I'm back from the grave... with another new toy at tow

How long has it been since my last post?... was it like half a year ago when I did that post on the Star Wars Speeder Bike... yes it has been more than six-months ago since that last update and seriously I feel a bit strange and alienated in front of the blog editor that once became the center of my universe and going through the usual routine was a breeze that I could even go about doing a blog post even with my eyes closed. But now I feel I need to go through some serious refresher course and start from scratch (well, I guess not REALLY starting from nada) or maybe I'm just exaggerating things and all I really need to do is familiarize myself once more with the "ol' routine" and I can say for certain that I'll be back in the saddle in no time.

Since my last post on the Speeder Bike I had eventually stocked up on a few toy hauls to my collection but I have lost track on the sequencing on what did I purchase first, but it really doesn't matter that much to me now and all I need to do is make up for lost time and come up with more new updates, and six-months is a very long time... but nonetheless let's cut the chit-chat and on to my first new post for 2013.

The Hatsune Miku Experience

Hatsune Miku has been one of the hottest anime characters ever to come out in recent times and every anime fan in this world knows who she is and surely they've got their own treasure trove of Miku items in their collection. Though I got to admit that I'm not that well-versed with this cutesy, green-haired babe and the only thing I know is that she rose to popularity initially as Yamaha Corporation's Vocaloid mascot and most of her toy figures (particularly the ones from Figma and such) are quite pricey nowadays... every now and then when I go to any toy shop you'll never miss the chance to spot a Hatsune Miku figure on display, whether it be the normal one, the Nendoroid version or even the statue version that can fetch a really hefty price tag... Hatsune is just everywhere!

The Hatsune Miku toy figure as a keychain accessory

Though that thought of Hatsune toy figures being expensive and all has prevented me from getting one (or at least gave me that urge to exert some effort to save up for it) doesn't mean that I won't be able to find a way to get myself one at a more "reasonable and affordable" price... as a random toy collector, it never was an issue for me on whether the item is genuine or bootleg (unlike some people I know) what's more important is that I get my money's worth on the toy and basically that's it. One time I was at Greenhills doing some rounds in search of good finds until I stopped by the Comic Alley branch where they were having a sale on selected items, though the shop there wasn't that big so getting to find something to buy is limited or worse, you may not find anything to purchase at all.

Hatsune Miku as display figure sans the keychain

As soon as I entered I began browsing thoroughly on their items on display, then on the center row I happen to chance upon some of these Hatsune Miku Nendoroid keychains hanging on one corner and they were selling for only Php 99.00 each (more or less around $2.00++), since there were like 3 to 4 pieces left on sale, I decided to pick the one with less defects or paint job flaws and bought it immediately. Somehow I can consider this as my very first Hatsune Miku figure though it's not a 6-incher nor a statue or even a genuine one, it still is a Hatsune Miku after all... like I've said, as a random toy collector, the specifics aren't a big factor to me in any way. Having to be a keychain wasn't much of a problem since all I had to do was to twist out the chain screwed on top of the figure's head and she's as good as an anime gashapon on its own. To make it stand, a mini plastic base with stand from one of my old Nendoroid toy figures took care of that problem and voila!... You can now see Hatsune Miku in all of her blissful state holding aloft two celery stalks on both hands.

Back portion of the Hatsune Miku toy figure

Since there isn't much articulation on this figure and basically it is just good for display purposes so I'm limited to these three photos I took of her, but nevertheless I hope you guys like it. So until next time, folks... stay safe always!

Unknown kawaii gashapon...

Hey there folks! It's been quite a while since my last post update and yet again I would like to apologize for my long absence here on Made in X since yours truly have been preoccupied with other things and I somehow sidetracked with all of my blog post updates. Anyways it is nice to know that there are still a handful of you guys out there checking out my blog and I can't thank each and everyone of you enough for doing so, very much appreciated! On today's post I have here another good find that I purchased a couple of weeks ago from the toy shop that I frequent to and since I got it as a loose item for Php 100 (roughly around $2.00 something) I never got any concrete info on this gashapon though the female anime character looks familiar and that's the gist of it, no more, no less. But in any case she is definitely cute... no issues on the paint job and molding as well.

Though I have several guesses on the anime figure but either way I still can't make anything out of it on whether she came from an anime series or a PC/console game, though her outfit suggests that she may be some game character taken from a particular MMORPG but then again I might be wrong so it's identity is yet on a standstill. I have managed to take some snapshots of it and you can find more of the photos after the jump.


So until next time folks, stay safe always and I'll try my very best to give you more toy updates in the coming days here on Made in X. Thank you!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tales from the Toy Fair: Kamen Rider Real Product Stage from Bandai

I'm back once again ladies and gentlemen for another toy feature this month of February and this time I would like to share to all of you this wonderful find I have purchased last December during the Christmas Toy Fair held at the SM Megamall... and what could be better than finding this awesome Kamen Rider Real Product Stage mini dioramas selling for only Php 100 (roughly around $2.30) in one of the participating stalls during the fair. It was a good thing I was able to find it along with its other variations among the heap of toys placed on their long table. Overall the Real Product Stage series from Bandai has around four variables consisting of other famous classic Kamen Rider characters, who pioneered the Henshin genre as early as the 1970's, depicting famous fight scenes through these well-made diorama sets. I would have wanted to complete all four sets if only I found them sooner... but fate has been a bit unkind that day and now I had to pick just one set that I really like the most.

(L) Riderman (Kamen Rider Yongo) and (R) Kamen Rider V3 finishing off their enemy

After a good number of minutes playing 'eeny, meeny, miny, moe' on the four Kamen Rider sets, I decided to pick this one where you get to see Kamen Rider V3 and Riderman (Kamen Rider Yongo) finishing off their enemy as it explodes in the background of the mini diorama. I knew that there's this big chance that I won't be able to find that store after the fair and chances are they will be selling the remaining sets back to its original price, so I settled for this one since you get two Kamen Rider characters in one diorama unlike the others where you have one Kamen Rider hero fighting one or two enemies and that's about it, but it would be nice to have them all if only I could've stretch my wallet and my budget to full capacity that day...


Around late this afternoon I decided to piece together the diorama and had a small photoshoot with it since it has been days since my last session and so here are some of the photos I took from my small tabletop studio earlier and you can also check the complete set on our Facebook page by clicking here. Thanks guys for your time and 'til next time, stay safe always!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tales from the Toy Fair: Lynn Minmay (not!)

At first I thought I bagged a real nice find when I found this cute gashapon of a blue-haired female anime character which looked like Lynn Minmay from Macross, tucked away deep inside this huge plastic container of anime gashapons. Even though I could see through the small plastic packaging that some of its parts came off, I was so ecstatic about it (knowing at first that I got myself a Lynn Minmay fig) and immediately bought the item right away along with the other figures I unearthed. A few days later when I took it out and pieced together all of its parts, I soon realized that this is not Hikaru Ichijo's (or Rick Hunter for all of you Robotech fans) love interest... for one thing, I don't clearly remember Lynn Minmay wearing something as skimpy as this outfit you're seeing right now in the photo, or in any of the entire Macross episodes for that matter. Though this unknown female anime figure has a microphone on one hand and she too has blue long hair, the tint may be the same but the hairstyle is definitely different. Modern version of Lynn?... I guess not, this unknown figure may probably be taken from another anime title (or possibly ecchi or hentai, who knows?) But nonetheless, I decided to play around with it and created myself a mini, pseudo-Macross diorama of this Lynn Minmay stand-in along with my Macross Plus YF-21 from Yamato.


It would have been nice if I paired off the YF-21 with the real Lynn Minmay figure but unfortunately she somehow resembled just like her and I guess it won't hurt to do my own "modern" rendition. I have here some of the photos I took sometime around last week and if you guys would want to see the rest of the album, please do visit our Facebook page by clicking here. So until next time folks, stay safe always!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tales from the Toy Fair: K-On's Azusa Nakano gashapon

When the anime K-On! first aired on Animax a couple of years ago here in the Philippines, I did somehow expected it to be one of those cutesy anime series with adorable girls in school uniforms forming a band until they realized their dreams and made a name for themselves. But what struck me the most about the entire series are the instruments and their "historical or factual relevance" (which is mentioned from time to time in several episodes) used by the girls of Ho-kago Tea Time (or After School Tea Time in the English-dubbed series), particularly the stringed instruments used by Yui Hirasawa (who's using the legendary Heritage Cherry Sunburst Gibson Les Paul), Mio Akiyama (Fender Precision Bass in the manga version and the Fender Jazz Bass in the anime version) and this cutey member I'm going to showcase today who's seen using a nifty Fender Mustang electric guitar... and yes she's no other than Azusa Nakano or fondly called by the moniker 'Azu-nyan' coined by Yui.

From what I can remember during the entire first series and if my memory serves me right, Azusa came only into the band several episodes later, making her someone like Ringo Starr who joined The Beatles a little bit later until he became, finally, a part of what was to become a timeless, legendary band in music history. Oftentimes I confuse her with Mio since both of them look almost alike and the two characters sport really long black hair, a little bit of getting used to has helped me train my eye in spotting who's Mio and who's Azusa. But in the level of cuteness in anime standards, I say Azusa tops them all maybe for her physical aspects in the anime spectrum... and since she's the youngest among the rest of the band members, no wonder Yui couldn't stop teasing her as 'Azu-meow' since she looks very cute and adorable like a cat or whenever Yui asks her to wear those Cat's Ears headpiece or tricks her to act like one eventually. Two season series and a movie on K-On! have passed and not even once did I get to have their toy figures, whether solo or in set... Maybe I was too preoccupied then in collecting other anime characters or for some strange reason I couldn't remember anymore. Anyways, I finally got my chance during the 6th Toy Fair held last December when I chanced upon this stall selling these gashapons of K-On! and luckily I got the last piece of Azusa Nakano's figure and bought it right away!

It would have been nice if I got the bigger, 12-inch version of Azusa but getting this gashapon of her is a start and hopefully I get to collect the rest of the K-On! characters sometime soon. I took some snapshots of the Azusa gashapon yesterday and I've uploaded some of those photos here and you can check the rest after the jump. Hope you guys like it and 'til next time, stay safe always!

(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tales from the Toy Fair: Kamen Rider 2 gashapon

The legendary Kamen Rider 2

Happy New Year ladies and gentlemen! I hope all of you guys had a wonderful time doing a lot of merrymaking and partying as we kickstart 2012 with new hopes and dreams of a better and peaceful year despite the controversies surrounding the mystery behind the December 21 prediction for which we all strongly wish, hope and pray that it will never happen... But as they all say, "Live life to the fullest, do the things that you like the most and enjoy every single day as if it were your last." Anyways, I would like again to share to you this wonderful find I purchased last year during the 6th Christmas Toy Fair held at the SM Megamall, and this time, it's none other than a gashapon figure of Kamen Rider 2.


Kamen Rider 2 can be categorized as one of the most famous and legendary fictional characters ever to come out in the Japanese Tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider back in the early 1970's. The only difference between the first Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider 2 is the color scheme of their costumes for which it was modeled after a grasshopper (particularly the headgear that they're using.) Riding on those big, cool and classic motorcycles, these superheroes are out to stop the terror organization Shocker from dominating Japan and the entire world using their kick-ass fighting skills and martial arts until they deliver that final blow to the "enemy boss" using cinematic finishing moves at the end of every episode. It was with this and the other Kamen series of the 70's that brought forth a new generation of Super Sentai heroes that evolved over the decades which includes the likes of Bioman, Shaider, Power Rangers, Saban's Masked Rider and many others.


I happen to stumble upon this nice gashapon of Kamen Rider 2 at the stall of Akihabara Toys during the Toy Fair and it sure was nice to have one of these in my collection since Kamen Rider is all too familiar for someone like me who grew up in the 70's and 80's. I eventually did some low-light photography on the gashapon but I'm planning to come up with another set where you guys can get to see Kamen Rider 2 in full, clear detail. But for now I give you folks this small photo set and please do stay tuned for the others very soon. So until next time, stay safe always!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tales from the Toy Fair: Mini diorama of Tetsujin 28

It was during the last day of the 6th Toy Fair held at the SM Megamall that I was able to get me some nifty loot of goodies unlike last June during the ToyCon where I only got to bring home two items... nothing more, nothing less. Learning from that mistake, I made sure this time I'll be leaving the place with more than a handful of toys to be added to my collection... and I'd like to share one of them today.


I made it a point that I'd do a quick yet thorough scan on the goods from every participating stall that I came across within the confides of the Megatrade Hall 1, and it was at this particular toy stall that something caught my eye and I knew at that exact moment that this item had to be in my stash of goodies no matter what! And I'm talking about this miniature diorama of Tetsujin 28 (or more popularly known in the U.S. as Gigantor). It is somewhere around 3-inches high and it shows a plastic figure of Tetsujin 28 soaring up to the skies with its base part showing several miniature buildings with searchlight beams located at the back. It was only selling for Php 30.00 (roughly around $0.70) and without batting an eyelash, I took out my wallet and bought this baby right there and then.


This is just one of the several items I got from the Toy Fair and I'll be posting more of them very soon. But for now I have uploaded here several photos of the Tetsujin 28 diorama that I took a few days ago so I hope you like 'em ladies and gentlemen. 'Til next time, stay safe always!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

First toy feature for the month of December: Bandai Chogokin Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Aegis

It's that most wonderful time of the year and yes ladies and gentlemen, Christmas is just around the corner and everyone's in a hustle and bustle mood preparing for this joyous occasion which will be happening in a week's time... And here on Made in X, we usher in the yuletide season with our very first toy feature this December and it's none other than that lovely PVC figure of Aegis (or spelled as "Aigis" for some) from the popular Playstation game 'Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3' manufactured by Bandai Chogokin.


I was very much aware of the Persona game made for the Playstation, in fact I remember getting so engrossed in playing with the very first Persona game on the Playstation 1 console many years ago and though the graphics and gameplay may not be that grand and mind-blowing unlike on the PS2 and PS3 platforms, but getting to kick your opponent's booty with some real nifty stuff like mixing and matching those elemental cards to concoct a spirit guardian (sorry folks I can't remember anymore the right terms used for that game) that you can summon to crush your enemy to smithereens... it was like playing Final Fantasy 8 with a touch of Final Fantasy Tactics on the side. Sadly I never got to play the other Persona series on the PS2 mainly I was focused on playing other game titles like Gran Turismo, Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I only learned about the new series when I eventually "retired" from playing the PS2 though I plan on doing some catching up on the game through its PSP version.


Last December 11, I was with my buddies and fellow toy enthusiasts Adrian and Francis and later that afternoon at Adrian's place, I had that rare experience in getting a closer look at this wonderful Chogokin figure of Aegis and as soon as it got unboxed and placed inside the lightbox, my camera clicked away and was very much satisfied with this beauty. I can truly say that this is a must-have for all Persona fans out there. I have other photo samples of Aegis posted on this article and if you guys would want to see the entire set, please do visit our Facebook page by clicking here and see why this lovely PVC figure is worth to have in your collection. 'Til next time guys, stay safe always!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

November toy feature # 5 -- Maria Freed from UFO Grendizer

And for our last special toy feature for the month of November, here is one famous anime babe who is undeniably alluring and attractive that she's just oozing with pure sexiness from head to toe! She's none other than the lovely Maria Freed from Go Nagai's hit anime based on his third entry in the Mazinger trilogy 'UFO Grendizer' (or more popularly known in Canada as Goldorak.)

This exclusive and limited figure from Yamato USA was released in December 2009 and it shows Maria wearing an alternate and sexier black and purple uniform with some translucent portions that is definitely revealing and a must-see for all of you cheeky dudes out there! This PVC figure has long been discontinued and thanks to my pal Adrian I was able to capture some nice photographs of this rare beauty and here are some photo samples below.

If you want to see her complete photo set, please do find the time to visit our Facebook page by clicking here and be sure to check out more special toy features in the coming weeks ahead. 'Til next time folks!

(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Capping off our Toy Feature this November!

As the month of November comes to a close, we are capping off our Toy Feature special with one very awesome figure that I'm sure all of you guys out there will truly love! Be sure to check us out here and on our Facebook page this coming Tuesday (November 29) for the unveiling of this curvy and attractive heroine! See ya!

November toy feature # 2 -- Armor Plus Tekkaman Rapier

For our second toy feature this month of November, we give to you this super sleek and sexy Armor Plus Tekkaman Rapier figure distributed by Bandai/Tamashii. Everything about this very exclusive figure is just oozing with slender appeal that makes it more awesome and cool-looking. And not only that, she can kick butt once you get to see her awesome weapon of choice... a pointed, thin-bladed sword which, unfortunately, is not seen in this set of photos. But along with her sword is a crystal shard which is also part of the package.


This exclusive fig from Bandai/Tamashii is worth having in your collection and I have managed to see it up close a couple of days ago and I must say it even looked better, sleeker and sexier in person! I have here below several photo samples of this baby for you guys to initially enjoy and if you do want to check out the rest of the album, please do find the time to visit our Facebook page by just clicking here and see for yourselves what this armor-ridden warrior babe is truly made of! 'Til the next toy feature, see ya!


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Tsukasa Bullet Ninja Girl Mizuki's photo set number two out!

Ninja Girl Mizuki from Tsukasa Bullet

As promised, we've uploaded the second part of Tsukasa Bullet Ninja Girl Mizuki's photo set on our Facebook page where we got to photography this awesome and sexy figure of Mizuki using a white backdrop and if you want to check out the photos, you can just click here or visit Made in X right now! 'Til the next batch guys, cheers!

Last but not the least... Ninja Girl Mizuki from Tsukasa Bullet

We have come to the last toy feature for the month of September but don't worry we decided to divide it into two parts and now we have already launched the first half of the album dedicated to this awesome figure inspired from the great artwork of Japanese illustrator Tsukasa Jun, and she's no other than Ninja Girl Mizuki.

Tsukasa Bullet's Ninja Girl Mizuki (Megahouse)

We truly saved the best for last and honestly, among the other previous figures that we have featured here, this one truly knocked us off our feet due to the fact that the figure was sculpted to perfection and the details will simply blow you away! Not to mention the "good stuff" lying underneath that badass armor which can be taken off anytime you please. The initial album launch we did features a small set of Mizuki's photos taken behind a black background, and if you guys would want to see the rest of the photos, you can visit our Facebook page by clicking here or just head on over to www.facebook.com/madeinx. Be on the lookout for the second half of Mizuki's photo set and it's coming your way very soon! So stay tuned and 'til next time!

Prepare to bite the Tsukasa Bullet!

We have come to the end of our August toy feature shindig, and we wanted to give you guys something really special so we have definitely saved the best for last! I admit that I fell in love with this awesome figure when our buddy (and owner of this figure) took her out of the box and our jaws just dropped big time!... Well, aside from being, obviously, well-endowed and very much sexy from a certain angle (some of you guys who are familiar with this figure would probably know what I'm referring to *wink *wink!) the intricate details on her costume down to her killer heels blew us away! Without further ado, she's none other than Clarice Cornova from "Tsukasa Bullet."


I gotta hand it to Tsukasa Jun for the splendid and breathtaking artwork and now Clarice comes to life in this beautiful non-scale figure that even I who is a rookie with these things can easily appreciate because of the craftsmanship and all things good that is brimming on this baby from top to bottom. Pricey, yes, but nonetheless this Clarice Cornova figure is worth every cent!


I have managed to compile a small album of her photos and my camera (along with several other peeps present during the shoot) couldn't be more happy than seeing Clarice taking the spotlight that particular evening. If you guys would want to see the other photos, please do find the time to visit our Made in X Facebook page and check out our darling for the month of August. Thanks for your time and 'til next time!

Figure No. 3 now featured on Made in X...

We've already featured some of these "to-die-for" toy figures starting of with Shining Wind's Clalaclan Phirias and the Daimos Soul of Chogokin GX-43 die-cast figure on Made in X's Facebook page. This week, we'll be featuring another new figure that I'm sure you guys will all love, please do find the time to visit Made in X and check out the new toy feature plus other updates that will be coming your way soon...