1/8 Sorey (Kotobukiya)

Tales of Zestiria (the game) might have gotten a lot of flack in Japan, but the characters at least are quite likable.  Before the game was even released, it was announced that Alter and Kotobukiya were collaborating to create two figures. Alter did Alisha while Kotobukiya got Sorey.   I ended up purchasing the first print of Sorey and I have quite a few things to say about him.

Oh Noes!: Tamaki's Warped Leg

Friends, sometimes, mistakes happen. Sometimes, a ball is dropped and no one picks it up. Sometimes, details are overlooked and no one notices. Sometimes, people get lazy because they are human.

Luckily, when such things happen, there's a thing called communication. And disgruntlement. Communication and disgruntlement can get you far in situations where people are busy being human. Read on, for the full story.

1/7 Beelzebub (Amakuni) NSFW

Friends, life is often filled with disappointments. Many days, I find myself underwhelmed, or disappointed, or ambivalent about a highly anticipated figure. An amazing prototype comes out, but the paint job fails to deliver. I pre-order a figure just to realize I am no longer interested when the release date comes by. Or something like that.

Which is why I was so pleased when a figure actually surpasses my expectations. Figures like Beelzebub.

1/7 Cerberus (Max Factory)

Continuing our reviews of figures that have appeared in my Year End Review trend...

Cerberus was one of my superficial buys. When I ordered her, I knew nothing of her character except that she looked cute, had an attractive outfit, and was manufactured by Max Factory, both of which were apparently enough to warrant a buy.

Mutsumi Inomata Art Works Tales of 2004 - 2015

I've been a fan of the Tales of series for a while now, and it's hard to believe they're celebrating their 20th anniversary.  I suppose that means a plethora of new Tales of merchandise will be available by the end of 2015.  The more recent games have been lacking in some areas, but overall they're pretty fun.  I found myself liking the majority of character designs and artwork as well. When it was announced for pre-order, I ended up grabbing this gorgeous art book showing off Mutsumi Inomata's Tales of series designs! 

1/7 Margit Suzuki (Native) NSFW

Another day, another review. This time, we're headed to the classroom, where a naughty, half-German professor who definitely looks old enough to teach chemistry (wink wink) once again takes off her panties for the sake of science. Because, "If you're going to do science, it had better be German" (Native, 2013). Yes'sir, it's just another beautiful, typical day in Japanland.

Yup.

2014: Year in Review (NSFW)

As the year draws to a close and a new one commences, I am forced once again to confront the financial and emotional budget of my wonderful hobby life. With 2015 sweeping away the woes of 2014, how, might we say, did my collecting journey evolve? The new year is a time for reflection, resolutions, and a brand new outlook on life. Learning experiences are abound, realizations are to be made, and statistics are to be analyzed. So, without further ado, I present to you a summary of my plastic conquests.

1/7 Sonico Santa swimsuit ver. (Alter)

Finally, it's appropriate to review Santa swimsuit Sonico (stranger sentences are possible, but rare). See, I've had this Sonico kicking around since Alter decided to release her in May, but never bothered to take pictures of her, because a Santa hood would look too darn silly against a lush, green lawn.

When Alter announced they were finally jumping on the Sonico bandwagon, I did an unsuccessful backflip. Sonico and Alter? Talk about blowing my mind.

1/7 Miku Hatsune ver. Type 2020 (Max Factory)

Seventh Dragon 2020 Miku is a prime example of an obligatory buy. With Max Factory's Samurai and Hacker already under my belt, was there any viable doubt I would add Idol Miku to the mix? None. Blame my rampant collector's mentality.

So, did collector's mentality result in a good purchase? Maybe. Maybe not. I speaketh no spoilers. Not in this preview, anyway. You'll just have to read on.

1/8 Estellise Sidos Heurassein (Alter)

She's pink.  She's bubbly.  She's the princess of Zaphias!  Estellise Sidos Heurassein (or Estelle for short) makes an appearance at Poke the Merch as my first 1/8 scale figure!  Alter seems to be shelling out lots of Tales of series figures and thanks to Ash and her sister Lisa, I managed to get one of them!  It was hard to say no to Estelle because she looked incredibly sweet and lovely in the preview pictures.  And I must say, she looks just as lovely displayed on my desk.