Last week's World Hobby Fair and Comic Treasure

(tags event, Osaka, Comic Treasure, World Hobby Fair, Maison Ikkoku, Yuiko Tokumi)

Last Sunday (2009-01-18), I headed out to Osaka (from Kobe, a 30 minute excursion) to attend some game and hobby events.

The first one was Comic Treasure 13 at the site I now associate with otaku-ism, Intex Osaka. It was in a huge room new to me. Once I paid my entrance fee of 700 yen and walked in with the catalog on my head, I felt like I stepped into Comic Market. Masses of people everywhere, tables running up and down the whole space. Except that this was only one day, at one-third the size, and in Osaka. Still, running up and down the booths and trying to avoid people's expectant stares (buy my goods I slaved over for days), bumping into criss-crossing otaks with their bags filled with paper goodies, it was just a waste of time. Yes a waste of time! Because I didn't buy anything and there was nothing I really wanted. I could go for the doujinshi that rips off my favorite animes or characters in very naughty ways but yeah, no. I wanted to see if there was doujin games to buy but I didn't find anything I wanted. Sure there was a shmup or two, but just opening the wallet to start the ball rolling was just not happening. 

And as far as Aoi Nishimata was concerned, I saw some fans with her goods leaving the area just as I arrived at 12:00. Obviously she's gone, and her goods were gone as well.

So I left with nothing new in hand. I ripped the catalog to take a picture of the cover, then I disposed of the catalog at the site. Never again. Well, never again unless I do my homework.

I moved on to World Hobby Fair at the Osaka Kyocera Dome. It was just a couple of stations away, but the atmosphere was totally different. Instead of individuals to dodge, I had to thread whole family units. At least, the average height of the attendees was lower, so I could see farther, ha.

Again, most of the items on display were not in my sights. Of course there was the Pokemon area, and I picked up some things (which were the same as last time, so...) Mainly it was the card games, toy gimmicks such as some spinning top thing with robots, etc. Nintendo was there of course with their white booths and conservatively dressed campaign girls. That Wii Cheer game which is finally getting the Japanese domestic release had a presence with girls in cheerleader outfits. I was interested in the game for the new gaming experience (hey I'm the one who actually bought Para Para Paradise for the PS2), but I couldn't compete with the literal kiddies waiting to play. Gotta keep up appearances while attending a World Hobby Fair.

I then spotted the Cospa booth. I wasn't attracted to the new new stuff which was Hayate no Gotoku, etc, stuff from this decade. The stuff that grabbed me was the Rumiko Takahashi related goods. Like this Maison Ikkoku shirt:

The booth sign said half off on the goods, but I got charged full price for this S size shirt. 2980 yen. :-/ This is Osaka, man, assert the haggle spirit and at least ask about the half-off sign. Sorry, I was timid.

Also I noticed that the sizes were SS, S, and M. Usually the shirt sizes from Cospa are M, L, XL. Makes me wonder if this was aimed for the parents who wanted to use their kids as billboards for their favorite memories. hyuk hyuk, guffaw.

Lastly, the thing that made me glad to brave the Osaka Winter and masses of cannon fodder, is pictured above. The parent company of Sunday (the comic?) announced a Hayate no Gotoku trading card game, and one of the promotions was the card above. I'm not interested in the card game or even Hayate no Gotoku (though I did throughly enjoy the 52-episode anime). But check it, it's a Yuiko Tokumi illustration!!! They weren't merely handing it out, I had to play a simple matching card game (like Memory) to win it. Well the odds to win were probably 100% percent (uncover 4 cards, two at a time, and if the two cards have the same character (in my case, Hinagiku), win the card), if one has any sort of short-term memory skill. The rules for the game were not written anywhere, so I was my timid, unsure self and I didn't bother getting in the 20-minute wait line, up until the last minute (I was literally second-to-last in line when they closed) when I found some courage in the question "what could go wrong anyway?" Geez.

So yeah, Yuiko Tokumi stuff. Like the weekend before when I got her calendar, twice. It's a given. This was totally random and I was not totally expecting it, so I was pretty happy.

The rest of the day was a blur, but I distinctly remember wanting to buy Prince of Persia 2008 for the Xbox 360, because the late reviews were giving this game some good feel. But I didn't buy because of price and lack of scheduled free time. Maybe next time.

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.

National Pride 2008: a Den Den Town TC holiday

(tags telephone card, game, collectable, Yuiko Tokumi, Di Gi Charat, Nana Mizuki)

I took the Friday off, so that I have a four day weekend. Monday is the Japan's National Foundation Day holiday, 建国記念日. I have my cheep Japanese flag to celebrate the day, yeah. Who would pay 2100 yen for a indoor flag from Tokyo Hands? 100 yen shop FTW.

However I shouldn't dawdle on a weekdays like Friday, because it's the only chance to do personal business at places like banks. For example, I haven't updated my account statment booklet (口座記帳) since last August. o_O; Luckily they keep records for the last twelve months. The online banking however only shows the last month. WTF. BTW, GnuCash is working like a charm for me now.

With business out of the way, it was time for play. :-) Today seemed like a major telephone card (TC) day. I made preparations to buy three anime-related magazines' mail-order TCs. I also went to Den Den Town just to get it over with for the weekend. I picked up some odd ball TCs there, including a original illustrator (つだみきよ) Mikiyo Tsuda's Princess Princess Quo card set. Mmh, cross-dressing guys in meido outfits. Di Gi Charat (will I ever spell this name right?): two 2008 ones because of the red eyes and the other something Akihabara related, Iris TC from illustrator Yuiko Tokumi (篤見唯子), and Youchi na My Angel TC from illustrator Yuki Azuma (あづまゆき) via E2 Magazine are other purchases for the day. Rounding the photo out, the TC I ordered from Megami Magazine's 2007-12 issue came in the mail today. It's a something something Gurren, but I haven't watched this 2007 anime.

Also I keep my eye out for (桜野みねね) Minene Sakurano's TCs. There are a gangload of cheep ones (about 500 yen) because of old her breakaway hit, Guardian Angel Getten (まもって守護月天!), but they don't appeal to me. I like her drawing style now, but GAG stuff circa 1998-2002 seems a bit rough.

I also got a Iris clear file collectable. I like clear files, because they are not very valuable, despite their rarity. This one was 100 yen, heh. Anyways, I have yet to play this old game (2002?), and I forgot which version I got, the Dreamcast or the PS2?

I must be a sucker for "promides" (a Japanese term for "commerical photo portrait of celebrities"), because it was the only reason I bought (水樹奈々) Nana Mizuki's latest CD single. Rawr, twin tails and skirt. Nana-sama! Haa haa *vomits blood* Yer right, obviously airbrushed and photoshopped, but I wanna deny it. :-p

On those Microsoft Xbox Live 3500 point Idolm@ster cards, at my preferred shop, Sofmap, there was a pre-order limit of one to a customer. I was set on getting both designs (two cards) there but they refused my request. So I went to another store in Osaka to pre-order the other card. That Sofmap store didn't have any limitation. WTF. Oh yeah, playing in-store was a new demo video of Idolm@ster Live For You with a song I've never heard. February 28 will be a happy time. :-)

I was hoping to pick up any English voice version of Burnout Paradise (see flyer in photo above) but my go-to store at Den Den Town didn't have any stock. Did they ever have stock? The game is officially coming here on 2008-02-22, but I prefer to laugh at the announcer's English.

On other game stuff, there are no Xbox 360 arcade joysticks, as usual. There are lots of Super Smash Bros for the Wii in stock everywhere, and Sofmap is stocking up the old style GameCube controllers (but they are third party) for 2500 yen. Alas SSB for the GC is still 5000 yen or more, sigh. I frequented the GBA or PSP aisles , but nothing piqued my interest. Still I am currently tuned to aquiring Clu Clu Land (GBA), Guilty Gear's side scrolling beat-em-up (PSP), Contra 4 (DS, US), BioShock and Mass Effect (X360, Asia), Red Star (PS2, US), etc.

No game purchases this time around, though. Let's finish up Rez and Project Slypheed and Omega Five and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Idolm@ster and...

Cold reminder, Idolmaster point cards

(tags character goods, Idolmaster, game, PlayStation 2, Street Fighter, Xbox 360, Yuiko Tokumi)

I did another out and about session in Nipponbashi Den Den Town this weekend. I hate it when I am reminded that I spend too much money on character goods. Too much money. TOO MUCH MONEY. (echo echo echo...) Uh oh this is starting to sound like a whiny post. :-/

I am now considering not going to Den Den Town for the month of February. I would save on travel money that way. But sometimes Den Den Town has the cheap stuff. Also the shop prices adjust my expectations when doing online auctions. Ugh online auctions.

(picture thanks Inside Games JP)

Let's see, the only entertainment thing I planned to buy in February was Idolm@ster Live For You but that's coming in the mail. Today I saw the pre-order for the two Idolm@ster branded Xbox Live Point cards, shown above. I've never seen any XBL Point cards with a design before. You know I'm a card collector, e.g. a telephone card collector. I'm used to 1000 yen prices. But 5000 yen retail is steep. Then there's the question of whether to use the code on the card or not. My feeling says yes, idiot, use the stuff you buy. I'll see if they have a pre-order at my local shop.

Actually today I wanted so much to pick up Burnout: Paradise at Den Den Town but my go-to store doesn't have it yet. I could have instead bought the new Wipeout PSP or the new Contra DS or Bioshock or whatever games not yet in my region... Then I reminded myself, I have Jak Combat Racing for the PS2-US. Break that out now.

Okay today was somewhat thrifty, I think. I got Street Fighter III Third Strike for the PS2 for 1580 yen and Project Sylpheed for the Xbox 360 for 1480 yen. Original covers on both of those too, great. Unfortunately they are dented (ケースイタミ) but even though I don't see where. And I got (another) Yuiko Tokumi illustration 2008 calendar. (I haven't posted about my Yuiko Tokumi purchasing, have I?)

Finally I bought (not pictured) Yuu Kobayashi's new music single (based on j1m0ne's recommendation) and Miyuki Hashimoto's single for a 2008-01 season anime. Ouch 1200 yen for singles. The disconnect on my purchasing is pretty stupid, huh.

Okay now to enjoy space.

Day 3 of Den Den Town co-habiting

(tags telephone card, game, collectable, Yuiko Tokumi, Osaka, Nipponbashi)

I have already gone to Den Den Town three days in a row but so far nothing big has caught my eye or my wallet. I mean I'm lining my ducks in a row, because right now I'm just glancing at stuff and I'm waiting for the Yuiko Tokumi goods to come into view. Unfortunately I've only seen the new doujinshi (新刊) and none of the other desirables such as the 2008 calendar. Will I ever see it? I suppose I'm waiting for the otaku drops. Saturday only, 2x rate? ;-)

Ol' dependable K-books is reselling one of her new doujinshi for 2100 yen, while another shop called Vanilla is reselling the identical thing for 900. I also saw it at Books Lashinbang but I did not remember the price. It's not Bottle Fairy, and my resistance to buying doujinshi or even setting foot into no-resell doujin shops like Melon Books has been strong recently. I have to focus on going into resell shops, though, because I always do the same varied route of console games, telephone cards, Sofmap, no-resell doujin shop, resell shops. I have succumbed to visiting shops twice in one day. :-/

Also my alternate goal is to find a Xbox 360 joystick. I have not yet found (another) one for sale. The last time I saw one was a month back. Even the auctions online have dried up (for the Dead or Alive model). Why doesn't Hori make another run of these joysticks, plain ones even. I know they make regular controllers, but even if I buy it my thumb will still be at the same angle. I have to say, playing Shikigami no Shiro 2 at demo kiosk at A-Too recently feels totally natural with the Dreamcast regular controller. The Xbox 360 controller in comparison is alien.

For this "2008 A Happy New Year Di Gi Charat" Gamers retail telephone card, I tried visiting Gamers Sannomiya but they didn't offer it. The fukubukuro offers at 3000 yen (available) and 5000 yen (sold out) had another exclusive telephone card of Dijiko but I passed. I also tried to visit Gamers Osaka but I forgot that it is closed today, despite checking the schedule. Note to self: It's closed tomorrow too. It's in a "remote" area so instead of backtracking to Umeda I followed the Midosuji subway line on foot to the next station, Yodobashi, because Den Den Town is another 3 stops south. I passed the U.S. Consulate and I got some winter sun, yeah. I finally picked it up at Gamers Otaroad.

(I have also revived my purple Game Boy Micro for FFTA. I forgot where the USB charging cable went. Sofmap doesn't sell any Game Boy Micro charge cables no more, so I gotta stock up.)

So far this week I have only gotten that Pikachu 50 pose sticker seal sheet and that Gamers telephone card. Total "New Years otaku" costs are, to date, 2000 yen. Transportation has been around 1000 yen per day though. I'm going to have to buy another 3000 yen Lagare card for the travelling.

Other things of interest that I rated a "want" but not "need":

• Lumines for PSP with original cover, used at 6800 yen. It probably is the downgrade-capable version. But it's gone now as of today. I haven't played Lumines before but the demo is just an XBLA away.

• A K-books exclusive micro fiber towel with illustration by Noboru Kannatsuki. But it's not related to red-headed Corti so I will pass.
• Street Fighter III 3rd Strike premium box for the PS2 going for 1_2000 yen. I don't grok Parrying and I don't really need a big box or a jigsaw puzzle!
• Suzumiya Haruhi no Yakusoku for PSP premium set (8900 to 12800 to 17000 yen, with or without figure) and the various telephone cards. I can wait.
• Kodomo no Jikan telephone card (Animate point exchange 2007-12) with daishi going for 4000 yen. I really shouldn't be getting into this "skeleton" anymore.
• Final Fantasy XII International Job System for the PS2 going for 2800 yen used and new. But I'm playing FFTA right now.
• Manabi Straight visual booklet for 1500 yen. I'll get it eventually.
• Contra 4 for the DS, US version at 5000 yen. I can wait till 2008-03 for the JP release.
• Various Gamers or Broccoli or Di Gi Charat telephone cards at around 800 to 1500 yen each at some resell shops. I'll probably pick some up when the wallet is loose.
• Shikigami no Shiro 3 Appreciate DVD (replay video). Have you checked Youtube?
• (I didn't see this at Den Den Town but its on-topic) Border Down for Dreamcast resell (thanks Insert Credit) and soundtrack. Come on, I haven't played Border Down in 3 years! Why do I need another copy? Oh wait, it's already pre-order'd out. :-]

Maybe if I spent less time trying to find something to buy I wouldn't have to say "No" all the time.

And yes, I'm going again tomorrow. :-) :-/ :-(

How bad do you want it? "Hakkaya 73" goods (Yuiko Tokumi 2007-12 stuff, part 2)

(tags collectable, Comic Market, Yuiko Tokumi, illustrator, auction)

So I've been following the bidding on the complete Yuiko Tokumi goodies available at Comic Market 73 (2007-12-30, keywords: 「薄荷屋 73」) It's horridly crazy. I was about to put my bid down but now the bids have skyrocketed beyond my tolerance. The goods looks like this:

We are looking at a paper bag, a canvas-like tote bag, a pencil card, a calendar and two doujinshis. Ugh, it's that "Miku Hatsune" craze. But who knows, some of the bidders have a history of being Hakkaya fans. In fact there was one person that maintained the highest bid, even when they were outbid (I kept refreshing the page, you see). They really had to have it, huh.

Yes I gotta have that calendar since it's a tradition (I have 2006 and 2007 calendars) plus it's Bottle Fairy! (瓶詰妖精) I would die for Bottle Fairy. But! I wouldn't put up 2_0000+ yen just for a 1000 yen calendar.

There are some backups online as well as off. I do have Nipponbashi to explore, but the past two days indicate that its too early to check. I am going tomorrow as well, because I haven't picked up the Gamers "New Year's" Dejiko Telephone card in lovely wine red.

Gah, what a waste of time. :-(