Dakimakuras anyone?

Yeah, I saw that. Shame there isn't a full sample up; it doesn't look bad from what I can see, but I definitely like their other Miku more (the one that sells for 70+k.) For the Anko Yayoi, I have absolutely no idea, but I'm the same way. I don't really like her hair style, but I really like the hairstyle that Peace is usually sporting. I do know that the CC Sakura cover has Tomoyo on the other side, so I'd imagine that the Yayoi cover has her other version, but that's pure speculation.

Looks like that Momo made my movic didn't sell well. It dropped almost 1000 JPY since release. Mine is currently on hold waiting for 2 other items from my order so I emailed to see if they will drop my order price to match. Not sure they do stuff like this, but we'll see. :)

I also finally put my order in for Robin over at EC so will be paying for that soon. I hope Robin sells well and they do a Nami as well. :)

Hmm, I assume that some of you travelled to Japan before, any tips? Currently my plans are that I'll stay 14 days in Tokyo in August and a week in HK. I don't want to travel whole Japan, but some sightseeing and Fuji-Q is a must do. Also I want to visit Comiket, any tips on how to survive? I looked up a few things and blogs are saying that you should line up the night before and something about saving your spot in the line. My main concern is to get lost on the Event grounds. My english is fluent, but I can barely speak japanese, should I take a language course?

I'll wait till there's a full sample of snow Miku.

I have been to Japan and attended Comiket. Staying overnight is only necessary if you're after something from an extremely popular artist who is likely to sell out early. If it's for dakimakura or other special items/bonuses from circles, they will sell out fast if they are popular since they can't really bring a huge amount of stock of dakimakura to the event (too bulky). For doujinshi, they are likely to have a much larger stock and there is not that huge of a need to wait overnight for them in general, most circles are unlikely to sell out before noon and many will not sell out at all. Doujinshi can also fairly easily be picked up even if you missed them at comiket at the stores like Toranoana a day or two after the event (popular circles will always have some stock prepared for the consignment shops to sell).

Here is a guide I used when going for the first time: http://ticktank.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/ticktanks-english-guide-to-comiket-part-1-general-info/ It should still be accurate for the current Comiket too despite being 4 years old now. One thing I will mention, is that the iconic picture of the Tokyo Big Site (the venue) is that of the thing that looks like upside down pyramids. e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20030727_27_July_2003_Tokyo_International_Exhibition_Center_Big_Sight_Odaiba_Tokyo_Japan.jpg which I think nearly every anime fan is familiar with seeing. That isn't actually the venue halls at all, rather it's more of a huge fancy archway only lol, and everything important is beyond it. I may be confusing my memory of East and West, but as you come through the "archway" you turn left to reach the larger East halls, or you can go right and up some stairs to reach the upper West halls, which is where the corporate booths are located. You'll probably see a gigantic Nanoha queue while heading this way...

For your very first time, I'd recommend not queuing overnight, but rather just getting up early and taking the first train to the venue so you're not a total zombie when you get inside and can keep track of your surroundings. Or possibly only stay overnight for the final day (the 3rd day is generally the one when the vast majority of adult circles are present).

Regarding language... The majority of people cannot speak english (or can attempt really really bad broken english) but even so you can get by quite fine just through lots of gesturing and stuff. Knowing more japanese will of course be helpful, and if you have the time for it learning the language can only be an asset to you, but you can definitely cope without it too. Even if there is a language barrier, everyone there is exceptionally nice and helpful and will do their best to communicate with you nonetheless.

As an example of their helpfulness.. My friend and I were going somewhere by the train system and we needed to swap trains midway to get to our destination, however we had bought the incorrect type of ticket for making the swap and so when we were at the station to swap at we got our ticket rejected at the barrier. We had about 4 seconds to look at each other and go "uh, what do we do??" before this nice old lady who spoke only a tiny bit of english came up and asked us if we needed help. She took us over to one of the attendants and explained what had happened and got us the correct tickets. While you will find kind people to help you in every country, it's rare that they are so common that you will be helped before you even have time to express that you are in trouble.

I don't know about other people, but I can quite happily spend 14days merely wandering around Akihabara :3

The BWStore covers are up on the site. Preorder opens 10/26 and goes until 1/20. All 9 are up, so I guess the order period windows was just to determine your ship date; I guess it's because it's unfair to make the people who order 10/26 to wait until February when the people who ordered 1/19 will get theirs.

Edit: Yum

I read the guide, but it sounds a bit "scary". I know that the author use words like "deathtunnel" and doesn't actually mean it, but the mass of people and "currents" of them could be a problem. I went to other big fairs before, but never experienced fanboys/girls running a fast as they can or shoving to get to their target.
Not that I have a problem with this, but it sounds so unfamiliar.

I also heard that it's the best choice for the first and second day to take the first train or a taxi if you want to get there earlier. Comiket opens at 10 so if you arrive at 6 it should be finde. I don't have a problem with queuing overnight, I can sit on the ground and will have enough entertainment with me, also some coffein tablets and enough water and nutritious food.

Is there a way to get the Comiket Book Catalog directly in Tokio?
Due to so many rail lines, do I need to buy a new ticket all the time or is there something like a week pass?

Thanks :)

Edit: Any hotel recommendations?
The August Comiket is always mid August or also sometimes late August?

Yum indeed! :D

I wish there was a version without the octopus.>_>

Well I wasn't in that tunnel during the opening rush.. but at other times it was quite fine (winter comiket though, can imagine it being quite stuffy and horrible in summer). Two orderly streams of people moving at a normal pace.

Never saw a single person pushing or shoving to get anywhere really (maybe some slight nudging to get through the thickest of immobile crowds rather than queues). The whole queuing system there is amazing and effective, despite the 10s of thousands of people there, it all moves very smoothly for the most part (chara-ani stall queue is slooooow though...).

I wouldn't particularily recommend any hotel, as I haven't been to enough to really compare them. But I stayed at http://www.hotel-yanagibasi.jp/en/ last time, which was nice since walking distance of akihabara and not a bad price (for 2 people anyway). Unless you pay a fortune, all rooms are going to be pretty small wherever you stay I think (not really a problem for me).

I believe it's always mid August, but may be mistaken!

The guide book will be for sale at all major anime-ish stores pretty much. So Toranoana, Animate, Gamers, etc will all have it (basically anywhere you look in akihabara nearly :p or their other branches throughout tokyo).

There are some train passes you can get, but they're probably only worth it if you'll be travelling around the whole country a lot. If you're just sticking in tokyo and near it then you're probably fine to just pay individual fares.

Just doing a simple estimate of what the covers would cost via SMJ proxy or ordering directly; this doesn't factor in any potential proxy fees or shipping costs from SMJ to you. It's also obviously under the assumption that they'll be able to order at the NTD rate.

For this example, I'm going to use a purchase of all 9 covers. Obviously there are some we like more than others and we probably won't order them all, but it's the example where the numbers really make a difference.

Using SMJ:

2600 NTD x 9 = 23400 NTD
SMJ uses a rate of NTD - 2 for currency conversions, so the current rate of 29.2 NTD (for 1 USD) would become 27 NTD.
23400/27 = $867

That's with proxy fees (which SMJ said they won't charge while in beta testing), shipping to you, or any miscellaneous wire fees and such.

Just using an inefficient shipping estimate of $20 per case, that's $180 making the total $180 + $867 = $1047.

Ordering directly is easier to calculate without any guesswork short of the currency value changing:

12000 yen x 9 = 108000 yen
Plugging that into Google's currency conversion since they don't use a -rate like SMJ does.
108000 yen = $1353

hey guys.

does anyone know of any good alice margatroid and/or sakuya izayoi dakimakura?

i just bought a really cute momiji dakimakura (actually, it's a copy of one i already have, just i case a have another debacle like the chocolate thing...)

There are tons of Touhou dakimakura covers, so rather than just linking a bunch, here are the relevant search links on the blog:

http://blog.xn--er-573a1isbf1441e2hs87j.jp/?s=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AC%E3%83%88%E3%83%AD%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89

http://blog.xn--er-573a1isbf1441e2hs87j.jp/?s=%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AD%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%80%E5%92%B2%E5%A4%9C

I own a few Sakuya covers myself, and I have to say that my absolute favorite is the one Bon Cool did.

Thanks as always shashin. probably gonna pick up that third alice one. probably gonna use yokkata again. what link should i send them (or do i just give them that one and say 6th one down)?

the only thing that makes me iffy is that 2-way tricot material. i got a cover with that material, and i do not like it >_<.

Heh, doesn't quite work that way. :P I was just linking you a list of past covers that have been released for that particular character. You said 6th one down and the 3rd Alice, so I'm assuming you mean the one by the artist Hong. The preorder date for that was 2012/6/4(月)～7/7, so it has been closed for a few months now. You might be able to find it on YJA or Mandarake, though.

And you don't like 2WT? What other materials do you have to compare it to? Because most people consider 2WT to be the absolute best material on the market. :o

gatdanggit......oh well.....

well, about the 2wt i don't know what i'm comparing it to because usually i don't know what the material is that i have, lol. i bought a cover and asked for 2wt simply because it was the most expensive option (so i thought it would be the best option, simple-minded, i know). i was actually hoping for the same material of the one that rin one you helped me get was, but the 2wt was too slick and soft (i know, too soft? but apparently that an issue for me) for my tastes. i guess the clarity and durability is better, but i don't like the way it feels. the one i just ordered is japanese textile, so i'm hoping i like that better.

Sneak attack from Evening call, received my 2 sorceress covers from them yesterday, so those who have ordered as well should receive her soon.This is the 2nd time they fail to notify me before sending me the covers.

Heh, I was just wondering if I was going to be receiving an Evening Call order today. They had a shipment notice post on their site the other day, but I didn't bother to check to see if any of the covers I ordered were in it.

Yeah, I received my Sorceress cover and my Rachel Alucard covers yesterday.

can anyone give me a full pic of these covers please?

http://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp./shop/en/item_s-762703.html

http://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp./shop/en/item_s-987373.html

Down the page a bit for the first one: http://kyounetsu.blog110.fc2.com/blog-category-29.html

Small sample here for the second; the page it links to is broken:

http://blog.xn--er-573a1isbf1441e2hs87j.jp/archives/1857

Better sample here, if you have a Pixiv account:

http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=big&illust_id=4536931