The OtaKulture Project Starts Now!!!

Ever wanted to be covered in a magazine with your precious collections? For the first time ever, Otakuzine Anime Magazine will be launching the OtaKulture magazine! It’s the first ever magazine of its kind here in the Philippines and it will solely be focused on Japanese collectibles and the otaku who dedicate themselves to getting the best that Japan has to offer. Yes, that means YOU! How to be a part of this exciting new venture? You just have to submit some fairly easy requirements will are detailed below and that’s it.

The purpose of this project is to showcase the love of Filipinos for Japanese culture as expressed by their creative room decorations.

MECHANICS

1. Submission of entries is open to all Filipino otaku, either living in the Philippines or outside of it.
2. Participants will be asked to submit pictures of their rooms decorated with their Japanese collectibles. Japanese collectibles can be from, but are not limited to, anime, manga, tokusatsu, Jpop and video games.
3. Entries should be submitted as high-resolution images (300 ppi, do not resize if possible) in digital format along with the sender’s name and age to (insert e-mail address). At least four (4) images should be submitted in different angles to give people a better view of the entire room.
4. Participants are not allowed to pass off entries of other people as their own. Discovery of such acts will merit disqualification of the entry from being included in the compilation.
5. Aside from submitting the images of their rooms, participants will also be required to submit their answers to these questions for the short write-up that will accompany the feature of their room:

• What is your main collection?
• Why do you like to collect?
• How long have you been collecting?
• What is your future plan for your room?
• What is the most prized piece in your collection and why?

6. All entries should be sent to edrell.dy@gmail.com. Entries can be rejected without notice if they have objectionable content in them.
7. A person may only send in one entry. Should a person send in two entries of different rooms, Otakuzine management has the right to choose which of the two entries will be used for the compilation.
8. Deadline for submission of entries is on (insert date and time).
9. All entries submitted entitles Otakuzine the rights to use them in future publications and other media should they choose to.

OtaKulture will bring the spotlight to another aspect of otaku culture. Being otaku does not mean being simply a cosplayer or anime enthusiast. So be proud and show off that collection of yours’ and wear your badge as a collecting otaku proudly.

Volunteer Your Figures For The Best of Anime 2012

Hi everyone! Onii-chan here. It’s been quite a while since I last posted here. Been quite busy recently. Anyways, we’ll be having another figure display this year at The Best of Anime 2012! Last year’s display for this event was a memorable one for us and we hope that this year’s edition will be even better. As always, we’re inviting everyone to lend your figures for the display so you can help in promoting the figure collecting hobby to others.

We’re opening the slots to everyone who wish to lend their figures. To lend, just comment on this post below with your name (can be real or an alias), contact information (preferably Facebook profile link) and the figure that you will be lending. Please state the manufacturer and the toy line which the figure is from.

Note: Only authentic/original figures will be allowed. The display will be an open display. There will only be tables and no cabinets.

Onii-chan’s Corner: Quality and What Really Matters

This post is made to help collectors with questions regarding the quality of items and to debunk fabricated myths about particular toys and figures. For further reading on this topic, please refer to HS Hobby’s excellent blog posts located here and here.

Your toys and figures? They’re made in China.

We often get asked by new collectors whether or not our figures are made in Japan or if Japan version figures are superior to Asia version figures. This is only natural as all collectors would want to avoid getting something that’s not worth their purchase. To make the long story (or blog post) short, figures are not manufactured in Japan. They’re made in China. But that doesn’t mean that they’re of poor quality or are bootlegs. Here’s why.

Reminders for Ingress and Other Important Stuff (ToyCon 2012)

For all Team Onii-chan members, figure lenders and those who will be guarding the display, here are some reminders to take note of. This primarily concerns the ingress and egress schedules, duties and conduct in the display area.

INGRESS

1. Ingress will be on June 15, 2012 from 12 nn to 10 pm at the SM Megatrade Hall Conference Rooms. However, according to ToyCon officials, only 5 members of the team will be allowed to stay within the conference room for the ingress. These members are Onii-chan, Murakami Night, scary.chii, Kai and Ash (final already).

2. Because of this, we will be asking lenders of figures to meet with us outside of the conference room to hand us their figures instead. Once you arrive outside the conference room, please immediately look for anyone of the 5 listed above and sign on our records. This will help us take note of the figures you’ve brought for the display.

3. For those who can bring risers (acrylic preferably), please do bring them to the ingress so we can prepare them inside the cabs immediately.

EVENT PROPER

1. Please take care of your belongings. Team Onii-chan will not be responsible for any losses due to carelessness (such as leaving any expensive items unattended to). Your PSPs, DSLRs and such items are your responsibility. If you lose them because you left them somewhere, do not fault us for it.

2. Do not bring food inside the event hall.

3. Always keep a friendly disposition. Do not incite fights with your fellow members or with the public. There may be times when the crowds are a bit rowdy so we ask for your patience in dealing with them.

4. We only have 3 IDs given out by the ToyCon committee which will be used by the admins. As a result, you will be required to purchase tickets to be able to enter the event area. We are very sorry for this as ToyCon (even in previous years) really just gives out 3 IDs for their exhibitors.

5. If any TV reporters (yes, there will be TV coverage of the display) come to the display and asks questions, please answer them seriously (well not too serious but you get my point) and in a friendly tone. Also, don’t forget to prep up before being interviewed. Be in your most presentable look. *wink*

EGRESS

1. Egress will start at 7:30 pm of June 17. If you absolutely need to leave earlier than that, please inform any of the Team Onii-chan admins (Onii-chan, scary.chii, kettenkrad or Murakami Night) before doing so.

2. You can leave your boxes at the display area but please be mindful that space is quite limited at the display area and ToyCon wants us to be organized and tidy in keeping our things there.

That’s all for the reminders for ToyCon 2012! Follow them to heart and we assure you that we won’t be having problems for the display. This is our first ever ToyCon display and we hope that it will be a successful one for us as well!

– Onii-chan :)

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GSC’s Ultimate Madoka Fires a Godly Arrow Straight to Your Collection

With excellent product offerings throughout the year, Good Smile Company has certainly laid its stake as one of the premier figure companies today. As if their current onslaught of high quality figures wasn’t enough, the popular manufacturer has just announced pre-orders of what looks to be the most visually impressive figure of 2012. Featuring the titular character of the acclaimed “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” series, this figure of Kaname Madoka in her Ultimate form is simply a breathtaking sight to behold.

Bandai’s chibi-arts C.C. Revives The Geass Fever

It’s been a long time since the last episode of Code Geass aired on screen, but that hasn’t stopped Bandai from cashing in on the iconic franchise. With Geass fever bound to hit Japan all over again because of the new Akito of the Exiled movie, it was a good time for the popular toy manufacturer to announce a new figure of the popular and mysterious C.C.. This C.C. is part of Bandai’s chibi-arts toy line which is similar to Good Smile Company’s more lauded Nendoroid figures. As seen in the image above, C.C. comes with a lot of accessories, including the cat, Arthur. She also comes with different face plates so you can play around with her in different scenarios.

Bandai’s chibi-arts C.C. will retail for 3000 yen and is bound for a September 2012 release. Since this is Bandai, expect a timely release for this one. Grab one now!

Team Onii-chan Will Be At ToyCon 2012!!! *UPDATED

ToyCon is one of the most attended local conventions and for good reason. It is the biggest gathering of pop culture enthusiasts in the Philippines. Everything from toys, cosplay and even celebrity appearances can be found here. This is why we are so excited to announce that for the first time ever, Team Onii-chan Figure Display Crew will be having an anime figure display at ToyCon 2012 from June 15 to 17, 2012 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Halls 1-3. What makes this display even more special is that we will be displaying our collections with all the other toy groups in the Philippines. Our inclusion is really a humbling opportunity which we are grateful for.

For this display however, we will be doing things a bit differently and will not be opening slots for lending. Nevertheless, we hope that you can all visit our display at ToyCon 2012 and support us in this great event. :)

Large figures
Wave 1/8 Aisaka Taiga China Dress ver
upLark 1/8 Kamina
Alter 1/6 Persona 3 “Aigis” ART WORKS ver.
Alter 1/8 Kasugano Sora
Alter 1/7 Selvaria Bles swimsuit
Kotobukiya 1/8 Touwa Erio
Kotobukiya 1/8 PHANTOM QUEEN EX-Xecty
GSC 1/8 Kaname Madoka
GSC 1/7 Hatsune Miku HSP version
GSC 1/7 Saber ~Triumphant Excalibur~
GSC 1/8 Akemi Homura
GSC 1/8 Makise Kurisu
GSC 1/7 Rin Tohsaka (UBW Ver.)
Max Factory Kureha Touka
Phat! Company Fate/Extra Caster
Griffon 1/7 Millhiore

Small figures
Nendoroid Petit Edward Elric
Nendoroid Sena
Nendoroid Yozora
Nendoroid Totori
Nendoroid Touwa Erio
Nendoroid Saber Swimsuit petite
Nendoroid Ohana Matsumae
Nendoroid Arcbishop
Nendoroid Millhiore Biscotti

Articulated figures
Max Factory Figma Saber Zero
Max Factory Figma Kamineko
Max Factory Figma Kirino Kousaka
Max Factory Figma Saber Armor
Figma Black Rock Shooter BEAST
Max Factory Figma Ika Musume
Max Factory Figma Millhiore Biscotti

Reminders for Ingress and Other Important Stuff (VocaFusion)

For all Team Onii-chan members, figure lenders and those who will be guarding the display, here are some reminders to take note of. This primarily concerns the ingress and egress schedules, duties and conduct in the display area.

Volunteer Your Vocaloid Figures For The VocaFusion Figure Display!!!

After our gigantic Ozine Fest 2012 figure display, you would think that we’d take a break and rest on our laurels, but with so much opportunities in front of us, we simply can’t sit around and let them pass by. So we’re very very happy to announce that Team Onii-chan Figure Display Crew will be having another figure display next month in VocaFusion at the SMX Convention Center Function Room 1 in Pasay City. The said convention will be on May 20, 2012 from 11 am to 8 pm. With the title being Vocafusion, it’s quite obvious that the event will be centered on the Vocaloid franchise. As such, our figure display will be a purely Vocaloid character display.

Reminders for Ingress and Other Important Stuff (Ozine Fest 2012)

For all Team Onii-chan members, figure lenders and those who will be guarding the display, here are some reminders to take note of. This primarily concerns the ingress and egress schedules, duties and conduct in the display area.

Shifting Schedule (Ozine Fest 2012)

As with all our other events, we shall be opening shifting posts for guarding the figure display area at Ozine Fest 2012 on April 13-15, 2012 at the SM Megatrade Halls 1 and 2. Since this is a 3 day event, there will be a total of 6 shifts with each day having a morning and an afternoon shift. We highly encourage you to be a part of our crew since this is also an excellent way to not only make sure our figures are safe and sound, but also to meet our current Team Onii-chan members and to make new friends :) 

“Guilty Crown’s” Inori Finally Gets Her Own Nendoroid and Figma

Good Smile Company has been on a rampage releasing new figures based on popular series and this is evident in their latest announcements for their highly profitable Nendoroid and figma product lines. With the anime “Guilty Crown” having just ended, GSC and Max Factory have catered to the request of fans to release figures of the ever popular vocalist of EGOIST and main heroine, Yuzuriha Inori.

TAGCOM 6 Event Report (Yes, We Had a Display There!)

When we have anime figure displays, we’re usually given at least a month to prepare for the event. Why a month? Well, consider that not only do we have to invite lenders and record their figures to be displayed in the event, but we also have to layout the name tags for the figures and have further discussions with the organizers with regards to the floor space we have to work with. I think this is why our latest stint at TAGCOM 6 at Robinson’s Place Manila last March 31 to April 1 has got to be one of our most impressive showings yet. It may not have been as grandiose as our previous displays but given the extremely rushed preparation time we had, we’re quite proud of the showcase we had.

Volunteer Your Figures For The Ozine Fest 2012 Anime Figure Display!!!

Out of all the anime figure displays that we’ve been a part of, Ozine Fest will always be special for us since it was the first event that Team Onii-chan participated in, as well as one of the largest and most diverse ones. Because of this, we always look forward to the month of April since Otakuzine management always holds their flagship 3-day event on this month. With April fast approaching, they’ve finally announced that Ozine Fest 2012 will be held on April 13-15, 2012 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Halls (how many halls we don’t know, but most likely three). So why are we making this post then? We’re having a figure display there of course! And it’s not just any display. If you think that our Ozine Fest Anime Figure Special display was huge, this one promises to be the mother of all displays. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had our last event and in that time, quite a lot of new figures have been released so expect a lot of new entries in our display alongside some old favorites. Because it’s such a big and important event for us, we’ve decided to open slots for the lending of figures one month in advance to help us prepare for it.

Max Factory Luka Tony Ver. is One Sizzling Sexy Lady Waiting For Your Pre-order

The Vocaloid franchise has been around for quite some time and has had its share of figures already, but apart from the immortal Hatsune Miku, there hasn’t really been much in terms of character variety when it came to Vocaloid scale figures. But this time, Max Factory is out to change all of that by finally announcing pre-orders for the Tony Taka designed version of the voluptuous Megurine Luka.

Sensei Rocks The House at Otaku Expo 2012!

Another convention has passed and while we’re pooped out, we’re very happy again with the turnout as well as the company of all our friends who guarded the display. I’m supposed to make an event report for Otaku Expo 2012 but since I’m kinda’ lazy right now (hahaha), I’ll first post the epic performance of our resident Sensei, Ash, who didn’t only promote Team Onii-chan and our forum, JPTOYPH.ORG, but also sang his heart out with his rendition of Dragonball Z’s “Cha La Head Cha La.”

So again, to Team Onii-chan, thank you and congratulations to another splendid display. Our success is the success of each and everyone of us. Without all of your help, the group will not be flourishing as much as it has today. Also, thank you to Sensei for the great performance and active promotion of the team. Enjoy the video everyone :)

“Japanese Toy Collectors Philippines” is Now Open!!!

As we’ve grown over the past year, we realized that the rapid progress our team has had will eventually lead to a bigger community of collectors. Our goal for the team has always been to promote the hobby to the widest range of people and to cultivate a welcoming and accepting community that leads to more friendships. As a result, we’ve decided to finally start our own message board under the name “Japanese Toy Collectors Philippines.”

The reason for this choice of naming, in contrary to something like Team Onii-chan Boards or something like that, is that more than being just a community for anime figures, we also want to build a community that welcomes other enthusiasts of Japanese collectibles outside of the usual figures, such as doll collectors and other otaku merchandise.

Being a new online community, we don’t expect our numbers to be as big as other groups, but what we can promise is that ours’ will be a home that makes you feel comfortable and happy to be a collector. We do not promote an elitist and antagonistic attitude that alienates people and a free exchange of ideas is what we welcome in our new home.

Team Onii-chan wants to be more than just a figure display group, but also a catalyst for change in helping to build a better and more constructive haven for all Japanese toy collectors. We hope you join us in fulfilling this vision of ours’ :)

See you at the forums :D

New “Code Geass: Akito The Exiled” Anime Promotional Video Leaked

It has been a while since we’ve heard anything about the new “Code Geass” anime. I actually thought that it might be one of those projects that were only referred to in passing and destined to be forgotten by the producers, but thankfully, we finally have concrete evidence that is is coming soon. A random search on Youtube yielded this video preview, showing a lot of new faces and a lack of old ones but retaining the signature CLAMP art style and the roller-blading high speed Knightmare Frame battles we’ve come to know of. Yup, this is indeed the new “Geass” anime and it will be entitled “Code Geass: Akito the Exiled.” It’s bound to be released this 2012. An exact date hasn’t been given yet but considering that a promotional video has already leaked, it’s airing might be sooner than we expect. Can’t wait for this one.

Max Factory Holy Angel Kamineko is Truly Heaven Sent

Max Factory has long been one of my favorite manufacturers for releasing some of the best figures in a very attractive 1/7 scale, meaning they’re a bit bigger than your usual 1/8 scaled figures. This trend continues with their latest figure announcement in the form of “OreImo’s” Kuroneko in her Holy Angel Kamineko outfit.

Volunteer Your Figures for the Otaku Expo 2012 Display!!!

Volunteering time! As with our previous figure events, we’re opening up slots for our display to everyone to lend their figures for it. Our displays would not have been as successful as they’ve been without the help of our lenders and this will hold true for all of our displays including our upcoming Otaku Expo 2012 stint this January 21-22, 2011. Since there is no particular series of shows that are highlighted this time, we will be using the standard grouping of scale figures, Nendoroids and articulated figures. To volunteer, just comment below this post so we can register your name as a lender. These are the number of slots for now but we will add more once we’ve confirmed the number of tables given to us. Thanks.

Team Onii-chan Figure Display Crew Will Be at Otaku Expo 2012!!!

After our grandest display event last month, you’d think that our team would be resting on its laurels now, but no. This January 21-22, Otakuzine will once again be holding Otaku Expo at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall 1 and yup, you guessed it, we’re having another display for all of you. If you will remember, we also participated in the 2011 edition of the said event and in my opinion, that was one of the more memorable displays that we had so I’m very optimistic that this will be just as memorable. What to expect? Well, more figures of course. We’ll be showcasing some of the first figures that came out in 2012 so expect some new faces to be seen. For now, we don’t have much details regarding the event itself but on our part, we’ll be opening slots for volunteering of figures soon so stay tuned. What better way to celebrate the new year than with a new convention! We hope to see all of you at our event and hopefully you can once again visit our booth to see our gorgeous display.

Kotobukiya Black Hanekawa Has The Most Beautiful Base, Face Not So Appealing

“Bakemonogatari” has always been a source of inspiration for many figure manufacturers, with many of the top companies releasing their own versions of the always popular series. Kotobukiya has been one of them and while their offerings have often gotten the cold shoulder over the ones from Good Smile or Alter, they’re trying to reverse the trend with their latest and most impressive figure yet, Black Hanekawa.

FiguArts ZERO Himura Kenshin Looks Top Notch (And Affordable Too)

“Rurouni Kenshin” has seen a revival in Japan soon and while there have been both good and bad things that have come out from it, the attention it has gotten recently is a welcome sight especially for those who grew up following the series. Bandai is paying tribute to this great series by announcing the “Rurouni Kenshin” FiguArts ZERO line of figures and the first entry is none other than the titular character himself, Himura Kenshin.

The (Delayed) Ozine Fest Anime Figure Special Event Report

Another event has just passed for Team Onii-chan and yet, unlike the previous ones, the Ozine Fest Anime Figure Special display will always hold a special distinction for various reasons. Not only was it the largest collection of figures ever gathered for an event but it was also the first time that Team Onii-chan was front and center in terms of participation for a convention. For such a young group to handle a project of such grand scale was indeed a daunting task but if there was ever a crew that was prepared for it, it was ours. From the planning stages to the ingress and to the event proper itself, everyone helped out in bringing this dream to life. Never have we imagined that a figure-centered convention would ever be promoted this way and we’re very lucky to have played a big part in it.

Griffon POP Reimu Hakurei is Extremely Adorable, Lolicon Pride Overflows

Sorry for the lack of posts recently as we’ve been quite busy with the just concluded Ozine Fest Anime Figure Special (which I’ll be doing a post on soon), but we’re now back to give you updates on some of the most eye-catching figures to come out from Japan. Griffon Enterprises has been known much for its steady releases of “Touhou Project” figures and while not all of them are considered to be top-tier quality, there are some like this POP Ver. of main character Reimu Hakurei that grabs notice.