Top 5 Figures of 2023: 5th

Hawkeye Roulette Plane Tin Toy
Manufacturer: Made in Japan (?)

on the bottom of my list for 2023, is this vintage 1980s tin toy from Japan… for one simple reason: really hard to get one in this kind of pristine condition!!!! seriously!!! this might be one of my good condition tin toys from the 1980s, like, look at that clear plastic condition, look at the fact it got no rust, the perfect paint, as well as the complete plastic propeller (those green thing), pretty sure I will never stumbled upon a better condition of the legendary Hawkeye roulette tin toy die cast than this one, hence it’s the yellow version.. I was looking for the blue one, but man! this already a great finding by itself!!!

as a plus point, these Japanese tin toy planes models from this era, including the famous Tomcat F14 model and Jet Planes, were all come with that roulette function… and it still works perfectly on mine :3 when you roll this plane forward, the roulette disc on top will spin and start a fun game of random roulette, lmao!! still, and awesome design choice tho, matching a roulette function with this radar style plane

yupe.. this combination of tin and plastic really made my days back in early 2023… urm, a bit of hint, maybe you’ll see another retro/vintage toy again within my list for this year, ahahaha

more details of this super sharp taka no me plane, ahahahah

new hope, based on past memory

Mt. Fuji Alfort limited edition
Manufacturer: Bourbon

first official post for 2024!!! aaaaand.. it’s a dagashi… ahahahah

chill!!! I’ll continue my top 5 figure for 2023 eight after this, I just need to share something a bit more.. nostalgic and personal

traditionally we take Fuji san picture on the new year, but this would be an even better thing, Alfort limited edition of the sacred mountain, given by a good friend on her busy schedule, so yeah, priceless… and of course with the best photography setting from yours trully, heheh

how did it taste? like a regular Alfort, but I could have sworn I can taste additional white chocolate flavor on this one

Happy New Year 2024

“learning”
Taken by nuo2x2 with Galaxy A5 (2017)

2023 been a real rough year… simply the hardest year I ever experienced in my whole life, and that’s to say as it is… 2023 was trying to teach me a valuable + important life lesson, where I experienced some of the most wonderful feelings in my entire life, yet none of those permanent.. feels like, it was trying to teach me how to let go some of the most exciting feelings I ever got, since nothing is… forever…

yeah, really hard for me to accept that.. especially since im a person who valued eternal and/or forevermore type of things more than anyone else, hence my hobbies in general, where I tried to preserve everything I got, for my entire life… so 2023, let me level with you; thank you for the life lesson, yet Im just gonna say, imma slow learner for this one… nonetheless, I thanked you..

2024, im ready for you

nonetheless, Happy New Year 2024 guys, wishing 2024 brings happiness, joy, peace, and good health for all of us

Top 5 Figures of 2023: Runner Up

Fuyuno97 Sensei Acrylic Keychain Summer 2023 ver
Manufacturer: So Ta

yes, technically those arent figure nor toys, so I just put em as runner up… but might well as be the reason of my gashapon craze awakening for the year 2023… as a starter, I’ll just admit I was super late in jumping to this stroll acrylic keychain trend… apparently, they have been popular since 2020 or maybe 2021, but yeee… pandemic.. I didnt got a chance to visit Japan during 2020 2021… after that, I got a quick lay over, but back then wasnt going for hobby reasons, so I wasnt fully immerse in toys hunting

if you dont know, these acrylic keychain truly are gashapon item, sold in gashapon machine, made by So Ta, 300 yen each, and they aaare.. spectacular!!! brilliant idea!!! first released back in 2020, it is a simple acrylic keychain, made from transparent plastic, with illustration from famous Japanese illustrator, Fuyuno97 sensei (a famous illustrator from Kanagawa Japan, yeee, Kanagawa again, bruh)m with various illustration of girls in hip+fashion savvy clothing do a casual stroll.. the concept is for your to bring this keychain anywhere, and snap some beautiful image with the keychain with any interesting background.. lately, they embedded the concept of taking the picture of the keychain in front of some instant film, such as Polaroid or Instax

wait wut, and art toys?? combined with photography??? that has my name written all over it, ahahahah, hence my sudden hype of jumping in to the trend!!! super late, but was super crazed by it last summer!!!

my take on the concept

welp, me being me, I didnt buy tons of em… only played it like three times, got the character I wanted, and move on.. quite funny how I got both Renka (character) in her casual and summer night attire, exactly the character I sought after (ahem short hair and tomboy looking anyone?), and Im already a happy man :3

in case you wonder, I was only using Instax Square and Instax Mini as the background, I DO play a lot of Polaroid photography, but for this snap, I just decided to use Instax, IDK why, lel! such brilliant idea for a gashapon item, and I can only see I will be collecting em from now on, especially the summer version!!!!

2023 toys collecting retrospective

“best mask”
Taken by nuo2x2 with Samsung Galaxy A51

it’s that time of the year again, to reflect, and checking what a year means in my toys collecting life… aside from the whole personal mental turmoil I experienced all year long, surprisingly, 2023 been super nice to my hobby side… 2023 marked the year of revival for three of my main collections (toys and figure wise), the three type of collectibles that I successfully grew this year would be my basic gashapon and trading figure, prize items, and retro toys..

maybe that third type I rarely share around here, but I bet any OG in any of my socials will know my focus should be in gashapon and trading figure… maybe it was due to my tons of travels in 2023, mostly to countries with a big gashapon and blind box/trading figure cultures, so this side of the hobby grew like crazy… plus those smaller figures would be an ideal companion for any travelers, hahah… other than that, IDK why, but I have been collecting tons of new prize items.. it seems they actively producing awesome prize items for 2023, hence my craziness in collecting many of them, especially the bishoujo aka beautiful ladies types this year… and for staying true to my nature of colelcting vintage and rare items, this years been marking a crazy growth on my tins toys and vintage robots collection as well… again, was kinda lucky since I got many of my sought after items in crazy awesome conditions for items that has been produced back in 70s, 80s, or 90s… so yeah, cant complain for 2023 for the hobby side for sure…

totally aware recently I havent post many, and wasnt around here only, in all my socials, since yeah… I’ve been dealing with so many mental issues… then again, I can guarantee, im actively collecting and snapping those figures/toys, it’s just I rarely post lately, and Im sorry for that… nonetheless, coming up would be my Top 5 figures for 2023, so stay tuned y’all!!!

no weapon, no problemo

QMSV Mini Mc Donald’s RX 78-2 Angus ver
Manufacturer: Bandai Namco

back to mecha for a bit!!! and yeee, still kinda weird, lmao :V

welp, this might be on the the most hyped Gundam for 2023, at least around me… yet I picked this one simply because I really enjoy the color scheme… remind me a lot of Gundam RX 78-2 Titans color with a Banshee feels, great color combo over all!!!

first thing first, this is actually an official collabs with Mc Donald’s China, promoting their Angus burger menu item… and yes, this is just a QMSV Mini figure, so not a gunpla, but rather mini action figure… QMSV itself is a new blind box series from Bandai Namco, portraying some of the most famous mecha from the line up like Gundam RX 78-2, Zaku II, to more modern mechas such as Wing Gundam, Freedom Gundam, to Unicorn series in a rather SD version… what I really like bout this line would be the articulations as well as colorway for each series, including artist colorway, clear colorway, and so forth

for this so called Angus collabs version, each come with a nicely detailed box, and the uniqueness for this version surely is the colorway, as well as the Mc Donalds logo on the shield as well as Angus Burger logo on the left shoulder of the mecha… other than that,,, it’s still a McD’s prize item.. the paint job is not really amazing, for example in mine, I got one with smeared painting on the shield, hence I refused to take a picture from the other side

and as the title of this entry, this figure didnt come with any weapon, just a single shield, which is quite… weird if you ask me.. maybe they just need to shield to put the McD’s logo, hahahahah… but then again, to be fair, even the main QMSV Mini line for RX 78-2 doesnt come with full weapon… only the Weapon + Shield version and that secret CA version/colorway come with Beam Riffle and a Shield, so yeah, fair enough… do I recommend this version? welp, if you collect QMSV Mini, this would definitely be a great addition.. personally, I just enjoy the unique colorway… and the fact McD doing a collabs with Gundam,hahah

cute twist of madness

The Joker – DC Justice League
Manufacturer: Pop Mart

personally, not a fans of famous charas that converted into designer toy style figure, such as the one that Pop Mart being doing.. yet I received this specific toy as bday gift this year, and this figure alone, totally CHANGED my thinking! welp, maybe not 100%, Im not right away start any franchise character that converted into designer toy style, I still rpefer OG or original characters represented into Pop Mart blind box series, but I must say, this Joker truly one impressive piece!!!

as a starter, this figure is coming from DC Justice League animation series, maybe one of the reason why this rendition of the character works really well within Pop Mart more modern looking designer toy! yet at the same time, it’s not making Joker becoming too cute or ultra cute like how the recent designer toys used to do, instead it still maintain that chaotic and crazy look of the Joker, but just in a more friendlier way, if that is even possible

appreciating the whole sculpt, including the sharp and iconic tux, with all the small details (including that smiling flower brooch), to the awesome paint job as well as paint color selection… decided to snap a photo in combination with some of my deathly lookin playing card series, and BAM! hopefully you can enjoy the ironic cute twist of madness…

Merry Xmas 2023

“shadowy Christmas”
Taken by nuo2x2 with Instax Square SQ10

Merry Christmas 2023 for all, may your Christmas be joyful and glee… alongside, happy holiday to you all, please spend your time for caring others, and also yourself… season’s greetings…

fuh… yeah.. recently several Friends mentioned my recent photography has been… dark.. even darker than usual, if that is even possible, ahahahah… yee.. been dealing with lots of stuff lately… nonetheless, still trying to enjoy the festivities around… just be thankful honestly…

retro crawler

Lego System 1993
Sonar Security – NO 6852

2024 might likely marking my return to Lego… they just announced next year gonna be a year for space themed throughout all their lines, so naturally Im all hyped out right now!!! there are three main themes in my collection, one being Pirates, followed by fantasy Space themes, and lastly Knight or Kingdom in general… so 2024 being a space themed, might be the year for my return to Lego scene after all these years…

nonetheless, speaking of classic or just fantasy Space theme in general, this Space Police (II) might be one of my personal fav… other than the Ice Planet and Blacktron, I just cant say no to the classic Lego Space, even when Im not really into police related stuff in general, but oh well… take this Sonar Security vehicle for an example..

it was surely a small set, then again, the younger me (or even adult me) just cant say no to those futuristic and out of this world vehicle design… simple enough, this set contains two main parts, the front small vehicle, hauling a seems to be rocket or radio station on its back… and comes with a single minifig.. yet again, seeing this kind of space crawler or even caterpillar like vehicle like this, just screams out retro futuristic design to me.. granted, this set wasnt part of my childhood original Lego System collection, I just acquired this quite recently, then again… nothing beats the classic lookin Lego System modules… hope we can get more futuristic looking ones within Legos 2024 space focus, fingers crossed!!!

rarely seeing any front shot, so here goes

quick update, still around

“dead tired”

Taken by nuo2x2 with Galaxy A51

how to tell a harsh year keeps on punishing you? when nearing the yearend, you still havent got any break, and things keep on getting worsen.. ahahahah… dang 2023…

yeee, sorry for the recent hiatus, then again, this year sure is a tough one.. even nearing the end of the year, I still not able to just take a break… fuh… just gimme a break 2023!!!! oh well, now that Im around again, will be returning to my regular figures and toys review shortly.. and yupe, preparing that top 5 figures for year 2023 for sure, see ya around

*ps, that is just a prop inside an aquarium, chill