Friday, September 08, 2006

One Piece: Portrait of Pirates 4

Megahouse ships the fourth series of One Piece POP figures to captivate fans of the series. Nami gets an encore with a v2.0 figure where she's decked out in a purple bustier with the number 3 printed on the front and a lavender miniskirt. She's also rocking a pair of home-made orange "boots" with the boots in quotes because they're really just two pieces of plastic strapped together with twine.

Smoker makes his debut in the POP series with an open shirt and trademark sneer. He's packaged with a staff which may be gripped by his left hand. Finally, the third figure in Series 4 is Berumeru, a purple haired gal who's dressed in purple pants and a pastel blue shirt. Her weapon of choice is a rifle which she slings over her left shoulder. The figures are sculpted to 1/8 scale and measure approximately 11" tall from head to toe. A base is included with each figure for display purposes.

The Nami v2.0 was restocked today and all three Portrait of Pirates Series 4 figures are available to ship to new orders again.

One Piece: Portrait of Pirates 3

The undeniable appeal of the One Piece animation has endeared the series to fans around the world. Megahouse continues to cash in on the love by issuing a third set in the popular Portrait of Pirates figure series. The characters featured in POP3 are (from left to right):

Sergeant Major Tashigi (Restocked Today)
Portugues (Portgas) D. Ace
Nefertari Vivi

Nefertari Vivi is the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom which was once under siege. Luffy and crew came to Nefertari's rescue and saved the day. In her POP turn, she dons the garb of her country. Monkey D. Luffy calls Portugues D. Ace big brother and Tashigi serves under the Marine Armada. Her passion is swords and to become a great swordswoman...much like the path that Roronoa Zoro has chosen. New orders for the Tashigi figure are welcome today and we'll update our customers if the other two figures are also restocked again.

Mai Shiranui 1/6 Scale Figure

Originally released in 2002 in kit form which required hours of work and careful construction, Newline releases a completed version of the popular Mai Shiranui model. The figure is fully assembled and pre-painted for immediate display on its wooden base. Newline's Mai sculpture hails from the original Fatal Fury game and she's garbed in her traditional flimsy crimson uniform and topped with an ornamental hairpin. She carries her fan in upside down fashion in one hand while her other hand clasps a breast. Mai stands on her tiptoes while leaning forward and peering to the side with hair flipping through the air. It's classic Mai.

Miss Shiranui
measures 35.50cm (13.97") tall and the figure (sans base) weighs 1210g or 2.66 lbs. This product is a restock item and was originally released in April 2006. NCS currently has the product in stock and available to ship.

RAH: Captain Udon

Udon is a thick noodle that's best served in a pork-based broth and sprinkled with a smattering of chopped scallions. A few slices of boiled egg and perhaps a bit of tofu may also be added... at least according to 'Gamma Reiko. Looking nothing like a noodle, Captain Udon is a spandex wearing superhero who mades his debut in this summer's Udon movie directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro.

Bowing on August 26, 2006, Udon tells the story of a luckless 31-year old named Kosuke who accidentally discovers the power of good Udon and aspires to make it the national "soul food" dish of Japan. With help from a magazine editor named Kyoko Miyagawa and a costumed alter-ego, Kosuke conspires to create an Udon craze to be reckoned with.

Medicom capitalizes on the Udon movie by shipping a Real Action Heroes figure featuring the hero of the movie. With a helmeted visage and a natty costume, Captain Udon battles the dangers of poorly prepared Udon and the evil that accompanies it. The RAH figure measures 300mm tall and is fully posable with articulated limbs and a twisty head. In addition to the default hands that are plugged into Cap'n Udon, two additional pairs of hands are included in the package along with Udon's battle staff. All preorders are shipping today and new orders are welcome.

Mon-sieur Bome 14 - Kasumi

When Kasumi goes toe-to-toe against an opponent or plays volleyball, her hair flails around and her body is generally in a constant state of flux. With so much energy, one would expect Mon-sieur Bome to sculp Kasumi in a kinetic pose of some sort. No such luck. Bome goes with a becalmed Kasumi who stands there in white battle gear and a blank stare. At least her fiery locks are wild and display some measure of emotion...

Other than the rigid pose, Bome's artistic flair and talent are evident with detailed de rigeur Kasumi clothing, well-formed fingers, and our favorite DOA redhead retains the face of an angel. Kasumi's sword is included in the blister packaging and is assembled from two separate pieces.


All preorders are shipping today and new orders are welcome. Please note that the USA version of this figure is expected in December at roughly US$30.

Perfect Piece Tachikoma

Tachikoma generally garners love whenever a new toy is announced. To test the level of affection out there, Megahouse is accepting preorders for a 1/20 scale Tachikoma which measures roughly 13cm tall and is crafted from ABS plastic. Metallic paint is used for the body to give the Tachikoma a shimmering sheen that is bound to catch the eye of collectors and woodland animals alike.

Features on the Tachikoma include rolling wheels under the legs, properly formed gun turrets, a pod which opens up to unveil the winsome Motoko Kusanagi inside, and claws that are molded to look like the claws we know and love from GITS. Pricing is set at Y9800 or US$95 from NCS and preorders are scheduled to ship in mid-late February 2007.

One Piece Styling Figure 3

Bandai has started preorders for a new set of One Piece trading figures which ship in mid-late October 2006. Five standard characters from the core crew of the animated series are featured as follows:

Monkey D. Luffy | Roronoa Zoro | Nami | Nico Robin | Usopp + Chopper

Along with the standard figures, two secret characters are randomly packaged in the factory sealed cartons for fans to ferret out. Each toy measures 8cm or 3.14" tall and every box contains a piece of sweet candy to destroy your teeth. Preorders are welcome today.

Transformers Kissplay Autolooper X Atari

Preorders are welcome for the second Transformers Kissplay toy which features the Autobot named Autolooper and a miniature Atari gal figure. Autolooper transforms from a Mazda RX-8 with police colors and rooftop siren to a barrel-chested robot capable of swinging its arms and posing like a superstar. Along with the PVC figures, a Kissplay drama CD is also included in the package for some listening pleasure.

Pricing for the set is listed at JPY6500 or US$58 from NCS. Preorders are expected to ship in mid-late December 2006.

Vicky the Viking

Relatively unknown in America but big in Japan and Europe, Vicky the Viking tells the tale of a young androgynous Viking and the brutes that he sails with. One of the gargantuans is Vic's father Halvar (right photo, center) who encourages Vicky to be more of a man.

Organic has opened up preorders for two sets of soft-vinyl figures which are being released under the Tiny Huge Line. Set A includes Vicky and two Viking shipmates while Set B includes Halvar and two more shipmates. Pricing is set at JPY7800 per set or US$75 from NCS.