Birthday Surprise!

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale with a special haul post of sorts. The month of March is a particularly special one for yours truly as that is the month where my birthday falls on. While I do not normally expect too many gifts, I would be lying if I said I did not look forward to what gifts I would be receiving.

So you could imagine my surprise, when a close friend of mine and fellow writer here at Tiro Finale, Lance, got me not one but, two brand new Nendoroid(s)! 

What was an even bigger surprise to me were, as those of you who read Tiro Finale might have guessed, is the character selection. With over 900 Nendoroid(s) made to date, these two were the final picks for me and I cannot really disagree much with them either, honestly. 

Full disclosure, I am by no means a super fan of Kizuna Ai. In fact, I am not even subscribed to her YouTube channel nor, did I know she had started singing and performing live until Lance told me about it. But what I am a fan of is her downright fantastic facial expressions and her attempts to curse in English. Both of which, are pure gold. 

When it comes to Tawawa on Monday, one could say that I am a bit more of a fan of this particular series having kept up somewhat to the latest Twitter releases and anime. Ai-chan may be the most well known character of the series and perfectly embodies the Tawawa spirit with her more than ample bust. 

Without going into too much detail, here is a quick look at the box for Kizuna Ai's Nendoroid. Those of you who collect Nendoroid(s) would have noticed that Good Smile Company recently changed the format of their boxes over the past year or so.

Gone are the myriad of Japanese words and wall of text as well as the wide boxes. In are the cleaner, smaller box designs. I know many collectors who are not fond of this new format. But like all things, I think most people will get used to it, in time. 

Remember what I said about Kizuna Ai's facial expressions? Credits to Good Smile Company for doing a really good job in emulating Kizuna Ai's facial expressions into Nendoroid form!

Another Ai but, this time Ai-chan, from Tawawa on Monday, is No. 808 on the list of Nendoroid released while still sporting the older box design. When you compare the two, the difference in design is pretty stark. Moreover, the shift to the new box designs are even more apparent than any of the changes made in the past.

Ai-chan's Nendoroid probably has one of the weirder accessories among Nendoroid(s) and I am not talking about the silicon bust that replaces the standard PVC one. Instead, I am referring to the bust of the male protagonist of the series which actually doubles as a finger puppet. 

Just like Kizuna Ai, Ai-chan is able to recreate many of her iconic scenes from the series. One of which is the popular smartphone challenge where Ai-chan is able to balance her smartphone atop her bust.

It is only when I put them side to side, did I realize, I actually have to Ai-chan(s)! What an interesting coincidence would you not say? While I do not have the habit of opening up all of my figures, these Nendoroid(s) will be a strict exception to the rule as they are gifts. After all, it would be slightly disrespectful to not open a gift that someone has given you is it not?

As promised, there will be an article focused on Ai-chan coming in the middle of the week. As for which of the two Ai-chan(s) it will be, you will have to stay tuned to Tiro Finale to find out. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!