Damsel of the Month: END

After much consideration, I have decided to end my Monthly "Damsel of The Month" posts. There are a few reasons, but the MOST prominent one is that time is no longer by my side. I don't have the same schedule like I used to and the last few months since March, it's been a hassle to just get one out. Hunting pictures became such a task that it wasn't as fun at times anymore. I apologize for anyone who actually followed this blog JUST for that reason, but I'm sure there are other ways to get some of these gals' Distress into one lump some area.

But with that said, I do believe I plan on doing a 'Damsel Highlight' here and there where it won't be based on a particular month. Maybe I just gathered enough pics of a particular Damsel (like Silk, Starfire, etc), or maybe it's a special month and I feel like doing one. But no more monthly. Sorry. But I do think I ran this little thing for a good while now. Almost a full four years. And most of those months, I had a TON of fun!

Maybe when my schedule frees up I'll do them again, but I suppose some of these lovely gals will just have to celebrate that their defeated moments won't be highlighted on a regular basis (Zatanna, Silk... I still have my eyes on you!).

My Blog will still be up, but it will be a lot more Action Figures, gaming, random ranting, and nerdgasm stuff. That doesn't mean I'll abandon the perverted stuff, of course! And I do have my other blog(gh0st) which is based on my Damsel of the Month theme and some fanfics that I want to be saved somewhere else in case my roningh0st DA is shut down! So, no, I'm not dropping the ropes.

Regardless, thank you to those who followed this monthly shindig! Keep a look out for other Damsel related things in the future!

::Damsel of the Month::

10/2012 - 07/2016

DuDs: Harley Quinn Chucks

This will be my second full on "DuDs" review on a comic book related clothing and what an awesome footwear this is!

The box is all black with the white shaded drawings of classic Justice League. Classic by I mean, if Batman was colored, he'd be in blue.

Straight out of the box.

There are two distinct drawings on it which are a picture of Harley from her head all the way down to the top of her chest, then we have the silhouette of her eyes on the other side with the traditional Converse logo. The pair is colored in a Harley-esque color scheme (red, grey, black, and white) symmetrically, and there are the diamond designs Harley was first seen with in her Animated series outfit.

The wearer has two options for laces: plain black or the white with red and black diamonds. There is a 'cleaner' look if one chooses the black -but- I have other Chucks that are laced with black and it's a Harley Quinn shoes we are talking about here!

I chose the multicolored lace of course!

If one is familiar with how Chucks fit, then it should be no problem. Honestly, chucks always run smaller for me.

All in all, cool shoes. If one is a fan of Harley, this is a must. If one is MORE of a fan of her original outfit than the other costumes she has been getting, then these shoes are for you! 

Playarts Kai: Fran FFXII

After reviewing some 'classic' Playarts, I finally get to a more recent Playarts Kai in the form of Fran from FFXII! For a long time now I've been longing for a Fran figure. Out of the FFXII crew, her, Ashe, and Balthier enticed me the most and we have a Balthier and an Ashe Playarts already(if they make a Kai version of Ashe, I might pick her up) so when I found out that there's a Kai version of Fran out, well, it was mine for the taking! So, how does she fare?

It's been sometime since I have handled a Kai. Having Fran in my collection reminded me how awesome Kai boxes are!

I like the silhouette picture of Fran on the side of the box. It's very Final Fantasy-like. The back of the box shows some cool poses for Fran as well as special effects that are not provided.

Fran comes in a 'window' box that can be closed with the use of velcro. I'm telling you, getting a good shot of this angle was not as easy as it looks since I had to use something to prop the window 'door' open.

Fran comes with a bio about FFXII's world and a little something about herself. Honestly, Fran and Balthier was the reason I found the game interesting. Ashe was cool too but she was such an echo of Yuna in terms of looks that it was hard to latch on to her. But, at least we got Fran!

I've been talking about how Playarts didn't really supply in terms of accessories and when I get my first Kai in ages, I get a lackluster set of hands, her bow and arrow(SINGULAR, NO EFFECTS). What makes this even more disappointing is that her bow can't bend to allow for the more 'archer' poses. One thing I wish she came with was an alternate weapon and fisted hands; if we got those, I'd probably complain less in this department. Still, this is still decent and not a complete loss. Oh, and she gets the Kai stands which are half annoying, half useful.

Now to talk about the figure herself. One word: amazing. The details are superb and the color tones used to make her more 'accurate' to her game counterpart is just stunning. One thing that Playarts Kai is always good about is making intricate designs (whether it be original character designs or existing canon character designs) translate well into plastic. Just every rivet, every corner, and ever sculpting on Fran's 'armor' are just well laid out.

And as I mentioned, the paint details on both armor and skin tone is just carefully placed to represent some kind of 'realism'. The shadings on the hair are one of the most impressive parts, and that's saying a lot since whole thing is amazing! Mold wise, Fran lives up to her game counterpart: tall, lanky, sexy, and very anthro-looking. Those bunny ears!

One thing I will point out that I am not completely sold on is her face. It's not bad, nor is she even close to being 'ugly'... it's just that it's a bit off. I can't quite put it. Fran has a distinct face for a Vierra, and I don't think it translated as well to figure form as the rest of her did. I can't quite put my finger on it, but perhaps it's the fact that Fran in-game has a rounder face and the Kai version has a longer face. I guess the easiest way to describe this in an unorthodox (and hilarious) way is the difference between Bert and Ernie. Ha! Anyways, still a gorgeous face, just not completely Fran-like.

Let's talk about Fran's articulation. Having reviewed some older Playarts(Rikku, Vincent, Sephiroth, and Dagger), it's nice to get into a current figure that offers some pretty awesome articulation. Playarts Kai compared to Playarts is a pretty wide gap so one will definitley be able to get Fran into some familiar poses. Right off the get go I will mention that her hair does offer a good range of motion. The pony tail piece has a hinged joint so one can really get some dynamics with it. The ears don't offer any movements, sadly, but that isn't something to truly gripe about. And since Fran's choice of armor is very 'liberal', I do say that there is no hinderance to any of the pieces. Even the 'see through cloth' on her stomach isn't at all a nuisance. Though Playarts Kai has some weird ankle pivots since one has to twist the feet to get either the ankle pivot OR the up and down hinge for the foot. Can't have both at the same time. 

The accessories provided offers some more dynamic poses. However with the bow unable to bend like it should, there isn't much archer pose one can get Fran in. But what we are able to get, is pretty adequate.

And I know I'm not a big fan of the Playarts Kai stand, but when they are doing their job, they do their job. One can get Fran into some action poses.

And here's Fran next to the Playarts Baltheir. Yeah, compared to her "Han Solo" partner, she is colossal! I know Fran is taller, but this is just out of scale beyond belief! But then agian, that is the difference between Kai and none-Kai Playarts.

In conclusion, I adore this figure! Fran has always been one of the few FF characters that I like despite her respected Final Fantasy not on my top list of FF. However, while this figure definitley was an awesome addition, she is missing something that makes Playarts Kai like Supergirl worthy to be on the top candidates for the year. With her accessories not meeting the expecation for a Kai and the slightly off face, I can't say that Fran is overwhelming in terms of 'amazing', but with the great details, the sexy stature, and a character I have been wanting in figure form, I do believe that Fran is a great addition to my collection. 

Until We Meet Again

I don't usually post these kinds of things because they... touch an area of my life that is a bit too close to "me".  But I suppose in some ways, this area of the web, my kinks, my collection, my fictions, my desires are all about "me". So I suppose if I am to use this to bridge the gap between my life and the next... this is more than adequate.

My friend, we have had years, haven't we? The clouds we exhaled, the intoxicating nights, the useless bickering, and all the endless laughs. You are a good man and through thick and thin we have seen things together; US and the rest of our boys.

I wish you well. I wish you luck. I do hope that you find the thing that you are seeking in life. Know that we are here and that you will never lose your place amongst the clouds.

Farewell, my friend and I'll see you next time. 

Suicide Squad!

I don't think I'm going to flat out have a review for this movie since I barely have enough time to write this as it is... but, I will just say, I LOVED this movie. It had some awesome parts as well as terrible areas, but hey, what can we say about comic book movies these days? NONE of them are perfect and definitely I can knit pick what is wrong with the most 'popular' Marvel movie. Of course it seems Marvel is a bit more refined than DC these days. 

Anyways! Go watch it! Harley Quinn is awesome! 

Collector Corps: Spider-Woman pin

This is a pin made for me. Spider-Woman. Red. Marvel. "Collector Corps"! I think I might try and see who else has this so I might reach out and see who owns these things or the other variations of them. Though...

COLLECTOR CORPS

Hmmm.... Perhaps? I don't know. Regardless, it is a tempting idea if it wasn't for I'm not much for random things and accumulation of more things that I don't need. Maybe next year I can start.... I have a lot lined up this year to justify this. 

Masterless and Rage: Words of Weight

It's been a long time. 

I've been caught up with so much. Lacking sleep. Unable to truly focus on what is and what isn't as of late.

And how has that been? 

How has things been with you?

More or less the same I guess. 

Still missing?

Of course. Those little windows of hellos, as occasional as they have been ... helps but it's not where I want it to be. 

In this lifetime, I don't think it's going to be that way.

And what about you? Yours? 

I'm still in the limbo. Still wondering why the hell did I ever give sentiments and try... when I'm the only one who seems to care and mean such sentiments and the only one who truly tries to be better. Everyone else is just there... boasting acts of 'doing so' and heroism and words of 'love'. In the end... I feel like... I... you... "we" are the only ones truly making an effort to make a better tomorrow... even being depleted and running on fumes.

What can we expect these days, right? If only friendship truly is magical as certain things dictate they are.

Friendship isn't magic. It is only truly magical if one does not have a bad side. If one ... is made out of false hope and obliviousness. We aren't going to be that, you know?

I know.

Funny... I seek for a few that share the same things as me... but also share the same weight with their words. People who know the meaning of honor and 'trying' to be better than their mistakes. People who try to be better than the tragedy that befalls them. People who are real... Real and not governed by self motivations of wanting to be heroic or ones who claim unconditional love.

You've been truly thinking about this the whole time? 

I guess I just needed a day to let this out. I've been ... thinking about my other group of friends. People who share NOTHING in common with me aside from mutual respect and the sense of 'trying to be better'. But they feast on a different hype. They aren't like me and I am the lone wolf when it comes to preference..... but they are true friends. Real people who aren't boastful because they want medals or praises.

Mine doesn't. She's just a bit ... lost and sometimes idiotic. Moronic maybe and ... not used to someone who truly means what they say outside her concept of 'love'. I don't really think she even knows the meaning of it. She's just as lost as the rest of them but at least...

... She tries. Funny thing. This year is about finding out that no matter how hard you work, how hard you endure and try... the people that say they'll be with you are truly just there when they share a certain image. No one tries to live up to their word.... they're just as false as one's second life. Avatars. Fluff and dementia.


So where do we go from here? 

This year seems to not be as distorted and taxing as the last one... but as I said... we got to realize what generally peoples' true colors are. So from here... we just keep going... if not for us... for the legacy.
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Playarts: Princess Garnet / "Dagger"

Another classic Playarts review! Yes I will get to Fran, but first let me just get to another figure that has been long overdue out of the box. Yes, it's one of the characters by one of the most forgettable Final Fantasy to me: Princess Garnet or Dagger from Final Fantasy IX!

Here's Garnet's box, which is of course very Playarts classic. Zidane and Vivi are the other ones from this wave; not interested in getting either of them unless they are at a dead cheap price. 

As far as accessories, Garnet does come with a pair of fists to alternate with her open palm hand. She comes with her staff which can only be held by her right hand through the use of a peg. One thing I will say is that perhaps they should have had her 'haircut' alternate head. That would have paid real homage to her in-game appearance. And of course she is accessorized with the standard classic Playarts stand.

Speaking of details, they did get her necklace right; a piece that is sculpted separately and 'hangs' like a real necklace on Dagger. A real nice accessory to add even if it is not intended to be removed. Well, at least I would not remove it.

Now I'm going to tangent here and talk about my feelings of FFIX. To me, FFIX is a decent Final Fantasy. It has the ambiance for the most part and it truly does feel like a classic Final Fantasy, so with that said, WHY do I consider IX to be a bastard Final Fantasy like the online games FFXI and FFXIV? While the two online games are completely separate entities of how I see Final Fantasy(make something an online game only, and it's not your classic Final Fantasy. Sorry. FFXIII, as terrible and as much of a far cry that was from the FF theme still retains MUCH MORE of a the Final Fantasy essence that online gaming. My opinion, but it has some merits. Excuse my french but FUCK FFXI and FFXIV for taking two numbers of the FF series that COULD HAVE BEEN great single playing FF but had to be ruined for the sake of sating online gaming). So as for FFIX, there seems to be a feeling of 'regress' with FFIX for me. I don't know... it didn't do anything special and it gave us some boring characters. People will argue that ViVi is awesome, and yeah while he might be, but he is just as forgettable as Bartz. Again, my opinion but still. FFIX... you had potential to follow up on what FFVII and FFVI did. Then again, FFVIII tried too hard.

So spending that much time ranting about the characters and how they are forgettable, it goes back to the idea that the designs of these characters are lackluster for me. Garnet is probably one of the better ones along with Vivi and Amarant, but none of the other characters fared well aesthetically. What is up with chibi look, by the way? But for a figure, this one is pretty good. It captures Dagger's look just fine and the sculpt is spot on with the big hands and feet. The color details is nice and the shadowing on Garnet's overalls does fade in well. It is a great looking figure, that much I can say.

Now my last two reviews on 'older' Playarts characters seem to turn sour on the articulation part and Dagger does not follow that trend. While she does have the outdated 'lack of hair' movement (hinders head movement range), surprisingly, I had a ton of fun posing her around! Probably because her clothing did not obstruct certain poses, or maybe because of the smaller mold, who knows? But she was a ton of fun posing around and I enjoyed getting her in some of these poses.

It is a shame that she can only hold her staff with one hand so that brings the fun level down a bit, but again, it is an older figure so I can't complain that much.

For a comparison, here she is next to some classic Playarts female leads who all fall along the lines of 'staff-wielding-healing-magic-user-gal'. I probably won't review Yuna or Aerith, but they are decent looking figures as well and having them next to Dagger is a cool little set up. 

All in all, I am really astonished with HOW MUCH I adore this figure. I'm glad I took her out of her box finally and displayed her with the rest of the Final Fantasy ranks. She made me curious on the other FFIX playarts for a moment there. Awesome sculpt, decent paint, much better articulation than the FFVIIs were... thoroughly enjoyed! All in all, for those of you who are a fan of FFIX, this figure (and I'm assuming Vivi and Zidane as well) are a must! For a none-FFIX fan, this figure is amazing and I love it!