Paolo1350's Lane

Moving to Tumblr

2016-07-05T08:22:00.002-07:00

I'm probably no longer going to post anything here for the foreseeable future. I've been really active on my Tumblr and Instagram blogs as of late so please check it out if you want some daily Dawn' pink dress content and my usual ramblings. Thank you for you patronage and I hope you enjoy my new blogs

Thanks to http://kurotennyo.deviantart.com/ for making this for me

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Big things happening for the week of February 14 to 20 (Part 2)

2016-02-14T01:13:00.001-08:00

My lifelong journey with Power Rangers and eventually Super Sentai

As with most, I was introduced to the genre through MMPR. Classic show, nostalgia factor forever. Green Ranger arc is so good. I still watch Dragonzord Vs Tyrannozord in awe. In awe of the special effects work and in awe of seeing 2 Godzilla like robots fight.

(Johnny Bravo voice) Ooooh, Not the tail!

I followed the series until the live action movie, which was pretty good. And then for some reason, I never got to watch Zeo and the succeeding seasons. I don't know why but I think the show simply stopped airing. I do have the Megazord up to Turbo and I even have a VHS of Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. That had a harrowing water scene involving Jason and Kimberly. After that, I had no knowledge whatsoever about In Space till Time Force.

The fulflej song was pretty rocking though

I had the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue game for the PS1. I loved the soundtrack of that. It was annoying that I never ever got to finish that game because it always hanged at one point.

Will we ever get a decent Power Rangers/Sentai game?

I got back into it when I saw Wild Force promo. I thought, hey, Power Rangers. I loved that before, let's watch this new one. And I did and I enjoyed it. Especially when Zen Aku came around. I got my mom to buy me the Wild Force Megazords and the Predazord was just so cool. Unfortunately the Predazord got broken and I can no longer display it. These are the last Megazords I ever got.

I wouldn't mind if Toei did this with all 40

I continued watching Ninja Storm all the way to Mystic Force. I stopped at Operation Overdrive because I could not stand to watch even 1 episode of it. Jungle Fury was a lot better and RPM was so so for me. I know it gets praised but by this time, I think I was ready to move on. And I did, I stopped for maybe a year. But then I came across a youtube video that said, female red ranger and I couldn't believe it. It was unheard of at the time, sure there was the SPD one but it was hardly remembered. So I watched it and that's when I was introduced to the wonderful world of tokusatsu.

Add caption

And the rest is elementary. Gokaiger was right around the corner by this time and seeing all these teams that are unknown to me teaming up with familiar power ranger teams just blew my mind. I had to know who these were.

I thought I knew every Power Ranger series after seeing Forever Red and following the series but there was so much more. So much more amazing action sequences, roll calls and teams ups to be seen and loved. So I threw myself into Sentai and after oh, 5 years, I have quite the collection of unwatched subbed seasons. I have Figuarts that show my appreciation for the franchise that has entertained me for majority of my life. I have followed Sentai since Gokaiger and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. As long as Toei can keep making new ones every year, I'll always be interested in them

Zyuohger looks really good. I don't know why people hated on the suits. It may be plain but it's the good kind of plain. It looks so clean and smooth. Not clunky henshin device on the wrist is a plus.

Big things happening for the week of February 14 to 20 (Part 1)

2016-02-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

Ah February, the time when the new Sentai is upon us. It's always exciting especially if the general consensus prior is positive, unlike a certain train themed one. But this year's February is extra special. Not only is it Sentai's 40th anniversary, it also marks the release of Street Fighter 5.

Now this may come a little off topic for this blog since I never really talked about fighting games but ever since E3 and EVO 2015, my focus on the gaming industry has intensified, specifically on fighting games. Whenever I have the time, I have been visiting Eventhubs for fighting game news and USF4 highlights. I watch the top players on the Capcom Pro Tour and I really enjoy the moments. I played MK X for quite some time too, having Jason and Predator really piqued my interest. Ferra Torr was my first character and they are a blast to play as. It's a crying shame the PC users will not be getting Alien. I was planning on purchasing the Komplete Edition but I guess WB lost another customer with this decision.

I had so much fun with this Variation

Now if only Freddy returned this would be even more perfect

So with all these big events happening in my fandoms, I began thinking about how I grew up with these 2 fandoms. I will start with the fighting game genre

One of my earliest gaming memories involve Street Fighter 2. I do not know which iteration I had I was trying to get 2 Blankas to hit their electric attacks at the same time. I don't believe I ever succeeded.

In fact, when I try to think about old gaming memories, majority of them are from fighting games. I remember battling my cousins in an Alpha Series. I was button mashing like crazy and my thumb always had blisters. We battled in Tekken 3 where Eddy Gordo was the cheapest character ever.

The Vs series blew my mind. I loved playing those games over and over with different teams. I remember seeing a 99 hit Super combo with a 2 Gambit team and I was so into it.

This is probably my favorite one of the series

Eventually the PS2 era came and we got Tekken 4 and MVC2. By this time we were not that into it anymore. We got to play the Naruto Vs games and that reinvigorated us for a while. Then the PSP came along. Tekken 5 was in a handheld device. I was able to take it anywhere with me. It was amazing. I threw myself into training mode and grinded out the most damaging combos I could find. Then Tekken 6 came out and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted beating the same Arcade mode over and over again.

After the end of that, I was done. I did not want to game anymore. Nowadays we all have PC games and console gaming in my family is ancient history. I do miss the days when we would get together, boot up the old PS1/PS2 games and play.

One big reason fighting games have always appealed to me is because of its fast pace. After 2 rounds, you have a winner. The loser gives the controller to the next guy and the cycle continues. Everyone will likely get a chance to play. Everyone can get the chance to show off their favorite characters. It's so satisfying to win and it's exciting to watch. Even those who don't play can get in on the action by button mashing and back then, it usually works.

As I got older, I realized something, I told myself, "Hey, you've been playing these games all this time and I don't think you even really know how to do a Hadouken" And I felt ashamed. Unfortunately for the Street Fighter side of me, which was really non existent at that point in time, I never got to play SF3. It was Tekken 5 era. So I learned Tekken. Then SF4 came out, I realized the inputs were identical. A Phoenix Smasher had the same input as Hadouken. A Lightning Fist input is the same as a Shoryuken. I never properly learned SF4. I never got to learn FADC combos or whatnot. Playing on keyboard and trying to pull off Ultra moves with say Guile or Zangief confounded the hell out of me.

(How in the world do I do this in keyboard?)

And the links, oh my gosh a simple 2 button combo was impossible for me to do. I was so dumbfounded that I could not link a light and medium punch combo. So I gave up, what chance did I have with those long combos that ended with Ultras. So I just played casual as can be SF4 with friends. And I loved every minute of it. Even though we couldn't do the fancy stuff, I still felt the same feelings the old games gave me. The excitement of simply watching 2 people try to win in a fighting game is all one needs to enjoy them.

With SFV on the horizon, I plan to be an online player. It's a new game, we are all on even playing field, except those who got the beta, I have a definite interest for the FGC, I have a decent laptop that hopefully can run it. I also have a PS4 controller. I think the way Capcom is handling the DLC is the way every game with DLC should be handled. SF4 with all its iterations really did it no favors.

Pre order shenanigans

Oh wow, this was longer than I expected, I'll talk about Sentai/PR in the next post.

The LIGHT has now DAWNED upon me

2015-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Terrible pun aside, welcome back. It's been 5 months since my 100th post and my yearly birthday post needs to be made.

During the past 5 months, I've been happily giving in to whatever inspirations hit me and making videos out of it if I deem it sensible enough. I am particularly fond of a Bust a Groove and Pokemon parody video I made. It just seemed so perfect in my mind and I'm thankful the anime and 2000 movie provided me with just the right amount of scenes to make my vision a reality.

Ash and his EZ-Mouse (Parody of Shorty and the EZ-Mouse)

Now I guess I should explain why I titled this post the way I did. It's because Dawn/Hikari is now the center of my attention. Misty is all but banished from my thoughts and I am really being honest here, as in I look deep inside myself and ask myself if whatever I felt about Misty 5 months prior is still there, it is now GONE.

She just has so much to offer!

I can't exactly tell you when it happened but when I tried to remember what the trigger was, this post came to mind.

http://noodlerama.tumblr.com/post/127004437576/ive-noticed-misty-dawn-and-may-all-have

Which lead to this post,

http://noodlerama.tumblr.com/post/117668567641/how-exactly-is-dawns-character-i-always-see-her

And I believe from there, I started going through all the Dawn related tag and I really enjoyed what I read and saw.

Now my full on rant about why I love Dawn and all my thoughts toward her will be for another post. This post is just the normal ranting I write when my birthday rolls around. It's honestly kind of easy to rant around this time of year because another Kamen Rider season has come and gone so I'll always have something to rant about, assuming I keep watching that is.

I watched every episode of Kamen Rider Drive. I even have his figuart and he looks amazing btw. I don't think I can really say whether a toku series is good or bad plot wise, I really don't give much thought to that. I can only tell you if I enjoyed it and if it kept my attention. And I did. It was an enjoyable series. I did not flat out drop it like I did with Gaim early so that's a good sign it was doing something right. I liked the protagonist Tomari Shinnouske, I actually think I could pull off a cosplay of him. Gou started out as really energetic to watch Rider, with his extravagant henshin debut and his cool guy after henshin pose. By midway, he completely changed and I was saddened, but at the end of the story, I understood it and was glad. I really didn't like the fact that Chase became the 3rd Rider especially when his suit design looks too similar to Kamen Rider W in my eyes. I sincerely thought he was shoehorned in and was written in to become a Rider due to his popularity. I'll never know. But as time passed, it was obvious his story will be the classic machine trying to understand human feelings type deal. And this development actually produced one of the most memorable scenes in the series. He pulled it off well in my eyes and I applaud it. Gold Drive seems destined for an exclusive figuarts release and darn it, I actually want one.

If you watched the episode, you know what happens

For reference if needed, this is Episode 43


I'll miss all of them but I'll probably miss Gen's wackiness the most

As for Kamen Rider Ghost, I still think Toei is blatantly cashing off of Deadpool's popularity. From what I've seen, I'm leaning towards the idea that they are trying to make Wizard V2. His fighting style looks similar to Wizard's. The main character even looks like Haruto a bit.

Though the longer I look, the more I'm beginning to like

Random pic much? But I just love the design

Ninninger has definitely improved. Whenever I set about watching the current episode, I was always not that excited. Like I knew it just wouldn't be all that great in terms of story. But the new ninja rival school arc and the conclusion of Star Ninger's character arc made the show feel better. I now appreciate the heroes' personalities now more than ever although not all the time. It is nearly time for the announcement of the next Sentai and seeing as the 40th anniversary is just around the corner, I'm really excited to see what they come up with next. And oh, WHY OH WHY do we still not have news about figuarts for this team!

Takaharu could be a lot better though

Toy wise, I've been bargain shopping old Kamen Rider Figuarts whenever I chance upon a sale online. I got Fourze Base and Magnet States for a steal as well as Gaim Orange Arms. Now I really regret not getting Kachidoki Arms when I had the chance. I also got Marika Peach arms, blame the pink color for that. My Riders are now 1 figure away from matching my Sentai figures. And I told mysel when I started I'd only concentrate on Sentai, "palm to forehead!"

I was introduced to Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) and it is my very first foray into the world of online gaming. Only this game and it's noob friendly play style will allow me to feel like a badass online competitively. There are the toxic players but that's unavoidable.

That's it I guess, I was really in a writing mood huh. I'll be back next time with Dawn, Kenny, Ash and more DAWN!

My Lady in Red: Misty/Kasumi

2015-04-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm old

Misty from the Pokemon anime. Never would I have guessed my 100th blog post would be about Pokemon. I played Pokemon like all the kids did back then and I enjoyed it. I played Pokemon Red on my Yellow Game Boy Color. I of course picked Charamder. I played Blue and Yellow as well and I'm certain I completed the 150 Pokedex at least once. But that's it, when news of Gold and Silver arrived, I wasn't into it anymore. So I have no knowledge whatsoever of the succeeding generation of Pokemon aside from the original 150. The circumstances leading up to this post, when I think about, make sense after putting it all together.

This is how it happened according to my best recollection

October 10, 2014

My introduction back to the world of Pokemon started when my friend shared this amazingly well done parody of Mulan's "Make a man out of you" song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS58nPTzWr0

I really cracked up at this hilariously accurate parody

Now that did not make me start looking at say Bulbapedia or Tumblr for more Pokemon stuff, but I believe the seeds were planted there.

November 13 - 16, 2014

I went to Osaka, Japan with said friend and another. On the last day, the two of us visited the Pokemon Center. I was truly baffled at the lines I saw for the arcade/card game machines. Pokemon is apparently still a big thing in Japan.

More exposure to Pokemon

December 13, 2014

At a college reunion Christmas party, karaoke was sung a lot. One of the songs was Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh. I was unfamiliar with it back then but enough of the tune and lyrics stuck with me for awhile.

December 26 - 31, 2014

I can't really remember the exact date but this much I remember. I was lying in bed surfing with my phone, probably watching that parody video. Youtube sidebar showed a video of the scene in the episode Gotta Catch Ya Later where Misty and Brock parted ways with Ash. And this is where it all started.

Naturally, I was struck by Misty. I want to say old nostalgic feeling of her returned but there really wasn't much. I watched the anime but not too much. I remember the earlier episodes more clearly than the later ones, such as Pikachu defeating Onix and Lt. Surge's Raichu. But as far anime knowledge go, I had no idea who Tracy was. That means I stopped watching early and never really got to appreciate Misty growing up.

What is it about Misty that captivated me so? I believe at that time, I was ready to kind of latch on to a new thing, know what I mean? I was still watching toku but Toqger really didn't give me much to search for and I was looking for a different thing. Then came along this familiar redheaded spit fire mouth of a beloved anime and I just plunged into it.

It started slowly at first. Google Images here and there, Youtube search of tributes. Then I saw this picture in Bulbapedia

I was flabbergasted. She looks too amazing. The red Chinese dress, the earrings, bracelet on her left arm and ornamental ponytail all look perfect on her.

Because of that picture I discovered Tumblr and this account http://allthingsmisty.tumblr.com/.
I spent many happy hours browsing through the adorable screen caps, heartwarming fan arts and interesting commentaries. I was soaking it all up like a sponge and I was happy.

As I was browsing some more, I realized people can submit content to this tumblr and since I can't draw to save my life, I decided to submit a video. I started downloading the episodes and currently have all of the ones with Misty. The song I chose, you guessed it, that beautiful song I heard during karaoke. Once I remembered enough of the lyrics to Google search it, I was moved when I listened to Chris De Burgh sing it. It is a timeless classic and one I can sing along to anytime. I actually sang it three times in karaoke over the course of two days during an excursion with my high school batch. I was so into it.

As I grew more familiar to the song, a problem dawned on me. The lyrics, while singing about a lady in a red dress, are being sung by the man the lady is dancing with. So I was forced to make it into a Pokeshipping video. Now I never knew the term Pokeshipping. I don't even know what the context of shipping meant until I read it on Tumblr. Then I realize I've been shipping long before I even knew the term existed. My very 1st shipping video was of Ben and Gwen Tennyson of Ben 10 way back when it was still airing. It progressed to La Corda eventually and one Maid Sama video.

Old and unignorable feelings started welling up inside of me. Well I guess I'm a hopeless romantic at heart because I felt inspired. I felt the need, the desire to make this video in my head a reality. This song is the perfect song for my envisioned video. It may not be the perfect Misty only video I originally wanted, but I love the song enough to make the best Pokeshipping video as I could.

http://pokeshipping.tumblr.com/ this Tumblr account provided me with all the important shipping moments. It also led me to the Vivid Kids doujinshis. These things are some of the most heartwarming images I've seen in a while. I sincerely thank http://suift-duroo.tumblr.com/tagged/vivid-kids for scanning and sharing them. I would buy them if I could. I remember I obtaining them during New Year's Eve. As the fireworks exploded throughout the night, I was holding back tears and feeling my heart beating faster and faster as I browsed through the incredibly show accurate drawings of Chocolate Panic, Marine Girl, Orange Mail, Ready Go and Yumeirokibun.

A tumblr user http://brandylog.tumblr.com/tagged/my-translation
http://brandysmainblog.tumblr.com/post/30312650869/chocolate-panic-translation
translated Chocolate Panic and Yumeirokibun. I'm sure that made a lot of people very happy. I was getting hit in feels so hard as I alternated between the pictures and the translation. I don't know how accurate it is but I'll take it.

The finished video is one I am proud of. I worked on it for a long time, making sure the timing is just right. When I watch it again, I feel I can make it better in some parts, especially the parts where it's mostly pictures telling the story but I'm satisfied. Many nights I went to bed racking my brain to remember and create the sequences of scene to fit into that particular lyric. I love that feeling, the feeling of wanting to start working on it because if you don't, your brain might forget that magical perfect scene forever.

So now I guess I'm a Pokehipper. In my mind it's not really fair since I never even watched the succeeding seasons and can't judge for myself how real the other ships are. I don't plan to follow the anime, just what I see on tumblr. I don't plan to start playing the games as well. I will say, out of the main Poke girls, Dawn is the one that stands out for me. She looks really pretty in her dresses. Her interactions with Ash are also really cute and I think of Pearlshipping as my second choice. I have tried watching a bit of the Diamond & Pearl season but I could not stand the new voices. They just sound too different.

I really like her Hoenn outfit

The Pokemon fandom is such an active one. Everyday people still post and talk about episodes more than a decade old. The fan artists still lovingly draw their OTP's (learned that from tumblr) and I am amazed by their talent. Looking at the amount of effort and detail they put in their art, one can't help but feel and be inspired by it. I can admit I suck at drawing anything, but I am seriously considering trying my hand at drawing a shippy photo. My theme would be a bowling date. I have no idea if I will even attempt it but the desire is there.

What else is there to say? Checking Tumblr multiple times everyday has become my routine. I am filling up my external hard drive with Pokemon episodes to create some sappy love videos, and God help me I actually want to skim through every one of them to find adorable Misty scenes and make tribute videos. Misty opened up a new and exciting fandom for me to follow as well as becoming a source of inspiration for the long dormant artistic side of me. I know very well there is little to no chance of seeing her in the anime again. I plan to enjoy this ride for as long as it holds my interest, but seeing as how Misty fans and Pokeshippers never seem to run out of topics regarding her, I envision this will be a very long and interesting ride.

One last thing I want to share is the experience that made me want to write this blog post. I was playing with my dog when he jumped up and his teeth nicked me on my upper gum. Small scratch as it is, my mother insisted I go get an anti rabies shot. It was a grueling affair, having to go back to the public hospital 3 separate times and having to wait a minimum of 4 hours each time to get the shots. What kept me entertained throughout the ordeal was the planning of this video. Listening to Lady in Red over and over and running the scenes I thought matched up best in my mind, I enjoy the process.

1 more before 100 (Status Update)

2015-03-10T07:01:00.001-07:00

Something wonderful happened during the holidays last. A series of events led me to a new fascination coming into 2015. The reason I actually feel like writing again is because I want to try and see if I could accurately describe what I felt during that period into words. The extreme feelings of that time has subsided considerably but I am thankful for it. This will be the topic for my 100th blog entry.

Hello 99th blog entry. I shall now rant.

I still watch Sentai and Rider. Only through the sheer convenience of having a smartphone capable of downloading torrents was I able to finish Toqger. I was surprised at myself for finishing it since I tried watching Go-Buster but I could not regularly watch. This was before I had a smartphone though, if I had one at the time, I probably would have watched all the way through. But with Gaim, I had a smartphone and was watching from ep 1. But when Michi turned into Ryugen, I outright stopped caring. It was the absurd light hearted storyline that did it for (fighting for territorial right to dance) Gaim thankfully got better, a lot better as a lot would agree.

Ok what was I initially talking about? Toqger right. I tolerated it. The cast grew on me eventually. Akira especially, He was definitely the Ucchi of the show. I loved the bathhouse centric episode with Kagura. The rest of it though is just so... bland. I don't really know what else to say about the story. The color change gimmick was really weird. I enjoyed the novelty of seeing a female red and a pink male but it really didn't add much. They even stopped using it in the latter parts. The villains design is praised and I agree. Madame Noir is an eye catching design and Zed's monster form reminds me of Dante's Devil Trigger. Grita though can disappear forever and no one will care, seriously, I was so happy when Zed finally absorbed her.

Speaking of Dante, due to the announcement of DMC4 Special Edition, I installed DMC4 again and remembered why I uninstalled it in the 1st place. I get hooked too easily. Having access to Dante's 4 styles plus the Dark Slayer Style and the ability to freely change it anytime in game just open up a ton of possibilities and massive replay value. I am considering getting it once it comes out and I hope it lives up to its hype. I am ready to immerse myself in it again 4 months from now.

My toy collection has stalled. Red sentai figuarts are my main interest and it seems Bandai wants to focus on other franchises for the moment. I'm not too disappointed, I enjoy getting new toys to add but it's not like I need every single release. I do have Vul Eagle on the way to update my red sentai collection. I also have Kamen Rider Drive and Armored Rider Marika ordered. I just fell for Marika, guess my weakness is pink hehe. Drive is a really nice design and coming of the heels of the massively praised Gaim figuarts, it's safe to assume he will come out okay, unlike Wizard.

Ninninger is 3 episodes old. I am not feeling the cast so far. Ever since I saw their faces, I felt no excitement. Also the 1st episode feels like they are trying too hard to be flashy. It's like after the blandness of Toqger, this new sentai has to have all this flashy effects and cool poses. The suits are cool enough, don't try too hard. I want this to be successful because I would really love to own figuarts of these guys. White female senshis are so rare, I was really happy to see one when the team was revealed. I was more overly ecstatic when I realized the team had a white and pink, I was blown away that day.

Last thing, I've been toying with the idea of buying a Kiryu Monsterart for some time. The price though at the local stores are a bit too steep for me.

I guess that's it, I feel inspired enough to really pour effort for my 100th blog entry. I hope it meets my expectations, I do want it to be well written enough that I can read it later in life and recall those once in a lifetime feelings.

Kamen Rider Gaim Series Review

2014-10-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hey all, it's been 6 months. Things have been chugging along and I just don't have that much to say about the current tokusatsu. But since my birthday is coming up and I always make it a point to post something on that day, I don't really know why, here are my thoughts on Kamen Rider Gaim. Also it's cool that my birth month coincides with the new Rider show.

I was 10% interested in Gaim when it started. I gave it a chance. I liked the samurai theme since I really enjoy toku sword fight scenes. I continued till the episode where Micchy became an armored rider and I stopped right there. I wasn't feeling the whole dancing plot. And when I saw all those other riders showing up (Baron, Bravo, Gridon), I really wasn't interested anymore.

But then news came out of a PINK female rider. I couldn't resist. I love pink warriors. So I started watching again but I did revisit the old episodes. Until now, I don't really know what they were about, maybe I'll check it out later. With the arrival of the Genesis Drivers as heralded a very nice upgrade, the Kachidoki Arms. I gotta say, it was the bomb to watch this form dish out the pain. I like the form so much I might consider buying the figuart. Kiwami isn't too bad but I'm disappointed it didn't come with its own special weapon. It just reuses old weapons and uses the DJ Matlock gun for its finisher just like Kachidoki.

I love this form and weapon

Radiant Mai

The story by this time transitioned to a more serious tone. I gotta say, to make me more interested in the story than the fight scenes is rare. All the betrayals, revelations, triumphs and defeats just meshed perfectly and constantly moved the story forward at a lightning pace.

This series caught me and probably everyone else off guard on how good it turned to be. It was a joy watching this amazing drama coupled with armored rider fight scenes. Amazing how a show with a childish concept could gradually transform into a darker story, all the while incorporating various real world legends into its own.

Drive has a lot to live up to.

Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Series Review

2014-04-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Kyoryuger is the 2^nd sentai I have followed through its entire run. Now that it has finished at a surprisingly low 48 episodes, what can I say about? Well, since I stuck with it for a whole year, I undoubtedly like it. This brought back elements that were missing from its predecessor Go-Buster. It had a lot of roll calls for one, and they were very entertaining. Go-Buster’s roll call was unspectacular at best. I understand why but part of the fun of sentai for me is a good old fashioned roll call when the team finally gets together to kick ass, coupled with the theme music and a united shout of their team name. Going hand in hand with the roll call are the suits. When they were revealed, I had absolutely no negative thoughts. I was ecstatic that there was no yellow. It was a bold move and I loved it. I can’t say they have the best looking suits but definitely not the worst or even the near the middle. They look nice and that always helps when I watch.

For the story, it’s an accept it and move along story. This big blue bird monster recruits a homeless drifter to be a Kyoryuger cause he’s brave. Fine, whatever. Let’s get on with it. For the heroes, I can say I don’t really hate a single one that much that I find their focus episode boring. King is the ultimate strong good guy and spouts out encouragement a lot. Ian is a playboy jerk with a heart of gold. Nossan has a weird sense of humor but a strong sense of justice. Souji has awesome sword fights and matures throughout the series. Amy was a very bold pink warrior, a worthy successor to the legacy of female warriors. Utchy was a powerful warrior with the innocence of a child. Ramires was a cool character played by a foreigner. Tessai was a jerk at 1^st but had an awesome focus episode near the end that showcased his humorous side. Yayoi was the shy girl who found the strength to be awesome. Torin was a good mentor, genuinely caring for the humans. Dantetsu was a mystery for most of the series but eventually became a Kyoryuger as well.

I will miss this sentai for the nice suits, the roll calls and the cast. It was really enjoyable and a blast to watch. Tokkyuger is just around the corner.

So what follows are screenshots from each episode with some words below.

Nice 1^st ep. Obviously allotted a lot of the budget for it.

I thought I was gonna get a dancing mecha, I was mistaken.

I admit to holding whatever sword like object like this after this ep. It’s a good one.

This is the awesome roll call scene I talked about up there.

I am liking how Green fights more and more, also a really funny roll call

I loved the pink suit from the moment I laid my eyes on it and ep is full of it!

This was certainly a memorable scene

One of the less memorable eps, really got nothing else so have this

I felt it was a little too early for the 6^th but this was a pretty nice build up ep

This was one of the best intro for an extra ranger

Pink and the cool Gold ranger focus ep! Yes, there are a lot of awesome moments in this one!

As much as I like Gold joining, I think the real show stopper was the mecha battle this ep

I love how Green fights so this ep is a real treat to watch!

Pink focus but not much suit action, also Gold just solo killed the MOTW.

Past mechas only had a finisher like this to rely on. Nowadays it’s pick your finisher

Hmm, look at where Daigo’s staring at.

Grey just doesn’t look that good as a color

So they got two dead warriors helping them out from the side, isn’t that cheating?

This line is just too funny!

This is that encouragement I was talking about

This guy was crazy, crazily entertaining!

Here’s where the writers started shipping with Pink and Red. Good or bad move?

Daigo gets all the girls, lucky bastard.

I will always welcome a female warrior, the only thing I’m not feeling are those flippers behind the helmet.

A blatant rip off of Nightmare on Elm. Humorous roll call though

Abaranger did it 1st

We’re gonna be seeing this a lot. Not that bad but not that good

I’ve got nothing to say except look how dirty the suit gets

This is the real highlight. The rest is staring at a toy and how it works.

This ep is about the two guys with Amy thrown in and ushers in a new arc

This is getting crazy, but a smart move by the bad guys

A friend of mine asked me once why they cluster around a cannon finisher, this actually tries to explain it.

I really like Utchy

I really got nothing unique here

The chanting was really weird this ep

I wonder what that stain is. Also, the suit actor for silver seems a little bigger than the rest.

This is a really fun episode. After all the serious stuff, it’s a blast to watch.

I really like this ep. Tessai got some great and memorable scenes. His theme music is awesome as well.

Now this is the true spirit of sentai! Colorful suits all together, with background music and explosions.

Is that King Ghidorah from Godzilla?

I love the Spirit Ranger humor!

Great Christmas present having all ten again so soon.

I wouldn’t mind getting his Figuart.

Very nice 3 way attack

In this ep, stuff starts happening

I gotta admit, though I wish it was something else, I was touched by this ep.

I don’t care if there’s one more, this was the finale this series deserved!

Goodbye King! It was a lot of fun but I’m kinda sick of you.

S.H. Figuarts Review

2013-11-30T03:11:00.002-08:00

Today’s a holiday so I got some free time. I’ve wanted to do this for a while. My Figuart collection now has grown to 12 boxes of oh my god why do I have so many and why do I still want more. This is like an addiction and I am sure I am not alone. Let’s get on with.

Let’s do this in series chronological order

Red Hawk

When preview pics came out, I bet everyone felt the nostalgia vibe. Even to those who had no idea what Jetman was can’t help but be drawn to his design. It just screams classic Sentai. He is a wonderful looking figure with a ton of accessories. I am just scared I might break his back piece one day when putting on the wing accessory.

Tyrannoranger

The 1^st red ranger. My favorite part about this is his ability to hold the power sword like this. I have never been able to pull this pose off with any of the earlier releases. Just shows how Bandai has improved these amazing things.

Dragonranger

The green ranger, the one that made every 90s kid’s childhood awesome. My only complaint is that the green used looks a little too light. I expected it to be a little darker. I cannot for the love of all things Dragonzord get him to the flute playing pose. I know it’s possible but everytime I try it seems I might break his arm joints, so I back away.

Deka Red

To be honest, HLJ was having a sale and this guy was marked down so low it would be crazy not to snag him. I really had no reason to want him other than the I want to get all red sentai reason. It helps that my cousin had the Akibaranger Figuarts and wanted to form the cannon so he agreed to help out financially. How could I say no to that. On the figure itself, I have no complaints.

Bouken Red

I have stressed how much I hate the Boukenger design and I told myself there was no way I was gonna pay full price for this guy. Alas, I got him along with Deka Red during that great HLJ sale. The cousin collecting Akiba cannon parts and helping pay for it a little helps me swallow this pill easier. He comes with a ton of accessories but I still hate the design.

Shinken Red

HLJ did it again with the ridiculous discount to drive me to order him. He is actually my very 1^st online purchase. The thing I hate most are the shoulders. Thank goodness they did away with those on future releases. The ankles also are very loose but it’s the first.

Hime Shinken Red

This is a peculiar figure. It looks good a distance but not so good up close. I got it for a good price so I have no complaints. We need more female Figuarts.

Gokai Red

My cousin gave this to me as a Christmas gift and I absolutely love it. I still love handling it. Maybe it’s the sentimental value but it really feels good. I have no fear of breaking anything when I play with this guy, except when changing the folded arms pose.

Gokai Pink

It’s all over my site as well as my banner pic, I love Gokai Pink and her Figuart does not disappoint. The price is insanely high though.

Red Buster

I have no love for the series but the Figuart is surprisingly good. I got this alongside Deka and Bouken Red and I like him better than those two.

Kamen Rider Meteor

My very 1^st Kamen Rider Figuart and he is a beauty. Meteor made me take notice of Fourze and his Figuart is a keeper. No swords or guns but he doesn’t need it.

Kamen Rider Meteor Storm

I debated with myself in getting this since I don’t like the design but I finally gave in because I wanted to pose him with his staff. This is definitely a step down from Meteor but not by much. He feels different that’s all.

If you're thinking why so few pics, I'm too lazy to take new ones of my most recent ones. Here's some more group pics. Ryuuranger and Hurricane Red are on their way. I'm waiting for Kyoryu Red's price to go down a bit before getting him.

I really like: Gokai Red, Gokai Pink, Red Hawk, Meteor, Dragonranger and Tyrannoranger

I am ok with: Deka Red, Shinken Red, Hime Shinken Red, Red Buster and Meteor Storm

I dislike: Bouken Red

Lastly, here is my current shelf. WAP! Wizard Special Rush is a great toy as well.

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Vs Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

2013-11-29T06:14:00.001-08:00

The reason I am posting this only now is because of the recent wave of mouth watering preview pictures of the upcoming sentai team up movie. I am so excited to see Zyuranger and was genuinely surprised to see Abaranger along with the Kyoryugers. If this means an Abared figuart is on its way, I gladly welcome it. His character is one I am not too familiar with yet but from the little I’ve seen, I don’t hate him. I’ve written this months ago so that just shows how different my life is now compared to last year aka a job.

The movie starts off by introducing the Mythic Ranger Keys. When all five are gathered, the most massive power is bestowed upon the individual. The new Zanyack commander Bacchus Gils, apparently nephew to Ackdos Gil, is heading towards Earth in a black Gokai Galleon. The Go-Busters are in their base discussing how they depend so much on their BuddyRoids when the alarm goes off. They head to meet Bacchus Gils and the evil Gokaigers. The Gokaigers waste no time and immediately transform and attack them. Gokai Silver shows up in his mecha and is confused by the situation. Gokai Red orders him to throw some ranger keys and they transform into Goggle V and Timeranger. The Go-Busters power up themselves and the fighting continues. The Red Mythic Ranger Key appears and Enter, who already has four, tries to contain it. But all five of the keys start to react which creates a wormhole which sucks majority of the characters in, landing them in different time periods. Navi shows up, is put in a cage and brought to the base. She explains that the evil act was a desperate plan to avoid total defeat back in the Zanyack homeworld. They pretended to be evil in order to gain the enemies trust and steal the Mythic Ranger Keys once it was gathered to prevent Bacchus Gils from restarting the Zanyack Empire.

Hime Shinken Red shows up and delivers a message that has been in the Shiba clan for 200 years. It reveals the location and time period where Yellow and Stag Buster as well as Gokai Silver. The remaining members figure out where their teammates are and formulate a plan to go back in time using the Timerangers Ultimate Power. They combine the ability to the Buster machines and head back into time. Blue Buster meets Gokai Blue and Yellow and start fighting. Beet Busters find Gokai Green and Pink while Red Buster finds Gokai Red eating chicken curry. The Gokaigers eventually reveal their plan to steal the Mythic Ranger Keys and the Go-Busters bring them back to the present. Everyone is back with the exception of Yellow and Stag Buster and Gokai Silver. Enter has also gone back is preventing them from safely returning. Gokai Red and Red Buster head out to save them. After battling with Enter’s Megazord, the time limit is about to run out so the Buddy Roids use their internal Enetron supply to be able to return home. As the teleportation commences, Enters blasts them. This causes the Buddy Roids to short circuit. Beet Buster manages to bring them back online but says their sentience has been damaged, leaving them to be lifeless robots.

With all five Mythic Ranger keys in his possession, Enter activates a machine that will cover the Earth in hyperspace. Using the Timeranger’s ultimate power, they borrow the Gokai Galleon from the past since the present one was destroyed on the Zanyack homeworld. The two teams head out, meet the enemy and henshins. After taking care of the grunts, Enter summons out avatars of Basco, Damaras and Escape. Gokai Red, Blue and Yellow defeat Basco using Sun Vulcan, Gokai Green, Pink and Silver defeat Damaras with Hurricaneger while the Go-Busters defeat Escape.

AHIM AS A FEMALE KUWAGARAIGER! THANK YOU

Gokai Red and Red Buster board the enemy ship to try and stop the machine. They kick everyone out and remove the keys but it still does not stop the machine. They resolve to destroy the ship. They jump out and are confronted the enemy once again. As they prepare to fight, a red hero interrupts and announces he and his team will take care of it. They notice he is alone and so does the new hero. A little embarrassed but that does not stop him from taking on the enemy. His team eventually shows and they announce themselves to be Jyuden Sentai Kyoruuger. They handily defeat the enemy.

This pose does not fit with Kyoryu Green at all

Enter appears with a powerful megazord appears and the Go-Buster confronts it with their mecha. The Gokaigers deal with Bacchus Gils and defeats him.

Magi Red has been in every all red transformation

He grows and they also get in their mecha. The Go-Busters are losing badly due to the emotional loss of their BuddyRoids. On the verge of defeat, the power of their emotions reactivates the BuddyRoids systems and unleashes their Ultimate Power. The power causes the five Mythic Ranger Keys to turn into BuddyRoid keys and the Gokaigers use them. Each of the 5 mecha suddenly receives 5 giant mecha keys. All five transform into past mecha and defeat the enemy.

One of the best mecha designs

The Gokaigers entrust the safety of the Earth to the Go-Busters and plan to go treasure hunting.

Final Verdict: 3/5

Hard to think anything with the Gokaigers would be somewhat boring to watch but that’s what I felt while watching this movie. It felt like they were just there for the sake of it. Their backstory seemed underused. The Go-Busters took up most of the time with their BuddyRoids breaking down story.
It really sucks that the Go-Busters get new roll call montages while the Gokaigers just reuse the old one. This is one of the last times we get to see them and this is what we get?
The only parts I really enjoyed are these. We finally get to see a good fight scene with a female Kuwagaraiger (this was never seen in the series), the funny Kyoruuger cameo and seeing the old mechas fighting. Though I’m pretty sure the finale with Ace just reused the scene from the Go-Buster movie. These are the high points of the movie that fell way short of my expectations. Mostly due to the Gp-Busters. Not enjoyable to watch.

Kamen Rider Wizard Series Review

2013-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Kamen Rider Wizard is the very 1^st rider show I’ve followed from the beginning of its run to its conclusion. It is not my 1^st rider show that I’ve seen all episodes though, that honor goes to OOO. Now that it’s done, I can say I’ll never get into the Kamen Rider series as much as Sentai. Wizard is a flashy show that hooked me with its smooth main rider. It got better with the introduction of a competitive, mayonnaise loving second rider. But after that, the show became boring. For one, the 2^nd rider suddenly lost the characteristics that made me like him. He suddenly became just the other rider to call on for help. Then the main rider had to always share the spotlight with the 2^nd. I know the obvious need but darn it, when he was alone, his fight scenes were so much more entertaining compared to the long drawn out ones he has with the 2^nd rider in later episodes, against the goons no less.

Nonetheless, I kept on watching for the eventual final form and the epic way the riders obtain it. Infinity is one of the coolest designs. Hyper is meh. But after that, I just slogged on through the filler episodes until they finally got to explaining everything during the final arc. It was a good final arc and the Heisei Rider teamup is the perfect way to finish off the series.

So did I like it? I liked the suit design and that’s a big reason for my watching. I will always like the 1^st 23 episodes. The following seemed to lack the magic the 1^st 23 had. The big episodes like Infinity and that awesome team up will stand out when I reminisce about it. Overall, a pretty nice show and I have no regrets following it for 1 year. The actors for Koyomi and Medusa being there week in and week out was another reason to watch as well :)

So what follows are screenshots from each episode with some words below.

That was a great 1^st episode showcasing all his standard special moves

What can I say, I like the way he fights even if he doesn’t use punches.

This ep made me love Water form and its slash strike

This guy was a memorable phantom

Man, slash strike finishers are addicting to watch

Just another nice fight and transformation scene

Why didn’t he do this more often?

Always a cool gesture and sound

I like the Dragon forms. Thinking of getting the WAP!

Forgot he did this, it’s like the Infinity style finisher

For lack of anything nicer to screenshot

I liked the story

This was a pretty nice aerial battle

Haruto is a lucky guy. Koyomi’s smile is very nice to look at

I think water dragon is my favorite dragon form

This is one of the “coolest” finisher sequences I’ve seen, and he meets Santa Claus

I like Nitou because I get to see him put mayonnaise on anything

This is a funny scene

I enjoy seeing food being eaten


Okay, this is hilarious! And a little disgusting

Sadly, this is the last we see of his mayonnaise bottle for a while

4 words, AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!

Take a page out of Son Goku’s playbook. Can’t beat enemy, let the sun do it for you.

Yes, why is that?

Wow, he never did this again

Medusa’s actress just got interesting

Man, weren’t we all excited about this, a possibility of another wizard and it’s a female to boot

Sheesh, I don’t even remember ever seeing this treasure box again

Meteor Storm color scheme and a gun as an upgrade

Chimera and Dragon together. Nice fight scene

Awesome and somewhat overpowered Infinity form debut!

Sparkle Sparkle!

After some hilarious events, we get 4 simultaneous Dragon Style Kick Strikes!

Meh, not really interested in this guy. Miss Phoenix

Whooooh, look at that close up

2^nd time he’s run out of mana

Wizard has a sense of humor

Does anyone else see that ring of circles in the middle of the screen? What is that?

Glow baby glow

Well this was a let down of magnificent proportions

The plot thickens

Don’t know why this pic but eh

All Dragon a second time in 15 blurry seconds, WHY?

Boring episode

Relatable guy huh

So it’s all about Koyomi now

Going for a Best Actress Award perhaps?

Gee, that was fast.

Beast finally did something awesome

Fourze did this as well

My 1^st punch and it’s in the 3^rd to the last episode

So this 2 parter is to make up for Gaim not showing up in Wizard’s summer movie

Episode 53

This episode warrants more than a single phrase to sum up my thoughts on it

Firstly, it makes no sense and it was a rush job 2 episode storyline. Amadam being a wizard who misused magic and got punished, where did that come from? Did Decade explain that to Wizard? And why is Tsukasa there? He’s just a Rider Ring summon. Is Beast dead? Praying to the 13 rings when Earth is at its highest? And a lot more but I’ll stop now cause it doesn’t matter.

What matters is we got an amazingly flashy FINALE for a show that was flashy to begin with and it was fun. Future all Kamen Rider team up movies should take a lesson from this episode. It features a lot of actual team up fight scenes between the various Riders, cumulating in that massive CGI battle against “larger enemies”. Seeing them use special moves and power ups together is what I want to see in a team up special.

Really? Sunglasses the whole time he had his helmet on? Looks badass though

I bet someone will recreate this scene with Figuarts one day

Gaim is… I am not sold on it but let’s check out the 1^st ep and we’ll see

I guess everyone knew well beforehand this kid’s name

Well that’s it, sayonara Wizard. It was fun and I like your suit designs enough to consider buying your toys. Nicely done Toei. Story could’ve been better though. Looking forward to one last showtime!

I do believe this is a female White Wizard

Status Update

2013-09-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

It’s been 5 months since I last posted anything. I guess it’s because I am helping out in the family business and just don’t have all the free time I used to have last year. But my birthday is approaching and for some reason, I always try to post something on that day. It’s almost done, am just waiting for a certain special episode to get subbed.

To any Simpsons fans out there, do you regret buying this? I for one do not (helps I spotted it about 2500 pesos cheaper at NBS compared to Fully Booked) But it is a really neat thing to have when rewatching the old seasons. Jam packed with all the Simpson info you could possibly need. Though one thing bothers me, the last part of the book lists all the songs but Jazzman is not there.

Here is my current toy shelf. Presently, there are 11 S.H. Figuarts. Can’t wait for HLJ to have a sale again. Their discounts are by far the best I’ve seen! I never planned on buying Bouken Red but my cousin persuaded me by contributing a bit for it and it was on sale, so what the hey! Still am not a fan his suit though.

Super Hero Otsu, we really need more of these things. Always a pleasure to see those marvelous suits, especially Gao White!

As I said before, Kyoryuger is easy to watch. I like it. I’ll probably do a series review of it next year. As for the 2014 Tokkyuger, I am interested already. Trains as a motif seems nice. I am sure Toei learned from Go-Busters and am confident it won’t turn out that way again. I hope the color scheme to be different, not the same old red, blue, green, yellow and pink. There’s enough of that.

That's all for now. Check back on October 5!

Memorable PBA matches

2013-04-24T04:11:00.001-07:00

I have by no means seen every PBA match on Youtube or have an encyclopedic memory of the history of the PBA. I have not seen the bowlers of yesteryears as much as the more current ones but from those I have seen, the list below are the ones that stayed with me until today. Not in order, all very fun and inspiring matches featuring the most popular stars of the PBA.

Norm Duke Vs Mika Koivuniemi (2008 and 2011)

Both amazing matches. Came down to the last frame for each. 2008 was a lot of fun to watch since you just can’t help but feel happy for Duke after he makes the bucket. To think a pro as old and successful as he is can act like that inspires me to give my best on every shot. I think I reacted the way he did when I first broke 200. Just jumping up and down, not believing I actually did it.

2011 was a stunner. This time, you can’t help but feel bad for Mika. We’ve all been there, to work so hard and one tiny mistake cost us so much. Though you have to hand it to Duke, he struck out and doing that is not easy. Those last 4 strikes, though not dead flush perfect, makes you notice how smooth Duke throws the ball. Really beautiful the way ball rolls.

2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my6hW78FNuQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5wUd8cfgeM

2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUZeeGzcJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVqLnqE9GYw

Walter Ray Vs Pete Weber (Japan Cup 2006)

A hall of fame match made even more special since WRW nearly shot a 300 and broke Earl Anthony’s record. The match starts off with each of the legends matching each other strike for strike, but it was obvious Weber’s look to the pocket was not as dead eye accurate as Williams’. WRW’s shot is one I would love to have someday and whenever I am in a slump, I’ll think back to this match and imagine that the pins I see in front of me are falling the way each time WRW throws the ball. Two true masters of game, Norm Duke on commentary, Pete Weber crotch chops and an almost 300 game, what more could you ask for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZohDkzxny0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbxNupT_1DM

Not to mention this high five pose as epic as any sentai hand off

Norm Duke Vs WRW (300 game)

Norm Duke becomes the 15^th player to shoot a televised 300 game and it couldn’t have come against a better opponent as WRW. Just look happy both of them are after Duke achieves the feat. I doubt anyone else could provide a tall target for Duke to leap onto. Just really a feel good match to watch. Just thinking about these two great bowlers and friends as it seems smiling and celebrating together pus a smile on my face. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8g-IEu7vEE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ICTagJ7Vw

WRW Vs Chris Barnes (2010)

Poor Chris Barnes falling victim to WRW at the Masters again. But when WRW is throwing the ball so beautiful and perfect like that, it’s near impossible to beat him. My favorite part is when Rob Stone says Good Lord on WRW’s 12^th frame shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owL8-piyYg4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnKc5xzhEaw

Will Duke Em’

A fun video to watch. Listening to these two joke around with Jeanette Lee is pure gold. Duke calling himself Yoda and WRW as Obi-Wan, priceless. Not to mention these two living up to the expectations of teaming up together. I ask, how is it fair to the other teams? Were they really expected to beat a dream duo like these two? I really love watching these shootouts since it is a different change of pace in terms of fun. You get to hear some banter between the bowlers you would never hear in the serious tournaments. Seeing guys smiling and laughing doing what they love is pure estacy.

Just type WD’E on youtube and enjoy seeing these two dominate the competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKwQ8G6BJk (At 2:30, Duke is Yoda and Williams is Obi-Wan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJmuchc7s6w (At about 3:00, a very fun segment of Duke and Williams explaining their team name)

Parker Bohn III Vs Wes Mallott

Wes Malott could not be beat on these lanes. Shooting ridiculous numbers, he bowled two 300 hundred games in a span of 5 weeks. But I chose this more for the humorous exchange between Parker Bohn III and Wes after the game was all but over. Really funny stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUk2439zGoY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lru2Sl20FNs

Kelly Kulick Vs Chris Barnes

As I’ve said before, Kelly just bowled so darn well. A near perfect game except for that split in the 8^th and victory shot in the 12^th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BUv0nJTzRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-vAjuWgFZ4

Bowling

2013-03-09T19:11:00.001-08:00

I loved duckpins as a kid. There are pictures of me when I was maybe 4 or 5 years holding a small bowling ball used for duckpins. I have fond memories of playing in that country club every time I went to Baguio for vacation. There was a certain magical feeling of throwing a ball down a 60 foot lane and knocking down all ten pins, seeing how the pins are put back by hand then eventually by machine, and getting ready to do it all over again. What a childhood…

So I guess it’s no surprise I eventually ventured into “big boy” bowling when I was a little older. I don’t really remember how good or bad I was since I was really just playing for fun. I just knew I could throw that ball pretty straight if I needed to. Now that I am past the teen years and am wondering what to do with my life, I came to the conclusion that no matter what I do, I want bowling to always be part of my life.

For most of my teen years, bowling has just been the game to play whenever I vacation in a country club or get invited to a bowling birthday party. Now that I am done with school, I got myself a coach and have been bowling regularly for the past year and a half. Naturally, I found myself watching bowling videos on Youtube (God bless the uploaders). The only other time I ever saw bowling onscreen was when Kelly Kulick defeated Chris Barnes to become the 1^st woman to ever win on the PBA Tour. That was way back in 2010 and it was just luck that I saw it. I was taking summer classes and came home during lunch. Coincidentally, I just came from a Philosophy class I believe so I was very deep in thought that time. So I was flipping through the channels and suddenly stopped at the sight of bowling on TV. I was shocked since, as I said before, I have never remembered clearly seeing a bowling match on TV before. I watched in awe as I witnessed history in the making. This woman whom I’ve never heard of was clearly dominating the match and with the way she was bowling, it wasn’t hard to see why. It was at that moment I decided to pursue bowling seriously. I promised myself that after I graduated, I will cast aside all doubt, get myself a coach and become the best bowler I know I can be.

As far as bowling knowledge goes, I am still a noob. There are still so many terms, equipment and strategies I have yet to master. It is a difficult and daunting task. But I believe with all that I can believe in, this is what I want. This sport is one of the things that make life worth living. No matter how down and out I feel, I can always look forward to the day I step onto those lanes with my good friends and just have a great time, chatting, laughing, eating, high fiving and most all, bowling.

Update: February 21, 2013

2013-02-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a month and a half since I last posted so I feel the need to post something. Life has been busy, a lot has changed since New Year. Let's just say I kind of gave up one interest to pursue another one and am now doing half of what I envisioned myself doing during college. That interest is BOWLING! I mentioned it before I think. That is why my blog's titled as such.

Now on the toku side of things, I'm glad Go-Busters is done and over with. The only thing that kept my interest in that show was Enter during the latter arc though I do plan on watching the series again as I skipped some episodes.

Kyouryuger looks a lot easier to watch than it's predecessor. It has a fun and light feel to it. It also helps that the pink senshi's suit looks good and that the suit actress is the same one that made me love Gokai Pink so much. Though I feel embarrassed watching the ending credits. That was way too "kiddy" even for me.

Kamen Rider Wizard is the 1st Rider I'm following from start to finish and I am enjoying it very much. Here's hoping the show stays amazing for the rest of its run.

Toy wise, I recently got the two Shinken Reds at great prices. It nicely complements my Gokai Red and Pink.

I'll probably be talking about the above paragraphs in individual posts next time. I can't wait to rant about bowling.

My Tokusatsu Year in Pictures

2012-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

I've been taking a lot of pictures of my toys and I really like some of them. So I thought I'd pick out the best ones I took. Enjoy and look forward to more next year!

My Tokusatsu Year

2012-12-31T20:07:00.000-08:00

2012 is done and like 2011, tokusatsu was on my mind most of the time. I honestly don’t know when I will inevitably shift my focus to other things but for now, I am enjoying every second of it. So here is 2012 according to me.

Movies

Gokaiger Vs Gavan is one of the most entertaining team up movies ever.

I've been doing the Laser Blade pose for a year now

Megamax and Super Hero Taisen did not live up to my expectations.

OOO: Exuding the power of Core Medals\Fourze:Being Orange

Series

Gokaiger made me a bona fide Sentai fan. Complete downloaded series are Gokaiger, Gaoranger, Jetman and JAKQ. It is actually a dream for me to possess every single episode of sentai, whether it is RAW or subtitled.

Fourze… I’ve said enough before.

Go-busters disappoint me. The final battles just weren’t all that great. I know it’s not done yet but I don’t think I’ll ever get into it. Although the team up with Gavan Type-G was pretty cool.

Wizard is the 1^st Kamen Rider series I am following in a weekly basis. Great action, good looking suit in all its forms and I think I fell in love with Koyomi’s smile since the very 1^st episode.

I have high hopes for Kyoryuger and KyoryuPink just might be the new Gokai Pink for me.

Toys

S.H. Figuarts Gokai Pink stole my heart and memory space ever since I laid my eyes on it.

I completed the OCC OOO line sans Birth.

Fourze gave me my 1^st S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider in Meteor. I was on the fence on getting Meteor Storm since I read some bad reviews about it. So it was a matter of, I want one but not enough to pay full or even 10% off for it.

Luckily I saw a great deal being offered in a group I am a part of on Facebook called Tokusatsu Pinoy Collectors. http://www.facebook.com/groups/234400989937738/

The admins are nice to let mostly anyone join as long as they ask nicely and follow the rules. The dealer’s Facebook page is HiveMind Malupetuz http://www.facebook.com/chan.malupetuz

I really appreciate Meteor's design a LOT more seeing it beside Meteor Storm

S.H. Figuarts Red Hawk is a thing of BEAUTY SO PLEASE HURRY UP WITH S.H. FIGUARTS WHITE SWAN! When I place next to Gokai Red, he just looks so different in a good way. It reminds us of a time when our heroes were tough strong men with deep voices instead of today’s pretty boys, though I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.

I was really planning on getting all of Wizard’s forms until they announced the dreaded Exclusive tag on the others. Just does not make sense at all!

I was also sold on getting an S.H. Figuarts Gavan after they announced it but we all know what’s keeping us modest collectors from getting it.

A no-brainer must buy for me next year is Dragon Ranger. He is the reason green is my favorite color and the personification of my childhood.

To all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Super Hero Taisen Review/Rant

2012-12-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

As the most hyped tokusatsu movie of 2012, I’m giving this one special treatment. I will start by saying all the negative things said about it are absolutely true. I watched it with the hope these were false but no. After watching it, I tried to think of its good points and there are. But the more I analyze, the negatives just outweighs the positives to a point where I wish I could ride the Den-Liner and tell Toei to do it again. There are just so many, many, MANY wasted opportunities. But let’s stop there and think.

I think the main reason I wrote that paragraph above, and why so many of us hold the movie in low regard, is that we are spoiled. Toei has given us two All Rider movies in a span of 3 years and an All Sentai movie just last year. All 3 of these were very good. We have seen how good Toei can make a movie. But what if Super Hero Taisen was the 1^st ever franchise wide crossover movie? It would be the 1^st time we would see every Sentai and every Rider at the same time. Would we hold a different opinion then? Maybe we are so used to seeing a menagerie of heroes onscreen during these recent years that this team up movie should have given us more (and it should have!) Hey, when I first saw Forever Red, I loved it to bits. When I first saw Super Sentai World, I was going crazy by the fact that 5 Sentai teams and Megazords are onscreen. All Riders Vs Dai Shocker blew my mind and everyone else’s when I showed them the final battle. Let’s Go Kamen Rider’s reveal of Dai Shocker’s gargantuan form was one of the most visually stunning scenes I’ve ever seen. 199 Heroes lived up to its name as 199 heroes did show up along with 35 super robots. So by the time Super Hero Taisen came along, were we not over saturated with awesomeness that we just couldn’t love this “been there seen that” team up movie as much as the others. I don’t know for the rest of you but I guess I was and I guess that means I’m growing up.

Well, enough heart breaking revelations, on this part, I will review the movie but in a less detailed fashioned and more pictures compared to my previous movie reviews.

The opening was really good. Once I looked past Gokai Red disgracing the Legendary Seven Riders, I could feel the excitement welling up of seeing Riders vs Sentai. The western style music really helped.

Gokai Red vs Fourze started good but really faltered at the end. As always, Meteor was a bad ass, calling some of Sentai’s toughest enemies weaklings.

I love Decade’s entrance. His aloofness is fun to watch. I love how he just told the Go-Busters, you die. Sadly, the fight was bland. He turned into Faiz and didn’t do anything special. Narutaki as Doctor G was funny by the he says his name as well as his prolonged Kamen Riiiiiiiiiiider.

I’m glad the Gokaigers got some lines; especially Pink. Sucks they chose to focus on Blue and Green for the rest of movie. Just a very bad move Toei. Very bad. Blue I can understand, he’s Gokai Red’s betrayed friend like Diend is to Decade, but Green? I bet everyone would have been happier with Yellow, Pink or Silver.

I was excited for OOO appearing but sadly, he was a minor player. I expected Hina to throw some medals to OOO at least but nothing.

Though the fight between Gokai Red and Decade featured interesting match ups, it made me wish they threw their armies at each other instead. Enemies fighting enemies are just as interesting as heroes fighting heroes.

It really should have been Ryuuranger. If Toei did it right, what an epic fight scene this would be.

This scene just makes no sense at all. Isn’t Kamen Rider Ichigo “dead”?

Short but sweet? No, just too short.

Good to see henshin and roll call from Gokaiger. Gokai Yellow for the 1^st time (in my eyes) finally has a female suit actor. I was pretty surprised at the noticeable difference when I first saw it.

Fitting music for these scenes

Odd choices for a Rider/Sentai team-up. There are literally a dozen more popular Riders and Sentai teams to choose from and they go with Hibiki and Go-onger? There wasn’t even a Rider 1/Akaranger team up fight! Come on, after finally bringing together the two figureheads of the two series, why not give them some screen time together doing what they best.

I was pleasantly surprised for this scene, since I like Geki Yellow. But the Den-O riders just hogged the screen time too much.

The most annoying thing about this team up is the fact that Pink Mask actually had more screen time in this movie than the entire Gokaiger series. That results in Pink Mask and Pink 5, as the only two analogs of Gokai Pink, not getting any significant screen time.

And what’s up with Fourze fighting solo? To showcase Magnet States? Missed opportunity for a team up with, I don’t know, Go-busters or Super-1!

History was made the moment a Rider piloted a mecha.

Finally, a fantasy come true ever since Gokaiger and OOO started airing, but I really, really, REALLY expected some sort of fight scene where we actually hear them shout out each OOO’s forms’ attack. I was deprived of hearing Ahim in Putotyranno form say or do ANYTHING, and that’s what I really wanted from that scene. And what did Gai do? Give Marvelous his Rider key, because he surely did not insert the Saghozo key.

The Goseiger cards were anti climatic. But then again, all the Crab King did was shoot them with lasers. He also never used that axe once. They showcased Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki twice. I just love that pose and I do it often.

I would have preferred a cool history montage or all riders and sentai pose while the “We are Brothers” song is playing or anything else rather than the ending scene we got. It just didn’t feel appropriate given the hype. Instead, the things that stood out are guys smiling creepily at each other.

I hope and pray the upcoming Super Hero Taisen Z will be the movie it will surely be hyped up to be and let me experience the same kind of happiness I felt the moment I got into this wonderful genre.

My final opinion: 1.5/5

The few things that I liked saved this movie from getting a 1.
The opening, Decade’s aloofness, seeing Kamen Rider 1 and Akaranger face off, Gokaiger roll call and the big gathering of heroes.

Kamen Rider OOO Toy Fair (Birthday Post)

2012-10-05T09:08:00.002-07:00

Yes, October 5 is my birthday. I’ve been really busy the past month since I just got my first job. I haven’t posted anything for September and I made it a point to post on my special day, so here I am.

Get ready for a barrage of OCC Kamen Rider OOO pictures. I have finally completed the OCC line last month, minus Birth, and I just can’t wait to showcase the beauty of having the ability to create hundreds of combos in an instant. Also included are all the combos the series and movies have shown. I tried my best to match up the OCC figures as close as possible to his on screen counterpart. Enjoy! (If anyone wants to see a random combo not featured here, request away at the comments and I'll happily oblige!)

Here are some of the things I’ve noticed about this line after a year of collecting and playing. Let’s do this in order.

Tatoba: The Taka head and the Tora claws are the best parts of this figure. I can’t stress how much better the non transparent Tora claws look compared to the transparent one you get from Latorata combo. The Taka head is the most often used head in the series and I felt so relieved when I finally got.

Gatakiriba: In my experience, this figure is best posed in a wide angled stance. His legs can really pull it off and the blades, when positioned correctly, gives off a great look. But let me tell you, I’ve had this figure for half a year, I still can’t figure out how to pose the grasshopper leg gimmick. Best to stay clear of it, since you might break off a piece plastic on the ankles. It happened to me. It gets really hard to pop out the gimmick after a while.

Latorata: The best part is the leg part. Those flaps just elevate the look to the next level. One thing about my figure is how extremely crazy stiff the Tora arms are. A lot of effort must be exerted to rotate the arms that at times; I fear I might break it. It eventually loosens but one should always be careful.

Sagozo: The very 1^st one I bought and still my favorite. I actually over paid for this one since I was ignorant and I’m still kicking myself for it. The weakest part is the leg. I am saying right now it rarely looks good on anything else. It is like is meant to be only for the full combo. The Sai head and Gorilla arms on the other hand are gorgeous with nearly any combo. Though the arms on my figure keeps popping out once you pop in say a head or leg piece. It loosens over time.

Tajador: I’m saying this now. This is the last figure I got but in the short span I have it in my possession, I can say the Taka head just doesn’t look good on any other combo. It seems it is really meant only for Tajador or Super Tatoba. The wings on the other hand, are to die for. Gorgeous red wings that will make any combo shine. I don’t have a Tamaashi stand so I am unable to pose it with the condor legs gimmick but I have no complaints with it so far, except that it hard to pop it out after a long time.

Shauta: Is this everyone’s least favorite combo? It probably is but I’ll say this now. The head looks good on a lot of random combos. I have no idea how to pose the octopus leg gimmick although the whips are a nice accessory to have. Do not skip on buying this, that’s all I can say.

Putotyranno: I was blown away when I first held this in my hand. The word to describe it is MONSTROUS. Because of the wings and tail gimmick, it looks a lot bigger compared to the others. I love the weapons included even though it is unpainted. This is a figure to have. It is a beast and it looks great! The wings on the head are a great addition to random combos you won’t see anywhere else.

S.H. Figuarts Vs OCC

My cousin possesses Gatakiriba to Putotyranno in the Figuarts line. I’ve always wondered how different the OCC line so I placed mine beside his Figuarts. I know the Figuarts line is clearly more detailed but honestly, after seeing and handling them, I prefer the OCC line.

Here are my reasons:

I prefer the simplicity of the OCC compared to the work one has to put into posing Figuarts. I’m talking about switching the hands just to put in say, the Tora claws.

Of course, I love the gimmicks the OCC offers.

The Figuarts look smaller.

If I were to get any of the Figuarts, I would definitely grab Sagozo. Without a doubt still the best OOO combo for me.

My cousin is selling his OOO Figuarts, including Tajador and its effect parts. I don’t have any pics because I didn’t have OCC Tajador at the time.

Here’s his Facebook account for those interested.

http://www.facebook.com/theonlyzerodevilX?fref=ts

Thoughts on Kamen Rider Fourze

2012-08-30T04:01:00.000-07:00

Finally, Fourze is finished. That was an amazing finale I’ll give them that but the series itself was a snorefest. OKAY STOP! This line is from the first draft of this post. I was honestly expecting an awesome finale. But what I saw just annoyed me to no end. Read on…

Fourze to me is like an anti drug abuse show inside a school. The chairman and the principal are users and push the students to become users. Fourze enlightens the students who fall prey to them. It must also be like a fantasy come true for a teenager to be able to punch his principal and teachers, even though unknowingly. Not to me though, I had a good and caring principal and excellent teachers during high school. Also, Mr. Oosugi though is hilarious.

I followed the 1^st few episodes and it was pretty good. But then, they formed the Kamen Rider Club and that totally ruined it for me. Extra characters like, JK, Tomoko, Queen and King guy felt useless and took up screen time. I understand it is meant to be a high school like show showcasing the various types of people one meets during one’s high school life, but the filler episodes involving them were like a chore to watch. Even when Meteor came along, I still could not get into the show, even after his upgrade to Meteor Storm. It was only after I read that Meteor killed Fourze that I was like, OK, I gotta know the story as to why he did that. So I did and discovered how awesome Meteor is. The only reason I even keep Fourze episodes is for this reason.

That has got to be one of the coolest finishing move effect. So after Cosmic States came, I followed it again but then the episodes just reverted back to filler and Meteor was downgraded to a sidekick who spams Meteor Storm. So I stopped until episode 41. That’s when things got serious and it gave me a good shock. That episode alone shows how good this show can be once you get rid of all those extra characters. The follow up episode 42 is equally good. I admit I was intrigued at the possibility of Yuuki being a Zodiart all this time but, those two episodes fell short of my expectation.

After watching the finale, I was struck at how unrealistic it was. Sagittarius went Super Nova. Is that not supposed to make him a whole lot stronger? And the way both Kamen Riders defeated their respective rivals just felt too easy. I’m actually glad that they changed Sagittarius’ costume into that red one so as not to tarnish the awesomeness of his previous form. Sure, they saved Japan but they basically crushed Sagittarius’ dream of going to space and meeting the Presenters. Why did they have to show him as a kid? I just felt sorry for him. The only thing I liked about the finale is Kamen Rider Wizard’s cameo and preview. I am so excited for it to start.

In conclusion, Kamen Rider Fourze was not an enjoyable show for me. The only thing I really liked was Meteor and his limit break. On Meteor Storm, I am so disappointed he keeps using that staff. He lost the one thing that made him cool, his Jeet Kune Do. I do enjoy hearing him shout Meteor Storm Punisher though. More on Meteor, he is my 1^st Kamen Rider Figuart. I’ll post some pictures next time. It now also makes sense to get the Virgo Figuart since the two are connected. Curse that episode 41! The only problem is that she is an exclusive, but I think she’ll look darn good alongside Gokai Pink, hehe.

A little rant before Fourze ends

2012-08-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

I would just like to get stuff off my chest and if any decides to come to this corner of the internet, well then lend me your ear.

I am unhappy with the modern way of life. Everyone is just staring at a screen, including me. It has become so d*** annoying that during this month of August 2012, I've intentionally hidden my laptop to stop me from using it. I just realized one day there must be more to life, more to do, than to sit in my chair facing this one eyed monster for a whole afternoon or day. But laptops are not the only source of temptation. An Ipad is always nearby where I live. It takes a great deal of will power for someone who has grown so accustomed to using one to resist picking it up and start going to one's favorite places on the web. Even my 5 year old non-touch screen cellphone has wifi capability.

So what did I experience during my internet exile that lasted for almost 2 weeks, I felt GREAT! Sure I was bored out of my mind at times, going around the house at least a dozen times but I felt free. I am no longer a slave to my laptop. I can now choose when I want to use it. Previously, I would see it right there, just sitting on my desk and I cannot help but open it. I no longer feel like S*** everytime I stand up from my chair because I knew I did not waste my time surfing the net. I started sleeping earlier (which seriously, EVERYONE should). Remember when we were kids and we actually had bedtimes? You'll feel better in the morning.

I appreciate the internet, I guess anyone can tell. I thank it for introducing me to brand new worlds of information and entertainment. But I believe everyone will agree that too much of anything can be harmful. So I challenge anyone who reads this to take back control of your lives. If there is no reason to stay in front of a computer, turn it off. Give your eyes, mind and body a break from the online world. Feel the air outside the window, fix up the clutter in your house, read a book or exercise.

But be careful not to return to an old foe. I am talking about the television. In those two weeks, I watched so much TV that I realized I just traded one vice for another. Oh well, it's been a while. It was like revisiting an old friend. I did get to watch both the opening and closing of the 2012 London Olympics and I'm happy did.

Now that that's done, let's talk about Kamen Rider Fourze. I have my thoughts on the series all typed up and, as we all are, am waiting for the final episode. Here's a little preview of that post.

More where that came from, see you next week

Kamen Rider 40 X Super Sentai 35

2012-07-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Kamen Rider Seitan 40 Shunen x Super Sentai Series 35 Sakuhin Kinen 40 x 35 Kanshasai Anniversary LIVE & SHOW

This is the joint celebration and concert for the 40^th anniversary of Kamen Rider and 35^th anniversary of Super Sentai. It is a 2.79 GB file separated into two files and you can get it here

http://krdl.info/forums/index.php/topic,13.0.html (also, why not sign up while you’re at it.) Though the size may be intimidating, let me say you are in for a treat for both the eyes and ears.

First and foremost, you get a history lesson of the two beloved franchises with a montage showcasing the year each of the shows aired. Next features a stage show with the heroes of Gokaiger and Fourze working together. After that impressive montage of stage magic, you get to see the actors themselves interact with each other, though I have no idea what they’re saying since it has no subtitles. You do get moments like this. Yes, I am biased to Ahim and Gokai Pink, hihi.

We'll kill each other in Super Hero Taisen

The place exploded the moment he came in

The 2^nd file features live performances of various theme songs used in the shows. The 1^st part features Kamen Rider songs, majority of which I am not familiar with. The only ones I know are W’s and Fourze’s opening, where all the Heisei Riders showed up and the original Kamen Rider theme, where all the Showa Riders showed up, and my favorite, Power to Tearer.

I was surprised this was there but I absolutely loved every minute of it. Seeing Eiji again was a blast as well as Akira Kushida, who does those awesome vocals on the song. This guy to my knowledge sang Sun Vulcan’s opening theme and Abaranger’s closing theme. He, along with the guy who sang Gokaiger’s opening theme, sang the theme used in Gokaiger X Gavan. But this amazing performer wasn’t finished, he then sings Gavan’s opening theme, which I am now familiar with after watching Gokaiger X Gavan numerous times. Just like Fourze’s opening theme, Gavan makes an appearance.

After some more Kamen Riders songs, the Gokaiger opening is sung. Opening for Hurricanger, Dekaranger to Goseiger is then sung. Next up is the Super Sentai Getter where all the previous Sentai singers got together and sang. It is so cool to actually see and hear the respective singer of a series sing their lines within the Getter. To top it off, all the Red Senshis showed up! To close the show, the cast of both shows came out and along with the singers sang the ending theme of the OOO Wonderful movie.

This badly needs subtitles! Also, Ankh should have been there to sing Time Judged All with Eiji, that would have been so awesome!

Chojin Sentai Jetman Series Guide (Part 1)

2012-07-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

I think Jetman is internationally loved and it’s hard not to see why. I can say nearly every episode I’ve seen has impressed me.

As the title says, this is a guide for anyone who wants to get into Jetman. Thanks to G.U.I.S. for subbing like there’s no tomorrow.

Also, I am a huge White Swan fan so whenever I see a nice shot of her, I’ll post it.

The reason why this is only part 1 is simple. I've watched Jetman prior to G.U.I.S. subs using cscentral subs but stopped at episode 26. Since G.U.I.S. seems poised to finish the series, I will have to wait for them to finish and watch the remaining episodes to complete this guide.

Episode 1 (Red, White and Yellow)

The 1^st 3 senshis arrive to resist the Vyram, who can project themselves into your cup of coffee. Truly terrifying.

Episode 2 (All)

The 4^th and 5^th senshis arrive and we are introduced to a fan favorite Black Condor. Also, Red destroys a monster in its giant form without help from a mecha and 1^st full team finisher, Bird Bomber.

Episode 3 (Red and Black)

Black finally gives in and joins the team. 1^st appearance of the Wing Gauntlet and 1^st team pose.

Episode 4 (White)

White has problems piloting her mecha and learns she is in an arranged marriage. Also, henshins in her wedding dress and uses Wing Gauntlet. 1^st team name shoutout with logo.

Episode 5 (Black and White)

White finally becomes a true warrior, Black makes his move on her and Red gets reminded of his lost love in one of the enemies. I swear, it’s like watching a drama show. 1st individual member roll call and 1^st appearance of Jet Phoenix finisher. And White kicks Yellow in the groin?

The Shining tribute anyone?

Episode 6 (Red and Black)

The drama continues as well as the action. Red faces one of the enemy commanders, Radige by himself until Black rescues him. Also, Black calls the mecha. 1^st appearance of Jet Icarus. Uses Jet Lancer, Shot Puncher and Birdonic Saber.

Episode 7 (Red)

Red has an awesome grandmother. That sub isn’t from G.U.I.S. but from cscentral. Honestly, this scene just cracked me up so much. Jet Icarus used Icarus Hammer.

Episode 8 (White and Blue)

The 1^st girl power episode. Blue becomes berserk after seeing a cursed diamond. Shows how rich White is. Finished off monster with Jet Phoenix.

Episode 9 (Yellow)

Yellow goes on a date with a childhood friend and rolls around in mud. Jet Icarus used Icarus Hammer.

Episode 10 (Blue)

Blue has to deal with a ramen obsessed classmate who has a crush on her. A very cute episode. Also, Yellow was hilarious in this episode and he calls the mecha. Again, that sub is from cscentral.

Episode 11

Watch this and you are guaranteed laughter. The team gets their personalities mixed up with laugh out loud results. Jet Icarus has a shield.

Episode 12 (Yellow and White)

A gripping detective like story that takes place on a bus involving random people and Yellow and White. White showed she has the ability to handle a difficult situation. Jet Icarus uses Jet Dagger. I think Gokai Pink picked up some of her spunk from her.

Episode 13 (All, but mostly Red, Black and White)

The whole team seems ready to implode. White shows feelings for Red, Red remembers old girldfriend, Black and Yellow get mad at Red and Blue is helpless. Finally, White gets trapped inside a photo due to the monster. A strong episode. White Swan and Black Condor did not appear.

Episode 14 (Red and Black)

This concludes the two part storyline. Eventually, Red is the only one left not captured in a photo and creates the Fire Bazooka to save his team. I was really blown away by the intensity of the scenes in this one. They used Jet Phoenix. Rare teamwork by Black and Yellow.

Episode 15 (Blue)

A monster steals the voices of women. A nice Blue centered episode. This scene, as always with Yellow, is hilarious. Blue stands in the middle of the group pose and initiates the roll call. Jet Icarus used Shot Puncher. A nice shot of Blue in the cockpit.

Episode 16 (Red)

This is a weird episode where Red becomes obsessed with a painter and his daughter. Red does show us how manly he can be when he goes one on one with the monster. Jet Icarus used Jet Dagger and apparently, Birdonic Saber can make invisible things visible.

Episode 17 (All)

Amid squabbles withing the team again, a new foe appears with the power to turn people into crystals and one of the enemy commanders human.

Not a pleasant thing to see.

Episode 18 (All)

Black turns into a crystal but is restored after the new foe Juza is defeated with the help of the commander she turned human as well as the other commanders. Bad guys fighting the bad guy and teaming up with heroes is always a cool thing to see. But with the defeat of Juza comes the birth of a terrifying new foe called Semimaru.

Episode 19 (White)

A monster disguised as a fortune teller tricks White into believing she will die if she henshins. White’s butler helps her overcome this false prophecy. White initiates the roll call. The monster did not become a giant.

Episode 20 (Black)

Pure Black Condor awesomeness. A monster sucks up love out of women during their wedding. Black befriends a little girl whose elder sister was a victim. The monster eventually sucks up the love of the little girl for Black. Angry at the monster, he goes to beat it by himself. Jet Icarus uses, Jet Lancer, Jet Hammer and destroys the monster with Icarus Crusher.

The man knows women

Episode 21 (Blue)

Blue’s old teddy bear gets turned into a monster that at first is nice but then gets mistreated by humans because of his appearance. It gets turned into a giant and was winning against Jet Icarus until it sees Blue save a little girl from being crushed from rubble caused by its rampage. It remembers its good times with Blue as a child, shrinks to normal size and saves Blue, but gets destroyed by the enemy commander. Blue takes on the commander one on one and drives her off. This is for Blue Swallow fans. Also, her mecha uses an attack called Wing Cutter

Episode 22 (All)

I don’t watch drama shows but I bet this is what an episode of one would be like. Red, Black and Yellow trade blows with each due to their feelings for White. Then at the end, they are all attacked by the enemy commanders and seemingly beaten until Radiguet, reveals Semimaru is finally born.

Episode 23 (All)

Semimaru goes on a rampage and is seemingly unstoppable. Jet Icarus uses Icarus Crusher and Shot Puncher but it gets returned back. Semimaru even breaks the Birdonic Saber and severs both its arms. All seems lost until a new mecha called Bird Garuda arrives. It uses Garuda Vulcan and Fire Blizzard. The latter freezes Semimaru in a block of ice. Semimaru breaks out of the ice and the 3 warriors from the other dimension forms Jet Garuda. It does not fare too well and uses Garuda Burst as a last resort and manages to drive Semimaru away but things are not looking good.

Episode 24 (All with a little focus on Blue)

The teams repair the robots. Blue befriends the childish warrior named Dan. Semimaru reappears and Jet Icarus faces it. It uses Jet Lancer. Jet Garuda is on its way until Radiguet does a super cheap attack that kills one of the warriors. (Why can’t he do that all the time?) He takes control of Jet Garuda after he kills another of the warriors. Jet Garuda and Semimaru double teams on Jet Icarus until Dan henshins and sacrifices himself to drive Radiguet away from Jet Garuda. The two robots finally combine to form Great Icarus. It uses Great Beam and finishes off Semimaru with Bird Mazer.

Episode 25 (Black)

A monster steals the shadow of the team except for Black. These shadow clones weakens them and begins wrecking havoc. To allow the shadows to run free, one of the enemy commands uses her power to prevent nightfall for as long as she can. Black must stop her before his teammates die due to their shadows being stolen. Black succeeds and they destroy it with the Fire Bazooka. It grows and Red calls Bird Garuda and uses Jet Garuda. It uses Garuda Spark and finishes it off with Garuda Claw. Black takes the spotlight in this one.

More like rubber sword!

Episode 26 (Yellow)

The team gets sent back in time by a Time-Space Mammoth. Yellow gets separated due to him cgarging towards the monster and head butting it in the middle of its attack and get sent to the prehistoric era. He meets White’s ancestor and becomes a god to the cave people due to his future knowledge. The monster finds him and starts attacking. Yellow is helpless as he lost his morpher when he arrived but the others found him in time to save him. The others shoot at the bump on the monster’s head caused by thr head butt a time portal open back to their present time. Yellow receives his morpher from White’s ancestor, who was the first to find him unconscious. He henshins and goes through the portal back to his own time. They use Jet Icarus, Yellow calls Jet Garuda and they destroy it with Bird Mazer.

Here are my screenshots of Jet Icarus' and Jet Garuda's attacks

Jet Lancer

Shot Puncher

Birdonic Saber

Icarus Hammer

Jet Dagger

Garuda Vulcan

Fire Blizzard

Garuda Burst

Bird Mazer

Garuda Spark

Garuda Claw

My Toy Collection as of July 2012 (Part 2)

2012-07-02T03:15:00.001-07:00

Basically the same with the addition of Shauta and Putotyranno. I just went crazy with my cell cam.
Also, my cousin, who got the SHF versions, lent me one medajalibur.

My Toy Collection as of July 2012 (Part 1)

2012-07-02T02:44:00.002-07:00

This post contains a ton of images, mostly my Gokai Pink Figuart, I yes, I love it as much as the screen version. I almost have all the Kamen Rider OOO OCC combo, just Tatoba and Tajador left.