VF-25 Fate Testarossa ver.

We had Itasha, Itansha, Itachari, and even an Ita-GM, and here we have an Ita-Valkyrie (variable fighter from anime Macross Frontier) featuring Fate Testarossa from the Nanoha series.

This VF-25 plamo is made by rakigako2, a dedicated Fate fan who has shown his work on ToysDaily forum. I'll leave the pictures to do the telling, since a picture is worth a thousand words ^^

Battroid mode:
Side-by-side with 2 other Valkyries








Fighter mode:
That's where the beauty shines in my opinion~







Omake:




Beautiful custom decal sheet, and is self made too O_O

No pictures of Gerwalk mode available though.

Want to make your own?
rakigako2 has some tips for DIY decal sheet:

Buy clear decal sheet(s)

Use software to design the decals (mainly rearranging and resizing images)

Use ink jet printer to print (or laser printer if you have one)

Use at least 3 layers of top coat (a must, and first 1-2 coating should be water based)

If the model is of dark colour(s), then use white decal sheet(s) instead

As far as I know, Macross plamos are not cheap, and their decals are not easy to apply (there are a lot of them!). This one simply made my jaws dropped for a while, and it looks really nice even for an Ita-Valkyrie~

Big thumbs up for rakigako2's effort on making this Ita-Valkyrie, and his dedication towards Fate!

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Speaking of Fate, I've just finished watching Nanoha StrikerS tonight, and it's nice to see her in action (albeit a little short and limited). The anime has a slow start with a lot of new characters to introduce, but it does pick up the pace later in the series. It shouldn't be regarded as a "Magical Girl" series, as it has moved on to something that seem more serious and more bureaucratic, which is a big contrast to its prequels. The big change in timeline and themes can be a little uneasy to get used to, and the sucess of A's has overshadowed this series quite a bit, but overall it's still a solid piece with some interesting characters and backstory in my humble opinion, and I do look forward to another Nanoha series should there ever be one.

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Nendoroid Shana Dengeki Daioh ver.

The bleeding didn't stop from last week - here comes my first and only Nendoroid I've ever bought for myself @_@


Nendoroid Shana Dengeki Daioh version, or commonly known as the Black Hair version, is the magazine exclusive Nendoroid figure of Shana by Good Smile Company (GSC). Getting one of these definitely isn't easy by now, and I got mine at a relatively hefty price

Although it's called Nendoroid (or sometimes Nendo) in English, we Chinese tend to call it a Q版 (Q-version), where "Q" is approximately shortened for "cute". Basically it's akin to chibi or super deformed.

So why did I get it? Well, I didn't plan to get this in the first place (just like the black hair figma Shana), but after seeing so pictures of this Nendoroid here and there (especially the one where Valho puts his Nendo Shana in all pictures of his loot), the cuteness overwhelmed me, and at the end I told meronpan right here that I'd get it, and I did orz


As one can see, there are a number parts to go with it beside the clear stand: Alternate arms, alternate face, alternate hair, a different skirt for sitting pose, 2 tails and her favourite melonpan~

As for that thing keeping Shana standing at the back, I'll mentioned later what it is.


What's worth noticing is that there's only one ahoge (i.e. the hair sticking out of her head) for two hair pieces. Since I don't want to break anything (and I have not seen other people changing the ahoge piece back and forth before), I've left it on the nekomimi one.


It's also worth noting that the back of the box mentioned only one tail on the list of parts, whereas there are actually two in this Nendoroid.


But again I mentioned that this isn't really gonna be a review, because things start to go off track when my 1/100 Tieren finally gives Shana her long waited melonpan...


Then her ^o^ face comes, and it's illegally cute.


The two black hair (and limited) Shanas enjoying their melonpans~


Without me noticing it, I've got that many Shana figures already. It kinda does take me by surprise as I don't own many figures, and I've not thought of Shana being the character I'd have the most figures of o_o;;


A finisher combo: Nendoroid Nekomimi Shana with Kawaii!





Okay, anymore of that and I'd go moe overload. @_@

And I've really spent too much on stuff for this break. Way too much. I probably won't spend anymore on figures for the time being until Alter Fate comes, and devote more to my gunpla backlog, but I'd have to leave those for the summer.

Meanwhile I should get myself cured/uncured by appreciating a military diorama I've bought fairly recently as well (yea more blood lost, but not as badly):

Metal Troops 1/144 US Navy Landing Craft LCM 3 WWII Diorama~


P.S. The mysterious creature holding Shana on the 3rd pic was a turtle called 小鋒 (Siu Fung). It's one of my sister's family of 4 turtles, and I'm not sure why a lot of people have mistaken them as rabbits ^^;

Proper (?) reviews of this Nendo Shana can be found on:

Meronpan

Exelica Meteor

Orange Horizons

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April Purchase

This is probably the week I've spent the most on merchandise so far @_@


Blogs can be very influential; I helped Ngee Khiong buying a MG G-3 Gundam OYW version a few months ago, and today I couldn't resist and bought myself one as well in the SOGO event (mentioned in previous post) that has just ended tonight orz

The two 1/144 Zaku Ground Battle Sets were bought earlier this week from a local model shop, and that together is about the same price as the MG I've just bought...

... Which happens to be the very first MG I've bought for myself XD


I've got a fukubukuro for purchasing the MG G-3, and inside there's a BB Senshi Sangokuden catalogue, a Sangokuden throne plamo, Ryofu Tallgeese coaster, a Gundam game card, and a Master Grade Catalogue~


A card of Astray Gold Frame Amatu (incomplete) for a card game that I cannot remember


Various things for Sangokuden series, but I haven't been a fan of it, so that's a miss for me (unfortuantely) -_-


On the other hand, the MG Catalogue is quite interesting, which includes a 'development tree' on how they decide on what MGs to release and some comments on them.


Pages of each MG gunpla up to RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, which is the 102th of the line, but we are already at number 118 or so by now ^^;


And last but not least,

Despite being a killer on all aspects, I've finally given in and preordered Alter 1/7 Fate, with a preorder receipt that Kawaii is holding on right now ^^;

To preorder something in a local shop, one usually has to pay a portion of the total price, and gets a receipt for the preorder. When the item arrives, s/he has to pay the remainder in order to acquire it with the receipt as the proof of the purchase.

Well, for a person who doesn't spend as much as other fellow bloggers, this is a big hole for my wallet already. One of the Cantonese saying of spending alot is "大出血", which means "bleeding alot"...

... And that's how I look right now
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Gundam Event @ SOGO

To celebrate 30th annivesary of Gundam, Hong Kong's SOGO is holding a very small event selling a number of gunpla. As I live fairly close to it, I can easily come down and pay it a visit. Let's see what they've got to offer~


The event takes place on 4th floor of SOGO in Causeway Bay between 2nd to 8th April, which means it's still taking place right now. It's a only very small section next to one set of escalators, and I've missed it when I was going up the floors -_-


On a side note, a small accident occured when I was on my way to Causeway Bay, forming a big cluster of buses blocking the road in an inconvenient way.


Back to the topic, a number of gunpla on display:
1/100 Blitz Clear Colour ver.
I can't remember whether it was released before :o


1/100 Astray Blue Frame 2nd L Clear Colour ver.
Can't recall seeing this before either :\


The talk of the month: PG Astray Red Frame~


The awesome Char's Zaku II is not for sale, but the Zeon suitcase next to him is (Char's colour also available apparently).


The boxes of the said clear colour gunpla are piled together with other hard-to-get ones such as the MG Strike Freedom Extra Finish ver. and PG Gouf.


PG Astray and 1/60 Strike Freedom Lightning Edition


Boxes of PG Zaku II + weapons set (Animation Colour ver), which is a Chara Hobby event limited item, and appeared in the recent Gundam Expo Hong Kong 2008 too.


More PGs: Gundam Mk II (AEUG and Titans ver.), and RX-78-2.


Another limited item from previous events: BB Senshi DX Versal Knight Gundam (Full Colour Plated ver.)



Found these scenes familiar? They seem to be the exactly same dioramas from ACGHK 2008 and Gundam Expo Hong Kong 2008 respectively


HG 1/144 Exia Clear Colour ver, another event limited item


On the left is 1/35 Guren Mk II Full Colour Plated ver. (from anime Code Geass), the last limited plamo from previous events (I think), and MG Strike Rouge Clear Colour ver, which is apparently the limited gunpla for this small event


For those who are curious on how this Strike Rouge would look like, here it is.
Image from Giga Hobby


1/35 Jumbo Grade RX-78-2 and Char's Zaku II!


Boxes of GFFMC Z Plus mentioned in previous post.

Ngee Khiong has been longing for his MG G-3 OYW ver. since August.
Luckily, he got his early this year ^^


EMSiA G-3 Gundam and Gelgoog Herbert von Kuspan custom. For those who don't know German name and his white Gelgoog, he appeared in the OVA MS IGLOO Apocalypse 0079.

The event is open from 2nd to 8th April on 4th floor of SOGO from 10am to 10pm (extended to 10:30pm for weekends). Admission is free, and apparently you'll get some sort of fukubukuro when one spends enough money for gunpla.

All limited gunpla/plamo from Chara Hobby and Gundam Expo Hong Kong 2008 are bolded, and acutal pictures of the models themselves can be seen on Ngee Khiong's blog.

It's worth noting that the prices there are fairly expensive, so unless you are going for the event limited or other hard-to-get gunpla, I'd recommend the local model shops instead for normal gunpla.
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