Hatsune Miku figure review

I got my Miku figure at last. I found out she had been confiscated by my parents and then I obtained her as a Christmas present, which means I'll get the money I spent on her. Lucky me~

Well, some info about this figure. It is manufactured by Good Smile Company. Its retail price is 5,500 Yen and was released in September 2008. The figure has about 18cm in height and is sculpted by YOSHI.

This is the first thing you have to do in order to remove all the plastic wrappings. If you don't disjoint her, you won't get rid of the plastic wrapping on her skirt. But be careful. I almost made my Miku fly when I finally managed to disjoint her.

Nice pantsu, but it's shame she doesn't come with this. The guy who made her the shimapan is amazing. He (or she, I don't think so) painted it very well.

Miku figure stand. Nothing spectacular, but it is elegant. Sorry for the dust. I did clean her before the photo shooting, but the dust just made its way back.

Her dress is finished with some glistening layer.

Look on the awesome details. The red mark on her arm is completely legible. The Vocaloid sign on her left "eye" too, of course.

Her earphones look awesome and are also thoroughly painted. Well, every part of the figure is thoroughly painted.

Does anybody know what are those lines on her clothes?

I like the pose of her.

They really did great work painting the nails. Even though I knew she had finely painted nails, I was stunned when I saw it with my very eyes.

Even the stockings are glittering.

Zettai Ryouiki.

Obligatory pantsu shot.

Pretty twin-tails.

Miku has found some Christmas cookies. Yabe~

She has left only a tiny crumb T_T You'll get fat, Miku!

I have nothing more to say than that it's a fantastic figure. The best Miku figure you can get, in my opinion. She seems to be sold out almost everywhere though. So if you want her and see her at some shop, don't hesitate for too long, because she will most likely be sold out again very quickly.

Today, I've finally got Hiiragi figmas, so I will try to make some photos as soon as possible.

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Animals in Anime - Cats part 2

Today I serve the continuation of the "Animals in Anime - Cats" post.

Azumanga Daioh

Kamineko

The first one is this legendary cat from Azumanga Daioh. It is very cute, but as most of you surely know it is also very aggresive. Its head is as big as the rest of the body, which makes it similar to Maa-shachou from previous post. Mouth can be even larger than head itself, and teeth look more like a guillotine than real cat, or even human teeth. Eyes look like two-colored buttons. All in all, this cat is a big weirdo among other weirdo cats in anime.

Mayaa

Iriomote Mountain cat, known also as Yamamayaa or Yamapikaryaa, even as Pikanyaa, named Mayaa is a very brave cat who lost her mother. Its looks are similar to Kamineko but his coloring shows that it is a wild cat. He is also somewhat sturdier than Kamineko and can maintain a battle aura.

Nekokoneko

This popular neko plushie from Azumanga is obviously similar to Mayaa and Kamineko. Its eyes are almost the same as Kamineko's eyes. The tail is very thin, almost like a tale of a mouse. Nekokoneko also made appearance in Yotsuba&!.

Chiyo-chichi

Chiyo-chichi, also known as Chiyo's dad. This strange flat thing that doesn't look like any of discovered animal species is actually a cat, too. And at the same time, it's also dad of a "normal" high school girl, and obviously can speek too. His unusual appearance makes it very difficult to describe. This thing is certainly a fake cat ^_^

Love Hina

Kuro

Kuro is a black cat and even has it in name (Kuro means Black). Its extremely big ears make him able to fly. The rest of his body looks like a regular cat, it even has whiskers, but because of the ears it's really hard to say that Kuro is a normal cat.

Gakkou no Kaidan

Kaya

Kaya is a cat that is possessed by Amanojaku, an evil spiritual being. If you leave this fact aside, Kaya is a normal cat. Only its eyes are unusual, because each has a different color. Kaya also has whiskers and regular cat teeth. It definitely is one of the few normal cats in anime.

Next time will be Dogs in Anime.

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Favorite Anime Openings

These are results of a survey from Anime-Source.com. Even though it's a little old, about 6 months, the results would be almost the same even now I think.

Ranking from #1 to #20

Motteke! Serafuku from Lucky Star
Tank! from Cowboy Bebop
Lilium from Elfen Lied
O2 from Code Geass R2
Red Fraction from Black Lagoon
Colors from Code Geass
Sorairo Days from Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann
Resonance from Soul Eater
Rewrite from Fullmetal Alchemist
What's up people? from Death Note
Doubt & Trust from D.Gray-man
Rolling Star from Bleach
The World from Death Note
Tori no Uta from AIR TV
Hishoku no Sora from Shakugan no Shana
Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Forever We Can Make It from To Love-ru
Driver's High from Great Teacher Onizuka
Inner Universe from Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Allegro Cantabile from Nodame Cantabile

Motteke Serafuku has won, and I have to say that even though it is not the best opening I have seen, it is very good. And it is also widely known, so it made it a good candidate for winning.

Most of the songs belong to my favorite ones, some of them are unknown to me. And one of them belongs to those that I don't like. It's the one at second place, Tank. It's not my type of music.

I miss opening from Higurashi, Clannad and Claymore in these 20 though, and even some more. Which ones do you miss there?

Link to the results on Anime-Source.com sites.

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Winter 2009 Anime

Fall season is approaching its end, some series are concluding, some continue to the winter season. But with the start of the winter season, new and old-new anime starts airing. Some of them have taken up my interest of course.

White Album

The first one is White Album. It's about a couple, college student and idol singer, who are facing lots of obstacles. This anime has two awesome seiyuu stars, Hirano Aya and Mizuki Nana. White Album could even be some kind of seiyuu battle between these two, I think.

Minami-ke Okaeri

Once again we will see what's going on in Minami household and how much our favorite three sisters have grown up.

Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo

A story set into the time when people have migrated to many places in the universe. A girl from one human colony encounters a malevolent artificial intelligence and is joined by an Inter-gallactical Police officer and two other persons.

Akikan!

A boy named Daichi Kakeru bought a melon juice soda from vending machine but the liquid from the can has magically transformed into a girl. He named her Melon after the drink. A few more Akikan (Empty Can) girls appeared, who needed a kiss in order to infuse carbon dioxide in their bodies.

Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai

Akuto, the main source of energy is running low and the Heavens, a world of islands, hidden beyond time, floating above ours, has united against the Magical Kingdom whom uses the most energy. To save both the Magical Kingdom and the Heavens and restore the flow of akuto, the Magical King Munto must follow a vision and find the girl Yumemi in the lower world. Yumemi herself is just a normal girl except that she is the only one who can see the islands of the Heavens floating above. [source from ANN]

MARIA†HOLIC

A sophomore named Kanako enrolls in an all-girls school due to her phobia of men. Expecting that she will finally find her yuri love, Kanako meets Maria, who happens to be the most popular and beautiful girl in school. But this girl turns out to be a little different.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei

OVA sequel to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. What will happen next to our hero and heroines from the lovely Hinamizawa village?

I believe that it will be another good season of anime. I have high expectations for White Album, and am really curious about Akikan and Maria Holic. And of course as a big fan of Higurashi, the OVA will be the biggest pleasure for me.

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Christmas Present(s)

Merry Christmas to everybody.

Here is a little present I made for you. Two pretty girls on a bed in a love hotel. Why a love hotel, you might say. Well, love hotel is actually a quite common place for young Japanese couples to spend their Christmas Eve. The love hotels are full and overcrowded and many couples are waiting in line for a free room to use. I just wonder if the room, especially the bed, is cleaned and bedclothes replaced before another couple uses the room. Imagine how filthy it would be if the same sheet was used repeatedly. How many samples of DNA would be there... Enough of this.

As far as I know, Christmas Eve is considered to be a very romantic day and night. Which means you have to spend the night with your loved one, if you happen to have one, and of course you should do this and that and let your dolphin to set for an expedition to a deep murky cave. And if you don't live together under one roof, and neither of you live alone, you have to find a place where to go, and for this purpose love hotels exist. I have to say that I find it pretty practical, because couples don't have to do it somewhere in a car or in a park or some other dirty place. But why they feel that they should have a sex right on the Christmas Eve, that's what I don't understand.

Back to the picture. Wouldn't you be excited if a present like the one (actually two) in the picture was waiting for you in your bed?

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Rich girls in anime

You can find a lot of rich girls in anime, but there are a few who are extremely rich. Rich girls in anime have one thing in common, most of them are blonde. This is probably the result of western influence since you can find a lot of rich, showy, arrogant, blonde women, so this color of hair can carry some specific traits.

Sanzenin Nagi

First one is Sanzenin Nagi, the only heiress to the large Sanzenin fortune. Her father happens to be a wealthy oil magnate. Nagi lives in a very big mansion, only with her butler, maid, head butler, and tiger-pet. She is 13 years old but she skipped grades and is already at high school. That school is very prestigious, however, she doesn't attend classes very often and her favorite activities are playing video games, reading manga, and watching anime.

Nogizaka Haruka

Nogizaka Haruka is a girl who is idolized at school due to her intelligence, beauty, and piano skills. She is very shy and looks unapproachable. Her hobbies are anime and manga, but she has never told anybody about it, because she's afraid that people would think bad of her if they knew about her hobbies. Her father is a very rich guy and he bought Haruka an island as a birthday present. Haruka and the rest of her family plus maids live in a very big mansion.

Sawachika Eri

Sawachika is daughter of an English businessman and his Japanese wife. She attended elementary school in England and then she moved to Japan where she enrolled at high school. Her parents are often away from home so most of the time she is almost alone at home, only with her butler and maybe some other servants. She is cocky from time to time and that's probably due to the fact that most people think she is "something more" and different. Like most of the rich girls in anime, she also has blonde hair.

Who do you think is the richest girl in anime? Somebody from these three, or someone else? Please, vote in the poll, if you would like.

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Hatsune Miku - Yukkuri Shiteitte ne!

Today I was browsing on YouTube when I saw this awesome Miku video. It is the most hilarious Miku video I have seen. Say, is there any other video where leeks can form kanji? I think that not. Miku in this video looks very desperate, unlike her usual face expression.

I have inserted the video here too, but I strongly recommend you to watch it via this link for better video quality and bigger video window.

Lyrics:

Yukkuri! Yukkuri! Yukkuri! Yukkuri!
Jikan ga tarinai. Okane mo tarinai.
Keikaku mo tarinai. Sore bakka, sore bakka.

Kigae mo tarinai. Shokuji mo tarinai.
Suimin mo tarinai. Sore bakka, sore bakka.

Yukkuri to shiteitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteitte.
Shiteite, shiteitte, ne.

Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Shiteite, shiteitte, ne.

Benkyou ga tarinai. Renshuu mo tarinai.
Doryoku mo tarinai. Sore bakka, sore bakka.

Kyoumi ga tarinai. Koujou mo tarinai.
Shuuchuu mo tarinai. Sore bakka, sore bakka.

Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Shiteiitte, shiteitte, ne.

Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Shiteitte, shiteiitte, ne.

Yukkuri to shiteitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteitte.
Shiteitte, shiteitte, ne.

Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.
Yukkuri to shiteiitte.
Shiteitte, shiteiitte, ne.

Yukkuri, yukkuri, yukkuri, yukkuri.
Yukkuri shiteitte ne.

Translation:

Easy, easy, easy, easy.
I don't have enough time. And I don't have enough money.
I also don't have enough plan. The same old shit, the same old shit.

I don't have enough clothes. And I don't have enough food.
I also don't have enough sleep. The same old shit, the same old shit.

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

I don't study enough. And I don't practice enough.
I don't put enough effort in it. The same old shit, the same old shit.

I am not interested enough. And I don't have enough ambition.
I also don't concentrate enough. The same old shit, the same old shit.

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

Take it easy.
Take it easy, okay?
Take it easy.
Easy, easy, okay?

Easy, easy, easy, easy.
Take it easy, okay?

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Animals in Anime - Cats part 1

I thought that I could do some long-time post series and I remembered how I am surprised from time to time when I see an animal in anime. Sometimes, the character designers draw a realistic one, but sometimes they make a strange being that will engrave into everybody's memory very well. Yes, people easier remember things that are unusual so when the creators want you to remember the animal(s) from their anime, they have to make it "different".

First of all, I will go through cats in anime.

CLANNAD

The first one is quite a realistic one. It's a nameless but important cat from Clannad. This cat could be called Shima though, so I will use this name. Even though this one is a normal cat, everybody will remember it because of the story, which I won't spoil here. 

Shima's proportions are of a regular cat. Only the ears are too big I think. The colors looks okay, too, at first look, but when I look on it now, it reminds me of a weasel. Despite this fact, this cat is very realistic and is one of the few realistic ones that you will remember, although they don't look strange.

ARIA series

Aria-shachou

Say, is there anybody who could tell that this is a cat before they mentioned it? I didn't have a clue what it is at first, and I didn't even dare guessing.

The only one thing President Aria shares with cats that I can think of are his ears. They are cat-like. And also his paws are the ones of a cat. But his tail is more like a tail of a small dog, and the rest of his body is unspecifiable. He has a nice flabby bell, big blue eyes resembling rings, chubby cheeks, and goes "punyuu" every moment. He doesn't even say "nyaa" like other cats. Despite it, if one asks you to name some cats from anime, you will mention this one if you have seen Aria.

Hime-shachou

Hime-shachou looks really like a hime (princess). She is a strange cat, but she definitely is more of a cat than Aria shachou. This might be the case why she despises him. Hime-shachou is a nice black cat with a long neck. If her neck was shorter she would look more like a real cat, but with her neck long she looks more like a proud princess. Hime-shachou, same as Aria-shachou, doesn't have whiskers. All in all, President Hime is very elegany cat.

Maa-shachou

Maa shachou looks stupid and is stupid. Well, it was maybe too harsh of me. He is small so he acts like a small kitty. His proportions, head to the rest of body, are 1:1. You could say he is a cat chibi. The only thing that's realistic on him is his coloring. Three-color cats are quite common. Even he doesn't say "nyaa", but he says "maa". And that's where his name comes from, quite poetic, isn't it? XD Maa's favorite thing is Aria-shachou's belly and his favorite hobby is biting that belly.

Cait Sith

The last and the biggest of all the cats on the Earth. No, I'm wrong, on Mars, because Aria takes place on this ex-red planet. Cait Sith, The King of Cats, is a very mysterious cat. Or maybe I should say person. He is about 3 meters high, 1 meter wide, and walks on two feet. He is not a cat you would want to make angry. He, like all the other cats from Aria I have mentioned, doesn't have whiskers. Even though he is so big, he gives off cat-like appearance, unlike Aria, Hime, and Maa. It must be because of his eyes which are so typical for cat. His eyes are thin and shine like emeralds. What I find interesting about him is his smile. It's so mysterious. No wonder Akari was always so stunned when she saw him. He definitely deserves the title of King of Cats.

Next time, I will bring you a few more cats from anime. But I won't tell you which ones, it's a classified information.

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Clannad After Story - episode 11 review

In episode 11, Tomoya continues working with Yuusuke, climbing high up the poles, repairing and controlling the wires. At work, Yuusuke notices that Tomoya doesn't use his right arm much often. He asks Tomoya about it, but he replies that it's easier for him to work that way. Later in the episode, Yuusuke finds out that Tomoya can't lift his right arm.

At home, Tomoya has always warm dinner waiting for him the time he returns from work. Nagisa is coming everyday to make him a meal and to talk with him. But Tomoya is always tired from his work so he doesn't talk too much. Nagisa is concerned if she isn't bothering him with her lively talking, but he says that it's the opposite. He's glad that she is talking to him and it refreshes him.

Some days later, Tomoya asks Nagisa if she's free on Sunday, but she sadly replies that she is going to take the mock exams to be the same as her classmates that she still can't get along with. Tomoya then spends that Sunday with Akio for some unknown reason, unknown even for Tomoya.

Akio stops by a strange shop where he's suddenly attacked by a man(probably the shopkeeper) with a lightsaber. Then, Akio draws hig lightsaber and they exchange strikes for some time. In the end, that shopkeeper hits Tomoya's head. After that, Akio asks if he's got what he wanted, the man says yes and Akio is given one Bengal Giant Lizard. Then, Akio says that they, he and Tomoya, will slip it down Sanae's back. Tomoya doesn't like this plan, but Akio is really excited about this so Tomoya can't do anything and must participate in this spectacular event, too.

Tomoya has to do it, Akio insists. They've returned to the bakery, or I may also say they have come home. Akio asks Sanae what is the animal she hates the most, and she answered straightaway: "Bengal Giant Lizard." Tomoya realizes how bad this could be, but Akio's strict look leaves him no choice but to do it. And he does it. Sanae is screaming and begins to run around the neighborhood. Akio realizes he's gone overboard and runs after Sanae and shouts that he wasn't the one who did it. Tomoya joins to the "running around the neighborhood", too, and they keep running for quite some time.

Nagisa mentions that next Sunday will be the Founders' Festival of the Theater Club. Tomoya says that he will participate, of course. A few days later, he's given his first solo work, because everyone has already left. He's doing some reparations on a power line at pitch black evening and Yuusuke suddenly shows up to check up his work. He doesn't find any problem so they leave the place.

The other morning, Tomoya hears that something has happened there, with the power line, and Yuusuke is going to repair it. It's the Sunday that he should go out with Nagisa, but despite this fact, he feels that he has to make up for his mistake and help Yuusuke with the reparations. Yuusuke doesn't like it and tells him to go to Nagisa, but Tomoya is stubborn blockhead and won't leave. 

Afterwards, he of course comes late to Nagisa that he's kept waiting at the school gate. He begs her forgiveness. She shows her usual nice, but somehow sad smile and says that it's okay. They are heading home, eating a roasted corn, walking down the street lit by the setting sun.

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Feitoism

Have you ever heard about the term Feitoism? Briefly, Feitoism is the cult that worship the mightest, calmest and prettiest of the Ultimate Mahou Shoujo Trio, Feito-chan, formally known as Fate Testarossa Harlaown.

There's a lot of Feito-chan's fans all over the world, and I am also one of them. Her personality, her looks and her powers make her a great candidate to be adored by large crowds of people. She could have an army of faithful followers that would outnumber armies of many countries in this world. My own country, Czech Republic, is one of them I think.

For all Feito-chan fans who read this post, I would like to inform you about a new Fate figure made by Volks.

The retail price is ¥7,980 and is supposed to be released in July 2009. Volks of course didn't forget on fans of the other two of this Mahou Shoujo Trio and Nanoha and Hayate will be released too. More photos and info about all of the three figures can be found on Volks site. And according to the Volks' sites, those who reserve the whole trio will get a Vivio figure as a bonus.

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