Black ★ Rock Shooter

According to Anime News Network on the 24th last month, the official website of the Black ★ Rock Shooter anime project announced on Wednesday that the full 50-minute length of the anime will be streamed for free to "everyone," although it does not specify if the stream will be available outside Japan. Furthermore, there would be a free DVD bonus extra for Hobby Japan magazine, which has a circulation of 186,000.

The website also announced two of the cast, Kana Hanazawa as Mato Kuroi and Miyuki Sawashiro as Yomi Takanashi. More to be announced at a later date.

For more  information or latest updates, do check out the official website!

While waiting for the anime in Singapore, let's enjoy some photos of the cosplay by Kipi!
Caution: Do prepare tissues in case of nosebleed! >w<

Photos from:

Kipi-fan.com

CrimsonRain.com

wakarimasenlol.com

cosrain.com

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance: Makinami Mari Illustrious

Was drinking coffee from the UCC Coffee can with the Mari print and found this Mari cosplay on Cosplay Holic.
This photo was contributed by Megane Complex to and was taken on the Winter Comiket 2009.

A short introduction on Makinami Mari Illustrious:
Mari Makinami Illustrious (真希波・マリ・イラストリアス) is an Eva pilot introduced in Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance. She is a stylized brunette with glasses and "twin tails".
Essentially no information has been provided about Mari thus far beyond her name and images of her. She is shown for a mere two cuts in the preview for 2.0 at the end of the first Rebuild movie. The "keywords" poster for 2.0 includes an exchange of dialogue between her and Shinji.

Mari is the pilot for Eva-05 as various illustrations show: a Sadamoto illustration has been released showing Mari in the "05" plugsuit; Mari has been identified as the helmeted pilot in the first theatrical trailer; Mari is depicted (in plugsuit) alongside Eva-05 for her UCC Coffee can illustration (see image); and the writeup for the Revoltech Eva-05 figure at the Kaiyodo Hobby Lobby states that the Eva is piloted by "new heroine Mari". A pilot designation has not yet been provided (assuming there is one).

Mari is also able to pilot Eva-02, and activates "the Beast" mode, which is speculated to be similar to an Eva going berserk. Her personality supposedly isn't one based on Anno's psyche, and she really enjoys piloting to kill the Angels. She is able to speak English fluently and seems to only interact with Shinji Ikari in terms of her fellow pilots. With Nerv, she appears to know Ryoji Kaji It's implied she's a spy for Nerv's American or European branches.

I then went on to Google on Mari cosplays and found more great cosplays.

Great cosplay posted on Anime Vice by jlrm01:

Credits:
Evangelion 2.0 site
Cosplay Holic
evageeks
Akino Blog
Anime Vice

Project DIVA 2ND bundle pack & Miku theme kit

Sega recently announced that a special bundle of a Hatsune Miku themed PSP will be released along with Project Diva 2 game itself on 29th July.

For 26,800 yen or around SGD$390, you will get the “Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd Ippai Pack”. This includes a turquoise-coloured PSP-3000 (Better than having a PSP-GO!), a soft pouch, cleaning cloth, and wrist strap and of course, the game itself.
Pre-order from Amazon, AmiAmi (Both Sold Out)

Sega also came out with a Miku theme kit, which contains a pouch, UMD case, cleaning cloth, PSP cover, strap, and decorative stickers for just 3,980 yen or at about SGD$58
Pre-order from Amazon, AmiAmi, PlayAsia

Whats more is add another 1,980 yen (bout SGD$30) for a monogram pouch and another strap!
Pre-order from Amazon, AmiAmi.

Source: KyouranKyodai, Neko Magic

UCC Coffee Evangelion Project

UCC UESHIMA COFFEE CO., LTD. (UCC) has been in business with the Evangelion Franchise for more than a decade and UCC coffee has been famous amongst anime fans around the world since their canned coffee was featured in the 1997 feature film The End of Evangelion. UCC created six coffee can designs featuring the Evangelion characters holding the company's products as a tie-in to that movie and subsequently became prized collector's items.

UCC Coffee decorated cans with Evangelion characters for the upcoming EVANGELION 2.0 movie, Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0, and just like for the 1.0 movies and they are sold with special barcodes affixed to the cans. The barcodes can be scanned by mobile phones to receive one of 12 mobile phone wallpapers and a chance to win a limited edition Asuka figure from UCC Coffee (1000 figures total) as well as one of five Puchi Eva UCC Coffee figures. The Puchi Eva figures feature Asuka in her yellow sundress, Rei, Shinji, and Kaworu in their school uniforms as well as a secret figure rumored to be the new character Mari Makinami.

The coffee cans are shipped randomly, with some designs being harder to get or have lesser of them per box (namely Asuka Langley Soryu). Thus making it somewhat similar to 'trading card game' (TCG).

I managed to buy a set of the six designs from my club (SP Japanese Cultural Club) and brought it home along with the cardboard box! I was initially hesitating whether to buy or not as I am a bit short for money to pay for my other stuffs but in the end I still grabbed all six. Thanks to the President of the club on buying cartons of the coffee! ^^

UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. (Wikipedia link)
UCC Coffee EVA
Akiba Blog
Cartoon Leap
EvaGeeks
Kotaku

Fate/stay night - Saber ~The Promised Sword of Victory~ / ~Triumphant Excalibur~

From the popular visual novel, anime and manga, Saber arrives as a 1/7 scale PVC figure from Good Smile Company in her armour and with her excalibur drawn. There would be two separate swords, a standard Excalibur and an invisible one ('Invisible Air'). It would be released in July this year by Good Smile Company and retailed at 9800円 (about SGD146) and with shipping fee, etc, about SGD160 +/-.
Like the Black Rock Shooter figma, it is such a hot figure that pre-orders ran out fast and many are already closed.

And again I missed the chance to pre-order it and have to go to eBay to search for pre-orders. I did find one at SGD159 and I hope that the eBayer can be trusted.

Update: You can now still reserve yours online like Hobby Search!

3rd October 2010 UPDATE: Plenty of stocks at AmiAmi! ^^

Black Rock Shooter figma

The well loved Black Rock Shooter, appearing as a 14cm figure made up of PVC and ABS would be released in July by Max Factory this year. It comes with a standard face, a shouting face and a face with closed eyes. The blue flame that covers her left eye can be attached and removed by removing the hair parts in the front. The 'Rock Cannon' and 'Black Blade' are included too, where the the 'Rock Cannon' is bigger than the entire figure's body and another stand could be used to support it. Just imagining the amount of cool poses that can be done just makes me feel like getting it immediately! The figure was so highly popular that pre-orders offered by various websites and stores are closed and 'sold out'. It would be sold at 2800円 (about SGD 41.57) and with shipping fee, etc, it would eb about SGD45.90 - SGD49.60.

This time I missed the pre-order! Noo... I a bit too slow this time T_T but not to fret! Some eBayers are offering pre-orders too and I pre-ordered one through eBay at $45. Now I have to just hope that the eBayer can be trusted!

3rd October 2010 UPDATE: Plenty of stock in AmiAmi! ^^

Fate/unlimited codes - Saber Lily ~Golden Caliburn~

A hard to get 1/7 PVC figure release by Good Smile Company, which were on sales on Wonder Festival 2010.  It was limited up to 3 order per person and only will be made on order only. It can purchased there but was limited only to 2 per person. Compared to the previous figure, Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~, she is now in less armor so that you can see her in her beautiful dress. Sculpted by Takayuki Kawahara, her sword, Caliburn, and her scabbard are crafted to the finest of detail.

But not to fret about missing the chance to get one as various hobby stores are still offering pre-orders and some people are even selling them online! But do take note as some are really over-priced. With a search through some forums or even eBay you may find people selling the figures at SGD300 each, which is super over-priced when it should only be 9000円 (around SGD133) and with shipping, should be around SGD160 - SGD196 plus minus. Kurocha is still offering pre-orders by the 15th this month but there is only 24 available in total. Stocks are really limited so to avoid disappointment experienced from the previous figure, I pre-ordered it without hesitation this time!

Come to think of it when June comes, I have to prepare money for a total of 3 figures I pre-ordered! Oh my... =x