Cheburashka 18cm Plush

No, it's not Dumbo nor is it your old chum Timmy - the fourth grader who's ears seemed larger than dinner plates. The brown, big-eared creature is named Cheburashka (Чебурашка in Russian) and the little guy was conceived by Eduard Uspensky in the 1960s. At first glance, Cheburashka shares similarities with popular Japanese icons such as Hello Kitty or Tarepanda as follows:

» Simplistic facial structure with requisite blank stare
» Diminutive stature and short limbs
» Somewhat androgynous and non-threatening

Where Cheburashka derails the Japanese design convention for cute characters is the massive ears. They're nearly as big as Che's head and would probably serve well as radar arrays or solar panels. Despite the strange dimensions and lack of golden spiral harmony in the beast, Japanese and Chinese have taken a liking to Cheburashka. «photos»

Juicy Tomato

Have you ever felt the murderous inclination to completely crush an innocent cherry tomato with a kung-fu grip? Neither have we but just in case that thirst ever needs slaking, Taito has announced the creation of fake cherry tomatoes that may be nearly destroyed with your bare hands.

Two types are available: a red cherry tomato with green vine attachment on top and a green cherry tomato. Please note that real cherry tomatoes cost a fraction of what Taito is charging for fake ones but nevermind that. Real tomatoes should be used for nutrition and not for your maniacal crushing pleasure. Price: Set of 3 for US$5.00. «video and photos»

Mickey & Minnie Projector Clock

Ever fumble around in the dark in a futile attempt to locate your bedside clock? The one that's next to your bed (thus the bedside clock label)? That time you were in a drunken stupor?

Nevermore.

Feast your eyes on the Mickey Projector Clock which blazes out the time via laser-sharp light and plasters it on the ceiling. Simply tap the top of the clock and the light shines out like a beacon of hope. After a few seconds it'll blink off but if you need the time again, tap the clock again and the time appears once again. It's magic like that. «photos»

Pocari Sweat Cooler

Summers in New York City are hot, hazy, and uncomfortable. June isn't too bad but when you get into July and August, the "dog days" are an apt description of the muggy blanket of heat that overwhelms the senses. Add the traffic congestion, the heavy foot traffic, and sweat circles... and you have a conspiracy on your hands.
Whenever it's a scorcher outside, we like to sit down with a can of refreshing Pocari Sweat (not really, but work with us here). Buy two bottles from the local Asian food store - one for now and one for later. To keep the second bottle cold, NCS recommends the Pocari Sweat Cooler which holds a single bottle in its frigid confines. «photos»

Sarugechu Hand Puppets

Sony has chronicled many stories of the Peak-Point-helmeted Apes but there are many more that have not been told. That's where you come in. Pop the two Taito Sarugechu (aka Ape Escape) puppets on both hands and make up some outlandish dialogue or script a story. Capture it all for the Youtube generation and you're an instant laughing stock celebrity.

The Sarugechu puppets measure 35cm (13.77") tall and two types are on offer: (A) An afro-wearing Ape who hefts blue maracas and stares off into space and (B) another Ape who wears a peak-point helmet and lifts two bananas. By twiddling the levers inside with your fingers, the arms of the puppets will make gestures and gesticulate while you perform some squeaky-voiced ventriloquism to breath life into the Apes. «photos»

Zelda: Twilight Princess Gashapon

Gashapon king Yujin releases PVC toy figures which are based on the characters from the Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess game for the Gamecube and Nintendo Wii. The characters in the set are:

Link / Adventurer who wields both shield and sword
Princess Zelda / Willowy daughter of the Hyrule Royal Family
Zant / Evil person who describes himself as the "King of Darkness"
Midna / The Twilight Princess who has been transformed into a monster

The figures measure 10cm or 3.93" tall and require some assembly. Four standard figures are featured in the set with pricing at US$16.00 for the complete assemblage as shown in the product photo. «photos»

Transformers Music Label Soundwave

In the Transformers animation series, the robot known as Soundwave was a high-level Decepticon who specialized in communications. To bolster his abilities, Soundwave was able to transform from a boxy robot to a cassette deck. That's right, a cassette deck which was the music player of choice about 30 years ago.
In the Transformers Music Label Soundwave product, the Decepticon skips the CD-Rom generation and leaps right into SD Memory. Pop a 1GB (or lower) miniSD card filled with MP3s into the center slot and Soundwave will play them in either robot mode of cassette mode. The MP3 player will play for approximately 6 hours on a single AAA battery. Two color variants are available as follows:

» Sonic White (shown) and Spark Blue

Preorders will ship today. Restock is expected on Thursday for new orders. «photos»

Xenosaga Legend Episode 2

Bandai's Xenosaga Legend toy set continues with the many faces and forms of KOS-MOS. Five standard figures are featured in the set as follows:

» KOS-MOS ver. 1 (XenoComi Version)
» KOS-MOS ver. 2 (Xenosaga Ep. II)
» KOS-MOS Before Replacing Temp. Body
» KOS-MOS swimsuit version
» Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga Ep. III)
» Five additional secret variants are randomly packaged in the boxes.

The figures measure approximately 4.5" tall and are sculpted beautifully with careful details and regulation issue KOS-MOS accoutrements. Please order this item in complete factory cases of 8 toy

Chocobo Magical Book Mug

When one thinks of Chocobo, an image of yellow feathers and expressive eyes are two salient features that come to mind. Square Enix bats a .500 with the new Chocobo Magical Book Mug which sports two expressive blue eyes but no feathers. The bright color of the mug may be interpreted to mean that Chocobo possesses a sunny disposition and the sharp-styled handle could represent Chocobo's tail if you strain your imagination and visualize it.

A rich banana-yellow patina covers the cup along with a beak which protrudes from below those expressive eyes. The mug measures 12cm or 4.72" tall and holds approximately 10 ounces of liquid... or birdseed if you're so inclined. A bunch of our Chocobo Mugs were damaged during shipping and cracked wide open. We'll isolate these and return them to the shipper and we'll package orders carefully today so they arrive to our customers in one piece. «photos»

Shakugan no Shana Towel

Beaches are made of sand. On that sand, people play and sit. When people sit and play beneath a blazing sun, sweat and dead skin cells tend to drip and drop onto the sand. Multiply that by a million people and by a few years and that's a lot of sweat and dead skin mixed into that sand. That's one scenario where a big towel proves invaluable and handy.
NCS recommends a big Shakugan no Shana Towel where lead heroine Shana poses in a frilly two piece bikini. Lay it down upon the sand and use it as a barrier between you and the mélange of sweat, sand, and dead skin cells. Failing that, avoid the beach. «photos»