The Sapporo Shopping List

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale for what is one part a mental note and another part shopping list. This year, I will be returning to Sapporo once more to attend the annual Winter Festival and together with it, take in all the great attractions Sapporo has to offer. Though this may be my third time visiting the northern peninsular of Japan, I have to grow tired of it especially with one of my favorite hobby stores residing there, Mandarake Sapporo! Of course, a visit to an exotic location such as Hokkaido surely cannot go by without at least getting some souvenirs for one's loved ones and closest friends. With that in mind, I set out on creating an early shopping list to help me ease my shopping experience once I finally do set foot in icy Sapporo.

First up, we have Takuya, our resident video game expert and full-time Dia maniac. Getting him gifts has never been a difficult task at all. Just point your finger to the nearest Dia merchandise that is not a premium scale figure and you can be certain his face would light up like a Christmas tree. Simply load Mandarake's website, key in the search query for Kurosawa Dia, narrow the search to available items in Sapporo and voila!

After some quick browsing, I decided upon these two Kyun-Chara Dia figures. Having an extended history with Banpresto's Kyun-Chara series, I can fully vouch for the quality of their deformed scale figures. Often available as prizes for their Ichiban Kuji lottery, these petite figures strike a perfect balance of collect-ability and affordability. What's more, their size also means it would not take up too much luggage space! That is like killing three birds with one stone. 

Next up, there is the biggest collector and quietest member of the Tiro Finale writing team, OG. With a collection five fold larger than the rest of the writing staff combined, OG is a die-hard collector of otaku-goods! He also happens to be a big fan of Nero Claudius and her Umu! antics while, being a very generous individual himself. I cannot recall the sheer number of goodies he has given to me out of good will and it is only natural that I should reciprocate accordingly. 

Which is where this other Kyun-Chara figure comes into play. Nero in her swimsuit is certainly an interesting choice especially since she is considered to be in her Caster form. While the price is a little steep for a Kyun-Chara, it is a small price to pay for friendship. One can only hope he actually takes good care of this one though. 

Lastly, we have Lance, the most insightful writer among the group of here at Tiro Finale and also a rather tough cookie to pick out goodies for. Fortunately, I did stumble across this rare set of Angel Beats Nendoroid Petits! Talk about a rare find!

Moreover, these aren't your ordinary Nendoroid Petits either as they have interchangeable face plates and limbs. Good Smile Company quite simply does not make figures like these anymore. Certainly a worthwhile collection to any fan of the series and one that is quite a blast from the past too!

While I did do a little browsing for myself, nothing really stood out except for this Nendoroid Yuno that I have been dragging my feet in getting. I am a big fan of Aoki Ume-sensei so, perhaps it is high time for me to get it? Of course, this list is by no means complete as right next to Mandarake is another hobby store equally worth visiting, Jungle. How will my little adventure pan out? Stay tuned to find out. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!