Figma: T'elos(Xenosaga III)

Figma figures became an abundance in my collection after stumbling on Mari. I realized just how wide their reach is in terms of female characters so when I found out that they had KOS-MOS, I had to get her. Well, with how impressed I was with KOS-MOS, I just had to get her 'evil' counter part: T'elos. Well, let's not delay, let's jump right in!

Figma boxes. Something of the norm! Standard and nothing we need to spend too much time on.

Much like her 'Holy' counter part, T'elos comes with an intricate amount of details. The dark color combination is quite intriguing; the tanned skin really is complimented by her burgundy, and violet colors. To add a bit of contrast(a prominent one too), T'elos has bright white hair that truly fits her. Reminds me of Pirotess! Then again, KOS-MOS and T'elos do have that Deedlit and Pirotess rapport going on. Well, going back to the figure, T'elos can't stand on her own. Or at least, it is very difficult. Speaking of accessories, right off the get go, it's pretty obvious that she doesn't have the same amount as KOS-MOS. She lacks the weaponry, and to be exact, she only has two weapons while KOS-MOS comes equipped with a handgun, blade arm, a blade/laser gun(I assume), and two colossal battling guns. Though with the expected hand variations, the face swaps, the chest piece, and the stand included in T'elos' box, I would say the accessory department isn't lacking just smaller compared to her 'lighter' counterpart.

She comes with three facial expression: angry, serious, and smirking. All beautifully done and consistent in all painting aspect. One little thing, I forgot to take a close up of her other 'headpiece' swap with the red dot covering the majority of her face. I'll try to point that out later when I get to the pictures but yeah. Basically it just looks like she has ONE gigantic red eye.

The chest piece should be no secret by now. It mirrors KOS-MOS' and since I have watched the video of these two going at it, I am more than aware of what it really does!

Basically it's her 'uni-beam' akin to Iron Man's signature chest blast, though T'elos has something more promiscuous to show off with this chest beams. Just like KOS-MOS', the little detail added to this is appreciated, albeit it could've gone with a special affect to truly capture the intent. Oh, the picture above has the 'targeting' headpiece on. Again, it dominates the majority of T'elos' face and leaves only her lips to be seen. 

T'elos' left arm comes with a 'gauntlet' of some sort that allows the transparent blade(matches her color scheme too) to be attached to it. It's basically just like KOS-MOS' interchangeable blade arm. For some reason, this one wasn't as cooperative as I want it to be, but when able to pose right, it does look rather amazing. 

I don't quite remember if T'elos' blade had a bit more 'energy' feel to it, but this one is a bit linear and at some aspect, it's rather insipid. Though it does do the trick, but I feel like it lacks. Also, putting on some of her hands with the gauntlet piece provides some tedious work that shouldn't exist when swapping hands. Small gripe, but a gripe nonetheless. 

The handgun is also part of T'elos' weaponry(and I think she also has a gattling gun, but it's not included in this figure) and detailed as it is, it's not a wow factor. I have the same feelings for KOS-MOS handgun and it transfers over to her rival. I do believe T'elos uses this in Xenosaga III and I believe all in all, it's pretty accurate. Maybe I'm getting spoiled with special affects that Figma usually provides when characters deems it necessary... I think T'elos could use a few fire power affects but, meh.

Her articulation is something to admire! I think Figma(and most import toys) are so good with this that one can almost always replicate some of the characters' movements and/or signature gestures. T'elos was nimble, agile, and downright powerful in the game so her Figma version can capture the majority of her game glory! One of these days I'll try and snap some of those trade offs that she and KOS-MOS had with these two figures! For sure a fun task if I ever get the time!

As always, the stand provides much more dynamic! Being able to support T'elos' weight can offer much elation to someone who is willing to spend time really getting some poses out of her! I barely scratched the surface, and I'll be redundant in saying that she and KOS-MOS will be aesthetically pleasing when posed together in battle!

T'elos joins the SF/Anime/Video game shelf

In conclusion, I think I had much more 'negative' things to say about T'elos becuase she came AFTER KOS-MOS. Lacking some weaponry does put her down a bit and with some of the gripes I had with KOS-MOS carrying over, it's not exactly the best picture for T'elos. Though I will say this, I love this figure. She is almost half the price of KOS-MOS, and as a figure on its own, T'elos delivers accuracy, superb visuals, and minus hte two enormous guns her counterpart carries, T'elos does provide her signature weapons. With that said, great figure. Great job Figma!

Damsel of the Month:

Art by: Yukiusagi1983

Name: Makoto Kino(Japaense), Lita Kino(USA), Princess Jupiter

Series: Sailor Moon Manga, Anime, Sailor Moon Crystal

reptileye

Some Words: Well, I will admit that Makoto got the last minute treatment! There was a moment where I didn't think I was going to have a damsel of the month this month but.... that wouldn't be my little bloodspot without this! So why oh why did I pick one of my least favorite Senshi to be in this Xmas list? Well let's just plainly go with aesthetics... she wears Green in her uniform. One of her signature moves has oak(tree) in it, and the fact that she's tall reminds me of the grand things that comes with a Christmas Tree. Okay so all those reasons are a far cry but for some reason, she just popped into my head! Regardless of the fact, she is still a pretty awesome gift under the tree and let's talk about why(most of the Senshis are fantastic gifts... if anything else "stocking stuffer gag" would be a nice little thing).

I swear I can never truly credit these guys. Wish I can, but I just always want to say that their art is amazing. This would be a nice Christmas Tree on the above picture!

Anime-Captor has a fantastic idea for a fic!

So Sailor Jupiter is the 'heavy hitter' of the Sailor Senshis. She is the 'brute' per say, and with thunder and a gigantic tree to back her up, it's no wonder she lives up to the gargantuan planet that she supposedly ruled upon! Sporting the pony tail brunette hair style, green eyes, and the problem with ex boyfriends, Makoto seems to the 'tough-girl', I'll fight any guy to defend mine and my friend's honor type of gal. Unlike Rei, she seems to be the 'hard knocker' when it comes to fists, and surprisingly, she's the cook of the team.

Loz

While she is the more 'masculine' of the Inner Senshis(of course Haruka of the Outer Senshis takes that award out of all the Senshis), Makoto does not lack the proper traits to be one of the more favored Senshi and for good reasons. For me, Makoto doesn't entirely exude the 'tom boy' look as much as her personality tries. She is just a 'strong' woman. In battle, she still wore the traditional short skirt that... well.. you know. Though I think there is some truth to the fact that she is brute strength, therefore she is less brains. While we all know that Mercury takes the cake on that, Makoto is definitely not the sharpest. She is after all a bit too gullible with guys from the episodes that made her prominent.

Speaking of Mercury, Loz made that partnership happen.

So if we are to go off the idea that Jupiter is the strongest in terms of physical strength, that just means she needs to be restrained more, right?

Least she has a crotch rope...

Now THAT is an absolute bondage!!! Even her hands are part of the whole deal!

reptileye

She definitely has a lot of feistiness in her that makes her adequate for distressing scenes. And she doesn't have that same bouncy exuberance as the likes of 'younger' and 'smaller' framed, hyper girls, she just has that strong "pride" going for her. Though she does share her bonding time with her Senshi friends:

Makoto and Minako. YUM.

Though her solo perils will always be something to admire.

Sleepy-Comics

The picture above is one of the first Sailor Jupiter pics I have ever seen in the web. It's.... quite alluring even though the ropes are just insinuated. 

In conclusion, Sailor Jupiter may be a last minute pick, but I do have to say that she is still a nice present under the tree. While she may not be my favorite Senshi, she still has EVERY quality  to make her more than adequate to fill a damsel in distress role. Artists all over the web have also done her justice so.... no quarrels here! Belated Merry Christmas everyone! 

So... who's to the new year? 

Spoils of 2014

Christmas this year has a bit of a different theme and all for the good. Suffice to say, while mine is still fruitful in my catch, it's not as much in the collection department and honestly, I don't mind at all! Well these are my catch(and yes, that is a gigantic Vemon Lethal Protector blanket in the background)! I'll be reviewing things as I go(although I might be a bit late this year). As one can see, I have plenty of apparel to go with the collection~!

Well, these are are the projects for the closing few days of December:

-T'elos Review
-Damsel of the Month(hopefully)
-Sailor Saturn Review
-Supergirl Playarts Kai review
-Figures of 2014!

.:None:.

There is no victory to be claimed here. Just a mere apparition of what was, who were, and the things that came to be.

We don't get to call ourselves victorious... as far as I can tell, we are the losers. We have lost yet another year. 

I hate the way it is. I hate being laughed at. We are all products of broken promises, false hope, blind faith, and the obstinate stupidity of holding on to the fight when the battle was lost a LONG time ago.

ML Legends BAF: Groot

Starlord, Nova, Gamora, Rocket, Iron Man, Drax

This is most likely going to be the last BAF catch of 2014 and I must say, Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise surely surprised me this year! What I mean to say is both the movie and this BAF are just amazing pieces added in to the already growing Marvel Universe! So with that said, let's going ahead and dive right in to Groot and the amazing quality this figure provides!

The face may not be my favorite part of this BAF because it's so one dimensional and so stoic that when trying to do an action pose, he just seems bored. Though that's not saying I don't like it because if we are to say that it looks like Groot from the movie, there is hardly anything to say to refute that statement. It looks like Vin Diesel's Groot and despite it being forever bored looking, one can truly remember the movie when looking at his face. The big black and 'ignorant' eyes, the tree/ent looking head, then I'm not even going into detail with what is shown with the shoulders and chest... it's an amazing testament that Hasbro has the capability to make a truly detailed figure. So speaking of details, let's just to that now.

So Jubilee was the last BAF I acquired and while I don't completely dislike the mutant turned Vampire young lady, I do say  that she was a poor choice for a BAF. Now to put aside the idea of size and choice of character, Groot has far more to offer in terms of details. Yes he towers over Jubilee as he should and yes he has more details, but to truly scrutinize the details...

The sculpt on Groot is new and every carved rivets, makeshift tree, twigs, and even the paint(while minor, still appreciated) details given are something new that Hasbro has to offer! This is a brand new mold from what I can tell and as it should be. Groot is a unique and peculiar character as it is so to bring him on the Legends scale with a brand new body mold is a prudent! Honestly, highly appreciated!

Articulation wise, I don't have any real major complaints since he does move pretty well for someone with a peculiar body mold. He has the abdominal swivel that is surprisingly intact despite the sculpting job. The arms are pretty articulated despite the branches sticking out of the shoulders; folds right in the gap between the shoulder joints! The legs have a bit of a -joint that actually works really well and I have no gripes over it. Ankle pivots remains to be the same complaint I have, which again, all well and good since in the end, he stands as he should and posing isn't difficult. At some angles, the stoic facial expression actually does quite well now that I look at it closely. Though the open hands does lack some things... fists and such would be nice. Perhaps alternate hands would do well.

As always, the lack of accessories does hinder the credibility of this BAF. Groot did a myriad of things that would definitely require some accessories like some long variant arm, perhaps some sharp twigs coming out of is back, close fists, and some variant faces. Again, Hasbro's major flaw is providing some extra paraphernalia to make things a bit more... fun.

I have a Marvel Cinematic Universe shelf that ... might stay or might not. In the mean time, Groot stays there. All in all, it's a great figure. Definitely one of the most innovative BAF Hasbro pulled off this year. As for the whole set, it's not my favorite, but definitely not the worse. With the movie being as cool as it was, the addition of the whole team in my collection is definitely got me hooked on a feeling! 

Spider-Woman Update

The iconic look of Jessica Drew has been around for quite a bit. It has stayed consistent from the moment she appeared, even in her hiatus she is known wearing that costume in some events, and when Veranke took over her costume, she still wore it. Years later the Secret Invasion event, she still wore it.... and now apparently it's time for a change so this is what we get:

First and foremost, I do like change for a character's costume but there are certain things I am afraid of: change of personality. There seems to be a bit more 'up beat teen' with this. But written correctly and if this article where a friend f mine showed me truly does stir Jessica away into a new direction, and make her more unique from the rest of the gals then I'll bite. Here are more images of her new costume:

Something about that Spider emblem that gives it more 'sense'. It's tingly. LOL!

The picture above is what I'm afraid of. Jessica is not a teen. She is probably close to 30's more than anything so.... Again I can like the costume, just don't take her out of the element. At any rate, that's it for now. 

Masterless and Rage

It's been a long time.

It has. But this will never truly go away, now will it?

No. What's on the plate?

Wishes. 

How many?

How many nights has it been?

That's a vague question. What do you mean?

You ask how many wishes I have? I ask you how many nights of emptiness?

If that is what I think you ask then my answer is the majority of the year. I'd say the 'sated' visits can be counted with both hands.

So how many wishes do I have you say?

I guess the better question is, what are they?

In this world? I wish it was how it was. If there is one ultimate testament that it meant something is that those nights weren't just there and that it would be better than this year. In all factuality, this year wasn't exactly the best year... it was just better than the year before. I just wish.. that when/if the time comes, I can walk away if I have to.

Well, that's genuine wishes and I can't admonish you for that. For me, I wish this game was better in handling characters really... it's miniscule in comparison to your wishes but... character-wise, it be in the least of my favors. 

What a way to tangent of.

Characters are important, are they not? Think of it this way... she isn't always here right? And that's not exactly the best feeling right?

There isn't a moment when I wasn't wishing she was here.

Right. Well... Let's just say, there isn't a moment I wasn't wishing that I had the second crew to replace the mediocre characters of this game. 

Suppose I can understand that.

ML Groot BAF: Rocket Raccoon

Here we are! The final piece of the Groot BAF: Rocket Raccoon!!!! After such an amazing turnabout in the movie of Guardians of the Galaxy, the popularity of this critter ascended and we have ourselves the Hasbro Marvel Legends version of him! So what is there to say about this guy?

The box is familiar. The side panel art is still amazing to me! Other than that, nothing new here. Let's move on.

While there are many things I dislike about this figure, I do want to say that it has a pretty accurate detail when copying the movie version. It looks like a damn raccoon that has a special space suit on and like I said, it's movie accurate. Though the moment I saw this figure, I knew that I wasn't going to like it. First and foremost, he is tiny! Tiny for the price! Also, that face. Do you guys remember the Rocket Raccoon BAF?

While the BAF as Rocket Raccoon isn't exactly the most exalting thing to talk about, it is a better figure than the one that comes for the Groot piece. First and foremost, it has more articulation! Not much but it can move its mouth! Its head swivels quite smoothly too with no awkward look, also the firearm is easy to fit! Rocket's for the movie was just awkward to put on and it hinders a lot of poses. In fact, it ha minimal pose-ability. While we are at it, I might as well talk about the articulation .... it sucks. Legs can't move, head has that awkward swivel, lacking the mouth articulation, and he can't stand on his own without the tail being down. Oh and what's up with that sad face?!

For Rocket, he comes with that awful gun, the biggest piece for the Groot BAF, and Star Lord's gun he uses against Ronan. They kind of had to do some justification for asking for a full blown price for a tiny figure.

Rocket is a must. No matter how you want to slice the pie: complete the movie assembly, complete Groot, or just to have him, he is a must. He is not even close to being my favorite out of the two Rocket Raccoon figures and let me tell you, I'm not the biggest fan of his BAF counter part. As the last piece of the wave aside from the BAF, I'd say he is pretty weak. Good job dropping the ball on some redemption on a Rocket Raccoon figure, Hasbro.