Ultra-cool Sci-Fi Revoltech Figures

Just a few weeks ago we welcomed a visit from the primary distributor of Sci-Fi REVOLTECH figures in Japan. He brought a few sample products including the REVOLTECH Alien Xenomorph and we were totally blown away. I mean totally.

Take a look at their Alien Warrior for instance. Isn't this like the most detailed figure you've ever seen!? It was quite unbelievable.



Kaiyodo - the leading, detail-obsessed Japanese figure manufacturer - is behind these figures by the way. No wonder they are so cool. They sure don't make any half-hearted efforts when it comes to figures.
If you've never heard the term REVOLTECH before it refers to several product lines utilizing Kaiyodo's revoltech joint system which allows unprecedented freedom of movement. Check out the crazy joint action on their REVOLTECH Batman for example. Almost every major joint on the body is reproduced with a bending range that mimics the real thing. They make these figures more posable than anything else we've seen so far.



The Sci-Fi REVOLTECH series features a mix of contemporary and classic characters from both Japanese and Western Sci-Fi movies and TV shows. Their selection is rather hodge-podge ranging from Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas to ancient cult creatures like Mothra, the rather benign monster moth who featured in sci-fi flicks next to Godzilla in the 1960s.



Here's Jack Skellington looking quite dandy.

It's pretty hard to describe all the goodness on this blog, so if you're fanatical about any of these characters or if you simply love well made figures just head on to the Sci-Fi REVOLTECH section on Jzool.com and check out the full selection!

You are what your iPhone wears...

It's been about a year since I began reading all my books on the iPhone. Life has changed considerably since then. I no longer need to carry bulky paperbacks during my commutes. I can switch from reading my favorite novel of the moment to the New York Times in three flicks of my thumb. In short, things are a lot more convenient and a big thanks to Steve Jobs for that.

There are several things about the paper book that I miss dearly, however. And one of them is that I no longer have a way to show off what I'm reading to the rest of the world. I mean, I could be reading The Brothers Karamazov and the cute girl sitting opposite me on the train wouldn't have an inkling of how cool I am. That's somewhat of a downer for geeks like me who rely heavily on what we read - and not how we look - to trick members of the opposite sex into relinquishing their phone numbers.

Ah, but there's hope yet. Lately I've found a workaround for this problem, which is to dress up my iPhone with things that (kind of) express something about myself. I have several specific iPhone jackets for this purpose. One is a very geeky Star Wars case and the other is the Tony Tony Chopper iPhone cover pictured center here. I especially love the latter because it's kind of subtle. i.e., you couldn't tell straight off the bat that it's something from Portrait of Pirates. And on top of that the cherry blossoms on the jolly roger have a special significance (which I won't go into here but suffice to say that it's a symbolic prop in a very very touching episode involving Tony Tony and Dr. Hiruruku). So only people who've read the particular episode would know what it's about. It's just like a secret Mason's handshake designed to seek out those initiated into the inner circle of knowledge. Ah... if only there would be more otaku who'd understand...

Well, otaku or not, you're bound to find something you'd like from the selection iPhone jackets we've added recently.

Cute and beautiful all-mighty cloth that can wrap, wipe, decorate and save the world.

Well, maybe not save the world but the Tenugui is one handy piece of cloth to keep in your bag.

Traditionally, the Tenugui was an everyday item people kept in their kimonos to wipe themselves with. The Japanese equivalent of a handkerchief. But because of its relatively large size many women also use it to wrap presents or everyday items such as lunch boxes. My favorite application for the tengui is the bottle wrap which I use to fashionably carry my wine to parties.

The younger Japanese generation use the tenugui more as a fashion item and sometimes even use it like a poster.

Next week we hope to visit one of our Tenugui manufacturers to take video footage of some useful wrapping techniques so stay tuned!

Samurai Insignia Cell Phone Straps and Tie Pins

Here are a few cool Titanium Cell Phone Straps for the samurai at heart. Each features the house insignia of a famous warlord from medieval Japan. Shown on the Titianium Tie Pins is the kanji character "愛" which adorned the helmet of Naoe Kanetsugu - a battle hardened feudal lord and advisor to the once powerful Uesugi Clan. Kanetsugu was very much respected both by his peers as well as his enemies and is considered to be one of the heroic characters in Japanese history. The character by itself symbolizes "love" in Japanese. It is not clear why Kanetsugu was attached to this particular word, but it is thought to have a dual purpose: One to remind him of the virtues of selfless love and compassion and the other to receive protection from Ragaraja (or 愛染明王 in Japanese) - a buddhist deity and god of war.

Each tie-pin is made of pure titanium - very light, strong, corrosion-resistant and non-allergenic material selectively used for high-tech mission critical products. A great item for student's of Japanese history and a welcome gift for Father's Day!

Cuddly blankets and towels to keep kids cute and warm

I suppose it's no longer a secret how much we love Totoro and all things Studio Ghibli. We even make our kids watch Totoro over and over until they are brainwashed into loving it themselves. We'll if you're one of those fanatical Ghibli parents like us you're sure to appreciate these choice items.

Titianium Tumblers for the modern beer drinker

These Double-Walled Titanium Tumblers are great for keeping your drinks hot or cold. Not to mention they're as stylish and high-tech as cups go. Titanium doesn't rust or corrode and isn't allergenic to boot. Cheers!

Simply AMAZING paper craft musical instrament kits from HANDSON

We were recently contacted by a group of musicians who had designed some cool paper craft kits. When we saw the real thing (the finished products) we were blown away by how beautiful they were and decided to sell them on the spot. These kits are incredibly detailed and just awesome to behold. Although it takes a little patience to put together, the parts are all pre-cut by laser for you so you can dive straight into building the kit. None of that tedious scissors-work required!