Robot Damashii Byarlant Custom preview

Bandai's Tamashii Web Shouten has put up Robot Damashii Byarlant Custom pre-order page, of which the MS has made a pretty appearance in the 4th episode of Gundam UC released earlier this month.



Robot Damashii Byarlant Custom banner and preview images from Tamashii Web Shouten

The RX-160S Byarlant Custom is a customised and a further development from the RX-160 Byarlant. Like its original it is one of the few MS that can fly and even hover in mid-air on its own without having to transform or rely on a separate support platform. Being left over from the Gryps War back in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, it was not mass produced but 'upgraded' using existing parts for testing and development purposes.


Original Byarlant from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, image from MAHQ


Byarlant Custom as seen destroying Zeon remnants attacking Torrington Base in OVA episode 4. With its spectacular "eye candy" performance there were viewers even spculating whether it was the legendary Gundam pilot Amuro Ray piloting the Byarlant Custom.

Byarlant Custom in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrk8g7lpUE8


Byarlant Custom as seen in manga. Some backstory has been given to both the MS and its pilot. The pilot is revealed to be an ex-Titan pilot (named Robin Diez) who later rejoined the EFSF as Unit 1 of Byarlant Custom. There was a Unit 2 as well, but due to startup error it could not be launched, but destroyed the roof of the hangar in order for Unit 1 to sortie.


The Robot Damashii Byarlant Custom will be released in April 2012 for 6090 Yen to those who have pre-ordered it via the web shop (which is mainly for domestic Japanese customers). It will also come with beam sabre effect parts as well as a marking sticker set.

As the Byarlant Custom was not in the original novel, it seems to have appeared specifically for episode 4 of OVA adaptation as well as in the manga adaptation. Too bad the Robot Damashii action figure is web shop limited (i.e. proxy service is required for most overseas collector who want it), and has a big price tag of 6090 Yen. Sure one can justify that the Japanese economy is bad, but seeing more and more things that people like end up being limited only can be quite frustrating.

I must say that I am a little moved by the Byarlant Custom after seeing its performance in the OVA, especially as I am a fan of grunt units in the first place. The story and plot is said to be greatly cut and even altered from the novel, but action scenes don't disappoint most of the time. I am tempted to get it, but I'm now on the fence about it. Sure, I have pulled off stunts for expensive limited stuff several times before, but seeing more and more are ending up this path along with the strong Yen sometimes doesn't encourage me from buying these toys, but to refrain me from buying them instead sometimes. :\
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Racing Miku 2011 Goodies

Goodies of Racing Miku 2011 have arrived last week (a month earlier than I have expected). These are part of the sponsor course set up for Super GT race by the GSR (GoodSmile Racing) & Studie with TeamUKYO team with a BMW Z4 GT3, of which the mascot character is Hatsune Miku herself. The figma Racing Miku 2011, which I have mentioned a few months ago, should arrive in late December.

Well, with the goodies come a month ahead of the figma itself, let's have a look at those!


These items are part of the Racing Miku Sponsor courses that were once available for pre-order in NicoNico Chokuhan. There are 4 different courses one can choose, with the more expensives ones having more items over the less expensive ones. All will contain the figma Racing Miku 2011: First Win ver. The one I have pre-ordered was the 7000 Yen course, which is the one with the lowest cost among the four. But still, this is no cheap figma to get along with the fact that oversea buyers would have to go through some kind of proxy service to get their hands on it.


First off, ticket holder and strap. Both have the "Made in China" sticker stuck on the packaging.


Other side of ticket holder and strap unfolded. The holder is wide enough to put a postcard in.


Wrist band and Racing Miku rubber strap


And finally a sticker. The sponsorship ID card is not with this lot; it may come with the figma itself in December.


Image from Good Smile Company's product page

With the goodies having arrived, there's still a month to wait before the figma (which is the main thing) is available. It's a bit odd how the two lots don't come together in one go, but at least they come early so I'm not complaining. Let's hope the figma is worth the wait!

On a side note, the nendoroid version is now out. You can have a look at it in blogs such as cafe Yui.
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Meet the Desperado, Gundam AGE style

Official Desperado image from Gundam AGE official website

Despite the initial mixed to negative reception on the latest Gundam series Gundam AGE, viewers often manage to find something interesting to talk about here and there. Meet the Desperado, the construction use MS that made appearance in Gundam AGE last Sunday.





The CMS-328 Desperado is a construction use mobile suit that made its debut on episode 6 of Gundam AGE. Piloted by Iwark Bria, a man from the underground society of a space colony, the Desperado was used to attack the MS of warring factions Zalam and Euba from previous inter-colony conflict that were responsible for hurting his adopted daughter, as well as his people to be exiled into underground society. Despite being only armed with a heat shovel and pickaxe, Desperado proved capable enough to take down several enemy MS before being overwhelmed by additional MS with machinegun fire and saved by the progtaonist Flit with his Gundam AGE-1.



After episode 6 was aired on Sunday, parody fanarts start to appear. For example "Hyper Desperado", with more shovels attached on the back as wings


"Variants" of Desperado. Gundam 00 designs such as Tieren and Alvaaron are present, along with Leo and Tallgeese from Gundam Wing and even Lancelot from Code Geass.


"Gundam Desperado Exia (Dexia?), digging the target!" Image from pixiv


A touch-up design of Desperado, image from pixiv


One of the manly art of Desperado, image from pixiv


Custom model of Desperado in Super Deformed size is also spotted, as seen here from fg-site using HGUC 1/144 Ball as the main base



Desperado is confirmed to appear in upcoming game G-Generation 3D for Nintendo 3DS


So, away with Trainer GM, Worker Zaku, or Works GINN; you are nothing in front of the Desperado and its mighty heat shovel.

A few more fanarts on pixiv before closing off~


http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=22201886


http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=21789146

Parodying the first episode of original Mobile Suit: Gundam XD


http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=21532021


http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=21089868


Sometimes, I am amazed with how people can react to things and come up with all these fanarts and parodies ^^; Well, at least it's something creative and positive out there rather than the usual bashing and criticisms, right?
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Gundam AGE not doing well in Japan?

Mobile Suit: Gundam AGE has been unpopular with Gundam franchise fan ever since its annoucement. Now that it has been aired for 5 episodes, it appears that that its unpopularity is proving itself with Gunplas not selling out well.


どーすんのよこれ！？日野さん！
(What to do with this?! Hino-san (director of Gundam AGE)!)
ガンダムAGEプラモ見切り処分
Gundam Age [plastic models] throwaway sale


HG Gafran is going for 777 Yen (retail price is 1200 Yen exlcuding tax)

Both pictures appears to be taken from the same hobby shop.

299 Yen for a model kit is quite something, though it does not imply which ones are getting such "discounts" ^^; For a Gundam TV series that is now airing and its merchandise to fall in prices drastically like so, this is pretty shocking even for a series that is unpopular. I remember Gundam SEED Frame Astray was doing pretty bad too as I have managed to buy HG 1/144 Leon's Arms Astray PMC Custom for 500 Yen only in Akihabara (HG 1/144 Alec's Kerberos BuCUE Hound was selling for the same price too), but that was for a manga side story. Later that summer Ngee Khiong also blogged about other SEED Destiny Gunpla in some shops were going from 500 Yen upwards too.


On the other hand, the view rate in Japan is not doing spectacular either, with an overall rate hitting 2.5% for all ages by episode 3. Ironically despite the series' main audience is targeted to be children, there are very few children who are actually watching it, in fact even fewer than adults. Apart from Gundam SEED, SEED Destiny, and 00 statistics available for comparison above AGE, the other two series being compared at the bottom are Kamen Rider Fourze and Danbouru Senki, of which both are airing at the moment and have children view rate in two-digit percentage.


Most people I know who are watching Gundam AGE are just watching it to see how bad it can really get. I am watching it because it's a Gundam series. While initial observations show that overall reception is leaning on the negative, it's perhaps still a bit too early to start judging it (which is a tempting thing to do). I originally put some thoughts in this post, but after a bit of retrospective look I decided to take them back. Who knows, this series might get epic later on? Well I will leave them as it is here.



Well, at least Yurin is a character many viewers have taking a liking of, and some even calling her Yamada due to her similar appearance to the said character in Working!!. At least there are some gems that makes people to look forward to the future episodes ^^


Sources:
2channel
via オタク.com & 大斗ポスト
My Game News Flash
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Dollfie Dream Black Rock Shooter

I know this may be a very profound contrast to what I have for my usual hobbies, but yes the one in my mosaicked teaser post is actually a doll. A Black Rock Shooter doll to be precise.


Please note that this is not an official Black Rock Shooter doll as there is no such thing at the moment. The resin head, eyes, wig, and costume are available as a set made by a group called SQ-LAB. The main body has to be purchased separately, and in this case it's a Volks Dollfie Dream II body with small bust part.

Some items are only available on their Yahoo! Auction Japan page, and this is one of them, which means proxy service is the main way to get it.


A blue flame part is available as well, which can be stuck on the eye with ordinary blu-tack.


Lying down. There are metal wires in the coat down the zipper lines so the coat itself can be posed in a limited way.


A full body shot


A closer shot of previous picture. The eyes, despite being opaque, gives this illusion as if they glow when sufficient light is available.


A different angle of the same pose.


So yes I have fallen for this Dollfie bandwagon too. 3 months ago actually as I have been putting it in the dark except for a couple of tweets on twitter. Put Black Rock Shooter together then it's one fad combined with another (if you want to put it negatively that is, and I know some will glare at me like so by now).

I have to admit that this is quite a stunt I've pulled off. Not everybody finds this kind of thing appealing; some will find them creepy too, especially with the eyes. Dolls or Volk's Dollfies are no action figures, which means they are not expected to do anything dramatic or dynamic; their restricted joints (especially those of Dollfies) will prohibit such poses anyway, so the main concern is more about how to pose like human beings, and how to take pictures of them. The latter has been a bit of a challenge for me since I have always been so casual on photography with a point-and-shoot, and taking pictures of dolls requires a lot of lighting setup or better equipments which I really don't have to make the pictures look particularly good. But with a little bit of workout I am happy with the results I have made so far, especially those taken on the bed.


I actually almost decided to go for Dollfie Dream Fate T Harlaown almost exactly a year ago, but didn't do so at the end because of the face sculpt and the potential nightmare of staining from darker clothings, which is a well known problem for Dollfie Dreams. Then one day I bumped into an auction page of the BRS doll set via posted links in a local forum, and I fell for it. While I actually had little hope of winning it in the first place due to its ridiculous bidding prices, I won one eventually with a price that was within my budget, and so I have to claim it. I was actually quite worried how it would be like since this is no official stuff, and I have seen no pictures from other hobbyists despite a number of them have been sold. The end product actually looks pretty nice, and I am quite glad that things worked out at the end.

Despite all that, like military-related hobby I think I won't plan to talk very often about doll(s) here, as I worry I may lose track and head off in a very different direction for my blog. I have no plans or intentions to have this become my main hobby, or it to replace my other toys such as figma; they all have their own places in my opinion, though some people don't think so and I'd leave them as so.

Last but not least, I want to thank SQ-LAB on making the character set and their help on my inquiries, as well as friends and fellow hobbyists in the online community for the kind support! It's interesting to see it myself how it is like to own such big "toy" there as an outsider and in an attempt to understand it better (rather than to judge something downright ignorant without knowing much about it in the first place). This hobby is still a fairly niche one, and with its massive price tag this is no ordinary thing to jump into. Go in only if you have something that you really, really, really want.


Ack, with all that revealed out, I am actually pretty worried how the response will turn up. Well, I am just sharing things out afterall - that is what blogging is about, right?
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