Come, See Toys

Here's a look at the S.H.Figuarts Lupin the Third and Fujiko Mine.

These two are examples of something bought based on their looks and accessories. They look like fun characters. From the clips I saw they certainly seem that way. They are from the Lupin the Third series. The 2015 anime version I believe due to Lupin's bright blue jacket.

According to Wiki, Lupin the Third is the grandson of Arsene Lupin. No wonder the name sounded familiar. I actually learnt of the character from the Night Hood cartoon. Anyone else watched that? It had a bit of the Batman: The Animated Series feel to it. Anyway this Lupin is a master thief. A cheeky and confident one at that based from on his facial expression. The sculpt is superb. The figure has a good likeness. His thin, longish proportions is accurate. His jacket was made of a thin, flexible vinyl material. I like the bright blue tone of it. There's nice wrinkle detail on it, and also on his pants. His tie was only stuck on at the upper torso so it has freedom to move when he bends forwards. There's an issue with the left ankle joint on my figure. Whenever you try to move it, it will spring back for some reason. It's quite annoying when trying to pose him.

Lupin comes with a number of accessories. There are three extra heads (one winking, one smiling and one laughing), three extra pairs of interchangeable hands (relaxed opened hands, straight flat hands, claw position / groping hands), also a gun holding right hand and a watch pressing right hand, a pistol and two watches (one with a hole where you attach the included cord). Lupin uses the watch device to swing around effortlessly in the show. The cord connects securely to the watch and is bendable. I prefer to keep it straight to preserve it.

There's great detail on the watch. I particularly like the links on the watch band. You can make out the hands and buttons on close inspection. If I'm reading it right, the time is 8 o'clock.

Next up Fujiko Mine. What drew my attention is how much she reminded me of Black Widow in anime form. She has a similar kind of hairstyle and costume. I have a couple of ideas in mine for use with the Marvel Universe. But I digress. Like Lupin, Fujiko Mine is a thief. Most of the time she's a competitor but has teamed up with Lupin and his cohorts on occasion. A bit of trivia for you. Her name, Fujiko Mine means "mountain peaks of Fuji". I wonder why. Lol. One look at Fujiko and you know she's trouble. She has that sort of an appearance. I really like what they did with her hair. It has good detail. It was painted with a light orange at the top which transitions to a darker tone towards the ends. It gives the effect of light being shined from the top. She wears a skin tight suit. It has nice wrinkles detail on it. The gloss black plastic used gives her sleek appearance. I like the sculpted zip ring and belt details. They were well painted with silver too.

Accessories. She comes with two additional faces (one winking and one glancing to her side), two extra pairs of hands (gun holding and fists) and a gun.

Articulation. Lupin has a dumbbell joint upper neck, ball joint at his lower neck, dumbbell and hinge shoulders, revolver joint elbows, revolver joint wrists, ball joint mid torso, ball joint waist, hinge in the hips with ball joints, knee hinge and ball joint ankles. He can look up and down really well. Body turn comes mainly from the mid torso joint. The waist joint can only be turned a little. He can bend forwards decently. The ankles can pivot a little. Like I mentioned earlier, there's an issue with his left ankle.

Fujiko has a revolver joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, revolver joint elbows, revolver joint wrists, ball joint torso, ball joint waist, ball hips, revolver joint knees and revolver joint ankles. She can look down well but not up due to her hair. Turning her head to the sides is also hindered a little by her hair. The torso joint allows her to bend forwards just a bit and bend back decently. The waist joint allows her to tilt her body to the sides and also rotates more than the torso joint. The ankles can pivot.

Comparison shots.

These two are fun figures. I enjoyed fiddling with them. They have great articulation and accessories. Thanks for viewing!

Just some pics from the OVERWATCH Launch Weekend. It was a two day event held from 28 - 29 May 2016 at the Capitol Theatre. I had intended to visit on the Saturday but was discouraged by the monster queue. A good thing I checked the Facebook event page first before heading down otherwise it would have been a wasted trip. Instead I dropped by Sunday evening and it proved to be a good decision.

In case you do not know, OVERWATCH is the latest game from Blizzard which was launched on 24 May 2016. It's a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) game where you play as heroes. There are several game modes and a huge cast of characters with different abilities to play as.

There was not too many people at the venue when I reached. The finals of the Showmatch was going on and I had a great view from the viewing gallery on the third floor.

Various booths and trial consoles lined the sides of the event floor and smack in the middle was where the Fastest Times Challenge was held. You need to bring your buddies along to stand a better chance at this.

Some of the other activities you could do are as pictured in the following pic. I missed a number of them. The Make Me A Hero, where you could get a caricature of yourself as one of the OVERWATCH characters looked to be a hit. I would have loved to get one but the queue was long. I did manage to get a free photo of myself at the photo wall. I opted for a background with Tracer. Props were available for use in your photos. There were Reaper's guns and Mei's blaster.

Speaking of which, I managed to catch Mei and Reaper while I was there. The cosplayers are from The Neo Tokyo Project and their costumes are simply awesome! Mei even has her weather-modification drone!

There was quite a number of Blizzard merchandise for sale courtesy of Toy Or Game (TOG). Items ranged from apparel, plush toys, game consoles and devices and so on.

The baby Winston figure looks so cute! I hear you could get it for free when you spent a minimum sum.

Here's something I wouldn't mind having, an OVERWATCH exclusive chair from SecretLab. It's one of a kind and it was the prize for a Facebook contest which they ran. I haven't been contacted so I guess someone else must have won it. Congrats to whoever you are!

That's about it for my short visit. Thanks for viewing!

Not much into WWE nowadays. But if an "old guy" like this Flashback figure of the British Bulldog presents itself at a decent price, I'll likely pick it up.

I missed the Legends Series Bulldog previously so I'm pleased to get this one. The figure is based on his appearance from the early 90s. He had the dreadlock hair and he wore tights. I'm not seeing the Bulldog in the head sculpt. He looks more like Jerry Lawler to me. They did the dreadlocks really well. There's great detail. The ends of his hair is flexible and allows for head rotation. The beads were painted on. Too much paint was used I feel. The beads look quite thick. His body looks a bit small to me. I thought he was bigger. I could be wrong. They did a great job with the paint detail of his tights. The lines and letters came out very clean and straight. There's hardly any blemishes across the joints too. Very nice! The forearm sleeves were painted on and the paint application for them is not good here. There's a lot of bleeding.

He comes with a Union Jack entrance cape which is a really cool accessory. I wish we get more of these with different flags. The cape was made of a soft, flexible vinyl material and is not heavy. There are straps at the ends and in the middle on one side so he can wear it at his wrists and neck. The paint apps here is just okay. There's a number of blemishes on my piece.

As mentioned the cape is flexible and he can put his arms down. The cape will stick out at the back when you this, which will look awkward if he's standing still.

Articulation. He's got a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, elbow hinge, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, calf swivel ankle hinge. The ankles also have a side-to-side hinge which allows a little pivot action.

Comparison shots.

A nice figure overall. I love that entrance cape. This has rekindled my interest in the line a bit. Hope I can get the upcoming Elite Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Thanks for viewing!

The Gunpla Expo has come again! The largest Gundam Model Kit Exhibition in Singapore is now on till 26 June 2016 at Takashimaya Square B2. I dropped by early today for a look.

There was not too many people in the queue for the limited items. I estimated around 30 to 40 people. Most of the limited items were still available when I left at around 11.30am.

I guess I must have been too early as there were no info signs around. According to the Club Gunpla Facebook, the limited items will be released on different days. Click the link to check it out. Also if you spend $150 or more, you can redeem a Mobile Suit GUNDAM Iron Blood Orphans Talk Show entry pass which will be held on 19 June 2016. Special guests include Kengo Kawanishi (Mikazuki Augus) and Yuka Terasaki (Kudelia Aina Bernstein).

I'm quite interested in getting this HG 1/144 Beargguy III (san) "Double Happiness" version. I think it'll make for a great gift. This will be released this Saturday, 4 June 2016.

Here's a top view of the event. There's lot of things to check out.

The main attraction would have to be the statue of the Rx-78-2 standing right in the centre. Love that pose! And I love the giant sized tools commonly used in Gundam building strewn around it. There's the marker, side-cutter and bottles of paint.

The RX-78-2 Gundam SG50 version. I haven't got round to building mine to be honest. I like the Gardens by the Bay styled diorama he's in.

A quick look around the venue now. I'll be adding more pics and text. I have to scroll through for the new items.

Starting with Iron-Blooded Orphans which has a fairly large section dedicated for it.

Here's a display for Gundam Build Fighters and Build Fighters TRY.

I have my eye on PandaGGuy. According to the sign he is tentatively set for an August release.

Each "Grade" has a display which you can check out. The following pic is of the Real Grade (RG).

We can get a look at the upcoming RG 1/144 scale Sinanju which will be released in August.

The Tamashii Nations section features the NXEdge Style Gundams. Also some displays of the Gundam Fix Figuration and The Robot Spirits.You can see pics of those here.

I always like their informative displays.

Strict-G is back. I know one or two of you who like this.

Some items from the discount area. Click images to enlarge.

And not forgetting the Gunpla Builders World Cup submissions.

Links to the galleries as follows:

Gunpla Expo 2016

Gunpla Builders Word Cup 2016 Entries

Tamashii Nations Displays

Limited Items

Do head down to Takashimaya and check it out for yourself.

Thanks for viewing!

A new wave of 3.75" Marvel Legends figures! First up a couple of Spider-man villains in Morbius and Hydo-Man.

We saw the 6" Morbius earlier this year, and now comes the 3.75" version. He looks just as good. The articulation though is lacking which is the norm these days for the 3.75" line. He's got a nice head sculpt. There's a good likeness. With teeth baring and thick slanted angry eyebrows, he looks pretty fearsome. Wait... eyebrows? He does not usually spot eyebrows in this appearance but I don't mind them. I guess they did it so his face would not look too plain. There isn't as much facial lines as there are on the 6" version. The eyes were painted very well. There's even a clean outline around them. The body reuses the Vulture's body. His attire is all black in colour. The collar was stuck on while the red sash was painted on. His cape too was stuck on. The inside of it is red and the outside black. I like that its textured. What I don't like is the length of it. They should really have made it so that it extends out from his collar. As it is it looks a little awkward being pasted on the middle of his back.

Things will be getting a little wet as next up is Hydro-Man. The figure is of him in his modern appearance. My personal preference is his black t-shirt and jeans look. The head sculpt seems off to me. He reminds of someone else which I can't put my finger on. I do like his short spiky hair though. There's good detail. His upper torso reuses the older Marvel Universe torso as seen on Daredevil, Nova, the Jim Lee Cyclops and so on. A shame that he does not come with legs. The articulation on this particular body is great. The circular piece on his chest was stuck on. And I think he has newly sculpted armoured forearms. The paint apps of his costume is good. The blue looks a little shiny. I guess we can attribute to his water ability. The lower half of the figure as you can see is a jet of water. They did a great job of this. There's great sculpted detail. You can see the water swirling and there are several spouts coming out of it. It's made of the rubbery type of plastic and is translucent blue. Very nice!

Articulation. Morbius has a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, ball hips, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot.

Hydro-Man has got a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, elbow hinge, wrist hinge, ball joint torso and waist rotation. He can look up and down really well.

Comparison shots.

Both are nice figures! I wish Hydro-Man came with legs as well. I like that we are seeing more Spidey villains. Thanks for viewing!

Here's a look at the Marvel Legends Series 3.75" Black Panther and Agent 13. These figures are Toys'R'Us Exclusive. I did not want to take any chances with them so I decided to purchase them from overseas.

The figures are based on their appearances in Captain America: Civil War. Black Panther in particular looks great. He looks very similar to the 6" version. It's like they took that and downsized it. Whatever it is I have no complaints of how he looks. The likeness is superb and there's lots of great sculpted detail on his costume. His "necklace" was sculpted here. The paint apps are superb. The silver lines were done very well. His claws were also painted.

Agent 13 aka Sharon Carter is one those figures where it looks good from certain angles and off in others. In this case the front view looks off. I think the head sculpt is okay. I think it's more to do with how the eyes were painted along with her "big" hair. I quite like the hair actually for it's detail. The torso looks kinda familiar. I suspect it may be from a G.I.Joe figure. She's wearing an "operations" type uniform. I can't recall but I don't think she appeared like this in the movie. I do remember she wore a vest of similar type with sleeves showing. Anyway, there's nice sculpted detail on her uniform. You can see the seams, creases and pockets. The legs are the same as Black Widow's. As is the belt with holsters attached. I like that they painted the belt buckle.

Agent 13 comes with two guns. They are the same ones we saw with Black Widow. She can hold them well in both hands and they can be stored securely in her holsters.

Articulation. Black Panther has a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, ball hips, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. There's not many nice poses he can do. I wish he had more articulation.

Agent 13 has a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, wrist swivel, ball hinge hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle swivel and hinge. She cannot look up or down. Head rotation is hindered a little by her hair.

One thing about getting the 3.75" figures. They work better with the Giant Man BAF.

Comparison shots.

I like Black Panther and am okay with Agent 13. Their arrival reminds me I have yet to pick up a bunch of MCU figures in the 3.75" scale. The Civil War Captain America with bike among them. I'm still waiting for that to be discounted. Thanks for viewing!

The other Marvel Legends 3.75" Toys 'R' Us exclusive two-pack. Featuring Captain America and Iron Man.

The main draw of this two-pack would have to be the Marvel NOW! Iron Man. Or that is what I presume this figure to be of due to the black and gold colours. The figure is a repaint of the Avengers Assemble Iron Man and it is not accurate to the design of the Marvel NOW! suit. Still it's a pretty cool figure. The sculpt of this is nice and I like that its got some bulk to it. One of the downsides is that the head is always looking down but this can be compensated by adjusting his body at the torso joint. The paint apps are poor. There's gold slop in several places and also bleeding. The gold is also of a little too dark a tone. They did the eyes and the arc reactor well though.

Captain America is probably a repaint but I'm not sure of which figure. I'm guessing it's from an Ultimate version due to the gear he's wearing. The head sculpt is nice. He has a serious expression on his face. There are no "wings" on the sides of his headgear. The A was well painted on. There's great detail on his costume. The "scales" were sculpted and you can see the seams and wrinkles. The vest and best are separate pieces. Again there's great detail. The vest is textured and a has several pockets on it. I like that they painted the belt buckle and buttons. I wish they added some paint for the knife and canteen.

He comes with his shield which he can equip by clipping it on his wrist. The shield is the same one which we've seen before with various Marvel 3.75" Captain America figures.

Articulation. Cap has got a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, elbow hinge, wrist swivel, ball hinge hips, thigh swivel and knee hinge. He cannot look up or down. The elbows bend less than 90 degrees.

Iron Man has got a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, ball joint torso, bar hips with hinge, thigh swivel and swivel hinge knees. He cannot look up or down. He cannot bend forwards much but he can bend back a fair bit.

Comparison shots. Hasbro previously released a Marvel NOW! Iron Man in the All Star line if you're looking for something a little more accurate. That one has only five points of articulation though.

Both figures are okay. I like Iron Man more than Cap. Thanks for viewing!

Finding Nemo did not need a sequel but I'm sure glad they did one as it is such a good movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is fun, entertaining, and has a good deal of emotion.

Finding Dory is set one year after the events of Finding Nemo. Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) are living happily at the Great Barrier Reef alongside their neighbour, Dory (Ellen Degeneres) who has not changed much since we last saw her. She still suffers from short-term memory loss and causes frustration and annoyance to those in the community . They still adore her nonetheless. After an incident while out on a field trip jolts her memory of her family, she is determined to go and search for them. Nemo is eager to go along. Marlin though is not as keen to embark on yet another adventure but does so knowing what it feels like to lose family.

Family is one of the main themes and we immediately see that right at the beginning of the show. It seems Dory already had her short-term memory problems when she was a young, sweet blue tang. She looks so cute with her two giant eyes and tiny body. Her parents Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy) love her very much and do whatever they can to help her. As we learn more about them, you cannot help but really feel for them.

With a similar kind of storyline you fear that it would play out like the previous film but it does not feel that way. The main focus is on Dory and her struggles. Also majority of the scenes takes place at the Marine Life Institute in California which is where Dory vaguely remembers growing up. Instead of negotiating the ocean, the trio need to negotiate how to get in and around of the place which is especially tricky being fish. They are going to need help and this is where a great new cast of characters come in. There is Hank (Ed O'Neill) the octopus. I should say "septopus" as he has lost one tentacle. The way he moves and camouflages himself is just great fun to watch. Then there is Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a whale shark who has poor eyesight. Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga whale who believes there is something wrong with his sonar abilities. And not forgetting Fluke (Idris Elba) and Rudder (Dominic West), a pair of lazy and hilarious sealions. Also look out for the announcer's voice at the Institute where we are informed that the place is for Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release". It is a real hoot.

The animation and visuals are great and are stunning to see. From the bright, colourful ocean life to the vastness of the Marine Life Institute with its many zones and facilities there is a lot of breathtaking sights to take in. I might have had more to say had it not been for the animated short titled "Piper" which was screened before the show. The short is about a little bird which has to find food for itself. In it the visuals have photo like quality. You can see the layers of the birds' feathers, the texture of the sand and the wetness of the surfaces just to give you an example. It is truly impressive.

Finding Dory is a good movie and I highly recommend it. Ellen DeGeneres excels in her role. She not only handles the typical cheerful Dory well but also the sad and lonely side of her. A lot of the highlights involve the supporting cast will surely be loved and become new favourites. The action sequences are unbelievable but are great fun to watch. Leave your brain at the door and just enjoy it. Take note there are extra scenes during and after the ends credits. Do stay back for it!

Finding Dory opens in cinemas here this Thursday, 16 June 2016. Don't miss it!

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Can't get enough of Finding Dory? Then you'll definitely want to check out the Disny.Pixar's Finding Dory Event happening from now till 22 June 2016 at the Plaza Singapura Main Atrium on Level 1.

The event features:

A "Sea-View" Green Screen Experience - you can get your photo taken and an underwater backdrop will be digitally inserted.
A Deep Sea Virtual Experience - immerse yourself in a 3D oceanic environment using the Samsung Gear VR
Quick Memory Challenge
Kids Craft Worshop

*Some of the above activities above will require you to spend a minimum of $30 in a same-day single receipt in order to participate. Other terms and conditions apply.

You can also find Finding Dory merchandise sold at the event as well.

Bandai Namco Singapore, one of the leading toy makers and arcade, mobile and home video game publishers in Japan gave an update on the special guest line-up for Gunpla Expo 2016 today.

Fans of Japanese popular culture and the “Mobile Suit GUNDAM” series can look forward to two special mini-stage programmes on 19th June, during the Expo at Takashimaya Square, B2. Two voice actors (seiyuus), from Gundam’s latest series Mobile Suit Gundam: IronBlooded Orphans, will be in Singapore for the first time to meet and share insights with fans here. TRUE, the artiste behind one of the theme songs for the same series, will perform live on stage as well.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans, introduced in October 2015, is currently the latest anime series for “Mobile Suit GUNDAM”. Details for the mini-stage programmes are:

Gunpla Expo 2016 – Live Mini-Stage Event

Date & Timing: 19 June 2016 (Sunday), 2pm and 6pm

Venue: Mini Stage at Takashimaya Square, B2

The Gunpla Expo 2016 is held from now to Sunday, 26 June 2016 at Takashimaya Square, B2. Aimed at celebrating the art of building the model kits, it includes showcases, exclusive merchandise, and activities for fans and the general public to enjoy and learn more about one of Japan’s top Popular Culture Icons. Admission to the Expo Grounds is free. For further information, please visit https://www.takashimaya.com.sg/.

For a look of the event you can check out the post I put up previously. Click this link.

About the Artistes

Voice Actor: Kengo Kawanishi

Kengo Kawanishi has played a wide range of voice-acting roles in anime, games and movies since his debut. He also specialises in dancing, karaoke and gaming.

Some of his notable roles over the years are:

Mikazuki Augus – Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Shoji Sato – Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
Aoi Shima– Prince of Stride: Alternative
Kisaki Matsuribi – Aldnoah.Zero
Gaku Egawa – Nagi no Asukara ( A Lull in the Sea)
Akira Kagetsuki – Monster Strike
Muku (Teenage) – Boruto: Naruto the Movie

And many more!

Voice Actress: Yuka Terasaki

Yuka Terasaki is a multi-talented voice actress, TV actress and singer. She has played a wide range of characters from numerous popular anime titles, movies, stage plays and dramas. She enjoys landscape photography as a hobby and is skilled in Kimono dressing.

Some of her notable roles include:

TV Animation

Kudelia Aina Bernstein –Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Hephaestus – Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Heinz Nerich Windermere/Heinz II – Macross Delta
Sasha Kreuzhev; Misha=Krushchev – A Certain Magical Index
Raquel – Dokidoki! Precure
Renka Ariake – TV Animation Mahou Shoujo Taisen (Magica Wars)
Zushi – Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission (OVA)

Musical

Meyrin –- Kuroshitsuji: Chi ni Moeru Rikorisu - (Black Butler: Licorice that Blazes the Earth)

And many more!

Performing Artiste: TRUE

TRUE made her debut in the year 2000 under her own name, Miho Karasawa. Her songs have been featured in drama series as well as taking top spots on the Oricon ranking charts over the years. It was in 2011 that she became a full time lyricist and in 2012 when she began working on anime-related projects. She has written lyrics for many popular artistes such as Emi Nitta, Eir Aoi, SPHERE, Yuka Iguchi and StylipS.

2014 marked the first year of her artiste activities under the name “TRUE”. She sang the theme songs for popular anime titles such as Buddy Complex, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Maria the Virgin Witch, Sound Euphonium. More recently in 2015, TRUE performed the opening theme songs Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation, Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle, and not forgetting the ending theme song “STEEL – Bonds of Blood and Iron” for the well-received anime series Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans!

It's been a busy, busy week and there's no sign of let-up for the time being... Hopefully I can get some toy things done this weekend. Continuing the Marvel Legends Series 3.75", here's a look at Quasar.

The cosmic section just got a boost with the arrival of Quasar. He's one I've been wanting to add to the Annihilators. Now all we need is Ronan. If we can believe ebay, Cosmo should be coming soon along with the Collector and a bunch of others. Hopefully that set won't cost too much. Anyway Quasar's got a nice head sculpt. I especially love the hair. It looks a little too long but I think the wind-swept hair works for him very well. There's great detail too. I like what they did with the eyes. There's no pupils and there's an orange outline at the top half of his eyes. It gives the impression that he's bursting with power. There's a paint blemish on his head. I'm quite annoyed about it. But on the other hand it kinds looks like a scar and makes him look more badass. The body largely reuses the Young Avengers Vision body. The forearms are new. His bands were sculpted which is a nice surprise. He also has new knee joints with sculpted on knee guards. Very nice! Quasar is wearing his modern costume. The paint details were done very well on the front. The lines and symbol are clean and straight. And I love the gold tone used. His cape is new too. The shoulder padding is part of it and is attached at the back. The front side is not connected. This allows it to be moved aside and allows for better arm articulation.

Just to show you how the back of his costume looks and a better look at his cape. The paint apps on his back are poor. The lines are very jagged.

Articulation. He's got a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, ball hips, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. He cannot look up or down. He is able to raise his arms fully but the shoulder armour will look awkward.

Comparison shots.

Great figure! I think it's the best one from this latest wave. Thanks for viewing!

Thought I switch over to DC for a bit. Here's a look at the DC Icons Superman.

Look, up in the sky! It's... it's Superman? I'm sorry. I couldn't recognise him for a moment with the makeup he has on. What's with all the eyeliner!?! The eyes were also poorly done on my figure. It looks like someone touched it up. I don't like the sparkly blue paint used as well. It reminds me of something out of a Disney movie. The sculpt and skin tone are not helping either. His overall look gives the impression that he's had cosmetic surgery. I do like the hair though. The body is decent. I think its of a good shape and size and suitably muscular. There's not too much detail on his costume. There's only some wrinkles here and there, most notably on his trunks. Woohoo trunks! Haven't seen a figure with them for awhile now. I like the raised bit at the end of his sleeves. The S shields on his front and back are raised. The paint apps for them are great and they have a gloss to them, as do the boots. Another bit of detail I like is the raised, gold buckle of his belt. His long, flowy cape is of a flexible material. I like the length and shape of it.

He comes with Kelex, a robot which was seen on Krypton in the comic and later in the Fortress of Solitude. This is a great pack-in. I like the look of it. The red visor is transparent. There's nice detail on the body and I like the metallic bronze colour used. It is unable to stand on its own and so comes with a transparent stand and base.

It has some articulation. It has a ball joint neck and peg shoulders,

When on the stand, Kelex stands almost the same height as Superman. Superman also comes with an additional pair of interchangeable open hands. I would have liked if they included straight hands for running and flying as well.

For Superman's articulation there's a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ball joint torso, ab crunch, ball hips, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. He can look up a bit and down decently. The torso joint does not allow much rotation. The ab crunch allows him to bend forwards and back a click. He can do the side splits very well. I'm disappointed he does not have any thigh or calf swivel.

Comparison shots.

I'm quite disappointed with this Superman mainly due to how his face turned out. And also the lack of a thigh or calf swivel. Thanks for viewing!

And it's back to Marvel with a double dose of Ultimate Spider-man!

What do you do when you're running out of Spider-man figures to make from one universe? Simple. You tap into another one. After Spider-verse there are even more Spider-man to choose from. I'm still waiting on Spider-ham! This figure is of the Ultimate Spider-man. It can pass off as both the comic and cartoon versions. I'm leaning more on the cartoon side as I'm more familiar with that. The Peter Parker here is a teenager. You'll notice that he's on an all new smaller body. I like the sculpt and I think it looks great. With this new body you can bet that the likes of Sam Alexander Nova will be along in no time. Spider-man's eyes were sculpted which is nice. They are big and rounded. I'm a little annoyed that the right eye has a blemish on my figure. The paint apps are superb. I like the colour tones of his costume. All the costume details were painted on. The lines and logo turned out very clean clean and straight. They even painted the inside of the ab joint Great stuff!

Miles Morales was from the Ultimate Universe but has since crossed over into the mainstream one. I have not read any of his recent stories yet so do fill me in if there's been anything significant. The figure is a repaint of Peter Parker above. The head sculpt and body are the same. The paint apps are not as great but still pretty good on my figure. There's a noticeable blemish at his left shoulder.

They both come with similar accessories. Each has an unmasked head and two additional pairs of interchangeable hands (wall crawling and web-shooting hands). Peter comes with the left arm of the Space Venom BAF while Miles comes with the right arm.

Both the unmasked heads look superb. They have a good likeness to how they appeared in the comics. I like the look of Miles better. He has a hint of a smile and looks pleasant. The eyes were very well painted. Peter looks a little wild and crazy to me. Maybe it's the smile. His right eye is looking to his right on my figure but it's not too bad. I like the sculpted detail in his hair. There's many locks on top. The head came out a little rough. You can see the jagged edges at the sides of his face and there's more underneath.

They have great articulation. They both have a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, calf swivel and ankle hinge and pivot. They can look up and down really well. The shoulders have pretty good range. They can put their arms close by the sides. Some scraping will occur at the shoulders so do try to take care when moving those joints. The ab crunch allows for two clicks forwards and one click back. They cannot do a full side spilt but it's better than what the "Pizza" Spidey can do. I would have liked if the ankle hinge had more allowance so they could step forward more. It'll help with running poses for example.

Comparison shots. I like the new Miles Morales. The previous figure was overly muscular.

Both great figures! Thanks for viewing!

It's the ladies turn. Here's a look at Silk and the Ashley Barton Spider-Girl.

Silk looks as if she stepped right out from the comics. A great looking figure. I really love how her colours "pop". The red and light grey contrast well against the black. The paint apps are good. The lines came out nice and clean for the most part. My figure has some blemishes unfortunately. The body reuses the Kate Bishop Hawkeye body. It suits her well. One thing about this particular body though is I feel that the legs are too long. Some poses look off. She's got a great head sculpt. Great paint too. The eyes especially were very well done. She's even got painted eyelashes. Her mask was sculpted and has some wrinkles in it. Her hair has great detail. I love the shape of it. It's wind swept and I like the loose locks in front.

Further evidence that Hasbro is taking the Spider-Verse direction. This is the Ashley Barton Spider-Girl from Earth-807128 (Old Man Logan's world). I don't know much about her. So according to Wiki she's the daughter of Hawkeye and Tonya Parker (youngest daughter of Peter Parker). No wonder the name sounded familiar. And it also explains a little her Spider-abilities. The figure has a great head sculpt. I think she has a good likeness. The mask was sculpted which is nice. Another nice bit of detail are the sculpted studs on her ears. The paint apps are good. The design around her left eye looks to be lacking some paint but I'll let it slide since her hair covers most of that side. Speaking of which, I like her well detailed short hairstyle. It's got some light brown highlights in it too. The body is similar to Silk's. The upper torso is different and new I think. It conforms closer to the abs portion. She has quite a shapely chest. The paint apps are good. The lines and logo on her costume came out nice and clean. I like she has the gun metal trimming at her shoulders, glove sleeves and thighs. It's accurate to the comics.

Only Silk comes with accessories. She has an alternate unmasked head and a loose face mask. She also comes with the left leg of the Space Venom BAF. Ashley comes with the torso. I really wish they come with interchangeable hands as well like their male counterparts.

Check out her unmasked head. It's a thing of beauty. Wow! Simply gorgeous! Amazing sculpt! Again the paint apps are great here. Her eyes are so captivating. I also like her lips. Her hair is the same as on the default head.

Articulation. They both have a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ball joint torso, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. Ashley can look up and down very well. Silk cannot look up much due to her hair. Head rotation is also hindered by her hair. She can look down well though.

Comparison shots.

Love Silk! Awesome figure! Ashley is great but I need to find out more about her to be more enthusiastic of her. Both great additions to the growing Spider-Verse. Thanks for viewing!

Here's a look at the Marvel Legends Space Venom BAF series Electro.

This figure of Electro is based on his modern look. I'm okay with it but I still very much prefer his classic costume. I guess I don't like him being without his mask. He appears "dumbed" down to me if you get what I'm trying to say. The scarring on his face does make him look fearsome but I don't get the impression that he's the powerful villain that he is. He seems more like common thug. The figure has a great head sculpt. He's got furrowed brows and he's scowling with gritted teeth. He looks really mean. The scars were sculpted. The paint for it did not quite hit the mark where it's supposed to on my figure but it's not too bad. I like his metallic blue eyes which gives the impression of his powers coursing through him. The body reuses the "Pizza" Spider-man's body. He's got "electricity" effect hands which is cool. Unfortunately he does not come with normal hands so he's stuck expanding his energy all the time. The paint apps are good. The design on his costume came out nice and clean.

He comes with an alternate head which has him with his classic mask on. It's appreciated but it just doesn't go along with the rest of his costume for me. He also comes with the right leg of the Space Venom BAF.

A closer look at the masked head. I love the look of it. He's wearing a sinister looking smile here. Again I like the metallic blue eyes. The protruding "bolts" of his mask are flexible and allows for head articulation.

I guess a lot of us will be annoyed he does not come with normal hands. If you had a spare Iron Fist around you can custom some for him.

Articulation. He's got a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot.He can look up and down really well. You don't want to leave him looking down with his classic mask as the lower "bolts" will get bent.

Comparison shots.

A good figure overall. He really should have come with normal hands. Thanks for viewing!

Hello gruesome! Here's a look at the Marvel Legends Hobgoblin.

First things first. Which Hobgoblin is this? I believe this is the Jason Macendale Hobgoblin. I say this due to the tattered cape and that he also comes with the alternate Demonic head. But really he can be any classic Hobgoblin with the default head. Hasbro did an amazing job with this figure. There's great detail all round. The metallic blue "scaly" areas of his arms and legs in particular are outstanding. "Wolf" Cap could use some of this sculpt work. His gloves and boots have many wrinkles in them. Very nice! The torso reuses the Dr Strange torso from the Hulkbuster BAF wave. He carries a satchel bag which too has great detail. It appears leather like. You can see the stitching on it. It has wrinkles and the surface has a little texture to it. I like that they painted the buckles. He's got a great head sculpt. I like his sinister smile with his teeth showing. The colour of his face looks a little pale to me and I would have preferred it had some yellow in it. The eyes were well painted and has a black outline around them. The hood fits snugly around his head. It is possible to separate them but it is troublesome to do so. The "tail" at the back is spot on. The cape is torn and tattered and has holes in it. Both the cape and the hood have some dark wash on them which is nice to see.

As mentioned he comes with an alternate Demonic head, his glider and a pumpkin bomb which we've seen previously with the Hobgoblin BAF and Jack O'Lantern. He cannot hold the pumpkin bomb well and it will drop out of his hands easily.

I really love they included the Demonic head. It enables us to have another version of Hobgoblin. This look is from the time Jason had a demon fused with him. Here the eyebrow ridges are more prominent. His eyes narrower, and they have white pupils. His skin is stretched and has more wrinkles. There's also lots more teeth. They also sculpted him with his tongue sticking out. Very nice!

The glider was nicely done and has some nice detail. It looks a little small for him though. It was made of a soft, flexible plastic. It's light and so he tends to fall backwards easily when he's on it. You really have to lean him forward as much as possible in order to stay upright.

Articulation. He's got a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, calf swivel and ankle hinge and pivot. He can look up and down decently. He would have been able to look down more if it weren't for his cape. The shoulder hinge is not very useful and only allows him to extend his arms out to the sides just a bit.

Comparison shots.

Great figure! Love it! Thanks for viewing!

STGCC 2016 brings the best of pop culture to fans this September and unveils first wave of artists

Expansive list of guests includes mainstream artists and cult favourites like

Phil Noto, Jon Paul Kaiser, Brooke Allen and nomico

Pop culture fans, be prepared for a visual extravaganza from 10th to 11th September 2016 when Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) takes centre stage at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Level B2, Halls E and F. Whether you’re a comic book fan, toy collector, gamer or cosplayer, STGCC will keep you enthralled over the weekend with its varied pop culture showcases from both the East and West.

Established artists from the creative pop culture scene

Phil Noto

With more than 10 years of experience in making animated movies at Walt Disney, Phil Noto transitioned to become a comic artist by working for DC and Marvel. He has since illustrated for famous comic book titles such as Batgirl, Superman, Danger Girl, Avengers, X23 and most recently, Black Widow and Star Wars: Poe Dameron. His work on The Infinite Horizon (a modern retelling of The Odyssey) with Gerry Duggan earned him an Eisner nomination for Best New Series.

Jon Paul Kaiser

Another accomplished artist featured in this year’s lineup is Jon Paul Kaiser. Fulfilling his childhood dream of making toys, JonPaul distinguished himself with his iconic black and white character figurines. He has also collaborated with many toy makers including Toy2R, Kidrobot, Pobber and DYZ Plastic; and is on the judging panel of Designer Toy Awards. This year, JonPaul has specially designed an exclusive STGCC x JPK “Captain Tigris Jackson” Pin, available for purchase for all STGCC fans.

Brooke Allen

Joining the power-packed guest list is cult favourite Brooke Allen, who will make her first STGCC appearance. Brooke is well known as the artist and co-creator of the Eisner and Harvey award winning series, Lumberjanes. The well received comic book series breaks the mold with strong, fully fleshed out female characters traditionally dominated by male characters and creators in the comic scene. The American has also done covers and shorts for Adventure Time, Regular Show, Bravest Warriors, and Power Puff Girls.

Simone Legno

Participating once again in STGCC is the epochal Simone Legno. The Italian is the co-founder and creative director of tokidoki, an internationally recognised pop-culture lifestyle brand and has amassed a cult like following for its larger than life characters, megawatt partnerships and extensive range of products. Simone has become a sought after speaker around the world at museums, universities and conferences, from MOCA to the Adobe MAX conference, UCLA, USC, the Flash Film Festival in San Francisco, and many others. A limited edition STGCC x tokidoki lanyard will be available for sale.

VOFAN

Japanese pop culture fans can look forward to meeting famed illustrator VOFAN. The character designer for the wildly successful Monogatari Japanese anime series, is best known for his elaborate use of colour and lighting. The master artist specialises in drawing young, high-spirited girls and stories enveloped with flights of fancy. Partly due to his fondness of movies, VOFAN’s works often carry a movie’s sense of light and shadow, composition and storytelling.

Masayoshi Minoshima and nomico

Making their first visit to South East Asia, Masayoshi Minoshima and nomicowill hold a special live performance for their fans in STGCC 2016. Masayoshi is best known as a Touhou Doujin producer and he has also composed numerous hits for established Japanese game developers like Konami and Taito. nomico is well loved in the doujin music scene, fans of anisong and denpa music will have a chance to reminiscence their favourite tunes sang by nomico in STGCC.

This is only the first wave of a starstudded lineup scheduled for STGCC 2016. More artists will be unveiled in the upcoming months, so stay tuned for more updates.

Behold as cosplayers battle it out for the coveted STGCC Championships of Cosplay

The STGCC Championships of Cosplay is back following a successful launch in 2015! A first of its kind platform, the global competition circuit unites the cosplay community and elevate the best cosplayers from around the world through the ReedPOP brand. Singapore is one of the stops for the prestigious Global Championships of Cosplay among other representing countries such as Australia, Austria, China, France, India, Indonesia and the United States. The champions from each region will win a trip to Chicago Comic Entertainment Expo 2017 and have the opportunity to compete against other top cosplayers. Dress up as your favourite character and submit your application through the STGCC 2016 website. Application closes 26 August 2016. Impress the judges and stand to win a cash prize of SGD1,000!

Exclusive STGCC Merchandise

The following are some of the STGCC Exclusive Merchandise available.

More information on the merchandise can be found here.

Click image to enlarge

Tickets to STGCC will be available from 27 June 2016 via www.singaporetgcc.com. Exclusive STGCC merchandise will be available for sale. Fans can also enjoy a special 10% discount at the online merchandise store when you buy your tickets online!

Tickets are priced at SGD19 for a one day pass and SGD28 for a two day pass. Also available is the VIP package priced at SGD120, limited to 300 STGCC fans. VIP ticket holders will get exclusive STGCC merchandise and enjoy perks like priority entry, fast passes and much more! Refer to http://singaporetgcc.com/TicketsMerchandising/VIPPackage for more VIP package details.

Here's a look at the Marvel Legends Space Venom BAF.

First the parts list:

Head - Hobgoblin
Torso - Ashley Barton Spider-Girl
Right Arm - Miles Morales
Left Arm - Peter Parker
Right Leg - Electro
Left Leg - Silk

Venom (Flash Thompson) has been tagging along with the Guardians of the Galaxy in recent times. He's appearing in his own comic called Venom: Space Knight and he's been labelled an Agent of the Cosmos. This figure is based on the look after the "Planet of the Symbiotes" story arc. You can kinda see a "knight" concept in his appearance. He's got a great head sculpt. His head looks like a helmet and has a metal like plate covering his face. All of the details were sculpted and well painted. That chin piece is long. He probably can stab someone with it. His body is all new and big. I love the size of it! I have a good mind of getting a custom done of the original Venom on this body. The body has nice sculpted detail. There are "armour" pieces at his shoulders, forearms and knees. You can find angular detail in the black areas as well. The spider logo and and majority of the white areas too were sculpted. Great stuff! There's some white bleeding going on. Aside from that the paint apps are good. The Guardians logo on the shoulders were very well done. One area I don't quite like of this design is the white on the back his legs. They seem like sneakers to me. I would have preferred if it were all black.

A close-up of his face. His eyes are so tiny you can hardly see them in the rest of the images.

Articulation. He's got a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, elbow hinge, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. He can look up and down well. The white piece on the back oh his hands restricts the wrist hinge. That is he cannot flex his hand outwards. He can spread his legs pretty well.

Comparison shots.

Great figure! I really love the size of it. Good articulation too. Thanks for viewing!

Here's a look at the DC Icons Harley Quinn.

I had thought of passing on this figure but I'm glad I didn't as I think this could be the best Harley Quinn (in jester outfit) figure yet. She's got a great sculpt and articulation. The body is nice and proportionate as well and she's not too thin. Everything just looks so right. Her mask was sculpted. She wears a mischievous smile on her face. The eyes and lips were very well painted. There's a bit of blush on her cheeks and she has some eye-shadow applied. Her costume may be simple but there's still some nice bits of detail. The main, central seams were sculpted. We can also see some wrinkles in the material. The wrist cuffs were sculpted, as were her boots. The collar piece is a separate stuck on at the neck area. The ends of it are flexible and do not interfere with articulation. The paint apps are a mixed bag. The diamonds on her costume were very well painted on. On the other hand there's some slop going on where the two colours meet in some areas.

Accessories. She comes with an additional pair of gripping hands, a gun holding left hand, her "Pop" gun and a large wooden hammer. The hammer has great detail. The grip was sculpted. You can see the wood grain not just on the head, but also on the shaft as well. And it also has some black shading on it. Great stuff!

Her "pop" gun too has great detail. I especially like the textured surface of the cork area. There looks to be some letters written on the front of the cork but I can't make it out. I like the gun metal colour used and I also like that they painted the handle.

Articulation. She's got a ball joint neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ball joint torso, ab crunch, ball hips, double jointed knees and ankle hinge and pivot. She can look up and down quite decently. She can arch back very well.

Comparison shots. I quite like the size of the figure. I think she will fit well enough with DCUC figures. She seems a little too big compared with the DC Icons Batman though.

Great figure! Thanks for viewing!

Just some pics from Cosfest XV which was held over the weekend at D'Marquee Downtown East. This year's edition was a bit special as it featured several movie partnerships which included Terra Formars, Ice Fantasy and Suicide Squad.

I was most interested in the Suicide Squad segment. It was great to see a fairly large portion of the event dedicated to it. A large billboard was setup in the event hall. There was also a DC Fanart Exhibition.

In addition there was a prison backdrop and a bar inspired by the Suicide Squad movie set up.

You meet all sorts of characters at the bar...

On stage there was a a Suicide Squad show put up by the Singapore Cosplay Club and also a DC Comics Super Runway. I enjoyed the runway segment. I loved seeing the various DC characters walking down to familiar DC themes such as the Superman theme, Batman: The Animated Series theme and Teen Titans theme to name a few. You can see more pics in the gallery. The link bottom of the page.

The runway was open on Sunday to any cosplayer who wanted to experience walking down one. A good number took the opportunity to do so in the Grand Walk segement. Touken Ranbu seemed to be the order for the day as you'll see in the gallery.

Many song and dance performances were held over the two days. They have been a feature of the event. As is the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) Singapore. I had great elbow room this time round. Previously I would have been squeezed trying to catch the performances. The WCS saw four teams participating this year. Props to them for putting in the time and effort for their acts. I thought the fight sequence in one of the acts was overly long. I'm no expert but maybe they could have paused and added some dialogue to develop the story. The winners are the two (red and black) in the centre of the following pic. I'm sorry but I can't recall their names...

Right here are the galleries:

Suicide Squad Segment

DC Comics Super Runway

Cosfest Grand Walk

Saturday Cosplay Gallery

Sunday Cosplay Gallery

That's all for now. Thanks for viewing!

Enter the Punisher!

One word. Awesome! This just might be my definitive Punisher. I particularly like the Jim Lee look, which is the default look out of the package. I think he's got a great head sculpt. The likeness is good. He has a younger appearance and is wearing a headband with the loose ends being wind swept. This makes poses look more action packed. He looks pissed off with the gritted teeth. The eyes were well painted. His messed up hair has good detail. It has a bit of shine to it, giving the impression he's sweating. I like it. One thing though is the head sits a little high on the neck. The body mostly reuses the "Wolf Cap" body. The paint apps for the skull logo is decent. There are blemishes but I can live with them. The harness and belt are separate pieces. Both have great detail. The harness has several pouches, grenades and ammo shells on it. I like that they painted the ammo shells gold. The belt fits tightly around his waist. I actually like the brown The "teeth" pouches in the front were painted. They will get pushed forwards when the waist is rotated.

Accessories. There's an extra head of him in his modern look, a white machine gun, a military type rifle and a bazooka. Clearly I don't know the names of the weapons... The sculpt of the machine gun looks nice. I really wished it were black in colour instead of white. They could have at least painted the handles. What they did do was to paint a yellow line on the ammo drum. The rifle has great detail on it. I'm happy with the colours as well. The bazooka looks great too. It has a peg which enables it to be carried on his back. Now one problem is he does not have proper gun holding hands. Thus the weapons will appear higher in his grip.

Close up of the two head sculpts. I personally prefer the Jim Lee one more for the angry expression. The modern look one is pretty good but there's just something about it that bugs me. Maybe it's the paint detail. There are dark rings around his eyes and he's spotting a five o'clock shadow. Overall his appearance kinda appears more like make-up rather than being natural. I like his combed back, slick black hair.

Option three. You can use the head from the Epic Heroes Punisher. The fit is a little loose but it will stay on. I like this head sculpt better than the modern one above. He's pissed off and has a more grizzled appearance.

The harness thingy is removable. It just takes some fiddling.

Articulation. He's got a ball hinge neck, ball hinge shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, swivel hinge wrists, ab crunch, waist rotation, ball hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, calf swivel and ankle hinge and pivot. He can look up and down very well. Rotating his waist will cause the belt to stretch and the "teeth" section to be pushed forwards. I don't suggest posing him with his waist turned for too long.