Aizu Project Mai Shiranui 1/7 Scale

Five years from now, we'll sit in our rocking chairs and reminisce about the summer of 2007. While rocking and smoking tobacco from whalebone pipes, the conversation will focus on how two highly desired Mai Shiranui toys came to market within a month of each other. Yep, the summer of 2007 was when two dueling renditions of the buxom woman-warrior both vied for the fancy of the fan base.
Whereas the Kinu Nishimura is based on the Capcom vs SNK 2 version of Mai with a slightly more rounded and open face, big beautiful eyes, and highly accentuated body proportions, the Aizu Project sculpt is inspired by classic King of Fighters Mai. This is the Mai we grew up with - playful, wild, and sexy. Her face is sharp and thin, the body is bodacious, and the color scheme is traditional Mai. The pose in the Aizu Project version is highly kinetic and is perhaps overly gratuitous. Edit: Painfully gratuitous.

Preorders for the pre-painted 1/7 scale coldcast are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2007 at JPY16000 or US$165 from NCS.

Caltoy UJ Keroro (Frog) Plush

Sega continues to interpret animals both big and small with their Caltoy line-up of plush toys. For this summer, the focus is on the frog. We made up a poem especially for the greenish amphibian which isn't habitat-accurate but here goes:

Lime Green
Lives in a Bog
It's a Frog

Along with the large 38cm tall frog plush, an even bigger 43cm long tadpole is also on offer. Preorders are welcome today to ship in late August 2007 at US$49 each for either the frog or the tadpole.

Clamp in 3-D Land Series 3 Trading Figures

Clamp's assortment of cutesy characters have caught the fascination of many admirers. We're partial to the super-ebullient redhead known as Sumomo who hails from the Chobits property but all six of the 5cm tall characters in the set are round, innocuous, and aesthetically pleasing.

The cast is as follows: Ashura, Kimihiro Watanuki, Hinata Asahi, Sumomo & Kotoko, and Subaru Sumeragi.
Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late June 2007 at US$50 per factory sealed box of 10.

Hello Kitty American Retro Bowling Set

Kitty's little arms don't look like they can swing in a wide enough arc to hurl a bowling ball down a lane but we'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Eikoh has announced a Hello Kitty-themed tabletop bowling game where players maneuver a little chute to roll a little metal ball at nine pins. If your aim is unerring, the pins will all collapse under the force of the ball but if you're tipsy, the ball will hit the gutter.
In addition to the tabletop bowling game, Eikoh bundles a Hello Kitty 86 bowling pin which measures 30cm (11.81") tall with either red or blue trim around the neck of the pin. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late August 2007 - please select the color of the bowling pin through the dropdown menu on our shop listing for this product.

Hello Kitty Drink Dispenser

Every couple of weeks or so, the water cooler delivery guy visits our offices and picks up our empty water bottles and drops new ones. A water cooler is like a little oasis in the midst of cubicles and cold iron shelving where relief may be sought from the harsh grind of the workday.
Hello Kitty understands this and the little feline lends her image to a miniature drink dispenser who holds about a quart of liquid. Fill it up with your favorite lukewarm beverage and marvel at the novelty of a tabletop oasis where refreshment pours like manna from the lever-activated spigot. Two styles are on offer - a pink dispenser with pink liquid canister and a yellow-colored dispenser with matching canister. Preorders ship in August.

Perfect Piece Yellow Tachikoma

Tachikoma generally garners love whenever a new toy is released. Megahouse tests the level of affection in the marketplace with a another 1/20 scale Tachikoma which measures roughly 13cm tall and is crafted from ABS plastic. Instead of the blue patina that was painted onto the original Perfect Piece Tachikoma, the upcoming variant is colored a deep yellow color. Tachikoma are usually painted blue and speak with squeaky voices. However, in episode 12 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, two color variants were shown: A silver-painted Tachikoma which was eventually destroyed and a yellow-painted model which was also wrecked in an all-out assault against the Umibozu.

Features on the Tachikoma include rolling wheels under the legs, properly formed gun turrets, a pod which opens up to unveil the winsome Motoko Kusanagi inside, and pincers that are molded to look like the pincers we know and love from GITS. Accessories included inside the package include a wrench for Motoko to use, a gunmetal-colored gunpod, and an open book replica so the Major has something to read. Preorders ship in late June 07.

Import Release Outlook

PS2 KOF NESTS Saga leads preorders for the week.
NDS	Gakuen Alice: WakuWaku * Happy Friends	KidStation
	Lise no Atelier: Ordre no Renkinjutsushi	Gust
	Lise no Atelier: Ordre no Renkinjutsushi LE	Gust
	Nodame Cantabile	Namco
PS2	Fate/Stay Night - Realta Nua	Kadoka.
	Fate/Stay Night - Realta Nua Extra Edition	Kadoka.
	King of Fighters NESTS: Neo Geo Online	SNK
	Ouran Koukou Host Bu	I. Factory
	Persona 3 Fes	Atlus
	Persona 3 Fes Append Edition	Atlus
PSP	Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition	Square
	Minna no Chizu 2	Zenrin
	Minna no Chizu 2 + GPS Receiver	Zenrin
Wii	Furu Furu Park	Taito
	Super Paper Mario	Nintendo

Domestic Release Outlook

DVD	Alpha Dog (Widescreen Edition)	Universal
	Dreamgirls (Widescreen Edition)	Dreamwks
	The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition)	Universal
	Thr3e (Widescreen Edition)	20th Cen.
PS2	Raiden III	UFO
	Eureka Seven Vol. 2 New Vision	Namco
Wii	Bust a Move Bash!	Majesco
PSP	Valhalla Knights	XS
	Valhalla Knights Official Game Guide (Paperback)	Prima