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.

Anime North 2014 Giveaway (Updated: May 03, 2014)

Hello dear readers, Poke the Merch will be heading to Anime North 2014 and we're hoping to see you there!  Due to the success of our "Sinbad's Treasure" giveaway last year, we've decided to give more goodies out!  Be sure to find us on Saturday, May 24, 2014 to claim a piece of our merch!

1/7 Menma swimsuit ver. (Max Factory)

I'm not sure why it took me so long to pick up Max Factory's swimsuit Menma. I've been a fan of her unique look since the very beginning, but even when her resale price dropped to 3000 yen, I waited. What was I trying to prove? That I'm patient or something? How illogical.

So, after a year of staring at photos of her on the Internet (like an apex creeper), I finally threw up my arms and ordered her. Instantly, a thousand weights lifted from my shoulders. Hallelujah!

1/8 Aladdin - G.E.M. Series (Megahouse)NSFW

As a character, I found Aladdin really intriguing. On the surface he seems like a typical 'shounen-style' hero what with his sense of compassion and his being really hungry all the time. He's also a being sent to the world by a higher power to restore peace and unite the world. I assumed that he would act in a manner befitting such a protagonist. He would be the cool, righteous voice to the morally ambiguous deuteragonist, Ali Baba. Imagine my delight when I found out that wasn't the case at all. 

Wonfes Winter 2014

The following the a true to life reaction of Poke the Merch upon seeing Winter Wonder Festival 2014: "My god, it's ALL Kan Colle!"

We're not kidding. We might even be a bit traumatized. Sure, there were other figures here and there, but it was mostly Kan Colle. How one series became so dominate in terms of representation is a mystery to us. We suspect conspiracy (or overwhelming firepower). So we ducked our heads, peeled our eyes, and sought out the few figures brave enough to stand among the crush of personified war machines.