July 2010 Anime Preview

eStarland has long been a supplier of anime merchandise, and now that we have this blog up and running, we figured that we'd make a post each month about what we've ordered and what new action figures, statues, and artbooks have just been made available for preorder.

Street Fighter I & II Ultimate Edition Comics Collections

We've had a few emails asking us why we don't sell comic books, even ones that are related to one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time. Well, we were waiting for the inevitable collection books to come out, and they're finally announced and forthcoming. These two books bring together all 34 issues of the Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, and Street Fighter II Turbo comics in two massive full color 450 page tomes.

(Expected release date: 09/29/2010)

Fantasy Figure Gallery: Luis Royo Black Tinkerbell Statue

We've had quite a few of these Fantasy Figure Gallery statues from Yamato USA. A welcome alternative to the wealth of scantily clad anime-style figures, these statues feature subjects that are more Westernized. Luis Royo is the man behind this newest one, and fans of the series will remember his work from numerous other Fantasy Figure Gallery statues. 'Black Tinkerbell' is over 11 inches tall from the base to the tip of her wings.

(Expected release date: 11/24/2010)

Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0 Asuka 1/6 Scale Test Suit Ani*Statue

We love Neon Genesis Evangelion. We've lost track of the number items we've had that tie into the franchise. Kotobukiya, a name that should be recognizable to any anime figure collector, will be bringing us a gorgeous 1/6 scale statue of Asuka in her Test Suit. Standing about 6 inches in height, we can't wait until this comes out and we hope that the other Evangelion ladies will receive the same treatment in the future.

(Expected release date: 11/24/2010)

Steins;Gate Kurisu Makise 1/8 Scale Ani*Statue

Talk about inaccessible. Steins;Gate came out on the PC and Xbox 360 in Japan, but didn't ever make it to the US. But that won't stop us from getting this statue. It's over 9 inches tall (1/8 scale) and she's perched on some gears. Frankly, we have no idea what it's about, but we can appreciate the craftsmanship and it'll look good on our shelves.

(Expected release date: 11/24/2010)

Deus Machina Demonbane: Al Azif 1/7 Scale PVC Statue

What happens when you combine H.P. Lovecraft and gorgeous mecha robots? You get Demonbane, which is starting to gain steam. It actually started as an eroge title for PC's, but it soon found itself on the PS2 and with visual novel, anime, and manga adaptations. The next step was obviously a statue. This figure stands 7.5 inches tall (1/7 scale) and features exquisite detail on the hair and frilly dress of Al Azif from Deus Machina Demonbane.

(Expected release date: 10/27/2010)

Fraulein Revoltech Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 Rei Action Figure

If you preordered the Asuka and Mari figures in this series, you can make your collection complete with this Rei Ayanami action figure. Each stands 6" tall and has dozens of articulation points and accessories. Frankly, we can't complain about more Neon Genesis Evangelion merchandise. We love that series.

(Expected release date: 10/27/2010)

Creators Labo #26: Asuka Langley Statue

We consider the Creators Labo line of statues to be one of the best. Every single one is of the utmost quality, and who can resist the art of Shunya Yamashita? Last month, we got an annoucement of a Rei Ayanami Creators Labo statue, and we knew that Asuka Langley wouldn't be far behind. We were right. Sculpted by Mitsumasa Yoshizawa, this beautiful statue of Asuka stands approximately 10" tall. Now all Yamato needs to do is make Creators Labo #27 a statue of Mari!

(Expected release date: 01/26/2011)

Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts Kai Serah Action Figure

This was inevitable. Square-Enix has already released action figures for all of the party members from the recent Final Fantasy XIII, so this addition of Lightning's sister, Serah, is a welcome one. She's 8" in height and will look nicely on our shelves next to the rest of the Final Fantasy XIII cast.

(Expected release date: 12/29/2010)

Kingdom Hearts II Formation Arts Box Set of 5

There is a lot of Kingdom Hearts merchandise. This set of 5 formation arts figures from Square-Enix features multiple characters from the second game in the series, ranging from approximately 4" to 6" in height. And for that many figures, the budget MSRP of $39.99 is an absolute steal.

(Expected release date: 11/24/2010)

Pinky Street #28, #29, and #30 Figures

We only recently started carrying these adorable Pinky Street figures. While we loved the King of Fighters and Street Fighter two-packs, the pair based on Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Haruhi Suzumiya one, the collectors in us can't resist a numbered series. Pinky Street #25, #26, and #27 just came out last week, and we look forward to many more in the future.

(Expected release date: 09/29/2010)