So far all of the Crystalux releases by Banpresto have been nothing short of amazing. It all started with Alice, continued with Snow White and now we are already at their third release with Belle, the heroine of ‘The Beauty and the Beast’. Crystalux figures are prizes that can be won at Japanese arcades. Their special feature are the eyes, which are comparable to dolls’ eyechips and therefore reflect light. Continue reading Crystalux Disney Characters #3: Belle from ‘The Beauty and the Beast’
Category: Disney
Crystalux Disney Characters #2: Snow White
She is here! Crystalux’ second figure release is Disney’s Snow White and I have been looking forward to her for a few months now. Crystalux figures can be won in Japanese arcades and it has already been announced that Belle from ‘The Beauty & The Beast’ is next. She will be released in June and yours truly already pre-ordered her! 😉 But first, let’s give beautiful Snow White the attention she deserves! Continue reading Crystalux Disney Characters #2: Snow White
Oposket: Aurora/Briar Rose (Version A)
Here we go again with more Qposket cuties! As a fan of ‘Sleeping Beauty’, I was excited to see that there was going to be a release of Princess Aurora, while she was still living under the name of Briar Rose, which was given to her by the three fairies to protect her from Maleficent. (It worked out for a while…) Her figure is brand new and no recoloured release, which traditionally means that next to her version, there also is a version b with a pale pastel colouring. This is a common release strategy, when it comes to Japanese figures, but I personally have to say that I always prefer my figures to have bright colours! Continue reading Oposket: Aurora/Briar Rose (Version A)
Crystalux Disney Characters #1: Alice in Wonderland
Today is a very exciting post, since I am finally writing about a new Disney figure series available in Japanese arcades: Crystalux! They kicked off with Alice from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and will continue with Snow White, who I will be showing you as well in the spring! The idea behind the Crystalux figures is that they have kind of clear reflective chips in front of their eyes, which sets them apart from your usual painted on eyes on figures. For doll collectors ‘eyechips’ are not a new concept at all, but I have to say that I am quite intrigued by the idea of incorporating it into figures, which additionally do not break the bank as well!
What made me the most excited about the Crystalux releases (the two that have been released/announced so far), is the appearance of the Disney girls and that they are portrayed in their actual movie look. It is super refreshing to have this range of Disney figures next to Chibi versions like Qposket. Alice is captured in the secene at the very beginning of the movie, while she is actually talking to her cat Dinah. Honestly, I need a tiny Dinah to accompany her! Alice is (theoretically) sitting on a meadow and made a wreath out of daisies, which she is still holding in her hands. Continue reading Crystalux Disney Characters #1: Alice in Wonderland
Qposket: Alice in Wonderland (Special Coloring vol. 1)
It happened. I am in love with Qposket figures now. I bet, this statement is absolutely shocking nobody that is halfway familiar with the things I am investing my money in, so please look forward to my latest cutie: Alice from the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland, which is my most beloved Disney film ever! I got her in the recolored edition, since the original Alice figure that came out a few years ago, is far more expensive now. When I found out about the newer version, I did not want to miss out again and ordered her from Ebay.
In general the figures of this series count 13,5 cm/5,3 inches, which is neither too big or too small in my opinion. I also like that they are quite sturdy. In the Qposket universe ‘recolored version’ basically means that her hair is painted in a color with a pearly sheen. The rest of the colors of her dress are slightly different as well, but the most prominent difference is definitely the shimmering metallic effect of her hair. If you are not a fan of this look, I highly recommend you to stay away from the recolored Qposket figures and to rather look for the original releases. Continue reading Qposket: Alice in Wonderland (Special Coloring vol. 1)
Putitto! Japan’s Newest Blind Box Trend!
Little figures, which are able to sit on the edge of your glasses to keep you company, are no new concept for Japanese blind boxes or gashapon. In the past years, I have already picked up various cuties, for example from Sailor Moon or One Piece. Now in 2017 these kinds of figures are more available than ever under the collective brand name Putitto. They have licenses with Disney, Pokémon, SAN-X and many, many more. Their figures are mainly sold in blind boxes, but I also found some in gashapon machines.
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
There are lots of Disney Putitto series around (Toy Story, Disney Princesses, Classic Disney Scenes, etc.) and they looked mostly very well made and beautiful. My only beef with some of them were the wonky faces of the human characters, especially those of the Disney princesses! Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite, if not my favorite Disney movie of all time! After already having invested a fair share of my shopping budget on Alice goods, my resistance towards these blind boxes proved to be futile, when I caved near the end of my trip and bought three boxes. I got super lucky and did not get Alice or the Mad Hatter, but my favorites: Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit and the Baby Oysters.
The Cheshire Cat looks so funny tipping his pink ears and eyebrows like a hat! The pose of his paws is simply darling! His face and expression are perfect and I can say that all of my Alice-figures are super well made! Continue reading Putitto! Japan’s Newest Blind Box Trend!
Qposket: Rapunzel (Special Coloring vol. 3)
I sometimes wonder, what I would be collecting, if dolls weren’t my priority. Although I am pretty sure that I would have lots of figures from Qposket, since they strike a lot of strings, when it comes to my favorite things. I love that they are very dolly-looking and so far they have done wonderful collaborations with Sailor Moon, One Piece and are now constantly releasing new or re-colored figures of Disney Princesses. On my last trip to Japan I finally picked up some figures myself and the first girl, who is getting her review, is Rapunzel from the Special Coloring vol. 3 series. These figures are meant to be prizes from game centers, but I prefer to buy them in secondhand stores, since I am super bad at the crane games! If a figure is pretty new and can still be won in the arcades, the prices are pretty nice. Although it definitely is a good idea to compare prices, since they can vary in huge amounts. If a figure has already vanished from the arcades, be prepared to pay a lot more for it, if it is your absolute priority. Luckily, Miss Rapunzel was a recent release and I got her for 1790 Yen, which was the cheapest I could find her at!
The thing I love most about Qposket figures, is how absolutely dainty they are. Even though my Rapunzel is part of the ‘bigger’ line, they are still only about 2/3 of your usual anime figures. Due to their big eyes, I can definitely see the often mentioned resemblance to Blythe dolls and Rapunzel’s are a beautiful shiny sea green. Next to her cute small lips, her face is the absolute cutest! The arch of her eyebrows makes her look super curious, which is very true to character and as a big fan of blushy cheeks, I cannot complain either. Continue reading Qposket: Rapunzel (Special Coloring vol. 3)
Tokyo Disney Sea Mascots Haul 2016
Last year one of my dreams came true: After wanting to visit a Disney Park for nearly two decades, I finally got to visit Disneyland Tokyo. But there is not only one Disney Park in Tokyo, but also Disney Sea, which is located right next to it. Both visits were absolutely spectacular, but there was something about Disney Sea that I enjoyed a little bit more-not only from an experience-, but also from an exclusive merchandise-perspective. You all have to know that Disney movies are the foundation of my childhood (especially Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Robin Hood and The Lion King), but I am not very savvy when it comes to lesser known characters. Combine this fact with my inner cat lady and now imagine that everywhere in Japan a pistachio-green colored cat appears in form of bag charms or even as a bag itself. I did not know its name, only the horrendous prices for its merchandise on the secondhand-market. 2016 finally made me wiser: It is Gelatoni, the Mediterranean friend of bears Duffy and Shellie May. Altogether they are the exclusive mascots for Tokyo Disney Sea and not to be found in regular Japanese Disney Stores! Continue reading Tokyo Disney Sea Mascots Haul 2016