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!

Nifty toy finds: Crystal Warrior DX Fighter Magical from Bandai

It was quite unfortunate for me to have not attended the recently concluded ToyCon 2012 held at the SM Megamall due to unforeseen circumstances last Saturday (the second day of the event) and I couldn't even attend the last day yesterday since I had to stay home for a simple celebration with the family. I guess I'll have to wait for the next ToyCon to be able to do my annual pilgrimage in the land of toys and cosplay... Anyways, it has been quite a while since my last update and I have here now with me another good toy find that I have purchased recently and though at first the item wasn't quite that familiar with yours truly and the toy was literally "shrouded in mystery" from the moment I took it off from the shelves and as I carefully checked the packaging, the only defining factor from its anonymity is the Bandai logo which means that this is legit and in no way can it be some bootleg toy manufactured in some far-flung corner of the world. And I'm talking about the Crystal Warrior DX Fighter Magical spacecraft...

I was at the SM Toy Express (a toy discount store chain here in the Philippines) about a month ago when I saw this plus three other spacecraft variables being sold for only Php 60 (roughly around $1.00++) from its original price of Php 120 per variable. Since these toys were not that familiar with me, I decided to get for myself 2 out of the 4 available spacecrafts and check them out first before I can decide to acquire all of them. As soon as I got home, I did some little research on Crystal Warrior and found out that they are somewhat China's answer to the more popular Sentai heroes of Japan and the U.S. but as of to date, these Chinese Sentai heroes are still quite unfamiliar to most people... or I could be wrong. There were a few personal blogs and forums discussing about Crystal Warrior and since Bandai took them in to handle their toy merchandising, it has somehow, in some other way, helped boost their franchising though it wasn't enough to get them flourishing in today's mainstream Sentai market.

Going back, I decided to unbox the DX Fighter Magical and I must say that the toy item isn't that bad at all, in fact the spacecraft has the resemblance of a crossover between a F-117 Stealth Fighter and an F-2 Stealth Bomber when its wings are clipped. Paint job on the toy is quite average having just the cockpit/canopy glass painted partly in blue while some parts were painted in black and the rest are in white. The item is purely made of plastic though it doesn't give you that cheap feel of plastic toys that you get off the sidestreets from some toy vendor selling bootleg toys or something like that. Overall, it's not that bad nor is it at par with very good quality toys synonymous to the Bandai brand and their products. It is somewhere in the middle where quality is up a notch from average with a price tag that is reasonable to those who are just random toy collectors looking for good bargain finds.

It was only yesterday afternoon that I took some snapshots of the item since I was preoccupied in recent times with other stuff (including some bouts of laziness attacks) and I have managed to come up with a photo set that you can see in its entirety over at our Facebook page. Here are some photo samples of the toy and hope you guys like it. 'Til next time guys, stay safe always!

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

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: 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: 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 # 3 -- Mari Illustrious Makinami from Fräulein-Revoltech

We're on our third week this lovely month of November and what can be more delightful than to present to you another special treat which is our third toy feature and she's no other than that lovely and sexy anime babe from Neon Genesis Evangelion... nope it's not Rei nor Asuka and definitely not Shinji! She's that dreamy, bespectacled brunette we all know as Mari Illustrious Makinami .


This fantastic action toy figure from Fräulein-Revoltech is indeed one eye candy you can never truly resist whether you're an Evangelion fan or not. If I'm not mistaken this is now the second series release from Fräulein wherein the first Mari Makinami action toy was fitted with a pink plug suit which (personally I think) showed more of Mari's feminine side while her latest figure gives you the best of both worlds... She's sugar and spice and everything nice! Mari is now fitted with an attractive green plug suit along while a huge State's Helmet is included in the package that you can actually wear on Mari's head.


Detailing from head to foot is simply awesome and this baby is definitely worth having in your collection! Thanks to my pal Adrian and he was kind enough to let me take some snapshots of Mari. And just right down below are some of her photo samples that I took a couple of weeks ago.


And like always, if you guys do want to check out the rest of the album, you're more than welcome to visit our Facebook page by clicking here. 'Til the next feature, see ya!


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

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)

Toy feature for November: Rei Ayanami figure from Fräulein-Revoltech

Happy Halloween! We're back ladies and gentlemen and after making that short hiatus from showcasing a new toy every month, I'm back in your humble presence to give you more of those lovely toys thanks to my buddies who graciously allowed me to take snapshots of their treasured stash from their collection, and first up for the month of November, we give you none other than the lovely Rei Ayanami from the hit anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.


There is something about Rei that got everybody hooked to this enigmatic female pilot of the Evangelion Unit 00... even I was so drawn into her that I found myself watching the series from time to time, which also includes collecting some of her gashapon figures as well. Last Sunday I was with my pals Adrian and Francis in Makati and I had the pleasure to photograph this beautiful Fräulein-Revoltech baby while hanging out at Adrian's crib and here are some photo samples of taken during that day.


(*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!

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...

Daimos die-cast action toys then and now...

For those who were growing up as a kid in the Philippines back in the late 70's to the early 80's, majority of us were so mesmerized in watching these awesome super robot characters fighting out the bad guys from outer space on TV during the very first anime wave to hit our shores in the form of such legendary mecha heroes like Mazinger Z, Voltes V, UFO Grendaizer, Combattler, Getta Robo, Gaiking, Mekanda Robot, Danguard Ace and so many others that came and fascinated the minds and imagination of Filipino kids, teens and adults alike. But there's this one particular super robot series that has somehow left an imprint on the minds of people who grew up watching them on Channel 7 during that wonderful era... remember those immortal, one-word lines where the two star-crossed lovers call out their names with utmost longing... "Erikaaaa!!!....", "Richaaaaarrrrddd!!!..." Who wouldn't forget them, right? And who wouldn't forget that huge trailer-type vehicle called the Tranzer who transforms into the mighty mecha out to save mankind from the clutches of the winged humanoids known as the Baam people... he is no other than the mighty Daimos.

My surviving Daimos toy from
Popy (1978)

Daimos was such a big hit on TV as it was ranked among the most-watched anime series next to such big-named super robot characters like Mazinger Z and Voltes V (who is considered as the most popular super robot by majority of Filipinos), merchandising items from stickers, trading cards to toy robots was a huge success and everyone during that time just went crazy over them! I'm proud to say that I was one of the lucky few who had that chance to own the 7 or 8-inch die-cast action robot of Daimos which was then released by Popy around 1978, though it was one of my biggest dream to have its bigger brother where he can transform into the Tranzer, I never got the opportunity to have him, but nevertheless I was more than happy just to have the smaller version.


Fast forward to 2008, when leading Japanese toy company Bandai decided to rehash Daimos' old, stiff and ill-proportioned physique based on the 1978 Popy/Godaikin design, they came out with a more accurate and poseable die-cast figure of Daimos which stayed faithful to its original anime features. Now the Daimos action toy from Bandai's Soul of Chogokin line has a more complex transformation equipped with the right body proportions along with some badass trimmings which includes the weapons and two replicas of the Tryper 75S car and the Galva FXII plane inside the package.

Soul of Chogokin Daimos GX-43
from Bandai (2008)

I must admit that the Daimos Chogokin version really looked awesome and honestly he looks far more better and true-to-its-original body design as we see him in the original 1978 anime series, unlike the Godaikin series where you can clearly see the big difference in its body ratio imbalance (like having the huge mecha head on a smaller body and stuff...) But the only thing that they have in common is that the Godaikin and Chogokin versions are both very expensive to purchase. Back in the late 70's to early 80's, Godaikin's price tag ranges from about Php 400 to 500, and during those times that amount was very, VERY huge for such a toy item. Today, the Chogokin version of Daimos would amount to around Php 7,000++ (roughly around $166.00) and if the item is still in good condition, its price range may go up since Bandai had already discontinued production of the Daimos GX-43.


Overall, whether you have the Godaikin or the Chogokin version of Daimos, it really doesn't matter. What's more important is knowing who Daimos is and the fond, childhood memories he has given you while you sat in front of your TV watching religiously the entire series from its pilot episode down to its final telecast, or as you hum deafly to both the intro and ending soundtracks while you finished your dinner or as you picked up that book and studied for tomorrow's test... even though it's in Japanese! That's the true essence of being a dedicated super robo fan...

Clalaclan Phirias figure from "Shining Wind"

Shining Wind's Clalaclan Phirias in all of her gracious beauty

Yesterday I posted a teaser on what you guys will be expecting in the coming days on our Made in X Facebook page and today, here is one of those nifty surprises we are telling you and without further ado, we give you the lovely Clalaclan Phirias (Armor Version) 1/8 Scale Pre-Painted PVC figure from Alter. This awesome anime figure will surely enchant you with its precise and intricate details that can be seen from head to foot, and we couldn't help but dig the mind-blowing pearl-colored armor along with the shield and weapon.

Check out the other photo samples we have below and if you want to see more of the lovely Clalaclan, you can visit our Facebook page by clicking here or simply head on over to www.facebook.com/madeinx

Clalaclan Phirias semi-sideview profile

Sideview profile

Her mean-looking winged boots

Check out that weapon folks...

Discovering a world of toys at CSCentrl.com...

I was Makati-bound last July 02 to drop by my friend’s place and help him work on the light box I have promised, and since he still lacks a couple of things needed to make one, we went straight to Greenbelt One and bought most of the stuff at National Bookstore. As soon as we were done with our task, we decided to hang out for a while since I rarely go to Makati and leaving Greenbelt that soon would be such a waste of opportunity. Of course one of the things listed on my agenda is to check out the toy shops there and since my pal Adi knows the place by heart, he led the way and it wasn’t for long that we stumbled upon Great Toys… there were a lot of goodies in store but unfortunately I wasn’t able to find anything that was affordable enough to fit my budget and all I did was drool at all the figures and collectibles on display. On our next stop Adi showed me this other toy shop called CSCentrl.com and as soon as we entered the store, I immediately got this groovy feeling that I’m into something good… and I even told Adi that I’m pretty sure I might be able to take home some lovelies for my toy collection, and so I wasted no time in switching on my radar and do some serious toy hunting inside this new-found toy oasis!

CSCentrl.com's awesome line of toys for sale

Gashapons and anime figures galore

As soon as you enter CSCentrl.com you’ll be greeted with a tower-like glass display on the left loaded with anime figures and other toys, but once you get inside, there’s this even bigger glass display behind the shop’s counter stuffed with literally a sea of gashapon figures, and the neat thing about it is that you can get to buy the figs individually… Olleh! Since I’m a random toy collector and buying toy figures in sets was never really my cup of tea, it was a good thing this awesome shop sells some, if not all of their anime figures by the piece! Adi was eyeing on several items there while I on the other hand have spotted a couple of possible candidates to be added to my growing collection of toys. The owner, Raymond (Sorry folks, I was too overwhelmed with the toys on display that I forgot to ask for his surname), was there at that time and he was so friendly and accommodating that he treats his walk-in customers like his buddies, a plus factor for me since shop owners with good and commendable customer-relation skills can make or break one’s impression as a first-time customer walking into their respective stores. I left CSCentrl.com with two gashapons on hand and went back to Adi’s place and worked on his light box the rest of the evening. Though I may not be able to visit the place regularly since I live in Quezon City but I will definitely drop by that cool toy shop as soon as I get the chance to visit Adi’s place once more… or if by fate that I strangely find myself wandering within the Makati area.


CSCentrl.com is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt One, Ayala Commercial Center, Makati City or you can visit their official website at cscentrl.com