#honestly i kinda do want to open a little store and sell some stickers and whatnot

[realjem-art]

aaug so due to school and whatnot i wasn't really able to do as much as i wanted for my jemtober prompts this year :(

however, i am at the very least gonna finish the last one i was working on, which is a sticker sheet thing of a buncha the creatures :3

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 17 - Sharp selling masks on thier own website.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru starting this week's episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san! (*looks intentionally at J*)

J:Yep

K:Tasai san! (*looks intentionally at T*)

T: *nods*

J: Get it right this time, haha.

K: *laughs* Its started to go funny when I say it carelessly.

J: Well, you kinda zone out a bit, don't you, when you're wearing a mask.

T: Yeah.

K: Its slightly difficult to concentrate.

J: It is difficult.

K: ...with your awareness.

J: If we go on like this into the rainy season, it will feel pretty tough to keep wearing a mask.

T: Yeah.

K: Yeah, but there are those things that you can wrap round your face and neck. I've heard those feel a bit cooler.

J: Yeah, I do think wearing a mask in the rainy season will be tough. At the moment, what I am not sure about is whether or not, and to what extent masks are effective. There are different opinions everywhere you look. In the end, you don't know who to believe. Im at the point of thinking I should wear one to avoid any risk just in case, even if its a small risk.

K: Yeah, and what about your eyes?

J: Yeh, your eyes.

Kami: Yes, yes, yes, yes. 

K: Like, Trump wasn't wearing a mask, but he was covering his eyes, right?

J: Yeah, yeah. Oh! Kami? Are you coming in at this point?

Kami: Yes, yes.

J: Okay, go ahead.

Kami: Um, as for masks, when they were tested on mice, apparently they were effective. They had one side infected with corona next to one side that wasn't, and when they added a mask barrier inbewteen the cages, the infection rate reduced a lot.

T: Ehh?

J: Yeah, I've read about that too.

K: It seems like its better to just wear one.

T: Well, this is the news from Tokyo Sports today, but the home appliance company Sharp are making masks, and selling them at 2980yen for 50, with a delivery fee of 660yen. They are limited to one box per person, and you have to register as a member. So with even Sharp making masks, its like..won't Japan end up with a mask surpluss?

K: You see them a lot don't you? Well, you don't know where they come from though.

J: Well, Sharp is a home appliance maker that has been operating for many decades, but this year has apparently been their best year for sales and profits. They've made the leap over to masks as thier big money maker, instead the of home appliances, which they've sold up to now. Thats how much everyone has ???*1

T: Going from making home appliances to making masks is pretty impressive, right?

J: Yeah.Thats the great thing about Japanese technology. I think people are very reassured to see 'Made in Japan', they prefer Japanese made ones over foreign made ones, especially in terms of hygiene. But it must have been tough for them with their web server going down.

T: Yeah

J: I tried to have a look at thier site, but in the end I couldn't connect to it once ...

T: Were you thinking of buying some?

J: Yeh, I was! But while Im doing this, you can still see masks on sale all over town recently.

T: There are real estate agencies selling masks..

J: Yes, thats it! Even a tapioca drink stand was selling masks.

K: Yeah, but a friend of mine has been selling them too ...they come via a route, you can purchase them directly from the factory in China or somewhere, and then disperse them to people here, so you don't really know where they've been.*2

J: Right? They really are being sold by all sorts of people in all sorts of places. Its incredible.

T: Its a mask bubble.

J: Also, a lot of people are wearing hand made masks, or brand name masks...

K: Washable ones?

J: Yeah, washable ones.

K: Well, its not like they don't work.

J: Yeah.

T: Masks can be fashionable. Do you remember that chain, Dom Dom Burger?

J, K: Oh, nostalgic!

T: Dom Dom Burger have been selling masks with 'Dom Dom' on the side.

K: Thats cute.

T: They've also been really popular. They are cute.

K: That elephant logo?

J, T: Yeah, yeah.

K: I kinda want one of those.

J: Yeah, I want one!

T: So in this way, masks are no longer staying the usually white, but are turning into fashionable items.

J: Well, I usually like Yohji (Yamamoto), and Yohji is also putting out masks, black or white leather.

T: Yohji is doing a white mask?

J: A white one and a black one. Some people are saying this type of thing is cool, or this is want they want.. I want to buy one of his masks, but I can't. Leather is expensive.

K: There are a lot of overseas artists making them too, aren't there?

J: Is there a particular one you like?

K: Well, no, I just thought theres loads of places doing like a design or print on masks at the moment.

J: Will you make a mask with your characters (Krim and Zon)?

T: Ah, that would be good.

K: I wonder if they would sell?

J: Yeah, I think they would.

K: *laughs*

T: Should we (Tokyo Sports) make them?

K: *laughs*

J: Could Tokyo Sports make them?

T:???*3

K: We could have a little Tokyo Sports logo on the side.

J: It would look so fake!

K: *laughs a lot*

J: Like a counterfeit.

T:???*4

J: But that does happen, in this case.

K: I think it would be good. There is that monthly magazine 'Mu' isn't there? You see their logo on tshirts a lot. Tokyo Sports could do that type of thing.

T: Oh, right, yeah. But we did actually make a parker once.

K: Ehh, I want it!

T: And a kind of Idol person really wore it to lives and stuff, and it became a desirable item. Everyone was like, 'Eh?! A Tokyo Sports parker?!'

K: Its good, right?

J: It is good. If you wear something with 'Tokyo Sports' on it, it shows a kind of intelligence.

T: Really?! Im so happy *laughs*

J: It shows you've read around a bit. Its good. Although its a bit strange to say it. Its a bit different from something with an 'Asahi Shimbun' or 'Yomiuri Shinbun' logo. Its 'Tokyo Sports'!

T: Should we put our name on Dir's goods next time?*5 *everyone laughs*

J: Yes, start there.

K: It would be recognized, right?

J: Yeh, everyone would be like, 'Ah, its Tasai san!'. They might buy it. But, conversely, if Kaoru was to make masks, would Tokyo Sports be interested?

T: Of course.

K: But would those characters mean anything to the readers of Tokyo Sports?

T: We could put UFO on the side.

J: Ahh, UFO right?

K: ???*6

J: Well, it sounds strange, but just like how people send out a message with the print on their tshirt, you could do that with masks. For example, how you are feeling today or something...if you have a picture of beer on your mask, people might think, 'ah, that person wants to drink beer'.

T: Thats a good idea.

J: You could show if you are feeling good or bad, like include a message. You could send a message with your mask, send a message without talking.

T: Well, that type of think is developing, isn't it? That kind of fashion style.

K: Yeah, despite not being disposable, you can change your look everyday. Like, you could wear this one on Monday, or pair one with your glasses, or whatever you have that you want to wear.

J: Match it with your feelings, right?

K: ..with everything. 

J: But up to now you see them in white, black and kind of bluey colours, and maybe pink..with womens' masks. But what about more different..

K: More colourful ones?

J: Yeah, deep purple or such..

T: Deep purple?

J: The colours, or the design, like the shape can be..

K: Like this pattern? *gestures to his shirts*

J: Yes, like check or patterned...if they come like this, it will be more exciting to wear a mask. Aren't you looking forward to that a bit?

T: Well, yeah. I think white looks kinda bleak.

J: It does, yeah. You could also put stickers on your mask. It might be a bit difficult to stick them on if it gets fluffy though

K: You could put studs in it.

T: Ah, cool!

J: Should we put studs in?

K: Wasn't Yohji selling one like that?

J: Yeh, that was kind of printed on to it, but it looked like studs.

T: Its good putting different things on masks, right?

J: Well, if masks really are effective, we have to wear them.

K: Right.

J: I'd like some which are more creative. If there is scientific progress, you could have ones that open up when you try to eat.

T: Ah, that would be cool!

K: I think I've seen that kind of video! He looks like he's wearing a mask, but then it opens up when he eats.

J: How does it?

K: It just opens when he opened his mouth.

J: Really?

T: I see.

J: Ehh, there are lots of ways...Well, I don't know if I would wear it, but what about a mask you can kiss with..?

K: A mask you can kiss with? ...What are you talking about? *laughs*

J: Im sorry, at 52 years old, I've gone funny...

K: But, actually, it a good feeling to see normal life returning a little, some stores opening up again, isnt it? Starbucks, for example.

J: Yes, yes.

K: If it spreads more, we'll be in trouble though..

T: But there was that Spanish flu wasn' there?

J: Yeah, 100 years ago.

T: While it was spreading, they didn't know why, but they eventually realised it was spreading where people were gathered together, so maybe corona might be the same, and it might just return to normal after two or three years, I wonder?

K: It will.

J: Yes, we won't be social distancing forever.

Kami: I have something to say. Um, Didn't Dir en grey sell masks before?

K: We made them before, yeh.

Kami: So you sold them, and you also have a song called, 'Mask', right?

K: You know a lot, don't you?

Kami: Have you thought of using that?

T: I see.

Kami: I thought, since everyone needs masks, and you have a song called 'Mask', you could do something.

T: Kami has come in straight talking.

Kami: Thats right.

J: What do you think, Leader?

Kami: Yeh, if you did that..

K: I havn't really thought about it.

J: Hahaha.

K: I havn't thought about it at all.

T: Haha.

Kami: Its a laymans idea. You have a song called 'Mask', so do a mask campaign. But I wasn't sure whether it would fit with Dir en grey's image. But that was a shocking answer.

T: Hahaha.

J: Yeah, I saw Kaoru's expression and he really did answer honestly. But conversely, how about Kami's idea? You might want to try if you think about it a bit more?

K: Ahh, it didn't really resonate with me..

*Everyone laughs*.

K: Well, anyway, see you next week. Thank you very much.

J: Thank you

K: Please subscribe.

*1, 3, 4, 6 Couldn't make it out.

*2, 5 I think this is what he meant.

[herakosmos]

matchup exchange w/ @lovetsuki! 𐐪𐑂

ty sm for asking to do this matchup exchange w/ me🥺🥺 <333

pls do check out her beautiful blog im literally jealous of her theme 😭

if you want to do a matchup exchange with me pls dm me! <3

i match you up with . . .

miya osamu!! 𐐪𐑂

✰ when i say osamu fell hard for you i MEAN it

✰ he isn’t the type to fool around and get into a bunch of relationships, so once he found out he was developing feelings for you hot damn you bet this boy was shitting himself just a tad😭😭

✰ osamu loves food, so once he got a taste of that lovely cake of yours boy was he WHIPPED

✰ plus the fact he loves how more chill you are. kinda like a girl version of him yet wants to know more about you

✰ he may look super calm and maybe even emotionless, but he’s always thinking about you. like if someone were to even mention you his attention would shift immediately to them😳

✰ when confessing to you, it’ll be very short and sweet 

✰ (atsumu might even crash the happy moment lmao)

“i like you”

✰ lemme tell you his palms were getting so sweaty he was bouta DROWN in sweat LKNDALJD

✰ once you said yes you swore you could see sparkles in his eyes AWHH

✰ learning more and more about you was his favorite since he was intrigued about you ever since you guys met🥺

✰ when finding out about how people had broke into your house before, he gets even more protective of you than he was before. he’ll always reassure you verbally saying that he’ll make sure nothing would happen to you and that it was going to be ok

✰ what can i say, this man would do the dirty work for you by checking the whole house and locks, so you won’t have to worry about anything :((

✰ even though he may seem laid-back, they shouldn’t be fooled. this man is literally 6 feet tall and can beat a person up if they make him that angry or provoked, so don’t worry baby will protect you with his life even if you don’t want him too🥺

✰ osamu isn’t really into pda or very touchy touchy interactions, so it’s actually perfect for the both of you since physical affection isn’t your thing haha

✰ although you guys do settle for light pecks here and there and pats on the head :)

✰ i feel like osamu would be more of an acts of service kinda guy with a sprinkle of words of affirmation

✰ he loves to compliment you in the kitchen and sometimes even brag to his small friend group about how skilled his girlfriend is as a baker

✰ when going to the grocery store to buy more food, he’ll casually stroll to the mini stationary section to buy some cute stickers and a shit ton of jolly ranchers for you haha

✰ absolutely hates it when you neglect your health for weeks because of stress :(( always brings you your favorite meals and writes heartfelt messages to remind you to take care of yourself🥺

✰ one thing i can see you guys doing is little bake off competitions in the kitchen kdjwasof

✰ don’t get me wrong he loves your cakes, but when he gets to compete against you, he gets really competitive 

✰ it’s actually so funny to see him all worked up because he starts to loose his filter and shows how frustrated he is. the fact that you guys also invited atsumu to judge is so hilarious because he’ll blame everything on him

✰ osamu loosing his cool🙈🙈

✰ things we’re getting a little WILD at caillou’s house

“WHERE IS THE DAMN EGGS”

“atsumu you fucker i know you hid my eggs now give it back”

“why would i hide your eggs bruh IM THE JUDGE”

“BECAUSE YOU WANT MY GIRLFRIEND TO WIN NOW GIVE IT BACK”

✰ little did he know it was hiding behind the flour on the counter this whole time

✰ you would just be there whisking your ingrediants unbothered AJDNWDJB

✰ gets kinda selfish with food, but shares with you and only you 

✰ osamu is also a pretty sleepy boy, he takes long ass naps and is really hard to wake up. your method is to just bring food purposely close to him and the dude will wake up in a matter of seconds haha

✰ of course picnic dates is a MUST for you two!

✰ most of your guy’s dates always ends up just being a very chill and quiet walk in the park, then setting up your little picnic date :))

✰ usually osamu insists on you baking a cake for the mini date instead of store bought ones because nothing can compare to your homemade ones

“honey you never disappoint me in your cakes, they’re always so delicious”

✰ feeds you lovingly and then proceeds to converse about almost anything. osamu loves these kinda dates because having peace and quiet with you was a must

✰ 100% does bets with you over food😭

“if i win a game of basketball with you, you owe me mcdonalds”

✰ he always mentions about how he wants to open up a store that’ll sell both of your guy’s creations. honestly he doesn’t care if it’s a weird combination he’ll make it WORK

✰ during matches, his mind usually drifts off thinking about you and your infamous cakes and atsumu has to slap him back into reality JAJXJX

✰ PLEASE go to his matches with enough food for both of you guys to share, he’ll literally be the happiest man in the world

✰ his pet names for you would be “honey” “sweetheart” “hun” AND when you guys are alone he’ll use “baby cakes” totally didn’t make them food related✨

✰ you being a pisces and him being a libra means a fairly solid matchup!! <3

✰ they will tend to engage in a calm and chill relationship. the amount of peacefullnes in this pairing will bring such a high level of understanding for each other. both signs take love seriously and enjoy a deep and meanignful connection!

bonus!

heres an anime relationship type gif that i just think you two would do 🥺

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box August 2017

Hello Cuties... I know it’s September and I’m behind. But to be honest with this recent “controversy” over Blippo/Kawaii Box selling apparently fake Amuse products (and the fact a keyboard key I use frequently broke, and spending the weekend driving all over to find ONE game) I just haven’t been in the mood.

I mean, my blog is finally getting some attention! I’m thrilled! But seeing that someone reblogged it for the sake of using it in their protest against the fake Amuse products makes me feel like.... poop, I guess.

I want this to be a happy and enjoyed Blog, and popular because everyone likes Cute things like I do, or they enjoy reading what I have to say.

One last tribute to summer before Fall/Autumn I suppose.

First up are the monthly stickers, featuring the Sumikko Gurashi and a... Nessy? A giant lizard?? Some random monster of Sumikko Lake??? No clue. I’ve been seeing these around as of late- but I’m still attached to the Sumikko Gurashi neko products ♥ 

The sheet is clearly bigger than this but I decided up-close allowed for better detail. The stickers feature golden, metallic border, details, or coloring on them for a bit of flair.

4 out of 5. I like the detail and shininess. I just wish they were a little bit bigger. Some of these would make great resin projects though.

Next up is this useful Sanrio Plush Pencil Bag. As you can see, I got the adorable Cinnamoroll~

5 out of 5. The outside is plush and features nice quality stitched detail, as well as a sturdy zipper and a semi-stretchy strap on the back. However, what amazes me is how sturdy the inside is. It feels like it has cardboard or something in it to make it feel stiff, even though when feeling the inside there’s nothing in there. It loses some of it if you play with it a little, but it does maintain the sturdiness.

Not only that, but it’s cute, and it’s big. It can fit a lot of important stuff you may need on hand, like a cellphone, compact or lip product, erasers, fold-able items, gum, throat drops, emergency squishy or fidget spinner/cube, etc. In fact, I plan to use it when I resume sorting my crates considering I ran out of room in the last pouch I got.

A bit late- but still a useful, practical drink Bottle. Despite the glossy look it has in the picture, the bottle is frosted, and about 1 1/2 inches shorter than the one I got from Yume Twins a few months back.

3.5 out of 5. Still useful and kinda cute I guess. The only thing I don’t like about these types of bottles is their confusing inside pieces. I can never figure out how it sits in there and usually make it fall into the drink...

Here’s a retro toy, a Sparkle Rainbow Slinky. A mini-slinky, that is. It’s not a normal sized slinky. It’s made out of a very thin, kawaii rainbow plastic (?) with glitter~

5 out of 5. When I was little I loved playing with slinkies. I still have my old ones actually. It does the stair trick like other Slinky as well, but it’s a little harder to get it to work since it’s on a smaller scale. It’s a cute nostalgic toy.

Here we have 2 cutesy keychains, a kawaii tofu squishy, and a Kanahei Plushie.

Starting with the plushie, it’s very soft. The arms, legs, and ears are just sewn to the torso, not filled with anything. However, I did notice a strange white string sewn between the left side of the head and ear. It’s not loose, it’s attached- so I’m kinda afraid to pull it since I don’t know what it might be holding. 4 out of 5.

Next is the Kawaii Tofu Squishy. It’s a fast-riser but it’s ultra-soft. I compared it with a Squish Dee-Lish squishy I got for comparison. Both of them were nearly identical in softness, but the SDL was slower. Weirdly they both smell the same.

4.5 out of 5. I love how cute it is, how soft it is- but there is a strange hard piece on the “forehead“ and I’m not sure if it’s random plastic, or if something is connected to it. I really want to see but I can’t bring myself to destroy this, and I never saw anyone else cut one open yet (and I’ve seen a lot of squishy cutting videos).

We also got a “squishy snack“ to go with the squishy: the Pompom Purrin Pudding Gummies. Now, considering I got my 2nd stage of my tooth fix, I was told “no gummies or ooey-gooey stuff“ until I got the crown put on.

Did that stop me?

Not really. But don’t worry, I didn’t break it or pull it out. I’m still good (and any day now I’ll be getting the crown on so I can go back to all the candy I love~)

Anyway, this isn’t trick pudding gummy like last time, it’s actual pudding flavored. I don’t like pudding but I’m tolerable of pudding-flavored sweets (as long as it isn’t a filled pastry).

5 out of 5. They’re soft and squishy, I love the texture~ 

Now I’ve said this before, but I ♥ lip products! I got really excited when I saw this Sweet Kiss Lip Gloss. I like it, but...

3.5 out of 5.

I do have a few complaints. The sheet says it’s strawberry-scented, but this actually smells flowery, like lotion or something, maybe with a hint of cherry. I also noticed that the lip gloss sinks and I don’t know why exactly. I do like the scent though, and the texture is very creamy and smooth.

Lastly we have 2 school supplies left, a Cute Stamp Highlighter (which is available in a variety of colors and shapes on the official website.), and a Milky Color Ink Pen.

The stamp highlighter is actually self-explanatory. It’s a highlighter with a stamp shape. You can highlight, and stamp cute stars with it. It’s very smooth despite the shape etched top, and very handy for highlighting- but a bit hard to see as a stamp due to the color I got.

I know, right after I get through saying “I rarely get yellow items, I always get pink- my favorite!“ in the last post. 4 out of 5. I like it but I wish this color was a little bit darker, or that it was thicker; either way would have made it more visible. 

This other item is a little deceiving, meanwhile, it says milky color but it’s in name only, due to the pastels and cow themed coloring of the tube. The color I specifically got is sky blue, which is pretty, I admit. Where the name is resides a tiny checklist where the other colors are visible.

5 out of 5. I love fine-tip pens like this, and it’s little pen area is so fancy looking. It also writes in sky blue! As you can see above.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 4 out of 5. I ended up loving everything just about. Nothing really bothered me or caused me to express concern other than a few little complaints or curiosities. The stuff was pretty small scale, but they did provide us with some essentially useful stuff.

Quality - 4.5 out of 5. As I said above, I liked the stuff, and nothing was really wrong with it; and for the price we pay I feel like it’s fair.

Theme - 2.5 out of 5. I had include this because the images decorating the included sheet was beach themed, while the other side featured the Sumikko Gurashi characters. We did get a SG item, and we did get a lip gloss and bottle- which could come in handy for beach activities. However, the content kinda screamed school/work to me.

Total Rank: 10.5/11 out of 15 Cuties. I loved the content, even though it was a bit smallish in my opinion. I miss the DIY stuff we used to get in the crates honestly. The “theme” also had mixed signals and I wish they played a bit more accurately with it. They could have done more to say goodbye to summer, I’m sure of it.

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Pencil Bag - Surprisingly I had to give this 1st place. It’s practical, soft, and cute!

2. Squishy Tofu - It has the softest texture, and kawaiiest face~

3. Stickers - Sumikko Gurashi anything is always cute!  

4. Plushie - It’s simple and cute. Plus pink bunnies are always ftw.

5. Slinky - It’s smaller size makes it a little cute, but sparkles and rainbow colors make it pretty as well.  

6. Pudding Gummies - Anything shaped or textured like a pudding is naturally adorable :3

7. Lip Gloss - It looks like one I bought from the dollar store (ironically cherry), and it’s put together better honestly.

8. Bottle - it’s alright. I kinda have a bunch of these now, I didn’t need another one... 

9. Cute Stamp Highlighter - The designs are cute, but if it had a better, visible color I would have ranked it higher. This yellow is a little harsh on the eyes. 

10. Milky Color Ink Pen - It’s a bit cute, but it feels fancy to me.

Okay Cuties, that does it for another review. Not much to say today- but I do have 1 last August box to do, then I’m ready for Septembers... if anyone cares. I started to feel a little better while writing this but now my mood is completely ruined.

Until next time stay Cute.

[bwprowl]

TakaraTomy’s latest entries in their Transformers run get a look at first tonight, along with the formal reveal and pre-order of the new Nendoroid from a video game that’s kinda popular. Then we’ve got pre-orders for toys bringing back the anime boom of yesteryear, with another Nendoroid of the classic variety, and Bandai of America trying to bottle that Dragonball lightning again. Plus a quick peek at a new Pokemon toy that caught my eye, and a new Transformer hot off the shelf onto my desk, tonight on Tuesday Night Toys!

New Stuff: Fine China

After seemingly staying quiet for some time, TakaraTomy finally saw fit to show off the next entries in their collector-geared Legends line: Targetmaster versions of Kup and Hot Rod, and Sharkticon with a bonus Sweep head. The Targetmasters continue to go as ambitiously above-and-beyond as TT has been getting lately, including multiple retooled parts (including new arms for Kup and a flip-down engine cover for Hot Rod) and completely new-tooling figures of the transformable gun-buddies. Those look great, though a couple things are rather off. Hot Rod’s got his proper magenta colors here, though his flame decal is looking a bit oddly stained-glass-ish. Kup’s colors are the real question mark, desaturating his distinctive teal all the way down to a mix of greys. This seems to be the result of Takara referencing some particularly poorly-colored models from late G1 episodes, and leaves it looking, as a friend of mine said, like a toy of Kup’s corpse. That aside, the new Targetmasters still look very good, and will likely still be worth it to those going in for the new tooling.

Hey TT, if you wanted to throw together a pack of Nightstick and Fracas, I’d be totally okay with that.

Sharkticon is predictably done up in a more specifically cartoony color scheme, and includes an amusingly Wario-esque alternate ‘Sweep’ head for the Scourge body. It’s nice of them to pack two troop-builders together.

Nendoroid Mei from Overwatch was fully revealed and put up for pre-order yesterday. She continues the detailed standard set by Tracer, good to see GSC is not just phoning these ones in. She includes a removable Snowball who can be set up with an effect for her Ultimate (the description even suggests you set up other Nendoroids ‘frozen in place’ within it). Sadly, no tiny Ice Wall or defensive block is included, those would’ve really pushed Snow Waifu over the edge. These Overwatch Nendos could maybe benefit from Zelda-style DX releases with bonus accessories. As-is, she still looks great, and they know people are going to buy her anyway. Apparently Mercy will be next.

Wishlist: Runnin’ in the 90’s

Nendoroid Lum from Urusei Yatsura went up earlier. The classic Alien Girlfriend getting a new toy like this just this year shows the endearing popularity of Takahashi’s formative rom-com, and the toy looks to be a good choice for anyone still nostalgic for it.

I saw that the first few of Bandai of America’s Dragon Stars line of six-inch Dragonball figures was up for pre-order, and that led me down a rabbit hole of finding out that they were actually launching a full Dragonball Super toy line for aisles over here! Not just these premium collector figures, there are also little blind-bagged spin-battling figures, collectible figurines, a fan-launching Goku, and these goofy things that apparently flex and their shirts fall off. It even includes role-play toys like deluxe Scouters and what is probably the greatest Dragonball cosplay accessory ever: A wristband with a firing Kamehameha.

Oh god anyone actually remember Karate Fighters?

Seeing all these clearly kids-play focused gewgaws makes the impending rollout of Dragonball Super in the west an interesting anticipation. DBZ was indeed hot shit in the late 90’s/early 00’s, and toys not unlike these ones were available to kids like me. Bandai made a lot of money off the franchise, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can repeat that success nearly two decades later.

Tangentially, Tamashii’s World Tour exclusives include this very nice-looking Kaioh-Ken-effect Goku SHF.

I haven’t paid enough attention to Tomy’s stateside Pokemon line. For all that some people gripe that Nintendo doesn’t release toys of enough of the Pokemon, Tomy does seem to do their best to make multitudes of miniature and posable figures of a variety of the cute little bastards. Notably, I was in the aisles the other day and came across a new figure they’re done of Mega Mawile! Mawile’s been a sleeper favorite of mine for some time now, and the Mega form was welcome when it appeared in Gen 6, and this new figure is an impressive, decently posable rendition of it. Nice to see Tomy willing to throw some unexpected choices out there along with all the Starters and Eeveelutions. I’ll have to grab this thing at some point, to indicate to them that I’d like more like it.

On-Desk: Couldn’t hit him

Hasbro’s distribution on Transformers has been nothing if not consistent lately. I hear people are finding that Chaos on Velocitron pack in Toys R Us across the country, so I head to my local TRU and there it is! Now just the last few days everyone has been finding the new Broadside in stores, and indeed, I found one for myself. Broadside was an anticipated release for me, not just for completing the Autobot Triple Changers or adding one more to a modern Wreckers lineup, but because he’s always been a rather unique design with a particularly underrepresented alternate mode. So how is the toy itself?

Titans Return Broadside is a ‘retool’ of Alpha Trion in the same way a chicken burrito is like a chicken salad. Some of the same ingredients are there but you’d probably need someone else pointing it out to even notice. Broadside really is pretty much a whole new toy. The robot mode is one of the looser reinterpretations we’ve gotten from the otherwise stringently G1-accurate Titans Return, sporting the character’s artwork-distinctive ‘broad’ grey chest with a cockpit bit in it, and in spite of ‘only’ being a Voyager-class toy, does a good job of ‘looking’ bigger than average, the way Broadside has often been shown in comics. Lots of bits besides his chest contribute to this, from his thick lower legs with the fins jutting out even further in front of them, to his big meaty mitt-hands, to his solid block of a face. He just conveys size, something that’s always cool when toys of any scale do it.

Transformation to his jet mode is shockingly simpler than I was expecting, especially after the enjoyably involved conversions of the previous wave’s Megatron and Optimus. You really just angle his legs up, shift the arms down, and flip up the nose and you’re there! It definitely is more than the sum of its parts, at least. Once it’s all in the right position everything converges together into a decidedly fantastical but still cohesive jet mode. Once again it commands a sense of size, with the bulky back end and chunky cockpit with its big bubble window that can easily be popped open to seat his Titan Master (delightfully named ‘Blunderbuss’). Thanks to a couple well-placed pegs and clips, it even holds together decently, in spite of playing fast and loose with how the transformation itself works. Still, this is definitely the ‘third mode’ of the Triple Changer.

So would a Broadside gijinka just be a KanColle?

The ‘main’ alternate mode would of course be Broadside’s aircraft carrier form. Fully stretching out the robot’s frame and pegging together panels on the top to achieve the ‘deck’ of the ship, this mode delivers the most fully on the ‘big’ promises of this toy. It’s as long as possible, and even stands high thanks to some creative ‘landing gear�� that folds down from the bottom, to help it set stable. There’s a wide variety of details on top of the deck, selling the idea that this is a big ship with lots going on, including an ID number, a runway (made up of some stickers that could be better) a tiny little scale control tower, and plenty of spaces and areas sculpted in for planes (and more on those in a minute). If there are some imperfections like the stickers and top panels not lining up perfectly flush, it’s all kind of swept away in the overall appeal of the toy achieving a big, unique mode like this.

Broadside is complimented with one of the coolest extras I’ve seen included with a mainline TF in some time: A sprue of absolutely tiny scale airplanes, which are actually sculpted in the likenesses of the Combiner Wars Aerialbots! You clip these off and they’ve got holes on their undersides to peg into the standard-scale tiny pegs that all TR toys have in some places (nominally to let Titan Masters stand on them). In Broadside’s case, the deck of his carrier mode is loaded with a bunch of those things, letting the planes be pegged in a multitude of different positions all over it, completing the look of an aircraft carrier and fully selling the size and scale of the thing once and for all. It rather awesomely turns the whole thing into a mini vehicle playset of sorts. It truly brings the toy to life in this mode, and was a super-cool thing for Hasbro to include. These tiny jets honestly make this toy.

Meanwhile, you can flip over the control tower for probably the goofiest Titan Master seating option in the entire line.

Broadside is far from perfect, with each mode having its share of issues or shortcomings. But it’s the way all the good parts those modes also have come together that makes him work as well as he does. He’s unique and fun to play with, and the bonus of the tiny Aerialbots is just a hoot (you can even peg them onto him in robot mode to sell the idea that he’s super-huge in that form). I know most are going to get him just to complete one or another ‘set’ with previous toys, but he is totally worth getting on his own merits.

I’ll see you all next time, and as always, I hope you have fun!