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.

Big Kudo fan(s)

(tags game, goods, Little Busters, Windows, Kudo-tan)

Today was my first day of 2009 to visit Nipponbashi Den Den Town. It was pretty crowded with the people walking around holding tree branches with gold coins hanging from them. According to my fruitful web searches, the local Imamiya Ebisu Jinjya holds the "Tokaebisu" (festival?) from January 9 through 11.

But anyway, I checked up on lots of Comic Market goods, just like I did last year. Except this time I'm not so enthusiastic (crazy) with opening the wallet. Yeah, right, this blog post is proof of the weak will. I will save CM related stuff for another post.

So, yeah, Noumi Kudryavka from Little Busters (リテルバスタース！). I enthusiastically grabbed the Sofmap exclusive telephone card months back. Since then I've been slowly accumulating goods. Just recently I found the Gee Store in Nipponbashi/Den Den Town. Funny that a branch of this store used to be at Gamers Sannomiya (Kobe) but it closed probably because Kobe isn't so profitable. They have a lot of nice goods. Nice:

These are regular Japanese style fans with (our?) my favorite mascot, Kudo-tan. It no longer seems to be available at Amazon, so it must be selling well. Except at the Gee-Store, where there are tons. As shown, I have already pinned to my kitchen wall. 

Kudo-tan saying "Wahoo" just gives me enough pep to keep on practicing cooking. Actually these two fans take the place of my years-old De Ji Charat fan.

But that's not all. Gee-Store has a bunch of other stuff not available at my regular proving grounds such as Gamers and Tora no Ana. That's probably because they make the goods themselves, and don't bother to send it to other stores.

Okay, I wasn't planning on buying the sports towel (shown on the right). But after spending more than 5000 yen on a bunch of (Little Busters) stuff, I received this free A4 sized clear holder (shown in the middle). I did want to get the cheaper shirt design but all they have left was XL size. I'm an M, really.

Truly though, this is a losing battle. The same couple of illustrations are posted onto mug cups, sports towels, shirts, hug pillows, trading cards, mouse pads, hankerchiefs, bath posters, frisbees (!), etc etc. I am sure to be bored. Then again, I haven't swapped out my 2003 Salvador Dali calendar. Perhaps newness is not important to me?

So yes, I actually bought the Little Busters! game (the EX version) but I am not making much progress in this voice-over fighter. I fear that hearing Kudo-tan's seiyuu voice will destroy the infatuation. And there is some infatuation left, see my other Kudo-tan posts (one more coming up).

Ichigo Mashimaro OVA 2 as my last DVD?

(tags anime, DVD region 2, Ichigo Masimaro, goods)

I have been anticipating the nagomi-inducing Ichigo Mashimaro (苺ましまろ) new OVA series called "Encore". I was scoping the auctions, when I missed the auction for an in store poster. Oh well. Would I pay 1800 yen for a store poster? Do I have to answer that? :)

The new product is a direct-to-DVD sales two-parter (2009/1/23 and 2009/3/25), with probably 88 (4 * 22) minutes of animation and 1_2000 price total.

Truth be told, I haven't been reading the manga after the fifth tankoubon, because buying the phone-book-like thick magazine just wears me down. It's been a year and a half, there should be a sixth book out by now.

The character styles looked improved. This Dengeki Online scoop has colored character sketches and woeful watermarking (boo). Check out the recent interview with the seiyuu as well. Yes the character design looks cuter because the eyes seem to occupy more of the face, but I still miss the seemingly less-polished Barasui style. Out of the TV series and OVAs, this current style has to be the best one, IMO. However, the director (佐藤卓哉) and the character designer (坂井久太) are the same as the TV series, so I'm left wondering what changed.

So of course I'm penciling it in. 2009/03/25, the last day I buy a DVD. :-)

Which brings me to today. I totally overlooked the re-packaging of the TV series, which was released on 2008/11/21. I have been out of it. So I looked for it around town today. Animate: no, Gamers: no, Tora no Ana: no. Sofmap had one copy at a lukewarm location, so yay:

It seems to be just the TV series, no prelude or OVAs. At 1_2000 yen retail (but with Sofmap discount), it's par for the course.

So, what is that in the background? Oh yeah, the binders that I bought from a mail-order slip in Dengeki Daioh magazine 2008/8. I forgot! I also forgot it would come. I was surprised!

I can't seem to remember the otaku reasoning behind buying multiple copies of one item. One copy is for use, another is for worship, and one more is for backup. Or something. I guess a fourth copy makes it an even 1_0000 yen total. :-/

Dream Party 2008-11: Osaka, a mere shadow of Tokyo

(tags gal game, over 18, Osaka, Tokyo, failure, Dream Party, telephone card, goods)

Before arriving to Dream Party 2008-11 "Akiba-kei" adult gal game and cosplay convention at Intex-Osaka, I was already disappointed. I bought the 1000 yen ticket without consulting the attending list. I assumed that the same booths at the Tokyo show would be here as well, but I thought wrong. Particularly, I was hoping for a reprise of "Doki Doki! Tama-tan". I already have the pink Tama-tan figure and the CDs (which were not very good actually), but they had some exclusive telephone cards back in 2008-10, and I missed it. I also missed the auction snipering but then again I have limits (and others don't... boo).

So, I really didn't feel like going on this rainy day. But what the hey, I need to check the game shops in Osaka anyway for Mirror's Edge, so why not.

The pre-paid ticket was available at Sofmaps across the land. They are one of the sponsors for the event. Intex Osaka is where they had that Wii introduction event back in 2006 and of course, I previously went to a Dream Party in 2004 or 2005. It's probably about 30 minutes from Nipponbashi through convenient trains. At the door they were checking ID for age verification, and I successfully got this limited-ages pamphlet which I have to show to enter the event. Because the event is mainly over-18 content with 30 or more booths, while the all ages content is a slim 3 booths. Ha.

So, knowing that the only reason to be at this convention was gone, I just stumbled around looking at the sights. Actually, it was a perfect opportunity to grab some other telephone card designs. That is, if I could beat out the other wanton otaks. They are pretty strong, actually.

I scoped out some the Little Busters goods. There was a special Kuda-tan mini pencil card set for 2000 yen at ToyPla. I've seen all the illustrations over and over again in telephone cards and other goods, but still I wanted it. Unfortunately ToyPla ran out at only 12:30. The guy at the counter told me in plain english "Sold Out", even though I waited in the unruly line and the sign wasn't updated to reflect it. I wasn't pissed though. Some other good stuff to get.

Age, makers of my favorite gal game Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (君が望む永遠), had a bunch of concert DVDs and radio CDs for sale. It would have been my chance to get some "Tomoko Ishibashi"/ Chiaki Takahashi stuff, but I haven't finished the related radio CDs so I passed. I can probably get them next time at the Spring 2009 Dream Party or even Comic Market if I go.

And actually, I was reading famed "rubber stamp" (and recent rice bag and strawberry) illustrator Aoi Nishimata's blog and she said she would attend Dream Party in Osaka. I didn't get to see her, but there was a lot of her stuff there. Booths and even ita-shas (cars with moe stickers). Nice. Lines were long and everything pretty much sold out, proving that people still like her illustrations.

So here I am with some telephone cards. From the top left, it's Chuable Soft's Sugar + Spice which went from gal game to the all-consumer PlayStation 2 version in 2008-09. I like the illustrator Gintaro (ぎん太) because of the simple design and the nice eyes.

On the right is "Marie Ludel" telephone card and pencil card from Paletto's Sakura Strasse (さくらシュトラッセ), which was an over-18 game released in 2008-01. This particular illustration was probably released earlier, for the accompanying radio show. Again the appeal for me is the illustrator Kusu Kusu's style (くすくす).

Finally, the bottom is a Halloween-themed telephone card and daishi from Windmill's upcoming gal game, La Campanella Della Benedizione (祝福のカンパネラ). I don't intend to buy this game, but I already have some telephone cards from previous magazine illustrations (which I didn't bother to post, oops). I even have some of the character CDs, which are pretty fun to listen to. Windmill was also responsible for (the now 3 year old!) gal-game turned anime Happiness.

Ah well, I wrote down most of the things I want to remember about today. I am disappointed with the no-show Tama-tan, but I can only blame myself for not doing the homework.

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.

Second floor is for otaku too: Books Lashinbang Sannomiya

(tags ecsite, doujin, Kobe, anime, manga, goods)

Passing through Animate, I got my copy of Comic Blade and I'm going to read Fairial Garden as soon as I log off. Oh wait how do I segue into the main theme of this blog post. Uh:

My stroll from Animate on the third floor of the adjacent building goes through the second story of Sun Center Plaza. Of course I'm heading for Melon Books on the way to my bus stop. But the new store right next door caught my eye. Books Lashinbang will be opening a Sannomiya branch. I was so enthusiastic that I took pictures with my own camera. Melon Books in Sannomiya is strictly retail and new doujin stuff, and Books Lashinbang is pre-owned reselling of character goods, doujin and stuff, in other words, used sales, so I don't think they'll be stepping on each other's toes.

image originally from Center Plaza 2nd floor

Lashinbang is more interesting to me. I always go to the Osaka branch to check out the "premium" telephone cards. I hope they carry some here. Oh yeah they will. The only place to buy collectable telephone cards is at a store beneath Animate on the second floor, but they have some skanky ones. 840 yen for a card? Where has it been? :-)

Frankly I need to sell off some doujinshi that I just don't need. I didn't have a good place to do it in Kobe, but now with Lashinbang I don't have to haul it all to Osaka. Guess who's going to be there on opening day? (2008-03-01 Saturday) :^)

edit: added map. I like maps and editting with Paint.NET.

Pikachu cute quota filled: Pokemon Dai-suki Select shop news 11/3

(tags goods, kawaii, Pikachu)

There's a reason why I subscribe to the HTML version of the Pokemon Center online store Pokemon Dai-suki Select Club Shop Mail Magazine. The pictures are killer kawaii.

The above is from 「【だいすきクラブ限定（げんてい）グッズが3アイテム登場！】ポケモンだいすきセレクトショップNEWS★11月3日号」 mail message. It is a bit Pikachu heavy. I like it that way!

Eyes on the prize: Comic Market 72 (by proxy), Den-den town romp

(tags Comic Market, doujinshi, goods, Osaka)

Comic Market 72 ended on Sunday, and I tried to anticipate the proxy selling by going to the doujin resell shops in Osaka Den Den Town just one day after. I predicted that some Osaka-based early bird otaku returning from Tokyo would sell their spoils on Monday morning and afternoon. I saw many people in the kaitori (sell-back, reuse) counters and I even saw one guy being handed multiple 1_0000 yen bills. I bet you it was for those Lucky Star framed illustrations going for 3_0000 yens. Its big money.

Since I wasn't looking for doujinshi resell but more like goods resale (telephone cards, new full set circle goods), I spent more time at Lashinbang, K-Books and even Sofmap Treasure Box. Places I skipped today like Tora no Ana and Melon Books do sell CM related stuff but its all sealed and not reused stuff.

The eyes have me. The bottom thing is a Kasimasi themed "Stick Poster" illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura (桂 遊生丸), but it is not a Comic Market item.

There were a few things I wanted from Comic Market like a Ruriiro Rinne (るり色輪廻) pencil card by Atsushi Yoshinari (吉成篤), but I settled for some doujinshi. I'll grab doujin games later. Basically I was looking for new stuff from circle Hakkaya (薄荷屋), which is the pen name of my favorite illustrator Yuiko Tokumi (篤見唯子). I didn't find a package of goodies, but I found two doujinshis, Petit Fours 4 (a collaboration) and Plus Minus (right). Finally Tokumi does some Nanoha doujinshi for the epic kawaii. The remaining doujinshi on the left is by circle Tiny Feather (illustrator Sin-go) which I'll just leave as NSFW.

For my other favorite illustrators, I didn't remember the names of the circles, let alone their names. I can't remember their kanji, either. Luckily, K-Books has some handy dandy illustrator to circle charts reference. Now I know that Barasui (ばらスィー) is Sweet Rose, Naoto Tenhiro (天広直人) is Cielo, etc.

Other than that, I just picked up some other junk that I didn't yet have. Well actually I had a Pocket Pikachu pedometer years ago but it was stolen from me, heh.

I got that deck of cards from K-Books (「K-BOOKSスペシャルトランプ」) for buying more than 3000 yens worth. Supposedly there are a lot of famous doujin and professional illustrators. There was a lot of glass case space devoted just to show off these cards, and it already sold out at the Tokyo store. I hope an Yuiko Tokumi illustration is in there. I'll open it up, but only if I have some plastic card protectors.

I'll probably go to Osaka Den-Den Town again next weekend but it will probably be stripped clean of the interesting stuff. I can't compete against those full-time otaku.