After a few weeks off from painting vinyl, I finally got back into it recently. In preparation for some commission pieces and a big paint project, I spent the past week practicing on some Secret Base figures. These took quite a while, as I had to decide the colors, mask the hands and shorts, and then handpaint the teeth and ribs. I just finished. Let me know what you think.
Being vegetarian in Japan is tough, especially when most people don't understand the definition. In Japan, ham, bacon, fish, and seafood are often considered vegetables. Last night in Ginza, I had a really special treat: vegetarian sushi! We visited a traditional Japanese restaurant and asked that they prepare my course as vegetarian as possible. Though a few dishes contained the usual dashi (fish broth), others were completely vegetarian (tempura, sushi, etc.). I think this was the best "Japanese formal meal" I've ever had.
Super Festival was yesterday. Nothing too exciting toy-wise, as it always seems to be the same dealers with the same toys. Though I wasn't able to find anything vintage (as usual), I did pick up some unpainted M1 kaiju. I also got to hang out with all the toy geeks. That's always the best part.
Of all the new Japanese vinyl toys coming out recently, I think I've been most excited about the Rumble Monsters. I especially like the size of these figures, not too big but not quite mini, and their bulky designs make them fun to hold and pose. Looking forward to seeing some new Rumble Monsters characters.
I spent the countdown to the new year at Thrash Out. Gargamel has been releasing their New Year Lucky Bags (bags filled with random toy goodies) for the past three years. This year, they released three versions: two types of 20,000 yen bags, and an 80,000 yen bag. These went on sale at the stroke of midnight (in-store and online), and sold out within minutes.
