Welcome back to the second part of my Sailor Moon haul from Japan! Today I am going to share a lot more tiny trinkets and gashapon, which I can never say no to! If you randomly found this post (welcome!), you can click here to see part one! Continue reading My Sailor Moon Goodies from Japan / Part 2
Category: Figures
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
Funko Pop! Sailor Neptune
Funko Pop!’s vinyl figures rose to so much fame in the last few years that I am pretty sure that no introduction to them is necessary, since they are so good in fulfilling everybody’s pop culturall needs. I got my first figure, Princess Amidala, in Saint-Denis in 2013, when visiting the Star Wars Identities exhibition and was magically able to resist their other dozens and dozens of figures – until now! Toei Animation teamed up with Funko! to bring us the beloved characters from Sailor Moon; first the inner and now even the outer senshi. And of course I had to get my favourite Sailor Neptune first! Continue reading Funko Pop! Sailor Neptune
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)
Gashapon: One Piece Wan Piece Mascots
As if a cat themed One Piece gashapon release, would not have been amazing enough for 2017, Bandai gave us another stroke of genius to put One Piece characters in little doggy suits. After Nyan Piece, it is now finally time for Wan Piece! Just like their kitty pioneers, it is a collection out of six figures. I love that they are not keychains, so they will not end up with a hole in their head. Continue reading Gashapon: One Piece Wan Piece Mascots
Qposket Petit Vol. 3: Sailor Moon, Sailor Neptune & Sailor Uranus
Last December I remember running around Tokyo to find the newly released Qposket Sailor Moon set including my favourite outer senshi Sailor Neptune. You might have already read my review on her Pullip doll or seen my past collection in an Instagram post, so it should not be a surprise that I was beyond happy to have found the whole set nine months later in a secondhand store in Akihabara (which still remains the only time I have spotted it since then). The prize was pretty reasonable with 2980 Yen and I should also mention that, just as my Rapunzel figure, those figures were prices in crane machines in Japanese arcades. Let’s get started with some Sailor Moon cuteness!
Even though I wanted this set mainly for Sailor Neptune, the figure of Sailor Moon is my favorite! Her face looks the cutest to me, her mouth the poutiest and her pose the most iconic. The biggest surprise are the decorations in her dangos, which have a lovely orange red sheen. Her hairstyle in general looks lovely and also the metallic sheen of her jewelry is stunning. For a smaller Sailor Moon figure, I am so surprised by the quality and accuracy. Her face is very peachy toned and she has the prettiest greenish blue eyes. She also comes with a clear yellow stand, which also supports her head in the back. Continue reading Qposket Petit Vol. 3: Sailor Moon, Sailor Neptune & Sailor Uranus
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)
Blind Boxes: Pokémon Dessert Plate
A few weeks ago the Pokémon Center released their Dessert Plate collection, which featured a lot of super cute artwork and also a series of blind boxes. There are 8 different small figures of plastic dishes in Pokémon designs. First of all: How adorable is the outside of these boxes alone, not even speaking of what’s inside yet?! I really would have loved to get the whole set, but am at least able to show you three different figures today. Continue reading Blind Boxes: Pokémon Dessert Plate