I don’t quite understand the logic of marketing these Nendoroid Petites as exclusive figures since UtaPri is a popular fandom and they have great potential for sales given the scarcity of male figures compared to female figures. Well, it hasn’t stopped global fans from obtaining them through proxy, which may be the reason why they were placed 12th in terms of total sales (counted as per box-set) for products released by GSC in 2012 (ref Mikatan’s report here). Quite impressive given the fact they were released late in the year.

Seeing the multi-coloured silhouettes on the big box reminded me of the part in the anime where ST☆RISH leaped out on stage for their debut performance. Each box is a complete set and includes all six boys shown on the package plus the secret character. There’s also a random double-up since there are eight figures in a box-set. I was hoping for either Tokiya or Natsuki so I could modify them into their respective alternative identities but I got Masato-kun. (2 x 心のダム!)

Time to take them out of their packaging! This is the first time I’ve purchased a complete box of Nendoroid Petites. They were wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap which provided some additional protection. Even their hind views have much to say about the personality of each character. The gradient paint work on their hair is nicely done. Syo is probably my favourite since the pink tinge blends well with his blonde locks. The shading isn’t as conspicuous for the boys with dark-coloured hair but they do appear sleek and shiny. (I wonder if they can recommend me a good hair conditioner. Split-ends have been troubling me lately.) However, setting up the figures was an excruciating process because the stands don’t fit perfectly into the holes on their backs. The whole ordeal left me with small blisters on my thumb. ヘ(>_<ヘ)

プリンスたち参上！My lovely friend Angela sent me these clearfile folders exclusively from the Kotobukiya online store for my birthday last year. Thanks again! ♡ I thought pairing the princes up with their clearfile counterparts was a cute photo idea.

Now for a closer look at the actual figures. First off we have the cheerful and energetic Ittoki Otoya! His facial expression certainly makes him look really bright and happy. His headphone are made of flexible plastic so you can adjust or remove them as you please. Personally I find them a bit annoying because they don’t sit well around his neck and restricts head movement. I love the minor details on the school uniform though, especially the buttons and gold stripes on his blazer.

Next we have uptight Ichinose Tokiya who is most displeased at my incompetent photography.  (キャァァァ～ ハズバンド出た!) Okay, I joke. It’s funny how I have an urge to pinch his face when he looks really serious standing with his arms crossed like that. He also has well-defined butt cheeks but it’s not shown in the photo. ほほほ (*´∀`*) His left hand is sculpted onto his right arm but the separation is pretty well concealed. I really like his general appearance but limitation in poses is inevitable.

Hmmm, I wonder what Masato is contemplating about with that stern look on his face. The number of melon breads he should have for lunch perhaps? Masa’s left arm is moulded to rest snugly against his cute argyle sweater so I guess he’ll be forever ruminating about his lunch menu and future idol career. His teardrop mole is a subtle yet prominent feature on his face and complements his well-groomed hair. I’m constantly reminded of Atobe Keigo’s song チャームポイントは泣きボクロ ‘My Charm Point is my Teardrop Mole’ from The Prince of Tennis which, ironically, is sung by Ren’s seiyuu Suwabe Junichi.

And now we have Mr Sexy Jinguji Ren! *Swoons* I think the winking expression and pose captures his flirtatious personality perfectly. I read on Mikatan’s blog that some fans noticed that Ren was missing the bracelet on his right hand as a prototype figure so it was only added after the official product photos were taken. It’s good that attention has been paid to such details. However, it would’ve been nice if they had some variation in skin tone since Ren and Otoya are supposed to have slightly tanned skin compared to the other boys.

Natsuki is the resident cloudcuckoolander of the series. You can actually take his glasses off but I don’t have a suitable Satsuki faceplate to demonstrate the look. I like how they simplified his messy wavy hair and made his ahoge point downwards so it’s not susceptible to damage. For those who don’t know what an ahoge is, here’s a description from the Animanga Wiki:

Consisting of a single, often large, lock of hair sticking out from the top of the head, it is most often used to identify foolish, bumbling or carefree characters
- Animanga Wiki

I guess that half sums up Natsuki’s character, haha.

Here’s Syo-chan and his massive hat! It was mentioned in the game that he wears hats to appear taller and I guess you can say that he has succeeded in his Nendoroid Petite form. The hat is not specifically sculpted to fit Syo’s head so other characters may also don it. I created a mini story based on that which you can check out later in this blog post. My Syo figure has a weird indentation on his left shoulder joint that’s probably a manufacturing flaw. Thankfully it’s not too conspicuous from the front.

Last but not least, we have our secret character Cecil – the first prince of Agnapalace (surprise, surprise). He looks super adorable with his tanned skin, emerald eyes and innocent smile. On closer inspection, sculpting of his left hand seems incomplete as four fingers are reduced to a single blob. Poor Cecil. I like how the nehru-collared shirt distinguishes his uniform look from that of the other boys.

Mini story time!

S: 俺様参上！ (M: 何をしているんですか、四ノ宮さん？ O: ねね！ 俺も被りたいよ！)

S: The awesome me has arrived! (M: What are you doing, Shinomiya-san? O: Hey, hey! I want to wear it too!)

N: はい～ どうぞ～ C: ステキ！面白そうです。

N: Sure~ Here you go~ C: Lovely! This seems interesting.

R: 次はセッシーか… T: 以外に似合いますね。

R: So Cecil is next, huh?… T: It’s unexpectedly fitting.

S: 那月！ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ　俺の帽子勝手に取るな！返せ！！ … あぁ、ヤベェ…

S: Natsuki! ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ Don’t take my hat as you please! Give it back!! … Ah, this can’t be good…

And that concludes this blog post. I leave you with close-up images so you can appreciate the sparkly details. またね～

The post Uta no Prince-sama Nendoroid Petite appeared first on Geeky Angie.

The MAJI LOVE 1000% collection is the first set of UtaPri rubber straps released by Kotobukiya. As suggested by the name, it was based on the fabulous anime from last year. The boxes are decorated with crowns, stars, and stripes that somewhat remind me of school uniforms. There are 10 straps in total. Designs of the A class members are shown on one side of the box while the S class and secret character are shown on the opposite side. I thought the ST☆RISH members would be donning their stage outfits but Kotobukiya saved them as exclusive designs for the es fest and Kotobukiya Direct online shop. *Shakes fist at the lack of international shipping*

First up is the heroine Haruka, cheerful Otoya, ‘Dam of the Heart’ Masato and derpy Natsuki. The psychedelic pink suits Haruka and Otoya’s character designs well since they’re both on the red end of the colour spectrum. Funnily enough, Haruka actually looks less crazed in her rubber strap form. On the other hand, Masato and Nacchan look a bit like bloodthirsty vampires.

Unfortunately, cool-headed Tokiya also suffers from a vampiric guise thanks to the contrast with his dark coloured hair. His classmates Syou and Ren look slightly healthier but still a bit odd. I really wished they had used a darker, neutral colour for the base. Also, I found the musical note ♪ charm to be a bit sharp on the edges. This generates some concern if you want to accessorise a screened devices because it might become a victim of etching. For positive feedback, it’s impressive that they managed to squeeze in the embellishing stripes and tartan patterns on the Saotome Gakuen uniform worn by the characters.

The last three straps from this set are Ringo sensei, Hyuuga sensei and… Cecil the secret character (surprise, surprise)! Ringo’s voluminous pink hair has curls in all the right places and ‘she’ looks perfect with the pink eyes and outline. Cecil’s exotic tanned skin and dark hair clash horribly with the fluorescent pink, otherwise he’s got a pretty cute design. Hyuuga sensei’s huge forehead made me take notice for the first time that the rubber straps designed by Sakurai only have one eyebrow. Poor sensei, you look like you’re troubled by your pseudo monobrow.

Next up is the Debut collection where the four senpai’s also get the chibification treatment and are made into rubber straps. The box design utilises bright pastel colours and little clover-shaped patterns to match the in-game user interface. There are 12 straps in this set but that doesn’t help with the gender imbalance at all. Haruka, you lucky girl.

The outfits from this set are from the Debut PSP game box art illustrated by Kurahana Chinatsu. The details on the military uniforms are superb but the pink is still overpowering. The characters also have new facial expressions in this set, which is great because Masato and Tokiya get to smile for once! They also managed to fix Haruka’s hair so her ear is visible like it’s supposed to be.

Details on small objects is great but I’m not particularly fond of how the fingerless military gloves look on the boys’ hands. They almost resemble hooves. The straps in this set come with a metal crown charm which is more rounded and didn’t feel sharp when I ran my fingers around the rim.

Last, but not least, is the quartet of senpai’s (カルテット ナイト おほほほ)! These straps are a perfect representation of their personalities. Reiji with his cheeky wink, bad-ass rocker Ranmaru, stoic Ai, and Camus looking extremely displeased at your peasant ways. Everyone looks good but it’s sad that Ranmaru’s heterochromia was lost.

Well, that concludes the post. I think I’m finally desensitised to the pink-ness after staring at the photos for so long. I would have preferred to invest in UtaPri figures since they can easily be displayed on their own, but to my frustration, only small charms and voice mascot sets have been released so far. Thankfully, my shipment of UtaPri Nendoroid Petites will arrive in November. Ufufufu! お楽しみに！

(During the process of writing this post, I realised how difficult it is to compose a WordPress post on the iPad using the WordPress app or Safari. Since I’m still relatively new to the device, I’d appreciate if anyone can divulge some tips on managing blogs with iPads.)

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Like all One Coin Grande Figure Collections, the figures are packed in individual blind boxes. The larger outer box is decorated with chibi and anime counterparts of Ryoma and the captains from the four schools. Tezuka, why the intimidating face? (　ﾟ Дﾟ) 怖い！

Three background sheets which feature Seigaku, Rikkai and Shitenhouji schools can be cut out from the back of the outer box. (ああん~? No Hyotei?) These were specifically designed for the One Coin figure display boxes from Kotobukiya. Luckily, they also fit the cheaper alternatives I bought from DAISO during my recent trip back to Taiwan.

After opening the box, the guys from Shitenhouji gave their personal approval of my ‘non-wasteful’ way of buying the figures because I purchased the full box (んんー ecstacy!). I was surprised that Zaizen is the secret figure because I didn’t think he had the popularity to make it into the lineup. He only had a minor role in the manga so I guess he must be more likeable in the anime or musical.

Here’s a closer look at the individual figure boxes. I like how the boys are organised into school groups and have name tags complete with their school emblems.

びっくりした！The inner flaps of the boxes are printed with warning messages with a slight ‘lol’ aspect. We clearly needed to be reminded by a scary Tezuka that figures, like tennis rackets and balls, are not to be used for hurting people. The other two captains also have messages on the bottom flaps. I only discovered them because I was flattening the boxes for recycling. Atobe:「なるほどBOTTOMじやねーの」Yukimura:「浮かれ過ぎだよ… ぼうや」

It took me a good ten minutes to unbox the little princes and free them from their plastic casings. These One Coin figures are actually very well packaged considering that most box figures like Nendoroid Petites are only wrapped in a single plastic bag.

First up is the Seishun Gakuen trio! It’s hard to reject a tennis match with the arrogant Ryoma when he’s looking extremely cute and harmless. The stoic Tezuka buchou appears more friendly and younger than usual, albeit the frown on his face. And lastly, we have Fuji senpai hiding his slightly nasty (意地悪い) personality with that cheerful smile. (　´∀｀)

The paint job on their jerseys is superb. The silver zipper and the red band on their sleeve cuffs are well defined. In addition, the details of Ryoma’s tennis racket and ball are simply marvellous given their small size. I can see why Ryoma wants to show them off. (￣▽￣)

The Seigaku boys can proudly sport their school name on their backs because it’s printed very clearly. I’m glad the sculpters put some effort into sculpting clothing folds even though these are chibi figures. It really does give them more life.

Moving on to the Hyotei and Rikkai gangs. Oshitari Yuushi looks as calm and collected as ever and Atobe is doing his kingly finger snapping. I love how Yukimura appears so sweet and innocent when he is, in fact, a demon on the tennis court. However, I think Niou has the best expression of the lot because it suits his cheeky character perfectly. These One Coin figures are not without flaws though. I had trouble making Yuushi and Niou stand up properly. Even with the help of their magnetic heads, they still slide into a slumped pose easily because their feet are not fully flat on the ground.

Yuushi and Tezuka’s glasses are very cute. I’m glad they didn’t go as far as making the frames for them because of the potential for disaster. (See the Tiger & Bunny Chara Fortunes for Barnaby’s stupidly thick-framed glasses).

Yet another surprise for me! While I was aware that Niou’s racket is removable, I didn’t think Yukimura’s jacket could be taken off as well. However, its use is limited because it doesn’t fit well on other characters.

Last but not least are the Kansai-ben speaking guys from Shitenhouji. Secret figure Zaizen looks pretty cool with his multiple ear piercings while Shiraishi buchou is in the middle of unwrapping his trademark bandage. 毒手やで！ Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||) Kenya, the Speed Star of Naniwa, stands surprisingly well in comparison to Yuushi and Niou even though he’s in a (most appropriate) running pose.

Similar to Seigaku, the Shitenhouji boys are wearing uniforms branded with their school name on the back. The details are, once again, immaculate.

I’m impressed by the way the sculpters handled the back of each character’s heads. Even though most of them have difficult hairstyles, they don’t look unnatural when you view them from different angles.

Like all One Coin figures, the ball joint heads are detachable and you can swap them between characters easily without having to worry about breakage. (Haha, I feel rather bad for using my favourite character as the example.)

Head-swapping is actually a lot of fun because of the different poses and outfits. The heads can also be exchanged with One Coin figures from other series such as the Hetalia ones.

I’d definitely like to buy more One Coin figures in the future, which is dreadful news for my wallet. I’ve been good at resisting the urge to make online purchases thus far so it should be alright. However, I’ll be keeping a look out for the new set of the New Prince of Tennis One Coin Grande that will be released sometime this year. To conclude, please enjoy some close-up photos of the figures.

The post Prince of Tennis One Coin Grande appeared first on Geeky Angie.

However, I couldn’t get a taste of ‘Cafe du Madoka Magica’ on its day of debut due to the massive amount of people outside, many of whom were men holding professional grade cameras. It was rather amusing when my mum asked me if these people are referred to as otakus. I think she was enlightened that day. Thankfully, the long queue was nowhere to be seen when we revisited on a weekday. Looking at the name ‘Good Smile x Karaoke no Tetsujin Cafe’, you would think there are karaoke facilities available so I was slightly disappointed when I found out that they didn’t provide the service. Official Madoka themed merchandise including wall scrolls, buttons and mini towels can be bought outside without entering the actual cafe. In addition, recently released figures from Good Smile Company including Nendoroids can be ordered but not directly purchased. Figmas, Nendoroids, and scale figures grouped by series are displayed in the outer transparent walls. Various Nendoroid Petites could also be seen floating in glass jars throughout the cafe. I thought this was a particularly cute way to exhibit them.

My mum and I had the cafe to ourselves for a few minutes since we were their first customers for the day. We were quickly served by a cute waitress in a maid outfit. The cafe offers a special menu with dishes based on whatever theme that is currently in effect, as well as a regular menu with steaks and beverages. You can go to the official website for a closer look at the menus. It took a while to decide our order because I wanted to try everything. I mean, who wouldn’t? I was very tempted to get the Kyuubey chowder (I loooooove chowder) but settled for the more unique Kyuubey curry and Kyoko’s Sweets set. During the short wait before our meal arrived, I went to admire the displays that I had only previously seen in blogposts. These included character designs and prints of the artworks by various illustrators shown at the end of each anime episode. Even the ceiling was thoroughly decorated with episode screenshots.

The dining table was not the least bit boring with the surface covered by Madoka and her comrades. Chow time began as soon as Kyuubey joined us at the table in the form of a beef curry dish. I wished there was more Kyuubey (rice) to go with the spicy taste of the curry as I devoured it rather quickly. However, Kyuubey was clearly replicating itself since it was continuously being brought out of the kitchen. All dishes come with a complimentary dining mat and drinks come with a coaster for you to take home. The dining mat I got has Kyuubey’s infamous :3 face on it. Although Kyoko’s Sweets set was of small portions, it was delicious and I had fun imitating Kyoko with the Pocky’s.

It was a pity I couldn’t take better photos of the beautiful figures on display because I only had a poor cellphone camera. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to have been able to view them in person. It’s unlikely that I would have the chance to see such a large collection of figures in a single location in New Zealand.

A special video message from the Puella Magi seiyuus was played during the cafe’s first week of opening. It was cute how they made the effort to learn a few lines of Mandarin. The last thing I did before leaving the cafe was to have a photo taken with my favourite witch Charlotte. Lighting was pretty bad underneath Charlotte’s mouth, which was unfortunate because it was the most appropriate place to pose for photos. They ought to produce smaller versions of the Charlotte ornament as an official merchandise. I’d buy one!

The cafe is easily reached, being just across the road from the Taipei Railway Station (TRA)/Taipei Main Station (MRT) in central Taipei. So if anyone is interested in visiting, just go to the fifth floor of K-mall, No. 50, Section 1, Zhōngxiào West Rd, Jhongjheng District (台北市忠孝西路一段50號5F) and you’ll be able to find Madoka and her friends. It’s best that you hurry because the cafe theme changes every season.

View Larger Map

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I spotted the announcement for the release of these little darlings at the start of the year when I was browsing through some Winter Wonfes snapshots. The promotional image showed the inclusion of the Asian trio and the Nordics in the second volume of rubber strap collection. At that point, I knew I had to have the set because I liked all the characters. Prussia was also announced to be part of a third set but I never expected the two volumes to be released so closely to each other.

The packaging boxes are simply adorable and there are distinct differences between the two sets. The pop-up display for the second set utilises bright, cheerful colours and is decorated appropriately with falling snowflakes. On the other hand, the colours for the third set suit the European countries well because they are reminiscent of antique wood. The floral ornaments must have gained the approval of our silly aristocrat Austria because they are elegant and classy. What amused me the most is the fact that Prussia is in the center of attention, being surrounded by everyone else. I wonder what he had to do to have the other countries revolve around him.

The rubber strap collections are ready to give as presents without the need for further gift wrapping. In addition to the cute patterns printed to imitate wrapping paper, there is also a card design on the bottom of each box where messages can be written. These designs feature China’s panda and Austria’s violin for the second and third set, respectively. However, I don’t think anyone would cut out the cards as suggested. Hehe, I most certainly didn’t.

The little boxes housing each individual rubber strap can be seen after opening the larger packaging box. I was happy to see China in the spotlight as the main character for set 2, albeit his frown. And surprise surprise, Prussia invaded the boxes for his respective set. I’m also glad that improvement was made on the box design so they can be opened without ripping apart the glued cardboard, unlike the set 1 straps I bought last year.

Naturally, the rubber straps themselves are really cute since they are based off Himaruya’s original chibi illustrations. The flag charms that accompany each character are a nice addition since people can associate themselves with the country without having to recognise the personified characters.

The rest of the Asians (minus South Korea, sadly) has joined Japan in my strap collection. There is a minor difference between China’s facial expression on the actual strap compared to the box art. It’s rare for Hong Kong and Taiwan to be made into any kind of merchandise so I’m pretty ecstatic. However, I’m not pleased with the eye colours of these three characters, which were adjusted to be the same as their clothing or hair.

Having the five Nordics in my hands made me want to attach them onto my phone at the same time. However, I didn’t achieve this mini world conference because it was too bulky for my convenience. The first thing I noticed about the Nordics was that Finland’s head seems significantly bigger than Sweden’s, which is probably due to the volume of Finland’s hair and his hat. It would have been nice for the proportions to be adjusted during production since these two characters are supposed to be the shortest and tallest amongst the Nordics. Nevertheless, they are still cute to the point that you’d pinch their cheeks if it was possible.

Obtaining Prussia and Spain has prompted me to purchase a France strap from LiveJournal so I can complete the Bad Friends Trio. Can someone pleased remind me why I’m buying all these rubber straps? Spain is probably my favourite strap because of his sweet, smiling expression and colourful appearance. Prussia, on the other hand, is calling for a smack by a particular fry pan when he wears that cheeky smile on his face.

Hungary’s military uniform is unexpectedly vibrant. The colours are especially noticeable when she is placed beside the stern Austria who looks rather gloomy. Austria’s clothing could have been brightened up since the neck of his violin and his gloves blended in with his jacket.

I’m slightly disappointed with the Poland strap because the colours are rather dull. Thankfully, his dopey expression managed to win me over. What happened to your flamboyancy, Poland?! Other the other hand, Lithuania is more brightly coloured and looked adorably cheerful.

Lastly, the adoptive siblings: Switzerland and Liechtenstein! They look exactly as I thought they’d look. However, it’s strange that Liechty is the only character that has sparkles in her eyes. They probably appeared like that in the original illustration but the difference still feels out of place. I’m glad that she was made slightly smaller than Switzerland since she’s supposed to be the little sister after all.

Now I shall patiently wait to see if New Zealand will be made into a rubber strap. It probably won’t ever happen but at least I can dream about it. In the mean time, I’ll try and figure out where I can display these precious cuties.

The post Hetalia Rubber Strap Collection 2 & 3 appeared first on Geeky Angie.

I didn’t make much sales this year. I guess the Tiger & Bunny fandom has yet to take over New Zealand because the majority of visitors couldn’t recognise the series. Our stall was probably the only one on the day which exhibited T&B items. It was amusing how Mona and I ended up encouraging people to watch the show. However, it was even more amusing when a guy summed up the show for his friend with a single term – homolust. In spite of the lack of T&B love, my charms and stickers were well received by a few enthusiastic fans which included Inaba Yuri, the Grand Champion of the 2009 World Cosplay Summit. Her visit to our stall was definitely one of the highlights of the day but I was pretty embarrassed when I blurted out disjointed Japanese in an attempt to start a conversation. My kaiwa skills have clearly deteriorated over the past couple of years.

On the other hand, Madoka mania was full on! Fan art was easily found and the cosplayers were very cute. I managed to snag a photo with Homura, Madoka and Mami near the end of the day but couldn’t find Sayaka and Kyouko at the time. I think I was less shy this year because it was my second time exhibiting but also because I was cosplaying. I found that more people approached me for a spontaneous chat and being on the other side of the camera was a new experience for me. Some people also made a few suggestions on how I could improve as an exhibitor. One of these was to bring a sketchbook because visitors are usually curious to see what you’re doing if you decide to draw on the day. Another tip was to bring a folder with art that people can browse through if they are interested. I hope to employ these tips for next year’s convention if time permits. Aside from a few chaotic moments, Overload 2011 was most certainly an enjoyable event.

Overload 2011 leftover sale

General information, Shipping & Payment

I only have a 2 megapixel camera in my possession so apologies for the crap photos. You may have a clearer view of the art at my portfolio.

I will be shipping from New Zealand by International Air mail. The straps and/or stickers will be sent in regular paper envelopes but wrapped with plastic tape for protection.

International shipping will be a flat rate of $2.50 USD as long as the weight doesn’t exceed 200 grams.

Payment via PayPal only (unless you live in NZ).

Laminated straps/charms

The laminated straps are double-sided and made with 3 layers of 80gsm paper so they’re pretty sturdy. They measure approximately 6 cm x 9 cm or 2.4 inches x 3.5 inches. However, Karina, Pao-Lin and Ivan are slightly smaller. I also have New Zealand from Axis Powers Hetalia on the bottom right corner if anyone’s interested.

Prices (in USD):
$2.50 each
Entire Tiger & Bunny set for $18.50

Stickers

The stickers are printed on glossy sticker sheets but the designs themselves don’t appear particularly glossy because of the laser printing. The sheets are not precut and come in two sizes: A5 and A6. Once again, I also have Axis Powers Hetalia stickers available if anyone’s interested. NOTE: I’ll probably have to cut the A5 ones into parts in order to send them in envelopes.

Prices (in USD):
$2.50 for each A6 sticker sheet
$4.50 for each A5 sticker sheet

Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

The post Overload 2011 recount & sale appeared first on Geeky Angie.

It’s always good to think things over before you dive into work. Although I jot things down after having light bulb moments, I should make my notes clearer because sometimes I fail to understand my own scribbles when I refer back to them. It has been very difficult to decide on the series I should draw fan arts for since most of the things I like personally are not very well known in New Zealand. In addition, my art style isn’t suitable for action-packed mainstream shounen series. I had originally planned to throw in some original star sign characters but I doubt that is going happen because of the potential workload and the small likelihood that people would be interested in them. Maybe I’m just lacking confidence.

Series to do:

• Hetalia (I’m glad I got myself into this fandom because there are plenty of fans out there.)
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica (I’m going to draw it despite not knowing how well-received it is in NZ.)
• Kimi ni Todoke (This probably isn’t very popular in NZ as well but it’s full of doki-doki and fuwa-fuwa!)
• Panty & Stocking (… Without Garterbelt? I don’t think I want to draw him.)
• Pokemon (?) (Tentative inclusion depending on the amount of time I will have.)

Type of products:

• Laminated charms (I think I’ll have to make them slightly larger and thicker this time.)
• Acrylic keychains (Pretty much the same as last year.)
• Stickers (Ack, I need to find a place to test print sticker paper ASAP!)
• Posters (Clever compilations of images drawn for the things listed above?)
• Bookmarks/wallet cards (?) (Tentative, but will be easy to produce.)

I want to draw characters from a few other miscellaneous series but I have no idea who to cater for. Also, the fact that I’m not very well acquainted with games is a bit frustrating. Does anyone have suggestions?

On another note, I reinstalled MapleStory recently and logged on for the first time in two and a half years. Much has changed since I last went on but there was still an air of familiarity. It was depressing to see my guild which was once so lively now looking empty and deserted. The friends I met over the game and the silly times that we shared together were the things that made the gaming experience fun. However, it was inevitable for people to move on with their lives in pursuit of things other than level increments and obtaining godly virtual weapons. I definitely won’t be playing the game as avidly as I did before, but I think killing a few mobs of cute pixel monsters is still a pretty good way for me to blow off some steam when times call for it.

As for my studies, things are progressing pretty well. I’ve yet to receive feedback for the two assignments that I’ve handed in so far but I think they will be alright. I look forward to being able to concentrate solely on my research project next semester when I don’t have to take any papers. The lab work can be a bit monotonous at times but it’s very enjoyable! However, I need to remember to give myself breaks because I can easily stay in the lab for an entire day if I’m determined to finish a batch of work. Sitting in the same position for long periods of time is definitely not a good thing. Ow, neck pain.

The post Overload ’11 plans & Randoms appeared first on Geeky Angie.

It’s already four weeks into the new semester. “My Honours year started off with a BANG!” is what I would’ve liked to say, but it felt like I was returning to university after only a short weekend break because I only had five days to laze around after my summer research studentship report was finished. So yep, I’m back in the lab making friends with adeno-associated viral vectors and astrocytes (a type of brain cell) for gene therapy. みんな仲良しminna nakayoshi – get along everyone! I really hope my research project will work out alright and some good results will be yielded for my dissertation discussion. In addition to the project, I have to take two papers this year and the literature readings for one of them is already inducing information overload. The course manual is probably the thickest I had ever been assigned with and strongly reminds me of my friend’s second year Criminal Law manual. Hurray for bedtime reading material.

I’ll probably blurt out random bits of Japanese in my blogpost from time to time when the situation calls for it. I want to touch up on my Japanese but I can’t seem to locate my grammar book at all. It’s frustrating because I think I understand the language better now than four years ago when I was actually studying Japanese in high school. Also, I realised during the summer that Japanese dating sims are both entertaining and educational. They’re surprisingly useful for learning the language, especially the ones where the conversation dialogues are spoken out loud by characters like the Prince of Tennis dating sims. However, this type of learning resource is more suitable for intermediate level learners who can comprehend enough to enjoy playing the games (and it’s probably better if you’re a fan of the series too).

Speaking of dating sims, I found out that the Hetalia PSP game – cough- dating sim -cough- has been released while browsing on AmiAmi. But woe is me, for I do not possess a PSP. Oh well, I don’t mind being deprived of game consoles because chances are I won’t have time to play the games anyway. I guess I will have to make do by following other people’s gameplay progresses online. Anyway, the reason why I was browsing around on AmiAmi was because the preorder has begun for Volume 2 of the Hetalia Rubber Strap Collection, which I had been waiting for the past six weeks. I was well prepared and have been saving up for the purchase. However, I did not anticipate that a Volume 3 would also be released as well! Bad news for my e-wallet. But thankfully, I’m organising a group order amongst my friends so we can all get the straps that we want. Let the 4-5 months waiting game begin!

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge and thank Bubble.nu for accepting me as a hostee!

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I discovered figure.fm a few months ago and started to read all the wonderful posts about figures. So after thinking long and hard, I gave in and bought my very first figure from Hobby Search in September: the Black★Rock Shooter Figma. I chose her because she is accompanied by various accessories and the paint work on Figmas all appeared to be of high quality. Also, being able to pose the figure was appealing to me. I was so excited when she arrived with her rock cannon and blade. It was even more awesome when I found out that the OVA was included in the box as a DVD, except I watched it in Japanese without realising there was the option to select subtitles. I was able to understand most of the dialogue nonetheless. Even though I have knowledge of other type figurines, my first impression of the B★RS Figma was that the joints were quite sturdy and restricted to movements that are anatomically possible. I thought I could use her as a substitute for those wooden mannequins used drawing, but the positions that I could pose her in are somewhat limited.

I really wish I had a better camera in my possession so I could indulge in taking photos of her. These higher quality photos are courtesy of my friend. I really need to learn how to pose her properly so she doesn’t look so stiff. It’s fun creating battle looks though.

I brought B★RS with me when I went to my friend’s house for Wii but she ended up in a fight with Exia! However, it looked more like a Pokemon battle with the way things were set up in the photo. While onlookers from Hitman Reborn, Hetalia, and Death Note observed the battle from a close distance, Marie and blue Haro challenged Allelujah and Green Haro! If you look closely, you can see Setsuna crying in the background because he was left out of the game. Poor Setsuna.

Around the same time that I bought the B★RS Figma, I won Radiant Dreamer‘s giveaway for the second set of Bakemonogatari Nendoroid Petits courtesy of animeshumi. They looked super cute even in the box when they finally arrived last Saturday. Unfortunately, the close-up photos that I took with my crappy phone camera failed to capture their kawaii-ness because they were so blurry. I really liked how these Nendoroid Petits came with exchangeable hands and accessories, it took effort to fit Mayoi’s giant backpack on her back though. I felt like singing Renai Circulation because Nadeko was so adorable. She was definitely the cutest out of the three because of her expression as well as her removable orange hat and jacket.

Sadly, it will probably be a long time before I buy another figure. I can’t afford to get myself hooked onto a seemingly expensive hobby.

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