Other Commodities

by

Steiff Pikachu

Pikachu is joining the Steiff line-up!! ♪

Hello everyone, Kahotan here! (@gsc_kahotan)

Today I’m going to be taking a look at…

Steiff Pikachu!♡

From ‘Pokémon’ comes a plush doll of Pikachu made by the German company known worldwide for their high quality teddy bears, Steiff! Pikachu is made from the finest natural mohair which is wonderful to the touch, creating a plush doll that not only looks amazing but is also lovely to feel as it sits by your side.

Each Steiff Pikachu will be carefully hand-made, with a first release of exactly 1000 units to be released in Japan only. Experience the highest quality Pikachu plush ever!

Pikachuuuuuu!!(´□｀｡)

From the series loved all around the world ‘Pokémon’ comes a Steiff plush toy of the pokémon that still manages to capture the hearts of adults and children alike – Pikachu!!☆

From the black tips of his ears to the red circles on his cheeks – Pikachu looks adorable as ever! Just look at those cute eyes as well!! Now you can grab your very own Pikachu and give him a big hug whenever you feel the need to be relaxed!

From the back you can get a good look at his pointy tail as well as the brown stripes! Plus as an original Steiff product the quality is impeccable and ready to last a lifetime! ♪

Let’s have a quick reminder about the ‘Steiff‘ brand for those who don’t know about them! (・∀・)

Since 1880, Steiff has been making plush toys and collectibles that set the world standard for quality. Made from only the finest materials — fabrics such as mohair, alpaca, cotton velvet, and woven fur — each Steiff animal is meticulously hand-sewn and hand-finished by our staff of talented artisans in Giengen, Germany. The company is perhaps best-known for its bears — Steiff invented the Teddy bear in 1902. Since the firm was founded by Margarete Steiff in 1880, more than 16,000 different designs for animals have been created.

In other words, they are the teddy bear pioneers that still make use of the traditional methods for making their products which allow for the best of quality! GSC has previously worked with them in the past to release the Steiff  x Hatsune Miku teddy bear as well! ♪

Each and every Steiff collectible is carefully hand-sewn by the talented Steiff artisans in Germany!

△ The chest tag features a familiar silhouette of Pikachu from the side!

Each of Steiff collectablies also features the Steiff Ear Tag and Steiff “Button in Ear” – a worldwide trademark of unmistakable quality! ヽ(*・ω・)人(・ω・*)ノ


△ It is also of course included on Pikachu!

The tags on normal Steiff bears are yellow with red text, but limited edition ‘Collector’ products such as this Pikachu which is planned to have only 1000 units available in Japan instead come with a white tag with red text! The tag also shows the product number, year of production and serial number for the product! ( ･ㅂ･)و

This Pikachu is approximately 280mm in height! This is how he looks compared with a Nendoroid! (●´ω｀●)


△ Displayed together with Nendoroid Red! ★

This is how he looks sitting on someone’s lap!

△ He really is the perfect size for hugs!!

A Pikachu hand-made and filled with love! Give him a good home!!

Steiff Pikachu!

Up for preorder from tomorrow!

Please note that this product will only be available in Japan!
You can find it at the following stores:

★ Pokémon Center
http://www.pokemon.co.jp/gp/pokecen/about/

★ Pokémon Store (Amazon)
http://www.amazon.co.jp/pokemon

★ GOODSMILE ONLINE SHOP (Japan)
http://goodsmileshop.com/ja/

For more details please see the Good Smile Company website!

*Stock is limited. Order early to avoid disappointment.
* Photos are of a prototype. The final product may differ slightly. 

 

Make sure you don’t miss out!! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ  

　∧＿∧
（ ・∀・）　.｡oO（There will also be a special Steiff Pikachu page…)
oノ∧つ⊂）
(（ ・∀・）　.｡oO（… going up tomorrow!)
（　∪ ∪
と_）_））

Planning Team / Kahotan / Twitter ID：@gsc_kahotan
For English Updates Follow @gsc_kevin!

©Nintendo・Creatures・GAME FREAK・TV Tokyo・ShoPro・JR Kikaku
©Pokémon

by

AGF 2013 (animate girls festival)

 

Hello everyone, Kahotan here! (@gsc_kahotan)

I recently tried to remember that last ladylike thing I bought, but nothing except soy milk crackers really came to mind… I do think soy milk is a more ladylike choice though!

Anyway, today I’m going to be taking a look at some of the goodies on sale at the ‘animate girls festival 2013’ taking place this weekend! ♪

==============================
animate girls festival 2013
Date: 2nd November – 3rd November 2013.
Time: 10:00 – 17:00. Doors Close at 16:30. (JST)
Place: Ikebukuro Sunshine City
World Import Mart 4th Floor A Hall
Culture Hall 4th Floor B Hall & 2nd Floor D Hall.
Official Site: http://www.animate.co.jp/special/agf/pc/index.php
GSC Booth: Yellow AREA: Culture Hall 2nd Floor D Hall.

Event Details: http://event.goodsmile.info/event/event-1024/
==============================

This is actually the first time that GSC has taken part in this event! Although in the past we did borrow a part of Gift’s booth to display some figures! ♪

You can see GIFT’s AGF information this time around of their official website: http://www.gift-gift.jp/event/201311_agf2013.html. It’s filled with goods from popular series including ‘DIABOLIK LOVERS’ and ‘AMNESIA’! ♡

Anyway, let’s move onto the GSC sales information! First up are some goodies from ‘wooser’s hand-to-mouth life!’ ♪

First up we have a prerelease item… Not-so-Blessed wooser Charm of Love! It seems wooser finally believes himself to be a deity!

Some recently released items including the ‘wooser Metal Strap A & B’ will also be available, along with various other goodies!


From the Character Vocal Series we have the Vocaloid Earphone Accessories and the most recent Nendoroid Petites! ♪

Finally, we also have various Attack on Titan goods!


I want the Survey Corps seals and pings! The wings of freedom!! I personally also like the way the masking tape looks! （*´▽｀*）

The latest rubber accessories will also be prereleased at AGF! ♪

Picktam! Attack on Titan: Part 1! ♡

If you buy a complete box at the event you’ll receive a bonus exchangeable expression for use on any character! (Top right on the above image!) I got my hands on some samples so let me take a closer look at them! ヽ(ﾟ◇ﾟ )ﾉ


I was told I could open up one of the boxes… so without further ado…!


Picktam! is a set of trading rubber straps, so you don’t know which character you’ll get until the box is open! I wonder who I’ll get?!

Ta-da!!


Jean Kirschtein! ♪

Each Picktam! includes a removable hook strap!


Each strap also allows you to switch expressions around! ★

Each Picktam! consists of a flippable expression and hair parts, which can easily we swapped around! First you need to remove the hook…


Then you lift up the pull the hair part upwards…


I felt bad showing Jean without his hair, so I’ll use this example instead! (；・∀・)

Just like on the image above, you remove the hair and face and simply swap the face around for an alternate expression!

Here is how Jean looks with his alternate expression!


At the same time I decided to compare his size with a Nendoroid Petite Mikudayo… as you can see they’re about the same size! Jean looks a little worried about that Mikudayo…

Here is how the alternate expressions for each of the characters look! (｀・ω・´)

Armin’s tightly shut eyes are adorable! There is also a secret character who has already been revealed on the GSC site to be Erwin Smith! His alternate expression hasn’t been shown yet though!! ( -ﾉｪ-)

You can switch parts between characters for some interesting combinations! ♥

Swapping Sasha and Christa’s bodies! ♪

This Christa would surely break off a small piece of the bread and pass the bigger piece to me! On the other side we have a Sasha that seems strangely in tact with her feminine side! Σ(･ω･ﾉ)ﾉ！

Plus if you purchase a complete box at the event, a bonus exchangeable expression is included… let’s take a look at it!

An angry Mikasa Ackerman with a tear in her eye! An unusual sight indeed!!

The more serious the characters normally are, the better these silly expressions look on them! Here is the alternate side of the bonus expression…! ♪


Did you ever imagine seeing Levi Heichou with an expression like this?!
Not something you’re ever likely to see in the manga or anime… (ﾟＡﾟ;)

Eren is using Armin’s body and Levi’s expression! I picked these to pose him looking rather dubious of Levi’s current expression…!

The ability to pick and customize using the different parts is what makes the Picktam series so great!

Have there ever been rubber straps with this much playability before…?!

I’m sure everyone will enjoy creating all sorts of interesting variations! ♥

Today at 20:00JST you can watch a Twitcast at twitcasting.tv/gscs_hirase which will be introducing the Picktam! series to everyone!

The twitcast will be by Shuu-chan-senpai and Oono-shi! I’m sure the addition of video will allow them to show much more than I was able to show with just photos, so be sure to take a look! ☆

Finally! I actually managed to sneak into the preparations for AGF a little while ago… here are some photos of the event hall! (｀・ω・´)

This is how the GSC booth looks!

The following figures are planned to be on display for everyone who visits!

Nendoroid Eren!

Nendoroid Levi!

Benten!

* The figure displays are scheduled to begin in the afternoon at the event.

Be sure to stop by the booth if you’re attending the event!☆

ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ

／Kahotan’s Inner Voice＼


∧＿∧
（； ･ω･）   .。0（Only two months of 2013 left!)
（　∪ ∪
と＿）__）

Anyway, I hope to see you all again tomorrow!

Planning Team / Kahotan
Twitter ID: gsc_kahotan

by

Nendoroid Faris Nyannyan

Hello everyone, Kahotan here! (@gsc_kahotan)

The end of this blog features a notice about this years Hatsune Miku Christmas Cake, so be sure to read through to the end if you’re interested! ♪

At the moment we are very busy with Machiasobi, Hobby Show and Halloween preparations! Speaking of Halloween, it’s the perfect time for cosplay… and speaking of cosplay the first thing that comes to mind are maids! ♥

Today I’ll be introducing a very cute maid for Nendoroid collectors…
Nendoroid Faris Nyannyan!! ♡


Super cute! May Queen Nyan-nyan’s #1 maid! ♡

There are just no words to describe how cute she is!

A maid outfit combined with pink hair is one of the most deadly moe combinations in my opinion! Plus she comes with the famous omelet rice from the series! ＜●＞＜●＞


Even the writing in ketchup is faithfully recreated! ♪


But Faris isn’t just cute, she’s also ready to show her skill at Rai-Net Access Battlers!! ♡


You can tell by her expression that she already knows she’s won! ﾍ(ﾟ∀ﾟ*)ﾉ


She has bent arms, hands to hold things and even folded arms… there are so many poses for fans to enjoy! Plus her adorable maid outfit is sure to look great on other characters… let’s have a look shall we!

We’ll start off with another character with pink hair… Sheryl Nome!

The Nyan-Nyan pose is so cute, and yet somehow Sheryl still manages to look rather elegant while doing it! But there are more pink haired characters… let’s try the outfit our on Super Sonico-chan!


Sonico has had her very own anime announced! ヽ(*・ω・)人(・ω・*)ノ

I know that there is a slight problem regarding her bust size when using this body, but the combination of the maid clothes and guitar are lovely!

Let’s make the next character with relations to Nitroplus… Akane Tsunemori!

The Yuu-pon expression suits the maid outfit rather nicely!

And finally let’s have yesterday’s star try it on… Kuroki Tomoko!

I literally started crying in the culture festival episode… (´；ω；｀)ﾌﾞﾜｯ

Maid clothes suit you Mokocchi!! You’re adorable!!

But in the end… I do think they suit Faris herself best! ♥

A perfect fit!

Her maid headdress (or Alice-band?) really pulls the outfit together beautifully! There’s definitely something missing without it – which shows how important the smaller parts of figures can be! (σ・∀・)σ

Packed fill of cute and ready to keep you company!♡
Nendoroid Faris Nyannyan!


She’ll be shipping out from GSC around the 8th October! (｀・ω・´)

ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ

Finally time for a little notice! From today you can preorder this limited edition ‘Hatsune Miku: Log Cabin Cake’ at FamilyMart stores!


==============================
This limited edition Christmas cake made in the image of a snow cabin in the snow will be available at FamilyMart stores. The cake boasts ganache cream filled with chocolate chips and cocoa for a taste sensation, and a Nendoroid Petite: Hatsune Miku Santa Ver. is included for an even brighter Christmas!

*Cake is approximately 11cm wide, 8cm long and 6cm in height. Meant to be shared between two. Three candles included.
*Figure is approximately 6.5cm and includes a stand.

◇ Order Dates: 2013/10/01 10:00AM ~ 2013/11/29
◇ Pick-up Date: 2013/12/24 (Only)
◇ Price: ¥3,939
==============================

A smaller version of the Santa Miku that was part of the GSC Hatsune Miku Kuji in 2012!! Both the cake and Miku look so delicious!! ＜●＞　＜●＞

Orders will be taken at FamilyMart stores across Japan! ★

ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ

／Kahotan’s Inner Voice＼

　 ∧＿∧　　　
　（　；ﾟДﾟ)　.。  .。0（“I just realized how close Christmas is…!!” )
　(　∪ ∪　　
　と＿）＿）

I hope to see you all again tomorrow!!

 
Planning Team / Kahotan
Twitter ID: gsc_kahotan

©Crypton Future Media, Inc. www.piapro.net　Design by SEGA

by

Hatsune Miku Goods!

Hello everyone, Kahotan here! (@gsc_kahotan)

Today I’m at the Yokohama Arena for Hatsune Miku: Magical Mirai 2013! I’m helping out with product sales, so I thought I’d dedicate this blog to looking at some of the Hatsune Miku goods! Let’s start off with…

Character Vocal Series:
Earphone Jack Accessories!

Adorable little figures based on illustrations by Y-Oji, Souno and Putidevil! They’re all so cute!

My personal favorite is Hatsune Miku: Fluffy ver.!


This Miku is attached to a strap making it easy to use with the iPhone 5 too! It even has a hook so you could attach it to a zip or something else instead!

I just saw GSC’s resident Miku lover and the head planner for these earphone jacks is wandering around the offices, so lets see if she has anything to add!

*Planning Team Summon: Hamako*

(・∀・) “Yay! My favorite is the Hatsune Miku: Hatena ver.!”

The confused face is super adorable! ♥

(・∀・) “The products themselves are of course super cute, but I also want to show off the included earphone jack holders as well!”

I really found these really useful! They let you put the cute figures on display even when you don’t have an earjack hole to put them in! ε=(｡・д・｡)

(・∀・) “Exactly! I’m quite a fan of earphone jack accessories and have quite a large collection… I needed something to display them on without the need of a real jack! Which is why I wanted something like this to be included!”


And that desire became a reality thanks to design by Seiya from the MD team!

(・∀・) “The stands also connect together allowing you to display them altogether too!! ♪”

The strange thing is… I’m almost certain I’ve seen this Hatsune Miku: Hatena ver. somewhere else…

(・∀・) “The same illustration became a stamp in the messaging application LINE! I use it all the time! ♪”

Ah-hah! Now that you mention it, that must be where I saw it!

(・∀・) “Those same cute stamps in LINE have also been made into…

Hatsune Miku Stickers A, B, C!”


(・∀・) “Here we have the accessory together with the sticker! Kyaa!”


(・∀・) “I’ve already got hold of 2 sets of the stickers! One to use and one to store!! ♥ I’ve been sticking the one set all over my work notebooks to keep me relaxed… just looking at them calms me down! Miku is such an angel!!“

Yep! And that reminds me of anot-

(・∀・) “Oh yes! The adorable characters illustrated by Hakusai mute in the….
The Hatsune Miku Metal Charm Collection!”


(・∀・) “They also have a strap attached to them, meaning you can easily attach them to your bag or cellphone too!”


(・∀・) “My favorite is tambourine Rin-chan! She’s so cute it hurts!! ♥♥”

(　´ω`)　.　。0○（… I like the accordion Luka…!）

(・∀・) “These stickers and charms can be found at FamilyMart stores, FamilyMart.com and TSUTAYA stores! “

(　´ω`)　.　。0○（…there are no plans to sell them as elsewhere and they have limited numbers, so don’t miss out!!)

You can find more info about these stickers and charms here:
http://www.famima.com/shop/c/cmiku/ (Japanese)

ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ

And now for another event notice!

This weekend from the 31st August – 1st September is the…
Kizakiko Cyclist Meeting 2013!


=============================================
Kizakiko Cyclist Meeting 2013 (KCM2013)
Date : 2013/08/31 (Sat) 10:00 – 18:00 and 2013/09/01 (Sun) 10:00 – 17:00
Location : Nagano Prefecture/Oomachi City (Area around Lake Kizaki)
=============================================

The event will feature many guests including the director of Please! Teacher and Please! Twins, Yasunori Ide! Other lovely guests will also be at the event, and the latest GSR gear will be on display! ★

(　・ω・) “We’ll also have some products on sale at the event!”

Today we are joined by Station Yamada!

(　・ω・) “First up we have the perfect way to remember the event with an exclusive KCM2013 clear file!”

Price: ¥400 / Set of 2: ¥500

(　・ω・) “The illustration was drawn specially for the event as a joint project between Long Riders author Taishi Miyake and Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club author Noriyuki Matsumoto!”

(　・ω・)”Next up we have the Cyclebar End Cap: GOODSMILE ver.! and Cyclebar End Cap: GOODSMILE RACING ver.!”


Price: 1 set for ¥500

(　・ω・) “These are used in place of the standard caps for your handle bars to dress up your bike a little!”

Ooh! An easy way to make your bike a little bit more trendy!
I never even knew this could be done!! (°д°；)

I’ve never really been much of a part of the bicycle world, so this is rather interesting for me!

(　・ω・) “I hope everyone who is even a little bit interested, stops by the event! I’ll see you there!”

For those who don’t have a bike that can take part, there are also talk shows and other activities to take part in! You can find more info here!
http://kasoku-gsrgear.seesaa.net/article/371581000.html

ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ

／Kahotan’s Inner Voice＼

 ∧＿∧
（ ・∀・） .。0○（I feel I didn’t really say much today… Next week is Miku Kuji!）
（　∪ ∪
と＿_）__）

 
I hope to see you all again next week!!

 
Planning Team / Kahotan
Twitter ID: gsc_kahotan

by

Nendo Petite Live Stage Set, Dekacchu Kirari & WonFes Goods!

Only 4 days left until WonFes!!


There is no way I’ll finish all the reviews in time!!

There is only three days left to post things up on the blog before WonFes!! Plus there are still other things I want to show on the blog before the event, so I’ll have to speed things up today by going through a couple of products all at once!

– WonFes Product Catalogue –

(GSC) Kurisu Makise: White Coat Ver.
(GSC) Nendoroid Nyaruko: Maid Ver.
(GSC) Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls – Ranko, Uzuki and Mika + Live Stage Set
(MAX) figma Mika Jougasaki
(MAX) figma Rika Jougasaki
(Phat) Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi ~Lovely Princess ver.~
(GSC) IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Goods Set x3 + Mahiro Kitagawa Metal Charm

I’ll be starting off with some cute Nendoroid Petite idols!! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ

The WonHobby 18 Product:
Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls –
Ranko, Uzuki and Mika + Live Stage Set

From the popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a set of Nendoroid petites including Ranko Kanzaki, Uzuki Shimamura and Mika Jougasaki each in their S-Rare+ outfits! They are all dressed up and ready to perform in their stage outfits – a LIVE Battle at this Summer’s Wonder Festival!

The second live stage set following on from previous WonFes! (ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

Not only do you get these cute, cool and passion-type Nendoroid Petite idols, but you also get a lovely stage to display them on!

You can of course also display the Nendo Petite IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls 01
and 02 or other Nendo Petites on the stage as well!! Create a LIVE battle between whichever characters you want!

The cool type, Ranko Kanzaki!

The character who was voted #1 in the 2nd Cinderella Girl’s election! She is wearing the so called ‘Kuroranko’ outfit and is holding an incredibly detailed magical(?) book in her hand!

Her famous line ‘Drown in the darkness!’ comes to mind when I see this!

The cute type, Uzuki Shimamura!

Shimamura-san was always said to be too ordinary and never really stood out, but in the new generation she was given this new outfit which really made her shine!

Her cute little belly button, huge smile and double peace signs are all so adorable!! The detail on her curly hair is also well worth mentioning!

The passion-type, Mika Jougasaki!

That outfit is way too sexy!! When I first became a passion producer I really wanted this outfit in the game but it’s so hard to get hold of!! Of course I’ve got it now, but now I need to get hold of this figure version!!

I’m sure anyone here who has played Cinderella Girls knows just how special the SR and SR+ outfits are! To be able to keep them by your side is such a treat!!

This is how the look from the top!

You can see there are a number of holes to display lots of your favorite Nendoroid Petites on! Each of the characters also comes with the standard transparent stand as well, allowing you to display them as normal as well! (When they’re on display on the stage their little feet touch down onto the floor so nicely though – I’d definitely make use of it!)

The photo is from the first stage, but there is an example filled with characters in the blog post below! ヽ(゜∀゜)ノ

Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls – Stage 02
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2013/06/07/nendoroid-petite-idolmster-cinderella-girls-stage-02/

The WonHobby 18 Product:
Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls –
Ranko, Uzuki and Mika + Live Stage Set

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) They’ll be on sale at the WONDERFUL HOBBY LIFE FOR YOU!! booth at Wonder Festival (Summer) in the Makuhari Messe on 28th July!
http://www.whl4u.jp/products.html 

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) From the 28th July they’ll be available from the GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP!
http://www.whl4u.jp/buy_web.html
(Estimated Delivery will be in November 2013)


WonHobby 18 WEB Exclusive Product:
Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi ~Lovely Princess ver.~

From the popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a newly sculpted ‘Lovely Princess’ version of the popular Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi sold during the 2013 Winter WonFes! Her outfit and accessories have all been faithfully sculpted and she’s even bigger than before! It’s a rather unique looking version of Kirari that fans are sure to enjoy!

This also follows on from last year’s WonFes – Dekacchu Kirari #2!

This time she is wearing the ‘Lovely Princess’ outfit from her S-Rare card! Just like the S-Rare+ of Mika that I mentioned earlier, this is not an easy outfit to get hold of in the game! But just look how happy she looks! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

Compared with the Kirari from last year!

She’s actually bigger then before… but the sitting pose makes her slightly less tall overall! She is about 10% bigger than last year’s Kirari! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi ~Lovely Princess ver.~

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) From the 28th July they’ll be available from the GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP!
http://www.whl4u.jp/buy_web.html
(Estimated Delivery will be in November 2013)


The WonHobby 18 Product:
IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Set!

There are once again all sorts of lovely goods to get your hands on this time around! Each bag here contains a set of goods based around either ‘cute’, ‘passion’ or ‘cool’ type idols! I want them all!! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟ )

The Cute “Cu”-Set!

This features goods based on cute-type idols! Here’s what’s inside:

Plushie: Sachiko Koshimizu
Metal Charms: Azuki Momoi / Sachiko Koshimizu / Anzu Futaba
Smartphone Sticker: Arisa Mochida / Kanako Mimura / Chieri Ogata
Character Cards: Uzuki Shimamura / Miho Kohinata / Nana Abe / Kana Imai / Mayu Sakuma / Mirei Hayasaka

Oooh!! A Sachiko plushie!!! Just look how cute it is!!

The thing just below the plushie is a sticker designed for use on a smartphone. It features the members from the ‘Pink Dot Balloon’ tour!

The Cool “Co”-Set!

This features goods based on cute-type idols! Here’s what’s inside:

Plushie: Ranko Kanzaki
Metal Charms: Ryo Matsunaga / Ranko Kanzaki / Ayaka Kishibe
Smartphone Sticker: Haruna Kamijo / Sarina Matsumoto / Hina Araki
Character Cards: Rin Shibuya / Minami Nitta / Fumika Sasigawa / Kaede Takagaki / Noa Takamine / Anastasia

The character cards include three of the top idols in the recent Cinderella Girls election! (Rin, Kaede and Anastasia). The cards are high quality and very firm, making sure they don’t bend out of shape easily! It’s so nice to see the characters somewhere other than on by cellphone screen! Be sure to collect them all!

The Passion ‘Pa’ Set!

This features goods based on passion-type idols! Here’s what’s inside:

Plushie: Mika Jougasaki
Metal Charms: Mika Jougasaki / Rika Jougasaki /Kirai Moroboshi
Smartphone Sticker: Yuki Himekawa / Yui Ohtsuki / Nagisa Aino
Character Cards: Rika Jougasaki / Syoko Hoshi / Airi Totoki / Kaede Takagaki / Miria Akagi / Yuki Himekawa / Nana Ichihara

Ahh!! Syoko Hoshi is included in the cards! Totokin too!! The sets are all super cute, but as a passion player I feel even more love for these ones… The metal charms are also lovey… I wish I could take them home with me right now!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls:
Metal Charm : Mahiro Kitagawa!

A metal charm of the passion character Mahiro Kitagawa will also be available separately! If you’re a Mahiro fan, don’t miss out!

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) They’ll all be on sale at the WONDERFUL HOBBY LIFE FOR YOU!! booth at Wonder Festival (Summer) in the Makuhari Messe on 28th July!
http://www.whl4u.jp/products.html 

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) From 30th July ~～
Limited stock of these sets and metal charm will be on sale at the GSC-Tetsu Cinderella Girls Cafe!
http://www.gstjcafe.jp/

Phew! I managed to get through all the main products today! But there will still be other goods available at the event too! Check out the WonHobby site for more information!!

– WonHobby 18 –
http://www.whl4u.jp/
 
Anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 
 
© NBGI

by

Nendoroid Snow Miku 2014: Costume Design Contest! This Year’s Theme is ‘Magical Girl’!

It’s that time of the year again! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
The 2014 Snow Miku Costume Design Contest!
005
This year’s theme is ‘Magical Girl’!!

Plus this year we also want a design for Miku’s pet!

In other words you can enter two different design sections this year – one for Snow Miku’s outfit and another for her pet! Last year we had the elegant ‘Strawberry White Kimono’ Snow Miku, but this year I expect something cute and showy! I also have a feeling it’s going to be really hard to pick this year…
006
The entry deadline is the 13th May (Mon) at 16:00JST!

This will be the 5th Snow Miku and she is, al always, fully supported by Crypton! Looking through all the different Snow Mikus all lined up together like this is a railroad of memories for me… Snow Miku is easily one of the most memorable set of products for me! （´∀｀）

As I mentioned before, there will be two different contests, one for her outfit and one for her pet!

A: Nendoroid Snow Miku 2014: Outfit & Magical Girl Staff Design.
B: Nendoroid Snow Miku 2014’s Pet.

You can choose to just take part in just one of the two, or send in designs for both! If you want to submit your design, take a look through the piapro page below. (Unfortunately it’s only available in Japanese!)
– Summary –
http://piapro.jp/static/?view=2014yukimiku

– Details –
http://piapro.jp/static/?view=2014yukimiku_detail

– Entry Rules –
http://piapro.jp/static/?view=2014yukimiku_rule

I look forward to seeing everyone’s lovely designs!

In mid-May we’ll have a NicoNico live broadcast with a poll for everyone to determine which design will be used as the 2014 Snow Miku! I’ll let everyone know which designs will be up for voting as well as the URL of the broadcast closer to the date!

A little extra section, seen tomorrow is a public holiday!
001
The Character Vocal Series: Earphone Jack Accessories are up for preorder!

These cute little Vocaloids will keep your earphone jack nice and safe! Not to mention how cute they are! (*´∀｀*)

1 large box will include eight blind boxes. Each one of the blind boxes will cost just ¥500! I’ve received a couple of questions about them since they’ve been up for preorder, so I thought I’d address some of them!　(`･ω･´)b

Q. Can these be used on anything besides iPhones?
A. They can attach to anything with a standard earphone jack! More details below!

Q. How do you get the pink stand?
A. One stand is included with each accessory! Two accessories means two pink stands!

Q. Can you only buy these in a large box of eight?
A. Of course not! You can get them both as single blind boxes for ¥500 each, or you can preorder a large box of eight accessories for ¥4,000.

If you’re unsure about anything else, please feel free to get in contact with customer support with your questions! (・ω・)ﾉ
001
Let me show them attached to some items other than the iPhone!

Starting with the 3DS!

Miku fits onto the 3DS console very nicely! Even though the earphone jack connector is on the bottom, she actually seems to suit quite nicely! (・ω・)
002
Trying on the PSP!

The PSP also has the connector on the bottom, but Ren still looks adorable hanging from the bottom! Just think… you’ll have Ren watching your every move while you’re playing! 😛
003
And the PS Vita!

Here I’ve used the Miku on a cloud illustrated by Putidevil! She has a little strap attached for a slightly different feel – it’s almost more like a keychain, and can be used for all sorts of things!
004
Attached to my monitor!! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟ )

If you have an earphone connector on your monitor you can even connect them onto there! Just look how much more cheerful my monitor has become!

Plus, even if you don’t have anywhere to put them, they come with the little pink stand that can hold them up just fine for display! One stand is included for each accessory you get, so you’ll always have a way to display them even if you don’t have a device with an earphone jack connector!

As you can see above, the stands can also be connected together, which means they look great when all connected and displayed together!

But anyway, that’s all for today!

There are a couple of public holidays in Japan coming up, so I’ll only see you all again next Tuesday!! I hope everyone enjoys their Golden Week!! (・∀・)ノ゛
illustration by Souno, illustration by Y-Oji, illustration by Putidevil
© Crypton Future Media,INC.www.piapro.net

by

Character Vocal Series: Earphone Jack Accessories

Painted versions of these cuties from WonFes!! (ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

010
We got such good response from the display of them at the Miyazawa Model Exhibition! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

But of course we did! Just look how cute they are, even from a distance they look adorable!!

They’re so cute I just want to put them in my mouth and see how they taste!! But if I do they’ll get covered in drool and this review will be rather odd… so I will resist for now!
009
Character Vocal Series:
Earphone Jack Accessories

From the Character Vocal Series comes earphone jacks featuring Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len! The cute designs are based on illustrations by popular illustrators Y-oji, Souno and Putidevil! You can attach them to the top of your smartphone or any other device to add an extra bit of cuteness to enjoy throughout the day!

One will cost ¥500 and a box of 8 will also be available!

Let me add a few more details:
· One big box contains 8 smaller boxes.
· Inside each of the smaller boxes is one random character.
· You won’t be able to tell which character is in which box.
· You need to decide on a box, and pay your ¥500.
· Open up your box and see which character you get!

If you prefer, you can also preorder one of the big boxes of eight – giving you a whole bunch of them at once! (`･ω･´)
002
Trying one on my phone!

Yay! There’s a little Miku attacked to my iPhone! This also gives you a good feel for the size! I get the feeling I might spend more time staring at Miku instead of the screen though… 😛

The figures are based on illustrations by three different illustrators!

You can really see the different styles that come out from each of the illustrators, but they’re all so cute! As I go through each of them I’ll refer to the illustrators as well!
003
Illustrations by: Y-Oji
Kagamine Rin: Y-Oji Ver. & Hatsune Miku: Y-Oji Ver.!

Y-Oji is best known for his ‘Miracle Paint’ illustration, and here we have a super cute Rin and Miku in that same style! The gentle feeling of his illustrations really comes through with the sculpting and paintwork!

Look at Rin-chan’s little tummy sticking out! It’s so cute!!
005
This is how Miku looks from the side!

It looks like she’s holding on with all her might!! (*゜∀゜*)

It’s lovely to see her face from the front, but the side is also super cute! You can even twist it to a different angle once in awhile for a slightly different look!
004
Illustrations by Souno
Kagamine Len-kun: Outa Ver.
& Hatsune Miku: Miku Ribbon Ver.

One of the Miku FamilyMart Campaign items ‘Odekake Pretz’ featured an illustration of Souno’s Miku and Len! I think this is also the first product that officially has ‘Len-kun’ as the name instead of just ‘Len’. This one is definitely high on my list, just because it’s Len-kun!! (*゜∀゜)=3

I’m told that these two figures were the most difficult of all six to manufacture! The little yellow line on Len’s pants are only just over 1mm in size!!
006
illustration by Putidevil
Hatsune Miku: Hatena Ver. & Hatsune Miku: Fluffy Ver.

Most of you will already know Putidevil as the illustrator involved with the Snow Festival Miku, FamilyMart Campaign and Sakura Miku! She’s been involved in so many Miku related things and now she has two cute earphone jack Mikus too!!

Just stare at this photo for 10 seconds quick, and you’ll notice your HP and MP will recover over those 10 seconds! They’re so cute!! (*´∀`*)

I really don’t think there are words that can describe th adorableness of this picture! The Miku at the top with her neck tilted is the ‘LINE Stamp’ Miku-san! The Fluffy Miku on the cloud is made to also work as a strap, so that it can be attached to the iPhone5 without looking odd!
007
By the way!

Hatsune Miku: Ribbon Ver. also works with the iPhone5!

Her reason her twintails are tied in a ribbon, is to ensure she holds in place nicely even when upside down! Dealing with all the different smartphone models does sometimes cause some problems, but we do our best to ensure they work nicely with most of them!

And for those who don’t even have a smartphone… don’t worry!
We’ve got you covered as well!
008
Each earphone jack also comes with a little stand!!
As you can see, they can hold multiple figures at once!! (`･ω･´)

This gives you a place to put them while they’re not on your smartphone, or if you’d rather just have them on display beside you on your desk! With this you could collect them all and have them all on display at once! ヽ(゜∀゜)ノ
001
Character Vocal Series:
Earphone Jack Accessories

 
They’ll be up for preorder from the 23rd April!!
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゛

 
(C) illustration by ソウノ,illustration by Yおじ,illustration by ぷちでびる©Crypton Future Media,INC.www.piapro.net

by

A Look at Where 3D Sculpting is Used on Figures!

The 3D corner during the WonFes Live Broadcast!
002

On the stream we had YOSHI-san sculpt something using 3D data during the broadcast, which would be printed out before the end!

We also had a couple of guests such as Bre Prettis who is the president of MakerBot (a company that makes 3D printers), Kazuhiro Kimura who is the president of Knead as well as Masaki Asai.

We had some really interesting talks going on, I really wish we had more time for that section as I wanted to ask so many more things!! Not to mention YOSHI-san was a very interesting person to have on the broadcast! 😛

There is no doubt that 3D data and figures are very closely related to one and other!!

Today I’ll be showing where 3D data is used on some figures! (σﾟ∀ﾟ)σ

001
This is Fuumin from the 3D team!

Fuumin has been a member of the staff since the offices were back in the Tsuchiya Building in Matsudo… one of the sculptors who has supported GSC for many, many years!

Let’s take a look at a few of the things Fuumin has worked on in the past…

003
Kino’s gun from Kino to Tabi!

Oooh! This is a product that brings back a lot of memories!! Kino uses a gun known as a 51 Navy 3rd Std. (Colt M1851 Navy)… as you can see even the screws are carefully included on the 3D model!
004

This is how the final product looked!

The gun itself is so tiny! But small things like this are always important aspects of a figure! This product was actually released all the way back in January 2008!

It’s over 5 years old now!! I can’t believe it!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

000
At that time, this needed to be printed first!

Back in 2008 we didn’t have the laser based 3D printers, but instead used a wax 3D printer known as a Thermojet. This caused the back to end up feeling very rough, which meant that instead of printing out the gun as is, a kind of mould needed to be made instead, which would then be filled with silicon to create the final product.

Nowadays, we can simply print out the data exactly as it is made, although obviously it still needs to be fixed up a little afterwards. It’s incredible to see how far 3D sculpting and printing has progressed in just a few short years!
005
The scale Miku, Rin and Len!

The bottom left is Miku’s base, the rest are parts from Rin and Len. Things like bases, small items and symmetrical things are often made using 3D data!
006
Here are the finished products!

The pattern on the base is actually on the reverse side, but the semi-transparent material lets the pattern come through onto the top! Things like that pattern would have taken ages to create by hand – 3D work makes repetitive sculpting like that so much faster!

While we’re talking about them, don’t forget that the 1/8th scale Rin and Len are currently up for preorder!

– Kagamine Rin & Len Review –
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2013/02/19/18th-scale-kagamine-rin-kagamine-len-rerelease/

007
Nendo Petite K-ON!’s instruments!

The instruments held by the girls were all made using 3D data! Of course they had to be a rather strange looking size to suit the Nendoroid Petite design!
019
This is how tiny they come out!!

One of the amazing things about sculpting with 3D data is that you can keep amazing detail even when creating super tiny things like these! The instruments are only a few centimeters in size each, but the amount of detail on them is unbelieveable…

That said though, there is a limit to how much detail things can have… if it is too intricate then mass production becomes a problem, so the production team and the sculptor need to keep careful balance between detail and viability.

aNendoroid Kamui Kobayashi’s Helmet!

009
Nendoroid Fully Posable Saber’s Sword!

Small accessories like these are also made with 3D data! I actually always thought that Kamui-san’s helmet was made by hand!

If I remember correctly, Saber-san’s armor was also made using 3D data!
012
Nendoroid Kokoro’s Segway!

013
1/8th Scale Akane Isshiki’s Bike!

Even big vehicles like this can be made using 3D data now! The thing about something like Akane’s bike is that it doesn’t actually exist, so the 3D sculptor needs to carefully build the model using the anime designs. The method is different to sculpting by hand, but it really is quite a similar job in the end!
010
The soft vinyl Kyubey-san!

Accessories and mechanical things are not the only things made with 3D data… complete figures can also be made! You might remember that some time ago I showed how the 1/8th scale Millhi figure was made using 3D sculpting – and I’m sure many more upcoming figures will also be!

– A Look at How Millhiore F. Biscotti was Made Using 3DCG Sculpting! –

http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2011/11/04/a-look-at-how-millhiore-f-biscotti-was-made-using-3dcg-sculpting/
014
Hanekawa-san’s chair and table!

011
Nendo Petite: New Japan Wrestling Ring

015
Miku: Love is War’s Pedestal!

The pedestals and bases that figures stand upon often bring something really special to the figure itself! These three products I’ve shown above are good examples which create a small little diorama for the figure to be displayed on.
I always love it when the bases have this much detail!!

The Love is War pedestal really was quite amazing… I bet it must have taken ages to create the data for it!!
018
The Miku-san ice tray!

This was also made from 3D data. The ice tray was included together with the fully posable Snow Miku!

I remember the first time I tried to get the ice out from the tray and I ended up ruining Miku’s arms and skirt, or causing the edges of the blouse to become all rounded… sorry Miku!! ;_;
016
Time for a Quiz!!

What part is this?!

[Time Limit: 30sec]
017
Hint:
It’s a part of someone’s sword!

020
Answer:
The Guard on Shiki Ryogi’s Sword!!

How can such a tiny piece be so intricate?! The pattern you see on the guard comes directly from the publisher’s data!

Because figures are made to a scale, certain details to sometimes need to be omitted… but there are often intricate details like this that are kept, which I believe are the key to a high quality figure!!

That brings this blog on 3D sculpting to an end, I hope you enjoyed it!

It’s quite interesting to see all the different ways in which 3D sculpting is used! If this post is popular, I’ll happily make a part two and show some more interesting parts of figures made using 3D data!!
But anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

 

by

The WonHobby 17 Exclusive Products are Available for Order Online until 21:00JST on the 18th February!

Wonder Festival 2013 (Winter)!

o0515031512416435404

A big thanks to everyone involved!!

Plus a big thank you to everyone who came by the WonHobby booth or the Max Factory 25th anniversary booth… as well as to everyone who watched the live broadcast! I hope you were all able to enjoy yourselves at this year’s first WonFes!!

Now I’d like to calm things down and just relax a bit… but that isn’t going to happen! There are so many new products that I can’t wait to take a closer look at, not to mention there are still many more events to come!
000
Today’s blog is mostly just a big notice!

A summary of all the products available online now!

I know a lot of people put this off thinking there is a load of time, but then often end up forgetting to order… (me included…) If you see something you like in this blog post, I recommend ordering it before it’s too late!!

Orders close at 21:00JST on the 18th February!
(Excluding Glenfire)

GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP (WONDERFUL HOBBY LIFE FOR YOU!!)
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/
001
Homura Akemi: you are not alone.

Price: ¥9000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

From the anime series ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ comes a 1/8th scale figure of Akemi Homura, the time traveler who fought in endless parallel worlds. She comes with a number of replaceable parts which allow you to display her in all sorts of different poses.

You can choose to display her holding her bow with Madoka’s red ribbon in her hair, just as she looked in episode 12, or instead you can display her with braids and glasses while holding a bomb or golf club, as she was in episode 10. Enjoy both the confident and the shy Homura, all with just one figure!

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17gscscawd00001.html
002
Nendoroid Snow Miku:
Strawberry White Kimono Ver.

Price: ¥4000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

Designs for the 2013 Snow Miku were submitted by fans to the piapro website and then a winner was chosen by viewers during a NicoNico Live Broadcast. The winning entry was an illustration of Snow Miku with a slightly more mature air, wearing a beautiful white kimono – which has now been transformed into a Nendoroid!

Her cotton veil can be removed, and she comes with two different hair styles to choose from when it is removed – you can display her with either her trademark twintails, or instead with her hair tied up. Sitting parts are also included for a more relaxed pose, and she also comes a number of items for a snowy day, including an umbrella, a toothpick and a snow bunny.

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17gscnenwd00001.html
005
Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls –
Anzu, Kaede and Rika + Live Stage Set

Price: ¥4000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

From the popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a set of Nendoroid Petites featuring Anzu Futaba, Kaede Takagaki and Rika Jougasaki all wearing their S Rare+ outfits!

The set also includes a huge stage pedestal which can be put together in a number of different ways to recreate the LIVE Battles from the game! Not only can you change the positions of the stage objects, you can also place up to five different idols on stage!

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17gscnepwd00001.html
003
figma Rin Shibuya

Price: ¥3500
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

From the hugely popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a figma of Rin Shibuya in her school uniform.

· Using the smooth yet posable joints of figma, you can act out a variety of different scenes.
· A flexible plastic is used for important areas, allowing proportions to be kept without compromising posability.
· She comes with a standard expression, a smiling expression as well as bashful smile with closed eyes.
· Special parts to display her with one hand in her pocket are also included.
· Her pet dog ‘Hanako’ is included, together with a leash to take him out for walks.
· An articulated figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17maxfigwd00001.html

004
figma Anzu Futaba

Price: ¥3500
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

From the hugely popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a figma of Anzu Futaba wearing casual clothes.

· Using the smooth yet posable joints of figma, you can act out a variety of different scenes.
· A flexible plastic is used for important areas, allowing proportions to be kept without compromising posability.
· She comes with a yawning expression, a forced smile as well as a dead tired expression with closed eyes.
· A number of extra parts are included, such as her favorite plushie bunny, a game console and some candy.
· Tear-shaped stickers are included which can be used as tears on the yawning expression, or sweat on the tired expression.
· An articulated figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17maxfigwd00002.html
007
Tomokazu Seki: Glenfire

Price: ¥4000
Number Available: 100 available. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late March 2013

The 12th figure to join the Tomokazu Seki series comes from the Ultraman Zero Movie – the pirate bodyguard of flame, Glenfire! The sculpting of the impressive flames burning atop his head together with the confident pose create a figure that fans are sure to love!

– Good Smile Online Shop – (Japan Only)
http://goodsmile-wf.ecq.sc/wf17maxsfbjp00001.html
006
Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi

Price: ¥4000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: June 2013

From the popular social game ‘IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls’ comes a special version of one of Phat! Company’s new Minicchu series, a much bigger ‘Dekacchu’ version of Kirari Moroboshi! She is approximately 4 times bigger (220mm) than the Minicchu version, so fans can enjoy even more cute power from the lovely Kirari!

– Good Smile Online Shop –

http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17phaothwd00001.html
008
figma Egashira 2:50 – White Tights ver.

Price: ¥3800
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

Enjoy the legend of Egashira 2:50 in your very own hands with this special limited edition version of figma Egashira 2:50, wearing his famous white tights – the same white tights that were sold on Yahoo! auctions for about 280000 yen as a charity auction to aid those affected by the Tohoku earthquake. You can also display him together with the standard black version for amazing contrast which you can enjoy forever!

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17frefigwd00001.html
009
WWR Hara Patrol

Price: ¥15000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

As a part of threeA’s popular ‘World War Robot’ series comes a new addition to the JDF colorway released by GSC. This time its a set of two which includes both the GRUNTS and Square Mk.2.

The GRUNTS figure has long been requested by fans and is now finally available. His outfit is incredibly detailed, featuring packs that can open and close as well as highly realistic paintwork to give him a worn appearance. The Square Mk.2 is different to the original Square as it has multiple joints in his legs, allowing for more active poses. The legs can be extended out for a more intimidating effect, or instead kneeling down for a cuter appearance – pick the style you prefer!

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17maxthrwd00001.html
010
WWR JDF Square SMART PHONE CASE

Price: ¥4000
Number Available: Made to Order. Max 3 per person.
Est. Delivery: Late June 2013

The popular ‘Square’ model from threeA has been transformed into a smart phone case designed for the iPhone5! The case is much more than just a print, as it features the characteristic mouth of the Square as well as the amazing rusted paintwork seen on threeA figures!

The design is by Ashley Wood and the paintwork by threeA’s skilled craftsmen, ensuring the same amazing quality you’ve come to expect from threeA products!

– Good Smile Online Shop –
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/top/wf17throthwd00001.html

10 different exclusive products!!

There are so many different products – more than I think we’ve had at any previous WonFes!! We have cute girls, Ega-chan and even threeA for a very varied line-up! You can find the reviews I did for these products here:

– Winter 2013 WonFes Products –

■ [GSC] Homura Akemi: you are not alone.
■ [GSC] Nendoroid Snow Miku: Strawberry White Kimono Ver.
■ [GSC] Nendoroid Petite: IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls –
Anzu, Kaede and Rika + Live Stage Set
■ [MAX] figma Rin Shibuya
■ [MAX] figma Anzu Futaba
■ [MAX] Tomokazu Seki: Glenfire
■ [Phat] Dekacchu Kirari Moroboshi

Orders close at 21:00JST on the 18th February!

GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP (WONDERFUL HOBBY LIFE FOR YOU!!)
http://goodsmile-wf-global.ecq.sc/

If you’re planning to buy something, make sure you don’t forget to put your order in before the deadline!
Anyway, that’s all for today!
I hope to see you all again tomorrow!! (・∀・)ノ゛

by

Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 7: Preparing to Apply the Gradient

Nendoroid Painting, Day 7!

goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
It’s been awhile since I was last here… (´ー｀)

This has become a much longer series than I expected, but I know a lot of people have been asking me to continue! I’ve really done my best to get up to this point, and I feel nervous every time I think about continuing. ^^;

But I’m definitely going to see this through to the end, so I do hope you’ll enjoy this blog series through to the end! (`･ω･´)

You can find the previous posts in the series here:
Painting a Nendoroid Expression Part 6: Pupils and Shadows
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
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
This is where we ended last time!

I haven’t seen her in awhile, but she still looks as creepy as ever! 😛

The outlines, base color, pupils, white of the eye and it’s shadow have all been complete at this point! The shadows on the white actually came out much darker than I expected, but there is no turning back – I just need to move on!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Now I’ll be applying a gradient to the eyes!

These are the tools I’ll need for this step – it’s just some cardboard with fabric tape stuck on it, with some masking tape on top of that. (the yellow one).

What I’m preparing to do here is cover up all the areas that I don’t want to airbrush with the tape!

I know it’s a little confusing just to read that, but you’ll get the idea once you see the pictures below! I didn’t actually want to use an airbrush, but there is a reason that I decided to use one in the end, which I’ll explain a little bit later…
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Cutting up pieces free-hand!

Here you can see I’ve cut the masking tape into small strips using a craft knife. It’s best to cut them in slight curves, not perfectly straight. It’s actually easier said than done to cut curves with a craft knife though – sometimes they ended up in rather odd shapes! 😛
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Here is an example from Kawapon-sensei!

Beautifully cut! Each cut looks just like the last… I guess this is from years of practice as a professional! But I’m not going to cheat – I’ll make use of the tape that I cut, and not the perfectly cut Kawapon tape! 😛
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Place the strips along the line of the eye.

You should try to leave the black line slightly visible here!

This is to make sure you don’t miss small parts of the inner eye. If you instead cover up a little bit of the inner eye, there will be areas that aren’t coated by the airbrush, which would be almost impossible to correct neatly. Because it’s a gradient, you can’t just quickly go over it with a brush afterwards!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Finished covering both eyes!

The line I’ve made with the tape looks a little shaky, I hope that won’t cause too much trouble…

Everyone is so busy with preparations for WonFes at the moment, that I don’t have anyone to check if my taping is alright! 🙁
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Wrapped up the rest of the face!

When I watched Nendoroid Sonico get made during WonFes, I definitely remember she looked something like this at some point! I’m still really nervous as to whether this is actually going to work out, but I’m just going to trust myself and move onward!!
009
A quick summary of the expression so far!

The basics involve painting with enamel paint and saving with clear lacquer paint – I’ve done this four times now!

The image above represents a cross section of the expression as it stands at the moment. Let me also remind everyone that once you’ve saved with the lacquer paint, you can never go back and change anything on that ‘layer’. The reason I’m going to be using an airbrush for the gradient relates to this…
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
A close-up on Santa Miku’s eye!

Miku’s pupils have a pale gradient in the center as you can see here. This is pretty much impossible with an airbrush and has to be done by hand. This process by hand would be something like this:

Paint with a color diluted 10x with enamel thinner → ‘save’ with lacquer thinner → Paint with a color diluted 9x with enamel thinner → ‘save’ with lacquer thinner → Paint with a color diluted 8x with enamel thinner → etc…

In other words you need to paint on pale colors and ‘save’ over 10 times for just the pupil!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

No way!! That would take way too much skill and time!! This same method would be needed to paint the gradient onto the top of the eye as well, and that’s exactly why I decided on using an airbrush instead!
010
The airbrush paints are lacquer paints!

Up until now we’ve been using enamel paints, but the airbrush has to use these lacquer paints. There are different types of airbrushes, so if you’re trying for yourself don’t get the wrong kind!

Now I need to mix up the right color using these lacquer paints – the lacquer thinner and paints need to mixed in a 1:1 ratio until you have the right color.
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
You need a color the same as the pupil color!

Let’s mix up the green and blue and compare it to the pupil color until it looks the same! It might take a little while to get the right color…
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
I think this looks alright…

In the bottom right you can see the color I used for the pupil.

It looks close enough for me, so I’m going to head to the production room now and see if I can use the airbrush!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
A fellow girl on the expression team!

Nendoroid expressions are made mainly by two girls on the team! During the mayhem of WonFes I feel really bad to ask if I can borrow the airbrush…

As I did though, I was told I first needed to use a ‘chip’ to make sure the colors were correct!
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
A ‘chip’ to test expressions on!

Ah-hah! I see!

You paint on the base color and pupil onto the chip, and then apply the gradient onto the chip first to ensure the colors are matching! If this ends up looking wrong and I hadn’t checked then I would have wasted days of hard work…
I would have been devastated. ^^;
goodsmile company Mikatan's Blog English Version
Let’s add my colors onto the chip!

I also tried to match the size of the test eyes with the Nendoroid expressions – plus they have already been saved with clear lacquer here!

Now I’ll have to place masking tape on these and cut out each circle to begin the gradient testing! The actual final gradient probably only takes a few minutes to paint on, but it takes a lot of skill to make sure you don’t end up messing up over and over again – plus you really can’t mess up when you do the actual expression, or it’s all over!

Seems there is still much more to come!

I honestly thought I’d finish today, but it ended up being impossible! I guess this isn’t the end of the expression series just yet, so I hope you’ll look forward to the next episode! ^^

After WonFes, I shall continue my expression! (=゜ω゜=）

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