A Fall Haul (Part 2) – Figures, Soundtracks, & Shirts || Amazon, Tokyo Otaku Mode, and More

Hello all!

Let’s not waste a minute of each other’s time and jump straight into things! This is the second half of my fall anime-related pick-ups. Be sure to check out part one here if you haven’t already, and without further ado, let’s dive in! And speaking of making a splash . . .

We’ll start at the top with some soundtracks. Adding to my Tatsuya Kato Free! OSTs, here are the soundtracks for The Bond and The Promise, as well as High Speed – Starting Days. LitaKino and I gab all the time about how great Kato’s work is, especially for Free!, and now I’m just waiting on the season three soundtrack to arrive in the mail! Oh, and here’s a random soundtrack (“Volume 3” to be specific) for The Vision of Escaflowne, which has some of the series’ most iconic works by Yoko Kanno on it.

The other soundtrack I picked up is technically a 4-in-1 for all of Sword Art Online seasons one and two by Yuki Kajiura. Y’all already know how much of a Kajiura fan I am, so picking this up was inevitable. What made me finally cave was seeing it for like $30 on Amazon or eBay, and when you consider that it’s basically four cours worth of excellent music, buying it was a no-brainer. It’s been my jam for the past month, and the set comes with a nice little full-spread illustration of all four arcs!

I’m someone who prefers subtlety when it comes to showing off my love for anime. Logos or silhouettes usually are enough for me, but I prefer an added creativity my anime shirts. One of my favorite purchases this month was this order of four shirts from TeePublic, an online graphic tee retailer that partners with artists and prints their designs on shirts. The site occasionally does these storewide discounts where all t-shirts are basically just $10, so it’s the perfect time to shop for otaku apparel. In the top left is a super retro-looking Evangelion-themed shirt with the show’s famous ED lyrics flying across space. Love the small details like the lance and the 5th Angel. To the right is a simple Ghost in the Shell tee inspired by the 1995 window scene. Clean and classic.

Bottom left is a fun Danganronpa x Starbucks blend which speaks for itself. (We proudly wear the queen across our chests, yes we do.) And the last one (and my personal fave) is this vintage-looking Ranma 1/2 shirt with female Ranma and P-chan in the center with Chinese design work around them. Something about the bright infrared and teal combo here makes this iconic duo so eye-catching, and because it is purposefully designed to look EXTRA anime and vintage-y, I totally love wearing it in public with a pair of black jeans.

Onto the Nendos! Up first is Phichit Chulanont from the popular Yuri!!! On ICE. I had no initial intentions of picking this figure up, but after seeing him sittin’ there all cute in the background of Simply Gee’s videos, I eventually caved in. What really helped, however, was that Amazon was having some of Good Smile’s Orange Rouge figures on sale, so this lil’ guy was only $27 once you add in tax. He looks so pleasant just chilling there with his selfie stick on my shelf, I just love him!

Here’s the other Orange Rouge I picked up from the Amazon sale. It’s the Uniform Version of little Kenma Kozume from Haikyu!!, and he looks absolutely adorable standing with the rest of my cat-related items on my shelf. Again, I wasn’t ever planning on picking this guy up, but for just $15 I couldn’t say no! The coloring in his hair has always drawn me in, and I’m glad he’s such a low-maintenance Nendo to keep up with.

Up next is Kino and Hermes from Kino’s Journey! Ahhh, this was such a long-awaited pick-up, and I’m so glad to finally have ’em in my collection. (You have no idea how quickly I added this to cart when TOM put up the re-runs.) This Kino is particularly modeled after how she appears in recent reboot, The Beautiful World, so the model looks really pretty with all its deep green shades. The dark teal ombre in Kino’s hair is really gorgeous, and with so many accessories to play with, there’s lots of posing options with this one!

Last but certainly not least for Nendos is Alice Synthesis Thirty from SAO Alicization, and WOW is she a beaut! Like with Kino, there’s lots of variability in posing. With her golden petals dancing around her, this figure can take up quite a bit of space depending on how she is posed. While I think they could’ve done a better job with the special effect petals, I’m really happy with how the armor and coloring turned out. (She looks so fierce!) And once she’s be together with Kirito and Eugeo, the Rulid Trio will be complete! ;_;

And the final figure I have for this haul is the “Age of Heroes” Shouto Todoroki figure. There’s nothing super special about this $20 prize figure, aside from the fact that I really like the face sculpt for this one. You might say he looks a little bland, and you’re not wrong, but I personally think he looks better than even some of the pricier Todoroki figures on the market. Anyway, here’s another one to add to the Todoroki shrine I’ve got building up, heh heh heh, and I don’t plan on stopping here!

---

This second half is much shorter than the first, but I figured it was appropriate to divide it up anyway since the subject manner was so different. If you want me to get up and personal with any of these figures, let me know and I can make an entire post for them—same goes for any of the LTD ED Blu-ray sets I showed off in the last haul post! There’s lots to catch up on before winter gets underway over here, so I better end this before I get too carried away. Now just to clean all this up . . . oh the joys of having a collection, haha. ‘Til next time everyone!

– Takuto, your host

Adventures at Naka-Kon 2015 – My First Anime Convention!

For those who didn’t know, during March 13-15, I traveled to Overland Park, KS for Naka-Kon 2015. One month later, I am finally going to talk about it (whoops, gomennasai)! I had only heard rumors and watched videos about going to anime conventions – and now I was actually going to one! It felt like a crazy dream! Please enjoy my trip story ~

After purchasing passes, it was a long five-month wait of cosplay decision-making and Ebay searching, but I made out with a  Tennouzu First High School Uniform, otherwise known as Shu Ouma’s uniform from Guilty Crown. I chose Shu because to me, he is a relatable guy and one of my favorite anime characters.

Naka-Kon greeted us with rainbow hair, mobs of people, and the subtle hint of body odor, but I’ll never forget the many smiling faces. Everyone was so chill – it was awesome! I was standing in a room full of true friends, and I didn’t even have to know the names of anyone. We all loved anime and games, and that’s all that mattered.

The Sharaton Hotel Staff were also cool people. We thought our passes were day passes only, but the people at the front desk said they were for the whole weekend, and that we could stay another night if we needed to. We did. Also, they kept handing out free snacks to con-goers, and these weren’t just like “one cookie per person” scenarios – they were $1.00-sized free handouts that never ended. Like everyone else, my sister grabbed 6 packages of cookies and kept them until we were hungry mwahhahh!

My favorite event from the con was the first one we went to which, bright and early, was a Micah Solusod panel. I actually got to talk to Touma freakin’ Kamijou!! Taking questions from the few people that were there (cause it was very, very early), I bravely raised my hand and asked him “What is your favorite season in the Raildex franchise?” He not only answered [correctly] Railgun S, but he even specified his favorite scene [one of mine as well] which was the fight between Accelerator and Misaka with Touma. I’ll never forget his kind words.

Now, being the prepared person that I am, I googled what voice actors and guests would be there for signings so that I could grab my merch. Micah Solusod signed my LE A Certain Magical Index while my brother snagged the DVD case inside just so that he could have something signed, too. Nice 🙂 Micah was awesome – one of my new favorite VAs – and has encouraged me to watch the infamous Soul Eater, of which I am currently 36 episodes into.

After him, I got to meet with Matthew Mercer who signed the mini-poster that came with the Fate/Zero Complete 1st Season DVD as Kiritsugu Emiya. This guy was so chill compared to Micah, who was a little antsy guy walking all around! He was super nice and talked with me for a bit. When we came back later so that my brother could have his new wall scroll signed, I asked what he would say as Levi to Eren, and he wrote it down for me. (That’s just our little secret, tho :3)

(a little subject/verb agreement problem there, but when you’re Saber’s master and an ace with the guns, I won’t complain :D)

Next was a special man. Greg Ayres voices Negi from Negima!? – the first anime I had ever seen back in 2012. His roles like Taichi Yaegashi from Kokoro Connect and Shion from No.6 are for some reason very inspirational to me. He was shocked to see my old Negima! Complete Series Collection, and we talked for a bit about the character Negi and a few of his new roles, including Makoto Isshiki from Chu-2! He’s a legend in my book, and I was most glad I could meet him!

My last signing was a bit of a pain. You see, in all three lines we waited for about 30 minutes to guarantee spots in the front – which we got. The signs were misleading, and everyone from the supposed Patrick Seitz line was in the wrong place. When we moved over to the right line, we were dead last, with only a few stragglers who joined later. 2-3 hours later after bonding with everyone in my part of the line, I got to meet the John Titor from Steins;Gate, one of my all-time favorite anime. Though our chat was brief, the line of friendship was rewarding, and I actually feel like had leveled-up or something! LOL

Last thing to mention was the dealer’s room and the artist alley, which was mixed together and overflowing with anime goodness! There was literally so much stuff that I wanted – that I had searched for on YouTube, Ebay and Amazon – that were now within my grasp: Nendoroids, Figmas, manga, DVDs and Blu-Rays . . . Unfortunately, I only had $70.00 saved up, which don’t get me wrong, is still a great amount of spending money, but like anything more money would have been better. Here’s what I walked away with:

The striking Sword Art Online “Gun Gale Online” print, the beautiful ALDNOAH.ZERO print, and the cute Akatsuki, Shiroe, and Hange pins were done up by Cindy C. (cindiq.deviantart.com). I purchased these because I enjoyed the bright color palettes used, the neat backgrounds, and most of all the style the faces were drawn in. I originally only bought the Akatsuki pin, but the girl remembered me from the previous day and let me pick up the other two for a discount. Nice!

This Steins;Gate and No Game No Life “Human Potential” prints were designed by Cheng (Lily) Li (lilythescorpio.deviantart.com). I decided to buy these because I really like the soft pastel texture, the creative design, and the bright colors. They both compliment their respective show quite well.

I picked up these two wall scrolls because a) I’ve always wanted one and b) I love the art. They’re just the main posters you could find through an image search, but I think the fabric material and the giant size blend better in my room. Gosh, Aincrad looks soo cool and the Madoka Magica scroll is just a spectacle to behold! They both remind me of the incredible journeys I had with each anime.

Last but certainly not least is this the famous otaku Saori “Bajeena” from Oreimo, one of my favorite characters from the series. She was only $5.00 and looks great on my anime shelf. I especially love the fact that behind her swirl glasses, you can see her blue-green eyes. Subtle yet well-worth-it effect!

Of course I took many, many, many pictures with different cosplayers who were amazing! One guy cosplaying as Shiroe from Log Horizon let me take a picture with him and let me sign a real scroll, signifying that I was a part of the “Log Horizon Guild!” Just knowing that I among the few other names were part of his guild . . . that was one of the best moments!

Going to Naka-Kon 2015 with my family not only opened me up to the anime community but also to the world. I got to briefly meet with so many interesting people – I only wish that I had never left!! But boy was I tired by the end. Comment below what your first convention experience was like, because the one word to describe mine was “unforgettable.” Thanks so much for reading and thank you to all who made Naka-Kon such a great, fun time! Until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Oreimo 2 (season two) Review

Of course I had to continue with Oreimo 2 because the first season was so eccentric! If you haven’t already, check out my anime review of Oreimo (season one) for a better reinstating of the plot. Also, watch the first season before you read this, as a spoiler or two might be present in this review.

Following Kirino’s departure to America in season one (OVAs), the sequel picks back up on the average life of Kyousuke Kousaka. When the older brother demands his sister’s return, even traveling all the way to America himself to do so, things between the two begin to break apart again. After all of the work in season one Kirino still seems just as tsundere as ever. Drama rears its ugly head, however, when Kuroneko, Ayase, Kirino and the rest reveal their mixed feelings for our bumbling brother. The story goes from otaku culture in society to relationships with siblings and others.

This second season crushes the majority of the characters by turning them on their own heads. Specifically speaking, the hot-headed and sophisticated Ayase is no longer that. Do you recall the moments when she detested Kyousuke, eroge, and everything else that he was involved in? How about the episodes of time where she would yell at Kyousuke and even Kirino just to try to cleanse Kirino of her hobbies? That signature kick that she would deal upon him when he was against Ayase – well, that’s still here, but anyway, the series suddenly turns her into an active yandere without even a second thought. She was one of the few serious characters, now diminished to a lover and a dreamer. A shame.

Kirino remains true to her tsundere influenced setup. In fact, she still gets mad at Kyousuke, yells at him, and then kicks his door. I love Kirino as a character; even in this second season, she realizes the bad things she does and tries to take care of it, though this usually fails and then gets cleared up by Kyousuke. She’s just a teenage girl – she makes mistakes but grows through them. The only difference in her mood is that towards the end, she somewhat realizes her love and dependence on Kyousuke. It’s weird and strays away from the original plot, but touching nonetheless. After watching the strange ending, I now understand Kirino and Kyousuke as characters much more than before.

If you liked Kuroneko, Saori, and Manami, you’ll be pleased to know that they have improved. Kuroneko gets her own little arc with Kyousuke, but I found it less right than him and Kirino. Kuroneko and Kyousuke didn’t go well together; I couldn’t feel the connection between them like I did with his sister, and I know it’s “wrong” to say that. Saori receives a nice embellishment with her sister and her past, which many people skip by, but I found those episodes to be more enjoyable than the entire Kuroneko arc – and that’s saying something!

Enough about characters. The soundtrack is pretty much the same quirky OSTs as last season. Some new tracks are added to the romantic moments, though. The opening, which I can’t even remember, is just another J-pop song. Yeah it’s fine, but nothing I can recall.

Animation has improved. And saying that the quality before was fine, this was even more enjoyable. I like the concept art of Kirino and the other girls’ characters. They are soft, yet gorgeous and just overall well presented.

Oreimo 2 is a very good anime; it just fails to deliver as a sequel to an amazing first season. This season drops most of the otaku acts and focuses on forced cliché relationships. I guess if you love drama, then here you go, but I watch this particular anime for the struggles of otaku life and comedy – Oreimo is not a serious show, so why should it start being so now? For people who followed the first season, feel free to watch the sequel, just know that it’ll break your views of the interesting characters we encouraged for the previous twelve lovely episodes.

And with that, I conclude my overall thoughts Oreimo – My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute! Currently, though I do not own a copy of the series, you can watch it for free over at Crunchyroll, but you can also slide on over to my place because “The only one I sexually harass is you!” – Kyousuke

Hehe, if you found this review at all helpful or interesting, go ahead and slap dat like button. You know you want to. 😉

– Takuto, your host

Oreimo (season one) Review

Hi. Let me just say that all anime fans and people who disgrace anime alike should watch this series. Oreimo is much more than eroge and brotherly love, as it hits home in the idea of anime and its view to the public. What does it take to be an A+ student, skilled athlete, gorgeous model and all-around perfect?? Balance. And my friends, Kirino Kousaka tries so very hard to keep this balance, even though she is a complete otaku on the inside. Café goers, my mocha and whipped cream for you is the review of Oreimo – My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute! And trust me, this one’s on the house!

Set in your average Japanese household, the Kousakas appears to be the ideal family, that is, until you catch the weak link. Enter Kyousuke Kousaka, the plain 17 year-old teen boy and older brother *Aniki* of Kirino, his hot-headed 14 year-old sister. Kirino, as mentioned before, is an angel to her peers. She is ranked highest in her class, is great at track, has many friends and is even a part-time model for a popular girl’s magazine. Kyousuke on the other hand only has his childhood friend, the even plainer Manami Tamura, and the honor of being “Kirino’s brother.” Not gonna lie, Kyousuke’s life sucks, but it gets even worse as he grows apart from his sister throughout middle and high school. The two practically don’t even speak to each other until one faithful day when Kirino, on her way out as usual, drops a DVD of a well-known magical girl eroge, which Kyousuke happens to witness.

I don’t know about you, but if I was (am) an intelligent, fairly popular student, and I dropped a porno in front of my siblings, I would absolutely die of embarrassment, shock and anger! Even if you don’t decide to finish the series – for whatever reason – first episode itself is worth the watch. The anime is set up similar to a visual novel, showing the multiple endings with the different girls, yet keeping a real end in mind. The anime kicks off strong, introducing all major characters in the first couple episodes.

Speaking of characters, this is one cast to be remembered. When Kirino “needs Kyousuke’s advice,” he recommends that she finds friends to talk to about her hobby. Kirino, willing to do anything to chat with others about “Meruru,” quickly agrees and the two end up at a café meet-up, kinda like ours, actually! There she is introduced to goth-loli Kuroneko and kind, advising Saori, two committed otakus. Add in Ayase, Kirino’s best friend at school and drama begins to spread between the five girls. I love all of them – they are so unique, well designed, and entertaining.

Throughout the series, I started to get really mad at Ayase when she wouldn’t accept Kirino’s otaku ways. Like I was pissed. They have such a strong bond between each other that it shouldn’t matter if anime or eroge made the other happy – Ayase should have known that. True friendship is formed when individuals understand each other, respect each other, and do what it takes to keep things positive, honesty kept in mind.

A neat thing about Oreimo is that AIC’s animation really goes with the soundtrack, and vice versa. You’ll know when Kyousuke gets himself into an awkward situation, as his facial features change, loveably funky music plays, and the voice acting becomes heated and hilarious. Yuichi Nakamura, Ayana Taketatsu, and Saori Hayami, respectively as Kyousuke, Kirino, and Ayase, do amazing jobs with the dialogue! It’s like they were actually in those ridiculous situations, merely trying to talk their way out of trouble. Quality voice acting. Also, I love the opening “irony” by ClariS! So cute!:)

I love Oreimo, I truly do, but the characters I wanted to see, namely Kuroneko and Saori, did not receive enough screen time. They had so many quirks and awkwardness that I really wanted to invest myself in them. I know that there is a second season, so I will definitely check that out.

Is Oreimo worth the watch? Absolutely. Take a break from your hardcore action or intense drama series and laugh a little with this one. The series contains many important ethics regarding anime in society and additionally, it is downright funny! It’s one of those shows that you might not want to binge, however. Oreimo’s heartwarming environment is one that will be missed when it’s over.

Presently, though I did not purchase a subbed copy by Aniplex of America, you can watch Oreimo to its entirety for free on Crunchyroll! Have fun and thanks for reading! Did you watch Oreimo? Let me know in the comments! With that, as I kick your door on the way to my own bedroom, I’ll still smile, because – “I need your advice. . .”

– Takuto, your host