There are some anime that are able to cut deep into your feelings. One of those anime is Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica from 2011 that made me cry my eyes out for hours after I finished watching it. Even now it makes me sad, when I think about tragic heroines Homura and Madoka. Now what does this series about magical girls has to do with the wildly popular light novel and anime-series Bakemonogatari?! Both are produced by studio Shaft, my favorite animation studio (last season’s 3-gatsu no Lion was amazing as well)!
Due to the studio’s 40th anniversary, Shaft made a Madogatari exhibition last year, in which they did a mash-up of both anime, which are also their commercially most successful. The figures I own are from a brand called SQ and were prizes in claw-machines in Japanese arcades. I will say it right away: Never have I ever won anything by playing one of those! I am the type that either goes to Akihabara or Nakano Broadway to purchase them directly for 10-15 bucks each. If I tried to win them, I would spend more and still had to go home empty-handed. The next problem was luggage-space and so I had to make the decision of only bringing the Bakemonogatari characters home with me. Basically because they are wearing the fancier costumes. Each figure was also available in a sepia-colored version. Continue reading My SQ 2016 Madogatari Collection