Preordered the Akiyama Mio figma!

Akiyama Mio, the easily embarrassed and shy left bassist from the popular anime, K-ON! came as a figma (~13.5cm in height) last month and would be re-released on June 2010.
It comes with three facial expressions (smiling, frightened and embarrassed), her base guitar with strap and case, various hand parts and a stand. It's up for pre-order now for $110 ($10 deposit required) at Kurocha! and many other online stores.

(Click image for larger resolution)

Pre-order now from AmiAmi, Hobby Search, Hobby Stock and Kurocha!.
Images credits to: darkcubic

And yes, I pre-ordered it. Would be posting photos I took of the figma once I get it around the June region.  For now, I shall anticipate for its arrival ^w^

Itasha - The Awesome Way to Pimp Your Ride!

Starting from character plushies and stickers in the 1980s, Itasha (痛車) has become more and more popular with bigger, bolder stickers and paint schemes. It involves decoration the bodies of cars by otakus with fictional characters of anime, manga or video games (especially bishōjo game or eroge). Most of the time moe moe and kawaii characters are used and these cars can be commonly seen in places in Japan like Akihibara in Tokyo, Nipponbashi in Osaka, Ōsu in Nagoya. Inferring from the word, ita deriving from the word itai (痛い), which means pain, and sha (車), which means car, itasha (痛車) is 'painful' to the wallet as it's rather costly.

Some images of itasha (痛車):

Some eroge ones:

And the super cool one:

More in Gigazine, The Mainichi Daily News.

The itasha style of design can also be found on motorcycles (痛単車), bicycles (痛チャリ), aircrafts, computer cases, and many many other items. Some of the in-vehicular electronics, such as GPS, are reported to have been customized to character voices (similar to the Nanami-theme introduced along with the Japanese version of Windows 7).

And look! There's even a life-sized Saber to keep you company!

I guess I have to save up in order to own my very own 痛車 in the future. As for now, I can only try to find a nice skin for my laptop or get a bicycle and create a 痛チャリ!

Credits of some information and images to Wikipedia, Animesuki forum thread, dannychoo.com and those that I did not mention.

Nakano Azusa of K-ON!

From the popular manga/anime, Nakano Azusa is now an 1/8 scale PVC figurine from ALTER with swappable parts. Costing about 6800円, it is expected to be released in June 2010. You can now pre-order from Kurocha (selling at around $110 - a 15% off) or Hobby Search (for 5440円 which is around 59.29USD - a 20% off).

Official Website

Credits to Alter, Hobby Search and Kurocha!

Taiga Aisaka (Miss Contest Version)

As mentioned in the previous post, I opened up the the box and did a 'mini-photoshoot' of the Taiga Aisaka (Miss Contest Version) 1/8 scale figure. The figure is superbly well-crafted with every detail perfectly done.

Some of the photos taken while I'm opening it up:

I took so much care even when opening the tape!

And the shoot starts soon after she comes out from the box! =3

Photos of from the shoot

Taiga reached Singapore!

The 1/8 scale PVC figure, Taiga Aisaka of Toradora, by DreamTech finally arrived on the third of February this year.

I have been awaiting for the arrival anxiously since I pre-ordered it through my friend at around November last year, making it a near three month wait. It was supposed to be released on January this year but due to some delays, it reached three days ago instead. My friend helped me preorder the figure from AmiAmi for 6126円 and the shipping is only 1400円 for my figure as my friend preordered three figures, including mine. (Shipping = 4200円, 3 figures = 4200円/3 = 1400円 each figure). Thus, the total I spent on this figure is 7526円 ($122.70).

I went down to my friend's area on Friday (5 Feb) and did the 'Opening Ceremony' of the parcel at a void deck in the afternoon.

Some photos taken while opening the big parcel containing my Taiga my friend's 'Black Rock Shooter' Miku and 'World is Mine' Miku.

I have not opened the box, as in the packaging, as yet and intend to slowly open it up while taking some photos X3
Would be opening it up later today and post photos of the figure in this blog after I get some sleep. =3

Link: http://www.hobby-wave.com/LINE_UP/kanseihin/2009/taiga/index.html

SOY'B 2010 & Shugo Chara Photoshoot

[30/1/2010]

Held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Convention Centre LT 68A-E on 30th December, the cosplay event was the 3rd coplay event that the Japanese Tsubasa Club of Ngee Ann Polytechnic organized after SOY'A in 2009 and SOY in 2008. Although I didn't view much of the booths in the event area, I did have fun taking some photos of the cosplayers outside and talking to friends. I had a great time in the Shugo Chara photoshoot held at a very familiar place in NP (Infocomm and IT garden area) as a photographer and thus spent most of my time there than in the actual event.

At around 4pm, the Shugo Chara group set off to the Japanese Garden (at Chinese Garden) to continue with the photoshoot. There were 3 cosplayers and 4 photographers in the group and we don't have much time (Japanese Garden closes at 7pm and we reached there near 5pm), thus we splitted up, 1 photographer to 1 cosplayer while the 4th photographer take a nap as he had not have a proper rest and was very tired.

The day ended with a shot of the 3 cosplayers together and with my battery going flat at a nice time (can say exactly when the photoshoot end).

Some photos:

Kagamine Rin (Nuclear Fusion)

"Another figure coming out of the collaboration between the popular illustrator 'Nagimiso' and Max Factory! This more mature looking Rin was originally drawn for the PV of the song 'Nuclear Fusion (Hard-R.K.mix)', but now it's on its way to becoming a PVC figure!
The frills and ribbons that cover her gothic costume are contrasted by the mechanical guitar in her hands, and the detailed futuristic base she stands upon - creating a definite must-see, whether you are a fan of the original illustration or not!" (Good Smile Company, 2010)

According to Good Smile Company, this 1/8th figure would retail for 9800円, inclusive of tax, and would be out around August this year.
Looks great to me and I would definitely want to have one displayed in my room! =3

More Pictures:

Cosplaying @ SP OPEN HOUSE (InnoVillage@SP)

[7-9/1/2010]

I had a great time these three days, being paid to cosplay, able to meet with great cosplayers, the fun and all. I was unable to cosplay in the first day as I had a important class to attend to, missing me one day of fun of cosplaying T^T
I cosplayed as Kaname Kuran from the anime Vampire Knight on the remaining two days, (Friday and Saturday) and as usual took much photographs of the other cosplayers there with my CANON EOS 888 and NIKON Coolpix L3. I also did a 'photoshoot' of my figma, Tsukasa! XD

One the both day of my 'work' (the second and third day of the open house), Aiiki and Fallenangel, also cosplayers, helped me to put on eyeliner to make me look more bishie (Kaname Kuran is supposed to be bishie) and it was the first day that I cannot forget. A eyeliner which looks like a marker was used at first, which belongs to yukihoshi, but the result was too faint thus a eyeliner which looks like brush was used after that, which belongs to Aiiki. The result was horrific! I do look very bishie but it's a bit too girl like! >.< I can even remember the incident that happened when ordering chicken rice during lunch!

Camwhore with Aiiki! =]

The eyeliner was much better on the second day of 'work'. It's not that thick and I look bishie and a bit manly at the same time! >D
The thing that made me face-palmed only just now is that I just realized I missed my Japanese Language class which was supposed to be on Friday 5:30pm (after the cosplaying). Instead if dressing down and go for lesson, I went to help out with my CCA's booth near the Auditorium and went home after that! What a waste!
Toshiro, sincross, jewelsdiaz and I went to crash Marcussy's and Shadowkid's photoshoot after the cosplaying at SP and I became their extra photographer! =D
It was hard to take photographs there as the sun has set and thus the lighting there was super bad. We then head off for lunch at Bedok (I went back home to have mine).

Link to Cosplay Photos (not ready)
Link to Tsukasa's photoshoot album 
Link to Recruitment of Cosplayers thread
Link to Request for Cosplay Photos thread