The Kyoto Haul

Kyoto, the last location of my holiday also happened to be host to my first ever haul of the year. Despite my short but memorable stay there, I made sure to stalk out the most active hobby centers around Kyoto. Unfortunately, there are not many hobby centers around Kyoto save the few shops in Aventi Kyoto. Fortunately, surrounding JR Kyoto Station is Yodobashi Camera and Bic Camera which in themselves carry several hobby related items on their upper floors. It was there (Yodobashi Camera) where I finally managed to find Tomytec's Little Armory weapons which I have been looking to adding several to my collection. 

Before we get to the Little Armory bits, we first have the address these new scale weapons that I discovered. Made by Platz, these 1/12 scale military small-arms were the exact same scale as Tomytec's Little Armory guns. These make them perfect fit for Figma(s) too and open up an entirely new option to interested collectors. 

For 1,960 Yen, Platz's Realistic Rifles may sound a little bit expensive. But when you consider the fact that they come in a pack of 3 rifles, the value is immediately apparent. While I cannot attest to the quality, the illustrations look fairly high detailed. The choice of rifles too are fairly diverse with a Japanese Howa Type 89, Russian SVD and American M4A1. Besides the diversity in nations, the rifles too are distinctively different with an assault rifle, sniper rifle and carbine all present. I am looking forward to seeing how these fare compared to the Little Armory guns.

Next up, we have the four new Little Armory guns that I got my hands on. An M240B machine gun and AA-12 shotgun, two hard hitting automatic weapons that add much needed firepower to Mami's arsenal. For the M240, Tomytec produces it in two guises, the M240B and M240G. I opted for the M240B due to its more advanced accessories and slimmer look (without the belt fed ammunition). 

On the topic of big firepower, the remaining two weapons do not disappoint either with the M202 A1 and AKM. The M202 A1 is a fairly old American rocket launcher which has recently been added to Little Armory's series. The AKM on the other hand, is an equally old assault rifle which cost a whopping 1,420 Yen. Why? That probably has to do with the fact that it comes with two AKM sets in one box, one with wood furniture and another with synthetic furniture. 

The last collection to the haul is somewhat of an oddball. While browsing the Love Live section, I came upon the last of the Kurokoro Love Live blind box trading figures. At just 860 Yen and with only one box remaining, I decided to give it a shot.

What made these trading figures rather interesting was their "square" heads which allowed for four different facial expressions. Examples of these facial expressions are as shown above with Honoka showing a smiling, satisfied, grumpy and shocked face.

The best part. all the 9 members have different facial expressions and the side of the box previews them all. Admittedly, it did take me some time to realize it was Kotori and Umi there.

The remaining 5 members' facial expressions are detailed on the side of the box. Of them all, I think Rin's one is really cute!

Eli-chika!

Popping open the box, I was fairly surprised to see that I had gotten an Eli. Certainly not a bad draw especially since Eli is one of my favorite Muse members. That and the fact that she is the center for Angelic Angel, making this draw all the more special. I am planning to do a review of her soon so, make sure to look out for that. 

So there we have it, a rather small but rather expensive haul all in all. If it was not for the superb quality that Tomytec puts into its Little Armory guns, I too would have much apprehension about spending ~1,000 Yen on a miniature 1/12 scale weapon. With 7 new weapons to the collection, Mami's armory is well stocked for the rest of the year. Stay tuned to Mami checking these weapons out in future editions of Mami in Action. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a great day ahead!