June 29, 2023

Star Wars Black Series 6" : Luke Skywalker with Yoda in Jedi Training (Dagobah)


The Rebels had their asses kicked in Hoth by a superior Galactic Empire forces. Number One task was to get their sorry asses out of the icy hell base that was overan by AT-ATs and Snowtroopers and a stomping huffing and puffing Darth Vader hot on the heels. While the rest of the Rebels buddies, that manages to take off, were still working on evading Imperial Destroyers and TIE fighters, our pal Luke Skywalker decide to divert himself (and R2-D2) to a swamp planet Dagobah seeking out a Jedi warrior, Yoda, to further his Jedi training becoming a Jedi Knight eventually. Seeing how his first teacher, Ben Kenobi, fell to the blade of badass Sith Lord Darth Vader, he reckon a much worthy teacher should be seeked. Same sentiments as Ben when he appear in Hoth egging a wampa-traumatize Luke on to Dagobah.
Yoda, he found. Training, he does. Hot headed, he is.

January 15, 2023

S.H.Figuarts Ultraseven (ウルトラセブン Urutorasebun)

Ultraseven (ウルトラセブン Urutorasebun) :
The third Ultra-being to come to Planet Earth (first and only in the spin-offs). He came to the planet after being sent to map the Milky Way, but this planet caught his attention and arrived here, he took the appearance of a brave man and renamed himself as Dan Moroboshi, and joined the UG. Ultraseven defended Earth from countless alien invasions for an extended period of time, until he went back to the Land of Light after sustaining serious injuries and fatigue.

December 30, 2022

BanDai S.H.Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider New No.2 【仮面ライダー 新2号】


Pictures in this product review posting are taken with a new camera Sony RX100 Mark IV for the first time on this blog. Although officially, Hokkaido Toy Run - 19 to 26 Dec 2022 is the very first one however it is not a product review posting.
 
 
Rider Statistics
    Rider Height: 172 cm
    Rider Weight: 65 kg

Ability Parameters
    Punching Power: 25 t
    Kicking Power: 30 t
    Maximum Jump Height: 15.3 m

Originally created to best and kill the traitor Takeshi Hongo, Hayato was modified to be capable of transforming via stylish hand positions to absorb wind power as opposed to Takeshi's need for a outside source of wind power to charge him, becoming a more versatile fighter as a result. However, Hayato was rescued by Hongo before being brainwashed, and fights against Shocker during Takeshi's absence. Like Hongo, Ichimonji seems to require no food or water whatsoever.

The original manga gave an in-depth analysis of the entire schematics used by Hongo, Ichimonji, and the Shocker Riders.

    Ultrasensitive Antenna: a radar from the antenna
    Cat's Eye: allows infrared night vision
    Signal O: a brainwave transmission device that can detect other cyborgs
    Crusher: The face plate that can break chains
    Artificial Lungs: can recycle oxygen for two hours
    Pulmonary Converter: catches wind power to convert it to energy, also acts as a radiator
    Power Converter: capsules on the belt to store energy
    Typhoon: transformation belt which is an anemometer which measures the rider's energy
    Artificial Muscle: gives the rider the strength to jump like a giant grasshopper
    Jump Shoes: the soles are elastic-like springs.
 

December 29, 2022

Hokkaido Toy Run - 19 to 26 Dec 2022


Covid 19 pandemic has effectively halted any oversea traveling be it for work or for holiday. The world is gradually opening from up mid of this year when entry requirement to a country has been the most stringent. It has relaxed over the months to a state where it is right for restarting our holidaying abroad.
Hokkaido was a planned trip for year end 2020. We had that realized now, 2 years later. Going to the land of the rising Sun will undoubtedly have a toy list in the hope to be able to get at least 1 or 2. It is not Tokyo nonetheless and the expectation is to be much lower. Worst come to worst, a couple of Gashapon, at the airport, as consolation is already a successful endeavor I feel.
Ultimately, I hope to find S.H.Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou (SKC) Kamen Riders, any one from the Showa era, will be a big successful coup. (Picture here gives a very resounding successful operation eh?).

Details leading to each of the pictured items going into my pocket will be published scrolling down this posting.

November 5, 2022

Hasbro 2003 SAGA Collection 1/6 scale Star Wars Garindan

 
"I can tell you where to find them... for a price."
―Garindan
 
Garindan ezz Zavor, also called Long-Snoot, was a Kubaz who was considered to be the "greatest spy in Mos Eisley spaceport." was a male Kubaz who had been forced to work as a spy for the Galactic Empire. In private, Garindan loathed his Imperial overlords and sought to return to his clan and free his homeworld of Kubindi from Imperial rule. Prior to the Battle of Yavin, Garindan received news that his family was in danger. In an attempt to buy passage home, Garindan provided information about the location of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to the Galactic Empire during a battle on the desert world of Tatooine. Despite the failure of that job, Garindan accepted another job to help Derrida the Ketton spy on the Rebel Alliance.

October 22, 2022

Star Wars Black Series 6" : Bib Fortuna


Writings from inside Sideshow 1/6 scale Bib Fortuna box :
A tall, pale-skinned humanoid, with distinctive, curling lekku and pulpy chin roll, Bib Fortuna is the very epitome of male Twi'lek glamour. But, in truth, beneath the pallid complexion and behind the soulless, pink eyes beats the limp heart of a cowardly Hutt lackey.Though he exalts in the respect and obedience his station, as major-domo to one of the Outer Rim's most feared crime lords, demand from those around him, Bib knows he is really little more than an errand boy and vassel for the will of his bloated master.

Under Jabba the Hutt's direction, the Twi'lek lieutenant orchastrates shady deals and illicit substances and contraband. At his master's bidding, he trades in slaves of his own kind, purveying and exhibiting their bodies for Jabba's amusement and that of his sycophantic guests. Little of the wealth and power that passes through Bib's clawed hands ever remains his own to keep. Even the act of ambitious treachery that elevated him to the position of Hutt's second were merely blind plays, made by a weak-willed man, caught in the tide of the criminal underworld and trying to stay afloat. The Twi'lek even fancies that he might one day overthrow the slug in some kind of glorious mutiny, seizing Jabba's assets as his own, but if he were truly capable of such steely initiative, it would have happened long ago.

Now it is too late, for with the arrival in Jabba's desert palace of two droids, gift of the self proclaimed Jedi Skywalker, the dice are tossed in a game of fate far bolder than Bib could have conceived. Time has run out for Jabba and his criminal empire, and his act of self-aggrandizing debauchery will finally swallow him and those who serve him too, for the Jedi are returned.

October 7, 2022

Medicom RAH 1/6 Ultraman Jack - Hideki Gō 郷 秀樹


Ultraman Wiki :
Hideki Go (郷 秀樹 Gō Hideki) is the human host of Ultraman Jack and the protagonist of the Ultraman Series' fourth entry, Return of Ultraman.
A young race car driver who died while rescuing a little boy and a dog from falling rubble caused by a fight between Takkong and Zazahn. His valiant sacrifice is noted by everyone, even his friends and the new defense force MAT, but an unseen being also took notice. Looking over him was Ultraman Jack, who was so touched by his heroics that he decided to merge his own life-force with Hideki's, thus bringing him back to life (just like the original Ultraman did with Shin Hayata), much to everyone's astonishment. MAT asked him to join the team, to which he agreed, especially since, in this frightening new "Age of Monsters", the Earth would need a savior. In times of crisis, Hideki Go would raise his right arm, and by force of will, transform into Ultraman Jack to fight monsters.

September 17, 2022

Medicom RAH 1/6 Ultraman Ace - Seiji Hokuto 北斗 ホクト 星司


ultra.fandom.com :
Seiji Hokuto (北斗 星司 Hokuto Seiji) is Ultraman Ace's male human host. His female partner and former fellow host was Yuko Minami.
Seiji was a truck driver for an orphanage, and was delivering bread for the children when the first Terrible-Monster Verokron attacked Tokyo. Seiji bravely continued on his way back to the Orphanage to evacuate the children with his truck but the missile Terrible-Monster obstructed his truck off to the side of the road. Undaunted, Seiji continued to the Orphanage. After arriving he help a nurse, Yuko Minami, move all of the children to a save bunker. Both Seiji and Yuko return into the Orphanage building to rescue any remaining children, however Verokron's missiles brought the building down on the two brave humans, killing both of them. Ultraman Ace saw the heroic action of the pair from afar and gave to them his life and the Ultra Rings, so that the three of them would fight against the Terrible-Monster and their evil master, Yapool.

September 14, 2022

Medicom Star Wars 1/6 Boba Fett - Return of the Jedi version - Republish


Another republication of an old posting.
This time the iconic Boba Fett gets another chance in the limelight. This is the Medicom version that was the only high end 1/6 ROTJ version of the bounty hunter, released in 2010 under the Real Action Hero (RAH) category, until Hot Toys made their version in 2016 (standard and deluxe with Sarlacc diorama base). Sideshow did made an ESB version of Boba Fett in between and even an all white proto armour version but never a ROTJ one. Reason only Sideshow themself know.

August 18, 2022

Star Wars Black Series 6" : Ponda Baba "Walrus Man"

 

"Negola dewaghi wool dugger?"
"He doesn't like you."
―Ponda Baba and Evazan, to Luke Skywalker

Ponda Baba was a male Aqualish thug who rescued Dr. Cornelius Evazan from a bounty hunter. The two formed a partnership and began to smuggle spice for the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, resulting in him becoming a wanted man. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, he was a patron in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina on the planet Tatooine, where he instigated an argument with Luke Skywalker while bored and drunk. Evazan claimed that Baba did not like Skywalker and began to threaten the youth, leading to a brief confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, after failing to calm tensions with the pirates, used his lightsaber to sever Baba's right arm. Kenobi, who was secretly one of the last remaining Jedi Masters of the nearly extinct Jedi Order, wounded Evazan with a slash across the torso when the pair drew their blaster pistols on the old man. Evazan later tried to reattach Baba's arm using his medical training, but ended up nearly killing the Aqualish in the process when the procedure failed.

August 4, 2022

Star Wars Black Series 6" The Mandalorian : Cobb Vanth, "The Marshal"

Cobb Vanth, also known as "the Marshal," was a human male who lived during the Galactic Civil War and subsequent New Republic Era. Once a slave, he rose to become marshal of Mos Pelgo on the planet Tatooine. He despised the Red Key Raiders, a syndicate attempting to establish itself on the planet. Immediately following the Battle of Endor, Vanth fled into the desert following Mos Pelgo's takeover by the Mining Collective. He then encountered some Jawas and traded a camtono of silicax oxalate crystals for a set of Mandalorian armor.

July 9, 2022

Hot Toys MMS090 Predator (1987) - Republish

Did the word "Republish" in the title trigger the curiosity? No, this is not a Hot Toys remake of the MMS090 Predator figure, there never is one anyway. It is also not the Classic Predator that was released under the <Predators> (2010 film) banner.
This is the first ever "upgraded" posting on a previous entrance in this Blog of the very same figure - and I mean the same physical figure, not a 2nd purchase, but the original. This Predator was uploaded here in 2010 with pictures taken with a "weaker" camera and a lesser Photoshop-skilled me.
MMS090 is an impressive figure - even with today's standard - which deserve a better showcasing. 12 years on, about time.

Wikipedia : Some backgroud story to re-kick start it all over again.
Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and written by brothers Jim and John Thomas. It is the first installment in the Predator franchise. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of an elite paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages in guerrilla-held territory in a Central American rainforest, who encounter the deadly Predator (Kevin Peter Hall), a skilled, technologically advanced alien who stalks and hunts them down.

Predator was written in 1984 under the working title of Hunter. Filming ran from March to June 1986 with creature effects devised by Stan Winston; the budget was around $15 million. 20th Century Fox released the film on June 12, 1987, in the United States, where it grossed $98.3 million. Initial reviews were mixed, but the film has since been considered a classic of the action genre.

The success of Predator launched a media franchise of films, novels, comic books, video games, and toys. It spawned three direct sequels: Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010) and The Predator (2018), and an upcoming prequel titled Prey (2022). A crossover with the Alien franchise produced the Alien vs. Predator films, which include Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007).

June 8, 2022

Sideshow Toys 1/6 Scale Star Wars Captain Antilles

 
Raymus Antilles was a human male from Alderaan. During his time in the service of the House of Organa, he captained the CR90 corvettes Tantive III and Tantive IV. Antilles was killed in action during the secret mission to Tatooine while trying to protect Princess Leia Organa from being captured by Darth Vader.

June 2, 2022

Medicom Stylish Collection - Lupin the 3rd : Fujiko Mine (in Black Blouse, Brown high Stockings)


From Wikipedia :
Fujiko Mine (Japanese: 峰 不二子, Hepburn: Mine Fujiko) is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series Lupin III, which debuted in Weekly Manga Action on August 10, 1967. She is a professional criminal who regularly uses her attractiveness to fool her targets. Unlike the rest of the Lupin III cast, Fujiko's physical appearance changes for most installments in the franchise. She is the star of the fourth Lupin III anime television series, 2012's The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, making it the first to not star Arsène Lupin III as the protagonist.

As the Lupin III series was to be published in a magazine targeted at adults, Fujiko Mine was created to add a female presence. Her name is derived from the title "Sacred Mountain Fuji" (霊峰不二, Reihō Fuji). Monkey Punch saw a picture of Mt. Fuji on a calendar and in less than a minute decided on Fujiko Mine; omitting "rei" from "reihō", changing the reading of 峰 to "mine", and adding "ko" to "fuji" to make it look more pleasing when spelled. She was developed from the intention to fulfill a "Bond girl" role. Creating a new female character each week was too difficult for Monkey Punch, so she evolved into a single character. At the beginning of the series, many of the women Lupin encounters are named Fujiko, but are treated as different characters from chapter to chapter. This concept was later changed to make Fujiko a single character who changes style frequently.Monkey Punch compared the characters of Lupin and Fujiko to those of D'Artagnan and Milady de Winter, and described them as "Not necessarily lovers, not necessarily husband and wife, but more just having fun as man and woman with each other".

May 27, 2022

Medicom Stylish Collection - Lupin the 3rd : Inspector Zenigata

Wikipedia :
Koichi Zenigata (Japanese: 銭形 幸一, Hepburn: Zenigata Kōichi), usually called Inspector Zenigata (銭形警部, Zenigata-keibu) and formerly Heiji Zenigata VII, is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series Lupin III, which debuted in Weekly Manga Action on August 10, 1967. He is named after the famous fictional Japanese detective Zenigata Heiji, of whom he is a descendant.
Inspector Zenigata was conceived as Lupin's arch rival to create a "human Tom and Jerry".

Monkey Punch has said that he believes the Lupin III story can never end but that if he had to, both Zenigata and Lupin would have to end as equals. They would either both fail, both win or both get very old.
 

May 20, 2022

Gentle Giant Mini Bust - Star Wars 2-1B Surgical Droid


From Rebelscum :
2-1B (Too-Onebee) was chief surgeon for the Rebel Alliance on Hoth’s Echo Base. This highly-skilled surgical droid has treated a variety of injuries and patients, most notably Luke Skywalker. Attending to the young commander on several occasions, 2-1B revived Luke from a state of dormo-shock after a prolonged exposure to the Hoth elements. After Luke’s confrontation with Darth Vader on Bespin, 2-1B affixed Luke with a cybernetic hand.

Gentle Giant’s 2-1B mini bust, with its limited production run of only 1,980 pieces to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, was originally intended to be a Star Wars Celebration V (Orlando 2010) exclusive, but production delays pushed it past the maximum shipping date. Rolling with the punches, Gentle Giant offered this light-up collectible to their Premier Guild Members.
2-1B is the tenth mini bust in Gentle Giant's Star Wars collection to spot a light-up feature.

May 13, 2022

Sideshow Toys 1/6 Scale Star Wars Original Trilogy C-3PO

From Wikipedia :

C-3PO (/ˌsiːˈθriːpioʊ/) or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the Star Wars franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO was designed as a protocol droid intended to assist in etiquette, customs, and translation, boasting that he is "fluent in over six million forms of communication". Along with his astromech droid counterpart and friend R2-D2, C-3PO provides comic relief within the narrative structure of the films, and serves as a foil. Anthony Daniels has portrayed the character in eleven of the twelve theatrical Star Wars films released to date, with the exception of Solo: A Star Wars Story, where the character does not appear.

Despite his oblivious nature, C-3PO has played a pivotal role in the galaxy's history, appearing under the service of Shmi Skywalker, the Lars homestead, Padmé Amidala, Bail Organa, Raymus Antilles, Luke Skywalker, Jabba the Hutt, and Leia Organa. In the majority of depictions, C-3PO's physical appearance is primarily a polished gold plating with a silver plated right leg (from knee joint to ankle), although his appearance varies throughout the films; including the absence of metal coverings in The Phantom Menace, a dull copper plating in Attack of the Clones, and a red left arm in The Force Awakens. C-3PO also appears frequently in both canon and Star Wars Legends continuities of novels, comic books, and video games, and was a protagonist in the animated television series Droids.

April 26, 2022

Hot Toys TMS016 1/6 Scale Star Wars Mandalorian Biker Scout Trooper

Biker Scout, also known as Scout Trooper were specially trained stormtroopers of the Imperial Army's Stormtrooper Corps. They were used by the Galactic Empire on a range of missions, which mostly involved reconnaissance. They had lighter armor than standard stormtroopers, much like their urban counterparts, patrol troopers, who used C-PH patrol speeder bikes to navigate dense urban environments.