Tin Golden Fish 400%, Shishimai 400% & Fortune Cat 100% BE@RBRICK Review

Tokyo Soramachi is a shopping mall located in front of Tokyo. Technically under Tokyo Sky Tree tower. Have you visited ? Not so many, I guess because this facility was opened public two weeks ago. My prime concern is Medicom direct retail store in there !! Yup ! There are some limited edition BE@RBRICKs released. I asked my sister to obtain some of 'em. Thanks my sister, I fortunately was able to get Tin Golden Fish 400%, Shishimai 400% and Fortune Cat (in Japanese, Maneki-Neko) 100% BE@RBRICK. Wanna see my new bears ?! Here we go !!!

Tin Golden Fish 400% BE@RBRICK

 Back's painted full of gold cause it's inspired on "tin" material.

Pretty nice pattern, Japanese classic traditional arts.

What is Tin Golden Fish ?? It's Japanese old time traditional toy. It is also recognized some kind of fortune object. Son why golden fish ?? Umm... That's tough question... I owe real tin golden fishes here. Kind of cute, aren't 'em ?

Then, this is Shishimai 400% 400% BE@RBRICK.

What is Shishimai ? Umm, it is a devil ? or type of beast ?? one of lions ??? I think this culture  originally came from China or somewhere.

 Golden eyes and teethes. 

They're the packages. I like Medicom toy package itself also. They're always very unique !!

And Fortune Cat (in Japanese, Maneki-Neko) 100% BE@RBRICK.

 The blister package is so unique. The cat hands up !! Nice !!

Finally this is extra. I got MISHKA 100% BE@RBRICK two weeks ago. Just I forgot posting it.

 This is also good one. I like color and iconic eye ball is awesome !!

Return to Medicom Shop in Tokyo Soramachi, These BE@RBRICKs which I post above are only sold at the shop. No online release, no wholesale. Even we Japanese never can get unless we go there. So guys ! If you come in Tokyo Sky Tree, you gotta go there and grab some 100% BE@RBRICK as souvenir ! Their design are all inspired on Japanese traditional cultural objects.  

My sister got this free memorial pin when she visited the first opening day in May 22nd. Thanks sister ! You nice girl !! So, respect me more.

robot spirits Unicorn Gundam 02 "BANSHEE" DESTROY MODE Review

It's released that GUNDAM UC Anime series would meet climax in 7th episode. GUNDAM UC is like I mentioned on this blog before, one of the best excellent unbeatable quality animation title in latest released titles in Japanese market. Even you have no idea what GUNDAM is, it just deserves to see the trailer on YouTube. I put one of 'em below. Yup ! On the latest released episode 5th, Unicorn Gundam Mk-2 "BANSHEE" appeared. Of course I fortunately was able to obtain its figurine, "robot spirits Unicorn Gundam 02 "BANSHEE" DESTROY MODE". The extra weapon units on both hands are so called "Armed Armer". Which are composed mega particle beam emitting unit and assault craw for close combat. The golden parts between armors are psycho flame. Umm cool !!

Shield can be attached on the assault craw unit. However this outfit shield with craw never appeared on the movie...

The main antenna was inspired on lions crest.

Even 8 inches size tiny figurine, it was pretty well painted.

Then extra parts here. Folded craw, bazooka and of course iconic beam magnum rifle were contained.

Compared with Gundam Standart mini figurine.

Here we are, I displayed with brother white Unicorn Gundam 01.

Have you checked any episode about GUNDAM UC ?? Try some !!

TAMIYA Mini 4WD BERGK KAISER Review

I wasn't able to find any articles about TAMIYA Mini 4WD (as Japanese, so called "Mini-Yonku") on Wikipedia English Ver. Well, I remember I never saw any of 'em at any toy stores in New York. Perhaps you guys outside Japan have no idea what is Mini 4WD... This 7 inches plastic scale racing vehicle kit series were first released by Japanese leading scale kit manufacturer TAMIYA in 1968. We cannot control them like radioactive control car (of course it runs by a motor with 2 A size AA batteries), however their epoch-making point was quick build, affordable pricing (approx US$8) and various custom parts for racing match. I mean in this point, racing match is a real racing match. Numerous Japanese kids got together in mini size racing circuit and did match with rivals. This once a year racing game was so called Japan Cup. Kids built their own machine and custom with special extra parts like high performance motor, special tires, special gears and metal rollers for cornering atc. Umm, it's unexpectedly hard to explain...
For me, TAMIYA Mini 4WD was my prime concern when I was 10 or 11. I read (=studied??) Let's and Go which was only official comic title about Mini 4WD at that era. The racing vehicles on the comic were all cool for that kid. Then now, I feel strong nostalgic emotion during assembling and painting one of 'em last week. Today I show you guys how Mini 4WD is cool, it is so called BERC KAISER. This is German Mini 4WD team official machine. Well, a world's Mini 4WD match was held on that comic...

こんばんはyuheikです。
今日は大須のキッズランドさんにて購入したミニ四駆のベルクカイザーが組みあがりましたのでお披露目したいと思います。前々から気にはなっていたのですが、先日のニューガンダム制作ついでに作りました。

レッツ&ゴーというミニ四駆のマンガは知っていても、このベルクカイザーを知っている人は少ないのでは?　というのもミニ四駆ブーム終焉の終盤に発売されたので。ドイツ代表アイゼンウルフのマシンで一応本作のラスボス的なポジションです。
今回はディスプレイ用の為、見栄えするメッキのホイールも購入しておきました。

ボディはそのままでもきれいなガンメタです。チビッコが素組みしてもフツーにカッコよく仕上がるでしょう。

ただ気になるのがこの3本のスリット上のダクトが何故かふさがっているという点、まあ恐らく強度保持の為でしょうか。

 ということで肉抜きをします。まずピンドリルでグルグルっと穴あけまして。

 やすりがけして、はい完成。無事ダクトらしく穴があきました。

次いでボディをタミヤカラーのガンメタルで、窓?の部分とボンネット先端部をクロムシルバーで塗装。

更にボディ装着時に外部に露出するギアボックスもシルバーで塗装。ちなみにシャーシ全体はABS製ですので、プラが劣化するため本来は絶対に塗装してはいけない個所ですが、見た目優先という事で強行しています。

そいで、サクッとシールを貼ったら完成です。二日で作れましたね。

サイドから露出する電池止めもシルバーで塗装しています。

 うむ、カッコ良し。

 先端のローラー部もシルバー塗装、塗装したがために一切回転しません。

 ギアボックスの頭はこんな感じで露出。

 ボディとシャーシを止めるマフラー部分もシルバー塗装です。

 やはりダクトを肉抜きした方が雰囲気が出ますね。

で、レッツ&ゴーも読みたくなったのでBook Offにて各巻100円で調達してきました。今読むとツッコミどころ満載ですが、作画は素晴らしいですね。本作のラスボスたるベルクカイザーは今回購入した巻の終盤にチョロっと出てきただけでしたが…。

読み返してみて、アメリカ代表アストロレンジャースのバックブレーダーも欲しくなりましたね。最終巻の13巻を購入せねば。

しかしこの年になってよもやミニ四駆作る事になろうとは…。

1/144 HGUC RX-93 ν-GUNDOM Ver.G.F.T. Review 4th (Final)

There have been tons of GUNDAM related plastic kits released, however I recommend HGUC RX-93 ν-GUNDOM as your first GUN-PLA trying. That's what I realized after I finished assembling all parts. The parts layout was composed for very user friendly, it means easy to paint and easy to build. Umm, BANDAI good job !!
The first GUN-PLA was born 1980, then this Japanese leading toy maker has kept improving this epoch making plastic toy product again and again. For me, the first GUN-PLA built was something like 20 years ago ?? For me, it was perhaps SD GUNDAM. Assembling and custom painting plastic model kit like GUN-PLA is, I guess, recognized as one of mature hobbies in Japan as of now. There're from easy built kind kit to extreme hard grade kit for deep modelers.
Return to my ν-GUNDOM, I remember making Master Grade version when I was in high school. I felt some kind of nostalgic emotion during assembling this kit. I think maybe more 10 years later, I may still build GUN-PLA... with my kids ?? Could be.

This Fin-Fennel weapon unit was the hardest assembling part in this kit. If you already cut all units from flame, the situation would be worse...

     

This time, I custom painted shield, bazooka, waist, thighs and knees by silver color. Also connection points of Fin-Fennel units each. (between black square parts and yellow joints) Once we graduate school and start working, it's extremely hard to make like this kind of time, but for me, building plastic scale model makes my life happier. Yup, this is my hobby.