Full Metal Alchemist Detox

Revoltech Ed

2012-01-17T23:43:00.007-08:00

Wow! A rare one! This Kaiyodo Revoltech Ed actually looks good! Now that everything's over, they finally made a good-looking Ed toy... (Number one is still the old version of Medicom action figure.) The joint on his coat is too thick, though.
This face is priceless...! Comes out March 15th 2012. It's Kaiyodo. It'd better be good. Al seems to be on the way too.

Milos viewing (1)

2012-01-15T16:54:00.011-08:00

Just as I feared, it snowed non-stop all night. By morning, we ended up with about an inch on the ground. A little slippery but luckily didn't interfere with my plan. However, I failed to get enough sleep last night and ended up going to the closer theater instead of the ideal one. (There were only 2 to choose from.) Barely made it too. My bad. (T_T) It was really a close call as there's only one show at 12:45 PM today, and 7:30 PM on the 19th. That's it. Can't afford to screw up.

Met up with my companion and we rushed to the theater ASAP. The room was below half full. Still not too bad for Sunday lunch time. I expected to see mandatory ads before the feature, but strangely there was none! The screen was black and not even any music! Then came the first shock of the day. A Blu-ray text-only menu screen! I couldn't believe my eyes but my companion confirmed it. OMG... I paid full ticket price to watch a Blu-ray...? Unbelievable and unacceptable!!!! This is a theater, isn't it? What happened to film??? I felt so cheated!

Before I got over the first shock, there came the second. The dialogue... was in English! Well, OK, I didn't mind. It was probably better because I wouldn't be able to catch the subtitles fast enough when sleep-deprived. It's just that, Mustang's voice was a big mismatch.

Not sure if it's just the projection or enlargement, the image quality was very disappointing... even from a Blu-ray. (Or was it really a Blu-ray?) Lines were rough. Colours were dull. Julia's yellow jacket and Riza's hair, Ed's red coat hurt your eyes. Either way, if an English dub is already done, why isn't it available to the public now? Maybe the text-only menu screen is still work-in-progress.

As the story progressed, I saw why a 14A rating was necessary. There are plenty of violence and blood. The story's too dark and difficult for younger audiences. My companion liked it, which was a surprise. (He probably likes political and realistic themes.) I can't help comparing it to previous releases. And I really don't like the new character designer. The jelly-fish-like hair sucks big time. A moving picture looks better than a still, but it doesn't make the hair better. Ed's pants look like ugly tights. Al's head is elongated and over elevates. His chest and chin protrude too much. (T_T) Over all, it felt no difference from watching a big-screen TV, and lacks the quality of a film. Was I really watching a movie??? Was my expectation too high???

As the lights came back on, I noticed there were cosplayers! Wooow~ cool! So that was the group laughing and making noises every-now-and-then. Seemed like they had fun. Good.

We stayed till the very end of the end credit. Most people did. Trying to savor the last bit of this awesome cake. To my surprise, the cosplayers left soon after the end credit began. I suspect they've already watched it before... (But this was supposed to be the first showing in town? Have they watched it elsewhere?)

I'd love to take a picture but they'd probably be gone by the time I left. I was glad to find them posing outside the door. Someone might have asked to take a picture and a bunch of people joined in. So I snapped a few too. Too bad my hands weren't study enough. Too excited.

Next, third shock of the day. I tried to find a movie poster, but there was none on display! They didn't even put any pictures in the free magazine!!! (T_T) Oh well... can't blame them. Milos only gets 2 showings and that's it. They wouldn't go through the trouble of changing posters. But they could have at least put a picture into the magazine!!!!!

Shot a Pinky picture in the lobby and today's event was over... or was it? Stopped by Sakura. I was very sad to find absolutely no FMA toys. However, there were some freebie postcards! Wow thanks! After so many disappointments, this is a precious souvenir for today. I can't help but noticing Al's "hair" being beyond jelly-fish-like and disgusting! (T_T) The postcard is still precious, though. (^_^;)

To be continued...

Milos in North America

2012-01-05T08:11:00.010-08:00

(← Right click to view image separately. Otherwise clicking on this image brings you to the theater site.)

Thanks R for the info! Wow! Didn't think Milos would come to theaters over here! Yay~!

There's only synopsis on the theater site, no trailer. Which probably means, no dub, only sub. Oh well, doesn't matter for me. In most cases, dub is better than sub anyway.

I'll for sure go to see it. However... to be honest, I'm afraid. Afraid of taking the last bit of what's left of an awesome cake... (and then there's nothing left...)

As of now, I haven't been able to secure a companion to see the movie with. There's still a few days left. Wish me luck...

p.s.
Finally found someone to go with. Yay~!
Actually, I hate the smell of second-handed popcorn and don't like going to theaters. I'd never go alone, if I ever go. Let's see if this trip changes anything...

p.p.s.
Some of the listings have a 14A rating while others don't. Hmh...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T04:35:00.002-08:00

Nendoroid Ed

2011-08-12T22:34:00.014-07:00

Thanks R for the news. Here's a review at Akiba Hobby of the Nendoroid Petit Ed...

... which comes with volume 3 of Anime Style magazine. Should be coming out in September. Cute beyond words!!! Awwwww~ And here's the cover of the magazine. Amazon Japan has started taking pre-orders. The price is just under 1600 yen... I think.

As far as I know, Nendoroid Petit's heads are about the same size as Pinky's. Muahahaha...!

Camera

2011-08-11T23:54:00.010-07:00

(Wow... I'm super late for this.)
Take pictures with your favorite FMA characters with this limited edition collaboration Exilim camera! It comes with 44 templates, special start-up screen and design body.

Milos trailer

2011-06-30T21:10:00.003-07:00

I'm totally late. The movie comes out on July 2nd. Hope this trailer won't be deleted too soon. Youtube has been very straight about "cleaning up".

Nendoroid Ed

2011-06-23T02:40:00.007-07:00

Thanks R for the info! OMG this is soooo cute!!!!! Awwwwww~

Ichiban Kuji part 2

2011-06-20T23:59:00.002-07:00

Thanks G for the info. A fancy way to sell blind-box toys. 500 yen each is a bit expensive, though...

Milos in Namja Town

2011-06-16T23:25:00.002-07:00

Thanks R for the info! If I were in Japan, I'd go eat there for sure! June 25th to July 24th... only a month? Too short! (Namco Namja Town is a food theme park in Ikebukuro.)

Bearbrick Al

2011-06-10T23:05:00.003-07:00

Thanks G for the info. This... looks so wrong...! (T_T) But I'm glad that there are more FMA toys on the market.

Arakawa's new manga

2011-03-25T02:35:00.007-07:00

Arakawa's next manga is finally announced! "Silver Spoon", on "Sunday" weekly magazine, coming out on April 6th! The story is set in a contemporary high school in Hokkaido. Since she came from Hokkaido, everyone is saying this manga is probably based on her own life.

This is her fist time releasing installments on a weekly magazine. I could be wrong, but I think 20 pages are published each week. A month adds up to 80 pages, which is double her monthly magazine output! Yikes! Looking back at her FMA days, I don't think she'll have much problem with schedule. However, she does have a kid after all, and things can be tough.
I wish her luck and hope this is as good as FMA. (And... to be able to find it online like FMA, hehehe...)

Source: 『鋼の錬金術師』荒川弘先生、次回作は『銀の匙（ぎんのさじ）』

Earthquake / tsunami

2011-03-14T23:56:00.003-07:00

The best way to help seems to be donating money to Red Cross. Be very careful with any self-proclaimed charity as they usually are scams, and they tend to prey on good will at times like this. Look up your local Red Cross and contact them directly.

Thanks T for the idea. Sorry I borrowed it without asking. I didn't quite know what to draw, but if this gives you positive energy, I'd like to try. (I haven't watched any Star Driver either... nor do I know much about it...) Best wishes!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T23:52:00.003-08:00

Christmas is Christmas. No seasons greeting, no happy holidays. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Ievan Polkka

2010-12-09T07:38:00.002-08:00

Last one today. The infamous Ievan Polkka by Loituma. So cute!!!!!!

Caramelldansen

2010-12-09T07:30:00.003-08:00

Another one. "Caramelldansen". Lots of fun!

Lucky Star parody (2)

2010-12-09T07:18:00.005-08:00

One more. Some dedicated Japanese fan made this. Cannot imagine how much time and effort it takes for one person.

Lucky Star parody

2010-12-09T07:11:00.002-08:00

A little late (OK a lot late) in finding this. Apparently quite famous.

Ranfun figure

2010-12-03T23:16:00.003-08:00

Someone made a Ranfun action figur e at the Yellow Submarine Utsunomiya Branch Figure Contest! Looks very cool!

Movie 2011 summer

2010-11-14T23:06:00.008-08:00

Official site is finally opened, completed with a short trailer too! Well, so short, it's more like a teaser. Movie title is "Sacred Star of Milos"? (Please pardon my haphazard translation.) Comes out summer 2011. Tickets go on sale this month, with goodies! First round is an Ed cell phone strap. No info on what the rest will be except for a total of 3 rounds and their dates.

Character design looks OK. (Phew...) There's just a little bit of data on staff and cast, but not much else. Not even the story line. It's too early to comment on anything, but I'm glad that it's the "old" Elric brothers! (Ed with all his automail limbs and Al as a suit of amour.) That's their trademark!

What's with showing off Ed's abs? It looks a bit cheesy and contrived. Don't take me wrong, I like it! This kind of "exposure" seems to suit Ed well, hahaha...

Alphonse Heiderich day

2010-11-08T23:00:00.004-08:00

Since I haven't done anything for this site for so long, I feel so guilty, I should draw something... And today is Alphonse Heiderich day.

Awwww can't even remember when I last drew anything. My hands are definitely rusted. Actually I'm in crunch time right now and shouldn't be doing this at all. I'm trying to escape from reality. Awwww.... (T_T)

Homunculus in a vial

2010-11-04T23:42:00.002-07:00

Done! It's only good for pendants or earrings. Absolutely not strong enough for anything else. It's glass after all. Well... I suppose it can be dangerous if it breaks near the face. So... the idea of earring is out.

If I can write fast enough, they can even go by surface mail...

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T23:52:00.001-07:00

Was hoping to take another picture but couldn't. This will have to do. And since then Ed is stored naked wrapped in a white cotton handkerchief. Still haven't had time to clean him up yet. Will be busy for almost another month. Awww...

Mini black pompoms

2010-10-28T23:20:00.003-07:00

Forgot to take pictures! Most of the vials I bought from boss are crocked. (T_T) And they need serious cleaning. The search for the exact same metal stamping failed. Found some dome-shape bead cap as substitute online. The price was pretty good but shipping took 3 weeks! To preserve the design, they needed to be flattened carefully. Then the cork stoppers needed to be trimmed, and holes need to be drilled. Parallel to the vials, the pompoms got faces glued on and threaded. After the thread was pulled through the cork, the head pin fixed it in place.

Next, apply the flattened bead cap. Top with a daisy spacer, and end the pin with a wire wrap loop. The thread needs a few knots between the daisy and the loop. Last but not least, fasten the red teardrop-shape red bead to the loop. Done! (Well, not yet at this point.)

Medicom Ed

2010-10-13T23:16:00.005-07:00

It's time for a Halloween photo shoot so I took my Medicom Ed out from a storage box. To my horror, the black dye from his clothes has bled onto his body!!!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!

There was some glue on his underpants from the beginning. Afraid of scratching the paint, I left it alone. And now, guess what? The glue must have reacted with the pant's fabric and became very gooey. Fibers got stuck to it. Of course scraping it off has taken some paint off too. (T_T)

It's mostly the black clothes that left marks because it's on the inside. I'm sure if it was the red coat, the damage would have been disastrous. Right now, and luckily, the only red stain is a small spot on Ed's hand.

Aaaaawwww.... (T_T)

Book 23

2010-10-03T23:07:00.005-07:00

Arrived from Amazon. They shipped it 2 weeks late because one of the 3 books I ordered "was unavailable". And of course they waited 2 weeks before informing me. But at least I get it now instead of waiting for the "unavailable" one. No extra shipping either. I shouldn't complain.

Faces

2010-10-02T23:15:00.002-07:00

New project for Christmas (and a craft fair in November). Cutting out eyes and mouths this size is bit more difficult than I though. Haven't used them for so long, both my 0.05 marker and felt-tip pen are dried. (>_<;)

Blu-ray 2

2010-09-25T23:47:00.003-07:00

A bought the second Blu-ray and gave me the post cards again! Wow thanks! (Although I'm keeping them in the box with him.)

Again... there's no bonus episodes... It should be Izumi's story. (T_T) I greatly question the difference in content between the 2 discs. 9 episode vs 4? That's bull sh#t!

Book 26

2010-09-14T23:41:00.004-07:00

Went to the Japanese book store. Strangely, they still don't have book 25! Even though book 26 has arrived! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! What happened? The staff don't even know when or if they'll import book 25. (Well, they didn't say no, but very unsure.) Guess I'll just have to wait and check back every now-and-then... (>_<;)

Al's loincloth for sale

2010-09-08T23:59:00.015-07:00

Actually it's an "apron" (but we all know what it is)... haha! Honestly, who's gonna but that? (Oh... apron, right.)

Final Best Wallpaper

2010-09-04T23:59:00.003-07:00

Oops... I'm super late in this one. Free wallpaper download until September 30th.

Autograph auction

2010-09-02T15:09:00.007-07:00

Just noticed from Yahoo Auction watch that an autograph by Arakawa was sold at 350,000 yen. That's just under $4400 by today's exchange rate! Woooooo~! The buyer sure has money. (No competition, though. Hmm...) It upsets me that the seller is unlikely a fan and just used the opportunity to make a profit. But of course, Envy is speaking here. (^_^;) At least this one is legit. Some people selling fake autographs make tons of profit. (T_T)

Armstrong cosplay

2010-08-22T23:37:00.005-07:00

Yup, looks so real, he can star in the live action version if there's ever one, haha! (Image found here.)

Public Library

2010-08-06T22:40:00.005-07:00

It's been ages since I last borrowed anything from the public library. My card expired! (The inactive time limit is 2 years.) Now, instead of buying a certain how-to book that I need, I thought I could try the library first. And guess what I saw? FMA manga!

Yup, I know I'm grossly out of touch. Didn't really need to go to the library ever since I graduated from school. When I saw 2 sets of Sailor Moon Japanese manga at the downtown main branch multi-cultural department 13 years ago, I was super impressed. With manga's popularity today, having a collection of English edition is only logical.

Search result shows a full collection of FMA manga and DVDs! Even Shanballa and the art books! They are only missing the novels. Funny, since my impression of public library is "text-heavy"!

There was only one book 15 at the branch I visited. This bar-code placement is just too bad for Mustang, haha...

Arakawa cow

2010-07-31T23:09:00.003-07:00

Thanks T for the info! (^_^) She went to Wonder Festival on the 26th, and saw this Arakawa self portrait cow garage kit. (Already sold out at that point.) You can see more pictures at her site.

Wow... it's so cool! This figurine is full of love, awesome!! Actually, I've been thinking of making one myself. One that can be put onto Pinky's bodies! I'm still working towards it, slowly, though. One day, maybe I'd be able to show it on this blog.

Movie?!?!

2010-07-05T01:20:00.007-07:00

No, I haven't even watched the last 3 episodes. Will probably do so tomorrow when A gets a good fan sub. If not tomorrow, Wednesday. (Aww... it's past midnight... so it's "today" instead of "tomorrow".)

No, I didn't even surf the net for the past 4 days because I've been over at my brother's place, house-sitting while he took his family camping.

No, I couldn't wait when I got home. And what did I find out?

FMA movie!!!

Are you serious? OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!

Apparently, it was announced during episode 64 (the final episode).

What could the story be? Original? Fill-in-the-blanks? Past events? Ed and Al's journey to the east and west? Ed's kids? (Oh, and someone wrote, the continuation of Shambara? Yikes!!)

Can't wait!!!
(Hope they won't screw it up like the new TV series...) (>_<;)

Chapter 108 reprint!

2010-06-21T02:16:00.003-07:00

OMG!!! Has this happened in the history of manga magazine?

Due to public demand, chapter 108 will be reprinted in the September issue of Gangan magazine!(Which comes out in August.)

Yes, I'm happy for them. Both Square Annex and FMA fans. Square Annex can make more money, and the fans can read chapter 108.

But... my question is... when does the last comic book come out? November??? Will they push it further because of this reprint?

Chapter 108 - transmutation circle

2010-06-19T22:29:00.004-07:00

* Spoiler alert. *

This has been bugging me for a few days. Ed doesn't need to draw transmutation circles ever since he saw the "truth". So why did he draw one?

At first I thought it was just for the show. Just to be dramatic. It is to tell the readers (and the other characters in the scene) that Ed is about to perform human transmutation.

He's drawn a circle only once before, inside Gluttony's stomach. It also happened to be a human transmutation circle, which served the purpose of explaining what he saw at the Xerxes ruins to Lin and Envy (and to the readers). But this one, felt very strange, as there is no obvious need to explain anything.

Then of course, after reading chapter 108 n times, it dawned on me. He needs the circle to get back because he gives up all all his ability to transmute in front of the gate. Without the circle, there is no path to come back.

It all makes sense now.

Wow, there is neither junk nor waste in the plot. Arakawa, you did plan it all out with the greatest care. I salute you.

Chapter 108 - 01

2010-06-17T23:51:00.005-07:00

Gangan magazine July issue sold out in major districts in 3 days, and all gone everywhere in a week! Yikes!!!

I'm really happy that FMA is loved so much. But this also means, opportunists are taking advantage of the situation and sell at jacked-up price. So far the highest is 6 times the original.

On the other hand there are fans in online communities who offer their second handed copies for free. It's super touching to see such noble fans.

Somehow I've been going to Iwase to see if they have it. Doesn't seem to be an airmail one, so the snail mail should arrive in a month. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't buy it even if I see it. It's way too thick and FMA is the only thing I'm interested in. It would be a waste. However, it's like my body doesn't listen and keep going to Iwase. Will I be able to fight off the temptation?

BD

2010-06-13T23:45:00.007-07:00

A bought the first brotherhood Bluray disk and gave me the freebie post cards. Thanks A!!

(But the back of these "postcards" are printed and don't have space to write anything! Strange...)

And I was looking, looking, looking... at all the printed info. Nope, what I hope to find is not there. Then we put the disks into the player and checked the menu. Nope, not there either. It doesn't exist.

I thought the Japanese version comes with an extra shot animation "The Blind Alchemist". But this one doesn't. I know there's at least one more short of this type that's been released. (Izumi's youth story. I haven't had a chance to search for that yet.) I suspect more of Arakawa's FMA vignette mangas will be made into animated shorts and included in the disks as they are released. In north America's case, are they planing to put together all the extra shots and issue another disk at the end? If so, they're evil!

Hmm... unless... that extra piece of animation is hidden and need a password to unlock or something. But unlikely.

Memorial clock

2010-06-11T01:01:00.002-07:00

This month's Gangan comes with a special freebie: a FMA memorial clock! Yikes! Since when did magazine give out such expensive freebies? In my days, freebies were either made of paper or cardboard, or plastic bags with illustrations! (Well... nowadays some fashion magazine includes mirror compact or even cosmetics...)

Yes it looks expensive. But the illustration isn't elaborate at all. It's like a page from a colouring book. Quite flat. Hmm... I don't know how much time it takes to manufacture stuff like this, but chance are, they're made in China. (Could someone verify please?) This probably requires extra time. The illustration probably had to be handed in earlier too. Which means, That could be a few chapters before this, when the battle was at it's height. I can understand Arakawa would be super busy and opped for a simple design to save time.

Al cap?

2010-06-10T20:29:00.002-07:00

It says "beanie", but looks more like a cap. Are those eye holes??? No information is available on that site (at this point). No dimensions either. Well... to be honest, it looks quite ugly. This could be something someone wears to rob a bank. (Hope that never happens.)

Chapter 108... (out already?!)

2010-06-10T06:11:00.007-07:00

OMG!!!!!

Scans are out already! All 113 pages plus extra! The magazine only came out half a day earlier in Japan! Unbelievable!!! (But I'm not complaining!) Thanks Baidu~!

If the average monthly installment is about 40 pages, this month's worth almost 3 times! Yikes!!! It's super satisfying. Like having a luxurious top class dinner in a 5-star hotel, with the finest companies.

First tears came at page 40. Next one 76. Then 111 and near the end. (Hmm... with I be able to watch the anime with A? I absolute hate crying especially in front of other people.)

Thanks Arakawa! You surpassed my exceptions.

Stupid me, stayed up all night to search for this. Need some time to digest. Will write more later.
(Haha! I knew they were gonna make that chest set!!)

Chapter 108...

2010-06-10T02:05:00.006-07:00

Predictions? Wishes? Or both...

So this is it.
Have been restless this whole month. It's been like watching someone with one month left to live. Arakawa should have been on a well deserved vacation for a while, as a few monthly installments would be banked up in advance. I hope she will continue drawing more FMA side stories. There are still so much more to be explored!

Actually, the night I read chapter 107, I had a dream about how it's gonna end. Al is not coming back. (Bad!!!) Thank God it was only a dream.

Thanks Totsu for the loincloth idea! I totally agree! (^_^) IMHO, I think the initial function was to make Al look less like a robot. But this totally works too!

These drawings took 3 days. And I skipped one day of work for them. OTL (Hush hush!) Sorry they still look like carp.

Pinky flash

2010-06-05T22:11:00.004-07:00

Found a Pinky flash by Ono at Gallery Denenchofu. Of course the first thing I tried was this. Too bad the item selection is very limited, and this is the closest I can get. But more items are supposed to be coming. Will definitely check back.

Comic books sizes

2010-06-04T11:29:00.003-07:00

Now I have FMA comic books from 4 different countries. Nope, the only one I'm collecting is the Japanese one. The others are just loose ones. (Except for the English one which is bought for a friend.)

The Taiwanese version is the same width as the Japanese one, but shorter.

The English version is wider than taller. Doesn't seem to be scaled in proportion to the Japanese one.

The Italian version is the biggest so far. Looks like it's in proportion to the English one, but not the Japanese one.
Hmm... strange...

Italian comic book

2010-06-03T23:25:00.001-07:00

Thanks A for the goodies from Italy! Too bad I can't read Italian... (^_^;)

Hint? Spoiler?

2010-05-30T23:00:00.006-07:00

Holy crap! They're giving out tons of spoilers in the opening credit!
... but, who's this??? Winry??? Doesn't make sense...

So... Mustang's eyes. (Nope I won't say more. It's already in the manga.)

So... Al's soul returns to his body... But why is Winry crying?

So... the Fuhrer faces his last battle with Scar...

There is no way Trisha's gonna return. Wait... were they sleeping together??? Is this a hint on how it's gonna end???

... maybe not. There's only one pillow.

Young Elric brothers key chain

2010-05-25T22:06:00.001-07:00

Crane game toys from Banpresto. 1942 yen a set of 4. Awwww~ The kids are so cute!
(Eye colour is a bit too dark, though.)

Chapter 107

2010-05-11T02:30:00.010-07:00

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG x 100...

Al~!
(T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

69 pages... that's over 1.725 times the normal 40 pages! Chapter 106 was 63 pages, I think. Chapter 105 was 65 pages. Arakawa, how did you do it?

Next month's chapter will be the last! Aaaaaaaaargh!!!! I'm gonna be depressed! (Hey let's hope Arakawa would keep drawing FMA side stories for a while.)

Oh dear... I don't think I can sleep now...

p.s.
For those who are looking for chapter 107's raw, there's a better quality English scanlation at OM.

FMA Pinkys

2010-05-06T23:45:00.012-07:00

Found at Chinchikurin Diary by Moko. The movie version Mustang's coat is so awesome! Hughes is a rare one, but very well done!

Found at Aozora Donut, by Kiharu! Their characters are so well captured!

Who thought Kimblee could be this cute! Ooooo I'm gonna start working on mine again! Actually, I got as far as stripping the flock off the hat. Olivier... I wouldn't dare touch, for her hair is too difficult to make. Well... let's finish making Mustang first...

"Pocket watch"?

2010-04-29T17:46:00.004-07:00

This is no pocket watch, Amazon!

20100610: Oh! They fixed the photo. But if you right click and go "view image", you can bypass the link and see the original screen shot in full size.

Postage stamps

2010-04-25T23:39:00.004-07:00

Wow! Official postage stamps from the Japanese post office! Coooool!!!!! Comes out on June 14. The pictures are pretty good too. They're too nice to be used. Not that I can have any, but at least I'd rather keep them than use them.

There are other anime stamps too. Keroro, Naruto, Case Closed (twice!), Patlabour, Conan, Evangelion, Gundam (of course), Galaxy Express 999, Pokemon, Doraemon, Astro Boy, and a few oldies.

Hey wait a minute... wasn't there already postage stamps from the old series? Oh... they were by Movic.

Episode 42

2010-03-08T00:42:00.004-08:00

Somehow...

There is not enough impact when the national transmutation circle was revealed from the note book.

Same thing when the counter transmutation circle was revealed by flipping the pages.

I wanted to see the team carry Al in pieces!

It feel awkward when Al's talking but the camera was on his chest where the blood seal is. This awkwardness does not happen in manga. Hmm...

Episode 41

2010-03-07T23:38:00.004-08:00

Poor Ed...! Ouch ouch ouch!

Gorith and Sanpano seemed a lot friendlier than in the manga...

Huh? We don't get to see Gorith hanging from a beam like an ape???

Not enough gag when Ed worried his height being shortened after he fell.

I thought the episode would end when Ed passed out from injuries, but no, it continued on until he healed himself...! Well, this is really unconventional. Even the manga chapter ended there. I guess the director didn't want to leave a killer cliffhanger? Actually... I like the killer cliffhanger!

2010 Red mittens

2010-02-23T23:44:00.004-08:00

No more size M. Only size S left. A bit too small but will have to do for now. According to the red mittens site, this is the last shipment. The white ones were on sale. Not as nice as the red ones, though.

Chapter 104

2010-02-16T23:29:00.003-08:00

Oh dear oh dear...

Didn't think Arakawa would go there, but she did! Good for her!

It reminds me of another (kind of old) manga series "3x3 Eyes". You know the story points to a certain direction, but not expect the author actually go there because it's a tougher path. However, he did! Now, Arakawa did too! Good story writers are not afraid of hard work.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T23:52:00.005-08:00

Didn't feel well yesterday. Only got to take a picture. Didn't even get to post it. (T_T) Well, better late than never.

Awww... when will I be able to continue with the Pinkys?

Alphonse Elric Papercraft

2010-02-05T11:18:00.004-08:00

Really cool!!!!! But I don't think I have the time or patience to build one. (Click image to go to the site.) The first link under the second photo brings you to a Japanese site that lets you download the data file.

"Religion in Fullmetal Alchemist"

2010-01-28T23:07:00.001-08:00

Found an intriguing article...
The Curious Case of Religion in Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter 103

2010-01-24T23:40:00.003-08:00

.......... It's been such a loooong time since I last drew anything! I'm back! (Well, not 100% though...) No, things are still very crazy, and will get worse. But this is also the last chance to fully enjoy this awesome series. Gotta make the most of it, even if it means taxing on other things! (Otherwise I'm sure I'll regret it later.)

Still doesn't change the fact that I'm feeling very sad seeing the series approaching its end. If Arakawa said FMA will end in spring, there's only a few more months, meaning, a few more chapters! (T_T)

Deformation Maniac Figure Collection

2010-01-17T22:20:00.005-08:00

Finally! A toy from the new TV series that's worth buying! Oooooooh Al is the perfect size for Pinky! Aaaaargh!!! It's discontinued!!! Not only sold out, but discontinued!!! Why why why why why??? Sob sob sob sob sob... (T_T)

The Medicom action figures are still the best made toy so far. Way too expensive, though.

BTW, I was shocked to find out Amazon sells them! Totally unexpected!

Life size statue

2010-01-14T11:30:00.003-08:00

Ever wonder what happened to the life size statue at the Japanese Universal Studio FMA ride?

Automail???

2010-01-09T23:19:00.003-08:00

Looks wrong!
But I'm surprised no one come up with this idea sooner. It works well with metal. More punch in a fist, though. No pun intended. (Click the image to go to the site.)

And this "Envy's sword" is completely bogus! Take it out of the packaging and it's just a sword from nowhere. (Click the image to go to the site.)

The logo suggests that these are from the old TV series. Could they be bootlegs? I wouldn't be surprised.

Christmas card

2009-12-14T05:03:00.006-08:00

Two versions. Too bad I haven't made a new Al for the new TV series. Sometimes I think I may have been using the wrong putty.

Can't believe it's only 10 more days to Christmas! And then 2009 is over! Yikes!!!

As I uploaded these pics to the photo hosting site, I realized a bunch of old cards were filed wrong. So I did some organizing, which lead to reloading those old posts. Sorry for the inconvenience.

5 mm

2009-12-07T01:16:00.006-08:00

Ready to mail the beads. Made a bunch of mailers... and then found out the thickness limit is 5 mm.

Mine is 15 mm... Sigh...

Don't have enough budget for non-standard size mail.

Won't make it for Christmas. Thought I'd make it. Sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob... (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

Also done

2009-12-02T11:59:00.003-08:00

Yay~!

Matte finish

2009-12-01T11:59:00.003-08:00

Finally! It's... finally done! It's been so long... (T_T) Thank God for a sunny day!

Playing safe

2009-11-30T23:59:00.007-08:00

OK... almost done.

Really tempted to skip this step, but was afraid to screw up again. Better play it safe and follow what's been done to the rest of the rocket.

Vanish & hair

2009-11-29T23:59:00.004-08:00

Ideally coloured foam sheets are the best, but this world is never ideal. (Sometimes I feel things just don't go my way...) Cutting is quite difficult. Forget it, there's no such thing as pastel yellow foam sheets.

Base colour agin

2009-11-27T23:59:00.003-08:00

Back to the rocket.

Did my best to sand away the drip. But it's still a little bumpy. There is no way to hide the scratches. (T_T) But at least masking off the done area should save me from painting the whole thing again. Spray painting is greatly affected by the weather. Don't want to do it when it rains. And November is the rainy month.

Antenna

2009-11-26T23:59:00.001-08:00

Only had white foam sheets at hand. Wish I bough yellow ones last time I went to Michael's. That would have made things a lot easier. Oh well...

Hole problem

2009-11-21T23:59:00.002-08:00

Since the original bead hole is used for Al's horn, have to drill a new one...

Awwww forgot to take pictures when painting the faces.

Sanding fail

2009-11-18T23:59:00.001-08:00

Scratched the base colour layer...

Sob sob sob sob sob sob......

Armstrong hammer

2009-11-17T23:59:00.002-08:00

Yikes!!!! It actually exists!

Gray paint

2009-11-14T23:59:00.004-08:00

Actually went better than I thought. I've definitely under estimated bottled craft paint.

Trying to sharpen with pencil sharpener was dumb. And why have I been so afraid to use cutter knife? That was dumb too.

Wooden beads

2009-11-12T23:59:00.001-08:00

New project for Christmas. Well, I'm already late. Don't think I'll make it but I hope so.

Drip!!!

2009-11-09T23:59:00.003-08:00

A little touch-up turn disaster. I suck at spray-painting. (T_T) Not sure how I'm gonna fix this Shellac drip either. If I sand, I might scratch the paint layer and have to repaint the whole thing... (T_T) Sob sob sob sob sob...

Nov 8

2009-11-08T23:59:00.009-08:00

Barely made it! Missed a few spots on the clear coat. Need to touch up, so... no matte coat today. (>_<;)

Time's up. Have to take a picture because it's November 8th!

Clear coat

2009-11-07T23:59:00.002-08:00

Humidity is still very high today. Kind of forced it...

Last colour

2009-11-06T23:59:00.002-08:00

Two more clear coats after this.

Next colour

2009-11-05T23:12:00.004-08:00

Masking felt short. Touched up bleeding with base colour. Washed the brush with nail polish remover. Painted the top and fins with acrylic craft paint. They're easily scratched, and need a coat of varnish.

All these solvents gave me a migraine attack. Completed with dancing lights, ya know. (T_T) It was really stupid of me not to make sure the window was opened. (T_T)

Base colour

2009-10-31T16:38:00.005-07:00

Weather hasn't been that nice. Spraying was put off. Didn't expect sunshine this Halloween weekend, but I'm glad there is progress, however little. Still needs a few more round of spraying.

Aaaargh! I didn't even get to take any picture for Halloween!!! (T_T)

Book 19

2009-10-22T23:59:00.008-07:00

Got book 19~ English version for T.

Primer

2009-10-15T16:16:00.004-07:00

Finally finished spraying primer. It took more sanding than I thought.

Oct 3

2009-10-03T23:54:00.014-07:00

(Picture has nothing to do with subject. Just an older photo which hasn't been posted.)
No, of course I didn't forget. Things have been kind of... crazy. Well, it's true that it has been a while since I last wrote any review. I've fallen grossly behind on watching the episodes. I'd like to keep up... but situation doesn't favour that. For now, though. For now.

On a special day like today, the least I can do is to drop down some thoughts.

I hope I'm wrong, but the new TV series doesn't seem to be as popular as the old one. There are many reasons...

Pop cultures are consumer products.
Trends come and go. 5 years is too soon for a remake. When the old TV series first came out, it was fresh. There was nothing like it on the market. People feast on it, had their fill and are still not hungry yet. Now it's nothing but old stuff. 10 years is more reasonable. Ending at the same time as the manga may be a good PR trick, but they should have considered all the factors. Were they overly confident? I don't think their decision is doing this piece of work justice.

The new toys suck.
It was like this last time, and I thought it would improve this time. Not! Why is Square Annex so unfair to FMA? Look at Final Fantasy!

"Moe" has been reduced.
Well, it is closer to the original manga, but the last TV series improved it by adding lots of "moe". What is "moe"? I define it as "the degree of lovable". In other word, lovableness, if it's actually a word.
Character design lost elegance and became rustic. No more pretty guys and girls.
The amount of physical and emotional pain the main characters carry has also been reduced. The more severe the pain, the more weight and substance the characters have. Which leads to more sympathy and empathy. This lack of pain is something inherited from the manga. Alas, it was what dojins thrive on in the old series.

Quality decreased.
The system of a single drawing supervisor for the whole series has been replaced by episodic supervisors. There are noticeable drawing and animation style fluctuations. Overall, you can feel the difference in quality. The old series was waaay above average. The new one is only... average. I hope this will improve with time.
The backgrounds also look really rough. It's obviously intentional. But why? I cannot understand. It's a big mismatch with the foreground characters. It shows nothing but a lack of willingness to spend more time on painting. It's simply... not loved by the staff as much as the old series.

But the biggest failure, is the director.
He cuts way too many important episodes and scenes. You can call me bias, but in the first season, his goal was to "be different from the old series" other than "to make a good show". I'm sorry, I can't read it any other way.
Dropping a few of Ed's early battles is a really bad idea. You know, the one on the train, and with Yoki. I'm sorry, but this alone cuts Ed's charm by half. Those episodes show how he kicks ass! Without them, Ed looks like he hardly wins any battle!
Whatever the director didn't cut, lacks weight. The Lior episode, the Izumi episode. And many many more "special moments" he skipped. Like Winry's apple pie in the hotel, the "linked mind" theory with Al...

Sigh... maybe I'm just not subjective enough.

This has been written over many days and posted much later.

Book 23

2009-09-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Didn't expect to see it so soon. Also bought another manga and a magazine. Total came to over $50... ouch... (T_T)

Couldn't work on the Pinkys that much this year. And summer is already over. (T_T)

Book 20

2009-09-26T23:59:00.001-07:00

Oops... missed... 19...! Sorry, T, I'll get it later.

Wait... the newest Japanese version is 23. This means... the English version is catching up!

Beefed-up Ed

2009-09-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Came across this in Yahoo Japan auction. Someone transplanted Ed's head onto some other figurine. The head should be from the old Bandai HG capsule toys. What a mismatch! (^_^;)

avatars.swf

2009-09-23T23:59:00.001-07:00

Found another avatar generator. Not too many choices but stylish. Sorry Ed, they don't have any single pigtail!

ASCII Gluttony

2009-09-21T23:59:00.002-07:00

Someone made an ASCII Gluttony here.

　(℃。）

Simple but exactly to the point! Cool!

Traffic safety campaign

2009-09-19T03:44:00.001-07:00

From Daily Portal: Traffic safety campaign poster in Suginami Japan features the Elric brothers.

"Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins"

2009-09-14T23:59:00.005-07:00

Interesting visualization of the "7 deadly sins"!

JoJo face maker

2009-09-10T23:59:00.005-07:00

Found JoJo Face Maker from Kagaryun's Psychedelic Dairy.

Wasted an hour on it. Lots of fun! Can somebody make a better looking Roy Mustang?

Roy Mustang!

2009-09-01T22:21:00.003-07:00

Search with "pyro system" and you'll find more.

How to make fire balls

Prince of the Dawn OP

2009-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Plush cell phone straps?

2009-08-23T23:18:00.006-07:00

These photos were found (OK, stolen) from a Japanese auction site. I'd like to link to the corresponding pages from the pictures, but since these are auctions, they will run out. So instead, I'm putting the links here: Ed, Al, Mustang, Ed & Al.

I just don't understand. Why are the FMA toys so bad? Do the companies have no love for the series, or do they think an inferior job will still sell? I personally won't buy something like this.

PSP 鋼の錬金術師背中を託せし者 PV

2009-08-20T23:24:00.003-07:00

Aaaaargh! Funny!!!!!!!

Rocket bird house (2)

2009-08-13T23:59:00.005-07:00

Painted with primer. Can't completely cover the wood grain despite sanding... (>_<;)

Rocket bird house (1)

Wallpaper

2009-08-09T23:59:00.001-07:00

Thanks Yukasuke for the info! (^_^)
For a limited time, Square Annex is giving out free wallpaper. All you need to do is to answer a simple questionnaire. It's in Japanese, though.

It starts on August 1st, but doesn't say until when. It's a summer campaign, so I guess till the end of August or September?