hontou ni sou omou?

And a song plays in my head as this Zaku bids adieu to Tokyo, with sweet loot in tow.

Once back at my base, I stashed the figurine and doujin loot in the Ikea Markör (blurry photo).

Yuki the First will be transforming into Witch Hat Mode soon because her gentle Goddess of Studying aspect is no longer sufficient - me be needing Full Drive Ignition to meet my looming deadlines. orz

The first and second Megahouse RAH.DX Lunamaria releases together at last. The third is far away but the day of the trio’s reunification is now merely a matter of time. Interestingly, in all my searching of Akiba, Nakano and Ikebukuro, I saw quite a few jacket-off (II) and mecha-suit (III) Lunamarias but none of Pistol Finger (I) Lunamaria. My good bro Stripey speculated that it could be that, on the supply side, there could have been less production for the initial ‘trial’ phase as GSD was being aired and, on the demand side, the popularity of her goods could have taken a hit from possible fanbase demoralization/disgust at how she was treated at the end of the series.

My approach to her post-Zaku phase is to close my eyes, put fingers into my ears and hum really loudly. But in terms of 2D-crushes, while my loyalty to Lunamaria is not unshakeable or incorruptible, she still ranks very highly in my pantheon of anime heroines and she’s still my favourite GSD character by far. Lovely as they are, Meyrin or Stella just don’t cut the mustard (mainly for lack of screentime?) and, besides, their rivalry/dynamics with Lunamaria lack the epic quality that spawned the Rei vs Asuka fanwars.

Balalaika is my favourite Black Lagoon character but this Alter 1/8 Revy was just too good to pass up. My purchase also highlights how I am quite reluctant to buy a figurine that I haven’t seen with my own eyes but that’s often the only way to get hold of a popular character’s figurine via a pre-order - at those times, one just have to faith that the manufacturers will live up to the publicity photographs. But being able to see the figurines in their PVC glory caused my limiters to be released. But for that, one needs the presence of a deep local secondary market, and till that day arrives, the shining beacon of Tokyo’s anime lands beckons me with its irresistable siren song.