June 2009

  1. A reflection on what TOYCON 2009 has become


    The 8th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention (TOYCON) was held at Megamall Megatrade Hall 2 & 3 last June 13 and 14, 2009.  There has been a lot of buzz for this convention even back in early May.  I personally was looking forward to the event because of the exhibits and the collectibles that would be available for me to see. 

    As early as 10 AM, Saturday, a line was already amassing in front of Megatrade.  In fact, the line got so long that it reached the bridge area and then back to the other side of the atrium.  With the recent marketing strategy of Toycon and the infamous irenecullen multiply blog (which by the way I still suspect is connected with an organizer of Toycon), it wasn't much of a surprise at the amount of attendees.  The cosplayers haven't even arrived yet and the crowd was swelling.  Entrance to the event was PhP 100.00 per day.  I did hear that they sold out on the tickets that they had to sell day 2 tickets for day 1.  Though one way the could have avoided this is by preselling the tickets, which I understand was not done (correct me if I'm wrong).

     
    Waiting in line to get tickets

  2. A guide to popular Asian Poses

    Posing for pictures have long been a tradition among Asians.  It is not enough to just have a picture taken but one must strike a pose to capture one's attention in the photo.  For Asians, it is almost like an art form and this could be no farther from the truth for cosplayers as well.

    So it came as no surprise when I stumbled upon the website, Asianposes.com. The site offers the most popular and commonly used poses by Asians, specifically Asian women.  From the most common V-sign to the cat claws, this site has a pose for everyone that you are sure to try and enjoy.  The site currently lists down 25 of the most popular poses used today and is regularly updated with new content.  It comes with lots and lots of reference pictures and a description on how to do the poses.  There are even case studies of female Asian celebrities and the poses that they do.  Some cosplayers here are even starting to use these poses. It's even becoming popular with the guys.

    So if you're new or old in the cosplay community, or someone who wants to get a some good fun out of the poses, then this site will definitely deliver.  XD

    And here is our very own Sarze, indulging us with his rendition of Aisan Poses.

    Asian Poses by Sarze

  3. Full Scale Gundam has been completed in Odaiba

    Gundam RX-78-2 in Odaiba, TokyoA full scale 1:1 replica of Amuro Ray's RX-78-2 Gundam was recently completed in Odaiba, Tokyo as seen in the picture on the right.  The replica was completed just this June 09. 

    I have been watching the progress of this replica since I first read about it from dannychoo.com.  And just like an avid otaku, I waited and waited till someone would start posting pictures of the completed model.  It stands at about 18 meters tall.  The base of the model is anchored by to steel pipes inside the legs and feet of the Gundam. 

    By just looking at the picture on your right, you can see how it towers over trees and really looks lifelike.  In fact the amount of detail that came into the construction is amazing even to the tiniest of decals.  What surprises me is that the project only began about a month or so ago and progress was made so quickly.  Even night pictures of the Gundam shows the work and effort that has been put into making a realistic design.

    When news first hit the blogosphere about the full size Gundam, people were all jittery.  This came after a fully functional giant beetle robot and giant spider robot were introduced in Japan just a few months ago.  There was immediately talk of giant combining robots and Gundams would surface next.  Low and behold, a Gundam was suddenly a realization.  Some were even saying that they are ready to sign up in the Japanese Defense Force.

  4. The PSP Go unveiled at E3 2009

    The NEW PSP Go!


    The PlayStation Portable Go or PSP Go was unveiled last Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 (E3 2009) last June 2, during the Sony Press Conference.  It is the latest addition to the Sony PlayStation family and 4th version of the popular hand held device.  The unit itself will initially be available in Pearl White and Piano Black.  It has most of the features of the PSP 3000 with a few additional stuff for the tech-savvy gamer.


    Some of the features of the PSP Go includes:

    • 43 % lighter than the PSP 3000
    • 3.8" LCD screen
    • slide up feature
    • Bluetooth capabilities
    • 16 GB internal flash memory expandable using a Sony Memory Stick
    • completely digital content - UMD drive has been removed.
    • Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Jak & Daxter and Metal Gear Solid are all either confirmed or mentioned already

    As I personally do not own a PSP, this is actually tempting me to buy one when it comes out.  It's projected to have a North American release by October, so I hope to get it by Christmas.  If you already own a PSP, this may not appeal to you as much, but for someone tech savvy and on the go, the new PSP Go gives you the capabilities of a multimedia device with a much more compact and portable design.


    Below is an interview of Gamespot with Peter Dille, Marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA).

  5. Mizushima Hiro of Hana Kimi fame to star in a live action movie of BECK

    Mizushima Hiro on the cover of Koimen MagazineIt has been confirmed that the popular music manga, BECK, will have a a live action movie adaptation.  Tsutsumi Yukihiko is going to direct while Mizushima Hiro is set to play the leading role in the movie.

    beck is a 34-volume manga by Harold Sakuishi that ran from 2000-2008. The manga tells the sotry of a group of Japanese teenagers who form a rock band.  The series was later adapated inot a 26-episode anime that was aired from october 2004 to March 2005.

    Unlike the manga and anime series, the movie will focus on Minami "Ray" Ryusuke instead of the series lead protragonist, Tanaka "Koyuki" Yukio.  Minami is to be played by Mizushima Hiro while the role of Koyuki is to be played by Takeru Sato.  Mizushima is probably best known for his role as Namba Minami in the 2007 live action drama, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e.  He also recently portrayed Shibata Rihito in another drama, Mei-chan no Shitsuji (as seen in the magazine cover photo on the right).

    30 original songs are going to be written for the movie.  The actors are going to perform the songs themselves with real instruments.  To ensure the realistic portrayal, Mizushima and the rest of the cast is to undergo rigorous training for a month.

    The movie will start filming in July with a movie release date around fall 2010.

    SOURCES:
    Tokyograph
    DramaWiki

  6. Zyphie Friday 2.0: Cosplay and Fashion Show Event


    Last Friday, May 29, 2009, a cosplay and fashion show event was held at the Prince of Jaipur at the Fort.  The event was called Zyphie Friday 2.0 and probably the first of its kind.  For those who don't know, Prince of Jaipur is a night club with dancing and drinks.  The event was organized by Jabtitude Productions, Team Eventistas and the UE Red Shieldz.

    The entrance for the event was suppose to be PhP100.00.  It was even advertised on their website.  But when I got there, I was asked if I was either on the guest list or a cosplayer.  When I said I was neither, they charged me PhP500.00.  You know, that's a lot of money.  It was as if I was paying for a regular entrance.  It appeared to me that only guest listers and cosplayers paid PhP100.00.  I wish they made that clearer because what they said on the website is that it would be PhP100.00 for the entrance plus PhP50.00 if you are joining the Cosplay Competition. 


    Ticket prices clearly stated above but was not followed


    The night started with a fashion show from Sugar Free and Blue.  They had two themes.  One was inspired by Japanese street fashion and the other was anime inspired with a cutesy feel to it.  I personally like the items they sell because they're different and not something you would usually see in department stores.  And the stuff they sell seem to appeal to the general anime community.   They also featured two dance groups performances from Krumpinoy and ADT (Ama Dance Troupe) before the cosplay contest actually started.