Transformers Masterpiece – MP03 Starscream USA Edition

After picking up Sunstorm from Amazon Japan, I decided to get Starscream MP-03 USA Edition as well. Different in color from the actual US release and original MP-03 Japanese release, his vehicle mode’s realism really sold me.
He can’t wear the shoulder pads properly, but he was a lot easier for me to transform than Sunstorm.

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I really dig the stand, paintjob and extra equipment. However, it doesn’t come with a trading card, pretty box, or pretty instruction manual. He might be slightly lower than Sunstorm as well, and his face changes, otherwise they are both very similar.
Except of course for the realism of Starscream’s vehicle mode, and Sunstorms sturdy robot mode is smoother. The plastic seems a little worse cut on Starscream, but its probably Hasbro’s fault.

The New Tokyo Station

Its been a while since I’ve been to Tokyo Station, and in that time its received a facelift to resemble is traditional post war glory.  The morning sun and lack of people gives it a nice glow! We also lined up for a popular Ramen joint!

We took the night bus midnight and arrived around 7 AM.  We spent some time taking pictures then getting around to the shopping side of the station.  It wasn’t too busy because it was still very early.  After looking for a locker, we went to find food and by the time we arrived in Akihabara it was 10 AM.  We went to look at toys and cameras at Softmap because Goodsmile cafe was closed in Akiba.  After meeting up with our friend we went to look at toys and camera equipment before heading back to my friends place for yakiniku.  The night was spent watching new animated shows.

The next day, I was planning to get more Yotsubato gashapons but ended up looking for Transformer toys.  There were tonnes at the Mandarake, but prices were similar to Amazon. After shopping around I headed to Ikebukuro to get sushi for lunch before eventually heading back to meet up for dinner.

GoodSmile Cafe Again

To celebrate a friends birthday, we decided to visit Tokyo again just before the Christmas season! This time they have updated their figure collection, but it is still operating under the Idolm@ster and Puella Majicka Madoka theme.  An adamant fan brought his Mami doll to take pictures.  Placemats are no longer used but for a special 100 yen fee, laminated and given to you at the end.  Akihabara on a Sunday is wide open!

Transformers Masterpiece – MP11S SUNSTORM

Moving away from my traditional figure collection is a collection I’ve put on hold for almost 2 decades (with the exception for a Movie version Bumblebee I got a few years back) and that collection is my Transformer collection.  In my collection at home is a generation 2 Optimus Prime ( missing knuckle of course), a generation 2 Starscream, a generation 2 Constructacon, and a few other lesser known units.  In Japan, my love of Transformer was revived with the game Transformers: War for Cybertron and its sequal Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.  So after a few trips to the toy store, I decided I would buy up some Transformers.  I decided to start with SunStorm, part of the famous and high quality Transformer Masterpiece series, he is a clone of Starscream Coronation Edition, which is available for higher than normal prices due to the end of circulation.  SunStorm is almost identical to MP-11S edition of Starscream, which is a redesign of the original MP-03.  It comes with fewer accessories, but its easier to transform, and looks better in transformation mode, but its less realistic in flight mode.  So without further to do here are some pictures!

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It’s almost Winter!

It looks like I’ve almost completely skipped Fall on this blog, but I’m back, well sort of!  Fall was a period of vacationing in America and my return to Japan and readjusting to work. I had a chance to see the economic centres of Eastern Canada and America, before they were taken down by Hurricane Sandy. I came back just in time to miss the typhoon in Japan, which cancelled classes and flooded certain parts of Japan.  All in all, I had a really relaxing time, especially my time on my Atlantic cruise, which gave me a nice feel of a mini-Titanic journey.  What I haven’t done since then is travel Japan, which I do plan to do more of in the future. However, I’ve come back to some new toys and new hobbies, so prepare to look forward to that!  Otherwise with my new camera and a new desire to improve my Japanese, photography skills, travelling and toy collecting, I will try to keep improving well into 2013!

I’ve also succeeded in doing a 31 days of photography during my favourite month of the year! Check out my October! (minus 1 day for identity protection)

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