Arc Strike Iron Patriot

Christmas present which my son had chosen for himself @ Toy R'Us. It's a gift that I had liked as much as he does. Manned to be a robust toy for children aged 4 and above so I'm not really making comparison with collector's toys in terms of articulation and details. Nevertheless, the toy exceeded my expectation with its sturdy pose from front view which Hasbro had cleverly hide those screws to the rear. 

The figure stands 10" with relatively decent paint job which I especially like the markings on the shoulders and Lt Col James Rhodes wordings on the left chest. The strength of Arc Strike Iron Patriot is its play value. The removable missile launcher, mounted on the rear right can move back and forth with the double-barreled missile deployed when his the right arm flipped up. 

Simultaneously, three combat sounds would be activated at random with pulsing light at the center of the chest. Combat sounds and pulsing light also could be activated whenever the button on the chest was pushed. The electronic mechanism is run by 2 AAA sized batteries that's included. 

Arc Strike Iron Patriot was released in line with Iron Man 3 live-action movie whereby War Machine had been upgraded. In the movie, the savior and answer to U.S militaries' second generation armored soldier was teased as just a repaint in red, white & blue and repackaged using a new name.

 

Akihabara Gundam Cafe

Our next stop of otaku trip was to stop by Akihabara Gundam Cafe for dining ^_^ The cafe is situated just beside Akihabara train station so it would be an easy find. From a distance, you would noticed that the cafe is directly below the railway track. It's a common sight to see shops or eateries below railway track in tokyo. It's a way the Japanese maximized land use in this urbanized city where land is scarce. Visitors can check and grand menu before enter... Menu is written mainly in Japs but the pricing won't scare you away... Trust me, it's definitely cheaper than maid cafe... heehee...

If you ain't patronizing, you can also take photos with the human size statue outside the cafe or pick up a souvenir or two at the section beside. The theme of Gundam Cafe would change from time to time and during our visit, it was metallic coat Char's custom Zaku II welcoming us. Once you entered the premises, you would be amazed by the decoration and Gundam artifacts that blends with it. 

The menu are really interesting as every dish was nicely designed to Gundam series or a particular Mobile Suit. Like the fried tomato rice in the shape of Char's Custom Zaku II, two circular cakes on a plate to resemble 00 and chicken wings protruded from the side of plate for Wing Gundam. Very idea  for those radishes and carrots to be cut into the shape of Zeon or E.F.S.F logo. 

The most unforgettable experience I had @ Gundam Cafe was visiting the loo! Check out the video I had uploaded for what happened in the toilet! Gundam eyes glow from the mirror and automated toilet bowl! Never before have I seen such high tech toilet! Stunning to the max!!!

 

Souten Kouro Cao Cao Figure

Main protagonist of the manga/anime Souten Kouro aka 'Beyond The Heavens' 蒼天航路. Cao Cao was born to achieve great success as a character evaluator Xu Shao once said Cao Cao would either be a capable minister in peaceful times and an unscrupulous hero in chaotic times. Cao Cao is also famous for his quote 'I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me'. Cao Cao played a major role during the late Han, the era of 'Romance of Three Kingdoms' as a key general, warlord or ruler in epic battles such as the Alliance against Dong Zhuo, the battle of Guandu and the most epic battle of the red cliff. Cao Cao has the guts and wits of dominating over others. 

 Union Creative had done a good job for Cao Cao trading figure, released in late August 2010, the first wave of Souten Kouro 'NEXT LABEL' figure series. Figure stand approximately 11cm and come with a well designed hexagon black stand. The figure is well balance and stand on its own even without the stand. It's an illustration of a matured Cao Cao, at a time of Guandu battle. Fine paint job on the figure with the head not messed up. It's nicely posed and the right outfit showing strong winds blowing at Cao Cao.