I really should try One Punch Man

One Punch Man streaming @ viz.com

Everyone is so into this series, it's an action series, and it just seems like something I'd love.  I feel like I may regret not pre-ordering the Saitama Nendoroid, if I end up really loving this series.  I should just watch it already.  ~.~;

http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/5303/Nendoroid+Saitama.html

"Though he faces new enemies every day, it turns out being devastatingly powerful is actually kind of a bore. Can a hero be too strong?"

Oh my god, is "One Punch Man" about turning the Mary Sue trope on its head?  This could be really hilarious!  ^o^

Especially if the second suggested "You Might Also Like" is "Ranma 1/2".  I love "Ranma 1/2".

If this is half as amusing as Ranma, then I really should watch "One Punch Man".

Nendoroid Thanksgiving: just thinking out loud

Trying to decide which Nendoroid figures to use in my Thanksgiving photoshoot.  Because a Thanksgiving scene is good for lots of figures, I'm almost tempted to just use all of them.

But I have 56 Nendoroids---HOW DID IT EVER COME TO THAT POINT?!?!?!  @~@!---So I don't think using all of them is practical.

This display case is full of my favorite characters.  So I'm thinking of using Masamune, Yukimura, Homura, Madoka, Hakase, and Nano, for sure.  I'm on the fence about Ryuko, Mako, Satsuki, and Sawako.

And should I use Devil Homura or normal Homura?  Or maybe I should do multiple vignettes of the same set-up, instead of trying to cram everyone into just one shot of one scene?  But if I do that, then maybe I should use all my Nendoroids, but break them up by the categories I already have them displayed in:  partners/uniforms, wafuku, seasonal Miku, beauty pieces, videogame characters---as cool as that sounds, it also sounds like a lot of work.  Hm....  o_o?

figure photography insecurities

http://myfigurecollection.net/profile/mysticdragon3/pictures/

When I look at My Pictures at My Figure Collection, even though those are my best figure photos so far (in my opinion), it still highlights everything that's wrong with my photography.  

When I think of others' figure photos at the Google+ community, even their casual shots have such perfect lighting, focus, and everyone else knows just when/how to do perfect macro crops.  

When I look at my figure photos, they just feel so artificial.  The only thing special about them is their arrangement with props.  But at the same time, that same prop arrangement feels too contrived.  I think I just like playing with props, more than I know how to play with light.  It is reassuring that Wara Zashi has complimented my prop arrangement before ("black" Figure Friday Challenge with Sakamoto and white props).  But when I look at my "best photos", I still feel so deficient.  ;.;  

Still, they do make me happy, in and of themselves.  Like my comics.  Just today, I was re-reading my Neko Basara scribble and having so much fun.  Sometimes I think I make the things that only I want to see, just to satisfy some personal desire of what I wanted to see and would enjoy having. That's the only explaination for why, despite my horrible lighting, focus, compositions, etc., that I can still get joy out of staring at my figure photos.  ...So much joy...!  ^.^  I mean, Masamune is about to carve a turkey with his 6 swords!  lol  Devil Homura is beside Kamen Rider Ryuugen!  And Elsa is combining her snow magic with Snow Miku's!  And I can make all the DateSana scenes I want!  *o*

AmiAmi wishlist 11/8/2015

There are figures I want to get---I shouldn’t get!  But I really want to get.  ...so...so...badly.  @_____________@

I gave up on Nendoroid Darth Vader and Nendoroid Stormtroopers.  I held back on Nendoroid Anna.  I denied myself Nendoroid Archer AGAIN, this past Comikaze Expo 2015.  Please, please, just let me have these, wallet.  

Before the next wave of Touken Ranbu Nendoroids comes along.  I promise not to get more Touken Ranbu Nendoroids unless they are from the Date army or unless they are specifically irresistible.  I already promised to stop getting all the Touken Ranbu Nendoroids that are being made, even if I don't know the character, just to support male figure production.  There's Orange Rouge now.  There's no more reason to get ALL the Touken Ranbu Nendoroids to send Good Smile Company the message.  

So please, wallet.  Let me get Riku, Ranma, and Body-kun instead.  I'll even be willing to give up on Body-chan, since I already pre-ordered Figma Archetype She (and she's sold-out on AmiAmi...for now).  But Body-kun has too different a sculpt from my pre-ordered Figma Archetype He, for me to pass up.  What if Body-kun is a better drawing model?  He already has a less awkward chest sculpt.  I'd prefer to draw that S.H. Figuarts.  

But damn...That price tag on Riku is killing me!  @w@!  What happened to the affordable Play Arts line?!  All of Square's figures are Play Arts Kai now?!  Come on!  The Play Arts were fine!  And $40!  They weren't $90---at DISCOUNTED price!  If I hadn't been waiting for this specific version of Riku for almost 10 years now, I would blow it off like those Dream Drop Distance Play Arts Kai figures.  ~o~;  

Double-guessing fixing a figure

Just getting some things off my chest. I tried to fix my Philip figure and I think I may have made a mistake.  So I’m just rambling until I feel better about it.

Sunburnt Philip.

I feel a little guilty for modifying my Chibi-Arts Philip as soon as I got him.  But when I first opened the mailing box, the way his face looked, just through his box's window, already looked so horrible, my heart sank.  I bought him used, and I don't know how the owner or store that had him, displayed him, but the paint on his face had serious discoloration.  Well, he is an old figure, and I had heard that enough sunlight exposure would ruin figures.  He looked like he had been sun burnt.  His face was orange, literally the "orange" that human skin turns when staying too long in a tanning bed---and in distinct patches!  >~<;

I had expected to feel so happy, after hunting down Philip for so long, and now finally having him.  But all that was crushed when I saw that discolored paint on his face.  I guess I rushed into erasing all that paint off, because I wanted to get to that exuberant feeling of finally obtaining a "holy grail" figure.  Instead, "I spent $70 for this?!" was the first thing I thought when I saw his face through the box window.  I had to get rid of that feeling.

When I look at Philip in my display case now, with half his paint rubbed off (it was too late at night and difficult to continue with the top half of his face), I feel confident that he looks better than when I first unboxed him.

Paint rubbed off bottom half of Philip's face.

The problem is that all my unboxing photos (like many of my photos), overexposed him with bleaching flash lighting, so all that sunburt paint doesn't look so bad.  And it makes me second-guess my memory of how bad he looked when I first unboxed him.

Faces before modification; over-exposed flash.

Faces before modification; flash at a little further distance.

All the work I did yesterday to fix his paint...I'm doubting myself now.  But I can clearly see the lines of sunburnt paint, that were too dangerously close to his eyes to erase.  And if his cheeks had stayed that color, he'd be far too noticeably darker, next to my Chibi-Arts Shotaro.  ...Not to mention, also darker than the rest of his own face.  But when I look at my bleached-out photos, I can't help but think that maybe within the context of the rest of the paint on his face, maybe those sunburnt cheeks blended into a cohesive context.

...But then why did I immediately wretch backwards, when I first saw his face through his box window?  A figure is supposed to be aesthetically pleasing, in and of itself, and immediately.  And yet, I had that reaction.  Therefore, there was something undeniably wrong and I was right to fix it.  Just look at the difference between his discolored face, versus the skin tone of his hands---and even his NECK!  @~@  Besides, Philip is supposed to be pale enough to pass as Wakana-hime.  He wasn't going to do that with that sunburnt paintjob.

So, now I think I know why he was sold.  Whatever store or previous owner, probably thought Philip was worth less now, with that horribly discolored paint.  But he's Philip!  The incredibly RARE Chibi-Arts Philip!  One of only 2 non-henshin Kamen Rider Chibi-Art figures!  He would never lose value to me.  Whenever one of my figures is damaged, I feel almost glad that they're with me, and not owned by someone (like my brother) who is not comfortable with crafting, and would then deem a damaged figure worthless.  To me, they are always valuable, even if they need a little fixing.  ...Actually, now that I think about it, I've always gravitated towards damaged stock.  Vases, dragon figurines, miniatures, souvenirs,...  All just so I don't have to imagine the pitiable fate of the object that is deemed worthless, just because of a little damage.  The rest of it is good too!  ;o;  So this paint-discolored Philip came to the right place.  I should feel glad that he's with me.  I may not be able to paint as well as official manufacturers, but when I do get some spraypaint, as long as I can get him looking good for photos with my Chibi-Arts Shotaro, that's all I wanted in the first place.  ^-^

Still...Maybe next time, I'll calm down and take a breather before erasing the paint off a $70 figure.  @_@  That was pretty rash.

Timid Otaku as cumulative mirror for other blogs

Last week, I made a determination that this Timid Otaku blog should be an aggregate of all my different Tumblr blogs.  I update those things pretty often.  But my Tumblr blogs separate my posts about rearranging my otaku room/collections, posts about fandom rants, posts about fan-art, series reviews, figure photography, etc.  So why not make Timid Otaku a mirror for all those things, conveniently put into one place?

The thing is that all new posts to this blog, will not be at the top.  A lot of my past posts to Tumblr were specific to those times, and as time passes, shows a progression.  This is particularly relevant to my reviews and impressions of series, as I watch them.  So I will be utilizing Blogspot's "Schedule" function, which allows me to date a post, even for a date which has already past.  So if you're looking for new posts, you may have to scroll backwards through my blog, as well as the top, where currently/new posts will appear.

organizing vs arranging a bookcase

https://youtu.be/E2H5oPm6A8k

I love organizing, but I get a little irked when I see some home decor tips for "organizing" bookcases.  It's more like arranging. They flaunt so much _spare space_.  I've got too many books and figurines to be THAT inefficient!  And you waste so much space, like it's nothing, right in front of me?!  ;o;  Otaku need REAL tips for _organizing_.  Maximizing space is really difficult and if we're ever searching for "arranging" tips, it's for that.  That's what we really need.  Instead, we mostly just get tips for making things *look pretty*.

I'm sorry.  I really do like these organizing videos and videos of making spaces look nice.  But for me, functionality and utilitarian efficiency are a big part of what makes a space beautiful and impressive.