Monthly Archives: February 2011

Kyou Fujibayashi from Clannad (Gym Shed Version)

Kotobukiya Kyou Fujibayashi from Clannad Figure Review

Kyou Fujibayashi is one of the best-known alpha females of anime: she is confident, athletic, violent, and also domestically talented. She is similar in many ways to Tamaki Kousaka but for some reason, she doesn’t get nearly the same level of merchandising love. And what love she receives doesn’t feature anything close to the variety that Tamaki gets. Tamaki’s figures depict her in her underpants, swimwear, as a samurai in her underpants, blue jeans, and a maid uniform, among other costumes. Kyou, in contrast, generally gets stuck in a gym suit. Not that I have a problem with that, since I have this thing for girls in tight athletic wear. Similarly, I have this thing for figures of anime girls with vulnerable expressions. It really simplifies photographing them.
Continue reading

Posted in Figure Review | Tagged , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Year Two Retrospective

This site has been on the internet for two years now. Imagine that. Just before I started up Tentacle Armada, I was in the throes of World of Warcraft addiction. I abruptly quit the game when the Wrath of the Lich King expansion came out and decided to kick off a figure review site. I can scarcely recall what things were like back then; it feels like I’ve been running this site for as long as I can remember. Blog years ought to be measured in dog years, where a year of blogging feels like seven years of life.

I don’t spend much time talking about the site itself but as today is an auspicious day, I will make an exception. Let’s take a look at how Tentacle Armada has evolved over the past year.
Continue reading

Posted in Random Thoughts | Tagged , | 66 Comments

Preorder Outlook IX

It’s been a couple of months since the last one so I think it’s a good time to take a look at some of the figures I’m thinking about preordering. Time is flying right by, it looks like a lot of figure makers have shown off their products through much of the first half of this year. Me, I’m still struggling with remembering to write 2011 instead of 2010.
Continue reading

Posted in Preorder Outlook | Tagged , , | 48 Comments

Dakimakura Review – Chizuru Tendou from Renai Saimin – Tsun na Kanojo ga Dereru Saimin (NSFW)

Renai Saimin Chizuru Tendou Dakimakura

Comiket 79 took place last December and I bought some of the doujinshi that premiered there through Toranoana. There were also a lot of dakimakura covers sold there and I didn’t buy any of them, since the releases were strictly limited edition and I didn’t feel like going through the hassle or expense of using my favorite proxy services. One of the pillowcases I wanted was this one, and after reconsideration I briefly contemplated picking it up off of Yahoo Japan Auctions. A couple weeks after C79, I loaded up Amiami’s webpage and was surprised to see this dakimakura cover listed on their site. I put my preorder in with the quickness, happy that I wasn’t going to have to pay a proxy markup. They’ve since added a couple more dakimakura covers that I thought were Comiket exclusives, which is gratifying indeed.
Continue reading

Posted in Dakimakura Review | Tagged , , , , , | 43 Comments

Lily from anim.o.v.e

Lily from Vocaloid Figure Review

Phat Company’s Lily is the newest Vocaloid figure to the market. Unlike the most famous Vocaloid girl, it’s pretty easy to tell what she does for a living. If you looked at Miku, you’d think she was a student at a high-tech school or a high-flying armored superheroine or a troublemaking, rabble-rousing revolutionary. Lily, however, is quite obviously a singer. Perhaps she just hasn’t been in the music industry long enough to sell out yet. It happens to so many who stick around and make it big, though, so time will tell.
Continue reading

Posted in Figure Review | Tagged , , , , , , | 48 Comments

vmf50 Tentacle Stand (NSFW)

vmf50 Tentacle Stand

I have a moderately large collection of figures and anime-related merchandise, with much of it comprising characters I am not well acquainted with. I buy a lot of stuff, and often I buy stuff just because I think it looks good. However, more precious to me are the products featuring characters that I love or themes that I enjoy. Sometimes I see a figure and think that it was designed exactly the way I wanted it to be, and naturally, those figures excite me much more than the other ones.

This particular product here isn’t a figure; it’s a doll stand, of all things. But when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. There wasn’t any question about not acquiring it – it was so perfect that I would have moved heaven and earth to own it. Thankfully, getting it didn’t take more effort than ringing up a proxy service. But what exactly is this thing?
Continue reading

Posted in Doll Review | Tagged , , , , | 46 Comments

Dakimakura Review – Panty & Stocking from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (NSFW)

Panty and Stocking Dakimakura Review

Time for another dakimakura cover review! You know what Kimiko means. And this time we get to look at two girls for the price of one.
Continue reading

Posted in Dakimakura Review | Tagged , , , , , , | 54 Comments