Month: December 2012

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2012 GSC Product Rankings

Only a few days left until the end of 2012!

This is the last blog update for the year!

I hope everyone has had a good 2012! When you look back on an entire year it’s hard to remember a lot of what happened, but here at Good Smile the biggest event of the year was definitely the move to the Skytree!! It feels like we’ve been here for over a year already… the time passes by so quickly!

As normal I’ll have the Good smile Sales Ranking as the last post, but this year there are some other interesting rankings as well! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

All the statistics in this post are based on products that were released in 2012. The products that have been announced, but not yet released are not included! So let’s take a look at some of the Good Smile Stats over the past year!

– Number of Products by Company – 

*Includes Goods *OEM Products not included.

Good Smile Company : 141
Max Factory : 62
Gift : 29
Phat! Company : 28
threeA : 19
FREEing : 19
Good Smile Racing : 17
Penguin Parade : 14
WING : 2
CHRONOGEAR CREATIVE : 2
Culture Japan : 2
SEVENTWO : 2
ASCII Media Works : 2

The number of products each company released!

These stats obviously only relate to the products that Good Smile Company was involved with in regards to distribution. I can’t believe how many Good Smile Company products were released this year – it includes the smaller things like iPhone cases and the lottery prizes, but even so… that’s a lot of products!!

– Products by Product Category – 

*All company’s products included. *OEM Products not included.

Nendoroid : 92
Scale Figures : 64
figma : 48
threeA : 19
Nendoroid Plus : 16
Nendoroid Petite : 15
Good Smile Racing : 15
Rubber Straps : 5
Other : 65

Next we have the category rankings!

The web team simply can’t believe that so many Nendoroids were released this year! Next year we’re going to aim for 100!! ^^

There were also a huge number of scale figures – they are definitely the category that require the most work, but they’re definitely worth the work, and they’re as popular as ever! The ‘Other’ section includes things like straps, plushies (that aren’t Nendoroid Plus), T-shirts and various other things!

– Products by Gender –

*All company’s products included. *OEM Products not included.
*Each product sold in a set is counted separately.

Female : 308
Male : 82
Mecha : 30
Other : 10

The genders of all 2012 Products!

As is to be expected, there are far more females in the line-up, but there were actually quite a few male figures this year too! I wonder if they’ll increase even more next year…?

The ‘Other’ section here includes things like pliers, or the suction and clip stands!

Products by Hair Color 

*All company’s products/goods included. *Each product sold in a set is counted separately. *Products without hair not included. *Colors as determined by Mikatan

Blond : 79
Brown : 69
Black : 66
Pink : 38
Blue : 35
Green : 24
Purple : 22
White : 16
Red : 13
Orange : 13
Light Blue : 11
Gray : 7

An interesting ranking by hair color!

This table shows which hair colors were used most often in 2012 on our figures! Blond hair look took the highest place, but brown and black were quite close behind. It’s a rather interesting ranking to read through!

– Mikatan Blog Ranking –

Crown_2 1st Place: 1/8th Scale Ultimate Madoka (Painted – Part 1) 
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/06/07/18th-scale-ultimate-madoka-painted-part-1/

Crown_12nd Place: Miyazawa Model Exhibition 
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/11/06/miyazawa-model-exhibition/

Crown_13rd Place: Nendoroid Miku Dayo 
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/11/02/nendoroid-miku-dayo/

4th Place: Minicchu IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls 
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/11/14/minicchu-idolmster-cinderella-girls/


5th Place: Miku Hatsune : Cheerful Ver.  
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/03/08/miku-hatsune-cheerful-ver/

6th Place: 1/8th Scale Sayaka Miki
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/01/25/18th-scale-sayaka-miki/

7th Place: Nendoroid Sakura Miku
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/04/08/nendoroid-sakura-miku/

8th Place: Nendoroid Aichi Sendou
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/11/13/nendoroid-aichi-sendou/ 

9th Place: 2 Days Until WonFes! The GSC Offices Before the Event!
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/07/27/2-days-until-wonfes-the-gsc-offices-before-the-event/

10th Place: Project mirai cafe & Miku Live Party 2012
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2012/03/12/project-mirai-cafe-miku-live-party-2012/

The most viewed blog posts this year!

The most viewed post was the prototype review of the 1/8th scale Ultimate Madoka which was released yesterday! In just one day the Japanese blog received over 200000 views of that post… that’s just how much attention that figure was attracting!

Another post that I was interested in was the 8th place – Aichi-kun! I posted him on twitter as well and was amazed at how fast he spread across the internet!! Thanks to everyone who reads the blog, and everyone who passes on the posts to friends!!

– Combined Local and Overseas Sales Ranking –

*Nendoroid Petites counted per box-set.

Crown_21st Place: Ultimate Madoka

Crown_12nd Place: Nendoroid Snow Miku: Fluffy Coat Ver.

Crown_13rd Place: figma Mami Tomoe

 
 4th Place: Nendoroid Petite: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

5th Place: Megurine Luka: Tony ver.

6th Place: Nendoroid Hatsune Miku: Append

7th Place: figma Kyouko Sakura

8th Place: Saber & Saber Motored Cuirassier

9th Place: Nendoroid Hatsune Miku: Yukata Ver.

10th Place: figma Sayaka Miki

 
11th Place: Nendoroid Kyouko Sakura

12th Place: Nendoroid Petite : Uta no Prince-sama

13th Place: Nendoroid Sayaka Miki

14th Place: Saber: Zero ver.

15th Place: figma Black Rock Shooter: TV ANIMATION ver.

16th Place: figma Link

17th Place: Nendoroid Shuukan Hajimete no Hatsune Miku

18th Place: Nendoroid Saber: Zero Ver.

19th Place: BLK Limited Edition (with figma BRSB)

20th Place: Nendoroid Erio Touwa

 
21st Place: Nendoroid Sena Kashiwazaki

22nd Place: Racing Miku: 2011ver.

23rd Place: figma Ika Musume

24th Place: Nendoroid Golden Darkness

25th Place: Nendoroid Nyaruko

26th Place: Homura Akemi

27th Place: Nendoroid Aisaka Taiga

28th Place: Nendoroid Saber Lily (Rerelease)

29th Place: Nendoroid Petite: Racing Miku Set 2011 Ver.

30th Place: figma Nadeko Sengoku

Finally, a word from GSC President Aki regarding the 2012 ranking!

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A big thank you to everyone for yet another wonderful year! I hope that all the products everyone has bought this year have brought a smile to your face!

Looking through all the sales data this year shows that the figure market thrived again, which has left GSC with great results for the year. There are more and more new figmas and Nendoroids headed out to fans all over the world. I also believe that through various market creation techniques including the recent lottery products, we have been able to expand the figure market to more people who have never bought figures before. This year has led all the companies in the industry to compete with a higher standard and with more precise products, allowing more and more people to understand the wonders of the figure of the world than ever before.

The overseas market, particularly Asia, has seen a large increase in sales which is very encouraging. It’s wonderful to be able to share the joys of figures with the international world. The GSC website, twitter and Facebook have pages in English, French and Chinese for fans all over the world.

With the detail, precision and presentation of figure prototypes reaching new levels of quality all the time, one has to wonder just how perfect a figure can eventually become – it’s a challenge that cannot be turned down. We’re producing five, if not ten times as many products as we were just a few years ago now, and each of those is competing to be the best – it really shows off the passion of those who work on them – although I think it can drive them a little bit mad sometimes too.

However, we are researching and trying out various new production techniques in attempts to make things more automated and to save on labor. Ultimate Madoka, who was just released, includes one of these new techniques in her design – it’s not easy to spot what it is, but you’re welcome to try and figure that out!

Over the past few years we’ve seen so many wonderful series which have led to the growth of the figure market, and all the time I’ve been thinking it’s time to move things onto the next step. Next year we’ll be taking all the planning, sculpting, direction, manufacturing and support from the fans that have been building up over the years and turning it into a truly wonderful year!

I hope that everyone will be watching over us as we move out of our 11th year, and into our 12th from May this year!

And with that…

Mikatan Blog 2012 has come to an end!!

There have been so many times this year that I thought I wouldn’t get through it, but the staff have really got me through some tough times – I once again managed to update the blog almost every weekday this year!

To everyone who loves figures,
To everyone who reads this blog,
To all those who help out with the blog…

Thank you all for yet a wonderful year!!

The blog has been going on for six years, and I hope it’s been of some use to everyone! I’ll be continuing next year in the hopes that I can pass on the wonders of figures to everyone once again! I hope you’ll all be there to cheer me along!

The next blog will be on the 7th January (Mon)! (`･ω･´)ゞ
(I’m actually going to China… I hope I’ll be back in time…)

But that’s all for today!
It’s been really cold this year, so take care of yourselves over the new year!

I hope to see you all again in 2013!!

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1/8th Scale Ultimate Madoka

She’s finally ready for everyone!!
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That’s one huge box!!
I think this has to be the biggest box we’ve ever made for a 1/8th scale figure! The staff member I got to hold it looks like she is about to fall over holding it! 😛
Anyway, sorry once again for making everyone wait a little longer for this figure, but she goes on sale today!
She is also the very last review on the blog for this year!
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From ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’:
Ultimate Madoka!
From the last episode of the hit anime series ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’, comes a 1/8th scale figure of Ultimate Madoka – the form Madoka took once her wish was granted and she became a Puella Magi.

Her long flowing hair, the deep space confined within her dress, her transparent wings and even her bow that looks like a budding flower – every part of Ultimate Madoka has been carefully sculpted to faithfully reproduce the original.
The included pedestal is made to look like the magical symbols in space that formed each time she fired an arrow.
I’ll be doing a review of a product straight out of the box – exactly the same as the ones that you’ll all be able to get your hands on from today! It’s hard to believe that this is a mass-produced product…
She came out perfectly!!
It looks just as beautiful as the original prototype did! The manufacturing team really did an outstanding job!
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A look at the entire figure!
She was simply to big to fit behind a single monitor, I had to use two! She does take up quite a lot of space, so you might want to clear out a large space for when yours arrives! (`･ω･´)
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Let’s spin around to her side!
This is the best angle to get a look at her beautiful legs and long flowing hair! It really looks like she is floating in the air, but she is actually supported without any worries about stability by the stand and her long skirt.
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Spin ever further to the back!
Looking at her billowing dress from the back shows off just how big the figure is – she has such a stunning presence!
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The front from a different angle!
This is the best angle to see her bow and arrow as well as her wings! The wings are made with a clear plastic and look so beautiful…
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A shot from directly above!
She is 1/8th scale, but looking at her from the top you can see she does look much bigger – but she makes such good use of space. For those interested in numbers, she is approximately 33cm tall and 36cm in length!
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Let’s go from a lower angle!
Ultimate Madoka is such a lovely straightforward gaze so most people might want to display her facing forward, but I personally love looking at her from this angle! You get such a good look at her face, breasts, thighs, the bow and arrow and wings – you can see everything perfectly!
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Hiro-san, who was in charge of direction!
He is checking everything so carefully!! Hiro has personally checked everything from the original prototype to all the test releases to ensure she comes out perfectly!
He is also the one responsible for all the incredible paintwork as well as the expression for the figure!
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The expression is perfect!!
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Just look how adorable she’s come out!
The gradient in her eyes is so beautiful! The little bit of hair brushing over her cheek adds a bit more of a dynamic feeling even to the expression – the little things like this are so important!
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Her thighs and the starry skirt!
The space paintwork inside the skirt look beautiful! You might worry that the little stars spotted around might just look messy, but that really isn’t the case – they really do look out of this world!
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The skirt has a pearl coating!
The white areas are all coated with a shiny pearl coating, and the pink areas seem to have a different shade depending on the angle you look from!
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A change of perspective on the wings!
You get a good look at the entire wing from this side! Once you’ve put the figure on display, most people never have a chance to look at the back of a figure – I challenge everyone to take some photos when they first get the figure to get a really good look at all the different angles from the start!
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Her stunning body-line!
Just look at all the exquisite details – the lovely little bumps on her chest, the creases in her clothes and even the little indent in her clothes for the belly-button!
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The magic circle pedestal!!
Even the pedestal is fantastic! Just like all the previous 1/8th scale Madoka figures, Ultimate Madoka comes with a lovely circular pedestal.
It also is made from clear plastic, has a lovely gradient and has the magical circle shapes placed on it!
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Today’s final shot!
I tried my best to end with a photo that shows off as many of her charms as possible, and I don’t think this is a bad shot for that!
I’m certain if you get hold of her you’ll be very happy with your purchase! I simply can’t believe this is a mass-produced product, it’s simply amazing!
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From ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’:
Ultimate Madoka!
She’s on sale from today!!
Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any sales queries!
Anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛
Tomorrow will be the final blog post of 2012!! (・∀・)ノ゛
© Magica Quartet／Aniplex・Madoka Partners・MBS
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Nendoroid Horizon Ariadust: Uniform Ver. and Nendoroid More Clip & Suction Stands!

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What on earth is this tower?!

All these are product samples that have been sent through for checking, and they’re all piled up like Jenga blocks! Although I don’t think I’d be able to pull one out…

But to the left of all the samples it seems there is a prototype box! Let me just quickly grab that and try to not knock down that huge pile. Slowly does it…
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From ‘Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere’:
Nendoroid Horizon Ariadust: Uniform Ver.!

The Nendoroid series follows the keywords ‘Cute to look at, fun to play with and great to collect’, and from the series Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere comes a figure of Horizon Ariadust to join that series! It’s a Nendoroid that fans won’t want to miss out on!

Planning and production was done by ASCII media works, with the manufacturing side of things done by Good Smile! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

I’ll explain in more detail at the end of the blog, but this product is available from Dengekiya, and won’t be available at our normal partner shops! She’s also available at the Good Smile Online Store for international orders!
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This is how she looks from the back!

Horizon’s characteristic long hair looks great in Nendoroid size, I love the way the tips of her hair give a feeling of depth! It’s a bit hard to see here, but she uses the standard arm-type Nendoroid stand!
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Mortal Sin Armament: Lype Katathlipse

The Mortal Sin Armament that symbolizes anguish is included together with arms to hold it for poses like this one! Both the weapon and her uniform have such intricate paintwork – just look at all the tiny little areas that are painted in different colors!

Plus she comes with a crying expression! (`･ω･´)
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An adorable chibi expression!

This expression featured in the series as well as the ED theme of the 2nd season – it’s so cute! Just looking at her makes me feel at ease…

You can also see she comes with clasped hand parts which she can hold over her chest to recreate the singing scene from the series! There are all sorts of options for fans to play around with!

From ‘Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere’:
Nendoroid Horizon Ariadust: Uniform Ver.!

She’ll be available at Dengikiya and the GSC Online Shop!

I’ve been told the deadline for orders is actually very soon, so don’t miss out!

– Dengekiya –
http://dengekiya.com/p/4942330053874/?aid=siteTOPbnr_2ndRsrv_NendroidHorizonUniformVer

– Good Smile Online Shop (International Only) –
http://goodsmile-global.ecq.sc/top/gscnenwd00287.htmlr
 
 

Today I’ll be looking at another product! (・ω・)ﾉ
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Nendoroid More: Suction Stands &
Nendoroid More: Clip Stands

These both go on sale tomorrow!! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

The newcomers here at Good Smile all worked together to plan these new Nendoroid stands, and they’re now finally ready to be released!! I hope everyone likes them!!

– GSC Newcomers Blog –
http://ameblo.jp/blog-shinsotsu2012/
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Three different connectors are included!!

You may think this is only for the Nendoroid series at first, but…

They also work with Nendo Petites and figmas!!

From the left, we have a Nendoroid connector, a Nendo Petite connector and a figma connector! That is simply wonderful!!

Another thing to note is that the smiley face on the left can be rotated around to any angle you need, ensuring it’s always facing the right way up!
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The Suction Stand!

The stands come in three different colors including white, pink and mint. I decided to make use a pink one to match up with Sakura Miku-san!
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The Clip Stand!

I borrowed Oonoshi’s figma Link to test the stand with a figma! It worked great, and even let me pose him as if he were jumping to get an enemy up on the ceiling – these are great for aerial poses!

Nendoroid More: Suction Stands &
Nendoroid More: Clip Stands

 
They’ll be on sale from tomorrow!!

Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!

 
Anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛
 
 
© 川上稔／アスキー・メディアワークス／境界線上のホライゾン製作委員会
© 2013 TENKY／ASCII MEDIA WORKS Inc.
© GOOD SMILE COMPANY

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1/8th Scale Insane Black Rock Shooter

She’s huge!! Σ(ﾟДﾟ;）

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If you compare her to the mugs, you’ll get an idea of the size!

Ever since the Summer WonFes, this figure has been on display at a number of events so I’m sure many of you already knew she was coming!

Today I’ll be playing with the very last premium Good Smile Company figure to be announced this year…
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From TV ANIMATION BLACK ROCK SHOOTER:
Insane Black Rock Shooter!

From the anime series that aired during Fuji TV’s noitaminA block ‘Black Rock Shooter’ comes a 1/8th scale figure of Insane Black Rock Shooter, the character with a flame of insanity burning in her eyes. She is posed holding both of her primary weapons – the Insane Cannon Lance and the Insane Blade Claw. Both her and her weapons have been sculpted down to the finest of details. If you’re a fan of the series you’ll be sure to enjoy this impressive figure of Insane Black Rock Shooter!

A truly magnificent figure!!

I absolutely love my Nendoroids, but every time I see a GSC scale figure I can’t help but be amazed by them. Six years ago I would never have believed someone if they told me I could get my hands on a figure with this much detail and quality!

I can say with confidence that this figure is some of the highest quality in the industry at the moment!! (`･ω･´)
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She’s too big to use a single monitor as a background!

This is how she looks if you try to fit all of the weapons into a single shot! You should get a good idea for the size by comparing her to the size of the monitor and keyboard – she really has an amazing size!

Obviously the size isn’t the only amazing thing though – she is also amazingly detailed, and I’m sure you’ll agree with that after reading through this blog!
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This is how she looks from the back!

Normally figures have one specific pose or angle that is meant to make them look either super cute or really awesome. This is normally the whichever angle the figure’s line of sight is looking toward, but Insane-chan seems to look really awesome any angle I look from!

Everyone normally has some angle that makes them look less attractive, but the world of figures can be charming no matter where you choose to look from!
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This is how she looks from above!

This angle gives you a good look at what gives her so much volume – the huge weapons in both hands, the twin-tails expanding outward and the chains swinging around her are all such great uses of the space!

This figure was actually sculpted by kiking-kun from the Good Smile Shanghai team! Super impressive work!!
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The pride of a figure – the face!

As I said before… truly magnificent!! The red dot in the center of her eye really catches your attention, and also captures the insane side of Insane-chan!
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I personally have to emphasize this area!!
Her hips are absolutely amazing!

huke is well known for his designs with a really slim body-line, and Insane-chan is a very good example of one of his slim builds… but that round area around her hips is simply outstanding!!

They are a little bit hidden away in this photo (not on purpose…), but her inner thighs are also simply delicious!!
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The Insane Cannon Lance!

The weapons, armor and base all have a metallic appearance with a coarse texture which gives a really realistic effect!

There are also so many different shades of black on the figure – the subtle differences make such an incredible difference.
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The belt is painted to have a dirty appearance!!

I have to wonder how much work making just this belt would be in mass production…

The jacket edges are also really intricate (they have two layers!), and the armor is so detailed… everywhere you look is a treat to the eyes!
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Lovely legs!

The spiky and angular design of the armor contrasts so nicely with the material you can see behind her knees here! It’s amazing how much the textures come out from the sculpting… absolutely amazing work!
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The same area from the back!

I really love this angle! Just look at the way the armor looks all tightened around her right thigh, or the lovely soft skin of the left thigh!!
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Last but not least, the base!

The base really brings out the atmosphere of the ‘Hollow World’! It is made to look like broken up land all around her feet, and looks fantastic from every angle! The gradient paintwork is also great… it’s hard to believe so much detail went into just the base – it’s really brings the figure together perfectly!
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From TV ANIMATION BLACK ROCK SHOOTER:
Insane Black Rock Shooter!

 
She’ll be up for preorder from the 26th December!

Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!

 

But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again next week!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 
 
(C) BRS on TV

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Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 6: Pupils and Shadows on the White of the Eye!

Nendoroid Painting, Day 6!

goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
I have to finish this before the end of the year!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

I’m actually having so much fun with this, so I’m thinking about challenging another expression next year and trying once again! I don’t want to bore everyone reading the blog though, so I want to get through this one sooner rather than later! Wish me luck!!

You can find the previous posts in the series here:
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 5: Mixing Colors and Eyebrows!
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 4: Preparing to Apply Color
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 3: Continuing to Paint the Eye Borders
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 2: Painting the Eye Border
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 1: Basic Knowledge & Tools

Alright, time to save with some lacquer paint and get to work!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Uh-oh…

I’ve already messed up with my save!!

When you need to ‘save’ you spray clear lacquer over the expression, but I sprayed too much over the right eye! I only meant to spray a little bit, but it all came rushing out…

This causes the paint to go lumpy, and the borders to blur…!

If you look close up, you can see the expression looks all grainy and the lines aren’t neat… I had done it nicely before, but I got overconfident and now I’ve gone and made a mistake… if you want to see the correct way to apply the lacquer, I discussed it in detail in this article: Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 4: Preparing to Apply Color
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Many painting corrections later…

To correct the blurred outlines I had to increase the size of the lines around the eyes a little bit… the lines look so messy now though, but I’m just going to continue on and see how this comes out. 😛

This is the second time I’ve started out the blog with an error now… I already have such little time to work on the expression, and I end up spending most of it on correcting my mistakes!! 🙁
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Let’s move onto painting the pupils!

This time I’ll be using white, green and blue! The pupils make use of a slightly darker shade than then base eye color. Here I got some advice from Reiichi Itou, who has worked on a number of Nendoroids including Haru-chan, Kuma and Tsubasa Kazanari!

When you mix colors and end up with a dark color and try to make it lighter, you almost always end up with far too much paint. It’s normally better to start out with a lighter color (in this case white) and then add the darker colors into that (the green and blue) until you are happy with the color. Good luck, Mikatan! d(@^∇゜)-♪

Thank you for the advice, I’ll try it right now!!

Last time I mixed a darker color first and then added more and more white to get the right color, and ended up with far too much paint!!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Color mixing complete!

I think this color looks about right… the one on the left is the previous color I mixed for the base color of the eye, the one on the right is the freshly mixed color for the pupils. I’ll have to actually paint it on to get a good feeling for whether or not the color is right…
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
A quick splash of paint!

Hmm… I wonder if the professional finishers manage to get this right on the first try every time… I’ve painted on far too thick a layer here, but I’m going to just have to continue with this and see how it goes!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Fixing up the shape with enamel thinner!

There we go, that looks a little bit better. I’m still far more worried about that lumpy area and the messy line that I caused at the start of this post… But anyway, Hiro-san and Kawahara-san had some advice for me regarding the pupils!

Hiro-san:
The pupils are really important! The position and size both have to be perfect, or else they’ll cause the left and right eyes to be facing different directions!

Kawapon:
It’s easier to get the direction of the eyes right if you paint the pupils relative to the eye!

I see, I see…

I understand what they’re saying, but I’m not sure whether or not I’ll be able to actually make use of the advice when working on my painting! By the way, I’ve constantly been making use of a mirror to make sure that the symmetry of the expression wasn’t off!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Mixing colors for the darker shadows!

The top of the white of the eye always has a slightly darker shadow. This color actually differs quite a lot between characters – take a look at your Nendoroid collection and compare! I’ll be using a mix of white, blue and black for Miku!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
I’ll never get it right on the first try…

My painting always overflows over onto the borders… but that can be fixed up with some enamel thinner, so it’s not a problem!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
There we go!

Without the highlights in the eyes, she actually looks a bit creepy though…

There are a number of other areas that are still bother me as well, but I just have to move on and see how it turns out! I’ve been trying to fix the messy eye borders the whole time while I’ve been working on the pupils, I think it is starting to look at least a little bit better now – if you compare it to the photos above you can see I did make a few changes!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Comparison with the original!

As always, the eyes look like they’re tilted the wrong way… I wish I could fix it!!

I think overall the lines look alright, but the inner corner of the eyes have too much white which cause the eyes to appear tilted.
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Attached to the Miku body!

I had to censor this last time as it looked so horrible… but so many people said they wanted to see it, so this time I’ve left it for everyone to cringe at! If I left it any longer without showing it, I was worried that people would start actually anticipating something that looked good. 😛

But… she looks so evil!!
I’m so sorry, Miku!! Forgive me!!

This was actually the cutest angle I was able to find… the whole time I was working on the painting I kept regretting that I hadn’t made the eyes slightly lower and further apart… I’m sure that would have made her look a lot cuter! I wish this was Photoshop where I could just quickly CTRL+Z and redo whatever I needed to…

When you try doing something like this yourself, you really realize just what craftsman the sculptors and painters really are…

The next post should be the final in this series!
It’ll feature masking, gradient and highlights!

If the masking takes too long, it might be split into two posts though! We’ll have to see how it works out!
But anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

© Crypton Future Media,Inc. www.piapro.net

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Nendoroid Houki Shinonono

On Saturday we had the Nendoroid #300 Broadcast!
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Which also featured this prototype!!

She was kind of a surprise with no advance warning, so there were a lot of comments that seemed quite surprised to see her! Plus she’s already up for preorder now – Phat! company is really on the ball with this one!

My review seems to have come in a little bit late now, but I hope everyone will enjoy it anyway!
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From IS (Infinite Stratos):
Nendoroid Houki Shinonono!

From the popular anime series ‘IS (Infinite Stratos)’, comes a Nendoroid of Houki Shinonono!

Her long, trademark ponytails are fitted with joints, and she comes with special alternative parts to allow you to display her in the running pose from the ending theme of the series! She comes with her standard expression, a expression with gritted teeth and a cute smiling expression.

She also comes with folded arm parts allowing you to pose her standing with an imposing appearance, or even a hand pointing forward! Her wooden sword and fencing stick are also both included as optional parts allowing you to pose her in a number of your favorite scenes from the series!

That serious expression fits her personality perfectly! Even as a Nendoroid you can also can’t help noticing that impressive bust! All of her charms have been shrunk down to Nendoroid form!
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This is how she looks from the back!

Houki has such a lovely double ponytail! Apparently it took a number of revisions to get it right on the Nendoroid, but Phat! Company continued until it was perfect!
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Folded arm parts are included!!

With these you can recreate the folded arm pose from the key visual! I imagine that painting each of the different areas on her school uniform is going to be an absolute nightmare for the production team!
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Gritted teeth and her fencing stick!

This is such a lovely face, it has so much expression behind it! She looks kind of frustrated, but with a slight embarrassed look as well! It suits the tsundere character of Houki so wonderfully!
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She also comes with a wooden sword!

Houki is known for her swordsmanship, so she comes with both a fencing stick and a wooden sword for you to choose from! You might also be able to have her hold them in either hand, however that is still under consideration at this point in time.
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A smiling expression for her gentle side!

Houki might be more known for her serious side, but this side with blushing cheeks and a cute smile is definitely just as lovely to me! The outline and highlights of the eyes are so very detailed!
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The running pose from the ED theme!

The famous pose from the ending theme can be recreated with these bent arms and legs! The ponytails are also fitted with ball-joints so you can have them waving behind her like this!!

But I certainly hope that Phat! Company is working on some of the other characters as well… or else Houki will be lonely by herself! 😛
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From IS (Infinite Stratos):
Nendoroid Houki Shinonono!

 
She’s already up for preorder!!

Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!

 

But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 
 
© 2011 Izuru Yumizuru, MEDIA FACTORY/Project IS

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Nendoroid Rin & wooser + Mechawooser

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A giant robot thing, bigger than a car!

I’m sure meany of you recognize… I mean, just look at the creature inside the car and you’ll know exactly where it comes from!

The mysterious yellow creature has become more and more popular – not only on the internet, but on TV as well!!
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From ‘wooser’s hand-to-mouth life’:
Nendoroid Rin & wooser + Mechawooser!

From the anime series featuring the ‘new hero’ wooser, ‘wooser’s hand-to-mouth life’ comes a Nendoroid of the carefree Rin together with wooser himself! A set of characters from the series for fans to enjoy!

The set certainly has a lot of volume! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

From the left of the photo, we have the adorable Rin, the main character wooser and then Mechawooser, who will destroy an entire city in seach of uniforms! She has a somewhat different appearance when compared to other Nendoroids, but it’s actually quite nice to have a change like this once in awhile!
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This is how she looks from the back!

Rin-chan is wearing a wooser hoodie – even the eyes and nose can be seen printed on the back!

As you can see, you can have the two of them posed holding hands like this! It’s so unfair that wooser gets to hold her hand! I want to as well!!
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Different parts let her wear the hood!

Isn’t she adorable!! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)=3ﾊｧﾊｧ

The two ears on the hood have little tabs that let them connect onto the hood, which also means you can move them around a little bit! She also comes with some bent arms for some cute poses like this one!
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A swimsuit body is also included!

How many Nendoroids worth of goodies are included with just this one single product?!

Plus she also comes with a glaring expression part! Perfect to recreate scenes from the episode where wooser considered that glaring expression to be a reward for his work!

You can also pose her wearing the hood while in her swimsuit, so you really have quite a few different ways to dress her up!
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Mechawooser is huge…!!

I don’t know if these photos do his size justice… he is gigantic! I’d say he is about 1.5x the size of a normal Nendoroid, it’d be very hard to miss him, that’s for sure!

But not only is he big, but his hands, legs and ears are also all fitted with Nendoroid joints for some interesting poses! It’s a lot of fun to pose all the characters in the set together!
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This is how it looks from the back!
The design and form has been faithfully transformed into Nendoroid form, and even the heavy, metallic look looks great thanks to the paintwork! That little tail thing is very cute! 😛

I was kind of hoping the tail was posable as well! (Although I guess that’s asking for too much…)
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Nenoroids can even can ride inside it!

Wow! Talk about doing way too much for a single figure! I would have thought this idea would be shut down! 😛
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You can even see the control levers!

Rin-chan is controlling the giant robot!! If you scroll back up to the first image you can see elaborate detail that went into the inside of Mechawooser! The inside looks amazing!
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Ren is also currently in production!!

Looks the the unpainted prototype has made some impressive progress! Look at that lovely bust!

Rin-chan comes with so many extra parts, it makes me really interested to see what parts Ren will come with… as soon as I find out I’ll try and leak it out to everyone as soon as possible!
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From ‘wooser’s hand-to-mouth life’:
Nendoroid Rin & wooser + Mechawooser!

She’s up for preorder from today!!

 
Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!

Finally, a quick notice!
wooser’s hand-to-mouth life airs every Tuesday at 01:35AM on TV Tokyo! The last episode is on the 18th December!

We’ve already come to the last episode!!

Don’t miss out on the every last episode! It’s the perfect reason to stay up late and watch TV! If you simply can’t stay up for the TV broadcast though, it will also be available on NicoNico Douga! There you can also read all the comments from viewers for some extra fun too.

Be sure to check out the final episode to see what will become of the the mysterious yellow creature!!

wooser’s hand-to-mouth
http://wooser.tv/
NicoNico Douga
http://ch.nicovideo.jp/channel/wooser
 
 
But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 
 
© Project wooser

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Nendoroid Hatsune Miku 2.0

Nendoroid No.300!!

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Congratulations! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

A big thank you to all the fans too!!

On Saturday we ran the Nendoroid No.300 Commemoration Campaign which was a great success! I think the staff are quite glad they can relax a bit now! Once again, a big thank you to everyone who took part in the broadcast, as well as to everyone who was watching the live broadcast! It’s thanks to you that these events go so well!!!

Next up, everyone needs to start with all the preparations for the next Wonder Festival coming up in February! There are a load of interesting things in the works for everyone to look forward to!

But today… we have to closer take a look at this Nendoroid!! (`･ω･´)
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Nendoroid Hatsune Miku 2.0!

From the ‘Character Vocal Series 01: Hatsune Miku’ comes a new version of the much loved Nendoroid Hatsune Miku, dressed up in a newly sculpted outfit! 

She comes with a number of new optional parts based on the opening video of the ‘Hatsune Miku and Future Stars Project mirai’ game. She also comes with parts that let you display her sitting down. It’s the same Miku everyone has come to love with an extra touch!

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･゜(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾟ･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

She really is such an angel!!!

The original Nendoroid Miku was super cute, but this version two really is something else!! I don’t even really think I need to write anything up on this blog post… the cute images speak for themselves!

Every little part of her has been carefully sculpted and adjusted to perfection by all the Miku-loving fans here!! ヽ(゜∀゜)ノ
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Displayed together with the original Miku!

They really are both so cute! (*´∀｀*)

Let me summarize the main changes for version two!
· Completely re-sculpted.
· A slightly slimmer body to the original Nendoroid.
· A metallic paint finish.

The original Nendoroid Miku was only Nendoroid No.33… she was actually one of the first Nendoroids! Since then, the series has evolved in form and all sorts of other ways while trying to make to sculpting better and better.

To commemorate the 300th Nendoroid, we’ve used all the new sculpting techniques and remade the most popular Nendoroid of all time!
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This is how she looks from the back!

A tighter, sexier waist! （´∀｀）

Plus as I’m sure some people have already noticed, she has new joints in her twintails!! The base of the joint area covers them up from the front so that they’re hardly visible compared to the previous version!
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Miku with a hand on her headset!

The definite electronic diva pose!! I’ve only used the bent arm on the right side here, but she comes with one for the left as well, so you pose her with both hands on the headset!

Version two also has arm parts are also separated between the upper arm and the arm covers, allowing for many more posing options compared to the previous Miku!
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Project mirai’s key visual!

Many of the new optional parts for this version come from the 3DS game ‘Hatsune Miku and Future Stars Project mirai’!

Including this lovely winking face! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ

Just look how excited and bouncy she looks in this pose!
If this isn’t adorable than I don’t know what is!
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Sitting Miku-san!!

She’s too cute! I can’t look away!

What amazing optional parts! It’s not only a sitting part, but also has her slouching forward to recreate the pose from the ‘My Room’ song in Project mirai!

The sitting parts consists of a separate skirt and hip part,
as well as alternate twintails for sitting!

There are actually some other things you can do with the twintails designed for the sitting pose, for example…
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An excited Miku with her leeks!

She comes with two leeks – one for each hand to swing around all day long!

This pose actually has a normal twintail on the left and a sitting twintail on the right!! The sitting twintails are curled inward at the end, so making use of them can create a more dynamic pose for Miku!
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A special extra that had to be added for Nendoroid No.300!

You can now switch out expression parts just by removing the front fringe part!

This is just the prototype, so the colors on the inside are not final yet, but this is definitely a much-wanted upgrade! Up until now whenever you wanted to switch expressions you needed to pull the neck joint out, remove the fringe and then pull the expression out of the back of the head and put it all back together… but from Nendoroid No.300 the switching process will be a simpler task!

Those who are worried about using other Nendoroid expressions – they’ll all work as they always have!

Even the older expression parts will fit in just fine!
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A guitar, keyboard and speakers!

All these little musical accessories are based on objects from the Project mirai game! The colorful and playful look of the speakers is really popular with the GSC staff! Now you can pose Miku playing all sorts of music!!
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From ‘Character Vocal Series 01: Hatsune Miku’:
Nendoroid Hatsune Miku 2.0!
Nendoroid No. 300!!

She’s up for preorder from today!!
Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!

But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

© Crypton Future Media,Inc. www.piapro.net

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The Nendoroid No.300 Commemoration Broadcast Starts Tomorrow From 18:30!

The Nendoroid Series…

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Has almost reached the magical No.300!

It’s really quite an exciting time and everyone here at Good Smile is busy preparing for the big event! Those who don’t know what that event is, this blog post is here to give you more information!

We’ll be having a live broadcast from the GSC Tetsu Cafe tomorrow!
It’ll also have three different parts!! Σ (ﾟДﾟ;）

– The Nendoroid No.300 Campaign –
http://nendoroid300.goodsmile.info/
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Part 1: From 18:30~

The 1st Good Smile Cup Nendoroid Quiz Finals
– The Nendoroid King will be crowned on the 15th December! –

The first part of the live broadcast will let everyone watch the finals of the Nendoroid Quiz Finals! Those who got through all the preliminary rounds will be fighting it out in the finals at Akihabara’s GSC Tetsu Cafe! Who will be the lucky winner of an original trophy and half a year worth of free Nendoroids?!

Come and watch the very first Nendoroid King fight to victory!

– Broadcast Page –
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv117709881

This will be broadcast at Mikatan Channel!

The fans that managed to clear the hardest of the online questions (http://nendoroid300.goodsmile.info/quiz_top.html) will now be meeting up at the for the finals, where the first Nendoroid King will be crowned! You can watch the battle unfold live!!
Part 2: From 20:00~

Nendoroid No.300 Commemoration Broadcast
– Announcement of Nendoroid No.300 and more! –

1. Nendoroid Quiz Exhibition Match
A special match-up between the different elite teams to test their knowledge of Nendoroids! Good Smile staff will also have their own team, but will they be able to defend their pride? Which team will take home the glory?!

2. Nendoroid No.300 Announcement
Who will take the place as Nendoroid No.300? What else is coming up in the series? A special presentation filled with brand new information from the Nendoroid world!


– Contents –
· Nendoroid No.300 Revealed!
· The No.300 Commemoration Campaign Announcement
· A first look at the upcoming line-up from Nendoroid No.301!

Special Guest: Saki Fujita
– Broadcast Page –
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv116177874

This will be on the Official NicoNico Live Broadcast channel!

The Nendoroid Quiz Exhibition Match will be made of a dream teams for any hobby fans! Good Smile will also be taking part… they better not lose! They can’t lose!! 😛

Plus Nendoroid No.300 will finally be revealed!!

Plus you’ll also get to find out what is coming in the line-up after that! Don’t miss out if you’re a Nendoroid fan!!!
Part 3: From 22:00~

Nendoroid Discussion Until Morning!
– A special program talking all about Nendoroids till morning –

The third part of the broadcast will have us taking a looking back at all the previous 300 Nendoroids with some interesting talks until the early hours of the morning!

The third section will also be broadcast from the GSC Tetsu Cafe!

– Broadcast Page –
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv117913442

This part will be broadcast on Mikatan Channel!
We’ll be going until the early morning!

You can also watch all the festivities directly at the GSC Tetsu Cafe!

■ Date & Time
15th December (Saturday).
Doors open at 18:00 / Broadcast begins at 18:30.

■ How to Join
Those enjoying the cafe are free to watch! If it’s gets too busy, we’ll be making use of a numbered ticket system for customers.

In order to prepare for the broadcast, there will be a last order call at 15:00 and the cafe will temporarily close from 15:30. From 18:00 there will be a queue at the 5th floor staircase for customers to get in. Please also note that if you leave the cafe after the 2nd part of the broadcast, you will not be able to get back in. You can find more information over at the Good Smile Cafe & Karaoke no Tetsujin Official website.

http://www.gstjcafe.jp/

For those who want to come watch in person!
For those who want to cheer on the staff!
If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll come by and spend your Saturday with us!

I really can’t wait!!

 
But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 
Oh, and…
There will be a special blog update on Sunday!

 
 
ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ ﾜｰ ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ ﾜｰ

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Nendoroid Alice

We have a VIP room next to the GSC President’s Office!

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It looks like we have a VIP visiting today!

You can tell by the chairs it’s quite a luxurious room! But who is this lovely lady next to one of the Aki Takanori Original Mahjong pieces?

Let’s head back to my desk and take a closer look at her!! (`･ω･´)
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From ‘Momoiro Taisen Pairon’:
Nendoroid Alice!

From the online mahjong game, ‘Momoiro Taisen Pairon’ comes a Nendoroid of Alice wearing a dress that shows her love for Lolita fashion, as well as huge black ribbon in her hair! As a special bonus for the first release of the figure, a serial code for a new Alice card which can be used in the game is also included. The card is only available with the Nendoroid, so don’t miss out!!

She’s a character from a mahjong game?! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

She really is such a cute character, and she is apparently 16 years old! (According to the official site). I’ve played many of these mahjong games with cute girls, so I’m actually rather interested in trying this one now too!!

There have been so many super cute Nendoroids recently… we just had Yuno yesterday, and today we have this adorable Alice!!
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This is how she looks from the back!

Her lovely blond curls are gorgeous! They almost look like some kind of tasty treat to me… 😛

Alice is wearing her characteristic Lolita dress which is a lovely light blue one piece. There are also a number of amazing details, like the lace on the sleeves and petticoat, or the big black ribbon in her hair! I love Lolita fashion!!
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The pose from the key visual!

A pose with one hand on her hip, and another brushing through her hair! I’m told she has a rather audacious personality, so this pose suits her very nicely!

She also has a bunny pouch strung over her shoulder! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)

It’s quite hard to see from this angle, but it really is very cute! The pouch can also be removed if you’d prefer to display her without it!
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A winking expression and rabbit staff!

This staff actually appeared in the key visual – she can be posed holding it in her right hand! It has been painted with a pearl finish that makes it look all shiny which suits her character nicely!

She also comes with a left hand making a peace sign, which actually gives her a bit of a mischievous look! (*゜∀゜)=3
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She also comes with mahjong tiles!

Well of course she does! She comes from a mahjong game after all! I was so preoccupied with how cute she was that I almost completely forgot!

She also has a serious face to display her placing the tile! (`･ω･´)
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She comes with sitting parts and a chair!

She comes with so many lovely parts!! I’m really glad we’re seeing more and more variety in sitting parts… plus she even comes with an antique-looking chair that looks very cute!
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Blond curly hair reminds me of someone else…!(*ﾟωﾟ*)

Alice’s clothes can be used as a kind of cosplay outfit for other characters quite nicely! Dress up your favorite Nendoroids in Lolita fashion!! So cute!!
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From ‘Momoiro Taisen Pairon’:
Nendoroid Alice!
She’s up for preorder from today!!
Get in contact with our partner shops if you have any preorder or sales queries!
But that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

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