dat ass!

(tags Windows 7, Nanami Madobe, Quo cards, poster, collectibles)

dat ass!

dat quo card ass!

dat blown up, multiple ass!

dat clear file ass!

dat big ass poster sofmap ass!

Wipe dat ass!

WIPE DAT PREPRINTED ASS!

...

Ahem, Windows 7 Mania, indeed. This "official" mascot, Nanami Madobe (窓辺ななみ), sure is moe. And Windows 7? It's a pretty good Spider Solitare platform. Heh.

Kansai themed Melon-chan (Melonbooks key-holder)

(tags Melonbooks, collectable, goods, kawaii, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto)

Last month I went to Kyoto to see the Autumn Leaves in fancy Japanese temples and shrines. Big woop but my camera failed to capture the leaf beauty.

While I was in the area I picked up the Melonbooks key-holder goods (メロンブックスオリジナルの特製グッズ交換 「ご当地めろんキーホルダー」). Basically, each Melonbooks store has their own themed key-chain goods, based on their lead moe-ish character "Melon-chan".

It was no sweat to pick up the Kobe's Sailor Melon (神戸／水兵メロン). Kyoto's Maiko Melon is the classic (twin-tail) beauty (京都／舞妓めろん). And Osaka's Takoyaki Melon makes me laugh nandeyanen?! (大阪／たこ焼きめろん).

Artist Shun Kazakami (風上旬) is responsible for this killer design. I totally forgot about it, but this artist was featured every month in the now defunct moe-friendly Majikyu magazine (マジキュー連載「５階美少女家電売り場でございます」). I have all 40 issues, heh heh.

There are 20 themes in all, and all of them are pretty kawaii. Gotta catch 'em all, except I hate travelling. I've been trying to do the Auctions but not all of them are up. I did collect some already but at this rate I think I'll be done in 2011.

Oh, and the official web banner. Hawt. I forgot how much 300 Melonbooks points is in yen, but it's not that expensive. I have like 4000 Melonbook points. Now all I need is a bicycle to ride around.

You lose, part 2: Idolm@ster Live For You themed Xbox 360 Point Card

(tags game, Idolmaster, collectable, failure, Trigger Heart Exelica)

Let's try this again.

Today was the release of Idolm@ster Live For You. I could have got it today if I stayed at home for the delivery.

Let's open it to redeem some point in order to play the Xbox Live Arcade Trigger Heart Exelica.

What!?! orz orz orz roz roz zro zor rozzoroz :-/ Xbox live is "down" for redeeming. Okay now I'm mad. >:-[

I was going to post more pictures of me opening the card case. The packaging is sturdy, but its hard to open. It's the perfect collectable. The card itself is the same stock as the regular XBLP cards, though. The character design itself is from the it-didn't-happen anime, ie, it sucks.

Blah blah blah, I'm going to sleep, but before that I'm going to level up my persons in FFTA.

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...

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. :-(

Pikachu "Hatsumode" (2008)

(tags food, Pikachu, kawaii, promotion, collectable, 200801, Japan)

Greetz and howdy to your 2008. Hope you are having fun.

So, I did it. I went to McDonalds on New Year's Day and asked for the "Happy 2008 Pikachu ga ippai 50 pose sticker sheet", which meant I had to jump through the hoop of buying a Happy Set which I know as a Happy Meal but no fancy cardboard box. I did not bother to choose to recieve the default Happy Set toys, though. Gotta set the limit somewhere. :o

What is the phrase in Unreal Tournament? "It's been decades since I've seen one of these". :-)

Every time I think of McDonalds now I think of that picture of that Michelin tire fat kid sitting with the McDonalds bib. Going to McDonalds on New Year's Day just breaks all sorts of Resolutions, imagined or not. I'm not making any resolutions for this year but I'm going for goals. One goal is to make one Pikachu related post every month. :-)

Pikachu love: McDonalds Happy... ga ippai

(tags food, Pikachu, kawaii, promotion, collectable, 200801, Japan)

I ate at McDonalds yesterday, so Super Size Me. Anyway there's a special Pikachu sticker promotion if I buy a McDonalds' Happy Meal starting 2008-01-01. I didn't count how many pictures of Pikachu it was but... Oh wait, its on the net: Happy 2008 Pikachu ga ippai 50 pose sticker sheet.

I'm going to do it.

I'm going to do it so I can decorate my Pikachu DS lite. I'm going to do it so I can digitize it and use it as my wallpaper (to offset all the bishoujo moe).

Uh. I will be in a McDonalds on January 1, ordering a Happy Meal. I. Am. Sad. :-/

Pastel PSP, 1-seg PSP, Crisis PSP

(tags game, hardware, PlayStation Portable, Japan, collectable)

I am excited about this news (thanks PSP Fanboy for linking to the original press release). Sony will be release 6 different colored PSPs "lite" (PSP-2000) on 2007/09/20 (Thursday).

Rose Pink and Lavender Purple are the fourth and fifth from the left. Both are pastel colors that look wonderful. I can't decide which one I want so maybe I'll get both. :-)

Also Sony will be release the 1-seg digital TV tuner, something I wondered about before. I tried 1-seg before on my computer, but I am not watching it now. Sony has to gall to make this a PSP lite exclusive. I can't use it on my PSP "phat".

Finally, Square-Enix will be releasing a limited edition PSP "lite" for the Final Fantasy VII "Crisis Core" game on 2007/09/13 (Thursday) (thanks PSP Fanboy). Is this also in my sights? I don't know FF 7 and I felt like I got burned buying that Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings DS Lite bundle and finally it's silver, so I will pass. Though "exclusive" and "limited-edition" always perks my ears up. I am a sucker.

A close reminder: Nanoha A's "Raising Heart Necklace"

(tags anime, Nanoha, character goods, collectable)

I have an anime DVD backlog that if measured in yen is probably... well let's not get into that. In any case, I think its a motivational problem that I haven't seen all the DVDs I own.

So, for the 2005/10 season anime Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, which I still haven't seen, I bought a collectable that reminds me of the series: the "Raising Heart Necklace". This 4000 yen toy is a replica of the necklace and weapon that the main character Nanoha uses.

And I wear it, all the time. When I'm in non-anime mode I put it underneath my clothes, but when I'm out otaku shopping, I display it. It's kinda like those people with anime/character goods in their cars. Other fans will understand what it symbolizes, while normal people will think its just an exotic trinket.

Actually I saw this necklace at K-Books going for 8000 yen mint pre-owned, but the Animate in Nipponbashi had a stash load of them, so it's not as rare it appears.

The little red orb is supposed to transform into this weapon. Yeah, this is an anime with a girl transformation sequence.

I can say after wearing this necklace for a week, it had an effect. I finally dug out my DVD set of Nanoha A's and I am now watching it. Maybe at this rate I'll be talking about StrikerS next week?