The sudden closure of free forums host IPBFree due to alleged Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) violations, has also unfortunately taken down Otakai Figure Society — a message board for Filipino collectors of Japanese toys and figures.

But there is good news for Otakai members — the group has now moved to its own domain and servers. Otakai is now located at otakaifiguresociety.org. The forums are currently in beta stage as the moderators try to rebuild the forums from the ground up. If you were a member of Otakai at the IPBFree boards, please sign up again to posting at the new Otakai. See you guys there!

Popular Posts

• 17 April 2009 — Tips on Obtaining a Japan Tourist Visa
• 21 May 2009 — Tips on Dealing with Customs and Duties on Japanese Import Toys and DVDs in Manila
• 21 October 2009 — Getting a Japan Tourist Visa: An FAQ for Filipinos
• 4 May 2009 — Saizen (Daiso) Authentic Japanese Hyakuen Shop Opens in Robinsons Galleria
• 30 December 2009 — How to Spot Fake Mix-Style Headphones

Yes, there is an Evangelion Racing Team. Yes, they have race queens. Yes, their costumes look like plug suits. Yes, they (Mizutani Noa as Rei and Chiba Yuuna as Asuka) are awesome.

Even more awesome is the set of two limited edition Eva Race Queen figures produced especially for the fans of the Evangelion Racing crew.

Unfortunately for us salivating fans, the set is not for sale. These figures will be given away to team supporters who are willing to sponsor Eva Racing.

Sponsorship slots are pegged at JPY 12000 for Silver, JPY 30000 for Gold, and JPY 50000 for Black, with only the Gold and Black slot holders lucky enough to take home the figures.

Prototypes of the figures were displayed during a special event in Akihabara last 12th-3th June.

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• 3 November 2009 — What the heck is this I don’t even…

Local fastfood giant Jollibee (famous worldwide for kicking the ass of a certain international fastfood clown in the massive Philippine dining scene) has released two Cardcaptor Sakura toys with their Kiddie Meals.

The two toys are a Sakura temporary tattoo dispenser, and a Kero-chan secret note compartment.

Cardcaptor Sakura Toys Jollibee Kids Meal are available in all branches starting at PhP 69, while supplies last.

These toys are the latest in a series of Japanese anime themed merchandise released by the fastfood chain along with its local competitiors. Other titles that also saw local releases include Pokemon, Naruto, Bleach, and Macross, among others.

This shows the increase of awareness in the local population of Japanese animation titles, although the perception that anime is only for children is still rife.

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• 6 March 2010 — Are Edamame Keychains Toxic? Plus, Jollibee’s Robotech Kiddie Meal.

Anime Festival Asia — the largest gathering of Japanese pop culture fans in the South East Asia region, is delighted to hold the AFA Japan Pop Culture Photo Contest from 3rd to 18th June, 2010.

To join, log into Facebook, “Like” the official AFA account, and submit a recently taken photo of things that symbolize your passion for Japanese pop culture, together with short explanation on why you chose this shot.

All entries will be voted on by other AFA fans, and the winner will receive SGD 300 worth of exclusive anime merchandise. For more detials, visit the contest website.

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• 19 July 2010 — AFA X Teaser Site Launched
• 27 April 2010 — Take Part in the 2010 AFA Survey and Win!
• 26 November 2009 — Guest Post: Anime Festival Asia 2009 Cosplay Special
• 26 November 2009 — Anime Festival Asia 2009 Day 2 Event Report
• 25 November 2009 — Anime Festival Asia 2009 Day 1 Event Report

There’s moawr great stuff from KOTOBUKIYA‘s now infamous chopsticks line, as they release a second series of tableware from George Lucas’ Star Wars.

The new line features Darth Maul, Mace Windu, and Luke Skywalker. The Darth Maul set in particlar is fantastic — as you can connect the two handles together to create his double-bladed lightsaber stick. Mace Windu’s, on the other hand, features his distinct flourescent purple lightsaber — the only one in existence on the Star Wars Universe.

The new sets will be available in packs of two: Darth Maul and Luke Skywalker, and Mace Windu and Luke Skywalker. Each set has an SRP of about USD 20 — be sure to pre-order yours before they run out very soon! KOTOBUKIYA products are available from the KOTOUS Online Store, or from your favorite local collectibles store.

Thanks to Mr. Nakagawa of KOTOBUKIYA for the advanced information.

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• 11 October 2009 — New Releases from Kotobukiya 2.0
• 20 April 2010 — New Releases from Kotobukiya 5.0
• 25 April 2010 — New Releases from Kotobukiya 6.0
• 9 March 2010 — New Releases from Kotobukiya 4.0
• 5 February 2010 — New Releases from Kotobukiya 3.0