Cool and Spicy » taiga

Toradora Figures!

anonymous_object — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:56:30 +0000

I have purchased several Toradora figures recently and have decided to review them all in a single post. I’d like to start with Kotobukiya’s 1/8 scale Taiga Aisaka which was released in October last year. Sadly, she was a mail order exclusive and thus was a tad more difficult to obtain. Thankfully, Tokyo Hunter was able to order it for me ^^. It was the first time I had used his service and he was able to promptly ship it out when it arrived :) Was a bit more expensive than most deputy services but if you want to order an actual mail order-only item when there isn’t even a Japan-only web order form, I would recommend his service.

Palm-top Tiger Taiga is wearing an amazingly cute yellow, white, and pink swimsuit with some added frills and ribbons. Now that I think about it, how did Ryuuji convince Taiga to wear this? xD This is something that’s too cute for Taiga to just willingly put on. Well, not that I’m complaining, of course! The swimsuit you see here is not one that she wore during the anime but there are some artworks floating around with her wearing this suit.

So the swimsuit may not have been seen in the anime, but those odango look pretty familiar, don’t they? ^^ In episode 7 of the anime series, Taiga does wear her hair in this fashion for the school swim class. かわいいでしょう？

I know some other owners have mentioned build quality concerns with this figure. I don’t have any glaring issues with my copy but there are some problems. Parts of Taiga’s skin has light scuff marks. These are only visible upon close inspection and even then only from some angles. The seam on her hair is the only really obvious seam to me and it’s only apparent when looking at her from straight above. Paint quality is nothing special but isn’t notably bad either. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a very small figure. She is 1/8 scale, but she’s Taiga! You know, the palm-top tiger? To view these problems on such a small figure, you do have to look closely and doing this would reveal problems in nearly every figure. In other words, to me, she is of acceptable quality ^^.

Taiga has a cute upside-down ‘V’ for a mouth xD

View from behind. She’s cute from back here too :D

I just love her sitting pose. So cute!

Taiga also comes with a nice water-float that can be placed on her lap.

Super cute, right? Well, I thought so! That’s why I bought her even though she was an mail-order exclusive figure. She retailed for 6,300 yen but is probably difficult to acquire these days. Perhaps on YJA (haven’t checked) but I’m guessing she will be expensive ^^; Sculpt and paint quality aren’t top-notch but aren’t remarkably bad either. I will say that this is quite possibly the cutest figure I own. Really, look at her. She’s just adorable :D That alone makes up for any quality problems :3

More reviews at: shadonia, The Inferno Project, OMGWebsite.

Moving right along, we come to Wave’s recent 1/8 scale Miss Contest Aisaka Taiga release. I’m a bit late in getting this figure because my package from Amiami seemed to have gotten temporarily lost by the USPS (imagine that!). I had to call them up and get them to track it down. After over a month, it finally arrived intact ^^;

Taiga is modeled wearing the outfit Ryuuji made for her in episode 13 for the Miss school contest. Though it appears Taiga is wearing the dress before it was ripped. Not familiar with the ripped dress? Watch the series!

I absolutely adored Toradora and was my top series for 2009. If you haven’t yet watched it, you should. It’s classified as a love comedy, but it’s got some good characters. I wrote up a review for it a while back. Check it out :)

Although her dress is not ripped, Taiga is wearing the tiara which was given to her for winning the contest. So she is wearing her unripped dress but also has the tiara she got for winning? Hehe, don’t ask me xD

Taiga hair.

A unique feature with this scaled PVC figure is that it includes 3 swappable faces. The default face is the happy face you see in the above photos. Also included is this sad, resigned facial expression. I tend to like the happy face the most but am also fond of this more melancholy expression. Given the situation that occurs in episode 15, this face is fitting.

Or maybe this angry look is more realistic? xD I think Taiga is more likely to get angry before getting sad..

Oh yeah! You can remove her dress… ^^;

Part of her outfit are these cute little angel wings. I kind would have liked them to be a tad more detailed, but they are still nice.

So how is she? She is made by Wave whose quality is hit and miss. I do like her face. The eyes and blush shading looks good. Her dress, though, has some problems. For one, it’s really clumpy and doesn’t look very real as fabric and also has some visible blemishes where it should be a solid white. Since you can change the face on this figure, there is a rather large seam on her head where her face is swapped.

So, yet again, not high quality but passable. I wish Alter or Max Factory would stop making Nanoha figures and make some Toradora ones >_< You can grab this Taiga figure by Wave for 7,500 retail but is currently out of stock at Amiami and Hobby Search.

Lastly, I have a small bonus for Toradora fans.

Ok, they’re just cheap prize toys by Taito. But for only 2,000 yen for both, I made the investment xD

Well, let’s just say that there’s a reason they were only 2,000 for the two xD Still, they’re cute!

This post is way too long so that’s all for now! Thanks for visiting.

Happy New Year!

anonymous_object — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:00:07 +0000

Image by かにかま

Happy New year everyone! Welcome to 2010, year of the Taiga ^^;

Taiga wins 2009 Saimoe ^^

anonymous_object — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:09:04 +0000

Artist: Nari Otoko

This year’s Saimoe contest winner is none other than the tenori tiger herself: Aisaka Taiga :) Glad to see one of my favorite characters getting recognized ^^

Moetron has a good summary of the contest and votes. Congrats to Taiga for pulling off the victory over another moelicious rival, Yui from K-ON! Enjoy a few pics of Taiga to celebrrate (more at Moetron too!)

Artist: Noway

Artist: Ramble

Artist: CORE

Wave’s Taiga Preording + Some Chiaki

anonymous_object — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:39:47 +0000

Wave’s 1/8 scale Aisaka Taiga figure is now open for reservation!

This is the figure I’ve been watching for some time now, starting with the unpainted prototype shown at Wonder Festival. I have to say Taiga looks quite cute from these images but I’m weary of the swappable faces it features. All the figures with swappable faces that I’ve seen tend to have more noticeable seams on their heads.

Still, I like the figure. The laughing face, smiling face, and sad faces all look good though I personally prefer to keep my Taigas happy ^^. Quite likely I will be getting her. She is available for reservation at Hobby Search for 7,125 yen and will be released in December.

But wait, there’s more! Order now and you’ll receive a free Minami Chiaki Nendoroid!

OK, maybe not but Chiaki is also now available for reservation at Hobby Search. I’m really glad to see the Minami-ke Nendoroids starting ^^. Can’t wait for Kana xD

Wave’s Aisaka Taiga Preview

anonymous_object — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:23:46 +0000

The 1/8 scale figure of Aisaka Taiga by Wave that first piqued my interest at the Summer Wonder Festival now has a painted preview. I have to say she looks adorable. Assuming she doesn’t turn out to be too expensive, I will definitely be getting this figure ^^.

Photo from Akiba Hobby.

Wonder Festival Summer Highlights

anonymous_object — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:20:55 +0000

There’s certainly no short supply of coverage for the Summer Wonder Festival that just finished up. Wcloudxkumo has a nice summary of the new and upcoming figures that were on the display. Tons of awesome new figures on the horizon ^^.

Here are some of the figures I found most interesting:

K-ON Nendoroids by GSC

We all knew this was coming ^^. K-ON! was absurdly popular and the inevitable Nendoroids of the four girls were displayed. They’re not jump-off-the-screen cute but they all look good, a very likely get for me. There are also pics that Mio is sporting her shima pantsu ^^; I believe reservations for Mio and Yui will begin in a few days.

Nendoroid Minami Chiaki from Minami-ke by Gift

Finally, some Minami-ke Nendoroids! Chiaki looks pretty cute here in her mostly expressionless face ;) I hope the other Minami-ke characters are forthcoming in their own Nendoroid forms. Scheduled for December release.

1/8 scale Black Rock Shooter with Black Blade by GSC

A new Black Rock Shooter figure by GSC. I didn’t reserve the first BRS figure that’s due out in August and I’m not sure if I regret that or not. This is mostly the same figure but with her sword instead of her Rock Cannon. Also, her jacket is off. It’s pretty hot ^^; Since I didn’t order the first version, I just might be tempted into getting this one. No price or release date (that I was able to find).

1/8 scale K-ON figures by Alter

Now here’s some good stuff ^^. 1/8 scale K-ON! figures by Alter. Given the popularity of the K-ON! series there is no doubt we will be seeing many figures of the girls but to have Alter start things off is a good sign. Mio and Yui are first up and look energetic and cute in their school uniforms and with their instruments (which look amazing). Quite tempting. Both are supposed to be released near the end of the year but no prices have been announced.

1/8 scale Mercedes from Odin Sphere by Alter!

I’ve been watching this figure for a while. The previous unpainted photos I had seen were promising and now the painted PVC version is arriving. The Alter Gwendolyn that matches with this figure is absolutely stunning and I expect this figure to be the same. Due out by end of year, no price yet.

1/8 scale Aisaka Taiga from Toradora! by Wave

Yes, yes, and yes ^^; Here is Aisaka Taiga in 1/8 scale by Wave. After watching Toradora, I’ve fallen in love with Taiga so I’m very interested in this figure. She is wearing her angel outfit from the school festival. Just based on the unpainted concept model, I like it. If the final, painted version turns out anywhere near as good as I expect, this will be a must get figure for me. No date or price yet.

1/6 scale Saber Maid Ver. from Fate/Stay Night by Alter

Another maid version of Saber by Alter. I’ve been eyeing Alter’s first version for a while but it seems to be sold out everywhere… so this figure might be the one for me. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be a Hobby Japan magazine exclusive which means it may be horribly expensive for me to acquire :(

Lucky Star Summer Seifuku versions

The last items of interest to me are the Lucky Star summer seifuku figma by Max Factory. I already have the winter seifuku versions but I like the summer versions more (maybe it’s the blue ^^). More pics at Moeya. Konata is supposed to come with a head for Yutaka so you kind of get a free Figma with her ;)

And that’s it! Whether or not I will be getting these figures is not yet decided but I should probably start saving up in any case ^^;

Toradora: All for the Journey

anonymous_object — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:58:52 +0000

I was finally able to watch one of my most anticipated series of anime seasons past. Toradora kept my attention all the way through with both humorous and emotionally touching storytelling. With an great story and a wide array of strong characters, Toradora is an excellent series that should be on every anime fan’s “To watch” list.

Although a high profile voice acting cast is not a requirement for creating a great series, it can certainly help. The seiyuu cast in Toradora is absolutely amazing, particularly with the 3 female leads. I’ve always liked Rie Kugimiya (Nagi Sanzenin <3) but she went and exceeded my expectations in the role of the ferocious yet timid Tenori Tiger. Taiga Aisaka is now permanently engraved in my all-time favorite anime heroine list. I absolutely adore her ^^ Of course, there is also the ever-talented Yui Horie as Minori. I have to say few characters have made me smile as much as Minorin did. Usually such overly genki characters annoy me but she proved to be a rare exception. Finally, there is Eri Kitamura as Ami. She fulfilled her role quite well as the self-loathing, fake perfect girl. The Holy Night song by Taiga and Ami was perhaps the most entertaining seiyuu song I’ve yet heard in an anime :-D

This image and more at e-shuushuu.net

Speaking of songs, I really like the opening and ending songs for Toradora. Pre-Parade (OP1) and Vanilla Salt (ED1) are my favorites but Silky Heart (OP2) and Orange (ED2) are also great songs. I find myself listening to Pre-Parade and Vanilla Salt a bit too often ^^;

The story itself is the real meat of the series and through it we experience the captivating characters of Toradora. It felt reminiscent of high school, the good and bad. Lots of drama over who likes who ^^; There was also the cat fight at school. When girls fight… and I mean really fight, it’s a scary sight. >_<

hai, prz

Most importantly though was the theme of love. Sacrifice in love. Minori and Taiga both cared for each other enough to sacrifice their own love interests for the sake of the other. And Ami pretty much just watches. She realized what was really going on with the intertwined relationships earlier than did those who were actually involved. I don’t think she ever really considered herself in the race, instead she tried to convince Ryuuji, Minori, and Taiga to be true to themselves.

Thankfully, there was real character growth in Toradora. They all eventually accepted the reality of their individual situations. Taiga continuously ran from her own feelings and instead focused on trying to do what she believed would make Minorin happy. We see her finally accept (with some forceful persuasion) that she could be honest to her feelings. Ami sees that Taiga was able to be herself and still be loved by someone and is jealous which drives her to be honest with her true self. She discovers that she too can be true to herself and doesn’t need to cling to self-inflicted lies. Minorin perhaps sacrificed the most… she tried to hide her own feelings for the sake of Taiga even though Ryuuji was initially interested in her. She conceded Ryuuji to Taiga because she believed Taiga needed him more than she did and admirably bowed out.

Around the middle of the series it felt like there was little progression in Taiga and Ryuuji’s relationship. I would have loved to have more of the series like the last 3-4 episodes when Taiga and Ryuuji’s relationship really started taking off, but then I realized the long wait and buildup to that point is exactly what made the last few episodes so enjoyable. It was the long journey for all of the characters to finally get there. Though gradual and not always obvious, the characters and their relationships matured. This is what made the series so memorable to me. There was actual, believable progression by the end of the series. Seeing the evolution of each character and their relationships, especially Taiga and Ryuuji’s, was a refreshing break from the norm in romance anime to leave things nearly the same as they started even after dozens of episodes.

The combination of great characters, an engaging story, and high production value made Toradora a pleasure to watch. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it. A true masterpiece that I would recommend to anyone.

I was finally able to watch one of my most anticipated series of anime seasons past. Toradora kept my attention all the way through with both humorous and emotionally touching storytelling. With an engrossing story and a wide array of strong characters, Toradora is an excellent series that should be on every anime fan’s “To watch” list.

Although a high profile voice acting cast is not a requirement for creating a great series, it can certainly help. The seiyuu cast in Toradora is absolutely amazing, particularly with the 3 female leads. I’ve always liked Rie Kugimiya (Nagi Sanzenin <3) but she went exceeded my expectations in the role of the ferocious yet timid Tenori Tiger. Taiga Aisaka is now permanently engraved in my all-time favorite anime heroine list. I absolutely adore her ^^ Of course, there is also the ever-talented Yui Horie as Minori. I have to say few characters have made me smile as much as Minorin did. Usually such overly genki characters annoy me but she proved to be a rare exception. Finally, there is Eri Kitamura as Ami. She fulfilled her role quite well as the self-loathing, fake perfect girl. The Holy Night song by Taiga and Ami was perhaps the most entertaining seiyuu song I’ve yet heard in an anime :-D

hai, prz

Most importantly though was the theme of love. Sacrifice in love. Minori and Taiga both cared for each other enough to sacrifice their own love interests for the sake of the other. And Ami pretty much just watches. She realized what was really going on with the intertwined relationships earlier than did those who were actually involved. I don’t think she ever really considered herself in the race; instead she tried to convince Ryuuji, Minori, and Taiga to be true to their selves.

Thankfully, there was real character growth in Toradora. They all eventually accepted the reality of their individual situations. Taiga continuously ran from her own feelings and instead focused on trying to do what she believed would make Minorin happy. We see her finally accept (with some forceful persuasion) that she could be honest to her feelings. Ami sees that Taiga was able to be herself and still be loved by someone and is jealous which drives her to be honest with her true self. She discovers that she too can honest and doesn’t need to cling to self-inflicted lies. Minorin perhaps sacrificed the most… tried to hide her own feelings for the sake of Taiga even though Ryuuji was initially interested in her. She conceded Ryuuji to Taiga because she believed Taiga needed him more than she did and admirably bowed out.

Around the middle of the series it felt like there was little progression in Taiga and Ryuuji’s relationship. I would have loved to have more of the series like the last 3-4 episodes when Taiga and Ryuuji’s relationship really started taking off, but then I realized the long wait and buildup to that point is exactly what made the last few episodes so enjoyable. It was a long journey for all of the characters to finally get there. Though gradual and not always obvious, the characters matured. This is also what made the series so memorable to me. There was actual, believable progression by the end of the series. Seeing the evolution of each character and their relationships, especially Taiga and Ryuuji’s, was a refreshing break from the norm in romance anime to leave things nearly the same as they started even after dozens of episodes.