On the heels of Saber Lily, another great Saber figure is up for pre-order from Good Smile Company.  This time its the “original” Saber wielding her Excalibur.  Love the dynamic pose and Saber’s fierce expression!  This version of Saber even has the “Invisible Air” version of Excalibur used by Saber to conceal her true identity.

Even this expression is lovely when it comes to Saber ^^  Lovely details on Excalibur and her armor as well.

Looks like she also have a diorama type base like Saber Lily.  Some people didn’t like the emblem on the Saber Lily base, so that may be an issue for some on this figure as well.  Personally, the emblem doesn’t concern me.  This Saber is definitely on my radar, though I am not able to pre-order her at this time.

You can pre-order at your favorite figure retailer now.

Images from Good Smile Company website.

Moeyo.com recently posted some teaser pics of the next batch of upcoming Ichiban Kuji figures for Code Geass.  This is the same line that released the C.C. I acquired last year.

Another lovely C.C. figure.  Believe these figures are referred to as “Romantic Variations” because of the way they are dressed.

Kallen!  Hmm…looks gorgeous in this dress.  Love her facial express and hair on this figure too.  Love to add her to my collection.  This look reminds me of when she was held captive by Britiania during R2.

Otacute has them for pre-order here.  Certainly a must have for any Code Geass fan in my book.  Definitely on my wishlist.

Code Geass image from Anime Paper.  Figure photos from Moeyo.com

Back in March I posted a couple of preview pics of a shoot I was doing with this figure.  I did do the shoot like I said…but never got around to posting the pics.  Well, today I was going through my camera download folders and came across them.  Figured better late than never ^^;;;

This cutie is called Holstein Hanako (holstein being a breed of dairy cow known for its unique black and white markings).  She was released January 2009 by Daiki Kougyo.  I really like this version of her, which was produced by Tohshiro.

One of my original reasons for getting this figure was that 2009 is “Year of the Ox” based on the Chinese Zodiac, and because she’s a “cowgirl” she plays on that theme a bit.

My other reason for getting her was she is pretty cute…  ^^;

… and she nice eyes ^^;;;;

For some reason I have a craving for a glass of milk

Very nice…detailing in outfit

Tummy shot.  You can expect one from me if the figure has exposed midsection.

If I am going to show the front, might as well show the back.

I like the look of this figure.  Her pose, facial expression, and outfit all appealed to me.  Her shita pai are also nice from this angle ^o^

Our little cowgirl seemed to have attracted two new friends.  Why they are wearing bandannas is anyone’s guess ^^

Maybe they rob kiddies of their delicious cookies.

They move pretty fast for cows, considering they vanished as quickly as they appeared.

She looks nice from the side too.

Hanako is bringing Sexy back.

This angle really brings out her facial expression.

Her two little friends may have left her, but least she still has her butterfly.

This figure has one other little thing about it that I like.  I’ll warn you though, what is about to follow will be ecchi and not safe for work (NSFW).  If such things offend you or you are viewing this in public place, then now is a good time to stop reading.

You have the option to cast-off her top to get a better look at her eyes…

…which are “udderly” amazing.  Thank you Daiki for making her cast-off ^^

Cast off figures are pretty popular.  I don’t buy a figure based on whether it has cast-off parts or not.  I look to see if its a cute figure or has a dynamic pose.  The cast-off feature is just a nice extra for me.  That being said, I do have a number of cast-off figures in my collection.

A lot of my figures I keep boxed up because I have limited space to display them.  Unless its one I really like, chances are it goes back in the box once I shoot it…or done playing with it ^^;

But if I had the space to display all of them, chances are I would not display figures like Hanako in their cast-off form.  It would be too distracting.

Did I mention I could go for a tall glass of milk??

Figure I would throw in a yoko pai shot.  After a couple of full frontal exposures, hopefully this side angle may give your eyes time to rest.

Holstein Hanako is certainly a cutie pie.  The original artist is Tsukaka Bullet, but his style is very similar to Shunya Yamashita.  In fact, she certainly has a Shunya feel to her.   Megahouse also released a Holstein Hanako, but I prefer the Daiki version myself.  The Megahouse version just did not appeal to me…sorry v.v;;  I think it was her facial expression ^^;;

Because this release was from early part of the year, she pretty much sold out at most retailers.  If the Megahouse version appeals to your taste, accepting pre-orders at Play-Asia.  I think she is cast-off as well if that influences your decision =D

This weekend I finally received my long awaited Saber Lily by Good Smile Company.  I previously mentioned this figure back in March, so its been quite a wait.  But well worth it now that I have seen the figure with my own eyes.  This is just a preview, I plan on shooting a lot more photos of this this weekend.

On a side note, also received an email that the Saber Lily Nendoroid at Hobby Search.  So I should have that in hand soon.  I highly suggest you order it before its sold out either at Hobby Search or your favorite figure retailer.  Once it arrives, my Saber Lily trilogy will be complete.  I’ll have the Nendoroid, GSC Distant Utopia, and Saber Lily figma.  I love Saber ^o^ (just need a Saber Lily dollfie now ^^;)

So recently I decided to enter the world of ball-joint dolls (BJD), namely Volks’ Dollfie Dream.  And to be honest the decision was influenced largely by Danny Choo’s coverage of his Saber Dollfie.  Being the Saber fanboy that I am, obviously tried to locate one but soon realized that I was too late and my only options would be after market listings on auction sites like Yahoo! Japan.

I had heard of BJDs before, but never really found anything interesting about them.  But the Dollfie Dream (DD) is different because they are more “anime-looking” than Volks Super Dollfie line or some of the other BJDs out there.  And it was that aspect about the DD that really appealed to me.

So after missing my chance to get Saber, when I heard news that DD Rin Tohsaka was being released I had to try to get her.  Mainly because  I am huge Fate / Stay Night fan and Rin is pretty cute.  Now Rin, like Saber, was part of a special event called Doll Party (or Dolpa) and you could only purchase her by winning a lottery draw.  Rin came with her iconic red top, miniskirt, stockings, underwear, and loafers.  You had to also enter for her academy uniform as well; so I entered for both items.

So I was notified that I won and informed that I could expect Rin about the end of June.  And now here she is (yeah, I know…its the middle of August…so why did I wait so long to introduce her ^^:)  Part of the reason was I didn’t want to mess her up.  Though it doesn’t do any good having her if I keep her cooped up in a box ^^;

But just as Danny got me interested in dollfies, he also motivated me to show off my darling Rin thanks to the Miss Dollfie Summer 2009 contest he was hosting at figure.fm!  Seemed like a good opportunity to show off Rin, plus who knows…possibility of winning ^^;  The contest is stuff going until August 17th, so we’ll see how it fares.  I win regardless because after spending three days playing with Rin, I don’t regret acquiring her or freeing her from her confinement.

And while on the subject of the contest, which you can read about by following the link above, the outdoor photo portion of the contest was probably the most difficult for me.  Not only was the weather against me, having rained for days with more forecasted; but finding the right place to do it.  I chose a location that I knew would be provide some good shots; but what I didn’t expect was the number of people that would be around.  Nothing quite like getting stares from onlookers as I carry about a 24 inch dollfie and a camera bag.  ^^;  But I was on a mission and I think that I got some good photos thanks to that location.

One of the other criteria was you had to do a swimsuit / lingerie.  If you were without either, you could do nudes as long as “their hands should be stylishly covering their v-zone and pupils.”  I played with a couple of different things, including using an handkerchief  like a towel like above.

I even used a pillow set from my To Heart 2: Nanako-Chan.  I think this little pillow made for the perfect prop…

…when it came to shots like this.  In fact, it was this little pillow that inspired me to go in that direction with my shots ^^;  I debated on posting the “buff photos” because I thought they may push the envelop a little too much.  But after thinking about it, I decided to go ahead because I felt that they were done in good taste.

And I also felt that I was abiding by the stipulations of the contest as Rin was stylishly covering her pupils and angle of the shot was covering her v-zone ^^;

So yeah, the contest was a good reason for me to get to know Rin better.  Since then I found her a place on my workspace.  I had to hunt for a stand for her, because I didn’t have one at the time of the photo shoots.  And while she can stand on her own, she falls over a lot without the support ^^;  (Clumsy Rin =P)

So Rin is my first dollfie, but certainly not my last.  I have a Yoko ordered which should arrive next month (a birthday present to myself ^o^).  And I continue to check the various auction sites for a Dollfie Saber.  Since I don’t know any Japanese, having to wing it with the translation programs when searching for her on Yahoo! Japan.  But it seems that no matter what she will cost me at least $1000+ @.@.  Had a few bad experiences with online auctions, coupled with it being in a language I can’t understand and relying on a third party to act as my proxy makes me a bit hesitate.

I even found a Saber Dollfie head for sale…for like $500 US.  I love the face of Saber Dollfie, but its not the same without Excalibur and at least her gauntlets and boots.  I would probably do without the dress due to the staining factor and after seeing the Saber Lily costume, I love that variation over the blue Saber dress.  I will have her one day though, that’s my dream anyway.  But I have Rin (and soon Yoko) to keep me company until that day ^^.

They do require plenty of love and care, which is why they are considered musumes (or daughters) by their owners.  But they are certainly a lot of fun and I can see why so many people adore dollfies now.  Certainly a decision I am glad I made.

Expect more Dollfie related coverage in the future =3

Also, check out my Flickr for more photos from this photo session and my Miss Dollfie entry!

Today I received the lovely Yoko made by Gift thanks to Hobby Search!  And I can certainly say she is a cutie.  This is my third Yoko figure to add to my collection.  I have two more pre-ordered and there is Dollfie Yoko ^^;

Aside from her (obvious) sex appeal, I have been thinking about what it is I like about Yoko’s character.  I mean, to get three figures featuring the same character must mean there is something about her I find appealing.  I’ll have to get a few more before she beats out Saber though.

There are a couple of things I really like about this Yoko.  Can’t really see it from this image, but she has a very cute face.  And her pose and sculpt in general are certainly nice too.  Plus she is 1/5, so she has a little size to her (as you may be able to tell).  I plan on shooting a few more pics of her this weekend, so I’ll talk more about her then.  I just wanted to share her with you all since I took her out of the box to look at her.

Another reservation has opened up from Alter.  This time its Shihodo Narikia from Choko Sennin Haruka or Beat Blades Haruka as its known Stateside.  This is certainly a nice looking figure and looking a lot better than the promo images.  Probably because she looks like she is carrying some extra equipment than originally revealed.  This one is definitely on my list because I already have Alter’s Haruka figure and certainly be nice to display these two together.

Again, she should be available for reservation via your favorite figure retailer.

Reservations have opened on two new figures from Alter from the The Tower of Druaga:  The Aegis of Uruk series -and Kaaya.  Definately thinking of these two because they look amazing.  I love the face on Fatina and the color scheme of Kaaya.  I’m sure they would look good displayed together, which is probably why Alter is releasing them at the same time.  I really wish that figure collecting wasn’t so expensive XD.  Just too many gorgeous ones out there…^^;  Maybe things will pick up around the site to help lol ^^

You can reserve these two via your favorite figure retailer.

Fatina

Kaaya

The pure white, royal knight.

The popular fighting game “Fate/unlimited codes” has recently been released on PS2, and from that game comes a 1/7th PVC figure of Saber’s alternate form, Saber Lily!

Posed as if preforming her ultimate move “Distant Avalon”, the figure has been sculpted to recreate the scene where Saber raided Caliburn. Her other noble phantasm, the sword “Excalibur” has also been included, and can be equipped and removed.

The sculpting work was done by Takayuki Kawahara, who has given the figure a dynamic feeling to suit the action packed scenes from the original game. Everything from her beautiful flowing dress to her finely detailed hair all come together to bring a wonderful figure that any fan is bound to fall in love with.

Fall in love with indeed.   I fell in love the moment I saw this beautiful Saber figure.  I was impressed with the new costume when I first saw the promotional images of Saber Lily  advertising the Fate / Unlimited Codes  game.  I like this look more than her original costume to be honest.  So already being a HUGE Saber fan, I didn’t even hesitate to pre-order this when I heard about it.

One thing I really love about this figure is Saber’s stance.  She is poised to use her Noble Phantasm “Avalon – The Ever Distant Utopia.”  For those that aren’t familiar with the Fate / Stay Night series, Noble Phantasm is defined as:

From Fate / Stay Night Wiki

In the legend of a hero, there is not only the man that the hero was, but the anecdotes about him, his arms and weapons; all of this symbolizes his existence. These symbols are the ultimate mysteries that the Servant, the embodiment of the heroic spirit, carries as a trump card. Such is the deadly weapon called “Noble Phantasms”.

Avalon is Saber’s ultimate Noble Phantasm, the sacred scabbard of Excalibur that grants limited immortality and healing properties to the one that holds it.  Activation of this Noble Phantasm causes Avalon to dissipate into countless particles and immerses its user into a protective barrier that cannot be broken with physical or magical attacks.  The name Avalon allures to the isle of folklore believed to be the final resting place of King Arthur.

Needless to say, such an ability grants Saber superb defense and ensures her victory.  I think that Saber’s stance portrays that sense of imminent victory well.

If you are paying attention, you will also notice that Saber comes with both Caliburn and Excalibur.  So you can pose her with your sword of choice.  Source material says that between the two swords, Saber seems fonder of Caliburn than Excalibur.  I find that interesting since Saber’s purpose for fighting the Grail War is because she regretted removing the sword from the stone and taking the mantle of King.

This figure looks good from every angle!  I am loving the layers of her dress.  And the garter and stockings are nice too ^^;  I like how her armor is also different from the original Saber.  I am digging the boots =D  This costume also shows off more skin than original Saber’s blue dress.  Open back, loose sleeves that curiously stay up, and a collar that is equally a mystery to me.  I guess it does have an aesthetic purpose.

GoodSmile Company was the first to show their Saber Lily offering after the release of Unlimited Codes and the figma figure that came with the special edition.  Saber is a popular figure subject, so its no surprise that all the figure manufactures are producing their own renditions of Saber Lily.  So far though I have to say GSC has the best one, though I may also find myself picking up Alter’s Lily Saber as well.  GSC is also showed off a Nendoroid Lily Saber, but no info has been released on it yet.

I think come June, Saber Lily will become my number 1 favorite figure.  Certainly on my list, is Saber Lily on your list of figures?

Tony Taka – the renowned artist behind the character illustrations for the Sega franchise Shining Wind will so see yet another one of his illustrations brought to life thanks to Native.  This time one based on an original illustration – Kotono Ousaka.  And it should be no surprise why it is one of the more anticipated figures of 2009.  It certainly ranks high on my list ^^;  Several sites have reported on this figure already, but I haven’t and I want to talk about her =3

Plus, today is the cut off for pre-ordering her.  Did you pre-order her yet?  If not, maybe you’ll change you mind by the time you reach the end of this post.

As you can see, she also comes with a desk as her base.  Certainly a cool accessory, and fitting considering the source material.

Certainly captured the face.  And let me say she has some very beautiful eyes ^^;

Hmm…nice eyes indeed…

Not attached to “base” equals win in my book.

A look at her pantsu.  Not exactly the type of undergarmet you expect under a school uniform…would you agree?

Oh my!  Where did her underwear go!  AND THE BANANA IS GONE TOO!  It would appear that she has cast-off parts, for those that like their scantingly clad figures wearing even less ^.^

Did I mention she has nice eyes?  I did…oh…okay.  It would seem that no one has uncensored pics of her yet.  But that will change once I get her =P  I already planning the shoot for her.

I’ll end this by saying that it would appear that she likes more than just bananas ^^  But its cool that she comes with some other accessories as well.

If you’re interested in seeming more images that please check out AkibaHobby and HobbyStock.  Kotono Ousaka is scheduled for a June 2009 release (June is going to be a good month, also the month Saber Lily is released).  Only retailer I could find her is Toylet, I suggest you pre-order her now as today is the last day before the cutoff.