Refrigerated Figure - New figures have arrived

Haruhi and Shana box

Two new figures have come this week. It's Metamo Haruhi ver 1.5 (Bandai) and Shana Candy Bikini (Kotobukiya). I bought Haruhi from Play-Asia and Shana from HLJ.

Haruhi's box is a little damaged. Yeah, that's a free delivery from Play-Asia for you. But Shana's box is still in perfect condition. I used EMS delivery service and they arrived at the same day, but Haruhi from Play-Asia departed on its way a week earlier.

Refrigerated Haruhi

Ever heard a person who put their figure in refrigerator? My friend said "it's only a stupid person puts his figure in refrigerator". So i am stupid because i put my figure in refrigerator. But that's not the case. This is a special case.

How to manipulate Metamo's color

So this is the special case i mentioned before. Officially from Bandai, comes up a statement like this:

Here's Haruhi Suzumiya from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," all dressed up in her black bunny outfit and black stockings--as long as the room temperature is below 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). If she gets warmer than that, you'll see the color of her bunny outfit and stockings start to disappear...and she'd end up wearing a red bunny outfit and no stockings! Warm up or cool down certain areas of her bunny outfit and stockings to create your own custom designs, and keep the color conditions you like if the temperature is between 16-30 degrees Celsius.

So basically if you want to get red bunny suit, you have to heat Haruhi over 30° Celsius. And below 30° Celsius, you'll get black suit. BUT that's not really the truth. Over 30° Celsius to get a red bunny suit is a yes, but below 30° Celsius to change her suit color is not really right.

I'm doing a experiment based on what people has said about Metamo figures. Someone said that he put his Metamo Haruhi in a cold water to get black color. So i tried that with getting my Haruhi in a refrigerator. And it works! It's below 16° Celsius.

But how about 16°-30° Celsius? This temperatures used to lock color. You can use your hand to create a color variation. Human's body temperature is around 35°-37° Celsius. So by touching or pressing a part of Haruhi's body, you can get red suit. After creating a variation, you can lock the color in 16°-30° Celsius room temperature.

But watch out, especially if you're going to touch the figure. Make sure you didn't touch her legs or her body or her bunny ears or else you'll ruin your color variation. But you don't have to worry about those details if you're using red suit for her. My room is equipped with Air Conditioner, and i can control my room temperature between 16°-24° Celsius.

Here's my result for experiment:
1. To get a black suit, put it in refrigerator / cold water (under 16° Celsius).
2. To get a red suit, bathe it in the sun / put it in hot water (over 30° Celsius).
3. To lock color, put in a room with 16°-30° Celsius temperature, use AC to control.
4. To create a color variation, make it black and then use your hand or hot things.

Yup, that's it for Metamo. No figure photo session for these 2 new figures around this week since my schedule and assignment is too much for me. So here i'll give you this as an exchange.

My computer desk complete with my figures

That's my computer desk, complete with my figures around LCD. Beside Ignis, there's one more CRT monitor. Yeah, that's my second computer, it's kinda old though. I already moved my Toranoana Haruhi to the left, on the top of my CPU (system unit), replaced with Metamo Haruhi.

Space is a problem for collector. Around this week or next week, there will be more to come. Three Nendoroid (Haruhi, Yuki, and Mikuru) figures will come and invade my room. So i guess i'll have to create an extra space for them.

Look forward for the photos around 2-4 weeks from now. Wow, it's definitely a long time.

Camera info:

Canon EOS 400D
Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II
Canon EF-S 18-55mm

Max Factory's Figma figures

After seeing Danny Choo's news item about Figma Haruhi, i've been thinking about Figma figures.

These figures actualy are not fixed pose figures type. They have alternate body part and mechanical joint which enable you to change their pose. And they also have smaller size compared to 1/8 scale PVC fixed pose figures.


Figma Konata is one of 6 figma figures. Too bad it's exclusive to Wonder Festival 2008 Winter. This figma Konata is one of the reason why i want to visit Japan.


Figma Nagato Yuki, is the second figma figures that has been released. If you want to get this figma Yuki you can check it out in HLJ, it's still in stock. The first figma figure that has been released is figma Haruhi PS2 RPG version. That figure come with Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi PS2 game. Haruhi, Saber, Konata, and Lelouch are the next figma which will be released.

I guess this figure is great for creative people. Especially if you have more than 1 figma figure. You can create a funny pose, photograph them, and create a joke with it.

For me as a photographer, of course it's more fun to do photograph with it since it's pose changable, just like Gundam. But too bad the size is small and you can clearly see the mechanical joint which made it not really a good eyecandy.

So, do you want to add these figma into your collection, or stick with the fixed pose figures?

Cloudy Day = Bad for figure photo session

I tried to do outdoor photograph this time, with Strike Freedom Lightning Edition as the object. This Gundam is HUGE! I mean it's a Non-Grade 1/60 scale Gundam, so that's why it's huge. With its Dragoon (wings) wide open, it could reach 60 cm wide and 50cm high.

Let me tell you about this Gundam first.

Strike Freedom Gundam Lightning Edition
Non-grade 1/60 scale

The price is JPY 9500. I'm suggesting at my brother to buy a Master Grade Gundam, but he's insisting to buy this. So this is it, the body part itself is just like larger version of HG Gundam. But the harder part is the cable and light in the body. I don't really know about the detail, but i know my brother finished assembling this thing in 5 days straight (he's not in holiday).


The photo session itself is a total waste i think. I did my figure photo session before in my home (i live with my grandma). I did this Gundam photoshoot in my real home (mom and dad's home, but still in the same city). It's a 3 stories house, and i did this shot on the rooftop.

Background does matter, i guess. I'm trying to create photos like some other blogs did, but i guess the background i have doesn't fit at all. Plus cloudy day made the photo even worse. Getting blue and clear sky is crucial to get good photo.

But that's not the worst part. As the Dragoons are wide open, it vulnerable to wind, and.... You guess it, it fell to roof behind it (look at the photo).

"HOLY $%^& !!!"

Gladly, we looked behind the wall, and it only fell off 30 cm. And he told me to stop right away. That's why i decided to do a indoor photo session for next week. With this huge object, i can't really think the paper will fit as the background, that's why i decided to do outdoor photoshoot at the first place.


I already ordered Haruhi Metamo Sp Color ver 1.5, Shana Candy Bikini, and Nendoroid Haruhi-Yuki-Mikuru. Hopefully all of them will arrive before Sunday. That way i can photograph all of them, so look forward to it!

Camera info:

Canon EOS 400D
Canon EF-S 18-55mm

Happy Valentine!

Happy Valentine!

Chocolates, flowers, or even dolls. Anything you gave to represent your feeling of love is a symbol of this valentine day.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong xi fa cai, xin nian kuai le.

As usual, this time of a year, it's a tradition for me and my family to celebrate it.

Gathering with family, visiting family members. Or some family have the tradition to gather in the eldest family member who still alive.

As i'm still a kid, haven't got married and got any children yet, so i have the right to receive ang pao (red envelope filled with $$$). :)

Anyway, we entered the year of rat. The myth said that year of rat is year 1 of 12 year chinese zodiac cycle.

If you're into divination, some people will say things like "the year of rat, there will be so many (whatever it is) luck". Nah... I don't really believe it. Chinese zodiac sign is a tool for old Chinese people to count their years, that's all. It's not for divination or fortune telling.

Ignis The White 1/6 - Orchid Seed

Three objects to photograph in one LQ photo session. Deathscythe, Kureha, and this is it : Ignis The White

This figure cost me a lot. It's JPY 11700! Wow, this is the most expensive figure i ever had. Unlike the other Ignis, this one have different costume. Ignis with a white wedding dress, i like it.

Her dress is just unique in its own way. Belt, long sleeve, and flowers. All the detail is greatly done.

Unfortunately, i only done 3 photos of her. I used room light as the hair lamp at the first photo, but for photos below, i didn't use room light. So as you can see, theres too much shadow on the left side.

Shadow on the left side, but it's cool.

Half body shot.

Apparently i found 2 picture of this Ignis wearing this wedding dress. I dont know if the picture is based on this figure, OR the figure is based on the picture.

This is the wedding dress she wear in the figure.

This picture has the same pose with the figure.

Camera info :

Canon 400D
Canon EF 17-40 F4L

LQ photo shot. I don't know if the black background suit her white wedding dress well. But it's cool in a way IMHO.

Kureha 1/7 - Max Factory

Yeah, Touka Kureha from Max Factory, with scale of 1/7. I got this figure from backordering in local figure store.

Not much i can say for this one. She's as beautiful as fairy. I fell in love with this figure at the first sight. Around July 2007 i first saw this figure, and just seeing her made me want to have her even without knowing/watching the anime.

These photograph of Kureha done in last Sunday, after done with Deathscythe, i continued to get photos for this Kureha and Ignis The White. I'm too lazy to prepare my "mini studio" since it took a half our to set the studio up.

She's just too beautiful even for a figure.

I don't know if black background really fit her well, since once again i'm too lazy to change the BG set up.

Alternate weapon, this time it's Mitsuru's sword.

"Innocent face of Grim Reaper".
Yet another alternate weapon from Deathscythe. I love this one.

Camera info:

Canon EOS 400D
Canon EF 17-40 F4L

This photgraph session basically is the same as Deathscythe photo session. So just read the information in Deathscythe post.

Deathscythe Hell Custom HG

Gundam Deatschythe Hell Custom, one of my favorite Mobile Suit. I'm not really a Gundam anime fans, i never even watch one! But what with this Gundam Model Kit?

This Deathscythe is my younger brother's collection. He collected fighter jet aircraft model kit just like F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle, SR-71 Blackbird, etc. The reason he collected them all is he likes assembling model kits. And now he's not only assembling aircraft model kit, he's interested in assembling Gundam.

Since i'm not really in Gundam things, my job is only to photograph his collection. And this Deathscythe is the first Gundam in his collection. More to come, so look forward to it!

I got my first photo without reflector. I got this photo with reflector. With the same exposure setting, you can see the difference in shadow side.

"Bring it on!" (idea from my brother)

More battle stance. Without wings attached.

Deathscythe with bow and arrow.
I got the bow from Kureha, and sword as an arrow from Mitsuru Kirijou.

I adapted this cheap lighting LQ photo tricks from various blog posts:

HappySoda · Figure on Cheap Lighting
mukyaa~ · Darker than Black Background
otadesho.com - Tutorial: How to Make Low Cost True White Background

Dark background is easier since i don't have so many bright desk lamps to create pure white background. That's why i used black BG.

Camera info:

Canon EOS 400D
Canon EF 17-40 F4L

BTW, my friend lent me this GREAT L LENS for 2 days. Try searching in wiki if you don't know about Canon L lens.