Another Gacha Game that lasted more than a year for me which is quite an achievement considering my devotion toward FGO. Arknights might not surpass its gap with FGO yet, but it is still ahead compared to Azurlane and seems to be going in the right direction with its recent content. So at very least Arknights successfuly managed to carve out a sizable chunk of the Gacha Pie for itself
After a brief silence from the initial release of SHM Rathalos and Nargacuga, the Flagship Wyvern from MHP3, Zinogre joins the lineup! With its obvious popularity which still going strong, Zinogre had one of the highest odds to show up and Tamashii Nation did so, SHM is scheduled for July release with 12000 Yen price tag. I think we can expect improvement compared to the Revoltech version which was released years ago but i would have anticipated something more from Bandai for this Lightning Wolf. So for 12000 Yen, we are getting the vanilla version of Zinogre in its normal state without any effect parts for lightning effect or rage state, at least Tamashi Nation could throw in an electric orb or two.
Zinogre was one of the more memorable MH Wyvern out there due to its cool design combined with unique mechanic in which Zinogre's supercharged rage form is one of its main selling point. I liked this guy's armor set but rarely able to use it since Zinogre's Blademaster set is not too compatible with Lancer setup. So unfortunately Bandai's take on the lightning wolf is rather a miss since it is unable to utilize the Wyvern's full potential. In any case while i think Gore Magala would be the next candidate, i would love to see Lagiacrus or Diablos coming next.
Here is the long awaited moment of truth! As the Holy Grail of SRW series, The Invincible Super Robot under heaven, SRX made a reappearance once again with Sentinel's Riobot series complete with Gattai Gimmick. Back then only Volks managed to make SRX with Gattai gimmick more than 10 years ago and now it is Sentinel's turn to do so. As expected the Riobot version of SRX just like other Sentinel's robot product, it cost a kidney considering it is tagged at the price of whopping 65000 Yen with December release schedule. So with that price, you got yourself SRX team Real Robot mecha; R-1, R-2 and R-3 which combined together to form the powerful Super Robot SRX.
The new version of SRX easily cost double of the Volk's but with inflation considered, i guess can be said that it is still within acceptable range. While i think the articulation of the individual SRX team mecha are still decent, I kinda doubt that SRX will be the same in particular the lower part, with the Gattai gimmick considered.
The release of the new version of SRX is huge deal because SRX is practically the Heart and Soul of SRW series which represent the culmination for the Passion of Mecha. While its glory days was gone already, the glowing embers still remains reminding of the fond memories of the awesome mecha series. 65000 Yen is kinda out of my range but i think i can still settle with something half of the price which perhaps Bandai could pull off something considering they probably have some plan with SRW series this year.
Another Fantasy Harem series that gained recent popularity with the anime adaptation and if To Love Ru took place in fantasy setting, Ore dake haireru kakushi dungeon comes closest to it. For a fantasy series, it is not particularly exceptional but it excels at the harem part with the generous amount of fanservice it come with. In terms of story formula, i think Hidden Dungeon shares close similarity with Danmachi as the main protagonist is a fledgling adventurer who tried to make his way to the top of society with the help of powerful patron and inevitably getting himself a harem of cute girls flocking to him. As for the Hidden Dungeon Main Protagonist, he get access to a hidden dungeon where he is able to quickly level up with his overpowered set of skills given by a mysterious beautiful woman imprisoned in the dungeon. The powerful skillsets granted to the main protagonist enable him to gain powerful skills which comes at a price by spending skill points gained by seeking pleasure and for the Main Protagonist case, he needs to do lewd things with his harem which is the main source of Fanservice,
For the Fantasy part, Hidden Dungeon is subpar due to typical munchkin stuff. However the harem aspect become the series strongest selling point as it is capable to deliver maximum amount of fanservice without crossing the H Border which makes it one step behind Peter Grill no Kenja which is another great manga for this niche. If you need some fix for Fantasy themed harem, Ore dake haireru kakushi dungeon worth a visit but if what you wish is for some straight action, perhaps Isekai Harem Monogatari can be considered.
The 4000 Yen price tag for Cybuster should be justified enough since it is a HG Kits for licensed series. In terms of accessories it comes with Cybuster's default equipment including Dis Cutter and High Familiar. While it lacks effect parts with Cybuster could need for its Iconic attacks, Bandai's Cybuster is still capable to transform into Cybird mode which i recall only Kotobukiya's 1/144 pulled off.
Based off Sirbine from Aura Battler Dunbine, Cybuster is one of the first SRW original mecha design and one the most enduring one. The Masoukishin series itself is wonderful game at least for the first two titles until the series was forced to conclude prematurely for some reason. While i wished the rest of Masoukishin would follow suit after Cybuster, i think it will be another SRW OG Mecha design that will come after this in which Alteisen would be a likely candidate.
Back in 90s during the Golden age of Arcade Games, SNK and Capcom reigns at the top with their fighting game and known for their rivalry in this genre. A decade forward when Console games become more dominant and before each of the company went separate own ways, they left behind a legacy for the fans to remember the good old times. That legacy comes in the crossover SNK vs Capcom games series which are mainly fighting games but a Card Game series also spawned out of the cooperative effort.
The SNK vs Capcom Card Game i that played was the DS version which is probably the most widely available version of the series for International fans. I played the game more than a decade ago but it was not until now that i managed to settle the score with this game. The game allows you to pit characters from SNK and Capcom games in Card Game format and this format enables the greatest amount of roster from both SNK and Capcom's Library compared to the Fighting game. In terms of the roster SvC Card Clash had most of the cards from SNK and Capcom works in 90s though rather lacking from their 2000s games
A 50-Episode anime adaptation of a legendary seinen manga series that had been running from 60s spanning more than 100 volumes. Golgo 13 might not be well known internationally but it was one of the highly revered series in Japan. The series explore the adventure of a famous mysterious assassin named Golgo 13 who uses Scoped M16 rifle as his weapon of choice for killing his target. Often used pseudonym of Duke Togo, Golgo 13 is a gifted ruthless marksman renowned for his success rate as virtually nobody escapes from his assassination once someone paid for his service. Golgo 13 charges hefty sum for his service usually cost 3 Million USD at least but the target is assured to be absolutely dead as he will go to any length to perform the hit. However Golgo 13 enforces a strict rules for his clients and will not hesitate to kill them if they are found out to double cross him in some way.
Golgo 13 is probably the Japanese equivalent of James Bond, a man of danger living the high life and a symbol of masculinity created to fill up the void after Japan losing WW2. The 50 Episode anime itself is a solid work but plain as it is straight adaptation of the manga. However the anime rather lacks a sense of character development as every episode is just about Golgo 13 killing somebody and sleep with beautiful women, rinse and repeat.
If the anime was successful enough, perhaps we could have seen a further continuation of the anime which was just a glimpse of the massive Golgo 13 series. However it was unfortunate that Japanese anime market already mostly catered to moeblobs by late 2000s so Golgo13 didn't have the tailwind it needs. In any case the 50 Episode anime is still the best shot to get into Golgo 13 as majority of the works still remain untranslated.
Personally i am not too fond of Power Dagwon since the design is blatant lazy cashgrab by Takara back then due to rather uninspired mecha design. Firstly the transition from Jumbo Jet to a mere construction vehichle feels like a downgrade for Fire Dagwon not to mention the inherent blocky design.
In any case Raian and Gunkid are also available in minipla as part of P-Bandai item which is necessary if you want to get Super Fire Dagwon ultimate weapons. It is just annoying that the Raian's sword which Fire Dagwon regularly used is only included in the P-Bandai set. Depending on the Minipla Dagwon sales, i think we might see the rest of Dagwon series coming in Minipla like Super Liner, Shadow and Thunder Dagwon
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| Super Fire Dagwon doesn't look to shabby in this one |
Not long after the 1st Ascension Nendoroid treatment, Okita Souji Alter makes another return with her 2nd Ascension in Figma format! Just like other FGO Merhandise, she would have received much fanfare if it was not for ongoing COVID pandemic. Figma Okitan will be scheduled for September 2021 release with 11000 Yen price tag. For a Figma that cost over 10000 Yen, Okitan is riddled with issues due to her inherent design and Max Factory either don't bother or unable to fix it. With Okita Alter standing on high heels and heavy hair part, i think it is impossible to make this figma version of her stand properly without Base support. This makes the fans reconsider about getting the figma since most FGO around this price tag so far like Gilgamesh and Proto Saber are still able to stand properly.
I suppose Max Factory are betting on the fans getting Okita Alter Figma due to her popularity in FGO and possible pairing with upcoming Okita figma, however with the current situation the gambit is rather risky.
GSC is quite productive with Arknights Nendoroid series lately and now they releasing another one for 5* Operator which is no other than the Penguin Logistics Texas! Scheduled for September release, Nendoroid Texas will be sold for 5600 Yen price tag.
In Arknights Texas is a 5* Vanguard Operator recruited from Penguin Logistics who specialize in crowd control. With her calm and collected personality, Penguin Logistics owner, Emperor entrusted Texas as the Penguin Logistics combat team leader and she is definitely no slouch in combat as she can summon blade like projectiles raining down upon her opponents. It is no surprise that Texas is getting the Nendoroid treatment quite fast since she had several qualities that made her to be rather popular waifu in Arknights. Given her accessories especially with her not amused expression, It is only a matter of time before Lappland joining the Nendoroid lineup as well. Among 5* Operators, i would be quite keen with Skyfire or Blue Poison which probably had a good shot too.
