Otaku Blue

More Suzumiya Haruhi Games

2007-06-29T12:05:00.000+01:00

It seems that an influx of Haruhi games is in the process. It was only a while ago when the PSP game was announced. Now, only days later, a PS2 and a Wii game has been announced. Firstly, the PS2 game, that is being developed and is set to be released in January 2008. The game is called Suzumiya Haruhi no Tamado and will be an RPG/Simulation. You play as Kyon and as Kyon, you develope an RPG game. Then, you get to play this game. Interesting ne? Not sure how the RPG system will work but im guessing the action will replicate the turned based battles in Little Busters. Suzumiya Haruhi no Tamado will also come with a figure of Haruhi dressed in RPG attire. Recently, a lot of companies have been releasing figures with thier new games e.g Nanatsuiro Drops PURE.

Then we have the Wii game (no pun intended). Not much is known about this game except for the fact that Kadokawa Shoten are working on it. Since it will be a Wii game theres a high possibility that it will be some kind of Dancing Game. Anyone else hear Hare Hare Yukai? hehehe, seriously, the Wii is just asking for a Haruhi dancing game that has the Hare Hare Yukai in it.

Weekly Famitsu Scan depicting the figure and screenshots from Suzumiya Haruhi no Tamado

School Days

2007-06-28T09:13:00.000+01:00

This summer promises to be one of the best yet. Some lovley figures to be released as well as the 4th Naruto motion picture in August. What has got me excited a fair amount is the large amount of new anime starting between next week and September. Probably my most anticipated anime of this season is School Days. The anime is based off of an Eroge of the same name. Story wise, the anime seems pretty average. High School student, Makoto Itou has a crush on a girl in his year named Kotonoha. Although they are in the same year, she has never noticed him before. Another girl named Sekai decides to help him get closer to Kotonoha even though she has strong feelings for Makoto and off starts a love triangle. As i said, sounds pretty average but what made the game famous is its 21 different endings, many of them being extremely violent, ranging from one of the girls getting jealous and killing Makoto or Makoto's new found partner or one of the girls committing suicide via jumping off the school roof.

Its a love story with a twist to say the least and I'm interested to see how TNK will handle this anime. The character designs are really nice and the animation looks great. This is one anime that i will definatley be watching weekly during the summer. More info on School Days can be viewed on the Official Web Page

Image Recognition Technology on Japanese Cell Phones

2007-06-28T06:41:00.000+01:00

I have always wondered if this would happen. Image recognition on Cell Phones. Maybe it has already been introduced but as far as I'm concerned it hasn't ( I don't pay attention to mobile technology, a phone is a phone to me). Japanese company J-magic has come up with a nifty little online service named Kaocheki, enables one to send digital photo's of themselves to the service, and find out what celebrities the resemble most. Odd service isn't it? But i guess its enertainment in the end isn't it.

Takuya Miyata, the founder of J-Magic Inc. shows off the new Kaocheki service. According the to the service, he looks most like the Japanese comedian, Junji Takada.

G Generation Cross Drive DS Lite

2007-06-26T19:40:00.000+01:00

Found this picture on the gaming blog, www.siliconera.com . Looks like another Limited Edition DS Lite. A lot of them have been coming out recently and by August, along with this, more will be released. As you can see, this is a Gundam DS Lite, it will come packaged with the game, SD Gundam G Generation: Cross Drive and is to be released on the 9th of August. The Chars Counter Attack logo looks really good on the front of the DS and its nice to see some colour variation. The bundle will retail for 21,840 yen which is roughly £90. If you haven't already got a DS Lite and want this OR you have a DS but want this anyway, shop around the popular online import shops. I'm sure play-asia will get some in. Also on the subject of DS Lites, I'm sending mine back to Nintendo tomorrow. Had it almost a year and recently a crack developed in the hinge. Heard many reports of this from first shipment DS Lite owners but i never thought it would happen to me. Luckily Nintendo are letting me replace mine for a brand new one for £25.25.

The Meloncholy of Suzumiya Haruhi Video Game - Announced

2007-06-23T17:01:00.000+01:00

This question, I'm sure, has been going through the minds of every Haruhi fan out there. "Will a Video Game of this beloved series ever come out?". The answer is yes. Namco Bandai have announced that they are developing a Haruhi game for the PSP and it is set to be released before the year is over. Not much information apart from that has been revieled but the games official site launches on the 10th of July so from then on expect a lot more info on the game to be put forward. As for the games genre, I'm guessing it will play like a visual novel game and will include mini games. But Namco Bandai are producing it and they are famous for there action orientated games so you never know, maybe we could see some kind of Haruhi RPG hit the shelves of Japanese videogame shops at later this year. Let me know your thoughts on this long awaited title.

Dissidia Final Fantasy

2007-06-22T14:08:00.000+01:00

Some time ago Square Enix revieled that they were producing a Brand New Final Fantasy game. In May of this year, Square laid down key new information about the upcoming game. That information was that the game would be for the PSP and that it will be called Dissidia Final Fantasy. Around this time, scans and screenshots surfaced which showed off the games visuals a bit. As well as screenshots, it was revieled that the game will not be your traditional RPG. It will infact be an action game. Square Enix have described it as "Dramatic Progressive Action" and judging from the amazng trailer that has come out recently, the games action will be dramatic.

The characters in this game span a number of Final Fantasy games. For me the most noticable character is Zidane Tribal from Final Fantasy IX. This leads me to believe the game will be some sort of fighting game featuring characters from many of the Final Fantasy games. The other characters in the game revieled so far all look amazing. I'm not going to tell you who those are right now, watch the trailer and see for yourselves. It will be a lot more satisfying this way.
The trailer can be viewed here.

Work Experience..The 4th Day and so on....

2007-06-21T21:57:00.000+01:00

Today i completed my 4th day of Work Experience and it was indeed a very good one. Had a 2 hour statistics exam in the morning but the rest of my day made up for it. I spent a lot of my day downstairs in Creative Village which is where a lot of the editing for adverts and promo's goes on. They had the amazingly big Wacom Tablets, I'm not sure about the actual size but i'll be sure to report back when i get that information. They felt so nice to use. After a long day at the office (always wanted to say that), i met up with my good friend down and we cruised the better parts of Central London, browsing two of our favourite shops, Orbital Manga and Japan Centre. Both are amazing shops. Picked up a few goods while there. Tomorrow I'm off to some company called Nor or something like that, to see the promo i've helped with come to life. While im there i will try to take many pictures since, judging from the amount of comments recently, my recent posts have been quite boring. many Gomens for that -_-;

My buys today are very pleasing. I just looked in one of the Negi-Pa Fanbooks and found out that you get a Pactio Card in each volume that has the cover characters on it. These books are definatley for the fans. The Haruhi Fanbook i have yet to look through but from what I've heard it's a must for Suzumiya Haruhi fans. If any worthwhile info pops up in any of the magazines i bought today, i will be sure to inform those who read this blog. ^ ^

Work Experience Day 1

2007-06-19T19:13:00.000+01:00

Yesterday i began my long awaited Work Experience at Virgin Media TV. I had been anticipating it for quite some time and i have to say my first day was brilliant.
Since it was the first day my dad drove me. Traffic was awful but we got there with 1 minute to spare until my supervisor came to greet me ^ ^; Along with another fellow Work Experience-er (made up that word), i was then given a tour of the amazing 5 floor complex that was Virgin Media TV. After said tour we then went to watch some DVD's about Virgin Media and thier goals. Very interesting.
Soon after we were greeted by a member of staff from HR (Human Rescources..i think) who took at through health and safety. Then we were introduced to our department, Creative Services and got to work. I spent the day making promo's which are basically adverts where people say stuff....yeah...It was all very fun. I also got given a pass to get in and out of the building. Virgin Media TV is tight on security of course so all staff members must have a pass that they scan into doors to unlock them. High Tech stuff. Not sure if I'm allowed to take photographs but i will if i am since the building is so modern inside. I'm sure you would all love to see some good pictures of what it's like inside. I'm off to my second day soon so, until next time...Sayonara ^ ^

I was given some free gifts upon my arrival. A Most Haunted DVD Boxset and a book about Virgin Media.

Suzumiya Haruhi Manga / Work Experience

2007-06-18T06:21:00.000+01:00

Haven't posted in ages. Over two weeks now,i've been quite busy sorting out work experience and coursework but now i have more time. Was in London on saturday to test out the route to my work experience. All went well and i finally know how to get there by tube. After walking around for a bit i decided to go the the brilliant japanese department store, Mitsukoshi which contains an amazing bookshop in the basement. Prices can be steep but this is probably due to import tax and what have you. Managed to pick up the first 2 volumes of the Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu manga while i was there which came to a heavy £13.60. All worth it though.

So today a start my two weeks work experience at Virgin Media TV. Will try to take photo's and post about my adventures in the working environment if possible. Also one more thing. Otaku Blue will be moving within the next few weeks. I'm moving to a paid domain and the site will be http://www.otakublue.com/. Haven't paid for the host but i plan to sometime this week and get the site up and running by the end of June. This is also another reason i haven't been able to post. For a couple of weeks i've been planning this and now my minds made up. Hopefully the more proffessional look and feel will attract more readers than the handful i have at the moment.

Peace@Pieces - 1/8 Nagi Death God Suit

2007-06-02T13:52:00.000+01:00

This post is late, apologies, reason being i was really busy yesterday. So today i can finally do my Nagi review. Nagi is a character from the Eroge, Peace@ Pieces, and the character designs by Noizi Itou. I was really pleased to see her at this Expo and i just had to buy her. Cost me roughly £30 from the Tokyo Toys stall which is a good price for a fairly new figure of such quality. This particular Nagi figure is manufactured by ALTER. Never bought a figure from their production line before and i was pleased that my first ALTER buy was a great one. The paint work is great with no faults as far as i can see. Only problem i have with the paint work is that her clothes look a bit too shiny and because summer approaches and the sun is out more, the shine shows more. Also there is the situation with the base. Nagi sits on a green bug type robot but to hold the robot up there is a blue cylinder underneath. It's not sturdy at all and when you fix it into the plastic base you need to be careful other wise the figure will fall off. Almost dropped Nagi out of the window yesterday morning because of this. It would make more sense to make a bigger plastic cylinder as the figure is relatively heavy. Apart from that i have no other complaints.

The weather these past few days has been excellent I've been able to go outside and take some great photo's of Nagi in the back garden. Not all of them will be in this post,only my favourite ones. For the rest of them you will have to go to the photobucket account I'm setting up for blog readers which will be up and running tomorrow evening.

London MCM Expo - Figures/Stalls

2007-05-31T07:26:00.000+01:00

There wasn't really anything that "wow'd" me at London Expo this year in terms of figures. Many of the stalls that were usually reliable in getting in the latest figures still had ones that were with them 3 expo's ago > < . Not that it's a problem, but i was expecting to find Mirei at at least one of the stalls but none of them had her. Tokyo Toys' stall as usual was very popular, luckily i was able to get there before the crowds of consumers flocked. Tokyo Toys figure ensemble was mighty impressive, they seemed to be the only stall that had the latest PVC figures. Picked up Nagi from an Eroge called Peace @ Pieces which i will be reviewing this afternoon. A new stall popped up this year and it seems they have a website. www.mech-a.com, a very well priced store that sells Fix Figuration, Gundam Kits, Revoltech as well as some nice little trading figures. Was able to get myself a Keroro Gunso Fix Figuration mech there.
What expo really lacked this year was figures that were actually on display. I only saw one figure on display. I was hoping to take photo's of displayed figures to spice up the figure coverage a bit more. But, i plan on continuing it with reviews of the figures i did buy. I took some photo's of the stalls for you to enjoy, these will also be on the photobucket account I'm getting ready for the readers that will be up when all the coverage is finished.

Dengeki G's - June Issue

2007-05-30T10:59:00.000+01:00

Thought i may take a break from Expo footage while my friend and I sort out the photo's we took at the figure stalls, will have that post up tonight or tomorrow so keep checking this evening. Today i got the June issue of Dengeki G's in the post. It's basically a magazine for Otaku that covers most things Bishoujo like Eroge and bishoujo related anime. This is the first issue i have ever got and i am mighty pleased with it. The supplements are ace aswell. Got a D.C.II Spring Celebration Fan book and a double sided shitajiki featuring characters from an Eroge called "Little Busters!". I'm going out soon so i will read the magazine when i get back home. If you want more information on the magazine go to the Dengeki G's Official Webiste.

London MCM Expo - Cosplay

2007-05-29T08:05:00.000+01:00

Of course at any anime event, cosplay is plays a big role. This London Expo had tons of cosplayers. Over the past few years i've noticed how popular Final Fantasy cosplay is in the UK. But recently i have noticed how popular Naruto cosplay has become. I remember when i was 10 years old and no one had a clue what i was talking about when i mentioned Naruto. It's become very popular. What was a huge shock to me aswell as my friends Alex and Rob, being Haruhi fans living in the UK, was the fact that Haruhi cosplay seemed to dominate the Expo. Not only this but when we sat outside for lunch we saw two Hare Hare Yukai dances and then one inside the center. It's good to know that the series is becoming more popular and widespread in the UK. Hopefully this will allow for DVD releases in the near future.

There were quite a few cosplayers that shocked me in terms of how good they were. Kerry, a fellow member of Tokyo Toys Forum made a fantastic KOS-MOS from Xenosaga. There was also a girl who i met last year who dressed up as my favourite anime character, Uchiha Sasuke. This year she dressed up as Sai and i was able to take another photograph with her. It was only after Alex uploaded the photograph that i realised what was written on the scroll he let me hold. Many other amazing cosplayers graced the London Expo but if i were to list them all this post would stretch several pages ^ ^; So i will leave you photographs some of the ones i found amazing. Also, sorry for the picture quality, the flash on my camera kept turning its self on and off, i think its because i dropped it several times during the event, may need to get a new one before i go to Japan in August =_=

I look back now and laugh at the scroll as well as myself

Didn't realise how far away i was when i took this photo. The Yuki is a man,but, the cosplay is brilliant. The Mikuru and Haruhi costumes are brilliant as well.

Brilliant Final Fantasy X-2 Group Cosplay. -Photo taken by Alex-

Awsome cosplay by Otaku-jin of Tokyo Toys Forum. Need me one of those swords.

This KOS-MOS cosplay by Kerry is super. Due to the quality of the photograph you cant really see how detailed it is. But if you were to see it close up in person you would be surprised. Its amazing and she did it all by hand.

So many more cosplayers i would love to show on the blog but i just don't have enough space. Later in the day i will set up a Photobucket Gallery with the photo's i took as well as the ones Alex took so you can see them close up.

London MCM Expo - Journey

2007-05-28T08:20:00.000+01:00

I apologise for not posting yesterday. I was really really tired due to expo, then deciding to have a late night. Those two things can shatter just about anyone. So today my coverage of the Saturday event starts. I thought i would start off with something a little boring but it will build things up over the next few days. The journey there was quite the journey. A lot of getting on and off trains. One thing i don't think i will ever get used to is the DLR. Since a lot of London Expo-ers get on the DLR after us its not crowded at all. When you get to the stop before the ExCel Conference Center, that's when it gets crowded. Suddenly there is this influx of people, all of them travelling to London MCM Expo.

When we actually got there, there was some confusion to how we actually get in. See, when i first started going to London MCM Expo, there was one line, and you paid for your ticket at the entrance. This time they complicated the situation. There was one huge line to get your tickets. Then when they were bought you and to join an even bigger line to actually get it. Guess it was all worth it though because we were able to get into the first line. Whats good about the first line of the day is that as soon as Expo opens at 11 a.m the line goes on quickly. Its if you are in a line at say 12 p.m, that's when it can take nearly 2 hours to get into the Expo. What actually awaited us was the best London MCM Expo i have ever been too.

Tomorrow i will be doing a mega post on Cosplay and on Wednesday i will be doing a smaller post about the stalls an figures that were there. Not sure about the rest of the week but that will be sorted soon i think.

AniVids Reel - Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS

2007-05-28T08:13:00.001+01:00

I don't know that much about this anime so i need to watch it sometime. All i know is that its the 3rd Season of the anime, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Been watching to watch this series since i got a lovely figure of Nanoha for my birthday but haven't got round to doing so. Since it's half term i may try and watch the whole series if possible. Enjoy the Videos.

London MCM Expo May 2007 - The Verdict.

2007-05-26T19:27:00.000+01:00

Got back about an hour or so from the Expo and it was without a doubt the best yet. I wasn't able to get any video footage due to the fact on today of all days my camera decided to play up and the flash kept turning itself on, hence the not-so-good photographs. I took a lot though and i will definitely have them uploaded by tomorrow. Bought a few things but not a lot. I'm most pleased with the Nagi figure i got from the Tokyo Toys stall. £32!!!!
Also got a chance to meet a lot of the fellow Tokyo Toys forum members which was nice. Great Xenosaga cosplay!!!
Was able to catch a few trailers, no anime screenings however since they were all packed. Looks like I've failed in giving you all the coverage i wanted to but expect loads of photo's of cosplayers and stalls over the next few days. I will also review the figures i bought. I shall upload the pictures of stuff and some of the images from the journey there and line to get in tomorrow. I'm knackered at the moment XD

London Expo - Coverage Details

2007-05-25T06:19:00.001+01:00

Well it seems that time of year has come again. May 2007 London MCM Expo kicks off tomorrow and, judging from what i have read in the Advance Guide, it will be one of the best ones yet. I promise to do as much coverage as possible, i already have a few ideas on what i will be covering and how i will be covering it. Here is the list, its only short mind you:

-Will be taking a bucket load of photo's of figures, stalls, cosplayers and hopefully some of the anime voice actors.

- There will also be a few short videos made that i will put on youtube for all eyes to see.

- I will also review all the figures i buy and will review all of the anime screenings i get to see ( If i have time to see them of course )

- And, if any new anime info pops up i will be sure to inform you all.

So far thats a about it but due to the sheer size of the event i wont be suprised if this all takes up a couple of weeks worth of posts. I'm also giving out flyers to promote the blog and once i get more readers, this blog will be revamped a fair bit.

Lastly, before i get ready for school > < for those who haven't read the Advance Guide, you can download it here

Shunya Yamashita Works

2007-05-23T07:00:00.000+01:00

Since Mirei was released and a number of other figures designed by Shunya Yamashita I began looking out for more of his work and one thing I have noticed is how crisp, clean and accuratley proportioned his art is. I'm tempted to get one of his artbooks. Wish i was able to draw this good.

Sekushi Shoko ^ ^

On the topic of art, I'm entering the CG art competition at London Expo. The drawing will be finished by friday so I'll be sure to post it up in the evening for your thoughts on it and any last minute changes i could make.

Here is Shunya Yamashita's Official Webpage : http://www015.upp.so-net.ne.jp/shunya/

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Official Site Opens

2007-05-22T18:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl site opened. Was expecting to find a flood of new info on the highly anticipated Wii sequel to the brilliant Super Smash Bros. Melee. Little was found except for information on the basic rules of the game and a list of musicians who are all helping to compose the games music. When official sites for games open, the game is usually released a few months/weeks later. So the opening of this official site could mean the Brawl is going to be released by August at least. Who else is planning to get this game or a Wii or both?

AniVid - The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi

2007-05-22T06:26:00.001+01:00

Many Gomen's. I haven't posted in over a week due to revision and other commitments. Now that exams are over I'll be sure to post everyday. So first of all, this weeks AniVid Reel is going to be Haruhi themed. Most, if not all the people that visit this site I'm guessing would have heard of or watched The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. It's one of the best anime I've ever watched, defiantly in my top 3. It revolves around the crazy lives of the SOS Brigade, a school club set up by the lively Suzumiya Haruhi with the help of the unwilling freshman, Kyon. It's definitely an anime that you should watch if you have time because 90% of the people that have watched it, loved it. Its a 14 episode series so it wont take up much of your time.

Also got something to tell you. At the weekend I'm off to the London MCM Expo. For those who don't know, its basically a London version of the San Diego Comicon. There will be a number of famous voice actors from various popular anime there along with video game tournaments and lots of anime merchandise to buy. Due to my camera's huge amount of memory, I'll be making a few video's of the event as well as trying to bring you as much coverage in terms of photo's of figures etc. If you live in England and your an anime/manga fan. Come down to the event on Saturday 26th of May or Sunday 27th. Try to come on Saturday however since Saturday is the liveliest day of the event. For more info visit the events official site.

AniVid Reel - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

2007-05-14T06:39:00.000+01:00

As promised I'm changing this weeks reel of Anime Video's. Due to the name of last weeks anime,Lucky Star, a Chinese TV Drama going by the same name popped up. I apologise for this but im sure this weekthat wont happen because this weeks AniVid reel is going to have a Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann theme. "What is this Gurren Lagann you speak of" is what some of you may be asking. Its a new Mecha series that began in April alongside Lucky Star and Idol Master Xenoglossia to name a few. Its being made by Gainax who have done that amazing Neon Genesis Evangelion. The plot revolves around the adventures of a young boy named Simon (Pronounced See-mon) who is a digger in the underground village of Jiiha. One day he comes across a drill shaped device which is fact a key to a robot. With the help of his friend Kamina and a moe girl from another village named Yoko, Simon manages to pilot the robot and defeat an evil mecha called a Ganmen and in the process is taken to the world above ground. Its a brilliant series and the opening song is one of the best I've seen in a while. Keep checking everyday for more Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann videos.

Nanatsuiro Drops Anime

2007-05-13T16:12:00.000+01:00

I read about the Nanatsuiro Drops Pure PS2 game in Aprils issue of Ge-maga and it looks really good. Its going to be a port of the Original PC Eroge but the sexual content will be taken out. I would rather have the PC version to be honest. Anyway, Studio Barcelona have announced that they are currently working on an anime adaption of Nanatsuiro Drops. An actual air date hasn't been set in stone yet but due to what ive seen around the net its due to be released around the same time as the PS2 game which is September. When an air date has been finalised i'll be sure to give you that information as soon as possible. Until Studio Barcelona reviel more info about the anime you can check out the offical webpage of the anime .

www.nanatsuiro.com

Art of Shunya Yamashita: Shoko - San

2007-05-12T17:21:00.000+01:00

Loads of Otaku have gone crazy over the latest Shunya Yamashita release.Mirei, for those who dont know. It seems that all of the Shunya Yamashita creations are really popular. Mirei was an example of one of those creations and now here is a new Shunya Yamashita figure by Kotobukiya that could go down the same route. Shoko - San seems be more cute then sexy where as Mirei was more sexy than cute. Either way she looks amazing. As for the release date, Shoko is set to be released at the very end of the year so expect to wait a long time until any of us will get a chance to display her on our shelves. You can pre-order Shoko- San from the following sites:

www.archonia.com

www.kidnemo.com

New Look

2007-05-08T19:45:00.000+01:00

So yeah spent all yesterday trying to improve the look at feel of the blog. Spent most of the time on the banner which im pleased with. Now i gotta sort out the overall Layout,RSS Feed content and also make a mascot to really personalise this blog. If anyone has any ideas please post them in the comments section but please keep them within reason since Blogspot can be very limited. Domo ^ ^

Anime Video's Feature

2007-05-07T08:51:00.000+01:00

Was thinking about how i could make this site more interesting. Im kinda limited on what i can do but i try my best. This new little feature iv'e decided to add called AniVid (Anime Video) is basically a reel of different clips from Anime episodes, Anime Music Videos, Trailers and Omake. I hope you enjoy it and i will be sure to change it every monday morning. AniVid's can be viewed at the very bottom of the homepage. This week its a lucky star themed reel.

Manabi and Mikan

2007-05-07T08:15:00.000+01:00

Iv'e recently started watching the amazingly kawaii anime "Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight" and when i saw this figure i almost fainted due to the sheer cuteness of it. Not sure of the scale but it will probably be about 1/8 scale judging from the pre-release pictures. . Definatley captures Mikan's and Manabi's personalities. There is also a cast off skirt which when taken off, shows off a cute little swimsuit which is available in two colours, White and Blue. Im looking forward to this figures due out end of this month by Media Works. I also recommend you all watch "Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight", its a what i like to call "An Ace Anime " (AAA) ^ ^

Jump Comics : May Releases

2007-05-02T06:42:00.000+01:00

Not posted in a while, nearly a week due to my lazyness and also lack of stuff to talk about since this week has been oh so boring. But today i present something that im going to get into the habit of doing and give you readers are full list of the Jump Comics releases this month so you know what Tankoubon are going to be in stores soon. So heres the list:

D.Gray Man vol.11

M x Zero vol.3

Gintama vol.18

Katekyou Hitman Reborn vo.15

P2! Lets Play Pingpong vol.2

OVER TIME vol.3

Contractor M&Y vol.2

Juuki Ningen Jumbor

NORA vol.9

Steel Ball Run vol.12

Ruroni Kenshin Kanzenban vol.21

Ruroni Kenshin Kanzenban vol.22

Dr.Slump Kanzenban vol.9 (Always wondered why Dragonball was later than Dr.Slump but got a Kanzenban collection before it...)

Dohran vol.3

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro vol.11

Puratobi Ito vol.25

Naruto Shippuuden Narutimett Accel - The Verdict -

2007-04-25T06:30:00.000+01:00

As said yesterday Narutimett Accel finally arrived today after much delay on behalf of Royal Mail. Ive been playing the game as much as possible so i could write this review but im afraid i havent played enough ^ ^; I was shocked to see how big this game is compared to the other Narutimett Hero games. Narutimett Hero 2 for example was the first i got in the series and it only involved a shortish RPG mode (game was still good). So this game,what makes it so special?

Well first of all, its a Shippuuden game...I mean thats really enough information to get excited about and secondly its a new Narutimett Hero game. This one keeps to the style of the old games will still feeding you fresh gameplay. Before in RPG mode,which is called Master Mode in Accel, you would run around a linear setting completing small tasks or just talking to people. They became very tedious if you wanted to complete the game 100%. Although im only at the start of Master Mode i can tell you know that its like a whole seperate game. Its brilliant. It plays like an action RPG. Similar to Konoha Spirits and Uzumaki Ninden. After defeating enemies with flashy combo's, Naruto will get experience points and gain an "action level" which basically allows you to perform new actions such as a triple jump, the 3rd jump involves you being flung into the air by a Kage Bunshin. Also the map is huge. Maybe a bit smaller than the Twilight Princess map,not sure since ive not unlocked it all but, it took me 15 minutes to get from the start point to the end point in the first area.

Then we have Hero mode. Hero mode is story mode where you watch cutscenes and play out key battles within the Naruto storyline since Master Mode has an Original story rather than being based on the series. Hero starts right from the point when Naruto has his infamous "bell test" with Team 7, right up to the end of the Gaara Rescue arc in Shippuuden. Do your Naruto Math,thats a whole lot of story mode. So to lengthen Hero Mode, between key scenes there orbs that alow you to progress to the next scene. These can be collected from Master Mode while running around and exploring. If you dont have enough gems to progress your gonna have to go back to Master Mode and find some. Its a nice touch.

Anyone who is a regular with Narutimett Hero games will know that the Ougi (Special Attacks) are over the top but very nice to look out. This is the case in this game. Infact the Ougi are 100% more over the top but to make it fairer, these stunning attacks do fair amounts of damage unlike the last game when they could suck away 3/4 of the apponents health bar. Theres also a very cool addition to fights now. When you press the "x" button twice you will dash into someone just like the last games. What makes Accel different is that if you both do it and clash you wont just bounce off of eachother, you will go into a really fast moving air battle (you flash about the screen hitting eachother with kunai). While this happens you have to press the "square" "triangle" and "circle" buttons in combination and when you get out of it, there is like a quick Janken type situation and the one who did the combination the most wins (sometimes it will be a draw and you will just bounce off of eachother). As for characters you will not go without since there are 50 to choose from. only a handful of which are Shippuuden so no Sai or PST Sasuke im afraid. But you can play as regular 12 year old Sasuke aswell as Deidara, Sasori and Chiyo. Yondaime is in there too like he was in Narutimett Hero 3. We are also treated to a shop where you can buy music from the game and trading cards and figures which can be viewed in the "Collection"

Lastly, as i always leave this until last in reviews, the visuals are top notch in this game. Every Narutimett Hero game the visuals are tweaked just a tiny bit and in Accel they have been tweaked to what i think is perfection. Im very impressed with this game. Its a must have for Naruto fans who have a Japanese PS2 or a modded PS2. It would be better to have a Japanese PS2 though as its less likley to break. It cost me £80 to get one and that was 3 years ago so they could be £20 cheaper now,you never know. Before i start going on about Japanese PS2 prices...the games verdict....I give this game a 10/10 ( There are faults in the game yeah,probably, but im loving it and see no problems so yeah..perfect score)...

Naruto Shippuuden Narutimett Accel arrives

2007-04-24T15:54:00.000+01:00

Sorry,once again ive missed a day of posting. Yesterday i felt lazy and was kind of annoyed about certain events during the day. Today however has been fun and what made it better is that my package from play-asia arrived containing Naruto Shippuuden Narutimett Accel and a Naruto Shippuuden Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX victory guide book. I was beginning to think i would never get it. Theres not much to say at the moment since ive only looked through the instruction booklet but ill be sure to post my thoughts on the game tomorrow morning. Until then enjoy the lousy photographs i took a few moments ago ^ ^;

Devil May Cry Anime

2007-04-22T11:35:00.000+01:00

Ever since i began playing Devil May Cry games, i have always thought " This would make a brilliant anime". At first it didnt look like anyone was going to make it into and anime but then a manga was created and no doubt an anime could follow. Well, now this has become a reality. Madhouse has got the rights to produce a Devil May Cry anime which will will debut in Japan on June 14th on WOWOW TV Network. Im sure Madhouse wont dissappoint. The story this anime follows dosn't seem to relate to the videogames. It revolves around Dante protecting a girl called Patty from Demon attacks.Im looking forward to this anime. Its about time that Devil May Cry got its own anime. Judging from the trailers released, the violence will be quite intense which adds to the DMC experience. Trailers can be watched on the following links :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ3iSUDS0c4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HdxDggF8Xs

Naruto Movie 4 - Trailer Shed's some light on it

2007-04-20T06:59:00.000+01:00

Sorry,havent posted in a while. Been having problems with the server but i think i've now sorted it out. So yeah, 4th Naruto movie. Cannot wait to see this. Its due to be released in Japanese Cinema's on the 4th of August.Many people have been going on about the headline on one of the film posters that states Naruto "dies". This comment was to be confirmed as literal due to the content of the movies trailer. Wondering how this fits in to the story line and how Naruto comes back to life. Still waiting for the 3rd movie to be released on dvd which should be next tuesday.So the Raw and Subbed version should be up then. Now for the Naruto Movie 4 Trailer, Enjoy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NImIsTnczAM

Naruto Shippuuden Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu 5 announced

2007-04-17T15:41:00.000+01:00

In the latest Weekly Jump it was announced that Tomy are developing the next Naruto Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu game. As can be told by the name, this game is to be set during the Shippuuden part of the anime.According to Weekly Shounen Jump, this game will return to the routes of Saiykou Ninja Daikesshu 1,2 and 3. This means the game will be a side scrolling platformer rather than a limited mission based game like Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu 4. Despite this most of the features from Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu 4 will be included such as using the stylus to enable tag team attacks and special moves. There is also a four way multiplayer mode much like the last game. As of yet it is not confirmed whether this game will implament the Nintendo WFC service but expect more news in jump in coming weeks as the game is due for release in July.

Sonic is back.

2007-04-17T06:40:00.000+01:00

SEGA recently announced the next installment of Sonic games on the DS. This one will be a sequel to Sonic Rush and will be called Sonic Rush Adventures. If this game is to be as good as Sonic rush,we are all in for a treat. The games formula works similar to Sonic Rush. In this game you will be using Sonic and Tails to speed through 7 action packed stages. Sonic will have control of 5 different sea vessels in the game including a submarine. Sea vessels can be controlled using the stylus on the bottom screen and by collecting rings you can perform tricks. From what I've heard, Sonic Rush Adventures also incorporates Wi-Fi for multi player races and battles.

I never did get into Sonic Rush as much as i would have liked to so maybe this is the perfect chance for me to start playing it properly (it belongs to my brother ^ ^;).This game looks promising and with an autumn scheduled release date we can definatley find out whether its up there with Sonic Rush soon.

Orbital Manga

2007-04-16T07:13:00.000+01:00

As i said before, i was in London yesterday and had a very enjoyable day out with my friends. Was shocked to find such an amazing shop other than Mitsukoshi and Japan Centre in London, when we went to Orbital Manga. I heard its a fairly recent store and its not huge but its brilliant. They have a number of rare anime posters priced at around £2 aswell as an extensive range of manga and japanese toys. I was also able to get a very cute Kon cosplay hat while there. The people in the store are very nice and in some cases will let you swap a figure if you get one you dont want in a sealed box.As long as that figure is being displayed in the window that is. The figures are priced fairly aswell unlike some shops in London e.g F*rbi**en Plan*t ^ ^;

Im going back on saturday hopefully so i will see if i can take some photo's of inside and outside the shop.

Heres the adress and Telephone number: ------------------

4C Orion House, Upper St Martin’s Lane. Tel 020 7240 5577

Japan Wii Sales

2007-04-16T06:50:00.000+01:00

Thought i might kick off the posts with some news from Nippon Land (Japan). According to a number of Co's at Nintendo, the Wii has sold over 2 million units in japan between the day of its release, December 2nd and April 8th. This is interesting to see as Sony Computer Entertainment has yet to reach 1 million having only sold 844,000 Playstation 3 units in Japan since its release on November 11th. Information like this raises one good question. Who do you think, judging from sales,will win this generations console war?

Apologies

2007-04-16T06:46:00.000+01:00

Havent posted for 4 days now. Ive been quite busy and havent been able to find the time to do the stuff i wanted to do. Went to London yesterday and was too tired to post when i got back so ive decided that this will be the 1st of 3 posts that will be up this morning. Gomen ^ ^;

Gyakuten Saiban 4

2007-04-13T07:42:00.000+01:00

The 4th installment of the amazing Gyakuten Saiban ( Phoenix Wright ) , court battle games hit shelves in japan yesterday. Technically this is actually the 3rd installment since the real 3rd installment was only released on the GBA.Theres speculation that A) Capcom is localizing Gyakuten Saiban 3 and updating it for the west and B) Gyakuten Saiban 4 will never reach western shores.This could be a problem for Gyakuten Saiban fans who want Gyakuten Saiban 4 but cannot read Japanese since there is no English language option in this game.So your probably thinking.."Theres no point in getting this game if its only going to be in Japanese"....Japanese Lawyer, Maruyama Kazuya has only one thing to say....."OBJECTION"....

Maruyama can be seen on the following link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdUOz7Btx78

1/4 Scale Asahina Mikuru (Red Bunny Ver.) - Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu

2007-04-12T08:34:00.000+01:00

Today we are going to have a look at this figure produced by Freeing. The figure is of Asahina Mikuru from the fantastic anime, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melconcholy of Suzumiya Haruhi) and is made to a huge scale (1/4). From the pre-release pictures seen so far this Mikuru figure looks to be one of the cutest out there. It is definatley something to look out for if you are a Mikuru fan. The only thing i see wrong with the figure is the visable joint on Mikuru's left knee but im sure that wont detract from the cutness of this figure. Its priced at around £40-£80 which is quite a big price range and its due out at the end of May.Best thing to do is to look around for what you think is the best price. She can be pre-ordered from the following reliable retailers:

www.yesasia.com

www.hlj.com

www.toyslogic.com

* I will be posting again this evening when i get back from canterbury

Tsuzaki Aoba + Moribito 02 - Jinki Extend

2007-04-11T08:33:00.000+01:00

Started watching Jinki Extend yesterday. Ive only watched one episode but im loving it. Quite a bit of humour and some good fanservice all through out the episode. The story of Jinki Extend is quite confusing. Im not quite sure what it is but it involves a girl named Tsuzaki Aoba who loves models and robots and somehow gets involved with a robot named Moribito 02.

A figure of her along with Moribito 02 is being produced by Atler. The figure looks great in the pre-release pictures and the torn clothing is a very nice touch to the figure. Its 1/8 scale so it should stand about 6" tall. Suprisingly Moribito 02 is smaller and stands at around 3.5" tall. The figure is out now but i have yet to see some photographs. With London Expo coming up i will try and pick it up there. On average Tsuzaki and Moribito go for about £35-40.The they can be bought online from the following:

www.tokyotoys.com

www.animecastle.com

www.hlj.com

Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimett Accel

2007-04-10T10:23:00.000+01:00

So its my first post....and ive decided to talk about Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimett Accel.

Narutimett Accel is the 4th installment of the popular Narutimett Hero series, in the west it is known as "Ultimate Ninja"....but i hate that name...

As you can tell by the name the game is based around the new Naruto anime series, "Naruto Shippuuden". This installment promises to be the best yet. For a start it has 50 playable characters. Around 14 of them are from Shippuuden so characters like Deidara, Sasori and Chiyo are playable. Post time skip Sasuke didnt make the cut,only the younger one did but im sure he will be in the next game.

The game plays much like the old ones with what seems to be a few minor differences. For instance when you clash with moves you go into some kind of fast paced kunai battle that works similar to Janken po.

In the game there will be a mode where you play out the actual story from Naruto right from the beginning and all the way up to the end of the rescue Gaara arc in Shippuuden. There is also an RPG similar to the last 2 games. Im not sure of the story in the RPG mode though.

Narutimett Accel came out in Japan on April 5th on the PS2 so for any of you who have modded PS2's or Import consoles im sure this game will make a nice edition to your games collection.

I pre-ordered mine a couple of weeks ago but the order was delayed due to easter holiday preparations but as soon as it arrives ill be quick to review it.

Otaku Blue e Youkoso

2007-04-10T09:59:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog.Finally it looks like i've found a worthey free blog hoster.Wordpress just didnt work out it seems. You can probably tell by the name that this blog is made by and for fans of anime/manga/videogames etc. I hope to bring you all the latest news on whats going on in the anime world and will also try to get information on the latest news from Japan.

In terms of posting. I cant promise i will be able to post every single day but i will try to. Theres a lot of things coming up so im sure there will be a lot for me to post about. Enjoy ^ ^