Keilu's Alcove

mini photo comparison between Revoltech 2G Yotsuba vs. Revoltech Fraulein Rei & Rin vs Figma Yuki

Basically having them do same poses.

Standing: - no problems having them just stand around


Standing with their arms pulled back:hmm... fruelein rin has a problem with her shoulder. it kinda pops out when you do pose her arms at the back. Figma yuki cant pull her arms back at all, so its just at the side


action pose (kinda): Yuki and Yotsuba have no problems with this pose. Fraulein, have a bit of difficulty as you can see, i had to bend their feet waay too much to hold them in place


kneeling: no problems doing them


leaning back: jaz taking it easy. Figma Yuki couldnt hold the pose with her arms pulled back, but she can still lean back without falling


sitting down: Yuki sits kinda lady like. Yotsuba is a kid after all so indian sit, fraulein couldnt sit at all, so they are kinda leaning back.


overall, i'm partial to figma as they are doing the whole cast of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu and their facial scupts are great. Thing is, Yuki's head cant be posed looking up as her hair gets in the way.

Royal Rumble. Fighting it out. Who will come out on top?


individual photos of the figs in the poses above posted over at the photo section 
while a brief rundown of each articulated figures manufacturer, accessories and such over at previous blog entry

Well, i only started collecting toys last year. Fun toys to collect are those that are articulated enough for you to play with them and pose them anywhich way. Now here are three of those poseable figs out there (these are the only ones i have in my collection, except for the fraulein, which belongs to my brother )

Well, here's their respective rundowns, focusing on these aspects: manufacturer, series released and upcoming, availability, price, height, accessories (excluding the one on the figure already), and most importantly, articulation (well, mostly what kind of poses i can make them do without their joints popping out)  - which will be posted via photo comparison

a. Revoltech 2G Yotsuba Koiwai
   - Kaiyodo Revoltech 2nd Generation, released 9-27-2007
   - 3rd figure to be released under 2G line (though they are unnumbered)
   - other figures in the Revoltech 2G series released: Saber, Alter Saber, Danboard
   - Limited edition of the Revoltech 2G series: Amazon Danboard
   - sighted at Wonderfest 08: Yotsuba with different facial expression and lots of accessories, mini danboard.
   - available in most hobby shops in manila (Greattoys, BestToys, Wasabitoys), though it usually disappears quite fast once its stocked
   - P 1,100 (price then, it was early January 2008)
   - height 120mm
   - accessories: popsicle, blue squirt gun, head with a different facial expression, pair of hands,
   - shirt and shorts is made of rubber so it doesnt hamper movement
   - stand is just a round base. then in order to hold on to the figure, it has a short metal stick with a half rounded hoop at the top that will enricle the waist of the figure.
   - head swapping: no problem swapping heads with fraulein series.

b. Fraulein Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night)
   - Kaiyodo Revoltech Fraulein series, released 2-01-2008
   - series no: 002
   - other figures in the Fraulein series released: 001 Rei Ayanami in her plugsuit, 003 Asuka Langley in her plugsuit
   - upcoming figures in the Fraulein series: 004 Pocco (Shunya Yamashita art), 005 Haruka Amami (Idolmaster), 006 Ami Futami (Idolmaster)
   - available in most hobby shops in manila (Greattoys, BestToys, Wasabitoys)
   - P1,100
   - height 150mm
   - accessories: dagger, 4pair of hands, head with a different facial expression
   - skirt made of rubber and has a slit on both sides of the legs to enable some movement
   - stand is a platform then in order to hold on to the figure, it has a short metal stick with a half rounded hoop at the top that will enricle the waist of the figure. It might cause paint chipping on the figure
   - head swapping: no problem swapping heads with revoltech 2g series, at least with the Yotsuba one

c. Figma Yuki Nagato (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu)
   - Max Factory Figma series, released 2-14-2008
   - series no: 001
   - upcoming figures in the Figma series: 002 Haruhi Suzumiya, 003 Saber
   - limited Figma versions: SP001 Haruhi (bundled with SHnY PS2 game), SP002 Lelouche, EX001 Konata cosplaying Haruhi (Wonderfest 08)
   - sighted figures in Figma lineup at Wonderfest 08:
      1. SHnY anime: Mikuru, Kyon, Itsuki
      2. Nanoha anime: Nanoha, Fate
      3. Ikkitousen anime: Kanou Unchou
      4. Fate/Stay Night: Rin Tohsaka (in direct competition with Fraulein fig )
   - so far, available at Wasabitoys
   - P1,250
   - height 135mm
   - accessories: closed book, open book, eyeglasses attached to front part of bangs, chair, 4 pairs of hands that have their own slots for safekeeping while not in use, head with a different facial expression, hair, white shoes
   - stand is platform, then a plastic handle that can be bent in the middle that you can use to pose the figure, then in order to connect to the figure, the figure has a hole in the back where the handle connects.
   - note: has a limited edition version where there is a colorful scarf you can place around Yuki's neck. I think its only available in Japan market with the following colors: white, yellow, orange, pink and mint green.

as for me, well, i am planning to complete the Figma line (specially the SHnY line up they have)

and now on to the poses (see photo section)

Well, i only started collecting toys late last year. So i'm a newbie when it comes to the line of toys i really wanted to collect.

One line that caught my eye is GSC's nendoroid line. So far, i only have the following in my sights:
http://www.nendoroid.jp/

• 09 Haruhi Suzumiya - Belat pose on my bookshelf
  

• 10 Yuki Nagato - missed this its initial release. i now have her sitting and reading her book on  my bookshelf

• 12 Light - missed this its initial release. On pre order
• 14 Haruhi Suzumiya Bunnies (WF 2007 exclusive) - haruhi, mikuru and yuki are now performing their concert on my shelf. Acquired thru sir Protoform S of Cybertron Phils
  

• 16 Mikuru Asahina - Mikuru beam!

• 17 L - missed this its initial release. Pre ordered 2 sets, as am planning to display one L in his chair, one to be chained to Light

• 24 Mabinogi Nao - cute owl

• 27C Lucky Star Konata Chari Ani ver
• 28C Lucky Star Kagami Chari Ani ver
  
• 29 Al Azif - impulse buy. Cute poring

• 30 Death Note Light Santa version (with 1 interchangeable face)

• 31 Death Note L Reindeer version (with 1 interchangeable face)

• 32 Tsuruya -
  

• 36 Melissa Seraphy - On pre order. couldnt resist the cuteness of the figure
• 37 Pastel Ink (Moetan) - On pre order. couldnt resist the cuteness of the figure

  And here's my wish list (darn exclusive releases!):

• 34 Lucky Star cosplay Fate- wonderfest 2008 exclusive
• Lucky Star Clayroid Puchi nendoroid petits  - ran out of stocks

And to further drain my wallet, GSC came up with nendoroid petits! Its not numbered but so far, they've released or will be releasing:
http://www.nendoroid.jp/products/nendo-petit.html

• Haruhi Suzumiya Wave 1 - cannot get enough of the cuteness of SHnY

• Haruhi Suzumiya Wave 2 - on pre order
• Lucky Star Wave 2 - on pre order. Hopefully, this one will push through as i wasnt able to get the first one.
  

Kawaii

made this waayyy back in college. but it seems that this one fits my friend to a tee 

     Fate has played a delightful game on me. She had given me somone I could call my own. A special someone who could fill my world with love - the love i've been yearning for.

     Yes, it was you. You are the one who filled my world with such abandoned happiness. The only person that has given me this delightful sensation - an exultation of the true meaning of ecstacy.

    But all of these are just an illusion. The pitiful imaginings of a girl who had secretly admired you from afar.

    For i know, deep inside me, that i could never compete for your attention.

    So i simply suffice my unanswered deram, with an illusion that I choose to create - where in this world, you and i are one - in love.

have you ever been in love
the kind of love
that seeks your heart
and turns your world upside down?

have you ever been in love
with such intensity
that you thought you'd died
and gone to heaven?

have you ever been in love
the kind of love
that changes you
into a much better person?

have you ever been so passionately in love
with someone who does not love you back?
have you ever felt the pain
that goes with loving someone who belongs to another?

i have
the day my heart fell deaf
to the warnings of my mind
is the day that i had fallen in love
with You

a stalker poem

Tell me the reason why
That whenever I would look at you
I will find you, looking at me?

Tell me the reason why
That whenever I feel someone staring at me
I will find out, that it's you?

Tell me the reason why
That you went out of your way
To be where I am?

Tell me
What is your reason?
Is it because
You feel the same way I do about you?

Well, everybody enjoys a sale now and then. Who wouldnt? Imagine getting that coveted dress, shoe, dvd, book, or toy that you wanted at a discount, or better yet, at half price. Leaving you with some money left over for other things.

Well, my friends and i got to talking about our high school days. And one lesson in particular that stuck in our minds was how one of our teachers, a St. Paul sister, lectured us on relationship.

She put it in terms that a high school kid will understand. She cautioned us that getting into a relationship , and being intimate (well, back in the days, getting kissed is considered being intimate) with the other person (hmmm, we are talking of an all girls school here. So relationships doesnt necessarily mean between a boy and girl ) and breaking off with him/her down the road, our value as a girl will depreciate, in such a way that in the end, we are going to be like an item on sale at the bargain bin.

And for those who are not in a relationship, then their value will most likely remain the same (side note: victorian era, spinsters are often referred to as being on the shelf - kinda like an antique )

So, do you think that being in a relationship quite often puts the value of the person on the bargain bin? When we buy items on sale, we check the damage and everything if what we are going to pay for it, even at sale price, is worth it. When you go into a relationship, dont we also check the baggages (emotional, mental, spiritual, etc) that the other person might bring? But life isnt as simple as that, but it does help a susceptible teen to place a higher value on her person before he/she goes into a relationship.

For most us who took the lecture to heart, we learned to not go blindly into relationships just for the sake of saying i am part of a couple. We learned to love and complete ourselves first, and to not look for others to love and complete us. And in the end, most of us are now in an enduring relationship, thanks to the lesson taught to us by the Sister.

a lazy day, with nothing to do.....why not go out with friends, or invite your friends over or better yet, invite yourself to a friends house for some company, bit of conversation, karaoke and overflowing food and alcoholic drinks?

best way to spend a lazy weekend is among friends. you get to air out your feelings to those who understands you, have a good time and since you're among friends, you know you can just be you.

it was one of those weekends when my friends and i get together. this time, instead of pigging out , we decided to sing  our hearts out. hmmm....anybody noticed the rain last Saturday?

we had fun singing out songs from our youth (dont ask how many decades ago it was). scoring was fun since the base score was 80, so even if you are a really bad singer, you still get an 80.  i did realize one thing though - it's never a good idea to order a pitcher of anything alcoholic, specially if your among friends who arent that much of a drinker. i think i drank half of the zombie  we ordered, by the time the clock struck 12, i didnt turn into pumpkin, but i sort of turned red a time or two - a wee bit wasted  its a good thing i'm among female friends who arent gonna take advantage. we spent what remains of the early hours of the day at McDonald's, trying to sober up and not smell too much of alcohol when we get home.

all in all, it was another great weekend with friends. We wished though that was a 24hour moviehouse, so we can watch a movie afterwards

i used to be happy
i used to revel in what life has to offer
i used to enjoy what i am doing
i used to live for the moment
i used to know where i was going
i used to know why i was headed there

but now
it seems as if a pall of depression
overtook my usual zest
i dont know  how to be happy anymore
i dont know why i still live
it seems as if there's no direction in my life
frolicking along
never really understanding
why the fates deemed it fit
to give life to me

and now
i'm afloat
trying to hold on to my sanity
hoping something or someone
can once again spark
my interest in life
and give me back
the keen interest in life
i used to have
for i long to be
the person that i used to be
before depression came over me

http://manilaoceanpark.com/

Hopefully, will be open this month. Wanted to see this one so as to compare with that of Singapore's Underwater World and Malaysia's Aquaria :) At least if you wanted to see fishy and underwater creatures, you can just visit the Manila Ocean Park, no need to fly out to Singapore or Malaysia

Yay! My pre orders for the SHnY figurines arrived! Will be getting my nendoroids and max factory figurines later this afternoon :)  Will post pix once i have my hands on them  (doing the happy dance right now )

I could not sleep. Something seemed to beckon me outside - to explore the world while it is cloaked in darkness. I slowly got up and stood by the window. The trees outside seem to be moving, inviting me to dance with them. The soft rustle of leaves appear to be calling out my name.

I gave in. I found myself in the middle of the garden, surrounded by the love of nature - when suddenly, a gust of wind assailed the peaceful night. A chill went up my spine. Then the clouds parted, letting the moon lit up the sky - that's when i saw two figures by the lake - locked in a passionate embrace.

And in the moonlit sky, I saw you. No matter how hard I try, I still could not make you mine. They say that love finds a way - and your love for her did. You two looked so happy together - and that's when I realized how wrong it was for me to keep you her.

A couple of weeks ago, finally succumbed to the pressure (well....it is on sale after all :)) and bought for myself flip flops - Havaianas flip flops to be exact. Everyone's raving about it after all, how comfortable it is and all that.

Well, i tried it. My verdict? Am not going to be using it much. Why? It seems my feet aren't used  to expensive footware. Since it is made of rubber, and you know how hot our country is, after just a couple of hours of walking, my feet are developing blisters - particularly between the big toe and the, hmmm....the finger next to it :)

From now on, I'll just stick with my trusty Islander sandals - where the straps are made of nylon and not rubber so that my feet doesnt blister.

It's always fun touching base with girlfriends. Especially those with whom you had shared a lifetime of laughter and tears. Inevitably, the topic will veer towards the most asked question.....how's your lovelife?

In our highschool gang, only a handful are married, some are in a relationship, while others, like me, are still enjoying the life of single-blessedness (right!). And of couse, being single that we are, we learn what to look for if ever we get to find that special someone, and here's the rundown:

a. Has to have his own vehicle (doesnt matter what model, as long as it runs), knows how to drive, and wouldnt mind playing the role of chauffeur should the need arise (interpretation: wouldnt mind being the driver when me and my friends meet up to watch a movie or just hang out)

b. Knows how to do some minor repairwork at home (interpretation: wouldnt mind doing some chores or fix some things at home. This is where the "boy" in boyfriend comes in)

c. Be understanding (interpretation: if i want to do a sleepover at a friends house with my friends, dont stand in my way. As one of my friend's bf puts it: You've known your friends almost your entire life, and you only know your bf for a couple of years)

d. And of course, the most important of all: Has to love me for what i am (interpretation: who'll love me in all my moodiness and to always remember: That I am Right, even if I am Wrong)

Hmmm, now, where do you suppose i can find this paragon of a guy?  

And oh yeah, one other thing, should the guy you're interested in cant seem to put into words how he feels about you, it wouldnt look amiss if you start the ball rolling and ask him pointblank where the relationship is heading. You're not getting any younger after all, girlfriend!

Only in my dreams

Can I hold you close to me

Only in my nocturnal world

Can I truly feel that you feel the same way I do

In this world of darknesss

Nothing can hold me back from you

From expressing what I truly for you

But when dawn comes

And the darkness exploded with light

That's when you fade away

And leave me nothing to hold on to