Max arrived yesterday from AmiAmi and Jack today from eToysJapan!

I like Jack a lot, especially with all the accessories he has. The only downer is with only his two extra right hands being able to hold his javelins or shield, I can't have him duel-wield (I'd had in mind posing him sort of like a Roman soldier - crouched, shield down, javelin at the ready).

Max is pretty slick - he does look and feel a little bulkier than other Ultramen but not dramatically so. The molding on his chest, back and shoulder parts is nice and his effects parts look great. This could be pilot error but the hand with the Max Galaxy piece doesn't feel like it pops into the ball joint all the way - if I move the hand around too much it can slide off. It's not something that's in danger of falling off at random, but it's something I'll have to keep in mind.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps1f6b882d.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps48e8f314.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps853ed791.jpg

Overall, two more satisfying Ultra-Act releases in the books! I just picked up Mirror Knight (an eBay listing was put on sale for $30ish with free shipping) so hopefully that should be here by next week.

Max is a Heisei Ultra (right?) and it's a pretty solid release. So is Gaia V2, though at this point you'll probably have to pay extra for the first release bonus effects parts (if those interested you). Nexus Junis is awesome, it's the one I love to fiddle with the most.

I've also liked how Agul V2 and the aforementioned Dyna Flash Type look as well. If it's still there in a couple weeks I might snag an Agul V2 from AmiAmi along with an Evangelion shirt preorder I've been eyeing.

Those two look great posed together, LB. I just love seeing various Ultra Heroes in their fighting stances like that.

Got sniped on another auction for Ultraseven, so I bought Ace instead! Slowly but surely getting caught up on the Ultra Acts I want to get. Saw a good deal on Zero as well, who may be hard to pass up, what with all three of the movies on my "gotta watch these" pile...

Hope you didn't pay too much!

http://tamashii.jp/item_schedule/201308/

Sometimes I wonder why you respond to my comments. :P

Anyway, I guess that second bunch is the reissues? I paid about that for him plus US shipping so I'm golden. :)

And on that same page, all the dates just say August 2013... which is the release date, obviously. Been constantly checking for a listing for the original Cyclone on Amiami and HLJ, not seeing it despite being on this list... what am I missing?

Oh sweet, Ace is getting a rerelease? Funny, I was just starting to look into it. Timing works perfectly.

Considering my horrible ability to get prereleases, I'm happy to just have him on his way, heh!

Replying to you is the best. :D

Good, good. Been seeing a lot of $50+ Aces out there. My bud Goblez paid some dumb price for Ace on Mandarake like a month ago, it was so sad/hilarious once he saw this happening.

August preorders didn't go up yet thanks to Golden Week. Should definitely happen this week.

I am glad that I can bring you some amusement if nothing else :lol

I will have to keep on it then. I don't know how fast the Cyclone is going to sell out compared to some of the other items, or even if I can justify it to myself to purchase it, but I at least want a sporting chance at it.

Also, LB, with Jack, can't you just put his Shield hand on his left arm even though it's a right hand? Yeah it will be backwards, but it'd only be noticeable if you looked behind the shield. For display purposes, it would work fine, right? I have mine posed throwing his spear like Imitation Jack from the beginning of the first Zero vs Darklops gaiden.

I believe Tamashii Nations stated via Twitter preorders for Sailor Moon would go up on the 8th...so I'm thinking at least some of this bunch could go up tonight or tomorrow?

I'm already preparing for another chaotic few minutes trying to grab an Ace and Sailor Moon.

Yeah that's true, now that you mention it. I may end up doing that actually, just using the extra right hand to hold the shield. I just wish, with all the accessories Jack does have, that they would've thought adding an extra left hand with a peg hole for the shield and javelin would've been a good idea.

Ace is up on AmiAmi, for those that don't have it yet. No super-quick sellout like Zoffy's rerelease.

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/det...TOK-02573-S001

EDIT:

Also up on HLJ:

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN977177/Act

EDIT Part II:

AmiAmi stock's sold out. HLJ still has it, as does Hobby Search (link per Megabattimus): http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10191655

EDIT Part III:
As of this morning, Ace's preorder is both back in stock and now visible on the front page on AmiAmi.

EDIT Part IV:
As of 2 PM PST, HLJ's preorder is at Order Stop and Hobby Search's has also closed. AmiAmi preorder remains open. For what it's worth, should AmiAmi's sell out again and someone hasn't put in a preorder in time, BBTS is listing Ace as well (whether they get it in or not, we'll see).

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/p...35&mode=retail

Mirror Knight arrived today. He stands out thanks to the different color scheme and head (which reminds me a lot of Redeemer/Anti-Spawn). His hands have been the most difficult to pop on and off, though that's a bit relative (it took me a few minutes to pop a hand on, whereas my other Ultra-Acts pop on and off with ease). It sounds like there's something jingling around on the inside of his torso? Nothing's broken so it's not a problem, but I've no idea what's causing it.

I haven't tried the mirror shield yet, maybe later when I have more time to mess around with him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psb51e4391.jpg

Is it just me or does Max got a big head? it kinda looks like his head is a little bit wider than the one shown in pictures.

Max's head is a bit...fuller, I guess, than other Ultramen, now that you mention it.

Mirror Knight looks really neat. He's on my list of "want" figures, but I should get Zero first, I think, yes?

Of all the new supporting heroes from the Zero movies, Mirror Knight has my favorite look. The green looks really sharp.

Lol, I actually didn't notice it till I saw the picture on the box.

Just an FYI guys, for anyone that missed out on Father of Ultra earlier, it's available again on AmiAmi right now (Tamashii's release date for Father was the 15th, but AmiAmi still lists it as a preorder). I threw in an order for that and Ace Killer since I'd missed Father earlier when I was just a casual observer of the line.

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/det...%24pagecnt%3D1

Yeah getting Zero first makes sense. The good thing about the Zero movies is characters like Mirror Knight, Glenfire and Jeanbot are all relatively easy to pick up still so you can probably hold off for a little while and still get Mirror Knight and any others at a good price. I jumped on him when I did because it was an eBay BIN that was actually a few bucks cheaper than the Amazon price, and since it was a non-CA seller I didn't have to worry about paying CA sales tax.

OH MAN, that is so tempting... Must resist! Must... Resist!

Do it, do it! It's still there (SIC Putotyra, in comparison, also came back this morning but sold out again in about an hour)! He has his own mantle! And a fricken dumbbell!!!

Jonias is coming in October!:rock: But as an exclusive...:(

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0037264f.jpg

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps246ec439.jpg

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...psefd28990.jpg

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps09c19842.jpg

Now the question is: Tokusatsu style or Anime style?

Damn, first Jonias and now Ultraseven gets announced for September.

Is the Ultraseven using the supposedly improved Ultra-Act body or is it a straight reissue of the original?

He is a renewal. All new mold.

If it's a September release, when will it go up for pre-order? I have to have my friend in Australia on the trigger button, since I'll be asleep.

Most likely sometime next week.

I will do everything in my power to own this figure. It must be mine!

A gallery's up for Father of Ultra on higekumatoyblog:

http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com...ntry-1927.html

Besides AmiAmi.com, what are the best sites to watch for pre-ordering Ultraseven?

HLJ is probably a good bet, I know those are the two which are most often bandied about in discussion. They will be a little more but they sometimes seem to have preorders open longer.

I would love for Ultraseven to be like Taro, where preorders were relatively easy, but I don't think that will be the case, unfortunately.

Yeah there's HLJ and Hobby Search. Perhaps eToysJapan might be worth a shot as well (they got Jack in, not sure if they ever put up Father of Ultra or Taro preorders though).

I'm hoping that, after Taro was relatively easy to preorder and Ace was super-easy, that there'll be enough of Ultraseven that it won't sell out in mere minutes. Then again, the Zoffy rerelease sold out in the blink of an eye. Either way I'm just assuming I'm in for a fun few minutes of exasperated refreshing AmiAmi sometime soon.

EDIT:

For those interested, preorders for both versions of Jonias are up now on BBTS. About $90 each.

Awww geez, I want Jonias but $90 is a bit steep. Still...

Of the two, I'm still torn on which version looks better.

Bleh, BBTS prices. I figure Jonias is going to end up a bit like Andro Melos after release on Mandarake and the secondary market, just a bit more since he's an actual Ultraman rather than an alternate hero/disguise. It would not be so great if he pulls an Astra (FOURTEEN THOUSAND YEN). Not sure if only one figure will be common, if both will flood the market, or neither.

Haven't decided which I'd prefer, but there's no way I'm going to preorder either Jonias.

Oh totally, I only use BBTS as backup on a Tamashii exclusive I want. I got SIC Gatakiriba for a little over $110 shipped and can probably get Shauta for $110-120ish rather than pay BBTS' $150ish preorder. I have the silver Jonias preordered at Big Bad but will be on the lookout for other listings elsewhere around the time of release to snag it for a better price.

I'm still on the fence, having never used Mandarake (every time I go on there I can't find what I am looking for, maybe I'm doing it wrong), and rarely have good luck on eBay (*waves at Baltan*). He's a neat figure, though, so I might at least use BBTS as a backup like Lbsam.

I am, however, chalking at the bit for Ultraseven. I want that figure something fierce.

I'll get the new Ultraseven (since I don't have my old one anymore), but I just don't get some of the decisions here. Why so tall? Why the big red gap around the neck? I can't find a single photo of Ultraseven where that area isn't silver. Was he just thrown together primarily from existing parts?

Also bummed we don't appear to get an Emerium Beam or a flying eye slugger attachment like the first version.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...ultraseven.jpg

I'm sorry Poe, isn't the flying Eye Slugger in the bottom right shot of the pic you posted? Or am I confused?

I meant one like the first release, where it was on a clear stick attached to the hand:

http://reggiocomics.files.wordpress....0/12/23646.jpg

I could be wrong, but it looks like the one with the new Ultraseven is just a single Eye Slugger, and the way it looks like it's "flying" is just some Photoshopping.

I gotcha, thanks for clarifying! I do like the hand held Eye Slugger with the blue trail, though.

As far as the red collar, I think it shows up a few times, but I think the modern suit has it as always silver.

http://images.wikia.com/ultra/images...ltraseven_.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vq0DXael0f...ltra+seven.jpg

After Gridman I have been leery of these guys...but he does look good

You have to search in Japanese for about everything, and some items sell fast, so you should consider bookmarking a search for reference and use Figinstock to keep tabs on new listings. If you casually search once every few days you'll miss all but the most common and frequently sold stuff.

Hiiiiiiii~.

Chomping at the bit, even!

I thought I covered all that when you asked before!

Not every accessory is necessarily covered in promo shots. People thought for a while that Jack didn't come with an actual Specium Ray despite being a staple accessory, because it wasn't in those pics. Seven doesn't have an official Tamashii listing yet.

Gridman's wrist issues aren't representative of other Ultra-Acts, because their hands aren't nearly as hard and rigid as his.