I found some print-out, cut-out paper dolls for Hetalia.
They are freakishly adorable. My hands are covered in Elmer’s glue and I put off coloring WaM to make one of Hong Kong. So cute.
Anime & Manga Posts
Katsucon 16 – The Haul
Whoo hoo~ If you’ve been paying attention over at WaM – you know I’ve been at Katsucon 16 all weekend! Huzzah!
So here’s your report & it’s a long one!
Friday -
Arrived around one o’clock due to a late start and traffic. Got registered & caught up with my bro. We hit the dealer’s room before meeting up with the rest of our crew. Caught the end of the AMV’s and then got some grub. Around 9 my brother and I went to stand in line for the Formal Dance and had fun in the line game. (I got to Salute Cobra Commander in a suit! 
And he saluted back! *Squee*). Dance itself was a bust. Got a free hug from a girl in a very cute Lolita outfit but otherwise didn’t stay long b/c I ended up being a wallflower. Spent the rest of the night reading & Introducing Hetalia to my unsuspecting buddy KGJ (Cagey Jay). I think I killed her brain with that one.
Saturday –
More dealers room, more AMV’s and went to Artists’ Alley. Spent too much money. XD Later that evening we went to catch the AMV & Masquerade Awards.
The Awesome? Tiffany & her guy Anthony (My roomies for the Con & friends from college( won best upbeat Video!! It’s called Boom, Boom, BOOM! And features various anime. Go check it out – it’s awesome.
And her friend also got an award for costume (JournyMan’s award I believe. But Tiff ended up modeling. Good stuff.)
Spent Saturday night looking for food and watching more Hetalia.
Well, after a very long Photoshoot with the costume winners and myself & KGJ (We were cosplaying as Mordred and Wiglaf. Expect pics of that to show up over at WaM XD)
Sunday –
Slept in…packed up. Checked out after one more romp in the dealer’s room. Hurrah! Long drive home and then procrastination.
But here’s what you really care about:
The Haul
Below are all the big items. I also got a bunch of little bleach charms and stuff in a mixed bag but I didn’t feel like photographing all of those. XD
Gashapon Madness – Misato my Love
The other title of today’s post should be – I love figurines. I have tons of them. Not all of them anime/manga mind you – but I have quite a few (even if they all are in boxes b/c I’m lazy and have yet to you know, unpack them after we moved houses a year and so ago…)
I digress. Today’s post is about – bum bum bum! GASHAPON!!!1
I don’t usually go crazy over toys, but I really, really like these and they arrived today. In fact – I just finished putting them together about oh, maybe thirty minutes ago?
The Figures:
Above, you see from left to right: Kisaragi Honey (from re:Cutie Honey), Misato, Rei and Asuka (All from Evangelion) And I picked up all of them from Mugentoys.com
Now then. Let’s talk about them!
Kisaragi Honey:
re:Cutie Honey was ironically the first Cutie Honey series I watched. I missed out on all the references, I’m sure. But it was one mini series I adored to bits and pieces (which is odd for me considering there was like one male cast member…very odd for me.).
So, when I saw this figure of Honey I had to have it. Especially when the pose comes from the incredible opening:
Rei & Asuka:
Rei & Asuka from Evangelion are a new one for me. Normally my brother’s the one collecting figures of these two. But – I finally found a set I thought was adorable.
There’s not much more to it than that for this one – I love winter gear and they’re cute.
Misato:
However – the piece de’ resistance had to be this figure of Katsuragi Misato. Misato has always been my favorite character from Evangelion and I have been looking everywhere for a figure that really grabbed me. This one – it grabbed me.
Let’s face it – this figure is sexy. I love everything about it from the pose (the foot on the footstool? Love.) to her jacket hanging off her arm. And she looks amazing next to my laptop on the desk.
Or even on the computer! She looks amazing everywhere~
AHH!!! Oh no! Rodimus Prime2 is jealous that he’s no longer the favorite figurine! Whatever will I do!?
Oh wait! I know:
There we go. Now Rodimus is happy because he’s got a pretty lady on his arm. She’s way better than that Arcee girl.3
Other:
And just for fun, here’s a couple pics of the other Anime/Manga figures I have hanging out on my desk:
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief waste of your time. Thank-you.
- Gashapon figures are random vending machine figures. Think of those quarter machines in super markets that give you a random little toy in an egg – only they’re actually nice and worth more like $3-20+ dollars depending on the figure.↩
- Revoltech Hot Rodimus as seen detailed here.↩
- Arcee x Springer forever.↩
Baccano or The Magical Murder Train
Baccano was described to me as “The Magical Murder Train” by my brother (the nickname created in his anime club).
I honestly can’t think of a better description. Well, aside from “Incredibly convoluded and intertwined plot with a giant cast” – but it’s all good. In fact, it makes giving a review of the series rather difficult. When the plot of a series is piecing together a series of scenes told from about 20 different points of view in order to put together a complete event, pretty much telling you anything about the plot could ruin it.
Baccano is interesting in that it is told in a very complex fashion. I can’t even begin to imagine watching this series one episode at a time. But as stated earlier, you basically have 3-4 interconnected storylines told over the course of 16 episodes from the points of view of about 15-20 characters. It’s intense, but worth it.
Besides, it involves a train, a whole bunch of senseless violence, idiots, crazy people, at least three-four mafia families, alchemists, cultists, chicks with knifes, fights on moving trains, immortals, regular joes who scare the crap out of immortals, guys in oil drums with cement, and more couples that are matches made in heaven than you can shake a stick at. Oh, and did I mention the mysterious Rail Tracer?
Though, one of the characters put it best – Baccano has no main character. Which means the point is – words just won’t do Baccano justice. Just watch it; it’s worth it. (Unless graphic violence is disturbing to you; then you might want to skip this one – it’s well, let’s just say seeing faces shoved into a railway from a moving train and bones sticking out from a hand that was ripped off isn’t that uncommon…).
And well, I think I’ll spend the rest of this entry sharing witty commentary over some screencaps. Ready? Let’s go! Follow the cut!
Picture Perfect by Dalc Rose
Some of you may remember a plea a while ago where I was looking for a Code Geass Doujinshi called “Picture Perfect” by Dalc rose.
Well, JPQueen found it for me and I just ordered it. *squeals* Who cares if it’s 6/7th story and not manga? XD
Kuroshitsuji Episodes 5 and 6
Shinigami + Chainsaw = Win
Let it be known, that I knew I was going to like Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) the moment I saw the description. It has everything in a show that I love from handsome men, to ditzy maids and staff, to a mature bossy 12 or however old he is Lord of the house. And just to top the cake, Greil (Madam Red’s Butler) is voiced by Jun Fukuyama. Which all on its own is all sorts of win. I love that man. *cough*
But most of all, my favorite storylines are ones that involve loyal servants. I love stories that feature Knights/Samurai defending their lords and Butlers fall along the same lines. In this case, it’s a little different as it’s yet to be seen what Sebastian’s true motives/feelings toward Ciel really are, but the fact he will be a loyal servant to the end has become very clear.
And his OCD tendancies towards cleaning and getting dinner served on time while killing gangsters with forks helps a little two. But that’s the stuff that fed my need for fanservice (gorgeous butler serving his lord faithfully) and humor (Episode 4. Watch it.). The only thing Kuroshitsuji was missing, was that almost-tear jerking moving scene that connected me to the cast and guaranteed I’ll be watching the episodes as they’re released.
Episodes 5 and 6 have fufilled that purpose. And because I’ll be discussing them in a bit of detail, spoilers below the cut. 
I recommend you watch them first. Though! I did throw some screen caps at the end of the post if you just want to skip the text and see those and come back to read later after you’ve watched. ^^
God is Awesome
God is awesome.
I started my car to go to lunch and I was greeted to the start of the piano riff in “Doubt & Trust” by Access.
It made me smile.
Salty Dog V
Salty Dog V is apparently out.
*foams* I’m going to a convention this weekend – I hope they have it. T_T
I had been waiting for Minekura Kazuya’s next artbook…and now it’s out. It has the latest artwork for Saiyuki Gaiden and that alone will make it worth the purchase. This woman’s artbooks are pure gold. *hugs her one lone Salty Dog II* I really need to buy the others…but in due time. This is the artbook guaranteed to have all the Hazel Grosse & Gat goodness; so it’ll come first.
I love you Minekura Kazuya.
End of Geass
Spoilerfest ahead. You’ve been warned.
Well. Um. The first half of episode 25 was seriously bad-ass and all sorts of hardcore. Kallen vs Suzaku; Lelouch vs Nunally, Orange-kun being Orange-kun. Just watch it.
And I fell in love with Lelouch all over again. *snuggles the crazy* There’s just something great about every time he goes off into over-dramatic land and goes “Lelouch Via Britannia Commands You!”
The second half…eh. If you watched it you know what I’m talking about. I mean, I kinda figured that it would end that way. Suzaku killing Lelouch wasn’t a big surprise and I KNEW Kallen didn’t kill him. Heck, the moment Zero showed up during Lelouch’s little parade I was like “Suzaku.” Kinda’ obvious.
Though, I did appreciate Suzaku crying. *nods* And the music for these last few episodes has been particularly nice. I really like the soft vocals; it really added something else to Lelouch’s death.
I’m still mad they didn’t fake Lelouch’s death. Or that Lelouch didn’t take a code from someone and become ‘LL’ or as some other blogs have pointed out: “R2″ – get it? “C2″ “V2″ – R2? (Yes, I know you spell it “CC” and “VV” but they say “C2″ and “V2″). Which would have been awesome. Lelouch x C.C. the whole way. (Or xKallen, or xSuzaku, or whatever person I’m throwing Lelouch at in any given moment.)
And what’s with the giant time skips? First a “one month later” and Lelouch is emperor and now a “Two Montsh Later”. They never did tell us what happend in that one month of just Lelouch, C.C. and Suzaku. Which is sadness.
And now I’ve just started rambling. So we’ll end this the right way:
Jeremiah Gottwald, you are the most amazing and hardcore character – ever. I salute you!
(Seriously folks, the guy jumped out of his freaking mech in mid-air, did a flip and took out a Knight of the Rounds. HARDCORE. *glomps Orange-kun*)
Oh Lelouch Geass R2 21
Best. Smirk. Ever.
Code Geass R2 Episode 21. I don’t think I’ll stop squealing any time soon. Just…go watch it. Seriously. It was rushed, and confusing, but the ending of that episode made it so worth it. XD They should have just ended the series with this episode.
Oh well, Schneizel’s up to bat. We’ll see if he can make these last episodes great.
