Santa left me an early present…

How I love thee, my dear Minorin~, and Taiga too!~

I happened to stumble across Megami 103, and Megami Creators 13 on an outing a few weeks back, and I heartfuly picked up both issues. The total price was 20 dollars, not bad eh? Christmas season is in, and you know what that means. Ripping a hole in your wallet big enough to fit in a small hippo. Don’t think too much about that analogy, it doesn’t actually make sense. I’m just a wee bit too happy, I had no idea megami 103 came with a Toradora poster, so lucky me.

Hurray for moe consumerism!

Toradora! – 1/8 Aisaka Taiga PVC Figure

Ara Ara~

Egad! Two reviews in one day? You sure are an overzealous one John. In any case, I bought this Taiga figure quite a while ago, but since the show has started airing I thought it would be a good idea to bust it out an do a review on it. So here we go!

The figurine is absolutely adorable, and is probably the best one I own. Then again, I don’t own that many figurines to begin with, so it’s no wonder. It was made by Max Factory and I bought it for 50 dollars. Once again, it’s a bit overpriced compared to other stores, but since I dislike buying things online, I had to go into an actual shop and purchase it that way. It was the last one left, so I feel very happy. The figurine is great, and I don’t really have any qualms with it. Great quality plastic, and Taiga’s expression and pose is just moe to the max. We are talking about nosebleed inducing goodness. I recommend anyone who is a fan of the show, or who just likes collecting figurines to go out and buy it, either online, or in a store. I might not be a figurine expert, but the novelty of having a figurine like this is just too hard to pass up. Taiga is absolutely <3. How I adore her. Anyway, here is a gallery from my craptastic camera phone. Maybe I’ll take new pictures with a decent camera later. A cell phone really doesn’t do this figurine justice.

Toradora: Episode 1

The title card, well designed, clever, and a good sign Toradora! is going to be awesome.

Very seldom does news of an upcoming anime excite me or cause me to salivate, but Toradora! is one of those few exceptions. It’s not because it promises something revolutionary or extraordinary, but just because something about the show seems SO irresistibly attractive. Much of my anticipation comes from the characater of Taiga Aisaka. From the very beginning, her character seemed special, and whenever I see her or hear her speak, there is a just a sparkle of light that shines through and catches my attention. It really is a joy to watch her on screen. Her character design is also great. The constant sneer she has, and her adorable blush, absolute perfection. But even more than her scary complexion and cute moe attributes, there is a side of her that we can all relate to. Sure she has attitude, and is sassy, but when it comes down to it, she’s vulnerable and very human, in a BELIEVABLE WAY. She’s one of the first tsundere characters I’ve seen that we can actually relate to, and can name a few people who act similar to her. She may be defensive, violent, and have a temper, but when it comes down to it, shes a lonely, vulnerable girl, who, like many people, just feels the need to be loved.