We scoop the small batch of eroge on sale tomorrow (June 1st), including Yuzu Soft’s E x E, Peas Soft’s Tsukushite Ageru no ni!, Lilith’s Dorei Shigan Site, and G Spot’s Futanari Clinic Karte 2. Also: the announcement of maiden releases from two newly formed brands, a new 3D RPG from Leaf, and some hostessing from U.me Soft. It’s erolicious!

If you’re like me and you’ve wanted to play Enterbrain’s Kimikiss ever since it was released to raving accolades (and a very warm reception from the doujin community) last spring, only you don’t have a Japanese PS2 (or a TV…), in commemoration of the game’s one year anniversary our prayers have been answered! Kimikiss Mou Chotto Omake Gekijou, a freestanding PC game featuring the Kimikiss cast, will be available for download from the game’s official site until June 15th. I just played through the first few minutes, and from the moment Nana sneaks up beside your bed I was hooked – the production values are pretty far out for an AVG (though sadly unvoiced, unless it’s possible to unlock voices by clearing the game). After Nana’s intro she takes you on an “adventure”, letting you choose from a batch of encounters with the various heroines that you must clear or face a BAD END at the hand of a very scantily clad grim reaper. I’m all the more tempted to finally invest in a PS2 and related paraphernalia just to play the original game… Note: this game is not ero, and will only be available for download from the official site until June 15th. (no more)

Max Factory’s Asahina Mikuru from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu went on sale today, and Moeyo was blazing fast with his review of the kit. According to the visual evidence presented, while she’s not technically a member of Max’s POLO system lineup they went to the trouble of fully sculpting and painting just about everything anyway. If you’re prepared to do a bit of permanent damage you’ll be richly rewarded, it seems… After seeing this I made the frantic rounds of the online shops and came within a minute of scoring a copy at retail price before she sold out everywhere… looks like it’s a trip to the auction house for me. ;_; (no more)

The first still shots from Zero no Tsukaima season 2 have made their way online today courtesy of Famitsu, along with character designs and a list of the main cast and staff. With a new director and several other key staff changed from the first series much is still uncertain, but the familiar visuals are reassuring… as long as they keep the sparkly scene wipes intact I’ll be happy. In other 0nT news, a line of figures of the main cast has been announced by Comic Alive, where the manga is serialized. Unfortunately it seems that to acquire them you have to buy two copies of the magazine per character and make a trip to the post office for a 1,000 yen postal money order; an awfully lame set of conditions for a ~10 cm figure. I may just go for the Kirche, though. :3 (no more)

Illustrator and character artist Sano Toshihide has been a force in the eroge world for almost a decade, towering over the industry from his frosty palace in the Hokkaido tundra like some lofty northern king of yore. He has seldom deigned mere mortals elsewhere in Japan with his presence, and while I’ve been partial to his work for years I’ve never taken the close look at his portfolio that it so richly deserves. That changes today in this, our next installment of stalk an artist the Creator Spotlight!

So I’m chilling in #naisho on irc.pyoko.org one night (unofficial chat hangout of HD) and someone links to Amiami’s listing for Toysworks Manami & Mikan PVC. After scoping it and considering it, I’m ordered up and waiting for Sagawa to courier it to the door of my hovel.

A Toranoana representative posted a column today at Akiba Blog detailing the production of what they’re calling “Purichichi“: a line of dakimakura (hug pillows) with fully contoured bosoms attached to the front. My amusement at the upgrade of the regular dakimakura’s already considerable “oh, Japan” potential changed to an entirely different emotion as I scrolled down to see the in-progress design for the first pillow – a magnificent illustration of Shiratori Amane from the pen of Sano Toshihide and his next G.J? game, Anata no Shiranai Kangofu. Little is known about the project at this point, though the first pillow is scheduled for release this summer synchronous with that of the game; we’ll be keeping a close eye on this as it develops. This news was just the shot in the arm my rabid Sano fandom needed to finish work on the next creator spotlight… Picture of the full [ERO, NWS] preliminary pillow design below:

A preorder listing is up at Amiami today for Daiki Kougyou’s Kousaka Tamaki (dere-kao ver.) PVC from To Heart 2 XRATED, due out in August at 1/5 scale (37 cm tall) and 12,600 yen retail. This is the same item as Daiki’s earlier announced tsun-kao version, only with a smiling face instead of the ambiguously petulant one and a different coloring job on the lingerie; while the tsun of tsundere is supposed to be the scarier half, I’m finding this dere version far more frightening… (no more)

The official Doujin Work anime website was updated on Monday to something more closely resembling a Doujin Work anime website, including story information and character profiles. Why am I so excited about this? In its manga incarnation it’s part of the tradition shared by NHK, Genshiken, and Comic Party, most closely resembling the latter in terms of its fantasy caricature of the doujin scene, only far more humorously deviant. With this coming in July followed by season 2 of Genshiken in the fall, the latter half of 2007 is looking to be fine time for fans of anime about fans of anime. :3 (no more)

Online shop Rakuten Be-J scoops several new prize figure offerings today, now available for preorder for those lacking a nearby UFO catcher at which to try their luck: October will bring a pair of Lux and Cagalli Gundam SEED figures from Banpresto, with Lunamaria following in November along with a pair of newly designed Tetsudou Musume figures from Sega (I’m guessing Be-J is miscrediting this and it should actually go to Tomy). Perhaps the most interesting offerings will come in December with Sega’s set of Yamashita Shunya-designed Kasumi figures from Dead or Alive, and a pair of Gundam 0083-inspired Yoshizaki Mine figures from Banpresto. Pictures of all five sets below:

Akiba Blog has a feature up today highlighting the production of Nitro Royale Heroines Duel, a new game being developed concurrently with [ERO] Satsuriku no Jango and helmed by Jack-of-all-trades director Ogami Keiichi. Apparently eroge magazine Push!! is running a monthly support column for the game in which some of the eleven heroines to eventually fill out the playable lineup are introduced, four of whom have been revealed thus far: Ain of Phantom of the Inferno, Moura of Kyuuketsu Senki Vjedogonia, Al Ajif of Demonbane, and Ignis (!!!!!) of Jingai Makyou. Consider my interest piqued. :3 No word yet as to when we should look for a release, but we’ll be keeping an eye on this… (no more)

We scooped her the other day in our coverage of July’s issue of Hobby Japan, and now Goodsmile has updated their official site with a page for Freeing’s 1/4 scale Tsuruya-san PVC from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. She clocks in at 33 cm in height and at 11,800 yen retail is priced slightly higher than the Haruhi and Mikuru that preceded her in the series; due no doubt to both the standing pose and the glorious mass of hair she’s weighed down with. Looks like a very nice kit overall, but I can’t help but wonder how well she’ll balance with those dimensions… we’ll have the chance to find out come her release in August. (no more)

While not integrated into the front page yet, the forums are indeed back up and running. Why will they stay up this time when the past several attempts have failed, and why should you join? I can’t think of a single reason for either, but we’ll be giving it the old college try once again and maybe this time they’ll learn to float on their own. All semi-sane anime, manga, figure, and eroge fans of good will and sound English are welcome aboard! 日本人の方も大歓迎です！掲示板のソフトが英語ばっかりだけど…（汗） (no more)

Movic posted a listing last night for a Fate T Harlaown (Fate Testarossa) PVC figure from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, scheduled for release in September at 1/8 scale (20 cm tall) and 5,880 yen retail. Picture below:

In the neverending quest for a definition of the elusive moe this month’s poll goes for the minimalist approach: I’ve brainstormed ten words that I think may in some way be reflective of its meaning, and it’s your mission (should you choose to accept it) to pick the one you feel most closely encapsulates your relationship with the concept. If you’d like to discuss your choice, or if the word you would choose isn’t on the list, why not post it to comments? Results of the previous poll below:

Word is in from A-Label that they’re producing a truly epic completed figure of giant robot Madou Goukin Demonbane, the upgraded form of the original Demonbane from Zanma Taisei Demonbane (Deus Machina Demonbane), the 2003 18+ bishoujo PC game from Nitro+ (not to be confused with the 2004 release PS2 version, Kigami Hishou Demonbane). It’s a 23-cm tall die-cast kit (with some PVC and ABS parts) and will come fully assembled and painted in September at a price of 27,800 yen retail; not something I’m likely to pick up but posted here because it looks so goddamn cool. Pictures below:

As Ah! My Goddess has repeatedly shown us you can’t keep a good Fujishima Kousuke manga down, a maxim further reinforced by the announcement today of a new You’re Under Arrest! (Taiho Shichauzo) anime now in production and slated to air on TBS. Animation work will be handled by Studio Deen, with direction from Oohata Kouichi (Bakuretsu Tenshi, Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny). Nakajima Atsuko reprises her role as character designer, which will have me watching despite the director’s rather dubious credentials; we’ll be keeping an eye on this as it develops. (no more)

The July 2007 issue of Hobby Japan came out yesterday with a lot of interesting stuff inside, including the first published images of Code Geass’s C.C., Shirley, and Millay in figure form, a ginormous Tsuruya-san bunny girl PVC, Max Factory’s Fasalina and POLO System Wendy from Gun x Sword, a new Tsukasa Jun-designed Excellent Model CORE PVC from Megahouse, and more. Read on for the scoop and some deliberately crapified images!

Via the Dakimakura Integrated Research Institute: Machi Chara has announced the production of a Siesta hug pillow, the second in their line of Zero no Tsukaima-themed pillows (following tsundere Louise in February). The Siesta pillow will be released on July 27th, in two versions: just the pillowcase, and the pillowcase with a pair of telephone cards (likely duplicates of the pillow images). Machi Chara’s pillows are relatively widely distributed (the Louise was available at Hobby Search), so interested fans outside Japan should have a fighting chance to obtain a copy. (no more)

Via Canned Dogs: anime-themed satellite channel AT-X has posted a program profile for the anime version of Doujin Work, set to air in July. According to Zepy’s scoop the show will be half animated and half live action, featuring the seiyuu attempting to create their own doujinshi. I’m not sure what his source is on this as it’s not written on either the official site or its AT-X offshoot, but if true it could make for a very interesting viewing experience indeed. Zepy also mentions altercations between mangaka Hiroyuki and the anime staff over the degree to which the story’s content will be toned down for the anime; it would be a shame if they strayed too far from the original as its acerbic wit is what makes the manga worthwhile. In other news, the fourth volume of the manga is set for publication on July 27th, its limited edition including a drama CD and full-color booklet. I’ll try to get a review of the manga up here before the anime starts, or some sort of preview at least… (no more)

Fans of Goodsmile, Max Factory and other manufacturers whose products appear on the Goodsmile website (notably not Alter) now have an official resource for obtaining information on the distribution of said products in their native locality: as of yesterday the Goodsmile overseas page is open for business. Official Goodsmile distributors are listed for the USA, Europe, and several Asian countries, as well as limited corporate information and a company history (all in English); interesting reading for those keen on getting a glimpse into the inner workings (or at least reading some advertising copy) from what has over the past six years become a behemoth in the anime toy and hobby industry. (no more)

Konami has just posted a photo of the model they’ll be using if they receive the 2,500 preorders necessary to trigger the production of their Beatmania II DX Iroha PVC figure. The sculpt is rather underwhelming compared to the GOLI design art (what’s up with those hands?), but hopefully the details will be ironed out if the figure ever goes to production… the 2,500 unit preorder quota must be met by June 17th or it’s no dice. Picture below:

Announced on Yamashita Shunya’s official blog almost a month ago (HD scoop), today Kotobukiya put up a listing for his original design Shouko-san figure, the latest in Kotobukiya’s “The Art of Yamashita Shunya” line of limited edition PVCs. At 7,350 yen her price is consistent with the other recent entries in the series (HD reviews coming soon), as is her 1/7 scale; I’m not quite as taken with her as with the earlier kits, but still a good looking item and a serious contender for purchase come release in September. Pictures below:

Announced back in April, a drama CD based on Amazume Ryuuta‘s ecchi manga Toshiue no Hito was released last week (May 18th). Shintani Ryoko stars as Ageha. I think I’ll try to pick this up soon, in the hopes of an eventual anime adaptation… (no more)

We scoop May’s batch of month-end eroge releases today, including the big new game from the Tsuyokiss team, the eroge version of anime Touka Gettan, a new game from ruf (the company that made Yume Miru Kusuri), Illusion’s latest bloatware polygonfest, and plenty of maids, cheerleaders, vampires, goddesses, and schoolgirls to go around.

Famitsu’s online division has a post up today with details and several screenshots from Gonzo’s upcoming original TV anime, Dragonaut -The Resonance-. After examining the official site a bit more closely and watching the promo video that’s been online since the end of March I realize that this is a very stale scoop indeed – but hey, it’s news to me. Fans of his work on Witchblade and earlier shows can expect more of the same delicious goodness come October. (no more)

Goodsmile has updated its official site today with listings for a Nendoroid Amane Misa from Death Note, a Nendoroid L also from Death Note, a 1/8 scale (19 cm) Amami Haruka from Idol Master Xenoglossia (sculpted by Toria of circle Cherry Blossom), and Max Factory’s earlier scooped 1/7 scale (24.5 cm) Agnes Bell from Okusama wa Mahou Shoujo. Though I like Toria’s other work I doubt any of these will make my list, September is looking full enough already… (no more)

Today we report on a batch of newly announced games somewhat more mundane than yesterday’s offering, including new titles from Hadashi Shoujo (princesstastic!), Akatsuki (occult dramatic conspiracy action!), Geesen 18 (epic fantasy RPG!), Hamuhamu Soft (little sisters and school swimsuits!), Teatime (moe moe polygons!), Tryset (wives doing yoga!), Makura (I don’t really know!), and Karen-soft (bondage miko!). Ok, that last one is probably a bit out of place…

What do you get when you pick the best Korean character designers and sculptors, Japan’s greatest production and quality control experts, and the cream of Chinese manufacturing craftsmanship, and have them combine forces on a single project? A figure the likes of which the world has rarely seen, and certainly among the most exquisite PVC items I’ve had the pleasure of handling. Read on for glowing accolades, effusive praise, superfluous adjectives, and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.

Goodsmile put up a page today for a 1/6 scale, 20 cm tall Nakoruru PVC figure from maker Art Storm. She’s sculpted by G.O of circle Cerberus Project (original kit here) and is scheduled for release in September; it’s looking like a fine kit to me except for the eyes, which threaten to engulf the unwary in twin spiky-eyelashed black holes of hugeness. I wonder who would win in a knife fight, her or Asakura… (no more)