Photo Shoot - Glamorous Lifestyle on the Gold Leopard Sofa (I)

I eagerly set up a photo shoot session after unboxing the Gold Leopard Sofa. First model was Barbie "Bond Girl". She was the natural candidate for the sofa.







I'm glad I got the scale right. A good sofa or chair will have the 'seat' at kneecap height, this I discovered only recently after years of sitting on chairs and sofas. For Barbie whose legs cannot bend at right angles, it is better to err on the side of caution. Better a larger sofa than a smaller one.

My favourite photo has Barbie lying sensuously on her back with her smooth silky legs showing through the gown. Gotcha!

I Purchased the Gold Leopard Sofa!

That day at Marina Square, I chanced upon a contemporary gift shop, the playful and funky kind selling unconventional gifts like lava lamps, wall clocks and can-drink phones.

What excites me was the toy furniture on display. They are not 1:6 accessories but jewellery boxes in disguise. At $48 per piece after discount, they do not come cheap. But hey, who says the 1:6 hobby is cheap? Digressing. Since they look so intricate (look at the legs and ornament; pillows are included!!), I decided they are worth the price.

The jewellery compartment is well-hidden from sight. I probably have no use for the compartment except to store my 1:6 accessories. Well, let's see, should I hide the bazooka or the various rotting faux leather bags and apparel?

A bit of caveat emptor here. There are chairs/sofas/sofa-beds and they come in a few (near 1:6) scales, but they all cost $48. Which means you probably give the smaller furniture or the not so pretty ones a miss. I had a tough time choosing the scale. Based on experience, I tend to underestimate the scale for 1:6 furniture and my dolls will sit in an awkward position if they choose to sit (not like they have a choice .. lol). The Gold Leopard Sofa I bought is of the largest scale and the most intricate. This time my dolls will sit comfortably. :)

Front:



Back:



Pillow:



Legs:



Ornament:



Open Sesame!



Interior:



PS: The shop's Epitome, for those interested. You find it near the overhead bridge exit to Suntec.

Photo Shoot - Dance of the Kunoichi

Been busy lately, no time to update my toy blog. This afternoon, I decided enough was enough; if I procrastinate, this blog will not see further photo shoots. My first photo shoot was Barbie, my entry to doll collecting.

Today I present Crazy Owners Kunoichi, my first purchase for 2009.

To end, here's my white ninja prostrating in front of Kunoichi. :D

Upcoming: Hot Toys Chacha Asai (Ryoko Hirosue) from Goemon

Gorgeous.

Saw the preorder on TFH. At $219.95, this is considered middle range for Hot Toys products. I may consider getting one of these Hot Toys ladies as my entry into the Hot Toys line. Boy, doesn't this Chacha Asai look like a doll?

Chacha Asai is a character from the just released (I think so, the trailer says 2009 5.1) CG movie Goemon. You can watch the trailers (ver.1, ver.2) and read IMDb for the cast.



Ryoko Hirosue (広末涼子) plays Chacha in the movie. I used to watch JDrama and she was a familiar face in big productions like Long Vacation and Beach Boys. I've also watched her other shows like Lipstick, Summer Snow and Shotgun Marriage. Therefore she is one of the few Japanese actresses I can identify with. Another reason to get her 1:6 representation.

The Hot Toys product page wrote of a "highly detailed head sculpture with authentic likeness of Ryoko Hirosue as ChaCha Asai". The head sculpt is by Hiroki Hayashi who also gave us Silken Floss.

So how authentic is the head sculpt? And her gown? According to the product page, she is "dressed in her movie-accurate costume of gorgeous gown and detailed footwear".




In my opinion, the face's too long and pointed. It is not that her face has slimmed down in recent years. Here is how she looked a decade ago.



I tried to find movie stills from Goemon and I gave up. Here are some screen-caps from the trailers.



Chacha Asai is no barbie all right, but still, it is a pity for Hot Toys action figure origin to show through the doll. The ugly POA (point of articulation) glares at us in the next picture. And her leg showing through, not sexy but like a stick.



Her image as a doll is further marred by the molded hair. Why didn't Hot Toys use rooted hair? Now her two waist length locks just look so fake.

Otherwise, the figure is ok. She is not high on the accessory list but the highlight is her gorgeous gown anyway. If you can get her to pose with her folding fan (or knife) and her legs tucked in, she looks great.



There is another reason why Ryoko Hirosue as Chacha Asai in Goemon is a must-watch. According to this website,

Ryoko Hirosue, a Japanese actress, will disrobe and appear nude for “Goemon.” In “Goemon”, Hirosue will be seen naked in the shower. Hirosue will have a nude, intimate bed scene with her male leading actor.

Okay .. ahem.