Chic Pixel - cute and nerdy Japanese pop culture

Menu

Skip to content
  • about
    • portfolio
    • product finding service
  • contact
  • podcast
  • support
  • Subscribe

Category Archives: figures

Catch-Up Corner: FFXIV: A Realm Reborn’s birthday and stressing over figure purchases

8 / 25 / 144 / 18 / 15

Happy almost Birthday, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn! I don’t play you anymore, but I’m so glad you’re still going strong!

art by Junko Watarai (source)

That’s right, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn turns one year old on Wednesday, August 27th! It’s crazy to think that this time last year I was obsessively leveling my cat boy Chive. While I never expected to enjoy, much less stick with, an MMO, FFXIV: ARR hooked me during the open beta, prompting me to preorder the limited edition and be a paying subscriber for nearly six months! Every time I hear about new content and patches (did you know you can dye your chocobo now?!) I feel a twinge of regret that I let my subscription lapse, but I ultimately felt I just didn’t have the time to merit paying the monthly fee… Plus, I have so many other games I want to play!

Still, that doesn’t stop me from loving the world of Eorzea and looking forward to hearing about team’s plans for the game’s future. With over 2 million subscribers, I have a feeling it’ll be around for a while! If you’re like me and prefer to enjoy the media surrounding FFXIV: ARR without actually playing the game, I highly suggest checking out the awesome anniversary illustration countdown that I took the above image from.

In other news, it’s on secret that I’ve been on a bit of a figure kick lately. While I’ve mostly been sticking to Nendoroids and am trying to stay far, far away from scaled figures (we’ll see how long that lasts), the impending release of the Etrian Odyssey IV sniper gal, pictured above, had me pining over whether or not I was ready and willing to enter the world of plastic models.

Now, plastic models are different from other figures in that you are required to assemble, and often paint, the figure yourself. While I do consider myself relatively crafty, I don’t think I’m ready to go full-on plastic model enthusiast and buy all the paints and tools needed to assemble them, which is why I felt so torn about the sniper girl. According to numerous blogs and descriptions on Japanese sites, the sniper girl comes pre-painted, so she’s supposed to look relatively good even if you don’t want to bother with painting her. Fingers crossed that that’s the case, as I eventually broke down and ordered one! The idea of assembling my own figure does sound like a rather neat project, so worst case scenario, it will be a learning experience that ends in an miserably ugly mess of a figure. But it would be pretty great if she ended looking as neat as the above photo, don’t you agree?

7 Comments
Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email

Chic Pixel’s Best of Wonder Festival 2014: Good Smile Company

2 / 14 / 144 / 18 / 15

Forgive the double figure-related posts, but if you haven’t noticed already, I may be a little obsessed! And you know what’s the worst event for a new figure fan? Wonder Festival. Wonder Festival, or WonFes for short, is a bi-annual event for Japanese figure companies to show off their latest sculpts and announce exciting new additions to their catalogue. It’s a great chance to see what everyone is working on, but it’s not so great for your wallet!

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not particularly interested in non-posable figures, so for the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on newly-announced and upcoming posable figures from the company I’m most interested in as a new fan, Good Smile Company.

Of course, the figure I’m most excited for right now is the 2014 Snow Miku Nendoroid! The more I see of her, the more I can’t wait to get my hands on one! As you can see in the first image, she comes with her own storage book that also doubles as a display stand. Her bunny familiar, magical wand, and witch’s cap are all so adorable! I also love that she comes with a mini stack of books. Note the details in the second picture, such as the snowflakes in her pupils and the quaint design on her dress! Amazing.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement of the day was Sakura Kinomoto (Card Captor Sakura) Nendoroid! Apparently this figure has been in the works for a while, but this is our first time seeing it, and I have to say I can’t wait to see her other facial expressions and additional parts. It’s a little unfortunate that she appears to be holding that Clow Card with her middle finger, though!

Next up is Aoba Seragaki and his AllMate (familiar), Ren, of the boys’ love game DRAMAtical Murder. To my knowledge, this is the first character from a BL to get a Nendoroid, so needless to say I’m extremely excited. I think his colorful character design will translate really well to Nendoroid form, and I can’t wait to see the painted sculpt! I hope he sells well enough to encourage more male Nendoroids, perhaps even other DRAMAtical Murder characters.

Other exciting Nendoroid announcements include some more game-related figures: Solid Snake (Snaaake!!), Wind Waker Link, and Rina Ozawa (Touch Detective), who comes with her own Funghi! While they all look like they’re going to be pretty awesome, I don’t think I’ll end up getting any of them unless GSC comes out with some really stellar accessories. I imagine Snake, in particular, though, would be a lot of fun to pose!

While Nendoroids are easy for me to swoon over, I’m not as quick to jump on the more “realistic” figmas. The above Snow Miku, however, is too cute to resist. I love the gradient on her hair, and the adorable snowman statue (he’s even holding a microphone!). Other Miku-related figures that caught my eye include this year’s racing Miku design and this adorable schoolgirl Miku figma (the same design is also getting a Nendoroid).

One thing’s for sure: after seeing Good Smile Company’s offerings at the first Wonder Festival of the year, I know I’m going to need to hold on tight to my wallet if I want it to make it through 2014 in one piece! What about you? Have any of these figures caught your fancy, or do you think I’m completely nuts?

10 Comments
Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email

Sapporo Snow Festival and Snow Miku 2014

11 / 24 / 134 / 18 / 15

For the past few years, I’ve been vaguely aware of the virtual Vocaloid idol sensation Hatsune Miku, but never thought much of her or her music. After recently starting Hatsune Miku Project Diva F and buying a Nendoroid of another Vocaloid singer, Gakupoid, I can finally say that I have more than a passing interest Miku and her Vocaloid friends. 

source
Since the northern hemisphere is entering winter, it’s the perfect time for the annual Snow Miku unveiling! For four years, Snow Miku has been a fixture and unofficial mascot of sorts for the Sapporo Snow Festival held in February, with her adorable face adorning everything from tram cars to snow sculptures in the city in northern Japan. After fans grew frustrated with the “recycled” designs that were the first three Snow Mikus, they decided to leave her design up to the fans themselves. 
For Snow Miku’s 5th anniversary, the theme was “magical girl,” and fans ultimately decided on the witch-like design featured above. Interestingly, the Miku and animal familiar designs were created by different artists and selected separately, but I think they look lovely together! But I’m a sucker for magical girls and rabbits, it’s true. 
source
Trams with this year’s Snow Miku design will be running through Sapporo now through March in honor of the festival. The recorded announcements on the tram were even done by the Hatsune Miku voice actress, Saki Fujita, herself! 
There will also be “live” Hatsune Miku performances in February featuring the 3D design pictured above. I’m not sure I quite understand the appeal of watching a projection of an anime girl singing and dancing, but it’s interesting, none the less. 
source
Of course, the big draw for me is the exclusive Snow Miku Nendoriod that Good Smile Company will be releasing in conjunction with the Snow Festival in February. Isn’t she adorable?! 
Usually Nendoroids come with a variety of facial expressions, posing options, and accessories. Here it looks like Miku is performing some kind of magical attack. I love the detail put into the base! 
Of course, it’s not all about Hatsune Miku. Her other Vocaloid friends have gotten some festive designs, as well… 
The free texting app LINE has even released some new Vocaloid stickers, though they’re not in celebration of the Sapporo Snow Festival in particular. They’re not only available for the Japanese version of the app, but the North American version, too, so if this post has made you just a little Miku crazy (like me), they may be able to satiate you! 
2 Comments
Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email

Welcome!


Name: Anne Lee
Birthday: December 13
Fav food: Mochi

Chic Pixel is where I write about my favorite aspects of Japanese pop culture, with a focus on the cute and nerdy! Read More >

Email Chic Pixel Follow Chic Pixel on Twitter Subscribe to Chic Pixel on Youtube Follow Chic Pixel on Instagram Like Chic Pixel on Facebook Follow Chic Pixel on Tumblr

Subscribe to Chic Pixel

Recommended Posts

Chic Pixel's Ultimate Guide to Blogging
How I Edit Instagram Photos and Nerdy Flatlays
Yaoi and Boys' Love (BL) Manga Studies Reading List
How to Make a Japanese iTunes Account
How to Purchase Manga from the Japanese Kindle Store

Affiliates

Support Chic Pixel by shopping at my TeePublic merch store! I've hand-picked the best cute and nerdy designs that you can purchase on a wide range of products such as t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, stickers, and more! All purchases support the independent artist that created the design, as well as Chic Pixel!
MangaGamer

Anne Lee Follow

apricotsushi
apricotsushi Anne Lee @apricotsushi ·
14h

SO CUTE

Reply on Twitter 1620567395416051713 Retweet on Twitter 1620567395416051713 Like on Twitter 1620567395416051713 7 Twitter 1620567395416051713
Retweet on Twitter Anne Lee Retweeted
acosmos AM Cosmos @acosmos ·
18h

https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1620022812890042370

Reply on Twitter 1620510326600126464 Retweet on Twitter 1620510326600126464 9 Like on Twitter 1620510326600126464 26 Twitter 1620510326600126464
apricotsushi Anne Lee @apricotsushi ·
16h

Gotta get at least one opera house photo @marcusboi

Reply on Twitter 1620537200265023490 Retweet on Twitter 1620537200265023490 Like on Twitter 1620537200265023490 14 Twitter 1620537200265023490
Retweet on Twitter Anne Lee Retweeted
thetimecowboy Jake Lawrence @thetimecowboy ·
30 Jan

I drew some of my favourite australian birds.

Reply on Twitter 1619857560949100544 Retweet on Twitter 1619857560949100544 705 Like on Twitter 1619857560949100544 2985 Twitter 1619857560949100544
apricotsushi Anne Lee @apricotsushi ·
28 Jan

Pinching myself because I can’t believe @marcusboi actually came to Australia! 🇦🇺

Reply on Twitter 1619425840378552320 Retweet on Twitter 1619425840378552320 Like on Twitter 1619425840378552320 30 Twitter 1619425840378552320
Load More...

apricotsushi

Happy Lunar New Year! @jessjhs took this lovely ph Happy Lunar New Year! @jessjhs took this lovely photo of me and Pai Pai to commentate our last Opera House visit. I can’t believe she and I are moving to the US on February 2! 😱 wishing you all a blessed year of the rabbit! 🐰
.
.
.
#shibaholics #shibasofinstagram #sydneyoperahouse #sydneycity #kawaiioftheday #kawaiifan #kawaiiaesthetic #kawaiilife #shibalove #shibadog #shibagram #shiba_snap #shibaoftheday
It’s not Monster Hunter without ✨fashion✨ I It’s not Monster Hunter without ✨fashion✨ 
I’m really enjoying Sunbreak so far! I’ll be doing some MR community hunts this weekend if you want to play with me! (Sunday 1pm AEDT/Saturday 11pm EDT) join at twitch.tv/apricotsushi 🎮
.
.
.
#monsterhunter #monsterhunterrise #mhrise #nin10do #ninstagram #nintendogram #nintendoswitchgames #ladygamer #gamersofaus #amiibo #nendoroid #nendonesia #kawaiiaesthetic #gameraesthetic #monsterhunterart #gamingphotography
Doesn’t this bowl from @thepresentcondition remi Doesn’t this bowl from @thepresentcondition remind you of Ranking of Kings?! 👑👑 It’s a secondhand Japanese melamine bowl my good friend in Brisbane found for his new market stall and online shop! The Present Condition sells second-hand retro kitchenwares, vintage linens, and kitschy bric-a-brac. If you’re in Brisbane, they’re at Kelvin Grove Village Markets every second Saturday. Check out their page for some really cool second-hand finds! #gifted
.
.
.
#anime #animeaesthetic #kawaiioftheday #otakugirl #otakulife #crunchyroll #rankingofkings #animekawaii #animeaesthetic #animeislife #animelifestyle #thriftedfinds #cuteanime #cutelife #aestheticpics #aestheticlifestyle #japanesedishes #melamineware
A super cute new desk mat from a friend was the mo A super cute new desk mat from a friend was the motivation I needed to revamp my work space! 💻 I don’t think I’ll ever fully settle in to our current rental (it’s too tiny with both my husband and me working from home now), but at least this corner is cute! 💕💕 
.
.
.
#geekgirl #ladygamer #divoom #divoomditoo #animecore #bulbasaur #kawaiiaesthetic #pixelart #gudetama #nendoroiddoll #hellokitty #kawaiioftheday #kawaiiness #gamergirlsofinstagram #gamergirlsunite #kawaiilife #kawaiilifestyle #desksetup #kawaiidesk #cutelife
Continuing my 3DS appreciation posts 😆 I recent Continuing my 3DS appreciation posts 😆 I recently learned that the Kid Icarus Uprising box that comes with the 3DS stand goes for quite a lot of money online! 😱 It’s one of many games in my backlog that I haven’t had a chance to play yet. Do you have any rare 3DS games in your collection? Bonus: swipe to see the game under Strange Journey! 
.
.
.
#nerdyflatlay #nintendo3ds #igersnintendo #nintendofan #nintendofans #kidicarus #kidicarusuprising #ladygamer #gamersofaus #kawaiistuff #kawaiiaesthetic #cutestuff #cuteaesthetic #sanrio #rilakkuma #gaminglife #gamingfolk #nintendoworld
Lil budew inspired by @michelle_coffee’s amazing Lil budew inspired by @michelle_coffee’s amazing work! He’s dreaming of when he’ll bloom someday 😌🌹 be sure to check out @michelle_coffee’s art - so many stunning pieces, and her store is updating this week! My piece was made with watercolor gouache, posca and a little bit of gold gel pen. def need to stick to the 300gsm paper because this 200 warped too much with the amount of water I was using 😅
.
.
.
#pokemonart #budew #pokemonfan #pokemoncards #nerdyflatlay #pokemonpinball #gameboyadvance #pokemongames #pokemongame #midliners #stationeryaddict #pokemontcg #japanesestationery #traditionalart #geekart #geekartist #kawaiiart #kawaiioftheday
Load More... Follow Me on Instagram!

Favorite Blogs

Contemporary Japanese Literature
Hello Sandwich
Tiny Cartridge
The Gay Gamer Otaku Journalist

Categories

Archives

This site contains affiliate links. Any purchases made by clicking on one of my affiliate links earns me a small commission that goes back towards keeping the site running. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes