A Bevy of BiCute Bunnies (Overlord & Chainsaw Man)

 It's a great time to be a pre-painted figure collector when more affordable crane prize figures such as the FuRyu BiCute Bunnies series are offering the type of paintwork and sculpt quality that one usually sees only in more expensive upper-tier bishoujo figures. In the overall scheme of things, these BiCute Bunnies lie on the slightly more premium and expensive spectrum of the budget lower-tier category while just reaching the lower end of the upper-tier category. And depending on the individual figure, they sometimes can easily surpass the mid-tier figurines in terms of shelf presence.

 Most impressive of the trio of bunnies was that of Albedo (アルベド) from the Overlord (オーバーロード) series. Its paintwork and sculpt quality was the best I had ever seen on a budget crane prize figure. So much so that you could've easily mistaken it for an upper-tier figure, which would cost way more in price. For a more comprehensive look at the figurine, please check out my unboxing and review video of the FuRyu BiCute Bunnies pre-painted figure of Albedo (see below).

 Of course, this is not to say the other two bunny figures from Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン) namely Makima (マキマ) and Power (パワ) weren't comparable in quality. It's just that the pair never quite reach the heights achieved by Bunny Albedo. However, they are still fine examples of the FuRyu BiCute Bunnies line, which easliy rank as one of FuRyu's best efforts, if not quite the best. As with Albedo, comprehensive video reviews and unboxings of Makima and Power can be viewed in my YouTube Channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures. I've included their links below for ease of viewing.

 For figure collectors on a budget, the FuRyu BiCute Bunnies series is a way to obtain extremely high quality bunny figures at a fraction of the cost of their premium counterparts, for example the Freeing bunny figures that in extreme cases can cost up to ¥55,000 or more - nearly 50x more expensive than your average BiCute Bunnies figure. Of course the pre-painted bunny figures from Freeing tend to be of much higher quality in comparison. Yet not so much that it costs almost 50x more.

 One thing's for sure: I'm a huge fan of the FuRyu BiCute Bunnies series, and I always eagerly await their new product releases in the hope that another gem like Albedo is unearthed in the future. Previously I had reviewed another trio from the Kaguya-sama: Love is War series, which you can check out in my previous blog post by clicking on the image below

 With that, we've come to the end of this BiCute Bunnies love fest. Do check out my YouTube Channel if you want to see pre-painted figures apart from the FuRyu bunny figure series. It's as easy as clicking on the banner below to get to my channel. I hope to see you there. Until we meet again, please stay safe, be well and be happy!

Emilia & Beatrice【Re:Zero - Story To Be Continued | Ichiban Kuji】Bishoujo Prize Figures

 Beatrice finally joins my Re:Zero-Starting Life From Another World figure collection. More importantly she is clad in her iconic pink Lolita outfit. Prize figures of Beatrice in her Lolita outfit are rare to almost non-existent. Emilia is the other pre-painted prize figure, and she is similarly clad in her own iconic outfit of purple and white from the anime series. While not as rare, figures of Emilia in her purple and white outfit are still fairly hard to find, especially in the budget prize figure category.    

 Below are three Unboxing & Review videos of the Re:Zero pair of Emilia and Beatrice. 

 All the pre-painted figures above are from the Banpresto Re:Zero-Story To Be Continued Ichiban Kuji. For ratings of the figures, please do have a look at the videos above. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog update. Please do visit my YouTube Channel by clicking on the second banner below. If you like the content, please do subscribe. Take care for now, be happy and be well!

OZ-00MS Tallgeese | Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz【Part 1 of 2: Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review】

 While I'm aware I had said there wasn't going to be anymore 'Unboxing & Pre-Assembly Review' blog post uploads, yet here we are ... yet another such post, this time on the Bandai Real Grade plastic model kit of my all-time favourite mecha from the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz series i.e. the OZ-00MS Tallgeese. Well, technically I prefer a later variant called OZ-00MS Tallgeese Flüegel, which has wings on its back. But that's a post for another day. What we have here is the base variant.

1/144 scale Tallgeese EW | Mobile Suit Gundam Endless Waltz 0Z-006MS (front box art)

Bandai's 28th plastic scale model kit from their Real Grade line (side box art, short end)

Images of a fully-assembled Real Grade Tallgeese EW (side box art, long end)

Info about the characteristics of a Real Grade Tallgeese kit (side box art, other long end)

 With the kit being a more recent one - it was released in 2018 - there are at least some English translations for the Japanese instructions (see below). But the kit is old enough that the backstory write ups are still only in the Japanese language. The later kits have more English translations on their instruction booklets but this 28th Real Grade scale model kit isn't one of them.

Front cover of the instructions booklet showing a head-shot of the Tallgeese

Back cover of the booklet showing decal placement suggestions and a color guide

A snippet of the assembly instructions as well as backstory/information boxes

 Below are the runners/sprues included with the Bandai Real Grade plastic scale model kit of the OZ-00MS Tallgeese EW. Descriptions of the runners/sprues will be included in the picture captions.

Runner/Sprue A: Multi-colored parts - white for the side/back skirts, mid/lower torso armor, rocket vernier/thrusters casings, head and side waist armor; dark gray for fin on head, leg joints, metal bits on torso; yellow for the back rocket verniers/thrusters, wrist, bits on the lower legs and groin section

Runner/Sprue B: Dark gray 'Advanced MS Joints' comprising complex pre-assembled mechanically moving parts for the Tallgeese's arms, legs, and feet.

Runner/Sprue C: White parts for the shield, upper torso, more side/back skirt armor, shoulder/neck armor, more casings for the rocker verniers/thrusters as well as a 1/144 scale figure of Zech Merquise

Runner/Sprue D1: Orange yellow parts that make up the stripes on the shield and shoulder armor, vent-like parts for the chest/head, and sub-parts for the rockets

Runner/Sprue E1: White armor parts for the Tallgeese's head, arms, elbows, legs, feet, rocket fins, waist, knees, ankles as well as parts used as the beam saber handles

Runner/Sprue E2: Duplicate of a section of Runner/Sprue E1, excluding parts for the head

 Quality-wise I'm mightily impressed with the glossy finish on the white armor parts, which form the prominent sections on the Tallgeese EW scale model kit. At this early stage, I believe it's good enough to be displayed as is, without having to be painted. And while the non-white parts look good too, some will require painting. For example, the gray parts that are supposed to make up the metal sections of the mecha will have to be repainted in metallic paint to increase realism, among others.

Runner/Sprue F: Dark blue parts for the weapons i.e. the Dober Gun; weapon connector pieces that attach the gun to the shoulder; as well as parts for the shoulders, hands, feet, etc.

Runner/Sprue G1: Gray parts for the joints, shield, weapon ammo clip as well as the inner frame for the body, limbs, and rocket verniers/thrusters

Runner/Sprue G2: Duplicate of a section of Runner/Sprue G1, excluding parts for the shield, waist, etc.

Runner/Sprue H1: Clear part options for the beam sabers, which are good for use in a custom paint job as well as clear lenses for the mono-eye and Dober gun

Runner/Sprue H2: Red part that forms the plume on the head armor

Runner/Sprue SB-12: Clear red parts for the beam sabres, which are the usual options found in most kits

 If you have been following my scale model kit projects, you would already know how I feel about sticker decals. I hate them. I prefer either water decals or dry transfer decals. And while I don't object to foil stickers, they can be hit-or-miss at times. On a reasonably flat surface, foil stickers can work wonders. However they tend to peel off when the surface they attached to are overly curved or round. For the Tallgeese, I plan to do what I usually do with Bandai's Real Grade kits i.e. use a combination of third party water decals and the foil stickers that came with the kit.  

Sticker and foil stickers for the Real Grade Tallgeese EW scale model kit

 Below is the video upload on my YouTube channel (FourEyedMonster Miniatures) of the unboxing and pre-assembly review on the Bandai 1/144 scale Real Grade OZ-00MS Tallgeese EW plastic scale model kit. If you prefer to see the parts in close detail, then please check out the video below.

 Just so you know, the only reason I'm still doing an unboxing blog post is because I had forgotten about the photos of the runners/sprues that I had taken earlier. Since half the work was already done, with only the write up left to do, I decided to upload this unboxing post of the Tallgeese. In future, I'll still post such content for some if not all the scale model kit projects I'll be working on.

 As with all Bandai Real Grade plastic scale model kits, they are a tad complicated. And I'm making things harder for myself by attempting to paint a selection of the parts before assembly. But it's something I have to do as my hobby-related OCD tendencies refuses to accept toy-like or plasticky finishes to a scale model kit project. There's lots of work to do so I had better get started. Until we meet again in the blogosphere, enjoy your weekend, be well, and be happy!

Kaguya, Chika, and Ai【Kaguya-sama: Love is War】Furyu BiCute Bunnies Figures

 As someone who, at this age still watches romantic comedy animes and lots of them, Kaguya-sama: Love is War stands out as my favourite one so far. It's has a unique take on the genre in which the main protagonists are in love with each other but are hell bent to get the other to confess their love first. It results in hilarious over-the-top situations that had even the missus laughing out loud.

 Below are three Unboxing & Review videos of the main female protagonist and the two main supporting female characters namely Shinomiya Kaguya, Fujiwara Chika, and Hayasaka Ai.

 All the pre-painted figures above are from the Furyu BiCute Bunnies Figures line. It's a product line based on the concept of putting popular anime characters into bunny costumes. While it falls under the budget-friendly prize figure category, I have so far found the bunny figures to be of high quality, far exceeding expectations of figures sold at its price point. I hope you'll enjoy the videos I have done for the trio. Until my next post next year - 2024 is days away - I wish you love and happiness.

Psychic Sisters Tatsumaki & Fubuki | One Punch Man

 After putting together my first scale model kit in a long while, I'm now back to blogging about unboxing and review videos of my pre-painted figure collection. What we have today are the Psychic Sisters from the One Punch Man anime/manga series i.e. Fubuki (aka Blizzard of Hell) and Tatsumaki (aka Tornado of Terror) in their Banpresto Espresto Shapely pre-painted figure form.

 Below are the unboxing and review videos of Tatsumaki and Fubuki, both of which can also be accessed via my YouTube channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures.

 Pre-painted figures from the One Punch Man series are pretty rare, so it was a relief to get two budget-friendly prize figures from Banpresto that was pretty good. One sister was better than the other (to see which please check out the videos above), but overall both were fairly decent. While there are much better figures of the duo, they are the more expensive scale painted figures, which would be out of reach of most beginner figure collectors.

All in all, if you are a fan of the series, then by all means go ahead and add the Psychic Sisters to your figure collection. Anyway, that's it for this short write-up as most of the content are covered in the videos embedded above. Until next time, be well and be happy!

HG 1/144 OZ-06MS Leo - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing [Custom Painted Build Completed; Photos + Video]

 Painted, panel-lined, and assembled. Slowly but surely I am moving more model kits from the 'box-gathering-dust-on-shelf' to the 'completed-for-display' category. While it great to have that complicated standout piece on display, I will always have a soft spot for the grunts. If possible, I intend to include a grunt mobile suit from any Gundam Universe that's represented on my display shelf. In this case, the finished Bandai High Grade (HG) 1/144 scale OZ-06MS Leo comes from the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing anime series. Below are some thoughts on my full-painted build of the grunt suit.

High Grade (HG) 1/144 scale OZ-06MS Leo: Custom Painted Build Completed

 In terms of color accuracy, I can never seem to mix the exact same paint color as the plastic mold despite using the suggested paint ratios in the color guide. So the paint job hues you see here slightly vary from the plastic mold color. Moreover, most of the grey and dark brown parts have been custom painted using metallic lacquer paints. So in a sense the Leo has been custom painted to a degree. All the colors used were from the Mr.Hobby Mr.Color lacquer paint line.

OZ-06MS Leo custom painted build (front view sans weapons)

In Gundam Wing lore, the Leo is a grunt suit designed for ground combat ...

... hence its predominantly dull green and brown color scheme.

 As color schemes go, the Leo has a pretty basic one comprising largely of dull green and brown for its body with a dash of red and yellow on its head. And I don't quite get why a grunt suit would have vivid reds on its head, which would stand out in a battlefield. I'm assuming grunts would generally wish to stay inconspicuous during war. Granted you would've the occasional oddball with too much bravado, but the majority would want to stay camouflaged. But from an artist's point of view, the reds do make the color scheme more attractive. Since it's all make-believe, aesthetics win over realism.

One thing that's aesthetically pleasing but is perhaps a tad illogical is the fact that ...

... the Leo grunt suit has a generous splash of rather vivid red on both sides of its head ...

... which in my opinion makes it that much more visible to enemy units in the battlefield.

 Apart from painting and panel-lining, the only other thing of note I did was to place a shiny foil behind the mono-eye. No decals were included with this model kit so applying markings on the Leo was a non-starter. I'm sure there are some good third party decals you could use for the Leo but Ï didn't have any at hand so I just left the Leo alone without any decal markings whatsoever.

In terms of its general silhouette, the Leo grunt suit has a profile that is largely unspectacular ...

... but I'm fond of this design because its similar to one of my favourites i.e. the OZ-00MS Tallgeese 

 As you can probably tell from the first and last photos on this post, the Leo also come with weapon and shield accessories. While the gun and shield has been repainted, the beam saber is in its original molded plastic state with some panel lining only on the handle. Because the Leo has a simple design, it actually looks better when it's wielding its weapons and shield. So if my custom painted Leo is to have its own space on the display shelf, it will be one in which it's striking a pose with either the gun or the shield and saber. In the future, I might even paint another one so I can have both.

OZ-06MS Leo custom painted build (front view with saber and shield)

 Below is a YouTube video on my custom painted build of the OZ-06MS Leo showcasing its details in a 360 degree view. In this video I'll also put together the Leo's accessories, do a final short review, and display the grunt suit in various poses. If you like the video, and would like to see more of the same kind of videos, please do subscribe to my YouTube Channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures.

 So that's one more kit completed and off my ever growing storage pile. It's a small win but a sorely needed one. Next I'll be moving on to some figurine plastic model kits based on the Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃, Kimetsu no Yaiba) anime series. Recently I watched all three seasons of the series, and was inspired to do figurines of two main characters from the show. More on that in the next post. For now I'll take the personal win, and end this post with my usual wishes. Be well, be useful, and be happy.