Garage Kit Haven

Republic of China Navy

2012-02-26T12:25:00.000+08:00

I've been doing my mandatory military service of one year for the last 3 weeks. Today is the first day off where you can leave base for about 8 hours. I just want to let you guys know that I have very little free time to update until I complete the first five weeks of basic training (the last time I was able to go online was 1/31).

We spend most of our time marching, singing navy songs, doing ship-saving exercises and swimming. Unfortunately most of it will be for naught as I will be joining the ROC Navy Honour Guards once basic training ends on 3/13. The training there will be brutal I hear but at least we get two days off a week to recuperate. Until then it's prison chow and meal time "drills".

It's not all bad though. I've met some good folks. That and I've really come to appreciate the things I used to take for granted, like having enough time to take a dump.

4 hours left before I have to return to base. I'm going to read up on WF2012 Winter for a bit before then.

Sorry but I won't be able to cover this one at all.

ques Q Online Shop - Kousaka Kirino, Yakumo Yukari and Last Order

2011-12-20T03:43:00.002+08:00

Yakumo Yukari (Taoist Robe Version)
Limited Edition Resin Kit
Sculptor: Keroriso (XELFLEX)
Price: 13,650 yen
Note: long and short hair parts included
Order link for deputy service

Kousaka Kirino (Swimsuit Version)

Limited Edition Resin Kit

Sculptor: Yuma (Swan Boat no Suza)

Price: 8,400 yen

Note: happy and unhappy expressions included

Order link for deputy service

Uchidome "Last Order"

Limited Edition Resin Kit

Sculptor: HIDE (@AKIKA)

Price: 8,925 yen

Note:

- coat is removable (additional arm parts included)

- happy and ecstatic expressions included

- two types of front hair parts included (for visor/no visor)

- two different right hand parts included

- base not included

Order link for deputy service

Treasure Festival in Ariake 6

2011-12-20T02:14:00.000+08:00

Kobe 3 was disappointing. It had the misfortune of being scheduled too closely after the major summer event. Even though a large number of dealers were present at Kobe, they were still carrying the same old goods. Not surprisingly, the event was glanced over by most (myself included).

While I'm happy to see more GK events like Garage Works Communication, it's still too small in scale to be compared to the likes of Wonder Festival or even Treasure Festival (only 27 dealers were present at GWC act.9). It's just too unsatisfying as a filler event.

In the month leading up to Ariake 6 I'd been taking note of all the cool new kits, but at the time of writing this post I'm still frantically taking notes thanks to a good number of dealers withholding info until the last minute. Let's just say I'm a bit overwhelmed right now.

(DAMN IT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP BEFORE THE ACTUAL EVENT!!! Orz)

"Sea Girl" from SAGAMI FC

"Yukiko-hime" from essence

"Mikazuki Yozora 4" from Seidou Circus

"Kashiwazaki Sena 2" from Seidou Circus

"Hatsune Miku" from Toushirou

"Hatsune Miku 2020" from Grizzry Panda

"Akemi Homura" from Grizzry Panda

"Merry Nightmare" from Ringo Renmei

"Maekawa-san" from Doll House Utsunomiya

"Acony" from Nikemeyo

I had to remove a good number of kits from this list after realizing that they were either a) unavailable until WF2012, b) a color resin kit, c) a PVC, d) old, or e) not really that great.

My favorites are "Hatsune Miku", "Maekawa-san" and "Acony". They're the only three that I would consider adding to my collection.

Now I just need to see the first two in color. >_>

Source:

-http://abc-labo.com/

Online Mail Order - ATOMIC-BOM and 一期栄華一杯酒

2011-11-05T14:15:00.004+08:00

The following are all resin kits. A deputy service (like SMJ or Rinkya) will be required as they don't ship outside of Japan.

Dealer: ATOMIC-BOM

Messenger Girl

- 3rd production run

- pre-order starts at noon, 11/6/2011 JST

- pre-order quantity limited

- 11,000 yen

- size 215 mm

- does not come with cable and decal

- first sold at WF2011 Winter

Original Bicycle and Girl

- 2nd production run

- pre-order starts at noon, 11/6/2011 JST

- pre-order quantity limited

- 11,000 yen

- size 220 mm

- first appeared on display at WF2011 Summer

Asuka Test Suit (2011 ver)

- 2nd production run

- pre-order starts at noon, 11/6/2011 JST

- pre-order quantity limited

- 10,000 yen

- size 200 mm

- first sold at WF2011 Summer

Dealer: 一期栄華一杯酒

Maneki neko no hito (beckoning cat girl)

- 6,000 yen

- 1/8 scale, 165 mm tall

- 19 parts

- in stock

Source:

-http://abc-labo.com

Online Mail Order - Jet Stream

2011-10-24T22:57:00.002+08:00

1/8 Panty Uniform Version

- Sculptor: Tanaka Masanori
- 18 parts
- 8,500 yen
- white resin kit
- Japan only (use deputy service)
- order link

non-scale Asuka Test Plug Suit Version

- Sculptor: Tanaka Masanori
- Displayed at WF2011 Summer
- 20cm
- 68 parts (O_o)
- 15,000 yen
- White and clear resin kit
- Japan only (use deputy service)
- order link

Source
- http://www.abc-labo.com/index.php/item/2588

Online Mail Order - ACCEL and TANDEM TWIN

2011-10-22T23:52:00.005+08:00

ACCEL - Honey Bee

- resin kit (bust)
- 5,500 yen
- pre-order only (kit will be released at a later date - TBA)
- limited to Japan only so use your favorite deputy service
- cut off time for ordering is 10/26/2011 10AM JST

TANDEM TWIN - Various

- all items for sale are resin kits
- the top 3 kits are new
- only the top 9 kits are in stock with the exception of the beer girl Yuina (number 7 from top)
- click on the picture of the kit you want and you will be taken to its respective page
- scroll down and click on the link below the "Mail order receptionist" heading
- scroll down a bit to find out the number of parts (number beside "パーツ") and the price for the kit (number beside "定価")
- to place an order via email, click on "ガレージキット通信販売を希望します" at the bottom of the same page
- please note that the sculptor MAY be able to understand English (however please note that any email containing English may be filtered as SPAM) :)
- they will ship overseas
- not sure if they accept PayPal or foreign credit cards
- use your favorite deputy service if they don't accept either

Source:
- http://www.abc-labo.com/index.php/item/2582

2011 GK Acquisitions

2011-09-19T15:43:00.003+08:00

(Update 2011/12/18 - Yuuka and Princess Bitch are both available at Tokyo Hunter.)

As a result of some unscrupulous individual making off with my camera during a recent trip to Taiwan, posts of this nature had to be put off until a later time. But since recent events have been mediocre at best, I've only added 4 new resin kits to my collection since last October.

1/7 Yoshii Yuuka by Ishiyama Satoshi (Orchid Seed)

Availability: WF2011 Winter only, 100 copies

While I found Tsundero to be an enjoyable eromanga, I wasn't exactly blown away by the intricate plot or the subtle characterization. The whole time while reading the titular chapters (starring Yuuka) I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a less drawn-out (but much less endearing) version of B Gata H Kei. When Orchid Seed first announced their WF2011 Winter GK lineup, she was quickly passed over in favor of the more amusing Princess Peach (which I didn't pick up at the time either due to lack of funds).

Still, this wouldn't be the first time I've come around to a kit (the 9,000 yen starting bid and the prospect of combined shipping were also contributing factors) so I went for it. Eventually though I had to raise it to the edge of my comfort zone (12,500 yen) so now I'm undecided about the whole affair.

1/7 Princess Bitch by OSIRIS (Heavy Gauge)

Availability: WF2011 Winter only, 40 copies

From eromanga F.S ISM (fair warning: avoid). I'm happy but also amused that nobody ended up bidding on her because 9,000 yen is a steal considering the sculptor and the very limited quantity run (prior to I had been eyeballing this 19,000 yen listing for months in hopes that either the seller would drop price or a cheaper option would present itself). I might attribute this to the notion that Japanese fans in general do not consider well-rounded body types to be attractive, but then again F.S ISM is quite terrible so they may just hate it by extension. It's a toss-up really.

1/7 Ignis of the Endless Winter by Ishiyama Satoshi (Orchid Seed)

Availability: WF2011 Summer only, 40 copies

So I paid 24% extra up front for Tokyo Hunter's service to avoid the drawn out bidding wars and to avoid missing out. Boy am I glad I did in the end. Although 10/39 copies eventually ended up on YJA, each auction winner paid on average an additional 58.6% on top of retail (values ranged between 39.7% and 70.7%). This is not even taking deputy bidding fees into account.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said this kit made WF2011 Summer for me, so it wasn't particularly reassuring when the day of the event had passed (JST) and I still haven't received confirmation whether the hunt was a success or not. By morning of the 25th (JST) I was already a nervous wreck, staring at the multiple auctions of Ignis that had now been listed on YJA and wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake. Well in hindsight the fact that I wasn't contacted hours after the event regarding a full refund should've been enough to clue me in; but it didn't, and I sat there all depressed for 4 more hours.

1/5 Kousaka Tamaki by Toushirou (Cobra-Kai)

Availability: Wonder Festival 2006 Summer, World Hobby Festival Yokohama DASH-1 and Wonder Festival 2007 Winter, >150 copies (est.)

Just hours before the auction was about to end I found out my SMJ bidding limit had been reduced to zero. I hadn't used the deputy service since July 2010 and my credit card on file had expired. Luckily I remembered that I had a PayPal account with Rinkya so off I went.

Even though I had an account set up there I never used it. Although I'm not fond of the repeat log-in requirement just to see your bidding history, I'm starting to come around to their service for the sole reason of better exchange rates. Though Rinkya charges more for commission, they only take about 2 yen off the current exchange rate (whereas SMJ will always take 5 yen off the current exchange rate). This was something I stupidly overlooked before and for that I apologize if I've mislead anyone into thinking SMJ was all-around superior to Rinkya.

Here is a comparison of what I paid for Tama-nee (Rinkya) vs what I paid for Yuuka (SMJ). There is a difference of 2,000 yen between the items but I feel this is sufficient as a reference:

Tama-nee (aka Rinkya)

Date won: July 26, 2011
Price: 14,500 yen
Commission: $30
Exchange Rate offered: 76 (historical exchange rate for this day: 78.101)
Price in US: $190.78
Handling Fee (YJ to Rinkya Japan warehouse): $15

Total (item stored in Japan) = $190.78 + $30 + $15 = $235.78

Note: Item weight is 530g

Shipping via EMS from Japan to Canada = $34 (already marked up 25% by Rinkya)

Grand Total: $269.78

Yuuka (aka SMJ)

Date won: Sept 6, 2011
Price: 12,500 yen
Commission: $15
Exchange Rate offered: 71 (historical exchange rate for this day: 77.374)
Price in US: $176.05

Processing Fee: $3.00
SMJ internal shipping: 1,790yen <- this 2nd conversion is easily overlooked
SMJ internal shipping converted using exchange rate offered: $25.21
Handling Fee (YJ to SMJ USA warehouse) = $3.00 + $25.21 = $28.21

Total (items stored in USA) = $176.05 + $15 + $28.21 = $219.26 (actually rounded to $219.30 on invoice)

Note: Yuuka was shipped together with Princess Bitch (total weight is 620g)

Shipping via EMS from USA to Canada = $35.35

Grand Total: $254.61

Despite the initial 2,000 yen difference, in the end the difference is only about $16. It's still tough for me to say if it's better/just as good to use Rinkya for higher end auctions as SMJ's commission becomes a flat rate of $35 once you go past 33,000 yen (up to 100,000 yen); but for items between 6,000 to 33,000 yen Rinkya offers competitive rates. Anything below that though it's probably best to stick with SMJ.

If you guys know of other comparable deputy bidding services that offer real-time bidding I would love to hear about it.

Can you believe the size differences? Tama-nee is supposed to be 1/5 scale, but she's dwarfed by the 1/7 scale Ignis (oh I assure you the box is quite full). And I'm finding it difficult to swallow that Yuuka and Princess Bitch are also 1/7 scale. On my way home after the clerk at Canada Post handed me this tiny ass box which supposedly contained the pair I couldn't help but wonder if either SMJ screwed up or if Bitch got confiscated at customs.

The box wasn't even full.

Taiwanese Sculptor PKking - Purchasing Instructions for Foreigners

2011-07-29T17:44:00.008+08:00

(Update 01/09/2012 - Minor update. Sturgeon King sold out.)
(Update 12/18/2011 - Everything.)

(Update 10/19/2011 - Baphomet is back!)

Good news fellow GK lovers.

PKking has informed me that he is willing to sell his original kits to English speaking fans outside the country. He does not speak English however; and he sells his goods predominantly via ruten, an online auction site - not unlike eBay - that requires both a Taiwanese citizen ID number and a Taiwanese cell phone number just to sign up (for security purposes).

The reason I added him to the new "Buy Originals (foreigner friendly)" sub-section - despite the hurdles to ordering - is because I am willing to offer language assistance to anyone who's interested in ordering from him. That and because I love this guy's stuff so I want to help him stay afloat.

Please note that all prices are in New Taiwan Dollar (NTD):

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Baphomet

Official name: 九天衡-邪羊
Scale: 1/7
Height: 36 cm
Materials: Grey color resin and metal
Parts: 29 grey resin parts, 2 clear resin parts and 3 metal parts
Price: 10,800 NTD
Pre-order Status: 5/10
Availability: 10 pre-orders required for production. 50% minimum deposit required to place pre-order.

Additional Reference Images

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Dark Fox

Official name: 九天衡-闇狐
Scale: 1/7
Height: 22 cm
Materials: Grey Color Resin (plus 2 metal parts)
Parts: 27
Price: 4,000 NTD (pre-order price: 3,600 NTD - limited to first 15 pre-orders)
Pre-order Status: Filled
Availability: 4 in stock

Additional Reference Images

Sculptor's comments:

Curse those scum at e2046 for recasting this kit!

(ed. note: he sold this kit at WF2009 Summer and in just a week's time it showed up on e2046's website. Coincidentally I haven't seen him attend WF since.)

I guarantee that the quality of their recasts are greatly inferior to what I have to offer, seeing as how I'm making the casting mold from my original sculpture (retouched for molding). Furthermore, I am offering this kit at the same price as e2046 so why not support the original sculptor?

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Nie Long ("The Dragon Whisperer" - ad lib translation)

Official name: 九天衡-聶龍
Scale: 1/7
Height: 28 cm
Materials: Grey Color Resin (plus metal parts)
Parts: 57
Price: 6,000 NTD (pre-order price: 5,500 NTD - limited to first 15 pre-orders)
Pre-order Status: Filled
Availability: 5 in stock

Additional Reference Images

Sculptor's comments:

Enjoy additional discounts if you pre-order this along with Dark Fox!

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Li Ji and Xiao Wei

Official name: 九天衡-麗姬&曉薇
Scale: 1/7
Height: 25 cm
Materials: Grey Color Resin (plus metal parts)
Parts: 45 + 2 metal parts
Price: 7,500 NTD
Availability: 2 remaining

Additional Reference Images

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Barretta

Official name: 九天衡-巨獸-巴瑞塔&場景底座
Scale: 1/20
Dimensions: 60Lx30Wx28H (cm)
Materials: Grey Color Resin (plus metal parts)
Price: 12,000 NTD (pre-order price: 11,000 NTD - limited to first 15 pre-orders)
Pre-order Status: Filled
Availability: Unknown (currently not listed on ruten)

PKking has confirmed that he will sell the special base + small soldier separately to any North American/European customer that previously purchased Barretta from him. The price is 4,500 NTD. To confirm whether this offer extends to you, please email PKking (pkking1288 at yahoo.com.tw) using the following template:

"想訂購巴瑞塔的場景底座. 我的地址是[insert your shipping address here for verification]. 請慶仔告知是否一切OK. Johnson會幫我翻譯所以請安心用中文答覆."

Once he replies, just let me know if you need help with translating (Johnson at gkhaven.com).

Additional Reference Images

Sculptor's comments:

Please note that the special base and the small soldier are both included with this price. A minimum 50% deposit + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee) is required to pre-order (the buyer's name will be added to a list). Once the product is ready to ship the buyer will be required to pay the remaining balance + shipping + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee).

In an effort to fight against Korean and Hong Konger recasters, the special base + small soldier will not be sold separately! This will not affect customers who had previously placed orders for just the special base + small soldier; however, from now on this will be strictly enforced!

The reason for this is because Korean and Hong Konger recasters stole my Barretta kit (which I spent many months sculpting). They're selling the recast for 6,000 to 6,500 NTD while I'm selling my original for just 7,500 NTD (ed. note: Barretta can be purchased separately; please see next product for more info). Furthermore, the quality of their recasts are greatly inferior to mine as they're simply making recasts from one of my casts; whereas my casts are made from the original sculpture (which has been touched up to produce the best quality mold).

Also, from now on all my originals (save those that are already pirated) will not be sold to those that are suspected of being Korean recasters (ed. note: basically this means no shipping to Korea unless the sculptor can somehow verify that you're not going to backstab him)! All shipments to Hong Kong will also be heavily screened and delayed until the final run of a kit.
Lastly, a disclaimer to anyone who is planning on recasting my stuff: I will personally mark each and every kit that goes out so that I will be able to tell right away which buyer was responsible. I *will* take legal action against you so consider yourself warned.

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Barretta

*Please note this price does not include the special base nor the small soldier!*

Official name: 九天衡-巨獸-巴瑞塔
Scale: 1/20
Height: 28 cm
Materials: White Color Resin (plus metal parts)
Price: 7,500 NTD
Pre-order Status: Filled
Availability: 9 in stock

Additional Reference Images

Sculptor's comments:

A minimum 50% deposit + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee) is required to pre-order (the buyer's name will be added to a list). Once the product is ready to ship the buyer will be required to pay the remaining balance + shipping + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee).

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Nuwa

Official name: 九天衡-女媧
Scale: 1/7
Dimensions: 21x46 cm
Materials: Grey color resin, clear resin plus metal parts
Parts: 72
Price: 8,500 NTD (pre-order price: 7,500 NTD - limited to first 15 pre-orders)
Pre-order Status: 5/10
Availability: Production begins as soon as there are 10 pre-orders. Production time is roughly 1 month.

Additional Reference Images

Sculptor Comments:

A minimum 50% deposit + 4.5% of the amount sent (to cover PayPal fees) is required for pre-ordering (the buyer's name will be added to a list). The buyer will be notified of estimated shipping date once production begins. Once the product is ready to ship the buyer will be required to pay the remaining balance + shipping + 4.5% of the amount sent (for PayPal).

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Anwu ("Dark Warrior" - ad lib translation)

Official name: 九天衡-闇武
Scale: 1/7
Height: 30 cm
Materials: Grey color resin, clear resin and metal parts
Parts: 63
Price: 7,000 NTD (pre-order price: 6,500 NTD - limited to first 15 pre-orders)
Pre-order Status: Filled
Availability: 6 in stock

Additional Reference Images

Balance of the Nine Skies Series - Sturgeon King

Official name: 九天衡-王鱘
Scale: 1/7
Height: 35 cm
Outer Box Dimensions: 43x32x26 cm
Materials: Beige color resin, clear resin and metal parts
Price: 8,400 NTD
Pre-order Status: 0/15
Availability: Production is not expected for some time.

Additional Reference Images

Additional Reference Images 2

Sculptor's Comments:

The waves are cast in clear resin to give it a more realistic touch. I recommend incorporating LED's to give your final product a unique finish.

Lineage II - Unicorn & Elf

Official name: 天堂II-獨角獸&精靈
Scale: 1/7
Height: 17 cm
Material: Grey color resin
Parts: 58
Price: 2,800 NTD
Availability: 2 in stock

Additional Reference Images

Purchasing Instructions

Unless otherwise stated, all pre-orders require a deposit of 50% of the purchase price + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee). All payments need to be sent in New Taiwan Dollars (TWD on PayPal) to "pkking636178@hotmail.com". In your payment email, please also provide the following information:

- name of kit(s) in Chinese ("official name")
- quantity
- your name
- your address
- your phone number

Once the kit is ready to ship, you will be notified by email to send the remaining 50% + shipping expense + 4.5% of amount sent (for PayPal fee).

Due to the value of these kits, EMS will be the default shipping method.

For kits that are already in stock, please be sure to add 4.5% to the total amount that you are sending. PKking will then get back to you with the invoice for shipping charges for your country, of which you will also need to account for the 4.5% PayPal fee.

[Examples]

Pre-ordering a 5,000 NTD kit:

Initial deposit = 2,500 +(4.5% of 2,500) = 2,613 NTD

Shipping comes out to 500 NTD.

Remaining balance = (2,500 + 500) + (4.5% of 3,000) = 3,135 NTD

Total sent = 2,613 + 3,135 = 5,748 NTD

So the total PayPal fee is 248 NTD.

Paying for a 5,000 NTD kit that's already in stock:

Initial payment = 5,000 + (4.5% of 5,000) = 5,225

Shipping comes out to 500 NTD.

Paying for shipping = 500 + (4.5% of 500) = 523

Total sent = 5,225 + 523 = 5,748 NTD

So the total PayPal fee is 248 NTD.

As you can see, the total PayPal fee is always the same regardless of whether you make a lump sum payment or multiple payments.

[End Examples]

If you're still confused about how much money to send, please feel free to email me at "Johnson@gkhaven.com". Please note that PKking may not be able to provide you with the shipping quote until the kit is actually ready for shipping. Rest assured however as he will only charge you what is required by the post office.

Lastly, please be patient with PKking's ETA. He puts in a lot of care to ensure that his fans receive only the best quality castings. To achieve this he always gives his factory 2 month's production time (rather than the 1-2 weeks for typical recasters) and each mold is only used 20 times. Often, rather than waiting until he receives the full 15 pre-orders, he'll take a leap of faith and start the casting process at 10+ pre-orders to shorten the wait time for fans.

Even if he doesn't, I assure you that it is well worth the wait.

-Johnson

Wonder Festival 2011 Summer - Late Preview

2011-07-24T16:35:00.002+08:00

Oh man this is going to be so good.

I've put the following first-time WF kits in order of preference from least favorite to must buy. For aesthetic reasons many kits were omitted from this report. I will however continue to update this post provided that I see more of what I like:

non-scale "Aegis" by REFLECT

After spending 200+ hours on Persona 3 and P3: FES, I can safely say my Aegis fever has died. Still, I am on the fence about this one. I like the overall modest color tone, but the face doesn't do Shigenori Soejima's original artwork justice; it seems off even.

"Standing Garako" by Kitsutefu

If my disdain for anything cute/chibi/loli/SD haven't been made clear enough already on this blog it bears repeating. Garance the original rendition remains elusive to this day.

Being the cool guy that Kitsutefu is, you can actually buy many of his kits (including this one) through his online shop that, get this, caters exclusively to foreign customers. One of the many perks of original creations - they're not bound by character licenses that restrict all commercial activities to within Japan.

Griffon Enterprises

(from left to right)

1/8 "Komeiji Koishi" by i-con
1/8 "Komeiji Satori" by i-con
1/7 "Ookami Ryouko" by deru

I know not a thing of relevance about these characters. Ookami's pose and outfit is very much to my taste is all. The Touhou sisters should really be at the beginning of the list, if at all.

"Melty Snow - Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins" by Ishinaga Sakurako of Shokubutsu Shoujo En

After 4 years in the works, she's finally complete. "Melty Snow" naming bit aside, I've always been fascinated by Grimm's Fairy Tales so she'd be right at home in one of those stories.

"Black Rock Shooter" by hiyoko (fg-site)

By now I'm well aware that I've no eye for judging kits in their unpainted form. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to include her on the list. There hasn't been any word from the sculptor since mid-March of this year despite this being a work-in-progress for this summer WF. Hopefully we'll see more coverage of her (elsewhere) after the event.

1/7 "Akemi Homura" by Toda Satoshi of Principality of Kagutsuchino

Seeing how the anime run ended just this April, Puella Magi Madoka Magica has quickly become the focus of this WF.

Admittedly I only came to know the series through a secondary source (manga) so I'm not particularly attached to the original anime character designs. Even the manga character designs were pretty plain so I couldn't be happier with what Toda did here. The man is a great sculptor AND a great revisionist.

Final thoughts on the series? The manga was interesting enough but I think I'll pass on the anime.

"Ignis of the Endless Winter" by Ishiyama Satoshi of Orchid Seed

With the ridiculously limited run of 5 kits selling out within a matter of minutes at WF2007 Winter, Ishiyama Satoshi's 1/7 scale "Ignis the White" remains a bitter memory (I seethe with controlled anger whenever I see the PVC version). Yet the resin kit also marked my gradual departure from recasts and my foray into the ugly yet fascinatingly addictive world of Yahoo! Japan Auctions. As such, I can think of no kit more influential and desirable.

This version kicks way more ass to boot.

Those with good memory should remember her from WF2010 Winter where her prototype was on display.

(Sorry this post is so hopelessly late. I had originally intended it to be a preview of the event.)

Dastardly Late, but Thoughts Nevertheless

2011-04-29T18:25:00.000+08:00

Reading about Wonder Festival should never be akin to watching paint dry, and yet as I peruse galleries after galleries of event photos I can think of no comparison more worthy. One would expect that an event adorned with the adjective "Wonder" would elicit a basic sense of the word (i.e. astonishment and/or admiration). But hey honest marketing be damned!

Originally I wanted to cement my case by posting all the event kits that are, well, shit; however, I quickly realized that I wasn't interested in going through 46 pages of kits again, eliminating 3% of the ones that don't suck and then making you guys scroll through the rest just to prove a point. So here's a simpler (and better) alternative that sums up the latest Wonder Festival 2011 nicely:

My pet theory is that the stagnating GK scene is the unfortunate result of too many old talents leaving in favor of more profitable ventures (PVC, dollfie, etc.) and not nearly enough new talents filling the void left behind. What we have left is basically a cesspool of "mediocrity".

(Just out of curiosity, I did a little research to find out the annual salary of top Japanese figure sculptors. Averaging figures from several sites produces a staggering 20,000,000 yen (~$233,338.41) which totally explains why they're all jumping off the GK ship. Hell I would too.)

As such, I can't help but wonder about these "new talents": is the WF committee just handing out these one day licenses left and right to anyone that bothers applying? The alternative - that these sculptors were carefully hand picked, out of the many hundreds or even thousands that applied, based on the quality and originality of their work, is truly disheartening.

Volks Fate/Unlimited Codes 1/4 Scale Saber Lily GK by Chorosuke

2010-11-29T07:30:00.007+08:00

Source

Coming soon to Wonder Festival 2011 Winter. Look forward to it!

For good measure:

Treasure Festival in Kobe 2 - Aftermath

2010-11-01T09:32:00.006+08:00

Didn't really pay much attention to this event (aside from just checking out the available dealer/sculptor links on the Treasure Festival website).

All-in-all I didn't find any eye poppers, but 3 kits were pretty cool:

1/4 Asuka by Millimeter Modeling

Prototype was on display during the event. The sculptor will be taking orders for her in late November.

1/4.5 Azami ver. 2 by ACCEL (original design by Tsukasa Bullet)

10 kits were sold during the event. Will be available for mail order through his website late November/early December. Retails for 18,000 yen.

Elf-san by Plum

It's rare for a newcomer's kit to catch my fancy, but when it does you can bet I'll search high and low for more info.

Sadly the name was the best I could scrounge up. That and her website.

How to Order Feature - Satomi Design

2010-09-28T15:26:00.006+08:00

Whether you're new to the hobby or actively expanding your GK collection, a good store to keep tabs on would be Satomi Design. They carry a good selection of kits from Eva, Nadesico and Ikkitousen, not to mention a near complete selection of Kurushima kits. In addition, the store is closely affiliated with the Cerberus Project Team which allows them to sell Sunny Day's Emaretta-chan and French Doll's Heat Blade exclusively year-round.

Since most of the kits are not in danger of selling out right away, you may wish to take advantage of the "Daily Special" feature (at the bottom of the page) and wait it out:

Having bookmarked the store for almost 2 years without using it, I finally took the plunge last Saturday (Tsukasa Jun x French Doll ultimately proved too much to resist). My habit of prioritizing funds for convention exclusives had been the main impediment. That and it didn't help that some of the kits that the store carried were offered on Y!JA for a lot less. As a matter of fact I just saw Heat Blade on Y!JA today for 7,000 yen. Man oh man, taking the bitter high road.

Anyhow, the website accepts VISA/MasterCard/AMEX like any respectable online store so ordering is a breeze with Tenso (just follow the instructions below):

1. Finish shopping.

2. Enter your payment information.

3. Enter you billing information.

4. Enter you shipping address.

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU USE THE SAME NAME AS YOUR TENSO ACCOUNT FOR SHIPPING!

I emailed Tenso and they told me that if it isn't clear who the package is for, they will put the package in their “unknown receiver” pile (I guess like lost & found). Don't go there.

(Yes I know the picture is all casual about it. Don't be.)

5. Wait for Satomi Design to email you.

You will receive an order confirmation email shortly after placing your order. Keep it on file.

Within 24-48 hours, you will receive a second email with the subject line "ご注文ありがとうございます、返信をお願い致します。".

Reply to this second email with the following Japanese:

"これでOK.　　よろしくおねがいします。"

You will receive a third email shortly after with the subject line "発送致しました".

In the body of this email look for the following paragraph for your tracking number:

ヤマトお問い合わせ伝票番号は
123456789012です。(scheduled delivery date)にお届け予定で、本日(today's date)に発送しました。

6. Track your order.

And that's all folks.

Update: 10/07/2010

The goods arrived yesterday.

Sample Finished Product (what I would give to paint like this):

New Arrival: Satanikus ENMA Kerberos Yukihime Garage Kit

2010-09-22T15:53:00.003+08:00

So hey that worked out pretty well with the kit arriving in just 9 business days. I was actually under the impression that this was a pre-order and that production wouldn't take place until a month or two down the road.

The casting is excellent by the way, as to be expected from YAMATO.

Old news: The ones sold at WF2010 Summer didn't come with the finished photo as YAMATO forgot to include it. Luckily I didn't go through the backdoor this time.

YAMATO is still taking orders for Yukihime (not to mention Asuka). Those who need help ordering can check out my tutorial.

The Most Expensive Post of 2010

2010-09-13T13:52:00.002+08:00

Time to put up with my bragging.

After nearly 2 months time and traveling over 13,500 km, my WF2010 Summer kits have finally arrived. Granted, my anticipation has waned considerably since the last week of July, the height of post-convention frenzy; nevertheless, I'm still happy my kits made it safe and sound (after the shipment was detained by Canada Customs for a week for "review"). It was a long week with zero updates.

At the time of my 7/27/2010 post, I mentioned that I was gunning for 5 kits on Y!JA (which I wouldn't reveal until later). Well that number has fluctuated much since then so I've totally lost track of what they were. I apologize to anyone who was actually waiting for the big revelation.

Here's what I actually got:

Mirei-san by Otsuyama Houjun for Kotobukiya

Scale: 1/7
MSRP: 12,000 yen
Winning Bid: 12,000 yen

This was a very surprising find as the GK version must date back to 2007 at least. She had a buy-it-now option so I instantly picked her up.

Ayanami Rei by Koneko Koubou

Scale: 1/6
MSRP: 5,000 yen
Winning Bid: 17,000 yen

Definitely the highlight of this show for me. I have spent many hours on Y!JA since his Asuka first appeared at WF2010 Winter, and I didn't feel like doing the same for his Rei. I'm still reeling from this one though.

Asuka Langley by Koneko Koubou

Scale: 1/6
MSRP: 5,000 yen
Winning Bid: 21,000 yen

She only appeared twice this time around, so I put everything into the first auction. I definitely
stretched my funds thin with this one.

The problem with lesser known sculptors is that their stuff will almost never appear on Y!JA since popular kits are more likely to fetch a premium for resellers. Guess I should consider myself lucky she showed up at all.

Revy by Fujiura Toui for RC Berg Ltd

Scale: 1/6
MSRP: 11,500 yen
Winning Bid: 10,000 yen

When Joseph of Tokyo Hunter first offered his services for ordering this Hobby Japan Magazine exclusive, I fancied the notion but ended up not following through on it. For reasons that are no longer clear to me, I became fixated with this kit nearly 8 months later and came back to Joseph for help. He was able to find locate one, but the marked up price by the store plus Joseph's commission killed the deal for me.

So now as I look back I'm very glad to have waited another 7 months.

Rider by Ikeda Ryouichi (R.S.B) for Orchid Seed

Scale: 1/7
MSRP: 10,000 yen
Winning Bid: 10,000 yen

Rider was not high on my list initially. I liked her enough but I had already allocated funds for a few others such as Koneko Koubou's Eva girls, Melting Neuron's Mina Tepes and Shokubutsu Shoujo En's Miku.

It was Masa of GKJapan.com that gave me the final push to hunt her down (after seeing his post in the Wonder Festival 2010 Summer thread). And as luck would have it she was available for order through Orchid Seed's website.

The lesson that I've learned over the years when it comes to buying GK's is that a moment's hesitation usually results in many months of regret, which is why I still invest in the "buy it now, regret it later" mantra.

Yoko by Buster Seven

Scale: 1/6
MSRP: 10,000 yen
Winning Bid: 10,000 yen

Been eyeballing her since Treasure Festival in Ariake 3. I emailed the sculptor in early July but sadly PayPal wasn't a payment option. Luckily, the sculptor was very accommodating and told me that he'd put the kit up again for mail order after the upcoming Wonder Festival.

And he did.

Ryomou Shimei by Toushirou (Cobra-Kai) for Daiki Kougyou

Scale: 1/4
MSRP: 45,000 yen
Winning Bid: 22,000 yen

And what a steal. Insufficient funds during WF2009 Summer and WF2010 Winter prevented me from participating in any bidding wars, but again this turned out to be pretty great. Pretty great save for the last half of year of fruitless searching.

Group shot:

Save for the Eva girls, I got a sweet deal out of this convention. But strictly speaking there's only 2 WF2010 Summer exclusives.

YAMATO Online Shop Exclusive - Satanikus ENMA Kerberos Yukihime Garage Kit

2010-09-10T09:49:00.009+08:00

Previously an event exclusive at Wonder Festival 2010 Summer, YAMATO is now offering this resin kit for a limited time through their online shop.

Below I will be providing an in-depth guide on how to order this kit via the YAMATO online shop using Tenso as my Japanese address.

3 things are required:

1) A valid credit card (VISA, MasterCard or AMEX should work)
2) A Tenso Account (sign up here)
3) A language patch so you can enter Japanese characters (download via language tools in control panel)

HOW TO ORDER

First, go to the order page.

Finally, in your confirmation email look for the following section:

---------------------------------------
◆お支払い方法
---------------------------------------
クレジットカード
在庫商品・前払い商品を「クレジットカード」支払いにて処理致します。
以下のURLをクリックしていただき、表示された画面の指示に従って
クレジットカード決済処理を実行してください。

Here is the link.

＊複数回実施しないよう、ご注意下さい。

※予約商品で「クレジット決済」もしくは「銀行振込」を選ばれた場合は、
出荷日決定後にお支払方法の詳細をご連絡いたします。
※お支払い方法を変更される場合には、マイページより行ってください。
http://www.yamato-toys.com/ec/mypage/index.html
---------------------------------------

Once you're at the payment page, you should see a button at the top that lets you select English.

The rest should be fairly intuitive.

HOW TO CHECK ORDER/PAYMENT STATUS

Sample Finished Product:

Source

This has been a fun feature and I just might continue it in the future. :)

Yahoo! Japan Auction - Regular vs Premium Accounts

2010-08-22T19:40:00.006+08:00

This is hardly news I'm sure for all you regular YJA users, but gone are the days when non-Japanese residents can deal directly with the few vendors who accept PayPal.

Free or regular accounts now have a max bidding limit of 4,999 yen. For those interested in doing some real bidding in the above 5,000 yen category, a premium account is now necessary - but in order to sign up you need a) an address in Japan, b) a Japanese credit card and c) to not mind paying 346 yen/month for the privilege of buying stuff online. Essentially, everyone now needs a seller's account.

In recent years, Yahoo! Easy Payment (Yahoo!かんたん決済) has become the norm for both buyers and sellers on YJA (think PayPal and eBay). When YJA first introduced this system a few years back, I was only too eager to set myself up for disappointment.

So why do I even let myself be surprised anymore, given YJA's track record with foreigners? :o(

Jet Stream Presents Hitagi of Bakemonogatari (WF2010 Summer)

2010-08-02T15:02:00.004+08:00

Source

Baby, where have you been all my life?

Wonder Festival 2010 Summer - Aftermath

2010-07-28T14:31:00.011+08:00

Despite not being able to attend as usual, I was very satisfied with the kit offerings on Y!JA. Save for the super popular kits, markup was surprisingly minimal (I saw at least four Ooki Futaba from C. Project sell for near retail). Most importantly, I managed to pick up the kit I've been looking for since the last Wonder Festival among a few other unexpected gems.

Currently 2 more kit to go until I hit 5 for 5. Wish me luck.

In the meantime, entertain yourselves with this prospective kit of Asuka from Millimeter Modeling:

Source

Scale is 1/4. Release date is currently scheduled for September 2010. He will likely sell through his website so stay tuned.

Oh what the hell. Here are a few more great kits from the event that I missed to report on:

Melting Neuron Presents Mina Tepes

Source

HachiHachi Presents Asuka Langley

Source

Ishinaga Sakurako of Shokubutsu Shoujo En Presents "Love is War"

Source

Koneko Koubo Presents The Original Evangelion Girls

(The sculptor doesn't seem to have a website. Not that he needs to market his stuff or anything.)

My God, will this Asuka fever ever end?

Volks 1/4 Bayonetta by Chorosuke - Incomplete but this is as good as it gets folks

2010-07-24T10:16:00.005+08:00

Source

Oh boy, the amount of detail here is impressive. Even as a complete amateur builder I can tell the braids will be a pain to paint well. If Volks told me painting took longer than expected which is why they had to delay the final pictures, I'd almost believe them. Wow.

But the face - it's not doing it for me...am I just not attracted to her facial structure? When I try to visualize the kit as a whole I get even more discouraged. But to be fair I should probably wait until the painted version to make my final assessments.

Still, there is a good side to this - I'm now going in with lowered but more realistic expectations. In addition, while a lot less numerous in quantity, I do own kits which I absolutely did not care for in the beginning; and now I've grown to treasure these a great deal more than the majority of the rest which were purchased under the influence of initial zeal.

Wonder Festival 2010 Summer - Preview 2

2010-07-18T01:23:00.036+08:00

This should cover all the event exclusive kits that I'm currently aware of and curious about:

diskvision Presents Original No.5 ELSA (summer ver)

Source

Very gorgeous and very close to my female ideal.

essence. Presents Ryofu Housen

Source

Scale: 1/7
Price: 11,000 yen

Nice. He's been teasing us with this sculpt for long enough now.

Orchid Seed Presents "Rider" of Happou Bijin's Artbook Sweet Body

Source

Scale: 1/7 (12cm tall and 13.5cm long)
Price: 10,000 yen (tax included)
Sculptor: Ikeda Ryouichi (R.S.B)
Availability: 100 (a limited number of the 100 will be sold on the Orchid Seed website via mail order starting 7/27 19:00 JST)

Yamato Presents Yukihime of Satanikus Enma Cerberus

Source

Price: 18,000 yen (tax included)
Sculptor: Fujiura Toui of Toy's Brand

Always had a thing for these yuki-onna types. Ones like Yukihime from Kikoushi Enma and not ice cold bitches though.

This distinction is like, super important?

Shiragami Takayuki Presents Chouun Shiryuu

Source

Scale: 30cm tall
Price: 16,000 yen (tentative)
Parts: 28

Kanu then Chouun, how pleasantly predictable.

Don't get me wrong though - I love what he's done here.

Epoxy Parfait Presents Vash the Stampede

Source

Scale: 1/10
Price: 9,000 yen

Vash is all about the clothes.

Hiroshi of Sakura Zensen Presents Misaka Mikoto of Toaru Majutsu no Index

Source

Based on the manga. Didn't enjoy the series but this kit managed to strike a chord.

Ishinaga Sakurako of Shokubutsu Shoujoen Presents "Koi wa Sensou" of Supercell feat. Hatsune Miku

Source

I'm giddy with anticipation. Her World is Mine Miku and Lineage II Elf easily top my list of favorite PVC's. How could another Miku be bad, given her track record?

Ibuki of Resetsu Presents Celty Sturluson of Durarara!!

Source

A female dullahan for a protagonist. I must admit I'm intrigued - and this wouldn't be the first time a kit has prompted me to research the source material (Princess Waltz and Sengoku Rance to name a few).

MegaTechBody Presents Nana of Nana and Kaoru

Source

Scale: 1/8
Price: 7,000 yen

Not exactly my pose of choice but it's faithful to the source material.

Principality of Kagutsuchino Presents Circlet Girl "Shin Sekai no Mon"

Source

Finally a picture of the completed kit!

This is vol 11 of the light novel. See the resemblance?

Cerberus Project Presents Bayonetta

Source

Goodness. When I first saw a small thumbnail of this kit (painted in grayish tone no less) I wasn't exactly blown away (see source link, last picture). But after seeing this kit in daily ranking 2nd place on Fg-site I figured I owe it to myself to check again - and how unpleasantly correct I was.

Gotta set aside about 130,000 to 150,000 yen if I want a stab at everything, and this isn't taking into account the unavoidable markup on Yahoo! Japan Auction during the post-convention week. Probably closer to the 250,000 yen range I'd guess?

Good God this is just for this post too. o_O

Wonder Festival 2010 Summer - Volk's Offering

2010-07-17T13:06:00.012+08:00

What, you thought I would miss reporting on my favorite GK company? :)

These are my top three picks for the upcoming ∀-Brand series:

Character: Celia Kumani Eintree
Series: Walkure Romanze: Shoujo Kishi Monogatari
Scale: 1/8 (18.5 cm tall)
Sculptor: Misaki Serika
Parts: 33
Price: 12,000 yen
Availability: Wonder Festival 2010 Summer Exclusive
Source: Here

Character: Kisaki Mio
Series: Walkure Romanze: Shoujo Kishi Monogatari
Scale: 1/8 (18.5 cm tall)
Sculptor: Misaki Serika
Parts: 34
Price: 12,000 yen
Availability: Wonder Festival 2010 Summer Exclusive
Source: Here

Character: Raira Ria Soreru
Series: Shiden ~Enkan no Kizuna~
Scale: 1/8 (20.5cm tall)
Sculptor: D-Paul
Parts: unknown
Price: 12,000 yen
Availability: Wonder Festival 2010 Summer Exclusive
Source: Here

Of course, last but not least, there's Chorosuke's Bayonetta that I'm sure we're all dying to see:

But you won't be seeing it from me today (hah!) because the jerks over there love to pull our chains.

Wonder Festival 2010 Summer - Daiki Kougyou's Offerings

2010-07-17T03:46:00.006+08:00

Product Details:

Character: Akiyama Mio
Series: K-On!
Scale: 1/6　(26cm tall)
Parts: 42 (additional parts include 1 decal for amplifier, 4 strings for base, 1 amplifier cord and 3 color photos)
Sculptor: Hagii Shunji (Circle: Studio Saru Bunshitsu)
Price: 15,000 yen (tax included)
Age Recommendation: 15 and up (^^)
Availability: 40 (WF2010 event exclusive)

This is a very nice Mio sculpt (high praise from a non K-On! fan). I used to think that Hagii was only good at realistic faces but he's obviously proven me wrong here.

I'm a little tempted by this one. A 7/10 on my list of desirables at the moment.

Product Details:

Character: Tsuneko (Back Cover Girl)
Series: Maid Yome by Kizuki Aruchu
Scale: 1/6　(30cm tall)
Parts: 26 (of which 6 are clear parts); 3 photos included
Sculptor: Hagii Shunji (Circle: Studio Saru Bunshitsu)
Price: 13,000 yen (tax included)
Age Recommendation: 18 and up (>>)
Availability: 40 (WF2010 event exclusive)

I would place Maid Yome in my top 20 H-manga going by art alone (the story is not worth mentioning). Aruchu's Monster Hunter doujin series however is lame and I do not recommend any of it.

So the GK - sadly it pales a bit in comparison to the original artwork that made it so great, but I do see a shadow of its former glory. I only wish that I could see the face more clearly as that's my main gripe with this sculpt.

For additional photos please visit Daiki Kougyou. You won't regret it!

Wonder Festival 2010 Summer Preview

2010-07-15T08:31:00.040+08:00

It's that time of the year again! Forget the disappointment that was Treasure Festival in Ariake 3 because if fg-site is any indication, this year's Wonder Festival is going to rock like it's 2007 again.***

Here are the guys (and girls?) that you want to watch out for:

Principality of Kagutsuchino Presents

Saber (again)! But it's extra version(?) this time!

The heroine from the light novel "Circlet Girl". The completed sculpt will be revealed at Wonder Festival.

It's based on the cover art for volume 11. Never heard of this light novel before but she's cute enough to warrant a kit, sure.

Po-chan (fg-site handle) Presents

New Queen's Blade character Moon Dancer Lunaluna.

Based on this page from Queen's Blade Rebellion artbook. If not for her weird cock strap-on she'd be pretty fine~.

Kitsutefu Presents

Shiro no Hyakujya (aka The Hundred Year White Snake) completes his five colors deity series. I'm sure a good handful of you are familiar with the other four.

Aside from being the strongest deity of the five (according to the sculptor himself), she's also the best looking sculpt of the five (according to me). I would gladly add her to my collection even if it means I have to bear the shame of having an incomplete collection (I mean, you do *have* to buy the others if you buy even one).

Sec.C.Noin (fg-site handle) Presents

Dead Master from Black Rock Shooter (don't know much else aside from this).

Personally I don't enjoy looking at this kit as a whole. The overall balance seems strange. Maybe I'm tired of kits where a tiny character is holding an improbably large weapon.

But I do like how the face was sculpted. Also I still think his Horo kit rocks so I wanted to feature this foreign sculptor.

RINGO (fg-site handle) Presents

Fuck this such a sweet looking kit of Youmu. Sadly it doesn't seem like it'll be ready in time for WF.

Cerberus Project (TM) Presents

Yowza. So remind me again why I stopped reading Amanchu!? This sculpt of Ooki Futaba is definitely doing it for me. I knew it wasn't blind loyalty that keeps me coming back for more (and it certainly wasn't due to their recent line of ball-jointed kits - I blame brain lapse on their part).

Another kit to get excited about.

Plastic Garden Presents

Simple is truly best. There's a Chinese proverb that states that the more basic the cooking ingredients, the better you can see a chef's true culinary skills. This proverb certainly lends some credibility here - despite the not-so-exciting pose he's managed to create something beautiful.

My hats off to him.

To drive the point home - did I mention that I harbor no love for the series nor the characters? Ok good.

ehenmushi (fg-site handle) Presents

Makise Kurisu from the Xbox 360 game Stein's Gate.

This isn't exactly a mind blowing kit. In fact you might even say it's pretty average.

But this is a good counter-example to my previous assertions. The pose chosen by the sculptor adds a good degree of realism to this otherwise plain sculpture. I'm not saying I'm going to devote hours into hunting this kit down on YJA - God no - but I will unabashedly say that I like it. In fact I like it a lot.

This is the sculptor's entry work on fg-site (pretty good actually). I'm interested in seeing more from this guy in the near future.

Team Yukariko Presents

Joker Undead from the Kamen Rider Blade series. Don't know anything else about this guy.

M Field Presents

Alice Margatroid (lol) of Touhou Project.

This is a collaboration project between Teruyuki of M Field and Yukiusa of Nekojimu. Yukiusa's sculpt is not shown because I like Teruyuki's part a lot more, is all.

G-Rug Presents

Utsuho Reiuji of Touhou Project.

Another in-progress work that won't make it on time for the big day. :\

By the by, expect to see a huge influx of Working!! kits this time around. Whether it'll be the next biggest thing since K-On! will remain to be seen.

Now let the big day commence!

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that my opinions/criticisms here only apply to the unpainted versions shown. All it takes is a fresh layer of paint to turn the best sculpture into a piece of crap.

***last great year for new GK releases, according to me

The Balance of the Nine Skies - Liji and Xiao-Wei, in Color

2010-06-10T16:50:00.005+08:00

Not Treasure Festival related but eye candy nonetheless:

Before

After

Different Color Scheme

What do you guys think? I'm more a fan of the black and red.

Ordering

Those interested should contact Steve (cyberkid) on Hobby Fanatics. He's the official overseas rep for the Davyace team.