What's Nuevo???

New junk I just got around to scanning

Pam's Excellent Adventure

As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get to Ohio! Or something like that. All of the stuff I'm showing this month is the result of a trip to Ohio I took to visit my buddies, Corky and Ardith. It was an epic journey, including a pilgrimmage to that Mecca of Midwest Toys, Anime Palace, the famous SHOCC comics, Outlaw Star buffet (OK, so it's actually "Asian Star," but that's not as fun!), capped by a viewing of various sentai videos, and an audience with the one and only Koji, the Wonder Poodle!

Way Big Marie

Marie Antoinette

I'll show you a bunch of the stuff I picked up at Anime Palace in a bit, but first off, look at this amazing, large-scale Rose of Versailles Marie Antoinette doll Corky & Ardith found me on a recent trip to Japan! This box is over 23" high, and the doll inside is around 21", meaning she could probably go a few rounds with My Size Barbie. (Here's a picture of Big Marie compared to a Barbie-scaled Marie doll. The manufacturer is listed as "Asahi Toys." Here's a close-up of her face, so you can see those wonderful shoujo starry eyes. Here's some artwork from the back of the box.

11" scale Marie Antoinette

Just for comparison, here's the Barbie-sized Marie doll. Just so's you'll know, although Big Marie wears red boots, little Marie is dressed in tastebul little white sandals. Here's a close-up of the doll's face, with them big ol' shoujo manga eyes. The artwork on the box is different from Big Marie, although it's similar to that used for the Italian Rose of Versailles dolls. Speaking of which, here's a picture of an Italian Lady Oscar doll (the manufacturer of which, I believe, is Ceppi Ratti) next to the Asahi Marie Antoinette

Off to Anime Palace!

Deep in the wilds of Columbus, lies the anime toy warehouse of which dreams are made: Anime Palace. Remember the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark? That's what Levin's warehouse looks like. The following is just a smattering of the current stock.

Sakura's Clow Rod

Are you as addicted to that cute li'l anime, Card Captor Sakura, as I am? Last month, as you'll recall, I bored you silly with various Sakura dolls. This month, it's role playing toys! C'mon, haven't you wanted to yell, "Release!" Maybe now if I can just get Tomoyo to sew me a Pam-sized jester outfit.... By the way, here's a look at the back of the box.

Sakura's Cel Phone

OK, so, you're a flying teddy bear with a taste for video games (stay with me a second here), and you can't defeat the next level of your Nintendo game and watch over you 10-year-old card captor too. What do you do? Why, stay in touch with your magical girl by means of this cute little pink cel phone!

Do Re Mi Wand

Speaking of magical girls, this is another role-playing wand from a current anime that translates to something like, "Magical Witches Do Re Mi." I know absolutely nothing about it, other than it's damned cute, and that it wouldn't fit in my luggage!

Pokemon Plane

Well, I said I was gonna remain immune to that damned Poket Monster, but this little metal Pokemon Plane was just too cute! What's even scarier: it's supposed to be a replica of the real Poke-plane. Imagine, a Pikachu as big as a 747!

Pokemon Toilet Paper Holder

Well, I had no sooner nabbed the Poke-plane and stuffed it, Grinch-like, greedily in my shopping basket, than Corky and Ardith whipped out this trinket, the bestest Poke-collectible of all! As you see, Pikachu rests happily on your toilet paper dispenser, where he jealously guards a spare roll of TP.

Gekiganger

Geki-PUNCH!! As you'll recall, one of the charms of Martian Successor Nadesico is the show-within-the-show, a hackeneyed anime called "Gekiganger 3," to which half of the Nadesico crew is shamelessly addicted. Ardith and I couldn't pick up this toy without immediately sobbing, "Joe! Oh no, Joe!"

Walking Licca-chan

This is a strange one indeed, and Levin didn't really have a good explanation. This uses an action figure-sized Licca-chan body similar to the toys from the anime Super Doll Licca-chan, and the box artwork implies a connection too, but walking around with a strange piece of furniture doesn't seem to be based on any situation from the show. Me, I had to pick it up just because I'm a sucker for dolls with strange action features.

Plush MechaGodzilla

Itsgodzillarunforyoulife! Awww, but how could you not wuv that cute little face?

Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne plushies

As you know, I just can't resist a set of plushies, especially when they have those cute little wings. Top Row (l-r): Fin and Jeanne. Bottom row: Miyako, Chiaki, and Maron.

Ken Bank

And what would anime shopping be without Gatcha-junk? Here's a tchotchke for you: an SD Ken who doubles as a bank! Here's a view of the side, so you can see the little Tatsunoko seahorse.

Crouching Ken

More Gatcha-stuff! This series of action figures was placed in their boxes sideways, so you get to see your figures posed crouching, squatting, or crawling.

Off to SHOCC comics!

Gatchaman "eggs"

No visit to Columbus is complete without a stop at SHOCC comics. There, after stocking up on a pile of Giant Robot back issues, Ardith helped me pick through a huge bucket o' UFO prizes for these nifty Gatcha figures. Here's Ken, Ryu, and that most evil of androgynous bad guys, Berg Katse. For some reason, Katse comes with an extra head. Variant lipstick colors, perhaps?

...And so, back home

Talking Kero-chan

And so, home to Seattle, where waiting for me at the post office was....SURPRISE!....a Japanese toy! It's Talking Kero-chan, complete with Osaka accent, this is a toy even wordier than talking Barbie. Just look at that little face! Now face it, you want a flying teddy bear who eats chocolate and watches soap operas, don't you?