Warhammer 40k Joytoy 1/18 Primarch Leman Russ

 After relatively uneventful release for 40k series for almost 2 months, Joytoy finally dropped another wallet busting bomb on Warhammer 40k Fans as yet another Primarch is ready to join the fray! The 5th Joytoy Primarch is from the loyalist side and it is the turn for Emperor's Executioner, The Wolf King of Space Wolves; Leman Russ! Scheduled for September 2024 release, Leman Russ will be sold for 140 USD SRP.

In terms of value for money, Leman Russ is one of the better as it comes with pretty cool selection weapons of choice befitting the melee focused nature of Space Wolves. As I am not a big fans of Space Wolves, I only know that Leman Russ is a Golden hearted jerk who carries out personal bidding from his Emperor father to hunt down any specific target in swift manner with maximum prejudice. The version of Leman Russ is the one with more scruffy Facial features but the one that Joytoy did on Games Workshop instruction is his clean shaven one which could be easily mistaken with Death Knight Arthas with Frostmourne for those who are not familiar with 40k. Given the quality of the product, I might be getting Leman since I would like to see Joytoy succeed in making all action figures for the Primarch. At this rate, I might as well get all of the loyalist primarchs with Fulgrim and Kurze being the ones that I will get from Traitor side.

Sakura Taisen 2 - Thou shall not die

It has been more than 7 years since the last full-fledged article that I dedicate for Sakura Taisen series. Initially I have planned to make full coverage for Sakura Taisen 2 back in 2019 as I attempt to gather the necessary assets which was at 80% completion at the time. But due to my PSP broke down in the assets gathering process, this projects ultimately put into grinding halt as I lose my motivation while have to deal with real life situation at hand.

However, as I have recently completed compiling my journey with Final Gear, I feel that I have nothing much to hold me back any more. Thus I decided to do the right thing with the assets instead of letting it sitting in the dust and proudly present the Sakura Taisen 2 Main article! At some point this article will be gradually updated with the Teikoku Kagekidan Main Heroines storyline in the game just like the previous Sakura Taisen series. I think this is the very least I could do for Sakura Taisen 2 before I finally move with Sakura Taisen 4 and conclude my journey with this Legendary series that has lasted more than a decade.

Heroine Route:

• Sakura
• Sumire
• Maria
• Iris
• Kohran
• Kanna
• Orihime
• Reni
  

Endings:

• Sakura
• Sumire
• Maria
• Iris
• Kohran
• Kanna
• Orihime
• Reni

Uma Musume Pretty Derby Claynel 1/7 Symboli Rudolf

 During my last year's trip to Japan, I encountered Uma Musume Ichiban Kuji which featured Symboli Rudolf and Mr CB Figure as the grand prize. Given that Kaichou is one of my favorite character from Uma Musume series even if I didn't play the game anymore, I did try my luck on the Kujis which obviously end up in a bust. So after almost a year since the Symboli Rudolf Ichiban Kuji, Figure maker called Claynel finally announced the release for their version of Symboli Rudolf 1/7 Figure in her racing outfit and similar pose with the Ichiban Kuji but obviously leagues above when it comes to quality. Scheduled for March 2025 release, 1/7 Symboli Rudolf will be sold for 24800 Yen.

In Uma Musume series, Symboli Rudolf is a once Triple Crown champion of the Tracen Academy who served as the Head of Student Council. She is quite close to Teio who looked up to her and follow her footstep. Symboli Rudolf is one of my favorite because her cool personality considering her Seiyuu is quite good for the archetype considering she lends her voice for Texas in Arknights. While this figure of Kaichou is out of my strike zone, personally I am still waiting for Symboli Rudolf's SHF which will be likely considering her popularity. But I won't even mind getting her Figma either.

Fate/Grand Order Aniplex 1/7 Proto Merlin Lady Avalon

 In the anticipation of 7th Summer event for FGO, Aniplex has something in store for Proto Merlin who called herself Lady Avalon which won't fool anybody. Out of the 3 FGO 7th SSR Summer servants, Proto Merlin is the one chosen by Aniplex to be given 1/7 Scale Premium figure treatment. Sculpted in her 2nd Ascension, 1/7 Aniplex Proto Merlin is scheduled for July 2025 release with 28500 Yen Price tag.

 Certainly a very expensive  PVC figure but it is still nothing much for the devoted FGO fans. Considering veteran seiyuu Ayako Kawasumi do play quite a good role as Onee-san Archetype like Proto Merlin who is just as mischiveous as her male counterpart. Personally I am quite interested to get a collectible for Proto Merlin myself  but will rather wait for her Figma due to her waifu level priority in my personal list. Proto Merlin is one of my Summer 7 SSR target along with Summer Skadi which I hopefully will get both of them and I am planning to allocate some war fund to make this objective achieved.

Fate/Grand Order Nendoroid Baobhan Sith

 FGO is back with yet another Nendoroid! Following after Melusine, now Tam Lin Tristan or Baobhan Sith is the next of Morgan's Fairy Knights that joins the Nendoroid lineup! Scheduled for November 2024 release, Nendoroid Baobhan Sith will be sold for 7200 Yen.

 As much as I am interested in getting a collectible for Baobhan Sith, the Nendoroid one is kind of a miss for me as she doesn't even have her Harp Bow or any tsundere faceplate befitting the archetype she play in FGO which is baffling for her price tag. At the moment, I am on my way going through LB6 Avalon Le Fae and halfway through, looking forward to the role that Baobhan play after the misfortune befall on Morgan considering she is directly related to the Final Boss of this Lost Belt. Considering this version of Baobhan is lackluster for me, I will just wait for her Figma or Nendoroid in Summer version. Hopefully Castoria or Tonelico could get their Nendoroid in the future.

Actraiser

  Before I continue my journey to the rest of Quintet Trilogy after done with Soul Blazer, I paid my homage to the Trilogy spiritual predecessor known as Actraiser. When I was a kid, I did play some Java game on Ericsson phone with the same name and similar vibe, but the actual SNES game really meets more than the eye! In its original incarnation, Actraiser is a hybrid sidescrolling game that is way ahead of its time yet for some reason the Dev never interested to capitalize on it. Hopefully this article could help people to get into this SNES Gem or even the remaster which is known as Actraiser Renaissance.

Gundam Build Fighters Try Soul of Chogokin Gundam Tryon 3

 A random stunt by Bandai but a pleasant surprise nonetheless! Of all many Gundams from Build Fighters Try, One of the best mech from the series, Tryon 3 is getting a luxury Diecast treatment straight in the Soul of Chogokin Format befitting its status as Gundam homage for Super Robots. Scheduled for November 2024 release, SOC Tryon 3 will be sold for 36000 Yen.

Back when the series was airing, Gundam Build Fighters Try was a rushed trainwreck that didn't really live up to its predecessor despite the series actually got some really cool MS designs. It was due to some seriously bad writing that makes GBF Try losing the sense of being "grounded" which is still essential for a mecha series. Thus we end up having a Gundam series that takes itself too seriously where Powergamers reign supreme in which if the characters doesn't belong to that category, they are treated as sore losers like what end up with Tryon 3. To this day I still haven't forgive the crappy treatment that GBF Try did to Tryon 3 even if Bandai did try to make amend with SOC. This is especially true when you watch this series straight after Gundam Build Fighters. 

In any case I will look forward to SOC Tryon 3 joining my collection while still keep my spite on Gundam Build Fighters Try.

Soul Blazer

 After completing my pilgrimage for Lufia SNES title, I am sticking around on SNES platform to search any 16-bit RPG game that are worth visiting. As a result, my endeavor leads to Action RPG series called Quintet Trilogy which are series of Top Down action game with RPG element made by the Actraiser Dev consisting of Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma. Since I am doing the playthrough for this Trilogy in Chronological order, obviously Soul Blazer become my first destination.

For a game that is already over 30 Years old, Soul Blazer still able to hold its candle and surprisingly got plenty to offer which is why I am writing an article for this series.

April May 2024 Loot

 By this time my monthly acquisition for Hobby product have been getting rather massive which probably will need to be kept in check. But nevertheless got myself some really good acquisitions over this period of two months which do align with my interest with Mecha. I think my previous hauls still got higher overall value but the April May Loot does not lose when it comes to quality.

Surprisingly the loot balance from the Japanese and Chinese manufacturer are somewhat well balanced this time and as always Mecha represent the majority. This haul is the first time Transformers joining my loot collection which I pick Optimus Prime, Megatron and Ultra Magnus to represent the first batch and it won't be the last of it because I will be planning to get Soundwave at least to join my Transformers collection. 

The best of the hauls are still from the Japanese side with the top 3 positions are filled by Megahouse Quattro Bajeena, AM Gunner and MRS Justice Gundam simply due to the product rarity. However Sluban Hurricane and Cangdao Tianwei do come close from behind. Lastly the hauls of this batch do appear to have more Model kits which I wonder when will I have the free time to assemble them.

Yoroiden Samurai Trooper Sentinel Oni Mashou Shuten Doji

 Another back-to-back post for Sentinel products, Never thought Sentinel are willing to go this far for Yoroiden but it is a welcome change nonetheless! For quite some time Sentinel had finished their run for Yoroiden Samurai protagonist but now decided to work on the Antagonists Samurai armor too. For the Demon General samurai armor, Sentinel picked Shuten, the enemy Samurai General that wield Chain and Sickle as his weapon. Scheduled for January 2025 release, Sentinel's Shuten Doji will be sold for 18000 Yen.

Among Yoroiden antagonists, Shuten is one of the few that got some well made character and possibly the best from the series as he got his redemption arc and even willing to sacrifice his life without any hesitation for the right cause. Apparently there were Chinese manufacturers that made some product for Shuten before but Sentinel's overall quality will be better to replicate the anime look. I do wish the Haori parts can be separated from the armor but I doubt Sentinel version are doing it and also surprised Shuten had Spear as part of his arsenal too. Given that Bandai had made some vintage toys for Yoroiden Demon General, lets see if they are going to make Armor Plus for them too.

Cross Ange Riobot Vilkiss

  Up until now Sentinel rarely ever got involved with any Sunrise related mecha series, but for some reason they pull of a combo breaker and take on one of the newer Sunrise mech series. The IP that Sentinel chose to pick up is no other than Cross Ange with the titular mecha Vilkiss! I suppose with the recent success of Gundam SEED movie do put some confidence for Sentinel to release product for one of Fukuda's works and Cross Ange being the safest choice as it was the latest Fukuda's non Gundam Work. Scheduled for December 2024 release, Riobot Vilkiss will be sold for 42900 Yen.

 From the first glance, Riobot Vilkiss will have overall improvement for all gimmicks that the Robot Spirits version had. Villkiss is quite a special mech because it is basically Fantasy version of Freedom Gundam from Gundam SEED and Rising Freedom Gundam do use some of Vilkiss Gimmicks to pay the homage. While I am not exactly a big fan of Cross Ange due to the Yuri fetish, I do admit Vilkiss is one of the cooler modern Fantasy Mecha which I did use extensively back in SRW V. While I am personally more of a fan of Arquebus Vanessa Custom which resembled Justice Gundam, Villkiss is certainly not something to be missed for Fantasy mecha fans who had the means to spend.

Lufia & The Fortress of Doom Clear

 Ever since my exposure from Lufia III: the Legend Returns intros that shown a glimpse of Lufia series storyline from early 2000s, I have promised myself that I will pay a visit to Lufia I&II at some point. Around last week. My pilgrimage toward my beloved JRPG series from 2 Decades ago has finally come to an end with the first Lufia Game, The Fortress of Doom concluded its run. 

 Motivated to fill the void left from finishing Lufia II, I soon gobble up Lufia I in rather fast pace even if this game ages even worse compared to Lufia II. As expected the insane random encounter rate of Lufia I & The Fortress of Doom really lives up to its reputation easily being the worst part of this game. However after bracing through one of the worst experience from JRPG that I played, I do actually find what I seek from the first game of Lufia series in the end.

At its core, Lufia I is a well made Boy meets Girl story encapsulated in JRPG format which could have elevated this particular series toward greater heights. Despite Lufia I overall does not stand up to the test of time, the romance between Maxim's Descendant and the titular Heroine, Lufia still shines brightly up until now and that's the only thing that matters as the fans of this series.  

To be honest I would say, Lufia I would be a great success if it ever gets HD2D treatment on top of proper total revamp of the RPG mechanics. While it will take more effort compared to other HD2D games, I would say Square Enix would get their ROI if they handled Lufia Remaster properly. Lastly just like Lufia II, Lufia I will get a full fledged article in near future. Think of it as the repayment of the pleasant Memories that I obtained from Lufia the Legend Returns.

ACT MODE Mio Expansion Kit Type 15 Long Range Mode

 Goodsmile Mecha Musume Action Figure+Model Kit Hybrid, Act Mode has returned with Mio and this time with extra Dakka! After getting several Melee weapon system pack, The first of the ACT Mode character now gets yet another Long Range weapon configuration and it comes with 2 different flavor! The collectors got the choice to either pick Railgun or Missile Pack as Mio's Long range weapon of choice. Scheduled for October 2024 release, ACT Mode Long range Expansion kit for Mio will be sold for 20000 & 22000 Yen with the missile pack being the slightly more expensive one.

 Personally I do feel the Missile variant had better gimmick despite the Railgun is more imposing and cheaper. But for over 20k Yen Mecha Musume Product, the Navy Field Long Range equipment doesn't come with Mio Action Figure herself which can be a dealbreaker for some collector. As much as the cool design for Mecha Musume product, this one won't be competitive enough as you could have got some nice Diecast or Large Mecha for this price tag. Not to mention that the Chinese counterpart would likely release something equivalent for 1/3rd of this product price if given enough time. I am very well aware that Japan economy is not in great shape but China Toy Manufacturer will take advantage for every single opportunity presented by Japan. Personally I think the first version Navy Field Mio is still the best deal overall because it has really good value for 10000 Yen product and as Casual Mecha Musume collector, I don't really need the over the top weapon pack.

Lufia II: Rise of Sinistrals

  As a Lufia fans who started from the tail end of the main series, I have always been fascinated with Lufia II which have been the most highly regarded series from Lufia Titles. While it took me almost 2 Decades to get into Lufia II and being JRPG from 16-Bit era doesn't have make things easier either, I am surprised that Rise of Sinistrals still have plenty to give for a 30 years old Game and quite pleased with the overall experience. Lufia II definitely worth more exposure it deserves as any self-respecting diehard JRPG fans will be going to pay a visit to this series at some point.

Just as promised, I will be writing a full fledged article for Lufia II: Rise of Sinistrals because being the most important piece of Lufia series do deserve such treatment. Trust me this one will be a very lengthy article compared to your typical Realm of Darkness post. I haven't made this sort of long winded articles for a long time and considering that Lufia II is getting one, It just shows how I highly regard Lufia series even though The Legend Returns is still my personal favorite to this date. Compared to plenty of Lufia II reviews from other sources, this one will be a commentary from a diehard Lufia III fanboy who held the Gameboy Color Lufia in highest regard. Considering the spoiler nature of this article, it is recommended to read this one if you only have finished Lufia II.

Joytoy 1/25 God of War 86-II 03 High Mobility

 Joytoy might be still mostly preoccupied with 40k this year, but it doesn't mean they can't release some of their cool 1/25 Titanfall mechs from time to time! This time the God of War 86-II got another 2 additions of new units after couple months since the newer God of War 86 Mech made it. Titled as God of War 86-II 3&4 these new two Mechs come in Light and Heavy variant but this article will focus more on Light armament variant. Slated for August 2024 release, Joytoy 1/25 God of War 86 03&04 will be sold for 80 USD Price tag.

Personally I am not too interested with the heavy armament variant as the aesthetics of the variant are polarizing in bad way with heavy weapon which configuration will have serious accuracy issue due to recoil recoils and the fragile leg design that literally asking for Mobility kill. On the plus side, the heavy armament version do come with Badass green colored Jinroh soldier. As for the High Mobility variant, the armaments might not be flashy but the equipment do reflect the base Mecha frame purpose quite well making it suited for Flanking maneuvers. I am quite sure this won't be the last of God of War II products from Joytoy since this unit still could use more setups like Sniper or Support type.