DotA 2 artwork

Man, I haven't updated in so long.  Lots of school and relationship stuff came up, but here I am again to drop another word.  DotA 2 get announced by Valve yesterday, October 13, 2010 and has been given a release date of some time in 2011.  All of the 100+ DotA heroes will be ported over in delicious source engine goodness.  Here is the artwork for four of the heroes.  I don't know about anyone else, but bald Lina is still hot. (Huehuehue.)

WCG 2010 swag

Went to World Cyber Games 2010.  Had fun.  Got swag.

Yes. I got two cameras as swag.
Edit: I won the cameras in two separate contests.  One was a voice impersonation and the other was dancing.

Evangelion - Asuka

http://myfigurecollection.net/figure/4900_souryuu_asuka_langley

This is the Gothic Night Asuke Langley by Sega.  Now that I remember back to it, this was the first PVC statue I bought in January 2010 at Anime Los Angeles (ALA).  I got her for $15 and the Gothic Night Rei for $20, though I gave that one to someone as a gift.  I questioned the quality of it due to its price since I had no idea about figures in general at the time.  Of course, I would learn later that Sega just has a knack for making high quality figures for low prices.

According to everything I've researched (IE Google), this figure is either 1/7 or 1/6 and stands at about 8 inches tall.  The costume is one of many original concepts, and it just seems like the manufacturers just like dressing up everybody as a gothic lolita.  Asuka stands in a simple way, just kind of flaunting the dress.  I'm not saying she should be muscled up and ready to choke a viking, but I think it's a little plain for what it is.  The base isn't anything too special; just a black square platform to place the figure on.  The best thing about this figure is how well it captures the character's facial features and it's just really pleasant to look at.  I also like how her hair isn't altogether in once piece, though it does bring up the question of why her hair would do something like that.  To be more of a nitpicky bastard, the proportions of this fugre are pretty weird.  The length of her legs are somewhere between normal and Bayonetta, basically.  There also isn't too much detail in the legs in general, but it works to the advantage of the overall presence.

It came out at about $15 and you might be able to catch one somewhere for maybe $25.  If you're just starting your collection, I'd say this is a pretty good piece.  For more diehard collectors, there are many more iterations of Asuka to buy, but I wouldn't overlook this one.  Sega's Gothic Night Asuka Langley gets a very solid recommendation from me.

Soul Calibur 2 - Nightmare

http://www.amazon.com/McFarlane-Soul-Calibur-Action-Nightmare/dp/B000096L54

Ah, this one take me way back.  I picked up this Nightmare from Mikomicon 2009 for a nut-grabbingly delicious $3, though it came without the box.  If you checked the link, this figure goes for about $45, so I think I made a small sacrifice.

As you can tell from the picture, this figure is very well detailed.  I wouldn't expect anything less of its producer, McFarlane toys, known for its long line of American figures including Spawn, Jason Vorhees, and The Simpsons.  However, the rich attention to detail comes at the cost of its articulation; only the beefcake deformed arm is movable at its shoulder, and even then it only moves in a circle.  In addition to this, the base is movable, allowing you to position the figure in any way you want.  Nightmare also comes with the trademark Soul Edge for more possibilities in posing or losing under your couch, never to be found again.  His posing in this is pretty nice, too.  It allows the positioning of his arm to make sense no matter how he's displayed (and it also looks pretty badass).  Don't let the picture fool you, though; in person, the figure is no bigger than a pencil.

In the end, I would only recommend this to three kinds of people:

1. Hardcore fans of the Soul Calibur series

2. Devoted collectors of McFarlane Toys

3. People who found this thing for cheap

It's a very visually pleasing figure, don't get me wrong.  It's just that the price point just doesn't justify a purchase.

Evangelion@School - Rei

http://myfigurecollection.net/figure/22227_ayanami_rei

Here's my Evangelion@School Rei Ayanami.  It's the first figure I bought and the one that started my hobby.  I got it for $25 at Anime Expo 2010, and I love the friggin thing.  It stands at about 6 inches high and the head literally makes up half of that height.  The most posing you can do with it is in the neck - it rotates a little bit, though not too much.  A very good pickup in my opinion even to this day.

I've also ordered an Asuka of the same line, and it should come within the next few weeks.  I just can't wait for the day when Rei doesn't have to be displayed alone. :']

Saeko Busujima - Figure

With the uprising popularity of High School of the Dead, Chara-Ani is making a Saeko Busujima.  Compared to its old version released back in February 2009, this figure comes with a black tank top and a limited red apron in addition to its original apron.  Along with her are re-releases of Rei and Takagi.

Due out in March 2011, this fig will definitely put a dent in many a collector's wallet.

I love hihidharma