Spice and Wolf - Merchandise (Figurines, Artbooks, DVDs, etc.)

[Starburst]

I wouldn't really mind getting one, I just can't seem to find one I like enough to pay the rather high price tags. Not sure I'd sleep with it though, I'd worry about rubbing off the picture. I'd likely just use it on my bed as a sort of decoration.

I thought people would look at me strangely for collecting anime figures, but so far everyone seems to have taken it as if it were any other thing. No one seems to care. Even my Dad thinks they're better than the transformers my roommate collects.

[Rajura]

Well, I'm all about the old school... I've held onto a lot of stuff from my childhood, but... maybe as a decoration could work, though a couple may be a little too risque for public display at my place, and I don't want to have to worry about forgetting to put it up if certain friends or family happen by who might misunderstand!

[Ichihara Asako]

Originally Posted by Starburst

I wouldn't really mind getting one, I just can't seem to find one I like enough to pay the rather high price tags. Not sure I'd sleep with it though, I'd worry about rubbing off the picture. I'd likely just use it on my bed as a sort of decoration.

I was a bit worried about damaging or fading the picture on mine but it's a very high quality print and my concern was unwarranted. It even survived machine washing, so that's all I do now. Turn it inside out and throw it with other bedding. I'm not sure about other covers or brands etc; the one I have is from the site I linked, so I can attest to their quality. The friend who bought it for me also has two of them and says the same. Excellent quality and easy care.

But yeah, most designs are terrible; I've yet to see one I'd buy myself. But if it's a gift, that's a different matter.

[Starburst]

I used to care when I was younger what people thought of what I did. Then I got older (not old! mid-twenties!) and realized it was a waste of time.

For example, in the past I would hide the fact I watched anime from people. I wouldn't tell them till much later when I'd already figured out what their likely reaction would be. Now I just tell them nearly immediately, and you'd be surprised how many people just smile and say "hey, have you seen xyz anime?" Sure a greater number ask "What's anime?" and when you explain it to them they're indifferent, but I don't care and neither do they.

So applying that to Dakimakuras and Anime Figures... I don't care. I'll tell them, I'll even tell them how much I've spent. It'll blow their mind but it's my hobby, they don't have to like it, or me, and I don't have to like theirs or them either.

That said, I'm obviously not going to go brag to my Mother that I bought a naked anime character on a pillow I sleep with. That would be weird. But if she visited and saw it in my room, I don't think she'd give it a second thought amonst the rest of the merch. Might poke a little fun, but it's all good, I'm not a prude, I can take humor. Heck, she's commented on how cute some of the figures are.

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by Starburst

That said, I'm obviously not going to go brag to my Mother that I bought a naked anime character on a pillow I sleep with. That would be weird.

Hahahaha! I love the "matter-of-fact" way you said that.

Yeah, that might be just a bit weird, hahahahahaha!

And, yeah, I will admit that I still worry a lot about what some people think... still working on that one.

[Ichihara Asako]

My mother has seen my pillow cover and she said it was cute. Though it's not a naked girl, it is a little on the ecchi side. The problem with the Horo ones is they're either naked or more ecchi than I'm comfortable with; the designs aren't great, else I'd have one by now, Horo being one of my all time favourite mimis.

[Starburst]

Unfortunately when someone says "Mimi" this is what comes to mind first. Damn you Drew Carry Show!


In other news, my Spice & Wolf artbook arrived today. I haven't taken it out of the packaging yet though, so I can't really comment on the content. Nor can I even read the cover to tell you what I actually bought lol

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Unfortunately when someone says "Mimi" this is what comes to mind first. Damn you Drew Carry Show!

In other news, my Spice & Wolf artbook arrived today. I haven't taken it out of the packaging yet though, so I can't really comment on the content. Nor can I even read the cover to tell you what I actually bought lol

Arggggh! My eyes... why?!?!?!

On a lighter note, check out page 112... personally I like that version just a bit better than the one on 113, but both are great and unfortunately, I have never seen a full-scale of the page 112 version.

[tyranuus]

SCAN SCAN SCAN

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by tyranuus

SCAN SCAN SCAN

Sorry, I don't have a scanner... wait I do however have a digital camera that belongs to a friend, let me see what I can do...

Update...

One of these everyone is probably familiar with... (unfortunately when I got my copy of the first DS game, I got everything but the Holo "bride" poster)... however, I will link a better version provided to me by Star in addition to the photos I took.

I am sorry that the quality is quite poor... for one, the lighting where I am is terrible; second, the camera I am using does not have great resolution, and finally, the picture I you wanted is unfortunately already drawn in soft focus, which translate into a blurry, overly shiny pic.

I am very sorry for the crappiness of the equipment I am working with... please forgive me not doing justice to them.

Spoiler for Version as seen in the book captured by a crappy camera:

Link to the better version (i.e. the actual poster)
http://moe.imouto.org/post/show/57743

Spoiler for Cuter version... but unfortunately poorer resolution:

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by tyranuus

SCAN SCAN SCAN

Canon never made drivers for my LiDE20 for Windows Vista/7. Maybe they do now, I'll check, but last I saw it only worked in XP, which I no longer have on any machine. I do have a week off work coming up, so I could potentially fiddle around, or even make a virtual machine that might do it. But I'm not really sure if I want to debind the book, in fact I'm nearly positive I don't. So the scans would still have the binding shadow.

We'll see when I finally open it up how the images are organized, how many aren't on the internet etc... and maybe I'll be able to do something about it.

Rajura... is Horo preggers in that second one?

Edit: quick look from work here, looks like there's a Vista driver now. Maybe I can get that bastard working again, yay!

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Rajura... is Horo preggers in that second one?

I don't think so... though she does have a "glow" about her (sorry bad joke).

I think any appearance is just due to the artists interpretation of her dress, choosing to have made it more flowing.

However, with text next it, you raise an interesting point that I never even considered (unfortunately, I do not understand but a very small hadful of kanji, so I do not know).

I will do some looking and see if I can't interpret them.

I hope she isn't... (ruins my chances).

So, updates to come... hopefully!

[tyranuus]

lol nice picture. I'd imagine it's aimed more at the Artist's imagination/lawrence than anyone else though

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Rajura... is Horo preggers in that second one?

Now that I finally opened the book, it was definitely the glare on the page making me think she looked preggers. Didn't realize that the difference between the pics was that one had Ayakura Jyuu's face and the other the animes. I thought it was just glow that made them differ.

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Now that I finally opened the book, it was definitely the glare on the page making me think she looked preggers. Didn't realize that the difference between the pics was that one had Ayakura Jyuu's face and the other the animes. I thought it was just glow that made them differ.

My bad; I should have done a much better job of explaining!

Way to capture the image much better than I could! The equipment to which I currently have access limits me greatly.

[Starburst]

Heh, I used the same setup I use to take pictures of my figures. 4x 23 watt CFLs (400 watt incandecent eqiuv)... then lazily snapped the shot at f/11 @ 1/5th. Probably couldn't have done better but w/e. That's what scans are for.

[Starburst]

Didn't read enough of the info when checking the scanner drivers. They're for 32-bit Windows only. I run 64-bit. So scanner still doesn't work.

Annoying.

[tyranuus]

Originally Posted by Starburst

Now that I finally opened the book, it was definitely the glare on the page making me think she looked preggers. Didn't realize that the difference between the pics was that one had Ayakura Jyuu's face and the other the animes. I thought it was just glow that made them differ.

Awesome image

Its interesting to compare the anime and original art as well. Both slightly different but both convey slightly different things. The original strikes me as slightly more mischevieous and younger, whilst the anime style version is slightly cuter and looks a little older.

Well thats my opinion anyway. Both good though

[LKK]

Originally Posted by tyranuus

The original strikes me as slightly more mischevieous and younger, whilst the anime style version is slightly cuter and looks a little older.

Anime!Horo has always looked older to me than her novel & manga counterparts.

[tyranuus]

Probably the slightly sharper face design and eyes that do it, whereas the anime face is slightly more rounded which suggests more 'filling out' with age.