CM 74 goods: Tama-tan and others by illustrator Koge Donbo (Koge Koge House)

(tags goods, illustrator, Koge Donbo, CM74)

This is the second CM74 goods I actually care enough to buy. However I didn't have to canvass any shops to get these official doujin goods. I only had to read illustrator Koge Donbo's blog, "Do-Bo*JO" and buy the goods from her virtual shop only hours after she announced it. Only 2500 yen through bank transfer. No pain, no irritating scalping, all gain, too easy. Koge Donbo explains the goods herself.

This time around Koge-Donbo's goods include a doujinshi-sized tote bag (detailed picture). This is not cloth or paper, but laminated vinyl, I think, which is surprising. I always intend to use bags like these, so I already folded, spindled and mutilated it. (Which reminds me, I should do a blog post on the bishoujo-otaku-for-life bags I carry around as backup.) Unfortunately this one is inconvenient as a shoulder-tote bag because the strap is too short to thread my arm through.

The illustration itself is "Kazune Miku", which I suppose is the character Kazune from Kamichama Karin (2005 manga and TV series?) cross-dressing into Hatsune Miku clothes. Um. WTF.

The back side is something more palatable to my eyes. It's "Tama-tan"! I already got this figure (though I didn't blog post about it and I tried to buy-prevent it). According to that figure's accompanying doujinshi, she's a schoolgrader that transforms to this frilly girl in order to combat trolls on blogs. Huh. Anyways, Tama-tan has her own blog, called Tama-tan Blog, surprise surprise.

On a related note, another CM74 item is a vocal CD based on this original character, called "USB!!! -うさみみ すぅい～と ばに～がぁる-". The seiyuu for Tama-tan is Momoko Saito (斎藤桃子). I don't really know her. I just want the illustration, ha. (BTW this illustration has really good eyes. Koge Donbo's illustrations as of late have had some terrible eye drawings. Did she have a falling out with one of her assistants?) Unfortunately there's no info on how to purchase it, so it's a CM only thang. Ouch. Well I could always look at the official nico-nico douga video. Or get the backgrounds jpgs. Wow, 1600 by 1200 pixels. Rawr. Thank you Koge Donbo for giving this away.

Finally rounding out this goods set is a doujinshi, a clear file with the same illustration, and a flyer (chirashi). I haven't read this goods' doujinshi yet, but it looks like an original character, trademarked Koge Donbo kawaii with bunny ears and bunny dolls.

Speaking of which, Koge Donbo has a new manga work called Naki Shoujo no tame no Pavane (亡き少女の為のパヴァーヌ). I thought this work would have different character style, but one character, "Misaki Kanda", looks like a recycle from Pita-ten. Hahah, more bunny dolls hanging off headbands, please.

CM 74 goods: Tama-chan by illustrator Yuiko Tokumi (Hakkaya)

(tags illustrator, Yuiko Tokumi, goods, CM74)

It's that time of year again: Comic Market 74 (CM74) goods by proxy. Since CM74 ended on a Sunday (2008-08-17), I expected Kinki region otaku to resell their stuff this week or this weekend. I window-shopped my favorite stores in the Osaka and Kobe areas: K-books, Books Lashinbang, TC Paradise, Vanilla. Only the latter had the following circle Hakkaya (薄荷屋) / illustrator Yuiko Tokumi (篤見唯子) goods:

It's a big paper bag of Tama-chan from Bottle Fairy (瓶詰妖精), a paper fan with the same character, and a light novel cloth book cover of some unrelated illustration, for 1500 yen. I consider cheep because usually this kinda stuff starts at 3000 yen. The illustration reminds me of her old licensed gachapon-like swimsuit figurine series back in 2006 or 2007, but I didn't follow that one too well despite buying the convention-only telephone card. Is it "ソリッドシアター Pocket THEATER 薄荷屋 Collection みずぎくらす" ?

Anyways, I didn't do my homework though, because I don't know if this a complete set. Where's the doujinshi, for example? As far as this CM's goods set are concerned, I give it 4 5 out of 5 stars. The bag and paper fan illustration is kawaii win, but the cheepness of the light-novel cloth cover lowers the rating and I ignore the cloth cover.

It seems that Tokumi is changing the way she illustrates the eyes. Every illustrator refines their art with time, but I suppose I liked her older style. It seems to me that more and more bishoujo illustrators are coloring the eyes similarly to Tokumi's method (not that I think she originated this style), so perhaps she's trying to maintain her distinctiveness.

Gamers "2008 Summer trading card game supplies sales campaign"
Tokyo Trading Card Show 2008 exclusive telephone card (right)
illustrated by illustrator Yuiko Tokumi

It's been years since Bottle Fairy. I like how Tokumi visits Tama-chan and Bottle Fairy over and over again in her doujin activities, though I wonder if she's ever going to come with other stuff. I ignored that figurine series though, and that was something new and different. I'm not following her too closely actually, though I know she submits piece or two for those gal-ge based card games like Lycée.

Also she has that unobtainable telephone card from a Gamers trading card game supplies campaign (2008-08), as shown above. Ugh, want. I mean, look, Hakkaya bunny playing cards. Win. However it's "unobtainable" because I need 30 tickets to get it, but one ticket "costs" a card supply item, which starts at 400+ yen. Best to look at the auctions, starting next week, but let's save the picture for posterity and purchase-deterrance.