy RPG series apart from remaster,  they are releasing Front Mission Model Kits with the help of Kotobukiya! Released as 1/48 Scale under Structure Plus lineup, the Front Mission will start with the Posterboy of FM series, Zenith and this one will come with tons of weapons. Scheduled for July 2025 release, Structure Art Plus Zenith will be sold for 12800 Yen.

Super Mecha Champions Mechatalk: Part 3

 Super Mecha Champions have officially closed down but I haven't forgotten my Promise! I have gathered the necessary assets for SMC Part 3 before the game closed down, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I don't have access with the files until now. SMC Part 3 will feature the Mechas in the game that I was unable to obtain when the game closed down and in terms of roster number, this one will be easily the biggest one which consist of 19 Mechas. Back then I was only able to secure 18 Mecha which is only half of the playable rosters as I only have less than One year worth of time to farm for in-game currencies. While this part will conclude the Mecha side of SMC Mechatalk, I will also commit for the Pilot side as well since I want to do a proper send off for this underrated series that had misfortune being owned by a Soulless Corporation that only cares about profit.

Warhammer 40k Tacticus: Blood Angels Lord Dante LRE announcement

It has been more than a year since my first Warhammer 40k Tacticus post and surprisingly I still survived in this Gacha Game which is quite particularly difficult. I have to say the Requisition rate aka the Gacha from Tacticus gotta be the worst one as your money spent could easily plunged into bottomless pit that nets you nothing valuable. But my attachment toward Warhammer 40k still prove to be stronger and decide to endure the nonsense to see if Tacticus could be a worthy representation for one of the ultimate Male Power Fantasy Sci-fi series on Mobile game platform. In any case, I am using this post to discuss the recent news announcement from Snowprint from Tacticus.

Robox Animation 1/100 Test-70 Bailu Air Combat Review

 
 Bringing up Review section once again after One month of Inactivity! This time I will be going for a Hattrick and review Chinese Model Kit after strings of related Posts. Robox Animation Bailu is not exactly my first acquisition for this category, but I decided to give this particular Model kit a priority boost because it is a good example for Chinese Model kit. Compared to Model kits that I gave a try 10 years ago, the quality of the Present Chinese model kits are not to be trifled with despite it still have its share of Hit or Miss. 

In terms of Aesthetics, Bailu had this kind balanced type Air Cavalry type that got overall parameter of Firepower, Durability and Mobility relatively balanced all over the board. Bailu's sleek design reminds me of Gundam Exia/Astraea line and Bailu could sort of passed as the Flight variant of those two should it be incorporated to Gundamverse. Just like many Chinese model kits, Bailu do come with 4 Jet-fighter type Drones which are stored at its back and waist armor which could have seen some cool dynamic action if the Kit had better Action base.

The very reason I pick Bailu as this time's review, because it is one of the great gateway I come across should anyone interested to get into Chinese model kit. For a 200 RMB price, this kit will offer Solid Value that can easily surpass its Japanese peer. If you are lucky, you can find this one around 40 USD which scores you 24 cm Mecha model kit with Diecast Frame that you can feel the weight. For a Single Bandai's 1/100 HIRM aka High Resolution Model price , you can get 3 of the Chinese Diecast frame counterpart which is definitely a irresistible temptations. While Chinese Model kits still have some flaws like Snapfit issue, given the current quality of their Products available in the market, it is just a matter of time before Chinese manufacturer's collective effort will close the gap. But seriously go give some time to take a look at these Chinese Model Kit lineups.

Jingzhuo She 1/100 Mandala

Another upcoming Chinese Model kit! This time is less spiky than its usual brethren but still got some gimmick worth a merit. Created by a manufacturer called Jingzhuo She, Mandala is yet another Gundam-esque Model kit. While it doesn't come with Diecast Frame, this one is relatively cheaper compared to its peers. Scheduled for March 2025 Release, Jingzhuo She 1/100 Mandala will be sold for 139 RMB.

On first glance, Mandala looks like a Real Robot type Gundam but personally I feel that the design resemble quite closely to Wildschwein from SRW OG mostly due to the Backpack proportion and curvy legs. Despite its plain looking real robot appearance, 1/100 Mandala do come with a neat gimmick to pull off some Itano Circus Missile Barrage and the manufacturer do provide the effect parts for the Preorder bonus. Personally the downside from Mandala is the color scheme that is difficult to make this guy look like Protagonist mecha though Wildschwein color scheme will look pretty good for this guy considering we never have any 1/100 representative for this fellow.

Mechatalk: B-Daman Bakugaiden III Bomber Fighter Armor Model Kit List

 
 With Takara Tomy re-releasing their Bakugaiden IV Mecha products starting with White Bros, I got myself motivated and dig further their past B-Daman Toy lineup once again. What captivated me the most from B-Daman lineup was the Bomber Mecha like Saint Blaster which made me a big sucker for Mecha Toys with Pilot Gimmick. But back then I did have a particular B-Daman Model Kit that had slightly different aesthetics with the former and features a B-Daman Mecha Design with Semi-transparent Head cockpit that comes with Mini B-Daman as Icing on top. 

 Upon further digging, my search lead to B-Daman Bakugaiden III which is the previous B-Daman Generations that came before Bakugaiden IV which Saint Blaster belongs to. Released around 1997-1998, those B-Daman Mechas with Semi Transparent Cockpit is called Bomber Fighter Armor. As expected, these are some Pretty good stuffs which lead to products that lead me being a fan of Cockpit gimmick for Mecha toys. While my search doesn't lead me to the exact Model that I had which was probably bootleg version of Type-90 Bomber Fighter, this particular endeavor lead me to quite a Vintage treasure trove! And I would to use an opportunity in my blog to make people have easier time to reconnect with their Childhood nostalgia involving B-Daman.

This article will serve as a repository list for Bomber Fighter Armor products that I come across. Due to the archive nature of this Article, it will be relegated to Mechatalk category. On average these Bomber Armor Model fetched around 500-1300 Yen Price tag back in 97-98 save for the extra large one which costed 4000 Yen. Nevertheless those very cheap B-Daman Mecha toys that still comes with good quality. Perhaps Takara could consider re-release some of the Bakugaiden III Products should the Toysrise Saint Blaster being well received. You can check this Japanese Website for the Cross reference used for this article.

Cang Toys War of the Gods 1/100 Fu Xi

 It is Year of the Snake and China hobby manufacturer strikes hard right after CNY holiday ended! Coming from Cang Toys, we got ourselves a Snake Chinese Gundam Mecha named after Male Progenitor Deity Fu Xi! And just like other previous Chinese model kits, this one will apparently come with Diecast frame! Cang Toys 1/100 Fu Xi will be scheduled for Q4 2025 release with 188 RMB Price tag.

 Seriously Chinese Manufacturer really try to outdone each other! Not long before we were getting a Mecha Model kit with 70 cm Mecha Dragon that tagged along, this time we got a 70 cm Mecha Snake that can turn into Fu Xi's lower torso. Cang Toys 1/100 Fu Xi is a dedicated Melee Mecha that definitely use Altron Gundam as its base and jacked it up to suit Chinese myth aesthetics. Obviously Fu Xi is just one half of the famed Chinese Deity pair and his Consort, Nu Wa will eventually follow up. In terms of Aesthetics, Nu Wa will heavily resemble Shiranui from Super Mecha Champions whether it is coincidence or not.

Sword of Convallaria - Dungeon Meshi Collab

 
 Dungeon Meshi being a Top Tier Fantasy Manga series are very generous for some reason when it comes to lending out its IP for Gacha Game collabs. We have gotten 2-3 Gacha Games last year that had Dungeon Meshi collaboration notably Arknights which Global Server should be having in March next month. Then out of nowhere another Chinese Gacha game called Sword of Convallaria got the Dungeon Meshi collab in which the CN server of the game will get it in 21st Februar 2025. For some reason Convallaria Dungeon Meshi collab does not feature Laios as playable apparently and will have Marcille and Farlin as the Target gacha along with Senshi tagging along.

For this collab announcement alone, I give Sword of Convallaria a try to see what its worth. From what I grasp over one day worth of playtime, Sword of Convallaria is a turn based Strategy Gacha game reminiscent of Tactics Ogre. But the streamlined gameplay mechanics feel like Mercenary Saga. Overall I find the decision for Dungeon Meshi to choose a collab with Convallaria to be a peculiar one since with its popularity, I believe it can choose more popular Gacha game to do collab with. Nevertheless I suppose Dungeon Meshi IP Holder had a reason of its own and put enough faith with Convallaria. Considering the collab announcement are just for CN server so far, I think the Global server will get the collab within few months considering Convallaria just had Half year anniv.

 To me if a Game like Convallaria could secure a collab with Dungeon Meshi, I don't see any reason why Wizardry Daphne unable to get one in the future considering Dungeon Meshi origins are deeply tied with Wizardry. Nevertheless I am hoping the best future for Dungeon Meshi, Convallaria and Wizardry Daphne.

Arknight Nendoroid Mlynar

 
  Looks like the first Arknights Nendoroid for 2025 is here! Unlike Mihoyo with their Genshin, Hypergryph do give their best for at least more consistent output with Arknights. After Silverash representing his Bloodline coming in Nendoroid format couple years ago, Mlynar the representative of Nearl clan now have arrived! Scheduled for June 2025 Release, Nendoroid Mlynar will be sold for 7400 Yen.

Mlynar despite being depicted as burnt out Former Kazimierz knight who gave up his pride and become corporate slave is a worthy Candidate to enter Nendoroid. He is one the best Burst Guard Operator who can give Silver Ash's True Silver Slash a run of his money with his S3 that unleash Wide Range True Damage AOE that will shred anything barring the toughest opponents. The accessories is bare minimum as usual just like previous Arknights Nendos but Mlynar do come with interesting Faceplate choice befitting his circumstances. Too bad I only strictly collect Waifus for Arknights Nendoroid, but I wouldn't min Mlynar's Figma if there are ever one and I will look forward for the rest of the Nearl Bloodlines to join the Nendoroid since Blemishine and Nearl have a good shot to get one with their 6* Operator status.

Wizardry Variant Daphne : Port Town Grand Legion 2nd Abyss 1st run Clear!

 One month to go before the Blade & Bastard collab hailing Wizardry Daphne and New Abyss Dungeon appear to be coming up soon as well. Over past two weeks, I have been grinding my way up to the Second Abyss which is Water based Dungeon filled with Aquatic Deathtraps and Sahagins Fish Demi Human. Overall with proper preparation I have overcome the tribulations that this Dungeon had to offer and managed to clear my first run even if it is not a perfect one which is very acceptable since you need another run for the True Ending anyway.

B-Daman Bakugaiden Toyrise White Bros

 

 After 30 long years, we finally get a revival for B-Daman Bakugaiden mechas by Takara Tomy! The prototype for Saint Blaster have been revealed for quite some time but Takara feels that they are now ready to open the curtain for Bakugaiden Revival toys. At first I thought the Iconic Combiner Saint Blaster will be released in one go but Takara prefers to release it piecemeal starting with the White Bros! Released under Toyrise lineup, White Bros will be sold for 12000 Yen with September 2025 release schedule.

B-Daman Bakugaiden Saint Blaster always had a special place in my heart because I did have a full set of this fellow when I was a Kid and this is one of the first fews that kickstart my passion toward Mechas. For over 10k Yen Price tag, I wouldn't expect this guy will come with any Diecast parts considering Diaclone didn't have any for this price range but for a reunion that took 20 years, the price is the least concern. I expect Blue Braver and Yellow Crusher will be sold within similar price range which make the complete set for Saint Blaster fetch for 36k Yen. I hope Takara Tomy will be interested to make the Black Dragon as well. To wrap up this post I will leave the reference pics for the Saint Blaster which will consist of the current rendition of White Bros.

Konosuba Season 3

 It took 7 Years for Konosuba anime series to get a continuation of with a full 3rd Season with a filler Movie slipped in and after finished watching it, now I get why this once popular Fantasy Isekai series took such a long time to be continued. Back then Konosuba aired as one of the forefront to the Isekai era and soon it gained popularity due to the hilarious comedic tone that the series had with the shenanigans by Kazuma's party of misfit overpowered adventurers, But unfortunately lightning does not strike twice at the same place for this instance.

Konosuba 3rd season continues Kazuma's adventuring story with introducing Princess Iris and a major arc revolving around Darkness. The main plot is executed just fine but the process getting in between is rather painful to watch. In order to overcompensate with the barebone in-between storyline, I feel that Konosuba 3rd Season make the jokes become way over the top and we are seeing Kazuma sunk even lower more than before. Kazuma is designed to be a hikineet character that often gave in to his deprived tastes but he went abit too far for a few times on the third season. But Darkness Fans will definitely get some really good fanservice treat and I still believe she is the best fit out of the three original Main Heroines with her strong maternal quality if not for her masochist fetish. Despite Konosuba 3rd season felt Lackluster compared to the previous seasons, we can still likely expect another season for Konosuba for the sake of wrapping up the story properly as long as nothing drastic happened to Japanese economy.

Moshow Progenitor Effect Illustrious Class 1/100 Tryant [Fox Hound]

 Moshow is back again with their 1/100 Illustrious Class and this time it comes in a squad of Real Robots!  After making several Knight and Samurai themed Mecha, Moshow decided to flex their Real Robot skill and we got something in line with Gundam series Nero/Messer/Jesta dubbed Tyrant Fox Hound. Scheduled for Q2 2025, Illustrious Class Tyrant Fox Hound will be sold for 358 Separately or 999 RMB as a set.

Surprisingly for a Real Robot Squad design, 2 of the 3 Tyrant Fox Hound variants are melee focused coming in light and medium-heavy variant and one ranged focus. The Light Melee variant comes with a pair of Gauntlets and Heat Blades as its armament while the Heavy Melee is armed with Battle Axe, Mace and Pilebunker Shield and lastly the ranged variant comes with Rifle and Bazooka. Personally if i have to pick one, I obviously lean with the Ranged variant of the Tyrant Fox Hound, but It would have been nice if it had also come with the Pilebunker and Twin Heatblade. Personally I don't think we will see the last of these Real Robot Diecast by Moshow.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2

 
 Another upcoming Capcom Arcade game collections that caught my interest after Marvel vs Capcom and this one looks promising. Dubbed simply as Capcom Fighting Collection 2 and consisted of 8 Capcom Arcade Games from 1998 to 2004, this is likely the first Capcom Compilation that include SNK Collab with Capcom stuff back in the period. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 will be scheduled for May 2025 Release.

Compared to Marvel vs Capcom fighting collection, I only played 3 out of 8 Games from this collection which are Power Stone 1&2 and SF Alpha 3 which were available on PSP. Rival Schools and Star Gladiator also got included in the collection with their western versions. Capcom Fighting Evolution which is Capcom Exclusive all stars crossover fighting game also included which never caught my attention until now. The Star of the Collection is obviously SNK Vs Capcom 1&2 which I never played either since I directly jumped into SVC vs Chaos.

Even with the second Iteration, I don't think we have seen the last of Capcom Fighting collection yet since they still have several Titles in their Disposals if they want to come up with another one like Mech Romancer, Rival Schools 2 and SVC Chaos if Capcom can get the technicality issues stemming from the game being developed by SNK cleared. One even could hope that we can get Tatsunoko vs Capcom someday in the Capcom Fighting Collection since that game deserves to spread its wing beyond Wii Platform. The only obstacle is Tatsunoko who are quite notorious when it comes to screwing other People's IP.

Wizardry: Blade & Bastard

Considering that this particular Wizardry Spinoff Manga & Novel getting a collab with Wizardry Daphne within a month, might as well talk a little bit about it. Given Wizardry popularity in Japan, the series is kept alive quite well for more than 40 years beyond the shelflife of its original counterpart. One of the recent medium for this Classic JRPG series is a Light Novel called Blade & Bastard released in 2022 and this one is written by the Author of Goblin Slayer, Kumo Kagyu Sensei.

Blade & Bastard is a story of a Wizardry Dungeon adventure featuring a Male Samurai named Iarumas with mysterious past who got resurrected recently after ended up as a Corpse for a long time in the Dungeon. Accompanied by a young girl Fighter who simply called Garbage, Iarumas explore the Dungeon while retrieving Adventurers corpses as a part of recovering his Memories. 

So far the Blade & Bastard Manga only have 10 Chapters and nothing much going at the moment. but since we have Goblin Slayer author at the helm of this work, we can expect a good Dark Fantasy series as the Author had quite an expertise on Old School RPG and the manga perfectly encapsulate the Sombre Dark Fantasy Atmosphere that Wizardry had. 

I suppose Wizardry Daphne Dev picked this particular series as the first collab material because the close Resemblance of Iaruma Archetype with Daphne Main Protagonist who still have many secrets yet uncovered after being resurrected as Ghoul with plenty of Godlike ability and it would be a good timing to release Samurai Class in Daphne. If the collab is successful enough perhaps we could even get Goblin Slayer Collab which is a perfect fit for Wizardry Series apart from Dungeon Meshi. 

Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Alpharius

  Joytoy is back from their CNY Holiday and now for their first move they pulled a rug out of 40k Fans with a Primarch! Of all Primarchs they could announce for release, Joytoy decided to do a random stunt and release the Primarch for Alpha Legions, Alpharius! Schedule for May 2025 release, Joytoy Alpharius will be sold for 139 USD.

 Alpha Legion is not exactly the most popular faction as First Founding or Chaos Space Marine, but I suppose Joytoy decided Alpharius to be the first Primarch released in 2025 as good candidate for some warmups. Alpharius is one of Twin Primarchs that commanded Alpha Legions along with his twin Brother Omegon, a very secretive Space Marine chapter that are good at Clandestine type operations which makes them good at Deceptions and Misdirection. During Horus Heresy event, Alpha Legion officially side with Traitor Legions until the present setting to 40k. Even so some of their subterfuge actions do benefit Imperium somehow which makes them a secretly Loyalist faction. Alpharius himself had quite popular meme in 40k Fandom where every single of Alpha Legion Astartes claiming to be him which I admit to be my gateway to know this 20th Primarch as well. Nevertheless Alpharius is a welcome addition for Joytoy 40k collection and I would expect the next Joytoy Primarch to be likely from Traitor Legion which either be Fulgrim or Konrad Curze.

Kyokai Senki - AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline

 
 Another Mecha anime backlog that I finished recently and this one yet another of those Sunrise's failed potential. Back in early 2020s, I recalled this series called Kyokai Senki was one of the more ambitious project by Bandai and Sunrise studio, as the former invested quite a lot on Model Kits for this particular series. Overall I felt that Kyokai Senki failed to realize its potential despite having solid mecha designs due to severe Mismatch of Characters/Setting/Mechas.

On Hindsight, Kyokai Senki premise is a mix of Code Geass and Full Metal Panic featuring a setting of alternate Modern Japan which somehow got itself annexed by Multiple nations and have the populace live as 3rd class Citizens akin to Code Geass Elevens. The main protagonist is a Japanese Teen who had a fateful encounter with a powerful Prototype Mecha that comes along with Top of the Line AI and join the effort to liberate Japan from foreign military invaders while also fighting against mysterious Rogue Mecha that inflict many destructions on everything it came across.

Just like Muvluv series, Kyokai Senki competence at the Geopolitics department are abysmal and have too much wishful thinking, which is one of the main cause of the failure of the series to become a mainstream success. The series supposed to convey its main audiences which are Japanese Youths to keep persevere despite Japanese constantly declining overall presence and importance on global stage. Obviously given the how Kyokai Senki was poorly executed, it absolutely missed the target while also failed to appeal Global Audiences which are crucial for Bandai's Model Kit sales. I recalled the company I worked for which served as the local Distributors was forced by Bandai Gunpla Division to purchase large amounts of Kyokai Senki model kits which end up as Dead inventories until now. 

Given the failure of the main series, Bandai actually still had a chance to salvage Kyokai Senki given that the short OVA which I probably will cover in the future showcase how the series could work out if executed properly. But I would say Kyokai Senki would be off better to start with alternate gritty settings which have no ties whatsoever to real world to have better shots for proper execution.

Wizardry Variants Daphne - Beginning Abyss True Ending GET

 Supposedly I should have written this article before talking about making Wizardry Variants Daphne main article. But in this instance I would like to share my experience in clearing the Beginning Abyss Dungeon which is only achievable on Second run of the Dungeon. For the First tutorial dungeon, Wizardry Variants Daphne choice to put a very brutal challenge for new players is rather Peculiar. Because It took me like Three Weeks to reach the True ending with respectable amount of effort which is kinda unheard of for a Gacha Game. If you minmax and have time to Spare, probably you can reach Wizardry Daphne Beginning Abyss True Ending in One week but typical target demographic of this game unlikely have that kind of time with their Full Time job.

While the Difficulty level of the Beginner Dungeon is way too brutal for average casual gamer, It definitely sets the tone of a Epic Dark Fantasy that will come out from Wizardry Variants Daphne.

January 2025 Loot

 
 This month's hauls should have been posted Earlier this month but due to unforeseen circumstances, I ca only share it by this time. Overall a very solid haul which are dominated by Chinese Hobby Collectibles just like many previous batch. The most expensive of the hauls are no doubt the Gattai Seven Changer but the Chinese can deliver top tier product for 1/2 to 1/3rd of this Guy's value ranging from Chinese Gundams Metal Build, Joytoy Primarch to Cangtoys Loong. I would definitely love to crack open Jingwei or Tianfa in near future should I have time but Loong also got a good shot to be the first pick since I would like to see how it size up with Figma Chen. I would also love to crack open Joytoy Magnus the Red and have him doing some wrestling match with Leman Russ to settle their Grudges. In any case it is a solid batch of hayls again which align with this Blog's main interests.

Wizardry Variants Daphne

 
 Over past 1 month I have been playing this new Gacha game called Wizardry Variants Daphne. As expected from a Game that bears the same name with one of the Progenitor of JRPG, Wizardry Variants Daphne is a Solid classic Dungeon Crawling JRPG that comes with Brutal Difficulty yet fun Old School RPG experience. For a Gacha Game made by Japanese Dev in a time where Chinese Gaming Industry reigns supreme, Wizardry Variants Daphne is promising JRPG game that is quite well made and could have sold well even as a console game. But for some reason the Devs decide to make this new iteration of Wizardry as Gacha game that overall have solid production value and potential. Interestingly the Illustrator of this game is the same one with Fire Emblem Awakening series.

Bartender (Manga)

 Revisiting this particular manga called Bartender which I read halfway 15 years ago. Turns out I almost finished my reading run back then and as expected Bartender is one of those reason why Mid 2000s is the peak of Japanese Manga Genre. Taking place in Late 90s, Bartender is the story a Prodigy Bartender named Ryuu Sasakura whose skill is so renowned to be called Glass of God and used it in  Ginza Nightlife scene and eventually his own Bar of Eden Hall to soothe the souls of his Patrons with his cocktails.

Genshin Impact 1/7 Eula Lawrence Wavecrest Waltz Ver

 
 Mihoyo is still taking their time for Genshin Merchandise and Eula is the next one getting a Scale figure by Wonderful Works! Based on her SSR Illustration, Favonius Recon Squad captain comes in 1/7 Scale along with Song of Broken Pines Claymore. Scheduled for November 2025 release, 1/7 Wonderful Works Eula will be sold for 30580 Yen.

I am using this post to criticize Mihoyo yet again. While there is nothing wrong with Eula and her Scale figure, her release timing really indicate Mihoyo never really cares for their Genshin IP. For a top tier waifu character like Eula, she is very badly neglected since the beginning and even worse off than Keqing both in the game and Merchandise. To put it simply, Eula Scale Figure release timing is way past her hype already as it took 5 years for a First Year SSR waifu to make it as a Scale Figure based on default illustration, not even Figma or Nendoroid! While I would say Eula is still quite fortunate compared to other Monstadt characters, this is the sort of negligence attitude that led Genshin's playerbase goes Disillusioned with Mihoyo's management  on Genshin. While I personally felt it is kinda late, I hope that Eula's release indicate that Mihoyo do intend to get things done and release more of Genshin's collectibles in near future.

Wizardry (OVA)

 Wizardry is a Legendary RPG series that cannot be understated for its immense influence in Japan. This series is essentially one of the main pillar of JRPG genre that was well known for its brutal and unforgiving Fantasy Dungeon Crawling experience. Due to my recent encounter with Wizardry Variants Daphne, I end up came across the OVA anime of this 40 Years Old Classic simply dubbed as Wizardry.

Based on Wizardry 1: Proving Grounds of Mad Overlord, Wizardry OVA is a short and intense Fantasy adventure. The OVA is a hack and slash fantasy rollercoaster with a basic premise where a Group of experienced adventurers for various reasons decide to challenge the Mad Wizard Werdna who tried to unleash Evil Power from an Amulet stolen from his former friend in the deepest part of the dungeon he created.

As a Fantasy Anime, Wizardry OVA is very fast paced and goes straight to the meat of Fantasy Adventure and did it well, which is quite a rarity for Japanese anime as they usually tend to prefer their weakling protagonist went through some character development first. Even a DnD fan will enjoy this Wizardry OVA because it is a good depiction of Level 5-8 DnD Campaign where the Adventurers are somewhat experienced but still very vulnerable against the threat that a Dungeon had and will have to rely on their wits to survive the challenge presented to them. 

If you like Fantasy Anime, you won't have nothing to lose to give this Wizardry OVA a watch just to show a glimpse what Japanese were capable of back in the Golden Age of their economy. I will definitely discuss Wizardry Variants Daphne in near future which make me got into this old yet venerable Classic RPG series.

Age of Sigmar Joytoy 1/18 Stormcast Eternal Blacktalons

 One week before Joytoy took their well deserved break on CNY and they still managed to deliver surprises after surprises! This time we got something not from the usual Warhammer 40k but Age of Sigmar with the first honor goes to the Blacktalons Stormcast Eternal team. Scheduled for April 2025 release,these Blacktalons are sold for 284 USD as set of 5 or 50-65 USD each.

Joytoy release of this Age of Sigmar Blacktalons is a big deal because it is a potential gateway for Fans to get Quality Action Figures by Joytoy for Warhammer Fantasy Battle series just like 40k. I am not too well versed with Age of Sigmar myself apart from these Stormcast Eternal clad in Gold armor are roughly Fantasy counterpart for 40k Space Marines. But WHFB is one of those yet another massive power fantasy series that got its share of very cool Fantasy Medieval Armies. With this Blacktalon release, I am looking forward to Grail Knight and Demigryph Knights someday and might even assemble a Pike and Shot army from Empire faction. Heck, I wouldnt be surprised if we are getting Karl Franz with Deathwing in the future should this venture goes well for Joytoy and Games Workshop.

Out of the Blacktalons squad, the one that caught my attention the most is easily Hendrik Silverwolf which served as the veteran in Elite Monster Hunter team even though Neave Blacktalon is the actual leader which the latter remind me of Sister Vindicta from Warhammer Tacticus. In any case we will probably start to see more of these new Warhammer Lineup on Mid February once the CNY holiday has passed.

Farewell Super Mecha Champions

 Well, the inevitable has arrived and Super Mecha Champions today officially down its server and end its service. Another mecha game bite the dust without any sendoff which is really a sad thing. But like many fans who loved this game, at very least I did my part of sending off SMC by playing a last game on the final day.

Once again I would like to say that Super Mecha Champions met its demise due to Netease negligence whom never put the proper amount of effort for this game in the right direction. I have to admit that Mainland Chinese company's extreme pragmatic approach for their product do bear good results. But personally at times companies Netease take this methodology way too far. Comparing to growing a crop, sometimes you really need more than Top Grade Soil, Fertilizer and Insecticide to let the Crop bears the greatest amount of Yields and Netease doesn't put enough care for SMC and simply consider this game outright as a failure when it is unable to deliver the result they desired. Seriously there are things that cannot be seen if you don't have any love for it.

With SMC's Demise, I will not be touching any Netease products anymore at least until they tried to make any amends for SMC by making a revival of some sort. As for myself, I will still commit to complete the sendoff for SMC with full fledged Mechatalk which will also include the Pilots database. This is the least can do for Fans to have something to reminisce with the series just like Final Gear last year.

B'T X

 Going back to revisit this classic 90s series which I watched as a kid since as my preparation part for Degenerator Industry 1/12 Action figure for Teppei and X. Just like many other kids back in this era, I was exposed to this BTX series which did give me quite an impression and even at some point I had a copy of Takara Tomy Seiryu Ron & Raido. In this article I will cover the anime version which spanned over 39 Episodes and split into B'T X and B'T X Neo. I will cover manga in another future post as it deserve its own considering the anime did diverge from the original source material due to the circumstances at the time.

Platinumhugen Ordian

 Late 90s to Early 2000s gotta be the era where some really bad Mecha Anime were made. This particular era was quite different compared to 80s as Mecha anime in this time had transitioned from Overstretched Toy commercials. But lacking Solid financial backing from a Sponsor still doesn't prevent some anime studio to come up with really Bad mecha and Platinumhugen Ordian is another Prime example which happened to be directed by Masami Obari. Nowhere as bad as Cybuster which still held the title of the worst Mecha Anime, but this one is quite bad.

The Premise of Platinumhugen Ordian is pretty much about a teenage Male Protagonist with murky past who somehow related to an officer from an Elite Military Organizaion that got robots. In a turns of event, He got roped into piloting a Mecha then experience some PTSDs and then somehow find himself piloting One of the Two Super Robots which is an Ancient Weapon and the only thing that can confront the Black Super Robot counterpart which is piloted by Main Antagonist and bent on mass destruction, deciding the fate of the world with their showdown.

To put it simply, Platinumhugen Ordian is Obari's attempt at emulating and making his own Evangelion series. but given his limitation as Anime Director and lack of Good writer in the project, the series obviously failed spectacularly despite the overall concept is quite interesting. Also don't be fooled with the bulk of the Mecha design in this series which are real Robot, Platinumhugen Ordian is Obari's super robot show through and through.

While Platinumhugen Ordian is pretty much a failure destined to fate into obscurity, the series still got some merits. As expected by Masami Obari, The mecha designs are actually A+ and offer a glimpse of Mecha version of Tekkaman which Obari did contributed back then. But poorly executed storyline definitely make it difficult for average anime fan to get into unless they are Mecha enthusiasist. Also I find another missing piece of Muvluv series from Platinumhugen Ordian. Because Muvluv's pilot suits with distinct Chin Guard and TSF Shiranui is most likely derived from Platinumhugen Ordian.

As much as Platinumhugen Ordian is a failure as Mecha anime, the mecha itself are quite good and I won't mind getting a finished Product for Ordian which is Dangaioh with mini Dragonar Tekkaman.

Highserk Senki: What do you of with those Murky Eyes?

 With Kadokawa have been teetering recently, perhaps we will see less Isekais in the future, but I still come across to a promising one on a random encounter of manga called Nigoru Hitomi de Nani wo Negau: Highserk Senki. Dark Fantasy rarely blends with Isekai but Highserk Senki is one of those few specimens. Just like typical Isekai series, the main protagonist died once and transported into a Fantasy Medieval settings that just happened to be bleak one where War is a common occurence. The main Protagonist is an Anti Hero who served a warlike medieval Kingdom called Highserk and slowly rise from the rank of Common Soldier with his special ability and Magical talent of Blue Flame which had a peculiar significance in the setting and spread terror upon his foes.

Highserk Senki is quite a fresh Isekai reading experience since the amount of the Grimdarkness of the setting hit the right amount o balance without being too edgy. The main Protagonist also is not really a wuss either like typical Japanese Isekai protagonist who tried his best to stay in a Neutral alignment despite going through a hellish experience while keeping himself grounded and do whatever necessary to stay alive. So far the Manga only had 19 Chapters but the Light Novel translation had been going quite far which the Manga only reached about 1/5th of the Novel translation. I probably will binge the Novel and keep track of this series if It can wrap up with Satifsying ending which many of Isekais failed to do.

Arcanadea Ermeda Plastic Model

 
 Amongst Intensive barrage of Mecha Musume model kits from Chinese Manufacturer, Kotobukiya still managed to put up a good resistance even if overwhelmed by quantity. So after the Firebird themed Charmed, Kotobukiya's Fantasy Mecha Musume lineup comes with a new one called Ermeda and this one does not disappoint! Scheduled for June 2025 Release, Arcanadea Ermeda will be sold for 8965 Yen.

Arcanadea Ermeda goes back to the Angelic Theme like Lumitea, the first of this particular Mecha Musume lineup. In terms of overall vibes, Ermeda gives off a Cleric Onee-san vibe who use a Bow as a weapon of Choice. Or she could pass of as Senior Angel who came down to assist the Hero Adventurers. While I am not too well versed with the Mecha Musume, the Sculpt of Arcanadea Ermeda is impressive as usual when it comes to expresiveness and the Wing parts is a sight to behold to. I think the next Arcanadea will come with more serious vibe after Ermeda.

N-Gage Warhammer 40K: Glory in Death Space Marines Campaign Complete

 Warhammer 40k is no doubt one of the biggest Sci-Fi Series in the west because it is still one of the best Male Power Fantasy out there. There were plenty of gateways to get into 40k series and I found mine 18 Years ago. I used to be quite a devoute Nokia N-Gage Fanboy when I was in Highschool and through this Gaming Mobile Phone, I stumble upon this particular Warhammer 40k Game called W40K: Glory in Death. Just like Rifts and Pocket Kingdom, this game influenced me deeply in my gaming journey but I never actually managed to finish the game at the time. Now when I am in my 30s, I somehow find my way to get back into N-Gage through EKAL21 and go straight into this Hidden Gem of Warhammer 40k Game.

Arknights 1/7 Amiya Solo Around the World ver

 
 Arknights is very quick on this one! Just right around before Christmas last month, Arknights released  a special L2D Skin for Amiya in her Medic Class called Solo Around the world concurrently on every Arknights server. This Elaborate L2D skin give this Doktah's beloved Bunny Daughter a cute Witch costume reclining with a Violin on her side. Then 2-3 Weeks after the Skin release on Arknights game, Goodsmile Shanghai announced this version of Amiya PVC figure to be sold as 1/7 Scale Figure. Scheduled for February 2026 release, 1/7 Amiya Solo around the World ver will be sold for 27000 Yen.

 While I never really utilize Amiya in my Arknights Squad, after seeing her struggle with Doctor in the main storyline for over 5 years. I do admit that this Donki Cautus daughter deserves her Main heroine position in Arknights. Being the best skin so far for Amiya, this Solo Around the World skin gives a rather melancholy vibe for Amiya. Given Amiya's fate in the future will appear to be a very tragic one especially if Doctor is not by her side, as shown in the latest Integrated Strategies mode where Amiya become the Super Secret boss.

This PVC Figure release also served as a slap in the face for Mihoyo who don't put their act together with Genshin IP. Because even Hypergryph who make less profit with Arknights can coordinate properly and use the momentum well to release a Product shortly after an In-game content. Personally I am highly interested with this Amiya's PVC Figure despite she is nowhere in my Arknights top waifu list. But the dealbreaker for this product would be how elaborate the Violin Case stand that the manufacturer's effort to put in. Once again shame on Mihoyo who can't get their internal politics sorted out to deliver a good experience for their fans.

Super Mecha Champions Mechatalk: Part 2

 10 More days before Super Mecha Champions officially closes down. Apologies that it took more than a month for the SMC Mechatalk to continue but I will assure that the Mecha part for SMC Mechatalk will be completed before the Server closedown. After covering the Starter mechs in SMC Mechatalk part 1, this time I will cover the Non-Starter Mechs that I managed to unlock before the server closedown. In my opinion, this is probably the best on for the Mecha Parts of SMC Mechatalk series since I unlocked some of the Mechas that struck my Fancy and some of them are given generous amount of skins by Netease. Without further ado, here is the Part 2 of SMC Mechatalk!

SRW OG CCS Toys 鉄魄 [MORTAL MIND] Alteisen

 
 CCS Toys truly come for the rescue! It is almost about 2 years since Flame Toys reveal their take on the Iconic SRW OG Mech Alteisen which were rather on expensive side. And now CCS Toys ready to unveil their take for this Old Iron which is very impressive and justify the reason why any SRW fans should pay attention with them. After Cybuster, CCS Toys released a Diecast version of Alteisen under the same Mortal Mind lineup. Scheduled for March 2025 release, CCS Mortal Mind Alteisen will be sold for 32000 Yen Price tag.

Just like Cybuster, the CCS version of Alteisen will likely stand 20+cm which correspond to 1/100 Scale. Compared to the Flame Toys version, CCS sports darker color scheme and even look more bulkier for already Alteisen's imposing stature. Despite being 20% cheaper compared to Flametoys, CCS Version of Alteisen's value is no slouch and In fact even better. While this one does not have Shishioh blade, CCS decide to go beyond the limit and make some impressive effect parts for Alteisen's Heavy Claymore which are probably never done for any previous Alteisen's physical product. Despite I already have Kotobukiya's 1/100 Alteisen, I will likely get this one to reunite the SRW OG Main protagonists once again. I will leave the parts contents of CCS and Flametoys Alteisen for people to decide which company make the better Diescast product for this beloved Old Iron.

Cangdao Degenerator Industry SV-001 Metal Slug Review

 First Review for this year! Since I just discussed about the BT'X product from Degenerator Industry, I might as well use the momentum to showcase their previous product which is SV-001 Metal Slug. Never expected somebody make a mecha from the iconic Tank from SNK's 90s Popular Run&Gun Sidescrolling video game series but this is a well made product.

Overall Degenerator Industry SV-001 Metal Slug is a solid homage product for the Classic series which just hit the perfect balance of Value and Price point. While there were other decent options for Metal Slug collectibles like the Pantasy Brick Model or Beast Kingdom Pullback Car, however in terms of Value-for-money, This transformable Metal Slug Tank mecha is still the best one so far.

 For a 400RMB Toy Product, you got yourself a large Metal Slug Tank that have neat transformation gimmick even if the mecha is not the best looking. On top of that It comes with some Diecast parts and LED Gimmick. These sort of quality are not exactly even easy to achieve by Japanese manufacturer for double the price tag. Considering Degenerator Industry Production run has been more than 2 years already, it is kinda difficult to find a reasonable price on internet for this guy. But you won't regret to obtain this definitive Metal Slug collectible if you can find one around 80-90 USD.

B'T X Degenerator Industry DI-BT-02a 1/12 Teppei Takamiya & X DX version

 
 There are plenty of Classic Japanese mecha series that never got the revival it deserved due to Japan's faltering economic situation and nowadays it is up to China to come for the rescue. This time, B'T X a mecha series made by Saint Seiya Mangaka is the one that got the turn and we got a promising 1/12 Scale Product! Created by a manufacturer called Degenerator Industry and released by Cangdao, Teppei and X will be sold as a DX Set for 790 RMB with June 2025 release schedule. Though both can be bought separately for 380 and 550 RMB.

I think this product will turn out well because Degenerator Industry did have decent track record with their previous products. Considering they are actually the one behind Cangdao's Metal Slug mecha which is a well made product since I had one. This B'T X Product do get my attention because I did get exposed to the series as a Kid. I did watch the anime but never in full but what I get from the series premise, B'T X is a story of pure hearted Boy set forth on a quest to rescue his elder brother against Evil Mecha Empire with the help of a Sentient Animal Mecha called X that looked like Pegasus but actually based on Chinese Qilin. 

While we still won't know if Degenerator's Industry B'T X will come as a Diecast product or not, this one will fit with my collections of Cavalry action figure. In fact I did have Takara's Seiryu BT Toy back when I was a kid which is why I kept my interest on this product. Hopefully by getting this product by supporting the manufacturer, we can get to see at least Seiryu and Suzaku got physical release because the mechanical design are pretty good. I think I will revisit B'T X anime series in near future as part of anticipating this product release to keep myself hyped up.

Thermae Romae Redux

 Never expect this Great Historical Fiction Manga series to see some continuation, but Thermae Romae really do get a sequel! Simply Dubbed Thermae Romae Redux, this surprising sequel takes place 20 years after Thermae Romae ended where the Main protagonist, Lucius Modestus successfully finished his Great Roman Bathhouse Project for Emperor Hadrian and found the love of his life from Modern Japan. This time during the Reign Transition between Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurellius, after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Lucius Modestus and his Son took yet another great adventure to create great Wonders for Roman Bathhouse Culture from their experience of being spirited away to Modern Japan.

As expected by Mari Yamazaki sensei who is probably one of the more well versed Mangaka with Ancient Rome History, Thermae Romae Redux is a great read just like the first series. As the balance between Drama and Humor remains great as usual and at the same time we will get another glimpse of Rome during the last stretch of Five Good Emperors period. Despite the theme used for Thermae Romae is rather narrow compared to typical Historical Manga, the Thermae Romae Redux experience is still fresh which is testament of the mangaka's storytelling capability. So far this Thermae Romae Sequel only made it around 1-2 Volumes considering the series started on early 2024, but I will believe the story quality can still remain consistent for 4-5 Volumes worth. While waiting for the Redux get its story continuation, I can still stick with Thermae Romae or Kentou Shitouden Cestus to get my Roman historical drama fix.

Nikke Hyper Body Red Hood

  Nikke is very quick on their Merchandising lately! Around the same time Rapi got her SSR version, one of the more popular Nikke who is closely related to the main heroine, Red Hood gets an action figure. Just like Modernia, She got a Hyper Body Treatment because GSC felt it is more suitable compared to Figma. Scheduled for December 2025 release, Hyperbody Red Hood will be sold for 15800 Yen.

 Red Hood is one of the legendary Nikke in the series being part of the Legendary Goddess Squad but at some point she fell in combat in the combat against Rapture. However Red Hood managed to live on somehow in a fateful encounter with Rapi when she still was a Mass produced Nikke and her soul lays dormant until Rapi needs her power. In Combat, Red Hood is armed with oversized Sniper Rifle and apparently she was a Meta S1&S3 Unit. When I still played Nikke, I managed to get her anniv Dress Costume which put her perfect body into good display even I never managed to get her by the time I quitted Nikke. Red Hood's caught my attention due to her close resemblance with Surtr from Arknights and would pass as her if the former decided to have goofier personality and picked oversized Rifle as her weapon. While Red Hood is still a skip for me, I would likely consider if D: Killer Wife ever gets an action figure.