SHFiguarts Piccolo - Dragon Ball Z Showcase

I've heard about this pretty nifty line from SHFiguarts and though i must admit i was turned away by some of the overpriced early figures (Trunks anyone?) I'm still glad to know that there is a considerable chance for a reissue, well, like this Namekian over here... courtesy of Greattoys Online, i'd just like to mention... 

As a 90's Child i grew up with Dragonball / Dragonball Z, i think this is hands-down the favorite anime series of the 90's, well, at least for boys who knew the characters by heart. Originally an antagonist, the son of King Piccolo, he eventually became one of the most known and beloved protagonist and ally in the Dragonball franchise. Here is Piccolo in his full SHF glory...

Diablo - Diablo 3 NECA Showcase

So what if this figure's been out for months already and is sold out in most stores locally? I can't imagine myself skipping a review...errr...a late review...i mean, uh, a showcase of this updated incarnation of the Lord of the Burning Hells. The Lord...or Lady of Terror - Diablo. Prepare yourself for a fanboy's showcase article...

First up, the obligatory background storytelling, yada, yada...I am a self-confessed Diablo addict back in the day, I was there during the Dungeon Crawl long before Prince Aidan was Prince Aidan, back when The Butcher is a scary son of a bit!# - Fresh Meat anyone? 

I was also present during the epic walk across Sanctuary to hunt down the Dark Wanderer (who turned out to be Prince Aidan) - from the Rogue Encampment, to the sewers of Lut Gholein, the murky swamplands of Kurast to the Pandemonium Fortress and up, up, up Mt. Arreat for a final confrontation at Worldstone Keep with the Lord of Destruction. It is only fitting I join in for the third (and 3.5th) time against the heir of, you guess it, Prince Aidan aaaaannnndddd during the expansion versus a renegade angel who is just so cool wielding those awesome hand scythes...it is an atrocity for me to miss this one out comrades...

Play Arts Kai The Joker Review - Arkham Origins

Guest Review: Oh, look who's back for another round? I think Francis here's packing a lot of rants for this particular figure so i dare not place some *** to indicate my personal comments. But then...oh well, take it away man...

What the PAK is up? I is Francis, and once again, I’mma be doing a guest review of the Play Arts Kai - Arkham Origins Joker.

SHFiguarts Mario - Showcase

"Its'a Mario!" If you have no idea who this character is i would like you to get out of here...you are not human my friend. Mario is one of the most iconic & most recognizable character in the history of video games and Pop culture and i'm happy to have a charming representation, in figure form, of him.  Anyway, thank you Anton for the awesome pics and Greattoys Online for the sponsored figure. This will mark my first ever Figuarts review, we have 2 more in store for you...

Anyway, let's keep this simple...

"Toys Dont Last"

PAID PR. LOL. ehem...yep, you read that right, it's DONT not DON'T, anyway, proceed...

Jan Calleja’s first solo exhibit “Toys Dont Last” is a collection of objects that tread the fine line between art sculpture and plaything.

Culling from personal experiences that deal with the conflicts of economics and relationships, Calleja uses techniques in production and advertising to take control of these influences as they manifest themselves in bits and pieces of plastic and metal, to be molded, re-assembled and given form in the shape of a toy collectible. With a process that converts intangible concepts (usually reserved for adulthood) into playthings, Calleja turns the bothersome and the throwaway into objects that evoke memories of play and visions of science fiction robot battles.

Big Boys Toy Store's "Funko" Weekend

I wandered into Big Boys Toy Store Funko Pop! Special event yesterday at Promenade, Greenhills and it was a rather new experience. I would also like to take it as promise of things (or events!) to come. The eye-candy display was very casual collector friendly i must say, well, that's coming from an (ex) Play Arts Kai and (current) 1/6 scale guy. 

Well, it's a "welcome change" from the usual toy display routine, at least for me and i got to hand it to Big Boys for officially reeling in this very interesting line. I know a little about the line, i have Daryl Dixon and Michonne of The Walking Dead after all, and they are definitely great display pieces. I just hope there is much to review but they are nice just the way they are. Congrats to Big Boys and we hope to see a Play Arts Kai themed event soon. And oh, i think i'd just mention, they got more pics in their FB page (and i'm happy to know i'm not the only one with blurry pics! LOL).  More photos after the jump...

ThreeA Emile 1/6 Scale Review - HALO: Reach

GUEST REVIEW: This just in, well, he actually came before Logan downstairs but then...you know...anyway, this review is from my good friend and most prolific guest reviewer Anton. I'm surprised he got this but then i think he's really dedicated to the ideal that we should not run out of figures to spend our money on, so here he is; ThreeA 1/6 Scale Emile from HALO: Reach, which is, as far as i know, a pretty old game already though i must admit the last stand of the Noble Team was pretty bad-ass. *** Anyway, means i'm sharing my insight or just randomly spewing out trash to add length to the review.

Strike 2 Anton, no box pic again. Emile here and that PI Batman. Next time ok? OK?

*** Emile here is one of the more popular characters of the HALO: Reach game, i remember having the Play Arts Kai version of Emile way back. I was not able to review him but he's pretty impressive, well, for a small scale PAK at least. Imagine how good he will be packed with details and superior paint apps then you get the idea of the 1/6 Emile figure. Ok, i'll shut up now and let Anton take it away...

Hot Toys The Wolverine Review

I really don't get why collectors aren't exactly big on you Bub! For sure out of the 3 Wolverine figures released so far by Hot Toys this version's got the best headsculpt, an uncanny (Ha! Uncanny!) resemblance to Hugh Jackman, if i must say so, the titular character in this Wolverine movie...i lost count which part this is since all X-Men movies are basically Wolverine featuring some X-Men members, or so they seemed to me... Anyway...

...before i go on rambling i'd like to thank Arturo of Hot Toys & Sideshow Market FB Group for Logan and Anton for playing the part of Hermes...LOL. Look it up Bub!
Anyway, Logan's experiencing some serious price drop these days, i dunno, maybe they overstocked him! Or the movie isn't that great to begin with, but hell, he's still THE Wolverine. A great time for collectors to join the mix i think, after all, he's a pretty good figure.

Play Arts Kai Superman / Supergirl Review - DC Variants

GUEST REVIEW: I was surprised and delighted to find this review in my PM today. Well, the style will be a first though i tried using this same method for my old PW reviews way, way back when i started with PAKs. It's very time consuming so i appreciate the effort very much Ryan (the MOS HT debacle is now settled, LOL). Anyway, let's give it up for Ryan and his eye-candy review of the new Play Arts Kai Superman and Supergirl figures from the DC Variants line. *** once again denotes my personal comments.

*** and i'm flattered to find out he's into excessive lighting like me...

***The new DC Variants arrived with much fanfare and there is no stopping them. I've seen most of the new releases and though some are visually unimpressive i must admit there are some really, really good ones. You be the judge of these two...anyway, i was asked to edit this review but i wish to keep it's charm, plus, i hate to waste some of the pics so i'm using Ryan's title page...

Play Arts Kai Punished Snake (Sneak Preview Ver) Review - The Phantom Pain

Ok, we have another review here, i hope this one's not over-late comrades: The SDCC 2014 Exclusive - Sneak Preview version of Punished Snake for the upcoming MGS game The Phantom Pain, the sequel of Ground Zeroes. But first things first, I'd like to thank Bryan for letting me review this figure. I was looking forward to bashing it by the way...LOL.  

 First time i saw this figure online my reaction was "WTF?! SQEX?!" seriously, who wants a 'Mime/Street performer' Snake variant anyway? Jeez guys, you didn't give us a Jetstream Sam figure and now you're giving us this Heisman Trophy replica? F#!k it! The Bronze finish is very unappealing, i don't understand who would love this color. Bronze? Why not Gold and be done with it?! After all, a Bronze medal finish is below Silver and Gold. Why not Platinum? Yeah i'd go for that. Needless to say, i am not excited to review this when Bryan offered me one. But then i have nothing better to do anyway so i'm giving it a shot...

Play Arts Kai Snake Review - Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes

I've received some requests for a review of the latest Play Arts Kai Snake (Big Boss) figure so that kinda perked up my interest to do one. I initially have no plans of doing it since I don't think i'll be going back to PAK MGS, but that was another story. There was once a time i couldn't imagine missing out on this particular figure. Credits to Bryan Erickson Suguitan and Josh Chua for the Snake figure.

For one thing, i haven't played the new game and was only able to get information regarding the story from other sites. Story is pretty good IMO, well, what do you expect from MGS? If you can get past the twist and turns and names and events you have a hard time remembering you get into more convoluted plotlines and unlikely scenarios...and i love them. Ground Zeroes was set a few years after the Peacewalker plotline and pitted the MSF against the Skull Face-led XOF. We get Paz again who survived the events of PW together with Chico, Huey and of course Kaz plus a ruse by XOF to blow up the MSF Motherbase. Well, read the entire story somewhere else, me got a figure review...

Play Arts Kai Rorschach Review - Watchmen

GUEST REVIEW: I recently met a customizer from our group Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group and he offered to do a guest review for the brand new Play Arts Kai Rorschach figure. He's not expected anytime soon here in the Philippines so this one's rare treat. I'll give the floor to Francis Pañgan (DEVIANT ART Gallery), and oh yeah, *** indicates my comments but seeing that even the captions were provided by him i feel i'm in for a long spell of silence in this review. LOL.

What’s up people?! I is Francis and today I’mma be *guest* reviewing the Play Arts Kai : Watchmen – Rorschach figure!

Rorschach (pronounced roar-shack), alter ego Walter Kovacs - to those of you who aren’t familiar with this character, is from the DC Watchmen comic universe. He doesn’t have any superpowers. Like Batman, he is just a guy fighting crime with a mask. What makes him different from Batman however, are his methods- this guy doesn’t hold back – he will kill if he believes the end justifies the means. I am not really a fan of the movie or the comics but I purchased this guy online for some custom PAKs later.

Play Arts Kai Edward Kenway Review - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

I just got my hands on an Edward Kenway Play Arts Kai figure from Assassin's Creed courtesy of Big Boys Toy Store, regardless, i'll be doing a pretty late review of the figure. Now i haven't played any of the new Assassin's Creed games, i lost interest after losing Ezio to a heart attack back in Embers and not really a fan of Edward's grandson Connor for some reason. Anyway, Edward James Kenway is an incidental Assassin, more attuned to piracy than anything else. Greedy of wealth, morally ambiguous and cruelly ambitious, he was a rather interesting anti-hero, well, based on what i've read about him. And oh yeah, he's a goddamn identity thief also.

As for EJ's Play Arts Kai incarnation, i was surprised how good it is, well, knowing what an eye-candy the Play Arts Kai Ezio was back in ACII. It was a choice between Connor and Edward but i eventually went for Edward and i'm happy i made the right pick. For one thing, personally, i think he's a clear-cut candidate for a slot at the TOP 5 Play Arts Kai figure for 2014 countdown.

Play Arts Kai Deunan & Briareos Review - Appleseed Alpha

GUEST REVIEW: Hey comrades, i should be the one doing this but i couldn't get a sponsor, so let's give it up for Josh Chua, a fellow member from Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group. This is his first Guest Review so give him a break. *** Indicates my Comments btw. Let's roll!

Play Arts Kai Appleseed (Appurushido) Alpha is a Japanese CG-animated sci-fi film based on the legendary manga written and illustrated by Shirow Masamune in 1985. The story follows the adventure of two ESWAT members Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires in Olympus. The series merges the elements of cyberpunk and mecha genres with a heavy dosage of politics, philosophy, and sociology (Source: Wiki). Now without further ado, here’s my take on the figures. I’m not a hardcore fan of the series, but more of a “casual fan” if there is even such a thing, but when the prototype and the colored version of these two was released I had this “auto PO” moment which I did and PAK delivered. Just look at them! 

*** I said LOOK AT THEM! F#!KING LOOK AT THEM!!!

The box design has the flap cover that covers the window where you can see the figures inside the box and the artwork on them looks nice.

Play Imaginative 1/12 Scale Super Alloy Warmachine 2.0 Diecast

GUEST REVIEW. Hey, look who's back? Anton's got another high-end figure for review. He just returned from a vacation abroad, and he owes me 2 more reviews after this one. You guys missed him? I for one did not, that's for sure. LOL. 

 First things first, this Diecast Play Imaginative 1/12 Scale Warmachine figure was sponsored by Big Boys Toy Store. So yeah, check them out, they're pretty cool.

Kotobukiya Bishoujo Jun Kazama Review

Oh boy, oh boy, what do we have here? I'll be reviewing a static figure? Whoah, is that even possible? I'm officially entering uncharted territory here comrades, not to be finicky but i don't think i would appreciate static figures, being a collector of mostly playable ones like PAKs and...Well, Hello there! Wow, look at those...um, details...on with the review...

I've heard of Kotobukiya's Bishoujo line and i must admit there's something about them that appeals very much to the male audience but i can't quite put my finger on it just yet...HA!
...anyway, my cousin Josh provided this Fa...i mean review fodder from his favorite fighting game franchise: TEKKEN! Here's Ms.Kazama from TTT2, or was it Mrs.Mishima? eh, whatever...

Toycon 2014: Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group

I know this is a bit late already but what the heck! For the second straight year the Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group (PAKPTG) was given the opportunity to grace the annual Toycon with our display. And boy, oh boy, it's a lot better than last year in the most humble opinion of Yours Truly. It's no surprise really being the premier PAK collecting group this side of the globe - haters be hatin but you ain't gonna beat us in this game unless you employ low-blow tactics. bwahahahahahaha...ehem, ehem. It is with utmost pride that i present to you, PAKPTG's contribution to this year's Toycon:

In case you're wondering, yes, that is a white plastic bag photobomber...as reported by Anjo, Solid Snake is inside that bag...SERIOUSLY!!! You're pretty good Snake!

Play Arts Kai Robocop 1.0 Review

OK, back to basics, i didn't expect that i'll be reviewing another Play Arts Kai figure but here he is courtesy of Sean of Big Boys Toy Store. To be quite honest about it i kinda miss doing these reviews. A big, big thanks also to the loyal supporters of the blog who's been pestering me to do another PAK review. This Play Arts Kai Robocop 1.0 is for all of you.

Unfortunately, i haven't seen the new movie so i'm not going to do a background storytelling right now. I do love the classic movie though...errr...until he removed his visor, i got turned off with the bald guy underneath. LOL. On with the figure comrades...

Hot Toys War Machine MARK II Diecast Review

GUEST REVIEW: This review for the Hot Toys War Machine Diecast is long overdue, i'd like to apologize to my comrade Uzi Enriquez. This was suppose to come out more than a full month back but i've been away and busy with non-toy related matters. Uzi's one of the new converts to the Dark Side, so to speak, on the bright side i ain't using your real name here comrade, LOL, so there.

In order to keep it simple, and upon's Uzi's request, i'm gonna go with my ramblings while he lists down the Pros and Cons of the figure. I'm betting you know well about Col. Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine so i'm skipping the long introduction, go watch the first 2 Iron Man movies to refresh your memory... Ahem...done? Good. 

For starters, the box is pretty awesome like the rest of the MMS, not really familiar with the others since i'm a VGM guy but the packaging looks really nice especially the inside styro-tray that looks like an engraved stone.

Super Street Fighter 4 Akuma/Gouki 1/6 Scale by Kids Logic

GUEST REVIEW: Anjo Singson, one of my comrades from Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group recently acquired this awesome 1/6 Scale Akuma/Gouki figure by Kid's Logic and it is an honor that he chose to grace this blog with an early review. Oh, i'll be adding some brief commentaries of my own as indicated by an asterisk *, by Anjo's leave of course. Take it away Singsonmeister. 

First time reviewing a figure soooo. *Nazi's f#!k off - let Anjo do his thing.

As requested by Mr. Jose Antonio Aldon, this is a “BI” review of the “new challenger” in the 1/6^th Scale action figure trend --- Kids Logic.

(And I think this Akuma is the 1^st male Street Fighter made in 1/6^th scale)

Play Imaginative Batman - Super Alloy 1/6 Scale

GUEST REVIEW: Well, this will mark the first ever guest review for the Angels & Summer blog. Right now i'm semi-retired from Play Arts Kai collecting and starting out with 1/6 Scale figures. Budget-wise it would be very difficult to review 1/6 figures regularly so i have to employ the help of my comrades. This particular review is a collaboration with Anton Aldon who actually owns this impressive die-cast figure.

It seems like every manufacturer feels as if we're still short on Batmen figures, with a wide variety of incarnations available in the market right now ranging from Video Games, Movies, Comics and Animated Series, it's difficult to secure your own niche and unless you are targeting Batman collectors exclusively you really have to come up with a version unlike any other. Well, for one thing, this heavily "armored" version is goddamn die-cast.

Play Arts Kai Batman - Guide to the BEST Batman figures

As another boredom deterrent, i conducted a survey @ Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group regarding the BEST Play Arts Kai Batman and...errr...what was that? Why Batman? Well, to date, Batman is the most "Represented" figure in Play Arts Kai, he's got a lot of versions to rival or even surpass Play Arts Kai Raiden or the old Play Arts Sora figures. What's more impressive about that is that Recolors are strictly optional novelties in the Play Arts Kai Batman's gallery. Every new releases are, mostly, unique versions of the fabled Dark Knight. And of course, HE'S THE GODDAMN BATMAN! That's why...

Excluding the Black and White SDCC Arkham Asylum Batman, Arkham City Batman and the TDKR Metallic Baleman which didn't get any votes, here's how the Play Arts Kai Batman versions fared according to the local PAK fans.

Play Arts Kai Bootlegs : Guide to Serial Numbers

Remember when the absence of serial numbers at the bottom of the box is a clear indication of a bootleg/knock-off/overrun figure for Play Arts Kai? Well, I DO, after all, i first brought it up here when i was an unfortunate victim of a local bootlegger HERE and also during another unfortunate close brush with the infamous "Zombie Snake" HERE. After those incidents i dedicated a portion of my time to guarding fellow collectors from bootlegs, establishing a database of tell-tale signs with the help of my PAK comrades. I got a happy ending though somehow since i was refunded by those 2 sellers and the vigilance never stopped from that point onwards...

AUTHENTIC SOLID SNAKE - Similar to Cyborg Ninja, Fakes either don't have those serials or they are a lot bigger.

Battle Dress Snake from Peacewalker. Fakes don't have those serials.

We are aware that for quite some time the bootleggers have upped their game; they now do their own engravings on their cheap bootleg boxes to dupe buyers relying on the serials to check figure authenticity. However, with a sharp eye and thorough familiarization with how the serials should look like you can avoid being a victim. With the help of a good friend, Uzi Enriquez and additional help from Mik Gawaran and Jerome Lim - my comrades from Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group - i came up with a guide on the serials of the more popular PAK lines and figures. We'll include samples of the fake serials also for reference, please feel free to refer to the list anytime. P.S. The Final Fantasy 13 figures are exempted from serials since their serials are located inside the box and it's printed in blue/black ink.

Play Arts Kai: The TOP 5 Most UNDERRATED Figures of All Time

A couple of posts downstairs i presented a list of the TOP Overrated Play Arts Kai Figures as perceived by Yours Truly and by the collective opinions of my comrades @ Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group. Since the article is pretty much what a niche blogger would consider a success, i decided to do it again, but this time i'm trying to point out those PAKs that nobody really give much heed or attention to though they are, actually, really, really good figures. I'm not going to define UNDERRATED, seems like everybody got the term right for this one. I'm trying to win one for the "little guys" this time, so, without further ado, let's get the ball rolling...

Play Arts Kai Raiden Review - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

As if we haven't had enough of Play Arts Kai Raiden figures last year... Anyway, the human Jack arrived hot on the trail of Liquid Snake and of course, as expected, me and my fellow MGS fans snapped up one for our respective collections as soon as he's out, giving little or no heed at all whether he's a good figure or not. Because of that, this review's pretty much useless already IMO. But then i feel i owe the local PAK community this review of Jack...whether they and YOU like it or not.

The Play Arts Kai Raiden from MGS2: SOL is the 2nd character in this particular MGS storyline and he's got massive shoes to fill in the form of Solidus Snake, one of the best PAK's ever produced.  To be quite frank, i feel i've had enough of Raiden last year so this particular figure wasn't exactly a favorite of mine. I'm not expecting much anyway since i don't think he can match the intensity of the MGRR Raiden figure. In reality, only very few PAKs actually can...

Play Arts Kai: The Top 5 Most Overrated Figures of All Time

I recently did a survey in our group - Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group, regarding what my comrades there believe as the 5 MOST OVERRATED PAKs ever released. I have my personal take actually but i wish to get input from them to be fair. I certainly received a lot of picks and, though i may disagree on some, there are inputs that actually changed my personal take.
First let me define Overrate (general term), courtesy of Webster's Learner Dictionary:
over·rate /ˈoʊvɚˌreɪt/ verb
over·rates; over·rat·ed; over·rat·ing

[+ obj] : to rate, value, or praise (someone or something) too highly
▪ The coach tends to overrate the players on his own team.

— overrated adjective [more overrated; most overrated] 
▪ (disapproving) That movie was disappointing and highly/very overrated.

Applying that to the context of Toy/Action Figure Collecting: Overrated figures are those figures who get more attention or praise than what they actually deserve and/or figures that everyone's looking for/and will pay insane amount of money to acquire even though, in reality, they are simply not that good (discounting all the PAKs that are generally panned by fans). Most of the time these figures are way too overpriced though i want to point out that being overpriced isn't exactly a sign of being overrated. Also, it is also different from being just a terrible figure(like Superman) or those with lots of QC issues. I'm afraid some missed the meaning of my query...

Soooooo...with that out of the way, let's get started. (In NO particular order...)

Play Arts Kai Liquid Snake Review - Metal Gear Solid

One of the most anticipated figure on my hitlist for 2013 barely made it in 2013. Yeah, that's the bad-@$$ Evil half of the Twin Snakes, product of Les Enfants Terribles, the dominant clone with inferiority complex and daddy issues: Liquid "goddamn" Snake! And oh, he really hated his twin brother, believing he's got all of Big Boss' recessive traits. Well, I'll be reviewing this figure a bit late...AGAIN, and i'm gonna blame it on the Holiday Season...AGAIN.

If you are an MGS fan and you are reading this i don't think i still need to convince you to get him, i am 99% sure you got him already. If you have Solid Snake you simply need to have his brother and even if you are collecting MGS on a budget Liquid Snake is still an important piece together with Solid, Solidus and of course, one of the many incarnations of Big Boss.

Play Arts Kai: The Best & Worst of 2013

It's that time of the year again Boys and Girls where we rank the BEST Play Arts Kai releases (for last year, of course) and as an added twist, since i'm feeling kinda like Sid the Sloth (goddamn holidays!) i'll be including the absolutely HORRIBLE and disappointing ones from the depths of the PAK hierarchy - residing beside the Commander Sheps and Sheva Alomars in the bottomless pit. Majority of the entries are personal picks (yeah, so what? write your own article if you disagree, LOL) though i did get some opinions from my comrades @ Play Arts Kai Philippines Trading Group. You'll be surprise that the turnout is pretty much unanimous...minus some which are obviously written down by damn fanboys.

5. BEST - Play Arts Kai Liquid Snake - Metal Gear Solid & Captain Harlock

"Did you like my sunglasses?"

Photo courtesy of Edzy Santiago

It's about goddamn time! The "superior" Twin from the Les Enfants Terribles Project barely made the 2013 deadline but what a photo finish it was. His likeness and details are awesome, typical PAK Metal Gear figure. Do i need to elaborate further or do you want his Stinger to do the talking?