Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE Review

Update: As of January 2014, JUNGLE has updated their website. As such, some information in this post may no longer be relevant. We will update our review accordingly as soon as possible!

 I love JUNGLE. It's like a mini-Mandarake. In retrospect, that analogy is meaningless unless you're an active Mandarake user, so let me just reiterate the quaintness and efficiency of this wee import site. Read on.

1/8 Yagyu Jubei White Swimsuit Ver. (Alter)

When Alter decided to release Jubei with a transparent bikini, Curiosity compelled me to take a closer look.

But let's be honest, the bikini scene has been done to death. Mostly, the girls stand around looking naked and sexual and somewhat static. Thankfully, Yagyu Jubei defines herself in a number of ways. First, she has a distinctive way of stashing swords, and second, hot damn, she's an Alter! Throw in some hallmark Alter detail and this can only turn out well.

Shiro Amano Art Works - Kingdom Hearts

I'm back with more Kingdom Hearts merchandise!  Why?  Because I think the Kingdom Hearts series is awesome!  And because I have a huge collection of KH merch that needs to be reviewed.

This time, we'll be looking at a piece of merch that's fairly old compared to the other Kingdom Hearts merch I've reviewed thus far. Since the fifth volume of the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days manga is coming out next month, I figured I'd do a review on the Shiro Amano Art Works book!

Miwa Shirow's VVW Vocaloid Visual Works (Doujinshi)

With C82 arriving in August, my doujinshi fever has been lit anew! So watch out, world, Poke the Merch is talking art.

Miku has enough representations to fill a classroom. Her fanmade personalities oscillate from cute to chipper to downright bitchface evil. Whatever's your type, Miku's got it. It's a part of her charm. Personally, I'm not overly fond of Miku and her high frequency output, but I adore how she's presented in Vocaloid Visual Works. After all, I love my women with a bit of rawr, and Love of War Miku is totally badass.

Rco Wada's "Toka + Toka 2" (doujinshi)

Collecting doujinshi can become a very dangerous hobby very fast. There are so many wonderful artists it's all too easy to buy yourself into bankruptcy. I am always doubly cautious when picking up doujinshi because of their relatively high expense-to-page ratio. Paying a dollar per page can burn through your wallet at alarming speeds, but when I come across something like Rco Wada's Toka + Toka 2 I simply can't resist. It shot me with delicious colours. Right in the heart.

Huke's "BLK" (Artbook) Regular Ver.

I have never experienced a heart attack, nor do I ever wish to, but I like to imagine it feels like learning of the release of Huke's BLK - sudden shortness of breath, dizziness and massive heart palpitations.

Huke is an artist that's known even when he's not known. Undoubtedly you have all seen his work. After all, he managed to start an entire franchise with a picture. I mean, how is that even feasible? He must be crazy. And he is, artwise. In a totally good way.

1/8 Sakura Nanako (MegaHouse)

Once in a while, a figure comes along that enrapts the mind. You ponder over it during the wee hours of dawn. You see its semblance in every which corner. It flaunts its gorgeous hair and beckons with its piercing plastic gaze despite having no agency of its own. It pops up at most inopportune times, to remind you of the gap in your collection where it should be.

Sakura Nanako was not one of these figures (Trollolol). Nevertheless! I have been on her tail for a while now, and it feels good to finally have her at hand.

Ar Tonelico Visual Book (Enterbrain)

Ah, Ar Tonelico...so full of pretty girls and elaborate environments (that you can never actually see full 3D renditions of unless you're playing the third game).  I never actually managed to finish Ar Tonelico III because it was lacking in several areas, including gameplay and characterization, but I've always appreciated the artwork.  In fact, I picked up the first game because I was attracted to the artwork I happened to discover online.  Only later did I learn that the game was crammed with sexual innuendos and then some.  But I digress. The Ar Tonelico visual book covers artwork from all three games in the series.  So let's take a look at what's inside this 192-pager!

It's a Mug! (Magi Mug - Sindria Kingdom) - Broccoli

Bow before the almighty Magi mug! 

Yes, I’m aware it’s a mug and not an art book or figure, but that doesn’t meant it isn’t merch!  And remember folks, we’re here to poke the merch! 

Plamoya Review (Updated: May 29, 2012)

Plamoya is an import site that's both infuriating and impressive. Why? It's flexible, it's unpredictable, it's a site that's in constant flux. It's a site you have to check every few hours lest you miss an enticing deal. What do I mean? Read on!