May Haul: Part 1

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale for our haul post for the month of May. Admittedly, it has been quite some time since we last did a haul post here on the blog and to make up for it, as you can see, we have a particularly large haul this time around. So large in fact, that this haul post will have to be split into two parts. Otherwise, there would just be too much to cover in a single article. 

Without wasting any precious time, let us pop up the parcel straight from Mandarake's Sahra warehouse in Chiba to take a quick peek at what is inside. Aside from the usual excellent wrapping that Mandarake provides, you should more or less have a little clue as to what this month's haul brings with it. Spoiler alert, there is a lot of Mami merchandise. So much that I perhaps should have named the article the May Mami haul rather than just the May haul.

As with any haul that I purchase from Mandarake, I always make sure to throw in a few clear files and for good reason. Aside from being incredible practical, clear files are also very light and, aside from the rare exceptions, generally very affordable. Not to mention, they are also highly collectible as they often sport attractive, original illustrations especially with more popular series such as Madoka Magica.

You may think I would have collected all of the Madoka Magica original illustrations by now. But, that is far from the case as there are still many rarer early designs that I am still lacking. Case in point, this Hawaii inspired illustration which was a collaboration between Madoka Magica and Lawson. I initially thought it was a clear file when I first added it to my cart. Only to find out that it is actually a plastic poster instead! It certainly was a pleasant surprise and one that I have no regrets purchasing. 

An odd one out among all the clear files is this particular doujin that I purchased primarily for the cover illustration. Now, I was hoping that there would be more car-based illustration featuring the characters of the Magica Quartet within this doujin but, that was not to be the case, unfortunately. Still, it was only a few hundred Yen and I do still get a doujin to read so, all is not lost.

Moving onto the clear files, we have one this set which featured the pajamas set illustration. This has been a set that I had been hunting for quite a while and often had to pass on getting it largely because of the price. For just Mami's clear file alone, I have seen stores with asking prices up to 1,000 Yen. So, when I found Mandarake selling it for a mere 200 Yen, you know I had to get my hands on it.

Now, imagine my surprise when I found out that the price I paid (200 Yen) was actually for the complete set of 5 clear files. Each member of the Magica Quartet in their pajamas illustration accounted for and still wrapped in mind condition. Talk about value!

Next up, we have this adorable Bebe clear file with a cheese inspired motif. Bebe clear files are certainly something rather difficult to find especially one with such a light and happy tone to it. Needless to say, I sorely needed to add this to my collection. 

Flip it around, and we have an illustration of Nagisa too. Oh, and did I mention, this single clear file only cost me 100 Yen. While it certainly cannot beat the earlier set of 5 clear files for 200 Yen, it certainly is notably cheaper than the industry standard of 200-300 Yen per clear file. 

Aside from Nagisa and Bebe, there is also an adorable illustration of Mami taken from the Rebellion feature film. I can only assume the runes above Mami's head spells out her name?

Moving on, we have even more Bebe inspired merchandise. This time, a clear file holder, something I have been looking to get fora while now. I have not been able to keep my clear files in check more than I would like to and I hoped that having an organizer like this file would help a lot. 

For 200 Yen, this set also contains two other goodies. The first is a clear file with Madokra's illustration on it while, the second and final item is a Kyubey sticker. Just like the set of clear files earlier, I initially thought the price was for the leather straps. 

Here is a close up of the Kyubey sticker that came included together with the clear file holder and clear file. Unlike the earlier few files, this release was much more recent stemming back 1-2 years as part of the Magiccraft Ichiban Kuji.

Done with the clear files, let us move onto the soft and fluffy part of the haul which feature several items that I had been meaning to get for a while now. 

The Bebe/Charlotte mini plush was one that I had initially intended for use as a charm on my bag. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a little too big to be used as one. I have yet to figure out what else I can use it for but, in due time, I am certain I would think of something. 

Speaking of mismatched size, this other mini pillow was another piece which turned out to be a little too large for my intended purpose. I had initially planned to use this mini pillow of Mami as the charm for my house keys but, it turned out to be a little too big for that purpose. 

Just like the Bebe plush, I have yet to figure out what to do with this mini pillow. But at a price of just 200 Yen, I am not too concerned if I am unable to find a use for it. 

Fortunately, these next few entries to the collection are ones that I will have a very practical use for. They are two towels, both from the Magiccraft series of original illustrations. The first, as seen above, is a hand towel with a Bebe design. 

At just 200 Yen, I had expected it to be smaller but, that is hardly any reason to complain as the larger size is certainly a plus in my books.

The final piece to the first part of this May haul is a full sized Mami bath towel. This particular towel featuring the design from the Magiccraft illustrations where Mami is wearing a Bebe-themed hoodie. Since its release, I had been trying my best to find this particular towel but, was only able to find either Nagisa or Madoka's version. On top of that, these towels were not the cheapest either with prices commonly hovering around the 1,500 Yen mark. 

So when it was available on sale in Mandarake for just 600 Yen, it was one of those things I simply needed to get. Thought, to be honest, it was a little difficult to find initially as it was not categorized under Mami's name when searching for it on Mandarake's online store. 

We have gone through quite a few items by now but, that is only covering roughly half of the haul so far. The remaining half will be featured in the second part of our May haul post which will be live not too long from now. Rest assured, it also features a lot of Mami merchandise, true to our claim of being the official Church of Mami. Until then, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!