Wonder Festival 2019[夏]

I'm only writing about it now, but back in July I attended the Summer Wonder Festival at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. The show is largely focused on anime figures, but there were many 1/72 scale kits and figures with possible gaming applications that I'm sure many hobbyists would be interested in learning about.

The first item I bought was a 3D printed Japanese-style tombstone. I later found out these were novelty items for students to commemorate their lost college credits.

Circle: なんか作ろうよ

I went back-and-forth in my mind about this 1/72 Glocke by Tanhauser Gate before deciding to buy it. A figure was in the display for scale purposes and is not part of the kit, so I'm not sure where it comes from.

Circle: タンホイザーゲート

Some amazing figures from Demons Kingdom. Looks like stuff right out of the Dictionnaire Infernal.

Circle: デモンズキングダム

I was intending to go back at some point to buy the Forneus (フォルネウス) and Decarabia (デカラピア) figures, but there was so much going on at the show that I ended up forgetting.

Seventh Moon was one of the circles that I really wanted to visit. They had their new 1/72 kits from Macross on display, but I was looking for the 1/72 Daihatsu landing craft and Carro Armato P 26/40 that they announced before Winter Wonder Festival in February.

Unfortunately they did not have either in stock, and they don't ship overseas. I composed a senryū as an expression of my disappointment.

長い旅 でも舟いない 悲しいだ

A long journey But the boat was not there I am sad

Despite the setback, I continued on through the exhibit hall. I was drawn to the Trico figure sculpted by Yamaguchi Narumi because of the various figures of The Boy. The figures are smaller than 1/72 scale, but can be used as younger children. The models were completely sold out though.

Circle: sobae

The Boy

A lot of military and science fiction kits were concentrated in one section of the hall.

The Kami de Korokoro booth was in this section, and I picked up the new 1/72 High School Girl figure set they were selling.

Tenbowkissa was in this area as well. I was looking forward to their Falke model, but they were sold out. Luckily Tenbowkissa products are available through their website. I did buy one of the Camel kits though.

MEF & Team STRIKE! gr. is a circle that I never heard of before. They were selling 1/72 power armor, and I bought a couple of the models that I thought had more of the Maschinen Krieger aesthetic.

Circle: MEF & チーム・ストライク!・ゲルプ

Takasehatuenki had a booth selling 1/72 Hasegawa walking panzer conversion kits. I didn't buy any of these kits because I'm not a huge fan of walking tank designs that just take regular tanks and swap the tracks for legs (I'm looking at you too Rocket Models!).

Circle: 高瀬発煙機

I passed by a booth selling a 1/72ish Dunkleosteus and 1/2 scale Xidazoon. I should have bought the Dunkleosteus but I didn't.

Another circle I was looking for was gonBro. I actually bought their science fiction figures at Yellow Submarine in Akihabara a few days earlier, not realizing they would be sold at the show at a much lower price.

I bought his carrier deck crew figures which I didn't see at Yellow Submarine.

Circle: 1234gonBro

I included this picture of some Zoids because they are ostensibly 1/72 scale, but that said, I don't really have much of an interest in the majority of them.

The final highlight for me was the 1/72 scale Maschinen Krieger Digital Garage Kit display from Kaiyodo.

For years I've been trying to think of ways to convert my 1/76 SAFS to 1/72 scale, but now it is no longer as much of an issue.

I really hope that Kaiyodo will consider selling the stl files so that people can print up their own models. I don't know why, but there is something compelling about painting up as many SAFS as possible in all their different color schemes. It's not something that is really feasible in 1/20 scale, but it can be achievable in 1/72 scale.

I'll do more typical scale comparison type articles showing my purchases in future posts, and if anyone is interested in more about my experience at the show, I've written about it in my other blog.