Tag Archives: box opening

Mar 11

Sailor Soldiers Arrival

Sailor Moon, as a series, has meant quite a lot to me over the years, so when Volks announced their Sailor Moon Dollfie Dream in late 2017, I was pretty excited. I was lucky to have a successful lottery entry, but after the doll arrived… there was a lot of other stuff going on, and I didn’t even open her. As time passed, I felt guilty when I saw the sealed box, and I started to think that I ought to sell her… and then Volks announced Mars and Mercury. I decided to try for them both, and I was lucky enough to be successful once again! Now that they’re here, after the somewhat muddled Volks International invoicing and shipping delays, I took some time to do a box opening for all 3.

Three large boxes! I had quite a time hauling Mars & Mercury home… they arrived at my office on the same day, and the boxes barely fit in the IKEA bag I brought! Toting them home on the train was definitely an experience… XD
Who’s in the first box? It’s Sailor Moon! (It seemed only appropriate that she be opened first, since she arrived first.
Here’s the box! It’s the drawer-style.
Unfortunately, my box suffered some rough handling during its voyage, and one corner is pretty crumpled. (This was visible on the outside shipping carton as well.) Nothing inside the box was damaged.
And the first look inside! She’s packed like a Dollfie Dream, ribbon belts holding the plastic-bagged doll to an insert, not cushioned or bubble-wrapped like other dolls.
I know that her face hasn’t been the most popular, but I think she’s very cute!
Underneath the doll are her papers, accessories, wig, and outfit pieces!
And this is everything she came with! Uniform, extra hands, boots, wig, papers, and a box with her plastic accessories!
Another view of the uniform, boots, and the accessories tray removed from the white box.
She came with a lot of gloves, several of them custom designed for the extra hands, so that she can do some poses fitting for the character.
And here are the hands! I love the variety of extra hands, but I must say I’m terrible at the process of actually replacing them on the wrist structures.
This is the accessories tray, with the top removed for a better look. The tiara is just set on top; it was in a plastic baggie and taped to the back. This tray would fit a much shallower tiara, but they went with a different design than they originally intended, it seems.
And here’s her wig! The odango are rather odd-looking from any angle other than straight-on. I’m hoping I can eventually get her another wig for more general use… I don’t want to risk damaging this one!
And here she is, removed from the plastic bag! She has the Dollfie Dream Sister standard body, not to the new f3 that Mars and Mercury have, as she was released before it was introduced. It’s normal skin and medium bust, which does match Mars and Mercury.
Another picture of her face, this time without the plastic bag in the way! I like her eyes a lot more than I expected to…
Here she is, dressed in the uniform! (I got lazy and put the mitten glove on one hand…)
She doesn’t have one of the crescent moon charms on her boot, because the hook snapped off when I tried to affix it! Thankfully it was an easy repair with a dab of nail glue, which I keep on hand precisely for this kind of thing. It was drying when I took this picture. Usagi is watching while the other box openings continue.
And now, on to Sailor Mars!
Another picture of the box; this one didn’t suffer any major bumps on its journey.
On the inside it’s basically identical to Sailor Moon’s packaging.
I like the makeup and face of Sailor Mars a lot more than I expected to, given the promotional photos. Her eyes seemed much more angular; I’m happy with how they look on her.
All of her goodies are tucked below the insert that holds the doll!
Here’s everything from inside the box—uniform, high heels, wig, white box of accessories, and booklet!
I really like the fabric and colour chosen for her uniform. It has such a lovely sheen! I had a hard time capturing it well for this picture.
Her wig is very dark, so I couldn’t get too much detail when it’s flat like this. It has a nice violet sheen, just like Rei’s hair is usually illustrated.
Sailor Mars is on the Dollfie Dream Sister f3 body, normal skin and medium bust. I can’t really tell much of a difference from this and the previous body on Sailor Moon, but maybe that’s just because I’m not an expert.
I’m really happy with her face! She’s darling!
Obviously she needed to be dressed into her uniform! (A warning, though… there are some stains on her forehead and above her ears from wearing her tiara for these box-opening pictures! This did not happen to Usagi or Ami… I think putting tape on the back of the tiara would be a good idea to avoid this fate for anyone else.)
Now Sailors Mars and Moon are ready to welcome their next teammate, Sailor Mercury! (Although canonically, Moon and Mercury would welcome Mars… ;D)
It’s another box very similar to the others!
No damage here!
She’s in her box exactly the same way that Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were packed. Honestly, it’s pretty efficient.
Underneath the insert with the doll is a sea of blue! She’s somewhat monochromatic compared to Sailors Moon and Mars.
Sailor Mercury comes with her uniform, boots, wig, a box with accessories, and booklet.
Her uniform is the same style and fabric as Sailor Mars, but in Mercury’s signature blues.
I wasn’t sure about her wig, at first glance, but when it’s worn by the doll it’s a very nice representation of her character’s hairstyle. I do wish it didn’t have a black wig cap, however.
Sailor Mercury has the exact same body as Sailor Mars—Dollfie Dream Sister f3, normal skin, medium bust.
I think Ami is my favourite out of all three! I feel that she really looks like the character [b” target=”_blank”>and[/b” target=”_blank”> she looks adorable to boot! She seems like she could be really versatile, even with the blue eyebrows.
Here’s the third sailor soldier of today’s box opening in her uniform and wig! I think she looks wonderful.
Here’s a quick side-by-side of all three dolls. I can’t really see much difference between Sailors Mars and Mercury vs Sailor Moon, even though they share one body type and she has the other. I know that the internal frame is slightly different, but it isn’t outwardly visible.
Here’s all three! Now that this happened, I have to say that I’m happy that I didn’t sell Sailor Moon… I hope I can find a place to keep them displayed together. It brings a smile to my face to see the trio. If Volks releases Jupiter and Venus I am definitely doomed! XD
What’s this? Oh right, their school uniforms! I entered for these in the same lottery as Mars and Mercury, and they arrived on the same day as the dolls!
When they’re not fighting crime as pretty soldiers, they’re ready for the trials of teenage life as schoolgirls.

♥ Thanks so much for reading! ♥

Jul 8

A Little Angel Nests Here

Every once in a while, it’s hard to really articulate what I like about a doll. I felt this way with YoTenshi Una when she was released in 2011. I took to her immediately–the first glimpse I saw, I thought, “Oh! That’s cute! Usually I don’t like YoSDs!” I don’t understand even now why I like Una when I’m not interested in Megu, Nana, Sara, or Kira–and she has the same “4 Sisters” face sculpt. I see them and I don’t really care much, but then I see Una–the exact same doll in white skin instead of normal skin–and my heart leaps.

Una is a YoTenshi and has stayed close to her origin of Tenshi no Sato. Her first few releases were incredibly popular and incredibly limited. A few times I saw this doll listed for sale, and the price was always well over what I was willing to save up for. Una wasn’t on my wishlist or part of my plan. She was fun to admire in other people’s photos, but that was the end of it.

Earlier this year it was announced that Una would be re-released in her YoTenshi size at the Tenshi no Sato 11th Anniversary event. Someone I know was attending that event, hoping to acquire an Una, and I expressed my combination of hope and envy towards her. She was lucky enough to get a ticket for Una and come home with one, and seeing her pictures renewed my feelings of appreciation for that cute little face. My friend mentioned that there had been enough Una to go around at the event, saying that there were even a flood of them on Yahoo!Japan Auctions.

When I logged on and searched, I sealed my doom. She was not exaggerating at the number of auctions and the variety of prices. After tormenting myself for a week, I bid and won a YoTenshi Una of my very own! ♥ Waiting for the tracking and delivery to update was so hard… but before I knew it, I had a parcel to bring home and unwrap!

Continue reading »

Jul 3

PROPLICA Moon Stick

As a long term fan of Sailor Moon, the 20th anniversary events and merchandise are a continual temptation. If I were a collector of figures, this would be a very wallet-draining year. However, as much as I adore Sailor Moon, I do not actively or aggressively collect items related to this series. I do make an exception for toy versions of in-show props–I have a Cutie Moon Rod from the 90s and one or two brooches from the same era. Typically the second-hand prices of these items keep me from purchasing them. I continually hoped that these items would be redesigned and released for the 20th anniversary… and I was not disappointed.

PROPLICA Moon Stick Box Front

This is the front of the product’s box. I particularly like the design of the Moon Stick silhouette comprised of small symbols and sparkles representative of the Sailor Moon series.

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Jun 20

One-Off Miruku’s Arrival

When I got the email yesterday afternoon indicating that there was a parcel for me in the pick-up center, my heart leapt! It was my Volks USA one-off from their Grand Reopening Celebration–SD Miruku! I hurried over to claim the package, but I didn’t get to open it until my work day was over and I returned home.

Traveling box!

The box and I jostled home on the train, much to the confusion of other passengers. I was very thankful that I leave my office just before rush hour–I would have had to wait for so many trains if they were actually jam-packed with commuters. I was lucky to have space to set the box down, giving my arms a rest. It isn’t a very long ride, and after a short walk my box and I were safely home~!

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Feb 10

Grant Me the Power to Revolutionize the World!

So… I bought another doll.

In fact, the dolls I currently own are not accurately reflected in these posts or on the profile pages. There are 3 Pure Neemos on my shelf amidst all the ponies, and although I decided to sell my Nagisa, Claire, when my F-12 arrived, she hasn’t actually sold so she’s still in the house. I was mulling over whether or not to put my Ms. Mariko Dollfie Dream Sister up for sale, but I never settled on doing it. (Every time I see her face I lose my nerve. XD) Despite all that, I still bought a new doll. I have no regret, not even a little bit. When I first saw the promotional photos for this doll, I knew I’d be pre-ordering her.

Her manufacture was delayed several months–she was originally slated for release in November 2013, but she did not ship until the very end of January 2014. She arrived at my workplace on Friday, February 7, 2014… and I am so incredibly happy that I bought her~! ♥

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Aug 7

A Tale of F-12: The Arrival

I was absolutely thrilled when my shopping service informed me that my Full-Choice System (FCS) order had shipped! I don’t really have trouble with being patient, and for dolls I try to be very open about how long it might take for the order to be processed. I didn’t expect my FCS order to be ready until late August, potentially being shipped to me in early September, so this was quite a lovely surprise!

I ordered my FCS via Enya on Den of Angels. She was offering a Tenshi no Sato shopping service, and the limited reintroduction of the F-12 MSD head was only available at the Tenshi no Sato location.

I was very pleased with Enya’s shopping service. She communicated well during all aspects of my order–when I had questions before placing the order, when I placed the order, when she traveled to Sato, when she placed the order at Sato, when my doll arrived to her when the order was complete, and when my doll was shipped to me. At no point did I feel that I was “in the dark” or unaware of what was going on. I feel that she communicated my wishes well, as there were no complications with my order. My new F-12 is absolutely perfect in every way. I’ve read about people being less-than-satisfied with the faceup results for custom faceups requested through FCS, but my doll’s faceup is absolutely everything I want it to be. If I were going to order another FCS I would consider Enya as my first choice to order via.

And now, on to the package! Continue reading »

Jul 10

Panzer, Vor!

PANZER, VOR!

Miho Nishizumi, commander of Ooarai Girls’ High School’s Anglerfish Team, ready to go!

I am a huge fan of the anime Girls Und Panzer. I joke about how it was made just for me, as a series that I would love the most above all things. My little sister has dragged me along with her for a few WWII reenactments; our impressions are German Red Cross (DRK) nurses. My favourite thing about the reenactments are the vehicles. I love tanks. I think tanks are amazing. Having opportunities to be up close to tanks is really amazing! (We’ve gotten tank rides. TANK RIDES.) I also like anime about girls’ schools. Girls Und Panzer is a show about a world where schoolgirls participate in tank battles as a competitive sport. The animation for the tanks and tank battles is so well done! If it had been “eh” I never would have become such a devotee.

So far there hasn’t been a whole lot of Girls Und Panzer merchandise that I’ve been interested in. I don’t want a body pillow with one of the girls printed on it, or a tank model. I’d really love dolls of at least the Anglerfish Team girls, if not all of the teams, but I think it’s unlikely those will be produced. (I also want a Ooarai School mug, but they sell out so quickly!)

In mid-January, when I was still agonizing over the wait for the last few episodes to be released, Good Smile Company (GSC) put a Miho Nishizumi Nendoroid up for preorder.  Nendoroids are super deformed-style figures with interchangeable parts and limited pose-ability. Usually their limbs can be rotated, but not bent. I’d seen all kinds of really adorable pictures of these cute little figures; some of my friends who are devoted anime fans own several. I’m not a figure collector by any standard, so although I thought these little things were cute, there weren’t any released in characters I felt strongly attached to. (If there were Sailor Moon or CLAMP characters, then I’d change my tune…) Continue reading »

Jul 7

And Then There Were Two

Aika

I couldn’t resist this cute little face! There’s another Pure Neemo in town!

When I bought my first Pure Neemo, I didn’t think I’d buy any others. There weren’t any past or upcoming releases that caught my attention as much as that particular Chiika. This continued to be true even as Azone released the fantastic “Komorebi Mori no Doubutsu-tachi” dolls. Their mori-girl themed outfits and adorable forest animal ears, tails, and accessories were wonderful. There were quite a few that I wanted for the outfits, but not for the dolls themselves.

In fact, I split one of the releases (Miu) with a friend who was only interested in the doll. Katyusha looked adorable in the navy and green-plaid overdress and dark brown accessories, not to mention the bunny ears and bunny tail adorned bloomers.

I didn’t think I’d be able to find someone willing to split every “forest animals” doll, and it was too expensive to buy them all for the outfits, so I stopped paying much attention.

Then I started seeing pictures on other’s Flickr photostreams showing “neko-san Aika.” Aika’s face hadn’t really appealed to me before, but “neko-san” Aika was not the same as normal Aika. Aika typically has drooping eyes with heavy upper lids and a slightly smile; it gives her a somewhat sneaky expression–albeit a bit sleepy. This Aika did not have the little smile, however–instead, her mouth was a little “o” that seemed somewhat hesitant. Chiika’s mouth is more of a “D” with the flat part at the bottom, and that gives her face a frightened look. By comparison, this Aika’s mouth makes her face seem as though she’s yawning or has just thought of something to say. It’s like a visual pause. Continue reading »

Sep 6

A Little Witch Arrives

Majokko Chiika v1.1

There’s a new doll in town–a very small new doll clad in white!

For a while it felt like the release date of the Pure Neemo that I preordered would never come! The site listed it as “Late August,” but when the final week of August came and went I started to feel worried. Luckily the invoice arrived on the 1st of September, and she shipped the next day! ♥

When she arrived at my office yesterday, I was so excited that I couldn’t wait until I got home to open her up~ I’ve never purchased a Pure Neemo before, so it was very thrilling to open the parcel! The box is made of a very thick plastic, and entirely clear–all the patterned cardboard is on the inside packaging. This is much different from the toy dolls sold in US stores, which are generally more cardboard on the outer package with a thin plastic window. (This is similar for Pullip boxes.) The Pure Neemo box is pretty sturdy!

The doll was sandwiched between several layers of plastic, so she couldn’t move in the box but wasn’t tied down to anything. After having spent a lot of time cutting dolls out of packaging in the past, trying not to tear or break anything, this was QUITE a relief! I wish it were a more widespread method of packaging for dolls. Her hair wasn’t sewn into anything or wrapped up in anything, although she had a little plastic headband keeping her bangs in place. It gave her some serious “hat hair,” haha!
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