Backlog Part 2: Nendoroids

My favorites, Nendoroids! This shipment contained Reina from Queen's Blade, Black Rock Shooter & the Puchi Nendo Lucky Star X Street Fighter set of 4. My only complaint about this lot is that the LSxSF ones were kinda hard to pose (especially C. Viper/Miyuki). I've always found the Puchi Nendos a lot more "challenging" to set up, but the level of detail on the Puchi Nendos always manages to make it worth their fragility. They seem to be including the BRS OAD (OAV) with every BRS figure lately, lol. Anyway, on with the show:

 

Chrono Trigger Formation Arts

The gem of this past month in collecting has without a doubt, been Chrono Trigger Formation Arts. It's kinda ass-backwards, too. I love Chrono Trigger, and naturally when someone loves a game/movie/TV show/etc, they expect a lot out of related products. And when it's something like CT - a property which doesn't receive merch very often - I tend to expect even more.

The prototypes of these that were shown earlier this year, as well as the pictures that several websites posted when they started taking preorders, looked to have strange faces. So I was VERY pleasantly surprised whenever I got them in the mail last week & the faces were just like Toriyama-sensei's art. In the prototype pics Chrono's face was especially concerning, considering he's in every diorama/figure except for one. But SquEnix (and I'm told Kotobukiya makes SquEnix's products) really came through.

I chuckled a little when I saw the "Black Label" on the box. What was I buying, Square-Enix booze? But truly, these are "Black Label", if that means "Elite". The quality is really nice, they're painted well for mass production models & their tiny size. The poses look like they're right out of the concept art for the game.

I hope that this is the start of more Formation Arts editions for Chrono Trigger (Kingdom Hearts has 2 or 3 sets and it isn't a quarter of the series that CT is), but I'm not holding my breath. Japanese companies tend to very hit n miss about what they produce & release. Unless you're a REALLY prevalent/popular series (i.e. - Evangelion, Doraemon, Mario) you don't see a giant variety of related-merch releases. But here's hoping SE decides to continue on with Formatin Arts based on one of their best properties.

Belated Updates Part 1

For whatever reason (usually a combination of procrastination & knowing that not many people read this), I'll take pictures of stuff that I get, but not post them for a long time. In the last month or so I've gotten lotsa little one-item packages & posted em, but I didn't post the more elaborate shipment I got from my proxy bidding service. So here comes the backlog:

In Japan, the Morinaga candy/food company has a mascot Kyoro-chan that I love a lot. Somehow through random searching I found a series of "Campaign Presents" (i.e. - contest prizes) that you'd collect points from Morinaga items to enter with.

These are called Omocha no Kanzume, or, おもちゃの缶詰, which essentially means "toys packed in cans". They go back several years, and they span from cheap plastic toys packed in metal bins of different shapes, to what you see here.

This one is a wind-up music box featuring several Kyoro-chan, dressed up like various musician-in-an-orchestra stereotypes. It plays the Kyoro-chan/Morinaga theme

Close-up

Bleach Netsuke Gashapon, Ichigo & Kon

Bleach Netsuke Gashapon, Hitsugaya, Byakuya & Rukia

More Bleach Netsuke Gashapon, (my first Mayuri figure)

Bleach Soul Ring Swing Gashapon

Bleach Soul Ring Swing Gashapon (again)

Reimu Hakurei Touhou Nendo

Reimu Hakurei Touhou Nendo

Sakuya Izayoi Touhou Nendo

Sakuya Izayoi Touhou Nendo

Marisa Kirisame Touhou Nendo

Marisa Kirisame Touhou Nendo

Touhou Project Puchi Nendo Set 1

And again.

Touhou Project Puchi Nendo Set 1

Another Kanzume, from 2001

Closed up

Opened. When you turn the switch on, the column lights up with a pattern, the Kyoros whirl & dance & it plays music

A spring-loaded Kyoro-Ball candy box, kinda like a variation on the snake in the peanut jar gag

Bought a bunch of random Kyoro stuff from one seller, this huge metal Kyoro Kanzume came with it. He's like 13 or 14 inches tall, he's huge!

Touhou badges that Toranoana threw in with the box of figures you see below.

Toranoana Touhou figures, they were a lot bigger than I thought they would be, and they're very cute!

Another Kanzume, the latest, in fact. I bought it for the chest, the contents were kinda crappy, lol

Another Kanzume, the latest, in fact. I bought it for the chest, the contents were kinda crappy, lol

Another Kanzume, the latest, in fact. I bought it for the chest, the contents were kinda crappy, lol

More Kyoro stuff I bought en masse from one seller

A full set of Bleach Soundrop Gashapon

A really cool Keroro Cuckoo Clock. I was disappointed to see that Keroro only weaves back & forth & doesn't come out on the hour or anything, but still really cool nonetheless.

Had to create a shelf just for all of the new Touhou stuff!