It’s been a long time since our last Megami review, but it seems they keep churning them out regardless… The magazine’s quality slumped after last summer’s Haruhi & Co. festorama, but now that a new season of shows with a whole new cast of bishoujo legends in the making is upon us, how will the hallowed (one might say posterized) pages of Megami fare? Not so well, it seems, but this issue is likely to have one or two redeeming points that would justify the purchase for the more forgiving among us. Which ones those would be is up to you:

Yesterday Hobby Channel scooped the release of a Hitotsubashi Yurie PVC scheduled to be out this October from Aniplex / Hobbinet / Alter. From the sample images it looks like a quality kit, though some (myself included) will probably cringe at the 7,329 yen price point for an 18 centimeter figure; diehard Kamichu! fans should have no trouble making a decision on this one. (no more)

Word in from the official Kyoani page today via Kurogane’s Anime Blog that “as of the fifth episode, director Yamamoto Hiroshi will be replaced by Takemoto Yasuhiro” to helm the production of Lucky Star. Whether this is a genuinely independent production decision, a copycat of the recent Gurren Lagann affair, or just a publicity stunt remains unclear; we’ll be keeping an eye on this. (no more)

We take a look today at the most sought-after PVC kit from late April ‘07, Max Factory’s POLO System Pachira from Magipoka. Does she live up to the hype produced by the the blinking outline of empty space where she stood for a few moments on store shelves? I would answer this with a resounding “yes”, and add that this kit is undoubtedly one of the most potent weapons for conversion to the pettankophile cause that has come out of Japan in a long while. Read on for why:

The fifth episode of Gurren Lagann is about to air, but before it does I’d like to get my opinion on the whole mess out in the open. What it boils down to is this: we otaku are boorish and tasteless, Gainax is stupid and delusional, and none of this is very surprising (aside from the extent of Gainax’s cluelessness, but not of what you might think).

In an ideal world creators would produce their work in such volume that everyone who wanted a copy could obtain one at a fair price, the proceeds then returning to the artist to support his or her future endeavors. Sadly this is not the case, with garage kit makers limiting production runs to the dozens and PVC figure manufacturers to the hundreds or low thousands, not to mention doujin artists who entirely neglect sales beyond their close circle of friends or eroge companies unwilling to sell outside Japan. (continues)

Shipon is in Tokyo this weekend for a Gonzo studio visit and for Monday’s Comic1, so I’m heading down to Akihabara today to meet up and chill (and fulfill my requisite quota of consumer whoredom, of course). Will probably have an evening update or two, but for viewing in the interval I recommend the newly available demo movie for Ane wa Ero-Komi Henshuusha. Truly a fine example of the craft! (no more)

Yamashita Shunya has a post up on his blog today with details and photographs of Hanaya Suekko (florist’s youngest child) Shouko-san, the next kit based on one of his original illustrations to be rendered in PVC by Kotobukiya. Like his four prior kits produced under a similar arrangement sales are to be limited to Kotobukiya outlets only, alas; we can expect her to reach her officially sanctioned destinations in September or October of this year. (no more)

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Moetan is a series of Japanese-to-English phrasebooks ostensibly targeted at otaku who cannot process new information save through their favorite anime catch phrases delivered by a POP-rendered mascot character. Clicking on either of the above links will direct you to the same place: the official site for the new Moetan anime, announced today and slated to air in July.

While the quality of the English renderings has steadily improved over the book series’ three installments and various side releases, the text on the official anime site promises more of the delicious moe Engrish we’ve come to know and love. There are a lot of details about this that could make or break the Anglo-moe quotient, and you can be sure we’ll have an eye on them over the coming months… (no more)

Now there’s a post title you can shove into your smoking device of preference and inhale profoundly. Goodsmile has updated their official site today with a page for their Wani Books’ Comic Gum Figure Collection Kanu Unchou white gothic lolita ver. PVC from Ikkitousen, and she’s a beauty. Clocking in at 5,000 yen, 1/7 scale, and 24 cm tall (including naginata-esque weapon whose precise name I forget at the moment), she’s due to hit the street in July. It’s hard to tell from the Goodsmile sample pictures alone, but from the shadow cast by the fabric below her arm it looks like that corset just might be removable… It’s a good day indeed for Ikkitousen figure fans. (pictures below)

Gainax producer Akai Takami announced today on the official Gainax website that due primarily to the inappropriate comments of Gainax staff members that appeared on Mixi and the strife they caused in the fan community and on the official Gurren Lagann blog, as of the airing of episode five this coming Sunday his name will no longer appear in the credit roll as producer. In addition he has taken the step of resigning from the Gainax board of directors as “self punishment” and to “reflect on the situation”. We’ll be following this story as it develops… Thanks to wildarmsheero for the heads up. (no more)

We scoop the low-down on the fifteen biggest game releases of the coming weekend (in no particular order), examine Terios’s newly announced Happy Princess, speculate on the nature of a Hadashi Shoujo teaser image, take a ride on the tentacley side with a pair of new doujin soft releases (AskRay included), and Shiiko. Warning: this post is confusing, even to me.

Recently Griffon has been holding its figure announcements very close to its chest, but it let one slip today in the form of this Amazon preorder page for an erokawaii Hakufu kit from Ikkitousen (or Dragon Destiny, choose your flavor). Given the scant information on the maker’s official site and the Amazon page it’s not clear when the kit will be coming out, but other online shops are sure to post her for preorder soon. (pictures below)

Age updated yesterday with a rather humorous video detailing what will not be present in their upcoming Muv Luv fan disc: there will be NO annihilation at the hands tentacles of an alien race, NO heroine being crushed to death by a falling of a piece of gymnasium masonry, and NO being fired by your superior officer while in the heat of battle. Instead, it seems we’ll be getting a dota-bata love comedy tentatively dubbed “the continuation of Final Extra”, an “alter simulation game”, a Total Eclipse visual novel, and various wallpapers and system accessories. I’m guessing this will be good news for all the Muv Luv fans out there who aren’t pure masochists… (no more)

News from various corners of the figure world today, including the preorder availability and subsequent vanishing act of gargantuan Suzumiya Haruhi, a surprise in the chest area from Alter’s upcoming Witchblade Masane PVC, the release and immediate sell-out of Max Factory’s Pachira from Majipoka, another version of Romando’s bizarre Nami SOS tentacle figure, and a good deal more!

What happens when you switch directors of a Sunday morning anime unannounced, and the fanbase of the show discovers that you’ve been insulting them on a social networking site since the first episode? Gainax is finding out the hard way on their official blog, as Zepy reports (initial post, continuation). (more below)

Shipon represents this evening with a wonderfully produced short detailing the multimedia experience that is the new Japanese arcade card battle game Aquarian Age Alternative. Check below for the first documentary mini feature in what from this day forth shall be known as the true meaning of HDTV (said with only a slight dash of hyperbole…).

The dark-haired beauty and closet (or not so closet) yuri heroine of Type-Moon’s Fate / stay night has been announced today as the next entry in Kaiyodo’s Bome-sculpted line of PVC figures, and is listed now at Moe Soul as being available in June. Rin fans will want to take this into consideration, though the generic pose and questionable face sculpt will likely cause most casual consumers to stay away. (no more)

Woohoo! It’s been a while in the making, but word has finally come today that Yume Miru Kusuri is back from the duplicators and ready for distribution. One small step for man, one giant leap for the world of quality English-translated eroge… (no more)

Teito no Seijo Merfa (Merfa, Saint of the Imperial Capital) is the latest character to be unveiled in Hobby Japan’s line of Queen’s Blade game books. She will join Nix to form the next pair of Queen’s Blade book releases, which are due out in June according to the series’ official site. As mentioned above Merfa’s design duty is being handled by Zundarepon, a long-time favorite artist of mine despite his occasionally flagrant violations of anatomical integrity. While I don’t find this new design to be particularly inspired, I’m looking forward to a high quality Zundarepon artbook regardless of content. Edit: in other Queen’s Blade news, it seems the [ERO] Queen’s Blade anthology comic was released today. I won’t have my hands on a copy until the weekend, alas. (no more)

Scooped here first back in February (check that link for pictures), Orchid Seed has finally updated the official page for their upcoming Ignis the White PVC kit with details regarding its release. Subtitled ~Eien ni Kesenu Honoo no Ignis~ (Ignis of the Unquenchable Flame), we can expect to see her hit the street in September in an initial limited run of 2,000 units, retailing for 11,700 yen. In addition, a cast sample of the figure will be on display at Kotobukiya’s Radio Kaikan location in Akihabara starting today (April 24th) so the curious public can get their first unrestricted glimpse of what is being billed the “ultimate Ignis”. The official site is saying that the preorder locations for this first round will be limited, so it may be difficult to score one of the initial two thousand… We’ll keep you posted as further details are revealed. (no more)

Sunshine Creation is an all-genre doujin convention held multiple times a year in Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City shopping complex / convention center. The 35th iteration of the event was held yesterday, and my friend and sometime doujin collaborator Animaestro was there. He sent the following notes from the field:

The official Genshiken website was updated today with the news that a second season of the anime is in fact in the works, scheduled to air this fall.

…holy shit. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT. There are no words, just incoherent sound as I try to express the immense wave of excitement washing over me right now.

Perhaps the daily votive offerings of bald, bearded yaoi doujinshi at my (as yet unfinished) Ohno shrine have paid off after all… needless to say we’ll be following this very, VERY closely over the coming months. (no more… yet)

Coming just a month after rookie brand FREEing’s first announcement of their gargantuan 1/4 scale bunny girl Mikuru PVC kit (due out in May; was up for preorder for maybe an hour before it was sold out and I missed it completely ;_;) comes notice that they’re following it in June with the release of a similarly proportioned Haruhi kit. Clocking in at 24 cm in height, it will retail for 9,800 yen and like the Mikuru kit its production will be handled by Goodsmile. I’m guessing we can expect an official announcement from them shortly, followed by preorder notices up at all of the usual suspects; those keen on acquiring Godzilla Haruhi should ready their mouse fu in anticipation, as this one is likely to be gone practically before it’s posted. (pictures below)

Bits and bobs of news from the hobby world collected over the past week(end), including new figure announcements from Kurushima, Musashiya, Ootsuka Kikaku (that’s their moe-moe tank school captain in the thumbnail), and Max Factory (Toradora!). New official sites up for several previously-announced figures as well as further details on items such as Solid Theater’s Play Stationery 2 and Maritan to Hanasou! F・●・C・K!

We take a look today at C-Works’ recent PVC rendition of Bible Black’s heroine Imari, presented here in her updated second OVA form. Fans of the long-running eroanime franchise (and the original game) may be curious as to the results of this latest attempt in a string of largely ill-fated sculpts based on its characters; as much as it pains me to say it, this one pretty much sucks as well. Read on for the awful truth:

[ May 5, 2007; ] official site

Shipon, Seiya, and Shingo (say that three times fast) represent today with a compiled glimpse into their various havens of otakudom. If you’ve been wondering what makes the minds behind this site tick, wonder no more…

Scooped in the June issue of Tech Gian released yesterday (April 21st) and with an official site now online, new brand Geesen 18 announces the production of Chou Kanojo, the world’s first* (*Guinness record pending) combination fishing simulation game and eroge, slated for release on July 27th.

My initial reaction to this was another “oh, Japan” moment, but after thinking for a bit the brand’s stated goal seems quite clever – bringing the realms of geesen (game center, arcade) kitsch and ero together is a niche that has a good bit of unexplored potential. The more obvious tie-ins have already been done, though, leaving me to wonder what other genres Geesen 18 will be probing in the future… (screenshot below)

We take a look today at the bonus figure included with the recently released Dragon Age Pure vol. 4. Is it worth buying the magazine for the figure, or is the prodigious international shipping cost better spent elsewhere? I’d say the latter… sorry, Hachie.