May 7, 2013 by Kahotan

1/7th Scale Ichika Takatsuki

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Shuu-chan from the planning team likes the figure so much that he tried to take the same pose himself! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

To show how determined he was, he even tried to get the expression right! Although I have to say that perhaps the cute upward glances should be left to the girls… 😛

Anyway, today I’ll be taking a closer look at this figure that Shuu-chan loves!!
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From Waiting in the Summer:
1/7th Scale Ichika Takatsuki

From the romantic comedy anime ‘Waiting in the Summer’ comes a 1/7th scale figure of the main heroine, Ichika Takatsuki! The pose is based on an illustration by the series’ original character designer, Taraku Uon.

Careful attention has been made to keep the same feeling of the original illustration by faithfully recreating the relaxed, gentle appearance of Ichika.

She’s rather sexy for a high school student!! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)=3

I wish she could share some of that sex appeal with everyone else!!

Many of you will know this pose from the cover of DVD/Blu-Ray’s first volume – it’s amazing how similar she looks to the original illustration!!
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This is how she looks from the back!

The long hair that sweeps down to her hips, and if you look at the bottom you’ll see the tips of her hair have both a front and back layer!

Plus just look at this adorable looking way of sitting!! It just makes me wish I could come up behind her and give her a big hug!! Σ(゜∀゜*)
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She is such a goddess!!

Just look at that beautiful smile – it’s strangely hard to describe!! The whole expression has a kind-of motherly quality to it! 。・゜・(つД｀)・゜・。

Ichika’s gentle and kind personality even manages to come through the figure, and the amazing sculptwork on her glasses is also noteworthy!!
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Lovely slim arms and a beautiful body!

This angle from the side has to be my favorite! I’d have to say the best way to describe her body is ladylike – she has a much more mature looking appearance than you’d expect of a high school student!

Also note the delicate hand placed on her shoe, the creases in her clothes which let you get a better picture of her waistline and even the little peek you get of her thighs through the skirt! The figure is just filled with Ichika-senpai’s charm!
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Just look at those… err, that collar area!

I’d often say you can’t help your eyes shooting down to her breasts… but this time around I can’t help staring at them! 😛

But that’s really not the only thing to look at! The little bit of skin showing around her collar area is also super sexy!! It’s so nice to see such incredible detail put into such small areas of the figure! Great job!! (`・ω・´)
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Nobody could say no to this cute pose!

If any girl did this to me, I’m fairly certain I’d fall for her in a heartbeat!!! (*`ω´)

She’s posed gently twirling her finger in her hair – the hand looks lovely enough by itself, but it’s also surrounded by her lovely full-bodied hair – the sculpting looks great from so many different angles!
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☆(ﾉﾟ∀ﾟ)人(ﾟ∀ﾟ )ﾉ☆ Yay!!

A shot from a slightly lower angle! (=゜ω゜=）

The other day I got told off by one of my superiors for taking some blog posts a little too far, so I have to be careful… but I had to include this as to me it’s the best angle to show off her lovely bust!

Whether it’s a figure or a real person, you always have to find the angles that show them off in the most cute and beautiful way possible! You need to make sure to capture every one of their most charming points!
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Her captivating thighs!!Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

I was trying to figure out why the combination of a pleated skirt and thighs look so amazing, and I came to the conclusion that it must be the little triangles that are formed between the folds in the skirt and the skin! They look great!

The sitting pose also means that you can really make out the smooth line of her thighs, which adds even more to the combination!
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From Waiting in the Summer:
1/7th Scale Ichika Takatsuki

She’ll be up for preorder from tomorrow!!

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

April 26, 2013 by Kahotan

Kuroyukihime: Black Butterfly Ver.

April is coming to an end… we’re fully into Spring now!

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A big butterfly is covering up Yuri-chan’s face!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

I always thought this breed of butterfly only came out in Summer… not to mention I can’t help but think it’s a little too big to be real! 😛

Today I’ll be looking at an adorable prototype that came swooping down into the GSC offices today!
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From Accel World:
1/8th Scale Kuroyukihime: Black Butterfly Ver.!

From the anime ‘Accel World’ comes a 1/8th scale figure of the elegant and cunning young lady, Kuroyukihime! She has been sculpted in her butterfly avatar form, wearing a black dress which contrasts beautifully with her pale skin.

Her long dress spreads out magnificently to the floor, and the lacing on the edges is features a transparent purple parts – everything has been sculpted to the finest of details. Her outfit together with her huge wings create a beautiful, mystical figure of Kuroyukihime for fans to enjoy.

She has so much volume for a 1/8th scale figure!

Figures in a sitting position tend to look a little too small or cramped, but I don’t get that feeling from this figure at all! Plus the contrast between her pale skin and the black of her dress is absolutely beautiful!

You can really feel Kuroyukihime’s aura coming off from this figure! It suits her so well!
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This is how she looks from the back!

It’s quite hard to tell from the photos, but the butterfly wings actually makes use of a slight transparent gradient! If you look at the bottom right here you’ll see that you can just see through the wing a little bit.

The details are so tiny it’s hard to even capture them in photos… but seeing it in person is even more amazing!
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This is a too much for me, senpai!! ヽ(`Д´)ノ

That ever so slight bump is really something, isn’t it!! (;゜∀゜)=3

I’m sure most of you will know I’m generally someone who prefers a bit of meat on the body, but the line from her collar bone to her shoulders is so lady-like… I couldn’t say no to this! When I see such a gentle looking body, I can’t help but get the feeling I need to protect it!
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Such a cute, innocent expression!!

She has her head tilted slightly to the side which makes it look even cuter! But beyond the cuteness you can also see Kuroyukihime’s strong resolve, just by looking into her eyes!
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Look at the drape of her dress!

All the creases along the dress give it such a dynamic feeling, and the paintwork makes the fabric look heavy and realistic! Just like with yesterday’s Sheryl, Kuroyukihime looks so very real – the dress seems to be acting just as a real dress would… figures are such a work of art!

The lacing on the edges also makes use of a lovely transparent purple – the lacing over her thighs makes them look even more sexy!
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Aki, the head of GSC, helped make sure the legs were perfect!

While the sculpting was still being worked on the legs had a slightly plumper look, but Aki requested it be changed because a middle school’s legs should be thinner and more lady-like! 😛

Thanks to the change her legs have indeed come out looking very lady-like which makes for this lovely photo! The uneven knees and the shadow you can see on the reverse side of her thighs are also great!!
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If you look from the side… you get a little present!

Ah, she is wearing something underneath, in case you’re wondering! 😛

The huge butterfly wings make this section quite hard to see normally, but from the side you can get a nice little view of her back. That silver butterfly is in such a sexy position! Σ(゜Д゜;）
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Even the hard-to-see parts are detailed!

Kuroyukihime is actually sitting on this lovely antique chair!Once she’s sitting on it it’s very hard to see, but even so the detail is amazing!
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You can also display her without the wings!

Unfortunately it does leave a little hole in her back where the wings connect to, but from the front she looks just fine!

There is another thing I want to mention, but I can’t go into too much detail without getting into trouble… the skirt section of her dress isn’t held in place with tabs or anything else. Plus the separation lines on the body are also carefully done as to not stand out… I think you can see where I’m going with this? (゜ε゜)
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From Accel World:
1/8th Scale Kuroyukihime: Black Butterfly Ver.!

She’ll be up for preorder from the 30th April!!

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

April 25, 2013 by Kahotan

1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome: Part 2

Up for preorder from today!!

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Max Factory’s Sheryl Nome!

This is how she looks on my desk… she has such an incredible presence!! Even from far away you can tell how amazing the sculptwork is!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

Yesterday I spun her around completely taking photos from a variety of angles, but today I’ll be focusing on more specific areas on the figure!

1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome: Part 1
http://mikatan.goodsmile.info/en/2013/04/24/17th-scale-sheryl-nome-part-1/
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From Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress:
1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome!

From the anime film ‘Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress’ comes a 1/7th scale figure of one of the main heroines, Sheryl Nome! The pose and base are both based on the main visual illustration used for the movie when it first released in cinemas in 2009 – the unique design has been carefully sculpted into a truly dynamic and detailed figure for fans to enjoy.

The figure is filled with a number of highlights such as the huge gears that spin around her, the sorrowful expression across her face and the various parts of her alternating black and white outfit as they all twist together. The ‘Galactic Songstress’ is ready to capture the hearts of all who lay eyes on her!

Special Bonus!! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

I managed to get a comment about the figure from Sheryl’s voice actor, Aya Endo!

Oooh! Thank you so much for your time!
Everyone has to read the next few lines in Sheryl’s voice!

“Such a memorable scene of Sheryl has been beautifully sculpted with so much detail… I was really amazed when I saw it!

I think most people’s eyes will wander off to her bottom at first, but the dynamic feeling of the hair and outfit, and the overall feeling that Sheryl is going to be back on stage are all so lovely!”

I’m sorry!! My eyes also kept wandering down to her bottom first!!
。・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。

But just as Endo-san says, this Sheryl figure is filled with many different highlights! I’ll be taking a closer look at each of them today!
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The beautiful hair sculptwork!

Sheryl’s beautiful long hair criss-crosses all around the gears and floats about in such a gentle way! The different twists and turns in her hair have all been carefully calculated and look great from any angle!

Seeing a figure like this really makes me once again appreciate how amazing sculptors are… but it’s not just the sculpt – the paintwork and delicate gradient are also fantastic!
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This is how she looks from the back!

You really can’t stop your eyes from seeing that cute bottom first!! ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)･ﾟ･｡

But if this photo wasn’t a part of this article it simply wouldn’t count as a full review! She it really is just so beautiful… even from a girl’s point of view that hipline is perfect!

Not to mention that the way it has been sculpted and painted gives it such a soft looking skin-like appearance! It’s almost hard to imagine it’s just a figure!
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Her outfit is just as sexy from the front!

I think the fact that it’s the lovely Sheryl-san is also a large part, but the outfit itself is really stimulating! Just look at her bust, her stomach, her thighs… did I mention her stomach? I’m sure you’ve all had a good look even without having read all this though! (If I keep talking it might end up a bit too risqué. :P)

Even ignoring all the bare skin, there are a number of highlights to her outfit! The unique design and the shiny paintwork… the painted nails… and how about the golden part on her Garterbelt! Every little part of the figure has clearly had so much care put into it!
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Her sorrowful expression!

I have to say… this is a really erotic expression!（ﾟ∀ﾟ三ﾟ∀ﾟ）

Maybe that’s not the best word… it’s sexy! Sensual! Voluptuous!! It’s such a powerful expression!

It’s hard to think such an exquisite face was painted with nothing but a brush! Just look inside that cute little mouth with shiny lipstick and you’ll even see her teeth! I remember saying the same thing about the ‘Love is War’ figure in the past, but the feeling of ‘depth’ of the mouth is absolutely amazing on this figure!
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This is one of my best photos in the set!

This is taken from the reverse side, where you can a part of Sheryl through the gears! The reason I like it so much is that even though her whole body isn’t showing in the picture, you get such a dynamic feeling even with just the bottom half of her body! I think that’s the most amazing thing!!

Plus the S-shape of her body is magnificent! (`・ω・´)
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This is how she looks from the top!

I think this is the best angle to get a good feeling for how amazing her hair looks! If you decide to pick her up for yourself, you’ll be able to enjoy her from absolutely any angle you choose whenever you like! Every time I move her around I seem to find a new interesting angle!

She is very detailed and takes up quite a lot of space, so I know many of you are thinking “She’s too big…” or “She’s too expensive…”, but I can assure you won’t be disappointed if you decide to pick this one up! I really don’t think this level of figure is released all that often – it’ll be worth it to clear up a little space, or save up a little for this kind of figure! Don’t miss out!!

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From Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress:
1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome!

She’s up for preorder now!

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

April 24, 2013 by Kahotan

1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome (Part 1)

The Skytree may be big…

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But so is this Sheryl Nome figure!! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

This lovely 1/7th scale figure of Sheryl first debuted back in February during WonFes! It was one of the main figures to feature at the event so it has it’s own special little display box… and it was surrounded by fans from the start till the end of the event! (((゜Д゜)))

This is a product that looks fantastic from every angle… and it’s finally going up for preorder tomorrow! I’ll be spending both today and tomorrow taking a nice long look at this lovely figure, so I hope you all enjoy it!
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From Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress:
1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome!

This is a Max Factory product, it’s sculpted by Chieri-san and it is a truly amazing!! The size and quality are both of the utmost quality!! (`・ω・´)

Today I’ll spin the figure around completely while taking photos, to show her off from every angle! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

When figures are on display at events, it’s not always easy to see them from the angles you really want to… but with these and tomorrow’s photos I’ll try to get at any angle you might have wanted to see!
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Let’s start with the right-side front!

From this angle you can enjoy Sheryl’s sexy body and sorrowful expression!! The huge gears surrounding her somehow seem to mesh with the figure no matter which angle you look at her from! (=゜ω゜)ノ
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Directly from the right side!

The sculpting of her hair is fantastic!! Σ(゜Д゜;）

On most figures, a completely horizontal view tends to not look as great as front or back angles… but just look at this! The use of space is outstanding!
Max Factory is once again showing just how incredible they are!
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The right-side back!

From this angle you can see all the cords wrapped around the gears nicely… they’re beautiful! The little pinky finger Sheryl has up in the air is also lovely!

You also can’t help but notice that lovely bust far in the distance! 😛
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Directly from the back!

The contrast between the black and white of her outfit is beautiful! Plus it’s so lovely and big!

From this angle most of Sheryl herself is covered up, but you can see the incredible detail put into the sculpting of both the outfit and hair!! (`・ω・´)
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The left-side back!

Sheryl-san right in the middle of the two gears! It’s such a huge stand! (ノ゜∀゜)ノ

Together with all the cords, this makes for another really impressive angle!
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Directly from the left side!

Her light blue cape is fluttering about not only horizontally, but vertically as well! Not to mention you can see her lovely slim legs! I almost wish she could come here and step on me!! (*´∀｀*)
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The left-side front!

The perfect angle to see Sheryl’s cute bottom!! Not to mention that sideways glance! I think personally I’ll have to use this angle when I put her on display… just in a slightly higher up position!
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From Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress:
1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome!

She’ll be up for preorder 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゛

April 17, 2013 by Kahotan

1/8th Scale Akane Isshiki

I’ve snuck into the production studios!! (`･ω･´)

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It seems Katou-kun is about to start painting a 2nd prototype!!

H-Hang on! Before you start let me borrow the original prototype first!!

Whenever the 2nd prototype is due to be painted the orginal prototype is always used to ensure the colors match! All the white parts on the left of Katou-kun are the parts of the 2nd prototype that need to be painted. I wish him luck with all that painting!! ヽ(｀・ω・´)ノ
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From Vivid Red Operation:
1/8th Scale Akane Isshiki!

“Friendship is the key to saving the world” in the popular anime series Vivid Red Operation, and from that series comes a 1/8th scale figure of the energetic and cheerful main character, Akane Isshiki!

The pose is based on a key visual illustration of Akane out on her part-time job as a newspaper delivery girl, riding ‘Wanko’, the hoverbike created by her grandfather! The dynamic posing is sure to impress any fans of the series!

Another figure riding a vehicle!! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ

I love figures just standing by themselves as much as anyone else, but seeing amazing stands like this that pose the character with a vehicle has become something that really shows off GSC’s amazing craftsmanship!

I’m sure you’ll agree once I’m done with this blog! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ
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This is how she looks from the back!

I’m sure you can tell from the photo that she’s in a bit of a forward-bent pose, but the bike itself is also not perfectly straight, but instead tilted to the right, creating a really dynamic apperance! The tilted angle also means that if you pose her at the same angle as the original illustration, you auctuallly get a glimpse of the underside of the bike so it really looks like it’s hovering!

But the bike aside… just look at those healthy looking thighs! My eyes somehow find their way back to them whenever I try to look away… (`・ω・´)
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Akane feeling the wind in her hair!

Such a wonderful smile that really suits Akane’s character! Even just looking at her upper body, you can almost feel the wind blowing up against her…

The sculpting was done by kiking-kun from our Shanghai team, the same person who sculpted the amazing 1/8th scale Insane BRS figure. Looks like we can expect many more wonderful figures from him!! (((゜Д゜)))
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Lovely!! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)=3

I can’t get enough of that little bit of skin you can see under her shirt!! Only figures bridge the gap between 2D and 3D, allowing you to see inside her shirt like this!! I almost can’t resist trying to put my finger in there… or should I say I literally couldn’t resist! (｀・ω・´)b

Her hips also have a nice build, not to mention those lovely thighs… I’m a huge fan of this area on figures, and I can say confidently that this sculpting is perfect!!
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The details on the smaller parts is amazing!!

Akane-chan is out doing her daily newspaper deliveries… and just look at the details on the papers in her basket! The print is so fine that you can even read the headlines!!

The one paper at the very back (closest to Akane-chan) has even more details printed on it… Good Smile Company makes sure even the hard-to-see parts of figures have been carefully sculpted and painted! Also take note of how the paper at the very front of the pile has slightly bent corners!! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ
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Her beloved hoverbike, Wanko!

In the series this bike was built for her by her grandfather… but the figure version was built by out 3D team!! Mechanical things like the hoverbike are very well suited to be sculpted in 3D, as it’s easier to create the rigid looking mechanical designs through 3D work than is is by hand. You can see just how well the 3D sculpting works by looking at how nicely this hoverbike came out!

Hanging off the back of the bike you can also see Akane’s mayonnaise bottle strap! It just wouldn’t be the same without it!
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The more I look, the more detail I find!

I’m not only talking about Wanko… just look at the soles of her shoes!!
Incredible! Σ(゜Д゜;）

No matter what I angle I look at her from, I always seem to find something else amazing… you’d be able to display her in so many different places and angles!
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From Vivid Red Operation:
1/8th Scale Akane Isshiki!

She’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゛

April 16, 2013 by Kahotan

1/7th Scale Nyaruko

There haven’t been many chances to get prototypes this month…

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But from here on out there will be lots!!

From now until the end of the month I’ll be showing off loads of prototypes that will be up for preorder soon! (`･ω･´)

You’ll have to just wait and see exactly which characters I’ll be reviewing, but today’s I’ll be starting with a cutie I found on Nitohei’s desk!
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From Haiyore! Nyaruko-san:
1/7th Scale Nyaruko!

From the hard-to-describe anime series ‘Haiyore! Nyaruko-san’ comes a 1/7th scale figure of the crawling chaos, Nyaruko-san! She is posed in a rather bold pose and outfit based on a popular illustration used as a pin-up, originally included with a magazine. The stand is shaped like a cute plate, adding even more appeal to the adorable Nyaruko-san! Fans can look forward to this chaos crawling their way soon!

(*ﾟ∀ﾟ)=3 Uahahahahahahahaha!

What an amazingly naughty looking pose!!
Is it really alright for a figure to be this sexy?! …of course it is!! d(゜∀゜)b

Everyone dreams of the famous ‘naked apron’ look at some point, and Nyaruko is here today to show us exactly why!
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This is how she looks from the back!

All in all the apron probably shows less skin than something like a bikini, but there is absolutely nothing covering up the area between her pelvis and her thighs… which makes it seem even more naughty than normal! I think I can learn a lot from this!! (*゜∀゜*)

The stand is white and plate-shaped, so with Nyaruko standing on it you can just imagine her saying ‘Eat me up!’ :P. The cute little emoticon face she is standing on is also super cute!!
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A perfect rendition of Nyaruko-san!

The sculpting of her long fringe and the way her hair curls in at the sides looks great, and just look at those gleaming eyes! Max Factory has transformed her from illustration into figure perfectly!!

In her right hand she holds the famous ”hard-to-describe crowbar-like thingy’!
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Cutting it Close!!! ヽ(`∀´)ﾉ

I’m sure many of you will know I’m a big fan of the whole ‘just not being able to see it’ effect – you can see it in action right here! It’s best when the clothes or angle just manage to hide everything away like this! There’s no way anyone could resist this photo!!

Now for a little bit of extra info that I really don’t know if I should be writing on the blog… I may get into trouble for this. But I know you’re all dying to know, so I’ll reveal some secrets:

First of all, the apron won’t be removable. I thought it might be when I first say those separation lines, but I was wrong. Secondly, regarding what she’s wearing underneath… well, she’s not. But it’s not quite at the level you might have seen on certain other figures! 😛
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A white heart-shaped apron!

The edges and collar area have a lovely lacing which is super cute! Plus the way the front of the apron is fluttering about also looks magnificent!
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Have her holding a ladle instead!

Nyaruko-san is best known to be holding her crowbar-like thingy, but some may prefer her to be holding a ladle instead – it does suit the apron and kitchen theme a lot more, and it’s great to have the choice!

Now it looks like Nyaruko-san is my very own new wife, cooking up dinner! ^^
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A hard-to-describe low angle!!

This angle is the best I found that manages to shows off both her side-boob and her thighs. I’m actually really very glad I found this angle – it may be a little immodest to say so, but I think this is pretty much a perfect photo! 😛

As for the rest… you’ll have to wait until you grab her for yourself… then you can see her from whatever angle you choose!
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From Haiyore! Nyaruko-san:
1/7th Scale Nyaruko-san!
She’ll be up for preorder from the 18th 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゛

April 12, 2013 by Kahotan

Kuroyagi-san’s Letter Corner: Cherry Blossom Season Part 2! (Number 67)

The cherry blossoms have all fallen here in Oshiage now…
But that doesn’t matter… I can just view the cherry blossoms through everyone’s photos instead!

Today we’ll be continuing with yesterday’s post…

Kuroyagi-san’s Letter Corner: Cherry Blossom Season!

There really were a load of Sakura Miku photos… which I guess is to be expected seen Spring matched up so nicely with her release date. I suppose receiving so many photos of her shows just how much people wanted a full-sized Nendoroid after the charm was first released!

Unfortunately I really can’t put all the photos I received up on the blog, but I promise I have looked at each and every one of them! Please continue to send more beautiful photos through in the future!

This year in Kyoto the weather hasn’t really been the best for cherry blossom viewing, but this morning there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the flowers all looked lovely!

This photo was taken close to Togetsu bridge in Arashiyama. Miku is enjoying a little lunch under the blossoms!

This is actually the first time I’ve been out with a Nendoroid, and the scenery I’m normally so used to seemed more interesting from a Nendoroid’s point of view! It was a lot of fun!

Last week it rained quite hard and all the blossoms have fallen from the trees now, so the photo also became a nice memory of the blossoms!

– Sorawo
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I heard the Sakura Photo Festival is taking place again this year, so I had to send my photo through! It’s the first time I’ve sent anything through, so I’m a little nervous! 😛

– Saki 39

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I’ve taken many photos of Nendoroid in the past, but this is the first time I’ve sent anything through to you.

The photo is taken on a river bank in Kamogawa: fallen cherry blossom petals, clovers and Miku-san!

I had to sit really low with my legs to the side to try and line up the camera with Miku’s eyes! It was harder than you’d think! In the end it was worth it though, the pink Sakura Miku contrasts so nicely with the green background from the clovers for a really cute picture!

– Kyou no Akutsukai
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The cherry blossom season has come once again! (´▽｀)ノ

The blossoms really don’t last very long, so as soon as I see them start blooming I always head out with my Nendoroids and camera as soon as possible! I’m really not a very outgoing person, especially seen I suffer from allergies in Spring… but when it comes to Nendoroids I’m happy to become more active! (*´ω｀)

Mikatan, Good Smile – thanks for everything!!

– Sayuu
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I’m a member of the Nendoroid girl’s club!!

Sakura Miku was just too cute to not take out for some outdoor photos!
The weather wasn’t great, which make the photography harder than usual, but I still had a load of fun! ♪(つ∀｀*)

– Sara
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I’ve been meaning to contribute a photo every year, but this is the first time I’ve actually done so!

I’ve never done outdoor photography before, so I took great care to make sure I didn’t drop or dirty my Nendoroids. The setting here is to have me as the master of the house, the Nendoroids are busy sweeping up the cherry blossoms!

I’m looking forward to more and more lovely Nendoroids in the future!

– Great Yoshino!
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The blossoms have just started blooming here in Tottori prefecture, so I went out to view the blossoms with my Sakura Miku! (*´∀｀*)

While I was walking through the park I spotted a branch at just the right height for me, so Sakura Miku turned into a model for a few of my photos!
Her pink hair and the blossoms match so nicely… it’s so cute!! (*´ω｀*)

– Natsume
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I’ve been super busy between work and events, but I managed to find some time and went up a mountain where I managed to still find some cherry blossoms! (−ω−;)フゥ・・・

I was relatively sure that most people would be taking photos of the newly released Sakura Miku, so I decided to use Sakura-tan instead! I spent a good hour taking pictures!

The weather wasn’t great and the wind was really strong… which caused Sakura-tan to go 3m skydiving a couple of times. ^^;

I thought at first I should just come back another day instead… but most of the blossoms were already starting to fall, so I was worried I wouldn’t have the time! In the end I manged to get a couple of photos!

– Ririkaru Madicaru
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I read you were collecting cherry blossom photos again this year. I might be a little late, but I decided to send my photo through!

I’m sure we’ll see a lot of her this year, but I also decided to use Sakura Miku-san! The weather wasn’t great… this was actually taken just after some rain.

– Hanakawa Akira

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I went through to Kyoto one night with my Master, Yuyu-sama.

The photo features both the amazing blossoms of the Touji temple together with Yuyu-sama!

– Nameless Lloyd
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Hi there! I’m a Chinese fan of Vocaloid and Good Smile.

The other day I saw that you were looking for photos for the Sakura Photo Festival.

I took loads of pictures of Sakura Miku while it was cherry blossom season here in Shanghai~ Thanks! ≧▽≦～

(PS. My Japanese isn’t the best, I hope you understand!)

– Anonymous
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Hello Mikatan!

I’m an American currently studying in Japan. I always look forward to reading your blog’s English version!

I always see the cherry blossom photos on your blog and wish I could take some of my own, but unfortunately cherry blossom trees are rare in my town.

At the moment I’m in Japan, so I took the opportunity to grab some photos of Nendoroids with cherry blossoms!

I went to my campus with Masamune… but unfortunately the trees had already lost a lot of their blossoms from heavy wind the day before. (´・ω・)

I still took some photos though! I’m looking forward to exploring all over Japan soon!

– Mag
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I took this photo at Osaka Castle’s Park. It’s not amazing, but I still decided to send it through.

– Ramie

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Churuya-san enjoying a swing!

Cherry blossom season has arrived!
I always look forward to the lovely cherry blossom photos on the blog!

– Mahokona
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Sakura Photo Festival

– Anonymous
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I grabbed all the Vocaloids together and went out to view the cherry blossoms.

– Anonymous
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I went out and took a cherry blossom photo! You have to picture Miku saying “I hope you’re enjoying yourselves too, blossoms!”.

– ftb
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My first time participating in the cherry blossom photos! Although I think Ika-chan would rather be eating Sakura-shrimp instead of viewing the blossoms…

– Dai
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Hi! I’m sending in my photo from my phone. This is a weeping cherry tree at my local shrine, Miku seemed to be enjoying it!

– A Small Shrine’s Manager
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I didn’t have the chance to take part last year, so this year I took my wife (Madoka) out for some photos with the blooming cherry blossoms. The weather hasn’t been great this year, but I guess that actually suits Madoka Magica quite well.

She decided to borrow Sakura Miku-san’s outfit for the day. My friends agreed that it suited her quite nicely! ^^

Being able to dress up my beloved Madoka like this is the reason I think GSC’s figure’s are #1!

– Tukiwadati Clim
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A thousand cherry blossoms from Ueda~

– Foru
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The cherry blossoms had unfortunately all fallen, so I took a photo with the blooming Moss Phlox~

– Gao-nii
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It’s time for the Sakura Photo Festival, so I went out with my Sakura Miku-san to view the blossoms! Unfortunately it seems Sakura Miku was more interested in the dango than the blossoms.

… by the way, these are actually fake cherry blossoms, this was actually taken inside. I hope next year I have the time to head outside and enjoy the real blossoms! ^^;

– Kuucharoke
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This is my first time submitting my photo to the Sakura Photo Festival!

I look forward to the beautiful photos from everyone else on your blog every year! I hope to see more cute Nendos and figures coming soon!

– sera
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The weather was bad once again this weekend, and I was about to give up on taking cherry blossom photos when it suddenly cleared up! It was a miracle! I quickly grabbed my camera and went off with Sakura Miku for some photos! Most of the blossoms had already fallen… but just seeing the sun was more than enough! It’s not an amazing photo, but it’s something!

The blue sky, white clouds, Spring sunshine and pink cherry blossoms… they’re simple but still so wonderful! Just 2 hours after this photo it clouded over and started to rain again… I guess I really was lucky to get this photo!

– Kn.

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– In despair over these clouds.
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Flower Princess

– Anonymous
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Hello Mikatan, this is my first mail to you!

I wasn’t able to get photos of the blossoms in time this year… so I decided to send a photo from last year!

This was the first time I decided to take figures out with me for photos. I don’t own a camera, so it’s just something taken on my phone. Next year I hope to take Sakura Miku out for photos.

– Koppepan.
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Title: Blue Sky Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms near Kiyomizu temple were blooming, the skies were a lovely blue and the pale light between the branches looked beautiful, so I had to take a picture! The picture was taken with my iPhone so the quality isn’t great, but I think that also added a bit to the pale effect of the light!

– dianoia
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I wanted to take part in the Sakura Photo Festival, but before I knew it the blossoms had already fallen…

I decided I couldn’t leave it at that and went up into the mountains to find some cherry blossoms. It was quite a battle to get up to these blossoms!

– Nire
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I went to view the cherry blossoms with Sakura Miku and brought back photos~

The photos were all by the riverside, so I had to first search for somewhere that I knew Miku would be safe while I was taking photos. The third picture isn’t cherry blossoms, but I found a 4-leaf clover so decided to take a photo with that instead!

Miku-san is like a little flower fairy!

– Anonymous

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Miku, cherry blossoms and tulips!
Lat-type Miku is so lovely! I feel relaxed whenever I see her.

– Anonymous
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This is a photo of Sakura Miku taken with the weeping cherry trees at Okudera temple in Asukamura city, Nara prefecture.

The color of Sakura Miku and the blossoms seemed to match so nicely, I took the picture at an angle that looks like the two colors are blending into each other.

– WakiNEKO
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That brings the second part of Kuroyagi-san’s Letter Corner: Cherry Blossom Season to an end! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ

（´∀｀） I’ve said it a number of times before… but thanks again to everyone who sent in photos! It makes me so happy to see so many cherry blossom photos!

（´∀｀）I received a lot of mail from international readers as well! Many even wrote in Japanese for me, which was wonderful! It goes to show that even if we’re in different countries, we’re all connected by figures!!

（´∀｀）As I said yesterday, I’m sure the cherry blossoms haven’t bloomed everywhere yet – I’ll be having a third part of this series at the start of May, so keep the photos coming! Always remember to take care of of nature when taking outdoor photos!

I’m also looking for normal, non-cherry blossom related mail from readers! I promise I’ll read them all, so if you have any questions, pictures, requests, or just want to talk about what you had for dinner… send through a mail! Boys and girls both welcome!

(ﾟ∀ﾟ) Mikatan Mail:
mikatan-b@goodsmile.jp

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

April 10, 2013 by Kahotan

A Visit to the Miyazawa Model Exhibition!

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I finally found the right place!

On the morning of the event I even confirmed the correct station with Nagaizumi from the sales team, but I somehow still managed to arrive at the wrong place first! (I went to the same place the event took place at last time!)

I wish I could say this was some kind of joke… but it isn’t. I really wish I could stop ending up at the wrong place for events… (‘A`)
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But anyway, I’m back on track with today’s blog!

Our booth included products from Phat! Company, Gift, FREEing and wing!

It’s been just a month or so since WonFes, but a couple of unpainted prototypes have been painted, and other new products have arrived! There are a couple of products that even debuted at this event!
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Well, what did you think? Is there anything that catches your eye?

Personally I’m very much looking forward to the new special ‘Kumeta-sensei Color Ver.’ of Nendo Zetsubou-sensei! The monochrome coloring looks so good!! I have to get my hands on him! (´･ω･`)

I’m also very interested in Nendo Monomi from Danganronpa, and Totokin from the Idolmaster Cinderella Girl’s Minicchu line-up! I can’t wait till they’re officially announced!

But moving on, all the photos from here are products from other companies that I thought looked interesting! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
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That’s it!!

Just looking at everything again gets me really excited! There were many products from other companies that were such great ideas, which was very encouraging to see!

Personally I thought the truss and lights set looked really amazing. Also, the quality of the clothes on AZONE’s dolls were incredible! (the photo with the two girls with cat ears)

Seeing so many high quality products and such a playful spirit from everyone at the event really shows the real charms of the hobby world! Being here and seeing all these lovely products creates a feeling that I hope to never forget! I hope that the feeling comes across in my photos in some way or another for everyone else to enjoy!

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

March 29, 2013 by Kahotan

Kuroyukihime ~Death by Embracing~

Oh no, I’m falling behind on figure reviews!! (((ﾟДﾟ)))

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But there is no way I’m not reviewing this figure…!!

She’s far too sexy for me to miss out on, and I’m sure everyone will be happy to get a few extra angles of this beautiful figure!
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From Accel World:
Kuroyukihime ~Death by Embracing~ !

From the anime ‘Accel World’ comes a 1/7th scale figure of the heroine, Kuroyukihime! The bold pose is based on the cover illustration of the 6th volume of the original light novel. The figure features replaceable parts which allow you to choose between either displaying Black Lotus and Kuroyukihime separately, or instead displaying them together as a single figure, whereby fans can enjoy having Black Lotus embracing the beautiful Kuroyukihime, ready to protect her from harm.

She’s in such an seductive pose!! Σ(･∀･)

I must say when I first saw the figure the first thing I thought was, “Black Lotus, get your arms out of the way!”, and in the end it seems my request actually came true!!

Anyway, let’s get a closer look at this lovely figure from a couple more angles!
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This is how it looks from the back!

Originally I was going to take the photo directly from the back, but eventually I decided on this slight side angle to show off her Kuroyukihime’s side too! The curves from her arm all the way down to her legs are simply spectacular!
Yay for side-boob!! ( ゜∀゜)b

Although, I must say that Black Lotus is definitely getting in the way of what I want to see… I think it’s about time that I separate the two!
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You can display Kuroyukihime alone!!

Ooohh!!!━━━━(Дﾟ(○=(ﾟ∀ﾟ)=○)Дﾟ)━━━━━!!!!!

Now this is what I call a sexy pose!! Nitohei was behind the planning on this one, and he really did a fantastic job!! ヽ(゜∀゜)人(゜∀゜)ノ
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Hmm… but now her hair is in the way!

Noo… calm down my right hand!! I must resist the urge to try and move the hair away! This is Max Factory’s product, and if I break it I know I won’t get out with just an apology! 😛

Kuroyukihime’s expression has a bit of a sorrowful look to it, which I think adds even more to the provocative posing!!
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Even this side of her is stunning!!

You may as well just say she’s naked! Just erase the white cloth with your mind’s eye!! (Although, when you think about it… Kuroyukihime is only a junior high school student… maybe you shouldn’t do that! :P)

The contrast between her slim upper body and those lascivious thighs is simply amazing! It’s almost too much to handle on just one figure!!
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Black Lotus can also be displayed alone!

I think this review has made Black Lotus look more like just an accessory to Kuroyukihime, but that’s really not the case! The detail on her is incredible too!! Just look at the area around the shoulders and elbows… the detail put into those joints is outstanding! All the corners of the body also look all so sharp, creating a wonderful rendition of Black Lotus!

Another thing to notice is the gentle gradient applied on the arms and of course the clear violet parts used all over the design! There is no doubt that just as much work went into Black Lotus to really create a masterpiece!! (`・ω・´)
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So close!!

I don’t think we’ve had any products that have pushed the limits quite as much as this one. (*゜∀゜)=3

This is definitely even lower than most swimsuits go… plus the area it’s covering is so tiny – which also means that it doesn’t get in the way of the pelvis bone at all – you can see it so nice and clearly! It’s beautiful!!

Also, if you look at her left breast from this angle you can see the little gap between her hair and the skin… the size has been adjusted perfectly for little things like this, and it looks great!!
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Her inner-thighs look so smooth!!

As I’m sure most of you already know, I’m a big fan of inner-thighs! (・ω・)ノ

So much so in fact, that if I see a cute girl in front of me on an escalator I often fantasize about feeling how smooth their thighs are! It’s all in my mind though, I don’t actually do anything! If I did I’d get caught for sure! Breasts are something that vary from person to person, but you can always be sure that thighs will be soft to a certain degree!

Another thought I had while reviewing this figure… posing Kuroyukihime lying down could create a rather interesting pose… I can’t try it myself with the prototype as I’m worried it might break, but I think it’d make a kind of dakimakura-like pose, which should look very nice!
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From Accel World:
Kuroyukihime ~Death by Embracing~ !

She’s already up for preorder!! (`･ω･´)
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 next week!! (・∀・)ノ゛

March 25, 2013 by Kahotan

A Visit to the Tokyo International Anime Fair!

The Tokyo International Anime Fair…

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Was held at the Tokyo Big Sight!

Nitohei was part of the event staff for the day, and first went through to the Makuhari Messe!! When he reached the Messe, he called the other staff and said “I’m in front of The New Otani hotel, where is everyone?”. That was about the time he realized he was in the wrong place. 😛

Always be sure to confirm the location of any events before you visit! I’m not really one to talk though, I’ve done similar things in the past…
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The GSC & Ultra Super Pictures Booth!

This time around GSC had a combined booth with the anime production company ‘Ultra Super Pictures’. The day I went was a business day, which means that the only people at the event were those involved in the industry. Because of the this the halls were very open and easy to maneuver – Although I’m sure that Saturday was considerably crowded!

In the left of this photo you can see Chamber-tan! He’s so cute!!
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These were the booth handouts!

The handout included a bag with the Ultra Super Pictures logo printed on it, and inside the bag were a couple of flyers, a Nendoroid calender and some stickers!

We often have little handout bags like these for customers at events – it’s not much, but I hope everyone will make use of the goodies inside!
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Moving clockwise from the entrance!

A wall of the adorable Miku Nendo Petites is the first thing to greet everyone!

It wasn’t quite the size as the huge booth at WonFes, but there was still enough space to have a few new figures on display for everyone to enjoy!
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The brushed-up Deep Sea Girl Miku!

Since her debut at WonFes she’s been through a couple of little changes to make her even cuter than before! Compare this to the WonFes photos and see if you can spot the differences! 😛

She was on display with a beautiful blue lighting that suited the name ‘Deep Sea Girl’ perfectly. It’s not quite the same as the fully colored figure, but it definitely gave the unpainted version a little extra charm!
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Moving further along the booth!

On the right wall we had a number of anime production goodies from companies related to Ultra Super Pictures, which gave everyone a nice introduction to the company! I’m certain you can expect lots from them in the near future!!

Then on the left you can see all the tower cases… with new figures on display!!
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From Sasami-san@Ganbaranai:
Nendoroid Sasami Tsukuyomi!

I believe this is the TAF was the very first time we’ve seen her painted version! Both her curly hair and hat are so cute… I can’t wait to get my hands on her!!
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From Da Capo III:
Nendoroid Ricca Morizono!

Da Capo III is another one of the series airing at the moment, and the OP theme ‘Sakura Happy Innovation’ is super popular in the GSC Offices! (`・ω・´)

Ricca is one of those Nendoroids that actually has a noticeable bust even in Nendoroid size, and altogether she looks incredibly well sculpted!
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From Accel World:
The 1/7th Scale Kuroyukihime!

This is one very sexy looking Kurohime-san, and she’ll be up for preorder soon!! As soon as I’m able to get my hands on the prototype I’ll be doing a review!!

I want to see what’s underneath Black Lotus’ hands!!! 😛
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Today I’ll be focusing on this display case!
The main reason I came to the event today was to get blog pictures of one of these figures…

On the upper level we have Belldandy with Holy Bell
On the lower level we have 1/8th Scale Racing Miku: 2012 ver.!
Both are already up for preorder!!

But there is still one other figure on the lower level here, which I’ll be going a quick review of right here from the event… let’s go!! (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
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From FAIRY TAIL:
1/7th Scale Lucy!

From the popular manga and anime series ‘FAIRY TAIL’ comes a 1/7th scale figure of the beautiful celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia! The figure is based on the cover illustration of the 9th volume of the manga, which features Lucy in a lively pose holding out a key in her hand with her skirt fluttering about.

Certain parts are also replaceable for a slightly different pose, but no matter how you choose to display her you’ll always be able to enjoy her energetic personality!

Hm?! Some parts are replaceable?!

Aaah!! I can’t switch parts here at the event! I really want to know what the alternate parts are… I’ve been trying to find the separation lines to try find out what can be swapped… (I really don’t know!)
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Oooh!! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

This time I have to take pictures around the glass case – it’s quite frustrating not being able to spin her around myself for different angles! Even so, I’m still trying to get the best angles I can!!
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She has such cute eyes!

Her upturned eyebrows and wide grinning smile all look just like the original illustration the figure is based on! The way her hair seems to be drifting about in the air also gives the figure a nice dynamic feeling!
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Lovely looking thighs!

I guess that this photo actually shows slightly more than just her thighs… it definitely shows off her beautiful curves!

Her skirt is posed rather boldly, fluttering up to the side – which meant I wasn’t really able to take photos from the back… but I was able to enjoy her from the back myself, and I’m certain that fans won’t be disappointed!!
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The small accessories are also very detailed!

Just look at detail on the belt and pouch! Not to mention how amazing each and every one of her fingers looks!

Particularly with a pose and outfit like this, I think most people tend to focus on the main body and overlook the smaller things. However this is certainly one figure that doesn’t end with just the body – everything is incredibly detailed!
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From FAIRY TAIL:
1/7th Scale Lucy!

She’ll be up for preorder from tomorrow!! (`･ω･´)
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゛

Kahotan's Blog

Scale Figure

1/7th Scale Ichika Takatsuki

Kuroyukihime: Black Butterfly Ver.

1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome: Part 2

1/7th Scale Sheryl Nome (Part 1)

1/8th Scale Akane Isshiki

1/7th Scale Nyaruko

Kuroyagi-san’s Letter Corner: Cherry Blossom Season Part 2! (Number 67)

A Visit to the Miyazawa Model Exhibition!

Kuroyukihime ~Death by Embracing~

A Visit to the Tokyo International Anime Fair!