Fresh reviews and notes
2 min read
Xenoblade 2 – Official Artworks Alrest Record (Famitsu / Kadokawa, 2019)
Xenoblade 2 is still my favorite game of all time. You can find my review of the original Japanese collector's version here, and there I describe in more detail why and take a closer look at how the Western version differs from the original - in every possible aspect. Although the artbook included with the collector's version is really decently made and shows quite a lot, I couldn't get past the publication that is the subject of this review.
14 min read
Shin Megami Tensei V (Nintendo Switch, 2021)
Honda Takumi, an ordinary high school student, and his friends Atsuta Yuzuru and Dazai Ichirou are caught off guard by a mysterious earthquake and transported to Da'at; an alternate apocalyptic version of Tokyo in the midst of a powerful battle between angels and demons.
2 min read
Koakuma Rias-chan – 1/6 – Original Character (Bishop’s Rondo, 2020)
The figurine was created based on an illustration by Ayuma Sayu. Koakuma Rias-chan is an original design by this artist. The manufacturer is Bishop's Rondo, a company mainly engaged in transferring original figures into 3D form in the form of high-quality figurines.
5 min read
Sword Art Online: Progressive – Hoshi Naki Yoru no Aria (2021)
The year is 2022, and there has been a breakthrough in virtual reality technology. Engineers succeeded in creating a headgear called NerveGear - a tool capable of bringing the user's consciousness into the world of games.
2 min read
New Masterpieces of 100 Eshi ver.4 (BNN, 2022)
Another part of the excellent artbook series. A collection of carefully selected title illustrations by one hundred (very well-known and respected) artists. The fourth edition in the series, is again published in B5 format.
2 min read
Yoshida Yuuko – 1/7 Swimsuit Ver. – Machikado Mazoku(Kotobukiya, Medicos Entertainment, 2021)
Machikado Mazoku is one of my favorite yonkoma published in Manga Time Kirara. It also has a brilliant anime adaptation that makes it even more enjoyable to watch, primarily because of how phenomenally the voice actors did their job (especially Kohara Konomi as the main character). Anyway, I already wrote a review on the adaptation, which you can read here. However, I didn't have a figurine representing any of the heroines so far, so it was about time to get one.
2 min read
Urushihara Satoshi – Cell Works (Movic, 1994)
Urushihara Satoshi is a mangaka and illustrator known for his distinctive style and fondness for highlighting female breasts. His works were the basis for such anime as Plastic Little and Legend of Lemnear. He has also worked on character design for games such as Langrisser and Growlanser.
2 min read
Takemoto Uruka – 1/7 – Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai (Phat Company, 2022)
It's hard not to buy a figurine portraying your favorite character from a series, especially when the series itself is held in high regard. In addition, I am used to the quality of Phat! Company products, so I ordered this figure without a second thought.
2 min read
Tomose Shunsaku – Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e – Art Book (Kadokawa, 2017)
The artbook features illustrations by Tomose Shunsaku, the artist responsible for the drawings for the light novel by Kinugasa Shogo titled Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e, telling the story of a group of students at an elite, private high school. The illustrations thematically include primarily characters from this novel, while further down the page are his original works and characters from other titles.
2 min read
Minami Natsuno & BJ – 1/8 – Juusan Kihei Boueiken (Kotobukiya, 2021)
Minami Natsuno is a character from the game Juusan Kihei Boueiken, known in the west as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. As this is one of the greatest titles I've ever played, I can't imagine not having at least one figure with a character from this masterpiece. While I liked all of the characters, Natsuno was the one that stuck out to me the most, and I really liked her, along with her robotic companion BJ, who was also included in the set.
5 min read
Kodomo no Jikan / こどものじかん (2007)
Aoki Daisuke just finished his junior grade teacher training and almost immediately got a job at one of the elementary schools after the previous teacher was fired. What he didn't expect was that the first class he would lead would provide him some of the toughest times of his life.
2 min read
Illyasviel von Einzbern – 1/6 (China Dress Ver.) – Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA 3rei!! (Phat Company, 2019)
I was a little worried when reading the comments about how her face looks, as a lot of people have complained about that. When I opened the box, I noticed that the design is a bit closer to what the character looks like in the source material of the adaptation (manga) than what style Silverlink and most fanart has adopted.